There is, of course, a last page for Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry and also for Anderson's version of Conan the Cimmerian. Both characters ask, "Who knows?" on their last page.
Conan:
"'Who knows what years unborn must bring? Death on a heath or life on a throne or anything in between; no matter now.'" (p. 208)
Flandry:
"'Who knows? We play the game move by move, and never see far ahead - the game of empire, of life, whatever you want to call it - and what the score will be when all the pieces at last go back into the box, who knows?'"
-Poul Anderson, The Game Of Empire IN Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, June 2012), pp. 189-453 AT CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE, p. 453.
The answer is that we live on and find out.
In Flandry's Legacy, we turn the page to find ourselves with Roan Tom during the post-Imperial Long Night.
Conan goes on to say that everything that he has done recently has been in the service of his lady who laughs, "...vengeful and joyful...," (ibid.) on the foredeck above him. Flandry concludes by offering to fund Axor's research and the latter smiles as one:
"...winning salvation for himself and his beloved." (ibid.)
All's well that ends well.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
I remember that bit from the end of CONAN THE REBEL. But in one of his essays Anderson discussed how it was very unlikely that a wandering barbarian adventurer could become king of an advanced civilized nation. It would need both an unusual convergence of many factors and an at least acquiescent majority for that to happen. Anderson thought Howard just made it barely possible for Conan to later become king of Aquilonia.
Ad astra! Sean
One thing I tried to bring out in my Conan novel is that Conan, as portrayed by Howard, is -smart-. He's observant, thinks fast, and reacts quickly. He also has a nicely ironic sense of humor. Portraying him as a glowering hulk is very inaccurate.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
I completely forgot about or overlooked your Conan book! Something else to find and read.
Ad astra! Sean
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