Wrongs And Revenge

Mirkheim, XVI.

David Falkayn on Benoni Strang, the High Commissioner for Hermes appointed by the Baburite occupation force:

"'And he's taking this chance to get revenge. Or to right old wrongs, he'd say. Same thing.'" (p. 166)

It is not necessarily the same thing although someone in Falkayn's position, head of a Kindred family and president of their domain, would almost certainly see it that way. Poul Anderson does a good job of presenting the conflicts within a society so that his readers can reflect on what position they would adopt if they were there. My reflection: Strang's rightful place is with the Hermetian Liberation Front, not with an alien occupation force.

All of this is relevant. In Britain right now, we do not have an occupation force - that happens elsewhere - but we do have social divisions and the King calling for unity.