Diana Crowfeather reflects on the Zacharians:
"Interchangeable people? The idea was like a winter wind." (p. 424)
My sentiment exactly and we notice yet another wind metaphor.
Offered the option of staying behind with Kukulkan, Diana says that she stays by her friends who, in this case, are a Wodenite and a Tigery. When she departs:
"'Goodbye,' she said to the alien." (ibid.)
The alien is the Zacharian who has put himself outside the human race by plotting to subordinate it to the Merseians who, he thinks:
"'...will welcome [the Zacharians] as their intermediaries with the human commonalty. They will grant us the same boundless freedom they desire for themselves.'" (p. 423)
They will not. In any case, could we be free if others were not?
Diana, Targovi and Axor really deserved their own continuing series after this novel.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Re what Kukulkan said: Yeah, rrrriiiigggghhhhtttt! What I thought was him and the other Zacharians choosing to become useful idiots, traitors, and Quislings.
Ad astra! Sean
As I said, the Zacharians are doing what I think of as a "Pouty McPoutyface" routine. They have a self-esteem problem, and resent the universe for not conforming to their self-image.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Under different circumstances they might have become like your Draka!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: I don't think so. They expected to be taken as leaders voluntarily, and expected everyone else to be awed by their benevolent superiority.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
But Kukulkan Zachary did say the fears some non-Zacharians had of them setting themselves up as a ruling master race might have been justified if circumstances had been different.
Ad astra! Sean
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