John Rolfe VI, Chairman Emeritus and Founding Father, resides in Rolfe Manor.
His son, Charles Rolfe, Chairman of the Commission, works at a desk where several hidden screens can rise to show "...crystal clear, almost three-dimensional..." images. (p. 37)
Charles' daughter, Adrienne, works in the uniformed Gate Security Force.
The Commission represents the Thirty Families. The first of the Families were "the Founders" (p. 36) who made their pact at the beginning of New Virginia.
On FirstSide, the Fish and Game Department, investigating rare species smuggling, finds that Bosco Holdings is a subsidiary of Colletta Enterprises which has cross-holdings with Rolfe Mining and Minerals which, in turn, owns a big operation in Oakland. Sure it does. A building in Oakland conceals the Gate.
We recognize Colletta as the name of one of John Rolfe's earliest confidantes. Apparently, the Colletta Prime's office is even bigger than the Chairman's. The Boscos are Colletta collaterals. Settler businesses are affiliated with Families and there is an "Imperialist faction." (p. 40)
Commonwealth neofeudalism is either interesting and colorful or chaotic and dangerous according to point of view.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Commenting on your last sentence: to me what matters is whether the Commonwealth WORKS, whether most of its people accepts it as LEGITIMATE and are happy with it.
Legitimacy is an important concept in the works of both Poul Anderson and S.M. Stirling. And it does not always have to take shape in forms any particular one of us might like.
Sean
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