On St. Li II

The People Of The Wind, XIV.

Blog posts on Poul Anderson Appreciation are down because, between other activities, I am doing other reading but this generates (I hope) interesting comparative posts like the preceding one.

Meanwhile, we continue to notice interesting details when Arinnian/Chris and Eyath visit Tabitha Falkayn/Hrill and Draun on the island of St. Li in the Oronesian archipelago on Avalon.

Avalonians are bilingual. Thus, when the Terran prisoner of war, Rochefort, asks Arinnian a question, Eyath replies, "'Oh, yes,'" (p. 594) in Anglic. Rochefort declares that he loves not only Tabitha but also "'...your whole people.'" (ibid.) But will human beings and other species ever become bilingual in each other's languages? It will not be as easy as speaking English and French or even English and Mandarin. (For a start, will other languages even be spoken?)

A whistling noise is a giggle but only in Avalonian Planha. I have never remembered that before no matter how often I have reread The People Of The Wind. "'Phee-Leep Hroash For'" (p. 595) is Eyath's attempt to pronounce "Philippe Rochefort." When necessary, e.g., in diplomacy, "vocalizers" are used "...for total clarity of pronunciation." (XII, p. 573) In a later period of Technic civilization, the Starkadian Dragoika's attempt to pronounce "Dominic Flandry" will be:

"'Dommaneek Falandaree!'"
-Poul Anderson, Ensign Flandry IN Anderson, Young Flandry (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 1-192 AT CHAPTER FOUR, p. 34.

Home guard leaders, Arinnnian, Hrill and Draun, will discuss a military secret. Rochefort, who must not hear the secret, and Eyath who, as Arinnian's assistant, already knows it, withdraw. Draun resents Rochefort as a Terran. Arinnian resents him because he is with Tabitha. Thus, the atmosphere is charged and, as often before, the wind seems to comment:

"Silence lingered behind [Rochefort and Eyath], save for a soughing in the trees outside." (p. 595)

The wind (really different winds) is in the background of a lot of scenes in a lot of books.