The Ymirites refuse to comment on the Terran suspicion that they are allied to Ardazir. Flandry mimics the Ymirite response:
"'If you will not accept our word that we are neutral, there is no obvious way to let you convince yourselves, since the whole Terran Empire could not investigate a fraction of Dispersal territory. Accordingly, we shall not waste our time discussing the question." (p. 220)
The truck driver tells him that he has "'...got the very tone.'" (ibid.) He should have since he recently conversed with the Ymirite governor of Jupiter who responded in exactly such terms but Flandry needs to be careful not to display any more knowledge than his current Vixenite hunter persona would have.
From the truck, he glances at the night sky:
"The stars flashed impersonally, not caring that a few motes of flesh named them provinces for a few centuries." (p. 221)
If everyone could be given that perspective just long enough for it to make a difference...
He sees:
a nearby dark nebula called the Hatch;
Rigel, which is in the Merseian Roidhunate;
Ogre, the local gas giant inhabited by Ymirites.
The Hatch is mentioned now because it will be important later.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
To prevent readers from misunderstanding, it was FLANDRY, not the truck driver, who had not so long before conversed with the Ymirite governor of Jupiter. Along precisely those arrogantly, to humans, unsatisfactory lines!
Ad astra! Sean
Sorry if my phraseology was confusing.
Kaor, Paul!
I thought some might have thought it was the truck driver, rather than Flandry, who had to deal with a Ymirite governor.
Ad astra! Sean
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