(i) Character A points a gun at character B who then does whatever A tells him to.
(ii) While A points a gun at B, C, who is an ally of B, approaches A from behind and sticks a gun in B's back. B then drops his gun and raises his arms.
Such scenes occur in Westerns, detective fiction and sf. In Star Trek, the gun is a "phaser."
If Poul Anderson had written nothing but this kind of stuff, then I would not have read him. However, he certainly was able to write this kind of scene. Carrying a stunner in one hand and a blaster in the other, Dominic Flandry enters a chamber where Merseians and Ruadrath tail-sit in conference on opposed platforms. There are four responses:
"Djana cried out. Rrinn hissed. Ydwyr uttered a sentence in no language Flandry had heard before. Several males of either species started off the platforms."
-Poul Anderson, A Circus of Hells IN Anderson, Young Flandry (Riverdale, NY, January 2010), pp. 193-365 AT CHAPTER EIGHTEEN, p. 340.
Djana is a human female accompanying Ydwyr, a Merseian. Rrinn is a Ruad. The language unfamiliar to Flandry is a timely reminder that Eriau is not the only Merseian language. Later in the Technic History, Olaf Magnusson will be fluent in three Merseian languages including, of course, the Prime language, Eriau.
Unfamiliar with the dramatic conventions of Terrestrial cinema and television, the "several males" have not yet got the message that, when anyone points a gun at you, you are supposed to stand still and do as you are told. Flandry quickly puts them right by brandishing his blaster and shouting in Eriau:
"'Stay where you are! This thing's set to wide beam! I can cook the lot of you in two shots!'" (ibid.)
(Two shots because they are on two platforms.)
What is important here is that Flandry would indeed kill instantly if his order was not obeyed. Donald Hamilton's character, Matt Helm, secret agent and assassin, is scathing about the idea that a gun is a magic wand that makes people do what you want them to. Try that on Helm. He will instantly know that you neither intend nor expect to use the gun and will cross the distance between you before you have time to think. Stick a gun in his back while he is pointing his at someone else. Without hesitation, he will kill the person in front of him and pivot to deal with the person behind. When he realizes that he has drunk a Mickey Finn, he shoots the woman who has given him it before passing out. Don't mess with Helm - or Flandry. And don't point a gun at anyone unless you intend to kill them.
6 comments:
It's more like "are ready to kill them instantly".
In actual practice, weapons are -usually- used as threats, outside a military context.
In Ireland years ago, a guy went into a bank, pointed a gun and said, "This is a stick up." Not taken seriously, he insisted that it was indeed a stick-up. Still not taken seriously, he said, "OK, I guess it ain't," and left. He was a magic wand merchant.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly! Altho he would prefer not to Flandry would have no hesitation killing those Merseians and Ruad if he had to.
Having both a stunner and an adjustable blaster gave Flandry options for handling different circumstances.
BTW, we have crude stunners these days, called "tasers," but they are not as effective as Technic stunners.
Ad astra! Sean
Here in New Mexico, a man ran into a bank, flourished a gun, and yelled "This is a ***kup!"
While flourishing the gun, the slide flew off, leaving him holding the grip and receiver.
Obviously, some subconscious part of him had noticed... even before the general laughter started.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Ha, serves him right! I don't have sympathy for robbers.
Ad astra! Sean
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