The Yildivians, i.e., the dominant Cainites, are "'Proud as Satan...'" (p. 287) so maybe there is some remote connection with the historical Cainites.
On Cain, the only social organization is the patriarchal family living apart, its wider social interactions limited to occasional barter, hunting of larger animals or clashes between individuals. When it is pointed out that this is not enough for intelligence, it emerges that the domesticated Lugals carry messages and trade goods and thus constitute the basis of Yildivian culture and traditions.
Just as the Yildivians assume that their kind of social interaction is universal, the human beings fail to realize that the Lugals are something other than slaves - until Nicholas van Rijn receives first-hand reports and deduces the answer.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
What the Yildivans did, turning another intelligent race, the Lugals, into mere domestic animals (not even slaves!), strikes me as one of the most ghastly things I can think of being done. Granted, the whole thing started out completely by chance uncounted eons before "The Master Key." Which means the Yildivans of that story have no idea or understanding of WHAT had been done to the Lugals.
What might happen due to Cain and its peculiar inhabitants having regular contact with other planets? Will the Yildivans come to realize the sheer EVIL of what had been done to the Lugals? Are the Lugals even capable of grasping what had been done to them? Would it even be possible to reverse their domestication?
Sean
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