Entering High Admiral Ress-Chiuu's castle, Weoch-Captain passes two tests:
echoes and sensations enable him to pass without pause through a dark tunnel;
he contains his rage when he is greeted and led by a kdatlyno slave, not by a fellow kzin.
I would have thought that a slave could perform such a task - and they must do something - but apparently it would normally be an insult to have a kzin met and conducted by a mere alien slave.
Ress-Chiuu explains that Weoch-Captain has been offered no insult. The slave is necessary for confidentiality. Also, the High Admiral requires an unusually self-controlled and forethoughtful Hero, not only bold but also intelligent, "'...agreeing that the destiny of the race transcends his own...'" (p. 172) and not afraid to retreat rather than to fail valiantly.
We remember a Merseian who was ordered:
"'...retreat unsuccessful if you must, taking years to live down the scorn of brother officers to whom you are forbidden to explain; but confine yourself to the precise goal given you.'"
-Poul Anderson, The Game Of Empire IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, 2012), pp. 189-453 AT CHAPTER ELEVEN, p. 307.
Both races learn to subordinate their warrior instincts to serve imperial and racial goals.
Ress-Chiuu's full title is "High Admiral of Kzin" but he is not the Patriarch. In Anderson's Technic History, we never see the Roidhun of Merseia. Do we ever see the Patriarch of Kzin?
Weoch-Captain has a partial name whereas the High Admiral has a full name.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, we never see any of the Patriarchs of the Kzinti in these stories, at least not the ones I read. We do see a high ranking member of the Patriarchal clan as Kzin's governor of Wunderland in Stirling's THE CHILDREN'S HOUR.
Rather to my regret, we never see any of Merseia's Roidhuns in the Flandry stories (we do meet two of their Protectors: Brechdan Ironrede and Tachwyr the Dark). We do see several Terran Emperors and Crown Princes: Josip III, Hans, Dietrich, and Gerhart. And we see some favorable mentions of Emperor Georgios.
Ad astra! Sean
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