Dennitza is not the most populous, rich or modern colony in its Sector;
but "'...it has a noticeable sphere of influence.'" (p. 350);
it is disproportionately strong because it kept its own military under the annexation treaty;
Dennitzans had despised the corrupt Emperor Josip, whose assessors and agents tended to die in brawls;
during the Imperial civil war, the Dennitzan Gospodar supported the successful usurper, Molitor, not by sending troops but by keeping internal order and the Merseians out;
the Gospodar was rewarded with the governorship of Tauria after Flandry had foiled Duke Alfred's attempted secession;
there are Imperial citizens of Merseian species on Dennitza;
the Dennitzans are resisting an Imperial decree to disband their militia and there is evidence that they are instigating rebellion on Diomedes;
Hazeltine thinks that the Gospodar might be planning either a transference of Dennitza to Merseia or an insurrection to make himself Emperor.
Kaor, Paul!
ReplyDeleteIntrigue, skulduggery, conflict! All the things readers like in well done action and adventure novels! And Poul Anderson delivered far more than that in most of his books.
Sean