Twelve Conversations

The People of the Wind.

War preparation affects many people at every level on both sides. Poul Anderson shows this by a series of conversations:

Daniel Holm with his son, Christopher;

Christopher Holm and Eyath, members of Stormgate Choth although of different species;

Daniel Holm as Second Marchwarden of the Lauran System with his superior, Ferune, Wyvan of Mistwood Choth;

Christopher Holm as Arinnian of Stormgate with Tabitha Falkayn as Hrill of Highsky;

Eyath with her fellow Ythrian, Vodan, before he goes to war;

Ekrem Saracoglu, Earl of Anatolia, Imperial Governor of Sector Pacis, with Luisa, daughter of Fleet Admiral Juan de Jesus Cajal y Palomares of Nuevo Mexico;

Lieutenant (j.g.) Philippe Rochefort with fire control, CPO Wa Chou, "Watch Out," of Cynthia and engineer-computerman, CPO Abdullah Helu from Huy Braseal;

Rochefort with Eve Davisson over dinner;

Daniel Holm and Ferune with Matthew Vickery, President of the Parliament of Man, and Liaw of The Tarns, Wyvan of the High Khruath;

Arinnian with Hrill (interrupted by meeting Vodan);

Ainnian and Hrill with Vodan and Quenna;

Cajal with Saracoglu.

Then hostilities begin.