An alien (demon?) emerges from a spaceship before a crowd in fourteenth century England. As the circular door opens:
"...all stood their ground, being Englishmen, if not simply too terrified to run." (p. 12)
The latter, obviously, but we realize that we are to read a humorous text.
The first person narrator, Brother Parvus, glimpses that there are two doors with a chamber between. An air lock, well spotted.
The first emerging alien thinks that he can with impunity kill a local with a heat beam. Almost immediately, answering arrows have killed four aliens. Heartened by the realization that these beings can be killed, Sir Roger leads the charge up the gangway into the ship. The Englishmen will conquer all before them although I really did not expect Poul Anderson to take his premise quite that far the first time I read the novel.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The arrogance and brutality shown by the Wersgor who casually killed one of the natives of Earth and how swiftly that was punished should be an object lesson for explorers in now not to behave! That it can be dangerous, even fatal, to misjudge the natives.
I have fond memories of THE HIGH CRUSADE, being both an example of serious science fiction laced and leavened with humor. We don't have to always be grimly serious!
Sean
Post a Comment