In Centauri

The People Of The Wind, VI.

This chapter is my favorite part of Poul Anderson's Technic History. I have quoted from its magnificent opening paragraph seven times:

"Where the mighty Sagittarius flows into the Gulf of Centaurs..."

The omniscient narrator describes the city of Centauri where the home guard and the Seamen's Brotherhood have held a conference to coordinate defense measures. Arinnian, who must usually be Christopher Holm in this human town, has attended as a top officer of the West Coronan home guard. Tabitha Falkayn has attended as aide to her business partner, Draun, who is higher than her in the northern Oronesian home guard. As on Aeneas, "...the Troubles had left a military tradition..." (p. 498)

Arinnian and Tabitha walk along Livewell Street. He wants to be called Arinnian and addressed in Planha and thinks that this rowdy street beside an oily canal is a sty and not what the pioneers wanted whereas Tabitha thinks that it is fun and that Falkayn wanted only elbow room. They eat in the Phoenix House. Initially, Arinnian declines a drink on the ground that it would dull his perceptions. Tabitha recognizes this as a Stormgate saying. Both have had adventures. Tabitha wandered the planet, working in different jobs, whereas Arinnian hid from his parents for a year in the Shielding Islands.

Tabitha expects Arinnian to welcome her suggestion that they drink in the Ythrian tavern, the Nest, whereas he thinks that taverns are wrong for Ythrians! When they do go there, they meet Vodan and Quenna. The latter is the fifteenth character in, so far, six chapters. I think that there will be more on this chapter tomorrow.