In Chapters XI-XVII, David Falkayn and Chee Lan are at Beta Crucis. At the end of XVII, Falkayn realizes "We can't go home yet." (p. 515) So where do they go?
In Chapters XVIII-XXI, Nicholas van Rijn and Adzel are in space. In XXII, they are on Dathyna. Van Rijn had deduced that Falkayn and Chee were already there, hiding and spying.
XXIII begins with Chee lurking among Dathynan ruins. Van Rijn's long distance deduction and gamble have at last paid off.
Van Rijn's direct involvement and the splitting of the team have ensured that this is not just another trader team narrative. Indeed, the situation changes with each new installment. Satan's World is followed not by yet more routine trade pioneering adventures but by the climactic events of "Lodestar" and Mirkheim, then the future history leaps two generations further ahead to the planet Avalon.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
It might have been interesting, however, to see a trader team story not featuring Falkayn and his friends.
Ad astra! Sean
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