Admiral Cajal has a crucifix in his room in the middle of the superdreadnaught, Valenderay. When he has spoken bluntly to High Wyvan Trauvay of Ythri, there is a prolonged silence during which:
"Stillness murmured around crucified Christ." (XII, p. 575)
This is a moment in which the wind would usually make itself heard. However, Cajal is in a spaceship conversing with Trauvay by screen. There might be wind outside Trauvay's eyrie on Ythri... But, in Valenderay, stillness murmurs, paradoxically. There will be some slight sound from all the machinery. There has to be something like a sound in the ears or at least in the minds of the characters.
Crucified Christ graphically represents the suffering threatened to Ythri if it does not yield. Poul Anderson's symbolism is always full on.
Here at Blog Central, we prefer the seated Buddha, the yin-yang symbol or even the fish to the crucifix. The Terran Empire is not officially Christian but Cajal is from Nuevo Mexico. All the people and planets seem real.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Christ was also crucified because of the sins of mankind and all other Fallen races. And then rose from the dead to show His triumph over evil and death.
Ad astra! Sean
Disagree.
Note that Romans used crucifixion as a punishment for banditry -- and they defined banditry to include most forms of anti-Roman action.
In fact, the boundary between outright bandits and anti-Roman guerillas was extremely vague. Many bandits wrapped themselves in the cloak of local patriotism (vide Robin Hood), and many anti-Romans considered plundering and killing people who didn't support them patriotic.
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