Tabitha Falkayn greets Christopher Holm in Anglic and by his human name. He replies in Planha:
"'I come as Arinnian... Luck fare beside you, Hrill.'" (p. 465)
Since he represents a western Coronan Khruath, it is appropriate that Christopher speaks as Arinnian. Western Corona and northern Oronesia will cooperate to defend the Hesperian Sea against possible Terran attack. Two human beings represent Ythrian institutions, their respective choths and Kruaths, as the Domain of Ythri approaches war with the Terran Empire. Maybe intelligent species will interact this closely in future - although I expect that any real inter-species contacts will be very different from what anyone has imagined.
Being able to switch between two identities might help us to practice nonattachment to either of them? Any name, identity etc is a social role. Changes in practice and perception can free us from it.
4 comments:
Since humans are social animals, anything they do is social -- unless they're sociopathic. Individuals don't really exist.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
One of the scariest and most alarming books I ever read was Taylor Caldwell's WICKED ANGEL That was where I first came mention of psychopaths/sociopaths, truly evil persons utterly without conscience, compunction, or empathy.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean: note that -stupid- sociopaths don't usually survive long enough to reproduce. Smart ones often do.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I agree, stupid sociopaths end up getting killed or imprisoned. The smart ones live to torment their wives/husbands and children.
Ad astra! Sean
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