Conflicts

A fictional society has to display conflicts and disagreements. In Poul Anderson's Solar Commonwealth, political conflict intensifies in Mirkheim. Before that, both Eric Wace and David Falkayn confront Nicholas van Rijn.

Wace accuses van Rijn of parasitism. However, Sandra Tamarin shows Wace that he has misjudged van Rijn who is, in any case, unmoved by criticism. He offers Wace a promotion not as a sinecure but because Wace has demonstrated his ability in difficult circumstances on Diomedes. Wace remains free to travel to Earth and insult van Rijn publicly although not on company time. However, we understand that Wace gets the point.

Falkayn has to tell van Rijn the truth that he does not need more money and, in particular, does not need a share of the profits of the Supermetals company which is helping planetary populations that have been left behind by Technic civilization. This time, it is van Rijn that gets the point. In fact, he can then help Supermetals to conceal its source of the wealth-generating supermetals for a while longer. 

It is appropriate that this pivotal confrontation between van Rijn and Falkayn is witnessed by:

the other two trader team members, Adzel and Chee Lan;

an Ythrian, Hirharouk;

van Rijn's granddaughter and Falkayn's future wife, Coya Conyon.

It is as if the past and future of Technic civilization have come together in the present. The Falkayns will found the human-Ythrian colony, Avalon, and one of their descendants will help to defend Avalon against the Terran Empire that is destined to replace the Solar Commonwealth.

More and greater conflicts. However, much later, a long period of interstellar peace at the time of the Commonalty.