Faster and surer than an average human being, Naysmith is able to escape from an attack by six S-men, American Security agents. They will find his recent fingerprints which will match with those of the dead Donner and of several other UN agents around the world. Thus, they will know that they are up against:
"...the Un-man, the hated and feared shadow who could strike in a dozen places at once, swifter and deadlier than flesh had a right to be, who had now risen from his grave to harry them again. He, Naysmith, had just added another chapter to a legend." (p. 67)
He is a "shadow." See The Shadow. One way to create the image of an immortal crime-fighter is to have different men playing the role. The Phantom did this over twenty generations.
Poul Anderson's Psychotechnic History incorporates a story element usually seen in other genres and media.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I was surprised to find out "The Phantom" is still being published, even if stories are now being written by different writers. And that the third Phantom married Shakespeare's niece!
Ad astra! Sean
"recent fingerprints which will match with those of the dead Donner"
My understanding is that 'identical' twins don't have identical fingerprints. So clones having identical fingerprints would require some additional manipulation of development.
Kaor, Jim!
I had not known that. I might have thought that identical twins, having the same DNA pattern as each other, would have the same fingerprints.
Ad astra! Sean
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