Noah Arkwright III

The Introduction, called "Plus Ca Change, Plus C'Est La Meme Chose," to the third David Falkayn story, which is also the first trader team story, called "The Trouble Twisters," is the longest of these Introductions yet, two and a half pages, and is a condensed short story in its own right.

It is recorded in the audio-diary of Urwain the Wide-Faring. One correspondent has commented that that name sounds Merseian. However, the Merseians were not in space yet, Urwain does not speak like a gatortail and, in fact, refers to himself as human:

"I wouldn't admit the truth of this to another human." (The Trouble Twisters, New York, 1977, p. 96)

"...here I am, with a whole star cluster named after me, and there's not a fellow human being in the universe I can tell why!" (ibid., p. 97)

Thus, later stories in the Technic History could have referred to an Urwain star cluster.

Urwain is recording his own voice while being interviewed by someone else who is also recording. Urwain admits to having been swindled by Arkwright but explains it by the latter's persuasive tone and plays a tape of Arkwright's voice to prove it. Arkwright comments on the Polesotechnic League period so here at last is the relevance of the Introduction to the story being introduced. He doubts whether the period is "...some kind of neo-Elizabethan age...," although the mere mention of that historical period means that the reader does instantly make the comparison. (p. 96)

Arkwright questions whether the life of a merchant adventurer is as varied as imagined. New planets and their inhabitants, rivals, women and the problem of making a profit: how different can they be? I would have thought that they could vary a lot but Arkwright speaks from experience.

Thus, we know of Arkwright that:

Vance Hall wrote a commentary on his philosophy;

he himself wrote knowledgeably about sophontology;

he pretended to be able to detect mineral deposits from orbit, then used investment money to fund an expedition outside known space, leaving Urwain mining rhenium on Despair and, somehow, having a star cluster named after him - Urwain is not always clear about how these events tie together.