Hanno, who says that he is "'...everywhere an alien...'" (p. 32) refuses Pytheas' invitation to stay and accept Massaliot citizenship. Pytheas exclaims:
"'What else is life but always bidding farewell.'" (ibid.)
There are always echoes between timelines:
"Well, I had been warned at the beginning that a Time Patrol agent's life became a series of farewells."
-Poul Anderson, "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth" IN Anderson, Time Patrol (Riverdale, NY, December 2010), pp. 333-465 AT 1980, p. 351.
Pytheas is an acquaintance of an immortal. Carl Farness, newly recruited into the Patrol, has become a time traveler. And we read about them.
Now I really must say, if not "Farewell," then at least "Good night." Next time, we visit China.
5 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And we both know Hanno had good practical reasons for seldom staying long at any one place. Doing so would be risky!
Ad astra! Sean
Particularly in ancient times; people aged faster then.
Neil Gaiman's Hob Gadling was hanged and drowned - and couldn't die!
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: True, altho Patulcius was more of a stay at home type. But he too was forced to often move.
Paul: Cutting off Hob's head should do it!
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I am not sure how decapitation would work but the anthropomorphic personification of Death has agreed not to take Hob unless he asks her to so something would have to be done about putting body and head back together.
Paul.
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