Just read the Retief story "Diplomat-At-Arms" (downloaded from [1], free and legal), and was struck by three things:
- Great difference in style in this particular story. Dead serious.
- Excellence of plot, characters, and writing
- One quote in particular, concerning an gladiatorial contest on the world Retief is visiting:
He wondered what it was they (the spectators) really wanted to see here today. A triumph of skill and courage, a reaffirmation of ancient virtues, the spectacle of men who laid life on the gaming table and played for a prize called glory — or was it merely blood and death they wanted?
Laid life on the gaming table and played for a prize called glory ...
- RadRob
(correlates: MacaulayOnCopyright, FreeLibrary, NooseOfTheAssassin, ...)