"Delenda Est" introduces a collective villain, the Neldorians.
"Ivory, And Apes, And Peacocks" introduces the individual villain, Merau Varagan, who is also the leader of a more sophisticated collective villain, the Exaltationists.
"The Year of the Ransom" further develops Varagan and the Exaltationists.
The Shield Of Time, "Women and Horses and Power and War," cameos Varagan and completes the story of the Exaltationists.
Side-bar villains:
Charlie Whitcomb, having recovered the Ing time shuttle stolen by Stane, uses it to commit a time crime and is helped by Everard;
the Conquistador, Castelar, seizes an Exaltationist timecycle and uses it to commit time crimes.
Castelar is put back when he belongs. Whitcomb leaves the Patrol. Everard becomes Unattached and deals with the Neldorians and Exaltationists.
Everard first meets Varagan in a flashback in "Ivory..." and catches him at the end of "Ivory..." "The Year of the Ransom" is intermediate and mentions a spear-carrying Exaltationist called Raor. In 209 B.C., Everard learns that a Bactrian courtesan, Theonis, answers the description of an Exaltationist. In 976 B.C, Varagan, just captured, had told Everard that his clone-mate, Raor, was still at large. Theonis turns out to be Raor.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
The only quibble I would make here is hesitation at calling Don Luis Castelar a time criminal. He certainly did not think of himself in such terms--rather, he was a Spanish soldier loyal to his king and people. And once he was caught there was debate within the Time Patrol on whether to offer him a job with the Patrol. I don't think a truly bad man would have even be considered recruited!
Sean
Sean,
Thank you for your comment. My email notification of blog comments was slow and has now at least temporarily stopped. I will of course check the blog as I have just dome but I might miss any comments that are further back.
Paul.
There's an old saying: Kill one man and take his wallet, you're a criminal; kill a million and take their territory, you're a hero; kill everyone, you're God.
Castelar is on this continuum... 8-).
Mr Stirling,
I have not heard the third part, "kill everyone..."
Ketlan has explained that American companies are having problems sending emails because of new EU General Data Protection legislation. I will have to scan the blog to look for comments. If I miss one and the sender would like a reply, they could email me.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Thanks for explaining about the difficulty you and Ketlan are having with comments and emails. I try not to miss any by checking the combox of virtually every blog piece!
Mr. Stirling: True, what you said about Castelar. And Poul Anderson had a minor Norman viscount saying something very similar in the third volume of THE LAST VIKING. Earl Harold Godwinsson had been driven ashore onto the Norman coast by a storm, to be seized and held for ransom by the viscount. Earl Harold was naturally angry at this and protested Duke William of Normandy would not behave like a bandit. The viscount replied wryly that Duke William's ambitions were so vast that men called them CONQUESTS. The viscount had to surrender Harold to his overlord William, who would demand of Harold a ransom far more painful than merely some money.
Sean
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