Monday, 8 February 2021

The Materials To Hand

The Game Of Empire, CHAPTER NINETEEN.

Targovi must work with the materials to hand. He has got onto Zacharia as a companion of Axor and Diana but now Axor, who has no idea why they are really there, says that it is nearly time to leave! Targovi, who has to assume that their hostel is bugged, needs a plausible reason to leave it immediately to try to complete his espionage on the island. Axor unwittingly provides him with such a reason. Fearing for Diana's virtue, he asks Targovi to advise her like an elder brother! Choking back his laughter and holding down his merriment, Targovi immediately sets off, supposedly to find and intervene between Kukulkan and Diana!

He thinks:

"Oh, aye, wouldn't Diana Crowfeather be overjoyed at having her business minded for her?" (p. 405)

Sure she would! (I don't think.) I have two younger sisters and would never have dreamed of speaking to them about anything like that, especially not at the request of a clergy-being. But intelligent beings sure do live by different sets of values, don't we?

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I remember that part of GAME, and it was amusing.

Sometimes, tho, it is wise for a sibling to intervene with another if he genuinely thinks his brother or sister is making a very bad mistake.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

There are places where this would be a killing matter for a brother.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

Esp., I think, those parts of the world where people believe relatives who bring "disgrace" on the family can be rightfully killed. Which is orders of magnitude more severe than merely arguing with a brother or sister.

Ad astra! Sean