Arrived on Earth, Eric receives a parcel with an envelope containing two letters. First:
"To his Excellency Eric Tamarin-Asmundsen, in appreciation of his gallant efforts, from a member of United Humanity." (p. 170)
Second:
"My son,
"Read this and destroy. Leave the other note lying about so it may satisfy the curiosity of those who have a watch on you." (ibid.)
The second letter is longer, gives very precise instructions for meeting while avoiding surveillance and is signed:
"Your father,
"[seismographic scrawl]
"N. van Rijn" (p. 171)
Eric has come from space where Old Nick is a myth and is about to meet him.
He knows that United Humanity is:
"A mildly racist association, naturally jingoistic about Babur." (p. 170)
In my experience, racist associations are not "mildly." Decades ago, in Britain, the National Union of Mineworkers began a strike. They received a cheque from the National Front to support "British Miners." That cheque was returned to the NF. Of course, Eric does not have the dilemma of whether to accept support from United Humanity because it is just an ingenious cover story concocted by his devious father, N. van Rijn, whose sign-off to his letter is:
"Long live freedom and damn the ideologies." (p. 171)
Freedom for whom to do what? I could have a long and mutually enjoyable exchange with van Rijn.
6 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And Old Nick would argue for freedom from the kind of ideologies leftists favor. Because he would insist you cannot have real freedom in any kind of socialist regime.
Ad astra! Sean
Have to say, those Baen covers have a pretty unconventional view of anatomy, especially that of women. The pulps, even in the thud and blunder era, seem much more realistic, cellophane spacesuits and all. ;)
Came across another early Anderson story - "The Longest Voyage" - that with a minor tweak, could have fit into the Technic series in any number of places; interesting setting, a terrestrial natural satellite of a Jovian planet around a distant star, inhabited by the descendants of human castaways working their way back from a pseudo-Neolithic. See:
https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/luminist/SF/AN/AN_1960_12.pdf
That story is in WINNERS, the collection of Anderson's award-winning stories.
Kaor, Dave!
The hideous covers some enemy of Anderson chose for Baen Books' republishing of the Flandry stories could appeal only to hormone crazed 14 years old boys!!!!!
Ad astra! Sean
Basically, van Rijn means: "Nobody tries to tell me what to do." What else is freedom but the absence of constraint?
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
True, but I believe some constraints are necessary if any society is going to be reasonably tolerable.
Ad astra! Sean
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