"Then the phone chimed.
"'Wat drommel?' van Rijn growled. 'I told Mortensen no calls from anyone less rank than the angel Gabriel.'" (p. 12)
But van Rijn had also told Mortensen that he would speak to Hanny Lennart whenever she responded to his earlier attempted contact so that Mortensen now has no alternative but to enquire whether van Rijn will accept this call from Freelady Lennart.
"...no calls from anyone less rank than the angel Gabriel..." is a picturesque way of saying, "No calls." Even those who believe in the literal existence of the archangel Gabriel do not expect him to use a telephone although, on reflection, we suppose that he could have done.
Gabriel is big in several traditions. See here.
Poul Anderson appropriately bestows the name, "Gabriel," on a character later in the Technic History. See here.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And all men of power and influence has to have a rule like that, otherwise they would be overwhelmed by minor, crank, or nuisance calls.
Ad astra! Sean
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