Again, we must check back to make sense of something in the text:
"Falkayn braced himself. 'I tried to tell you earlier, sir,' he said. 'That brew you drank was the last of our supply.'" (XXV, p. 594)
When did Falkayn try to tell van Rijn earlier?
"'I'd suggest a party to celebrate,' Falkayn said. 'Unfortunately -'
"'Right,' van Rijn said. 'Business before pleasure...'" (XXV, p. 587)
How often does someone interrupt on the basis of a mistaken assumption about what is about to be said? Some people do it all the time. I have had to (try to) work with them.
XXV ends with the comic value of van Rijn realizing that he has to face a month in space without beer. XXVI presents three Happy Endings.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Ha! I remember that comic bit from SATAN'S WORLD! And how STUNNED with dismay Old Nick was at the prospect of having to go a whole month WITHOUT beer. If I had snaffled a bottle or two of beer, I think I would have sold them to van Rijn, for an "exorbital" price (a million credits, maybe?)! (Smiles)
Sean
Is an 'exorbital' price one that used to be high enough to be in orbit?
Kaor, Jim!
Maybe, but I was just trying to imitate Old Nick's comic mangling of Anglic! (Smiles)
Ad astra! Sean
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