Van Rijn:
"'The Home Companies is become near as damn the government of the Commonwealth. At least, the government does nothings they don't want, and everythings they do want. I, an independent, see the threat in that; but I am not hungry for power myself, I simply want people should let me be to play my little games.'" (pp. 259-260)
Van Rijn does not want to run the government but does need the protection provided by its laws, courts, police and prisons although, out in space, the League organizes naval protection of its members property where governments cannot. Van Rijn confirms what Falkayn said about power here.
To forestall competition from the Home Companies when they do move out into space, the Seven In Space are secretly backing a strong Baburite state using a dominated Hermes as its human base. The Polesotechnic League is irretrievably split. The shadows of God the Hunter and of the Terran Empire move inexorably closer.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Not so fast! First there would come a long period when the mortally damaged League limped and stumbled on, for precisely because it had taken on some governmental and military functions, it thus provided Technic Civilization with SOME protection. NEXT, came the Time of Troubles, a period of chaos and anarchy I dated from approximately AD 2600 onward. The Empire arose as the means used for ending the chaos. Hirharouk had no idea that the Terran Empire would arise.
Ad astra! Sean
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