We knew what the situation was at the end of Mirkheim but a lot of time has passed. What has changed?
Hermes is no longer as rich as powerful as it was and no longer has constitutional government.
Its current dynasty of Grand Dukes is a line of military dictators.
The present Grand Duke, Edwin Cairncross, deposed his own brother.
He is not of Tamarin descent but does bear some Argolid genes unlike the present Emperor, a son of the usurper, Hans Molitor.
Hans took the Protectorate of Mirkheim from Hermes in order to secure financial support on Terra.
Cairncross has directed the settlement of the interior of the single continent, Greatland, on Hermes but is strangely unsympathetic to the xenological foundation on nearby Ramnu where the Hermetian company, General Enterprises, conducts some expanding although unspecified industrial operations.
The attentive reader deduces that Cairncross is up to no good on Ramnu and that Miriam Abrams' old family friend, Dominic Flandry, will fly to her rescue.
Across three chapters, the narrative point of view segues from Yewwl to Abrams to Cairncross to Flandry.
1 comment:
Cairncross is a standard man of unlimited ambition.
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