Quotes From Mirkheim

To back up my claims here that the Baburites and the Merseians bear grudges against mankind, I sought out certain passages in Mirkheim. Chee Lan tells Adzel that the Baburites:

"'...do have a grudge against us in particular.'" (Rise Of The Terran Empire, p. 46)

This is because of the stunt that Emil Dalmady pulled against them on Suleiman in "Esau." "...us in particular..." means the Solar Spice & Liquors Company, not all of mankind. However, the Baburites are collectivist and ambitious to become an interstellar power. One of them tells Benoni Strang:

"'After our experience on Suleiman...we question what we may gain from the Polesotechnic League.'" (p. 4)

Strang has to assure the Baburite that:

"'The Solar Spice & Liquors Company is not the whole League...'" (pp. 4-5)

Nevertheless, Strang, for his own reasons, helps the Baburite "Imperial Band" to prepare for war against the Solar Commonwealth. They are only too willing to accept his help.

The case of Merseia is clearer. Several Merseians of the aristocratic party enlist in the new Baburite navy because they resent the way the League cooperated with the Gethfennu, instead of with them. (p. 96)

Meanwhile, looking through Mirkheim, I found another passage with a clear Biblical resonance:

"A ship hunted through space until she found the extinct supernova. Captain David Falkayn beheld the circling planetary core and saw that it was good." (p. 7)

Although it was "good":

"...its aspect was so forbidding that he christened it Mirkheim." (ibid.)