Trullion: Alastor 2262
first edition cover
|
|
| Author | Jack Vance |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Gene Szafram |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Gaean Reach |
| Genre | Science fiction novel |
| Publisher | Ballantine |
|
Publication date
|
1973 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback), mass-market paperback |
| Pages | 247 pp |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 1624819 |
| Followed by | Marune: Alastor 933 |
Trullion: Alastor 2262 (1973) is a science fiction novel by Jack Vance first published by Ballantine Books. It is one of three books set in the Alastor Cluster, "a whorl of thirty thousand live stars in an irregular volume twenty to thirty light-years in diameter." Three thousand of the star systems are inhabited by five trillion humans, ruled by the mostly hands-off, laissez-faire Connatic, who occasionally, in the manner of Harun al-Rashid of The Thousand and One Nights, goes among his people in disguise.
Trullion: Alastor 2262 first appeared in serialized format in the March and June 1973 issues of Amazing Science Fiction magazine. It was issued in paperback book format on June 1973 by Ballantine Books.
A planet in the Alastor Cluster, Trullion is a bucolic place, inhabited by generally unambitious, somewhat hedonistic Trills, as the resident humans call themselves. Other inhabitants include the human nomadic Trevanyi, a generally despised gypsy-like people, and merlings, hostile semi-intelligent indigenous beings who keep to the water.
Glinnes Hulden returns to Trullion after ten years of service in the Whelm, the Connatic's military force. Glinnes' older brother Shira is missing, so being an hour older than his sullen twin brother Glay, he finds himself the owner of the family holdings. However, while he was away, Glay had sold a choice island to an off-worlder, Lute Casagave. Glinnes wants the land back, but cannot come up with the 12,000 ozols, since Glay had already spent the proceeds. After an argument, Glay moves out. His mother also leaves, to go live with Akadie, a professional consultant and mentor.
Glinnes evicts a Trevanyi family invited by Glay to camp on Hulden land. Later, they take revenge by ambushing him, robbing him of his life savings and leaving him unconscious for the merlings to kill. Fortunately, he wakes up before that can happen.
Glinnes learns that the local, somewhat-impoverished aristocrat, Lord Gensifer, is recruiting a professional team to play hussade. The object is to grasp the golden ring attached to the clothing of the other team's sheirl, who must be a virgin. A ransom is paid and play resumes, but when a team runs out of funds, the ring is pulled and the sheirl's clothing falls away in full view of the spectators. Seeing an opportunity to earn the ozols he needs, Glinnes joins the "Gorgons". However, Gensifer insists on being the team captain. Several matches show that he is exceptionally inept; Glinnes and the rest of the better players quit in disgust.
...
Wikipedia