Svantozik has only secondhand information about human beings whereas Flandry:
"'...has spent a lifetime dealing with all shapes and sizes of other species. Already I see what the Ardazirho have in common with several peoples whom I hornswoggled in the past.'" (XIII, p. 250) (For full reference, see here.)
In this, Flandry exactly resembles van Rijn and Falkayn except that van Rijn speaks of:
"'...cultural comparisons and swogglehorning.'"
-Poul Anderson, "The Trouble Twisters" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 77-208 AT II, p. 99.
While van Rijn briefs Falkayn about his new trade pioneer crew idea, the omniscient narrator reminds us that:
"The galaxy, even this tiny fragment of one spiral arm which we have somewhat explored, is inconceivably huge."
-op. cit., p. 98.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And Svantozik himself knew there were gaps in both his knowledge and experience, that he would need time to learn much more before he could be a match to Flandry.
And the bit about mankind knowing only a tiny part of one spiral arm was a precursor to the anxious reflections in later centuries about how small and insignificant the Terran Empire was.
Sean
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