Freedom And Ways Of Living

"Outpost of Empire."

Evagail of the Free People to Ridenour of the Terran Empire:

"'...[the Cities] threatened us. They wouldn't leave our forests alone. As for the Empire, can't it contain one more way of living? Won't mankind be the richer for that?'" (p. 123)

This is Poul Anderson's constant message throughout his works. The two human values are freedom and diversity. The Polesotechnic League upheld one kind of freedom. The Empire does not impose uniformity but can instead protect diversity - in fact, has to.

Look for the same message in many other works by Poul Anderson.

"Read Your History"

"Outpost of Empire."

Captain Chang to Lieutenant-Commander Hunyadi:

"'Read your history, Citizen Hunyadi. Read your history. No empire which tolerated rebellion ever endured long thereafter.'" (pp. 116-117)

It is good advice to read history but it is also necessary to interpret it. How many empires that suppressed rebellions deserved to endure? Chang has his answer to that. He continues:

"'and we are the wall between humanity and Merseian-'" (p. 117)

He is interrupted by the outbreak of hostilities. His point, of course, is that there are only two alternatives: us and our enemies who are worse. Let's find more alternatives.

Of course, some people who urge us to read our history or to do our research have found what no one else has ever found. A conspiracy theorist informed me that, above the White Pope in Rome, there is a Black Pope and above him a Grey Pope. When I questioned this, he was content to tell me to do my research. So I did. I googled and found names and photographs of men who were alleged to be these two extra Popes. Is that it? Have I done my research? Do I now know that there is a Black and a Grey Pope? Well, no. But how did the conspiracy theorist know? He is dead now, unfortunately.

I should not be linking this guy to Captain Chang. They are in completely different categories. But the advice to "Read your history..." can be just a lazy way of saying, "I have read something and believe it and so should you."

Destiny

See:

Reaching For The Stars? 

Reaching For The Stars? II

The issue discussed here came up again when I reread one of the quoted works. I still think that it makes no sense to claim that mankind has been reaching for the stars. However, we have certainly been cutting ourselves off from the Earth. Sometimes, living in an almost completely artificial environment, we might as well be inside a spaceship. This is expressed in sf not only by characters travelling in spaceships but also by almost completely urbanized future Earths in, e.g.:

A Torrent Of Faces by James Blish and Norman L. Knight

The Caves Of Steel by Isaac Asimov

A Stone In Heaven by Poul Anderson

Is our destiny among the stars? Do we have a destiny? We certainly have better or worse ways of living. The best way to live, I suggest, is to realize our oneness with reality, which includes with each other. This can be done anywhere, on or off Earth. Our role as reflective, intelligent beings is to know the universe and such knowledge would be facilitated by being able to move around more freely within that universe, preferably without exporting militarism or imperialism beyond the Solar System.

Night In The Freehold Forest

"Outpost of Empire."

Selene down

sunrise near

still dark

star-powdered sky

gleaming lake

wailing uhu

cold air

constellations

orbiting light cruiser

bare ridge

blaster cannon with barrel "...gaunt across the Milky Way." (p. 109)

I have listed objects seen against the Milky Way here but seem to have missed this blaster cannon barrel although I will add it to the list now.

The action approaches a climax and a confrontation but nevertheless we pause to appreciate the night scenery of Freehold.

Reserved Personalities In Future Millennia

"Outpost of Empire."

Freehold outbacker Karlsarm finds that Terran Imperialist John Ridenour shows nothing of his real self but instead conceals his feelings with unconscious ease. Karlsarm theorizes that such offplanet reserve is not just aristocratic good manners but rather a defence of individuality within a large and highly organized population. Maybe. Of course, some people just go with the social flow and do not defend their individualities.

"Starfog."

Commonalty Ranger Daven Laure finds that, among the Hoborkan clan of the Kirkasanters, a planetary population that has been isolated from the rest of mankind since before the Long Night, the unconscious assumption that the body is the citadel of an inviolable ego has generated reserved personalities, hampered medicine and prevented psychoanalysis but has also fostered dignity and self-reliance. Kirkasanters are descended from Imperialist Aeneans. The Kirkasanter captain has a symbolic silver mask on the door of his cabin.

Poul Anderson shows us remote resonances between distant generations.

The Wind And Betrayal

"Outpost of Empire."

When Ridenour tells Evagail that he and she must not make love, she asks:

"'Why?' The wind raved louder, nearly obliterating her words." (p. 103)

Why should the wind sound - not only sound but "rave" - just then? It seems to be automatic in Poul Anderson's texts that the wind not only punctuates but also comments on the dialogue at dramatic moments.

Ridenour's reason, which he does not articulate to her, is:

"You are my enemy, and I will not betray you with a kiss." (ibid.)

An explicit Biblical reference that does not need any chapter and verse reference.

