Rugo wakens to sunlight, birds, wind, chattering leaves, a receding dream, dew, mist, dales, a conveniently low branch for pulling himself erect, green bushes and trees on a hillside and dead leaves underfoot. My point here is that, judging from this description, he might have been on Earth although he is not. This story published in 1951 shows us none of Poul Anderson's extraterrestrial plants or other environmental details.
However, Rugo himself, while clearly intelligent, has four feet and a large scaly head so it is established very early in the narrative that he is not human.
As to what happens next, I have reached that point in the evening - nearly midnight - when, as regular blog readers know, I am disinclined to blog any further! But we have covered some ground today.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Yes, "Terminal Quest" was a very early story by Anderson, written before he had fully mastered the art of writing convincingly described terrestroid but non-Terrestrial planets. But "Quest" is still a powerful story, and belongs with "Sister Planet" for its depths of feelings and pathos.
Ad astra! Sean
Breakfast before visiting Andrea. Maybe a post this evening.
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