Death

Every fictional character must die some time but the author need not show us it. Van Rijn must be dead by the time of Flandry who must be dead by the time of Roan Tom etc but each of these characters is still alive the last time we see him.

Flandry could have died on Chereion at the end of A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows or in space at the end of A Stone In Heaven (on the second occasion, I thought he would) but is still alive, active and cheering on a younger generation at the end of The Game Of Empire.

Flandry and Aycharaych discuss mortality twice. The first time, Flandry, from decadent Terra, admits to thinking that death is rather ungentlemanly whereas the Chereionite calls it a completion and sets out to complete Flandry's life.

Interruption. To be continued.