Sunday 7 February 2016

Commonwealth Institutions II

SM Stirling, Conquistador (New York, 2004).

John Rolfe quotes:

"'Dulce et decorum est pro patria mora...'" (p. 188)

It is sweet and fitting to die for one's country. But it should end with "...mori," not "...mora."

Rolfe looks at:

"...the twelve men who sat on the Central Committee of the Gate Control Commission." (p. 201)

We needed an explanation of the difference between the Committee and the Commission. Earlier, we were told that:

"...there were a dozen men around [the table], all of his first partners who could be in Rolfeston today." (pp. 198-199)

That makes it sound as if a full meeting of the Committee would be more than twelve?

There is a limit to what can be brought through the Gate so the New Virginians need to produce as much as possible on the Other Side. Keeping the Gate itself open involves nothing more than:

"'...keeping that radio set of the Old Man's working.'" (p. 198)

But that sounds very precarious. If the radio breaks down, will they lose the Gate and, if they do lose it, will they be able to reopen it?

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

But please remember the frequent use in New Virginia of the term "the Thirty Families." The Primes or heads of those families were entitled to a seat on the Central Committee. My guess is that smaller meetings of the Committee would need to get a consensus agreement or majority vote approval before any decisions they made would be binding.

Sean