Because High Admiral Ress-Chiuu issued disastrous orders, the kzinti lost a warship crew and the human enemy captured the warship. Condemned, Ress-Chiuu acquitted himself well against the beasts in the Patriarchal Arena, giving good sport. Although Grand Lord Narr-Souwa claims that honor is satisfied, Ghrul-Captain of the house Chiuu remains deprived of command of the Venomous Fang and wants to make full redemption.
Ghrul-Captain insists on piloting a small ship on a dangerous mission close to a star so that he alone will gain the glory. When he fails to return, Shayin-Mate, now in command, refuses human help in retrieving any data gathered by Ghrul-Captain and will return to Kzin to present himself as having salvaged what he could of the mission from Ghrul-Captain's foolishness.
Thus, Shayin-Captain might have been the chief antagonist in any fourth Man-Kzin Wars story by Poul Anderson.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Dang, I never though of that myself, of Shayin-Captain thinking in such a calculating way when I read "Pele." And I think there are humans who would think and act similarly in analogous circumstances.
Ad astra! Sean
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