The saloon in Jaccavrie is sybaritic. Since the Kirkansanter navigator, Graydal, seems to disapprove, Ranger Daven Laure remarks that there is no virtue in suffering hardship. When Graydal replies that there is virtue in the ability to endure hardship, Laure asks whether she thinks that he cannot. Rangers must be my idea of optimal human beings, benefiting from and using high tech but able to cope if the tech fails. Some do not return from their missions.
More Kirkasanter divergences: they have lost night vision but are stronger than their ancestors and need a lot of arsenic in their diet! The biggest difference is that they are no longer interfertile with other human beings. This, combined with their instinctual drive to reproduce, will preclude marriage between Laure and Graydal. The Technic History ends with a tragedy of sorts.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Ha! Dominic Flandry was like that too! Enjoying the sybaritic pleasures of life but more than able to do without them when he had to.
Yes, "Starfog" does end in a kind of tragedy, in a situation where Laure and Graydal would have to make difficult sacrifices for any kind of life together.
Ad astra! Sean
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