"Why did you fire on us?" he demanded. It came out as "W'y ja fur awn oos?" English, if you could unscramble it.
That was our courtesy translation, the rest of the Brigante dialogue is nice and authentic.
"Captunk" Arf Moiphy of the "fit'commando, occapaychun fierces, Yarmy of Hauter Zairey" asks if Jonnie's part of the long-promised relief force or the United Nations. Jonnie knows little about either, but Arf is tight-lipped when it's his turn to answer questions, since he "Doan hefta answer nuppin bot name-rank-and-serial-number."
Fortunately, Russians are intimidating, and Moiphy spills that his commander, General Snith, is two days away. The prisoners are searched for weapons and prepared to be bound, but Moiphy asks to "attembt" to his wounded. When Jonnie agrees, the good captain grabs a sturdy club and in seven heavy swings, brains his wounded men. No one is able to interrupt him at any point during this, of course. Afterward, Moiphy extends his hands to be tied and says "Thanunk you." And so the chapter and section ends.
So yeah, that's the Brigantes. African mongrelfolk, degenerate accents, slavers, and a questionable approach to health care, what with the "kill the wounded thing." I'm trying to think of a real-world culture that had similar practices and am drawing a blank. You just can't do that and survive as a people for a thousand years. Like the Psychlos, the Brigantes are gratuitously and unrealistically evil, a society you're supposed to feel good about the heroes annihilating, without actually thinking about how it could possibly operate.
Oh, and apparently the two old ladies that got sold off to the Psychlos were Brigantes, not emissaries from the world government. Thank goodness I clarified my misunderstanding, the story would make no sense otherwise...
Back to Part Seventeen, Chapter Seven
I'm shocked, SHOCKED that L. Ron has a racist portrayal of deepest, darkest Africa!
ReplyDeleteWHAT in the absolute ruddy fudge it is that accent supposed to BE?! What bizarre mix of accents could have resulted in "Thanunk you"?!
ReplyDeleteI actually kind of enjoyed L. Ron making fun of stupid-sounding British accents. That's what I took these to be, given that they're the descendants of European mercenaries who were airlifted into Africa.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was reading Battlefield Earth years ago, this was the point where I decided to quit. I had read a rerelease that had been split over three books, with the first one ending right after successfully downing the gas ship and Jonnie's rescue. Up to that point I had actually somewhat enjoyed the book - it was trashy, sure, and kind of dumb, but it had moved towards a certain, clear destination (the fight against the Psychlos on Earth) and ended upon a conduct climactic battle.
ReplyDeleteThen book 2 started... And suddenly the focus shifts to evil intergalactic bankers, neonazi guards, an instantly incompetent world government (and who even put those guys in charge to begin with, anyways???)... And then the first significant people of color show up... and they're Savage, barbaric slave owners. Since I'm not a native speaker and was also still quite young back then I hadn't really noticed the racism before, but this was impossible to overlook, and just nasty!Right at the start of book 2 of 3. That went to hell in a handbasket, fast!