Flandry's crew recalls a passage in another Ian Fleming novel. The crew includes a Donarrian, a Scothanian and two Gorzuni:
a Donarrian helped Ansans to resist Imperial annexation;
the Scothanians kidnapped Flandry and threatened the Terran Empire;
the Gorzuni sacked Earth and enslaved Terrestrials in the Time of Troubles.
Thus, all these species represent "ancient enemies," now friends. James Bond remembers French, Dutch, Spaniards and Americans and wonders whether the current SPECTRE conspiracy is backed by the Russians or the Chinese or is independent as Thunderball had been. Flandry must still cope with the Merseians.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I still have my doubts about the practicality of "private sector" terrorism becoming a serious threat (except maybe once). Once a powerful nation pays attention to such creatures and resolves to destroy them, gangs like Al Qaeda and the "Islamic State" don't have much of a chance. The US shattered and destroyed them after all, killing untold tens of thousands of jihadists. So, I'm dubious about the plausibility of SPECTRE.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
SPECTRE was simply a highly professional criminal gang, not a terrorist group. They sold intelligence to the CIA and the SIS and assassinated a man for the French before they mounted Project Ozma. (The NATO counter-operation was called Operation Thunderball.)
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Which goes to show I should reread the most interesting of the Bond stories!
Ad astra! Sean
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