Everard to Farness:
"'You don't realize, because you haven't experienced it, how overburdened the Patrol is, how ghastly thin we're spread across history.'" (p. 355)
Are they spread thin?
The Patrol Academy exists for 500,000 years (p. 6).
Everard's class at the Academy numbers about fifty (ibid.).
His training is completed in three months (p. 13).
The class graduates together (p. 16).
The Patrol guards 1,000,000 years of history (p. 53).
Its members' lives are indefinitely prolonged (p. 115).
I think, therefore, that there are one hundred Patrol members, each living for many centuries, for every one year guarded by the Patrol?
5 comments:
Hi, Paul!
It seems plain enough to me, the Time Patrol WAS stretched thin, in both time and space. Milieu offices probably had more than one permanently posted officers acting as Attached agents, and other agents were scholars specializing in study of little known periods, and there were trouble shooting Unattached agents shuttling back and forth to handle serious problems and crisises, etc. I've also seen mention of ordinary staff workers, Patrol courts, and the Middle Command.
So, spread out over a million years it makes sense to think the Patrol was stretched dangerously thin. Rather like the Imperial Navy and Intelligence Corps in the Terran Empire.
Sean
Sean,
Sure. But by my calculation the Academy turned out 200 graduates per year for half a million years and each of those graduates could live an indefinitely prolonged life.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Except, mention is also made of the Patrol suffering losses and casualties. That would somewhat lessen the effect of those 200 graduates per annum from the Patrol Academy. And, while in absolute terms the Patrol was very large, when spread out in time and space, then it sure looks dangerously stretched thin.
Sean
Sean,
I wonder if they have a retirement age.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Good question. I would not be surprised if some Patrol agents eventually retired from at least field service due to being worn out by strain, stress, grief, exhaustion, etc.
Sean
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