| Author: | Jack Vance |
| Copyright: | 1969 |
| Date Reviewed: | 9/7/01 |
| Rating: | 6.0 |
Synopsis: The third book of the "Planet of Adventure" series opens in a Lokhar village. Reith, Traz and Anacho have stopped to rest and plan their next adventure that will bring Reith closer to Earth. At a bazaar, Reith learns he is being tracked by Dirdir. All three escape West and hide in a cave with the Dirdir right behind them. The Dirdir close in for the kill and dinner. Dirdir hunt and eat humans. However, just before they are captured, Reith's party wakes a Phung who pounces on the Dirdir.
With the Dirdir out of the way, they steal their air craft and escape to continue their journey. They fly west to Carabas to find sequins in the dangerous Dirdir hunting grounds. Reith needs the sequins to buy or build a spaceship, now convinced he won't be able to simply steal one. In a town bordering the Carabas they learn about sequin taking and plan their expedition. People who come to Carabas don't find enough sequins to buy a spaceship and a third who try are killed by Dirdir in the hunts. Reith's bold plan is not simply to dig sequins, but to steal them from Dirdir who took them off their kills. They are remarkably successful, killing several parties of Dirdir and gaining a fortune - more than they can carry out. They escape Carabas barely ahead of a hunting party.
When the innkeeper tries to steal their loot, they capture him and escape to their air car; reaching Sivishe where Reith hopes to build or buy a spaceship. To build one, they will need an influential patron and find one in Aila Woudiver, a greedy gangster whose methods are vicious. Aila obtains a hull, a warehouse and enough technicians. Deine Zarre is called in to supervise the project. Reith spends almost half of the booty on parts and labor and fears running out before the ship is completed. Deine, a respectable man, asks for only a minimum wage but Aila continues to extort ever more extravagant fees.
On Woudiver's orders Atilo, Aila's aid, comes to abduct Deine's niece and nephew for some evil purpose. and Reith fights him down. Woudiver demands more money, forcing Reith back into Carabas for the sequins they buried there. He must kill five more Dirdir to claim the buried sack of sequins. While he is gone, Woudiver turns in Anacho, who is sent to die in the hunt in the great Glass box in a Dirdir city. Reith prepares to rescue him by planting a bomb next to the arena wall and is successful. Reith and Deine Zarre go to capture Woudiver but they are tricked and Deine Zarre is killed. Woudiver hands Reith and his party over to a Dirdirman. Reith vindicates himself and his friends by defeating Dirdir in single combat. Woudiver is turned over to Reith so he can put him to work to finish the project, on pain of death.
Review: Not surprisingly, "The Dirdir" carries on much of the same tone as the previous two books and I was not engaged. It is slightly better than the second book. What I really dislike about this series is the author does not take advantages of the many opportunities to explore alien cultures on this one world. We know the Dirdir hunt humans but little more than that. We are not awed or overly frightened by their superior capabilities. Much the same is true about the human cultures that inhabit Tschai. There are many names and superficial descriptions but no real essence. I still look forward to reading the last book, which will either explore the history of Tschai and the Pnume or simply end my having to read anymore of it.