A Cast Of Thousands

Mirkheim is not just a van Rijn novel or even just a van Rijn and trader team novel. Look at what happens.

In Chapter XIII, Grand Duchess Sandra Tamarin:

converses by phone with Irwin Milner, occupation commander;

remembers a public confrontation between Christa Broderick, leader of the Hermetian Liberation Front, and Peter Asmundsen, Follower of the Runeberg domain;

converses in person with Benoni Strang, the new High Commissioner for Hermes.

In Chapter XIV, Eric Tamarin:

converses by phone with Hanny Lennart, Commonwealth Special Assistant Minister of Extrasolar Relations;

converses in person with Nicholas van Rijn who has been listening to Lennart and must now listen again, behind his "...prawn-like stare..." (p. 198), while Eric outlines his plans for what should happen next.

When Travers and Followers listen to Broderick, there are:

"...police at the corners of the park. Evidently a disturbance was considered possible." (p. 187)

In my experience, public gatherings can pass off without disturbances. Recently in Lancaster, the police knew (a) that some of us were going to do something in the town centre but also (b) that they did not need to intervene. That is good policing: in the background, out of sight, except when needed. Summoned to a circus picketed by animal rights activists, a policeman recognized the activists and said, "It's you, is it? You know the rules. Don't obstruct. Don't trespass..." and went off and left them to it.