The alien general, Hunda:
"'By the gods, if we had decent weapons!'" (p. 217)
Saunders:
"...thought how beautiful [Taury] was - by all the gods, how beautiful!" (p. 218)
Does a new polytheism seem appropriate for a multi-species, interstellar civilization? It does to me but, in any case, we have already addressed this question in more detail than I would have felt able to do at present. See here.
James Blish's phrase, "gods of all stars," common to his Okie and pantropy series, seems especially pertinent.
See also The National Anthem.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
Another alternative something analogous to Edwardian Britons sometimes exclaiming "By Jove!" Not because they believed in Jupiter, but because they wanted to avoid profaning divine names they believed in."
Ad astra! Sean
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