-Poul Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight Of Terra (New York, 2012).
This interjection occurs repeatedly but is never translated or explained. Only by seeking out two examples did I notice a difference in spelling.
Flandry's experience on Talwin demonstrates that there are circumstances in which he is able to cooperate with, and even to become friendly with, Mersians of the Roidhunate but also that, despite all this, they will casually kill him if it suits their purposes.
In a recent post, I tried to imagine inoffensive human beings living within the Roidhunate but such a description certainly does not apply to Muhammad Snell, Eriau name "Kluwych," who suggests to his superior officer, Glydh the Far-Farer of the Vach Rueth, that Kossara Vymezal be not only interrogated but also used by the men under Glydh's command.
The most positive interaction between individuals of Terran and Merseian descent is that between Kossara and Trohdwyr, chief gamekeeper to three generations of Vymezals, who accompanies her on a hunt and says:
"'There I stood, you in my line of fire, and that beast - Dama, don't do such things.'" (p. 368)
Anderson created the Merseians to be standard space opera villains. This broadening of our perception of them is very welcome.
9 comments:
Hi, Paul!
But this "broadening" of our view of Merseians as being more than simply racial supremacists can be found earlier than A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS. Even as early as ENSIGN FLANDRY we can see Merseians showing better, gentler sides--such as the affection the Protector Brechdan Ironrede expressed for his latest grandcub.
That does not, of course, excuses the tyranny and racism Merseians inflicted on non Merseians under their dominion. Or excuse well meaning but disastrously mistaken humans like Lord Hauksberg having false ideas and beliefs about the goals and ambitions of the Roidhunate.
Sean
Sean,
Hauksberg's self-deception after the revelation of the Merseian's scheme on Starkad is breathtaking.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
Absolute agreement! And, unfortunately, this kind of self deceiving madness is based on real life! Our bungling president, Obama, recently said that ISIS is NOT Muslim! Nonsense like that inspires only contempt in jihadists and cripples the efforts being made to defeat (ANOTHER word Obama and his agents refuse to use) them. We have our own Lord Hauksbergs in real life!
Sean
Sean,
Fiction is a safe and enjoyable way to address real life issues without ever trivializing them.
Paul.
Hi, Paul!
I agree! Unfortunately, the harm that can be done by real Lord Hauksbergs is not fictional and is all too painful.
Sean
Maybe Barack Obama will be an ancestor of Lord Hauksberg! [Derisive snort!!!]
Sean
I suppose Obama could have made comments along the lines of not all people who consider themselves Muslim would support ISIS. Somewhat like many Nazis considered themselves to be good Christians, while many other people who considered themselves to be Christian resolutely opposed Nazism.
Similarly a more realistic Hauksberg could have been looking at how common the racist attitude was among Mersians & how to make it less common.
Kaor, Jim!
But the point is what Obama said about ISIS, denying that it sprang from Islam or from ideas and beliefs which can be plausibly considered Muslim.
But first Merseians would have to become disillusioned with the ideology of racial supremacism dominant in the Roidhunate during Flandry's lifetime.
Ad astra! Sean
Terrorism is a violent response to current conflicts and perceived injustices. It uses whatever ideology is appropriate.
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