Brechdan gets the whole of Ensign Flandry, CHAPTER THREE, Morning on Mersia -, pp. 22-28. First he surveys his domain. See Brechdan At Dhangodhan. Then he converses first with his bailiff, Chwioch the Dandy, then with his oldest surviving son and heir, Elwych the Swift. These conversations tell us much as I will get around to discussing.
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And Chapter 1 of ENSIGN FLANDRY begins with "Evening on Terra." Followed by mentioning Emperor Georgios and listing his titles, ending with mention of how it was his birthday. I think it's plain that it was also the evening of his life that Georgios was an old man who did not have many years left to live.
You discussed how the entirety of Chapter 3 is devoted to Brechdan Ironrede's POV. And Chapter 1 is mostly seen from Lord Markus Hauksberg's POV, which for story purposes, makes sense. But I'm rather sorry we never see Emperor Georgios at all. I wonder why Anderson did not show him as presiding over that private meeting of the critical members of the Policy Board Hauksberg met at the Coral Palace.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
That was a secret faction.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Hmmm, a private meeting of the critical members of the Policy Board who could control enough votes at a full meeting of the PB to give Hauksberg the authority he needed? Esp. if it was known His Majesty favored making a diplomatic effort to end the conflict on Starkad? Yes, I can see that!
Ad astra! Sean
Incidentally, it’s mentioned that cloning is possible in the Terran Empire. I would have expected it to become an alternative method of producing an Imperial heir. You wouldn’t get an exact duplicate, but you’d get someone very similar — twins, even when raised apart, tend to have very similar interests, attitudes and so forth. If you were careful with the rearing, you could avoid the “genetic lottery” effect of pure hereditary succession.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Yes, I knew cloning was used in the Empire as long ago as my first reading of ENSIGN FLANDRY (far too long ago!), where Commander Abrams mentioned it being used to replace lost limbs and organs. Alas, we have not gotten to that advanced a level of meditechnology.
I also remember it being suggested, possibly by you, that even if a homosexual like Josip III found women too "repulsive" to attempt begetting an heir by normal means, cloning would be one way he could still get a son and heir. I think Nicholas objected that would very likely mean the Empire getting another Emperor like Josip, with all his flaws, faults, vices, etc. Better for him to be succeeded by his cousin and heir presumptive.
I have no objection at all to using cloning for replacing lost limbs or failing organs. That would be acceptable in Catholic moral theology. But I'm not at all sure cloning HUMAN beings would be considered morally licit. I can imagine some theologians arguing that to reproduce by cloning excludes a child from being begotten and conceived by means of both a father and mother.
But I do see what you have in mind: an able Emperor could have himself cloned and such a child is more likely than not to be as able as his clone "father." It does make me wonder if someone, somewhere, right how, has gotten himself cloned!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: cloning mammals has been done, but so far not perfectly — we don’t understand all the controls for gene expression, and our comprehension of how DNA copies itself is still fairly crude. Dolly the Sheep wasn’t an encouraging example. More work needed!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, we are still only in the beginning stages of cloning technology! I simply have a suspicion that some very wealthy person, somewhere, has secretly tried to get himself cloned.
Ad astra! Sean
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