Earth, wealthy and free, spreads Civilization among extra-solar colonies that had been isolated for centuries, for example by finding a vaccine for the plague virus that had prevented colonization of Ostarik. Mother Earth is revered by all but Kolresh which is described as no longer human.
Norstad and Ostarik are orbitally locked companion planets in a system a thousand light years from Earth. Norstad, in the middle of a glacial epoch, was colonized eight hundred years ago. Seven centuries of attacks by Kolresh have prevented the establishment of weather-control stations. Ostarik is warm but only recently colonized from Norstad. Thus, there is a Double Kingdom with small towns, although no cities, clustered around lords' manors.
On Norstad, the Margrave of Drakenstane:
speaks for all the Nor-Samurai or landed warlords who are the most powerful class;
controls the General Staff;
is a close friend of the widowed Queen Regent, Ingra, and mentor of the eight year old King Hjalmar;
reads Schakspier in the original Old Anglic, like Nicholas van Rijn.
Terrestrial Intelligence has discovered evidence of an imminent alliance between the Double Kingdom and Koresh against Earth.
The plot thickens.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Aha, that's why Ostarik took so long to be colonized, a combination of the plague virus and the urgent need to marshal most resources for the struggle with Kolresh. It's been long enough since I last read "Among Thieves" that I didn't recall why Ostarik needed so long to be settled.
And the idea of globally locked companion planets, both of which were colonizable, interests me. I think the universe is weird enough that there very well might be such things.
Besides the Margrave of Drakenstane enjoying reading Shakespeare in "Old Anglic," he was also mentioned as being a sportsman and a fan of chess. And I think it won't be that much longer before Shakespeare will have to be translated into whatever has become in the future.
Interesting that a planet apparently settled by Scandinavians took over or incorporated such concepts as "Samurai," which came from Japan. My guess is that Norstand started out as largely an agricultural world and the long struggle with Kolresh encouraged the rise of a baronial "Samurai" class providing leadership.
Sean
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