A Black Hole And A Loose Knife

Poul Anderson, Harvest Of Fire, Chapter 5.

Falaire the embittered Lunarian continues her comparison of society to a black hole:

the world sucks in and crushes Lunarians (see the previous post);

"'Who can escape a black hole?'" (p. 95);

"'Through eons, a black hole shrivels away to naught.'" (p. 96);

How?

"'Rebellious particles quantum-tunnel out of it.'" (ibid.)

Thus, the metaphor hangs together through several stages. And what is one of these rebellious particles? Here the metaphor changes. The Lunarian resistance movement is called the "Scaine Croi," which means "The Knife Loose In The Sheath." (ibid.)

The plot thickens. Like two illustrious predecessors on the opposite side of the law, Falaire and Nicol are "'...afoot.'" (p. 97)