A demon, like a man, is an individual being whereas a fire elemental is just a personified flame, returning to merely potentiality when extinguished and therefore wanting to endure and spread for as long as it can.
A demon cannot attack a church because he "'...is allergic to holy symbols...'" (p. 68) A man can attack a church but might be restrained by conscience or fear of judgment. A fire elemental will attack a church because "'...it's soulless, a mere physical force.'" (ibid.)
"'...what does a fire care? And that's what the salamander is - a glorified fire. It's only bound by the physical laws of nature and paranature.'" (ibid.)
So never confuse a fire demon with a salamander or vice versa. It all sounds reasonable, doesn't it? Poul Anderson discusses entities that have long existed in imagination and literature if not also in (our) reality.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
In other words Anderson thinks out the possibilities and implications of the premises he used for OPERATION CHAOS. Which is exactly what any good, competent writer should do.
Ad astra! Sean
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