"[Draun] was [Tabitha's] superior in the guard; she was in Centauri as his aide. But the choth concept of rank was at once more complex and more flexible than the Technic." (p. 504)
Somewhere in the Flandry series, something very similar is said about Merseian attitudes to rank. Where?
The Falkayn series begins with a trilogy where Falkayn progresses from apprentice to journeyman to Master Merchant Polesotechnic League and trade pioneer crew leader. The Flandry series begins with a Trilogy where Flandry progresses from ensign to lieutenant to commander. The van Rijn series begins with van Rijn as a Master Merchant and company owner and already old enough to retire. The Time Patrol series begins with Everard as an unemployed engineer and ends with him as a respected senior Unattached agent of the Patrol.
Anderson chronicles success.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
As regards the Merseian attitude to ranks, I think you had this bit from Chapter 11 of ENSIGN FLANDRY in mind: "He [Lannawar Belgis] sat relaxed with the Terran and Tachwyr the Dark, whose rank of mei answered somewhat to lieutenant j.g. Flandry was getting used to the interplay of formality and ease between officers and enlisted personnel in the Merseian service. Instead of the mutual aloofness on Terran ships, there was an intimacy which the seniors led but did not rigidly control, a sort of perpetual dance."
Sean
Sean,
That was it.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
It sounds good, the way Merseians handle relations between different ranks in their military services. But it would not necessarily work all intelligent races. A certain formal aloofness, on duty at least, seems to work best for humans.
Sean
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