A Circus of Hells, CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
While Djana hurries down empty halls in the Merseian base on Talwin to visit Ydwyr:
"Remotely, she heard hoarse lusty singing. When Merseians celebrated, they were apt to do so at full capacity." (p. 306)
We are looking for any such details that fill out our picture of Merseians. This detail connects with a similar one in the Captain Flandry series:
"Rumor said that after his human guests had left, Ruethen and his staff had rolled out huge barrels of bitter ale and caroused like trolls for many hours; they must have known some reason to be merry."
-Poul Anderson, "Hunters of the Sky Cave" IN Anderson, Sir Dominic Flandry: The Last Knight of Terra (Riverdale, NY, March 2012), pp. 149-301 AT VI, p. 192.
Consistent characterization. However, our last sight of a Merseian in the Technic History is of Tachwyr the Dark profoundly demoralized by the defeat of yet another elaborate scheme at the end of The Game of Empire. And that leads, after the launch of Flandry's daughter's career and Flandry's statement of his own philosophy of life, into the post-Imperial subseries.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The original version of "Honorable Enemies" also mentions how the Alfzarians also enjoyed rowdy, full blast parties. Complete with dancing girls from all the species of the guests at such parties--including Merseian dancing girls!
In addition, one report from the Grand Survey's visit to Merseia included enthusiastic praise of Merseian beer.
Ad astra! Sean
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