On pp. 104-105, a conversation between Ridenour and Karlsarm is recounted as if observed and heard by a third party. There is no point of view narration. At the bottom of p. 105, in a new narrative passage, we are given Karlsarm's pov after the two have parted.

SF Travelogue

"Outpost of Empire."

Some sf is futuristic travelogues, e.g., this story and Poul Anderson's The Game Of Empire.

Freeholder outbackers sleep in bedrolls out of doors except when they need protection for example from heavy rain and hail. Then they hastily build log shelters or seek out one of the few houses with outbuildings that have been built in each territory. A hilltop homestead comprises:

"...low, massive, stone-and-log buildings, whose overgrown sod roofs would hardly be visible from above." (p. 100)

The buildings are even less detectable because they are often unoccupied and therefore unlit. Evagail has taken Ridenour off their route to show him one homestead and they have it to themselves when they must shelter from a sudden storm. The door is unlocked and there is food and wine in the kitchen. Lamps are microcultures in glass globes. Heating is by a hearth fire and fuel oil. Utensils are of horn and obsidian. Paintings show Arulian influence. A tape is not of music but of storm sounds. 

We are not in Kansas anymore. Or, at least, Ridenour is not on Terra anymore. There is a white tablecloth, crystal goblets and candles but everything else should look alien, including Evagail in her fibre kilt and leather bolero with dagger and tomahawk. We appreciate the wealth of detail in all of Poul Anderson's descriptive passages.

The Outbackers

"Outpost of Empire."

The outbackers have learned much about trace chemicals and glands from the Arulians who have become the local front for the Merseians and who are currently at war with the Nine Cities which are protected by the Terran Empire. Furthermore, the outbackers themselves also attack the Cities. None of this makes the outbackers allies or clients of Merseia but it does demonstrate to what extent spheres of interest can interpenetrate and overlap. 

Of the Nine Cities, at a certain point in the story, one has been destroyed by the outbackers, two have been incapacitated by war and two are occupied by the Arulians who, however, are cut off on Freehold and will not be able to sustain their war effort.

The outbackers cannot be located for bombardment in the wilderness. Destruction of the entire wilderness would change the climate, make agriculture impossible and thus ruin the Cities. Therefore, the outbackers can be eradicated only by gradual clearing of the forests which they will continue to resist. 

This scenario is vastly more complicated than a straightforward good guys-bad guys routine. The narration alternates between the viewpoints of the Imperialist, Ridenour, and the outbacker, Karlsarm, so which of these guys do we least disagree with? Or do we say, "A plague on both your houses"? Probably not the latter, though.

Forest Paths

"Outpost of Empire."

The Freehold outbackers, self-designated as "the Free People," resist the Nine Cities and the Terran Empire and have their equivalent of tunnels (Vietnam, Gaza), although not literal tunnels. Pedestrians, horses and stathas travel through the forests on roads of specially bred tough, dense moss that resists the growth of weeds and that is regularly maintained by gangs laying down the required traces of manganese salt. These routes are small, interconnected and parallel rather than broad. Thus, they preserve the ecology and scenery and are usually undetectable from above. Also, mutant plants cover human scents. Ridenour is told some of this - although Karlsarm does not mention the mutant plants - and thus begins to learn that the Empire does not yet know what it is up against. The Free People cannot win outright but they can make the cost of eradicating them unacceptably great.

The Completion Of The Transformation of Mayor Uriason

"Outpost of Empire."

Mayor Uriason makes it possible for Ridenour not only to spy on the outbackers but also to transmit intelligence to the blockading Terran fleet. The mayor retains his physical appearance but its significance changes:

"The round red face was no longer comical. It pleaded. After a while, it commanded." (p. 85)

- like a superhero emerging from behind the disguise of his secret identity.

"'I watched my chance, I made myself ridiculous, and -' Uriason threw out his chest, thereby also throwing out his belly - 'at the appropriate moment, I palmed this [communication converter] from beneath the noses of the wrecking crew.'" (p. 86)

Uriason appeals to Ridenour in the names of Freehold, His Majesty and the entire species. (People always over-dramatize their current crisis.)

"The man was short and fat. His words rose like hot-air balloons..." (p. 87)

I immediately think of comic strip speech speech balloons. Poul Anderson's text continues:

"Nevertheless, had he dared under possible observation, Ridenour would have bowed most deeply. As matters were, the Terran could just say, 'Yes, Citizen Mayor, I'll try to do my best.'" (ibid.)

This is the Ridenour who had suppressed a groan when the puffing Uriason had approached him to initiate this covert conversation.

Next, Ridenour, secretly armed with the communication device, will accompany the outbackers through their forest and, from Karlsarm's point of view, we will read an account of Karlsarm's exposition to Ridenour of outbacker life and society. This is a story of much talk.