Sunday, 10 February 2019

Insurrection

Poul Anderson, Shield, XIV.

It is a wrench, after studying the political philosophy in XIII, to return to the plot of the novel in XIV: how is Koskinen to evade Military Security and what is he to do with the shield? However, the next step is the application of the political theory to the immediate problems and, at this point, Shield resembles Heinlein's Future History volume, Revolt In 2100, with a plot to overthrow the US government.

Members of the Equals directing council propose to:

produce a few more shields;
kidnap some MI men;
psychointerrogate them to learn where Koskinen's shipmates and the arrested Equals are being held;
rescue them in small, armed, shielded flitters;
with improved shields, neutralize Military Security;
propagandize;
leave military garrisons abroad in place;
restore internal order;
call an international conference;
get Quarle's world authority scheme ratified;
staff necessary organizations;
recall troops;
resign Protectorate powers.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

These schemes of the Equals are too complicated, with too many "moving parts," for me to think it would work. It depends too much on EVERYTHING coming out just right. And I strongly suspect something would go wrong somewhere and wreck the entire plot.

Sean