Van Rijn takes three calls from:
a man who had escaped from a war ten parsecs away;
a nonhuman SSL factor in another sector;
the Muddlin' Through in Earth orbit.
Readers might think that the first two calls are interstellar and instantaneous but that is technologically and even physically impossible in this timeline. The war escapee and the nonhuman factor must have come to Earth and made calls to van Rijn. In the second case, we see van Rijn again contemplating promotion for a competent employee whereas, in the first case, he threatens the opposite but he probably knows that this is what will motivate the guy.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I think the first case was where Old Nick authorized his factor to hire mercenaries from Grand Admiral Delp of the Drak'ho Fleet on Diomedes. Here we see Diomedeans descending from Fleet cultures taking an active interest in affairs off their home planet. An attitude which helps to explain why Fleet nations were willing to later join the Empire.
Ad astra! Sean
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