Last Words

The Game Of Empire.

Tachwyr the Dark's last words to us:

"'By adversity, the God tempers the steel of the Race. Let us get on with our quest.'"

-CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO, p. 447.

Flandry's last words:

"'As for you, Father Axor... if you wish, I'll obtain adequate funding for your research. Shall I?'"

-CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE, p. 453.

(Flandry has just discoursed about the game of empire or of life but this offer to Axor is his very last word.)

Axor:

"'God bless you, whether you like it or not... What you endow goes beyond space or time.'"

-ibid.

There are such things as partial truths. Tachwyr is right that adversity improves organisms. Axor is right that his research into the Ancients is worthy of support and might also help intelligent beings to approach or address the eternal. Part of our quest is to learn what others have found.

Van Rijn's and Falkayn's last words are to be found in Mirkheim and have been quoted before and we are not going to look them up again at this time of night!