Monday 12 December 2016

Imagine...

Imagine thinking that you were going to die, then not. This happens to Dominic Flandry near the end of A Stone In Heaven. Hopefully, such an experience would be followed by a renewed appreciation of life?

Imagine fighting, knowing that you were doomed to die. This happens to Hathawulf and Solbern near the end of "The Sorrow of Odin the Goth." They can only ensure - and they do - that their opponent's victory is Pyrhhic.

Imagine fighting, strongly suspecting that you will not survive:

"'Ma'am, it's been an honor to serve with you...'
"He does not think much of our chances either..."
-SM Stirling, On The Oceans Of Eternity (New York, 2000), Chapter Twenty-Four, p. 492.

Again, they can only concentrate on damaging the enemy. I think that Raupasha has the invulnerability of a continuing character although I cannot be certain...

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I would argue that Dominic Flandry certainly did appreciate life, in both it's pleasures and arts. And Flandry even enjoyed danger, or at least pitting his nerve and wits against sometimes overwhelming odds. And I recall how Aycharaych told Flandry in A KNIGHT OF GHOSTS AND SHADOWS that it was the totality of Sir Dominic's personality that he appreciated.

Merry Christmas! Sean