Introducing Coya Conyon

Poul Anderson, "Lodestar" IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, March 2010), pp. 631-680.

Reflecting on personal relationships in works of fiction, I am drawn back to one of my favourite passages in Poul Anderson's Technic History, the one that introduces Coya Conyon. (Another favourite passage is the italicized conclusion to A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows. Kossara Vymezal, introduced earlier in this novel, has become a saint.)

"Lodestar" is a very condensed text, originally regarded as the conclusion of the Polesotechnic League sub-series of the Technic History although, fortunately, Mirkheim, was added and completely expanded the themes of "Lodestar." 

Pp. 631-632 are Hloch's Earth Book introduction to "Lodestar";

pp. 633-639 are a trade pioneer crew episode with serious discussion of inequalities in Technic civilization;

pp. 639-640 summarize van Rijn's quiet ten years between his discovery of Satan and his arrival at Mirkheim;

pp. 640-641 introduce Coya, revealing that she and van Rijn are traveling into unexplored space in an Ythrian ship! 

All the strands of the Technic History to date are coming together. Van Rijn:

"...meant to take Coya Conyon, his favorite granddaughter, on an extended cruise..." (p. 640)

Of course we accept that Coya is a granddaughter of van Rijn although we have never read about her before. This is her first appearance and was expected to be her last. Thus, this story combines:

the trader team (familiar);

van Rijn (familiar);

Ythrians (familiar);

Coya Conyon (new and extremely important - she will marry David Falkayn).