Captain Dominic Flandry has been knighted for his many services to the Terran Empire - an empire which is old, jaded, and corrupt, as Flandry well knows - but he also knows that the empire is better than anything that is likely to take its place. And while that "Sir" before his name may be an added attraction to comely ladies (not that he has ever lacked for the pleasant company of the same), he expects that it will also bring him less welcome attention from envious "colleagues" within the empire.
What it is not likely to do is make him more of an object of interest to the alien Merseians, whose plots against the empire he has repeatedly foiled. They already are as aware as they can be of how much simpler their plans to rule the galaxy would be if their most dangerous adversary were the late Sir Dominic Flandry.
Contains mature themes.
©2010 Poul Anderson (P)2021 Tantor
