Van Rijn And Coya

Mirkheim, XI.

Van Rijn:

"'...they don't give snot whether it's illegal or well-eagle.'" (p. 160)

"'I decree first we snap some shnapps...'" (p. 161)

"'...news commentators who I would like to do a hysteria-ectomy on.'" (ibid.)

"'He was pretty much the spokesman for the Seven. In fact, I suspect he was the wheelsman.'" (ibid.)

(A pun on "spoke.")

"'Drink, you slobberwits!' he roared. 'Or do I have to give it to you with a hypochondriac needle?'" (p. 162)

Poul Anderson had to keep writing distortions of Anglic into van Rijn's dialogue.

Following the narrative thread of the Falkayns, I had wondered, first, whether David or Coya had continued to work during their three staid years in the Solar System and, secondly, whether, if so, Coya had remained at Luna Astrocenter. The answers are yes and no:

"Since she stopped trade pioneering, [Coya] had worked out of her home as a high-powered free-lance computer programmer." (p. 162) In particular, Danstrup Cargo Carriers had "'...wanted an analysis of their best strategy in case of war.'" (ibid.)

The sense of troubled times is all-pervasive.