Known space is a partially explored volume near the end of one spiral arm in one galaxy. The known territory on Diomedes is a small part of one continent on a planet with four times the surface area of Earth. Thus, we are surrounded by the unknown not only in the universe at large but even on a single planetary surface.
A sailing ship approaches the wrecked and sinking skycruiser. Wace says "'...schooner...'" (p. 352) Van Rijn, correcting him, says "'...yawl rig...,'" then, when he recognizes a furled square sail and an outrigger and deduces a rudder, corrects himself by saying "'...dugout!'" (ibid.) I am not familiar with nautical terminology but we gather that van Rijn is knowledgeable enough to make informed deductions from immediate observations on a new planet.
Next, Wace suddenly perceives van Rijn's capacity for physical endurance: he has been working up to his waist in water "...for - for hours!" (ibid.)
Thirdly, when van Rijn changes his clothes, we are treated to a physical description:
"Naked, van Rijn suggested...what was that extinct ape?...a gorilla, two meters tall, hairy and huge-bellied, with shoulders like a brick warehouse..." (pp. 352-353)
A lot of information about this one major character is packed into a single page.
Ketlan, my son-in-law and technical assistant, has said that he enjoyed reading about van Rijn and particularly appreciated "salubrications" = salutations + lubrication.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I certainly don't think I would be as TOUGH as Old Nick!
And how did the apes become extinct? I remember reading in a book long ago that the apes (not chimpanzees) seemed to have been losing the desire to reproduce. I don't know how true that is, btw.
Sean
Sean,
Apparently, mammals are becoming extinct at an alarming rate right now.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
And breeding programs using captive members of these species is one way of trying to prevent them from becoming extinct. As is being done with pandas.
Sean
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