Opening paragraph (a single sentence):
"We guard the great Pact; but the young generations, the folk of the star frontier, so often do not understand." (p. 92)
I imagine that a crowded starscape would suffice for that sentence.
Second (longer) paragraph:
"They avail themselves of our ordinary work. (Ship Harpsong of Nerthus, out of Highsky for David's Landing is long overdue.... Please forecast the competition which a cybernation venture on Oasis would probably face after the older firms elsewhere learned that a market had been established.... Bandits reported.... How shall we deal with this wholly strange race of beings we have come upon?) But the we step in their own paths and say, 'Thou shalt not.' And suddenly we are the Cordys, the enemy." (ibid.)
(I think that "Cordys" should be written "Cordies.")
This should be illustrated by:
quick scenes on the planet Nerthus (which should have appeared in earlier installments of a Psychotechnic series!);
a quick scene on Oasis, created for the occasion;
a shot of bandit spaceships;
a glimpse of newly created strange beings;
a man in a Coordination Service uniform stepping in someone's path.
Then we should see - not just be told about - Braganza Diane's medieval stone house at Laugerie Haute.
At the end of the story, Trevelyan explains Service policy to red Faustina:
"But she did not understand." (p. 126)
At this point, the voice-over should return, reading the concluding paragraph to draw the moral of the story as the camera draws away from Faustina seated in the ground and Trevelyan crouching down to clasp her hands.
Excellent film material.
Of the two women, Trevelyan begins by speaking with his and ends by speaking to Murdoch's.

1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And I agree with Stirling, in a civilization with a vigorously expanding frontier, I don't think the State, either the UK or the Stellar Union, can hope to tightly police their frontiers without eventually provoking infuriated resistance. Efforts by the UK to do that massively contributed to triggering rebellion in the colonies that became the US. And the Stellar Union eventually collapsed. All the State can do in such circumstance is attempt preventing the worst abuses.
That mention of interstellar bandits reminded me of the real world pirates which plagued the Atlantic circa 1760, the Moorish pirates from north Africa (the Barbary States). As Muslims these pirates believed they were divinely authorized to prey on all non-Muslims. Which they did, raiding as far as Iceland for slaves and booty. One of the duties of the Royal Navy was to protect British shipping from these bandits. But after the US became independent, American shipping was preyed on by the Barbary corsairs because it was no longer protected by the RN. It forced the US to begin building a Navy.
Ad astra! Sean
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