How much genuine spying happens in spy fiction? And how is spying enhanced in an sf context? (There is also spy-fi.)
Yewwl is the perfect spy to send into a human industrial base. She is an ignorant native - with Miriam "Banner" Abrams seeing what she sees and guiding her inwardly. Yewwl has "...Banner with her in spirit..." (p. 170) The spiritual/quasi-religious aspect of the shared experience is explicit.
Initially, Yewwl has problems even seeing things:
"...hard to see; the mind could not take hold of forms so outlandish." (p. 170)
We have had this point before. See At First Sight.
Before long, Yewwl and her companions turn out to be very poor at spying. Although their guide does not understand their speech, they are unable to conceal their tension or to maintain the pretense that they are naive sightseers. But they see enough.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It was mostly Yewwl's companions who messed up things. Left to herself, with Miriam's advice, I think Yewwl would have succeeded in not arousing serious suspicion in Dukeston. But of course a chieftain like Yewwl would HAVE to have some attendants with her.
Ad astra! Sean
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