Saturday, 9 January 2021

Van Rijn On Kilimanjaro

"Margin of Profit."

Nicholas van Rijn is immensely wealthy. When his self-driving air car lands at the one of his mansions that is on the peak of Kilimanjaro, armed, liveried household staff rush forward. A new maid takes his cap. The butler says that the guests have arrived. A mobile chair, responding to the order, "Conference room," (p. 79) carries van Rijn:

"...along corridors paneled in the woods of a dozen planets. A sweet smell of attar of janie and a softly played Mozart quartet enlivened the air." (p. 79)

Observations
(i) Four senses: felt motion; seen panels; smelled incense; heard music.

(ii) The original "Margin of Profit" was published in 1956. Anderson's three short stories and one novel set on the planet Avalon were published in 1973. The Earth Book Of Stormgate, containing this revised "Margin of Profit," was published in 1978. Thus, the revised "Margin..." can refer to the Avalonian flower, janie. (Scroll down.)

(iii) We understand why, when van Rijn says that he wants ten percent of the Mirkheim profits, David Falkayn replies:

"'Sir, you don't need the money. You stopped needing more money a long while back.'"
-Poul Anderson, "Lodestar" IN Anderson, The Earth Book Of Stormgate (New York, 1979), pp. 370-408 AT p. 407.

5 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

True, Old Nick had no NEED for any of the profits from Mirkheim, but by then, it was the thrill gained from sheer competitiveness which actually appealed to him.

And I'm reminded of how Old Nick's tigerish non human confidential secretary told him in SATAN'S WORLD that he could easily sell his businesses and retire with more money than van Rijn could spend in ten lifetimes! Hmmm, was his secretary a Ferran, one of whom was Flandry's executive officer in THE REBEL WORLDS?

Ad astra! Sean

paulshackley2017@gmail.com said...

Sean,

Maybe. There is a Ferran later on in SATAN'S WORLD.

Paul.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

You jogged my memory, I remember that one now!

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

After a certain (fairly low) point, money isn't food or clothes, money is -power-, the ability to command. Tbere's never enough of that.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

I agree. And I also think Old Nick enjoyed being powerful. And I don't think he abused the power had too much.

Ad astra! Sean