Discussing The Problem

See:

The Problem
The Problem In Margin Of Profit

I have said before that space is an environment. Van Rijn says (The Van Rijn Method, p. 141) that three of the possible detour routes to Sector Antares would involve passing through:

the Gamma Mist;
the Stonefields;
clear vacuum.

SSL would make higher than fifteen per cent losses by traveling through the first or second of these so what are they? We need to read at least one story set in each. Not enough attention is paid to this three dimensional "space-scape" (so to say) that the ships traverse en route to interesting, and profitable, planets.

I am not about to list every single malapropism uttered by van Rijn. That would become too much of a chore although such a list would comprise an indispensable section of any comprehensive encyclopedia of Poul Anderson's Technic History. But I will highlight any particularly appropriate coinages such as:

"'...the exorbital wages you draw...'" (p. 141)

Both exorbitant and extra-orbital. In fact, "exorbitant" is derived from "ex-," out of, and "orbita," a track, or "orbis," a circle.

Torres flares up at van Rijn's calculations. Van Rijn does not take offense but asks for information. They are starting to work together on the problem.