"'The Terran Empire is a huge melting pot. However, what appears to be melting is the pot.'" (p. 291)
Secondly, and on the last page of the novel:
"'We play the game move by move, and never see far ahead - the game of empire, of life, whatever you want to call it - and what the score will be when all the pieces at last go back into the box, who knows?'" (p. 453)
That is an appropriate end to the Flandry series. Life and empire will continue beyond this point. Dominic and Miriam might have children. With Dominic's help, Diana and Targovi will leave the Patrician System but to do what? Flandry lists five possibilities:
"'Trader, explorer, scientist, artist, or, God help you, Intelligence operative -'" (ibid.)
In the context of the series, the most likely option is to do on an interstellar scale what Targovi had already been doing on an interplanetary scale, namely to combine trading with Intelligence work. But, in any case, something will happen. Anderson's characters will continue to live, never seeing far ahead, but still playing the game until all the pieces go back into the box.
1 comment:
Hi, Paul!
For Diana and Tagovi, I think the most likely possibility is that they will both go into the Imperial Naval Intelligence Corps. We don't see Crown Prince Karl, but they might well up serving her when he finally succeeds Gerhart as Emperor. As for Fr. Axor, my view is that with the help of grants from Naval Intelligence or directly from the Imperium, he will continue his travels and researches.
But, yes, trading would probably make a good cover for Targovi. However hostile the Empire and Roidhunate were, there must have been some trading back and forth. That might be used by Targovi to slip in and out of the Roidhunate on his real missions. Of course, the Merseians would know SOME traders from the Empire would be spies and keep an eye on them. But a danger like that would not stop someone as bold as Targovi.
Sean
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