Van Rijn must use his "...well-worn personal blaster..." (p. 8) against hostile natives just as, later in the Technic History, "Lodestar" begins with the trader team defending itself against native rebels on another planet. Fights with aliens was what I once thought that sf was all about. Now, of course, Poul Anderson has to show us that there is a lot more going on than just crossbows and blasters.
The narrative is from Joyce's point of view but she loses consciousness so suddenly we get van Rijn's pov instead. Ammonia stings Joyce's nostrils (that is her pov), van Rijn closes her faceplate, then sees that she is stunned (that is his pov). When she regains consciousness, we return to her pov. An unusual sequence of pov switches for Anderson.
The adventure begins on t'Kela.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
No one seems to notice, but "Territory" begins with a musical score. If anyone can read music has seen that, I hope he will explain what it means.
Ad astra! Sean
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