Carl has listed this as a prequel to The Last Watcher and it certainly explains some things that had been left unstated from the earlier story, but it equally stands by itself.

The marigolds of Marigold 3 are certainly intriguing creatures. I don't know if they are supposed to be a symbol for the potentially deadly nature of beauty, but that was one of the things that struck me as I read their description. Their eventual destruction made me feel sad -- they were an interesting creature and I would have liked for them to have had a chance to continue to evolve. The parallel with some of the environmental destruction that humans have done to this planet in the name of progress was obvious.

We get hints at the complexity of galactic, or even intergalactic society. The Tslicoss were engaged in an expansion program, one that involved the cleansing of planets. The 'xrsc have some sort of contract with the Tslicoss that allows them to remove non-combatants first. Then there is Orcol -- a planet populated by humans, or a variation of humanity -- that provides all of the star pilots. Why this is so, or if this is just Tomas's misunderstanding of the situation, isn't explained. Exactly what the Argöttean Federation is, and how it relates to the Tslicoss isn't described, either, apart from there being some agreement between them when the Tslicoss go on the warpath.

On the human front, Gerrold is person who doesn't question. He seems to expect answers to be provided to him, or that answers won't be given if he asks questions. On more than one occasion, Tomas showed him that that wasn't the case, but Gerrold just didn't seem to get the point. I'm curious as to if Tomas didn't tell Gerrold what was going on because he assumed Gerrold knew, or if he thought Gerrold was happier in his ignorance. The later would show a remarkable depth of insight, but given the years they spent together, I think this is what happened. Gerrold was a teacher -- and wasn't ready to be taught.

Did the relocation of non-combatants to fertile worlds cancel out the brutal sterlization of their home worlds? I think the answer has to be no, but it shows a level of compassion that is surprising for a race that performed that much destruction. My only question is if that act of compassion had been imposed on them by the Argöttean Federation, or if it was in some way what they considered to be the honorable thing to do. How would humans act if they were in the position of the Tslicoss?

The other question that this story asks -- when is something not worth fighting for? When is surrender the best option? How can you know the right answer, until it's too late, until you're committed?

Yes, it did answer a number of questions. As Carl had said, it's the story of the first Watcher.

It was very interesting. But one thing struck me. Carl didn't elaborate on Gerrold's feelings upon the death of his husband. He didn't even say anything. He did say how they met. But how he felt? Not even a tear or a grief... Weird! I wonder if was because of the 'robotic' atmosphere. In such a metallic place, an emotion would seem differnt. But was Gerrold one of them?

Yes, ths story does say that sometimes, it's best to surrender...

Nice story,

Ieshwar

I very much enjoyed learning the background.

The intreguing question for me is; why didn't Gerrold ask questions, especially once he knew that he could?

Thanks Carl, for a very well done and thought-provoking piece.

I don't find that surprising. Some people are just that way. In some ways, that's the way I am. I tend to go with the flow and don't spend a lot of effort trying to find things out. I like to wait for things/information to come to me and I only go hunting for it if I really need it.

Hrmmm... That's very interesting! To me, that's a very unusual mindset; I'm pretty much a type-a personality, and I'll quiz people on the "why" at the drop of a hat, and on some things I have insatiable curiosity. I love finding out how things work.

Thanks, that makes sense to me now.

CJ

There are people who are affected by events around them and there are those who effect events. Gerrold was a mild mannered man, you know the Clark Kent type, very unassuming. He didn't see any point in resisting. He saw every advantage to not resisting, but as often happens in super-patriotic situations he became a pariah to the people of his planet.

Save for Gerrold and Tomas, an entire planet was wiped clean of all living things, even down to the virus that caused rotting fever.

Whatever grief he may have felt could have been overwhelmed by his feelings of responsibility for Tomas, the realization that he and Tomas were the only ones saved, or, his relationship with Imli was over a lot earlier when they found themselves at odds over the survival of their planet.

Another thing that may have contributed to Gerrold's inexpressible grief for Imli was the number of people who had died from rotting fever. The planet went from a population of 10 million plus to less than 36,000 in twenty years and people were still dying of it. Obviously, some had an immunity, but some, like Tomas, didn't. If death becomes a regular part of your life, do you still have the ability to grieve for the loss of a loved one?

Frankly, I don't know why Gerrold didn't express more grief for Imli.

Oh, and, Gerrold wasn't a B'na, yet. But, that's another story.

Carl