Arinnian and Eyath are as close as a male and female of two different species can be - species for whom sex is physically impossible. Arinnian's regard for (what he sees as) Eyath's "purity" makes it difficult for him to relate to "bird" women, female choth members.
Daniel Holm quotes "'- their finest hour -'" (p. 567), then, after a double space between paragraphs, we read with pleasure:
"Tabitha Falkayn shoved off from the dock..." (ibid.)
Tabitha has to be Poul Anderson's most attractive woman character: her appearance, her personality, her life, both independent and adventurous. In this passage, she entertains the Terran prisoner of war, Philippe Rochefort, but she will wind up with Christopher Holm/Arinnian - after helping to straighten him out.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I found Tabitha Falkayn far more stable, sensible, and likable than I did Christopher Holm, with his pathetic, impossible longing to be a Ythrian!
Ad astra! Sean
As the saying goes, wishing doesn't make it so.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Absolutely! Christopher finally achieved true maturity when he accepted that fact.
Ad astra! Sean
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