Codrescu Station
Eylot Nearspace
In which Theo is involved in a salvage operation.
Guild Master Peltzer, with his historic Eylot name, stands as a reminder that Guild pilots have much in common wherever they hail from, and that not all pilots from Eylot are like the Young Pilots of Eylot. Mind you, he’s seen more of the wide universe than the Young Pilots, if — as seems likely — he’s the same Pilot Peltzer from Mouse and Dragon, who first gave Hevelin a job with the Pilots Guild many years ago and many light years from Eylot. (Or is it too obvious to say that a pilot who’s achieved Guild Master has seen more of the wide universe than a young pilot still in the academy?)
Firegems have been mentioned before, but I think this is the first time we’ve had such a detailed explanation of their place in the economy of the galaxy.
I recognized Hevelin, but totally missed Pilot Peltzer. This is one of the reasons I’ve found it so fun to read your accounting in companion with my own reading.
As a *very* amateur gem aficionado, I was trying to decide whether “firegems” was an SF name for some type of gemstone we know on our Earth.
Certainly we have something called “fire opal” but it is moderately rare and is best displayed as a thin slice backed with something else, presenting a flat surface…whereas these “firegems” are apparently cut and faceted. Of course there are the numerous creations of “mystic topaz” or “mystic quartz,” which are beautiful to look at, but are simply coated topaz or quartz or even cubic zirconia. They are a fashion statement rather than a valuable gem.
I’d be curious to know what the authors would have to say about their “firegems.”
@firegem
This makes me think of fool’s gold – maybe an analogy?
Wikipedia: “The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, also known as fool’s gold, is an iron sulfide with the chemical formula FeS2 (iron(II) disulfide). Pyrite is considered the most common of the sulfide minerals.”
Yes, I know of fool’s gold, but it only fools those prospecting for native gold, and is not used for making jewelry. These firegems seem to be set in rings (or necklaces?) that might have value of their own, similar to the use of these “mystic quartz” gems being set in real gold, for instance.