The sense of endings permeates Mirkheim. Nicholas van Rijn tells Eric Tamarin:
"'You do not see, do you, boy?...Win, lose, or draw, much more war means the end of the Commonwealth like we has known it, and the League, and Hermes.'" (p. 202)
Whatever else happens, things will change. That much is certain. Adzel and Chee Lan comprehend and cope. See: An Ending and Elegy.
The greatest change is in individuals. Shortly before van Rijn says that to Eric, the latter notices:
"He's old...weary, and, here at last, forsaken." (ibid.)
This reminds us that "Lodestar" had ended with van Rijn's granddaughter seeing that he was indeed old. Mirkheim is the completion of the themes introduced in "Lodestar." And these two instalments are our last sight of any of these characters. "Lodestar" is the last League instalment in The Earth Book Of Stormgate and the last instalment in The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume II. Mirkheim is the first instalment in Saga, Volume III, but the last League instalment in the Technic History.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
As so often, in human affairs, many changes are for the worse, not better.
Here we see Nicholas van Rijn at a bad moment, contemplating unfavorable changes, then and to come. It's good that David Falkayn also said Old Nick perked up and commenting he was stealing pieces from the fences of his rivals while mending his own fences!
Ad astra! Sean
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