Juan Cajal is the Terran Admiral.
Daniel Holm is the First Marchwarden of the Lauran System. (Defence.)
Liaw of The Tarns is the High Wyvan of Avalon. (Civil authority.)
The first time Cajal addresses and confers with Holm and Liaw:
"'Permit me to introduce myself. I am Juan de Jesus Cajal y Palomares of Nuevo Mexico, commanding His Imperial Majesty's naval forces in the present campaign.'" (X, pp. 551-552)
The second time:
"'Sirs, you are...are behaving as if you were mad.'" (XIII, p. 581)
Nerves have become frayed.
The first encounter is narrated from Cajal's point of view:
"...Cajal grew overaware..." (p. 552)
The second, although it takes longer for us to be sure, is narrated from Holm's point of view. After the conference, he looks out the window and we read what he sees.
The first time, the two Avalonians address the Admiral with unnecessary brusqueness. All that they need to say is that they cannot surrender yet because Khruath and Parliament have not decided yet. The second time, that decision has been taken and it is this that gets on Cajal's nerves.
"'I do not like the idea of making war on potentially valuable subjects of His Majesty,' he said, 'most especially not on women and children.'" (p. 583)
Then don't do it. This has to end some time. This futuristic sf novel could not possibly be more relevant right now.
2 comments:
Actually, it never ends. It just happens over and over.
You -can't- make war on any scale without collateral damage to civilians, and in a big war it's going to be very big indeed.
If you won't do that and the other side will, they win and you're on your belly licking the boot that kicks you.
You also have to be willing to see your own land and people bleed and burn, as the Avalonians are.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
Exactly! My thought was that, unfortunately, no matter how hard one or both sides in a war tries to limit it, civilian casualties simply can't be avoided.
Ad astra! Sean
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