Hetzel is an “effectuator” in the Gaean Reach, the vast human
space empire which is the setting for many of Vance’s works. Hetzel is not a very vivid or memorable
character, he is just the detective guy who, for hire, carries out investigations,
so readers hoping to encounter an unforgettable character like Cugel the Clever
or a protagonist driven by deep personal psychological or political issues, like
Kirth Gerson or Glawen Clattuc, will be disappointed.
The story takes place on Maz, a planet at the intersection
of three space empires--the human Gaean Reach, and the empires of two different
species of inscrutable aliens. The
natives of Maz are a violent warrior race whose fighters know no fear; they
have only an Iron Age technology, but if they were given access to modern
weapons and space ships they would pose a threat to all three space
empires. So, the three space empires all
have representatives on Maz, to make sure nobody smuggles weapons to the
natives or hires them as mercenaries. A
small ramshackle human town known as “Dogtown” that caters to human tourists sits
near the official building where the delegations of the three space empires
meet.
Hetzel has come to Maz at the behest of a major manufacturer
of precision electronics. A new
competitor has appeared, selling goods equal in quality to those of the established
firms, but at lower prices. How this is
possible is a mystery, as is the location of the new firm, though clues
indicate the items are secretly shipped from Maz. Are the items being sneaked into the Gaean
Reach from one of the alien civilizations, or built on Maz by a native labor
force at the direction of some unknown agent?
Hetzel is to solve the mystery, and, if possible, put an end to this
unwanted competition.
Once on Maz, Hetzel gets involved in all manner of strange and
terrible events including murders, kidnappings and wars. Tragedy strikes every person and group in the
story, except Hetzel himself, who accomplishes his mission and accepts a
generous fee.
This is an entertaining story, with a few laughs here and
there, an unfolding mystery, bizarre crimes, and a weird alien race which Vance
succeeds in making both very unlike any human culture, but also reminiscent of
Earth nonwestern cultures whose traditional way of life has been shaken by contact
with the wealth and values of the West. Another solid tale from Vance that I do not hesitate to recommend.
No comments:
Post a Comment