Manse Everard defends the Danellian timeline;
Dominic Flandry defends the Terran Empire and makes what provision he can for the Long Night;
Gunnhild defends her and Eirik Blood-ax's bloodline.
In this sequence, there is a progressive narrowing of focus from an entire history to a single Empire to a single family. Constrained by Viking views and values, Gunnhild learns what she can of shamanism and Christendom but, of course, lacks the scientific knowledge of either the Danellian future or the Terran Empire.
Let us consider three other strong central characters:
Gratillonius defends the Roman Empire and tries to preserve civilization after Imperial withdrawal;
Nicholas van Rijn founds Solar Spice & Liquor and enriches himself;
David Falkayn makes a career in Solar Spice & Liquor but also founds both Supermetals and Avalon.
Thus, Falkayn builds something for others instead of merely defending a status quo.
The six characters represent three timelines:
the Danellians;
Technic Civilization;
a fantasy history of Europe.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I hesitated at this comment of yours: "Thus, Falkayn builds something for others instead of merely defending a status quo." To defend a status quo is not necessarily an inferior or bad thing to do. Both Manse Everard and Dominic Flandry were defending things others had built for the benefit of their peoples, societies, or timelines.
And van Rijn's Solar Spice & Liquors Company did not merely enrich only Old Nick but also enriched and employed many others, both human and non human.
Sean
Sean,
My remarks could be rephrased to better effect. Thus, whereas Gratillonius and Flandry preserved a good (the benefits of civilization), Falkayn went further and created a good (greater economic opportunities) for races left behind by Technic society, then another good (a whole new society) for migrants to Avalon. Of the Technic three, van Rijn, Falkayn and Flandry, I do think that Falkayn has the biggest impact.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
I agree in part with your "rephrasing." That is, I agree with what you said about Gratillonius, Flandry, and Falkayn's founding of the Supermetals Company. While I'm not entirely sure about the long range consequences of the human/Ythrian colony of Avalon, I do agree that will very likely have great consequences. E.g., if the Avalonians had not successfully resisted annexation by the Terran Empire, then it's very likely Aychraych's schemes to tear it apart by triggering a holy war starting on the planet Aeneas would have succeeded. Because a Ythrian agent serving the Domain and the Empire would not have played an important role in thwarting that Merseian plot.
I would also point out that the Ythrian "editor" of THE EARTH BOOK OF STORMGATE thought it necessary to remind Avalonian readers that on most other planets of the known galaxy, it was Nicholas van Rijn, not David Falkayn, why was by far the better known. We even see mention of Old Nick as the legendary "Polesotechnarch" van Rijn in "The Plague of Masters."
Sean
Gunnhild tries to defend her and Eirik's bloodline, but fails; she has no legitimate grandchildren, and any by-blows of her sons will be lost in the ruck. One can strive for a good cause and fail, of course, but Gunnhild took the legitimate cause of helping her own family, and operated on the principle that the end justified any means. The Viking Age was surely a hard time, but Gunnhild at least might have achieved some lasting good for her own kin and the world if she had abstained from evil witchcraft and counseled Eirik's to be milder and less greedy, and to look to Norway's good as well as his own. Some violence would no doubt have been needed even so. It's merely a speculation on what might have been.
Best Regards,
Nicholas D. Rosen
Kaor, Nicholas!
But a REASONABLE speculation--that if Gunnhild and Eirik had been less violent and vengeful, that would have been good for them, their line, and Norway. A pity!
Sean
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