When Hloch signs off from the Earth Book, he acknowledges that he and his readers have flown upon only a few of the countless currents that had streamed together at Avalon but nevertheless he thinks that all of them:
"...raise a little higher than erstwhile his knowledge of that race with which ours is to share this world until God the Hunter descends upon both."
Poul Anderson, The Earth Book Of Stormgate (New York, 1978), p. 390.
Hloch's personal farewell:
"Now The Earth Book of Stormgate is ended. From my tower I see the great white sweep of the snows upon Mount Anrovil. I feel the air blow in and caress my feathers. Yonder sky is calling. I will go.
"Fair winds forever."
-ibid.
These words, completing the first main part of the History of Technic Civilization, are followed either by Ensign Flandry, introducing Dominic Flandry, in the original book publication order or by "The Star Plunderer," about the first Terran Emperor, Manuel Argos, in The Technic Civilization Saga.
Flandry signs off first by saying that we play the game of empire or life without knowing what the score will be and secondly by funding Diana's and Targovi's careers and Axor's research but Axor has the last word in this second main part of the Technic History when he responds:
"'God bless you, whether you like it or not... What you endow goes beyond space and time.'"
-Poul Anderson, Flandry's Legacy (Riverdale, NY, June 2012), pp. 189-453 AT p. 453.
And even this is not yet the end of this major future history series.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Strictly speaking, "The Star Plunderer"* (first pub. in PLANET STORIES in 1952) preceded ENSIGN FLANDRY, first pub. in 1966).
Flandry comments, and Fr. Axor's remarks, at the of THE GAME OF EMPIRE, makes me regret again that Anderson chose not to write one or two more showing us an aging Flandry plus Diana and her friends. But I still sympathize with Anderson's desire to go on to other ideas and themes.
Ad astra! Sean
*I far prefer the alternate title for this story: "Collar of Iron."
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