"'As a matter of fact -' Svantozik broke off. He sat for a moment, staring at emptiness.
"'Great unborn planets!' he whispered.
"'What?' Flandry didn't look up.
"'No matter,' said Svantozik hastily." (p. 247)
Observations
(i) A very familiar Andersonian moment of realization.
(ii) However, this time the realization occurs not to our omnicompetent, problem-solving hero but to his enemy.
(iii) Flandry very carefully does not betray any reaction by looking up.
(iv) Flandry has allowed himself to be captured precisely in order to check out the enemy and he is learning from his interrogator. Svantozik's oath will prove to be significant.
Read or reread on.
(Dig those descending men in that cover image.)
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Flandry makes it look so easy, but I'm sure it took both training and hard won experience NOT to react too much to possible clues dropped by an opponent. We see a younger Flandry in A CIRCUS OF HELLS fumbling the chance to learn something about Aycharaych when Ydwyr the Seeker mentioned him.
And that image, of course, refers either Flandy and Kit using grav repulsors to secretly land on Vixen or to Terran agents infiltrating Ardazir.
Ad astra! Sean
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