Skylark Three Quiz | Authors

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What did Dunark and Sitar want when they came to Earth in the "Kondal"?

Answer: Salt and "X"

The Green system had copper in abundance, so they didn't need more. Osnome was losing a war against a planet, Urvania, which orbited another star, but which came close to Osnome periodically. Dunark needed large amounts of salt and "X" to eliminate Urvania.

In 1890 King Oscar II of Sweden offered a prize to anyone who could answer the question, "Is the Solar System stable?" Henri Poincar� determined that we don't know! The Green System is even more complicated.

2. The "Skylark" and the "Kondal" encountered a thousand foot long space-ship shaped like a Zeppelin. What did they do?

Answer: Run

It didn't do any good, the alien ship was bigger, faster and more powerful. The "Skylark" only survived by deploying a "zone of force", which Seaton described as "digging a hole and pulling the hole in as well". That left the question of how long to hide in the "hole"?

3. Seaton, with help from Crane, emerged from the "hole" and took the aliens by surprise. Before they could react he had cut them to pieces with the "zone of force". One of the aliens was captured; what was the most notable feature of the Fenachrone captive?

Answer: His eyes

Blocks of legs and long, powerful arms: nothing remarkable. High forehead and huge skull: taken as indicating high intelligence, but not remarkable. I included stature because it allows me to use the adjective "pyknic"; I've never played that word at Scrabble, D-:

The eyes: large & black with red pupils, ruthless, pitiless, ferocious... One look from those eyes and the ladies decide to leave, even Sitar!

4. What was the nickname of Loring, DuQuesne's companion, on their voyage to Osnome and beyond?

Answer: "Baby Doll"

"Baby Doll" Loring was hand-picked by DuQuesne. That speaks for itself.

"Baby Doll", "Baby Face" and "Baby Boy" are all quite common in the music industry. "Sharknose" and "Babyface" are two variations of the Baldwin DR-4-4-15 diesel locomotive. "Sharknose" also describes some cars but, as far as I know, no people. Though if James Bond wished to upset Jaws...

5. What name did Loring give to the captured Osnomian space-cruiser?

Answer: Violet

Because she was like a violet sweet, harmless and inoffensive. Who says bad guys have no sense of humour? Well, with a notable exception: the story has it that he was not too happy with "Wasp" and "Bumblebee" but drew the line at "Hornet" and insisted on "Rhinoceros".

6. When the Fenachrone drive was installed in DuQuesne's Osnomian cruiser there was no sense of acceleration, but what was the actual acceleration?

Answer: 5c

Yeah, I know it's meaningless but I didn't write the book.

Einstein's General Theory was influenced by Mach's Principle; I suspect Albert wore gloves. The main difference between velocity and acceleration is that acceleration requires a force to overcome inertia, but where does inertia come from? (Apart from Monday mornings.)

7. As the "Skylark" approached the most advanced planet in the Green System the Skylarkers were contacted via projection by Orlon, First of Astronomy of _____. What planet was Orlon from?

Answer: Norlamin

Alphanor, Krokinole and Olliphane are all planets in the Rigel Concourse, a system of 26 planets orbiting Rigel in Jack Vance's 'Demon Princes' series. Kirth Gersen is one of the more interesting characters in SF.

8. The wise men of the Green System had knowledge of "X" and had given it a name. What was that name?

Answer: Rovolon

Arenak was Osnome's finest armour and made steel look like paper. Dagal was Urvania's finest armour and was tougher than arenak. Inoson was the toughest possible material and was a product of Norlamin.

Rovolon was named after a previous Rovol of Rays who predicted its existence. Apart from a few milligrams in meteorites it had been Unobtainium prior to the arrival of the "Skylark".

9. Who actually threw in the plunger that destroyed the planet of Fenachrone?

Answer: Dunark

When thrown, the plunger destroyed almost all of the Fenachrone race. Rovol was a pacifist and would have nothing to do with it. Sacner Carfon could just about bring himself to watch. Seaton felt queasy at the idea of genocide. Dunark was a barbarian warrior, and gleefully threw the plunger.

10. A group of Fenachrone escaped the destruction of their world by fleeing on receipt of Seaton's warning. Led by the physicist Ravindau, they were members of which political party?

Answer: Postponement

The Fenachrone probably didn't have a word for peace. Science was only useful if it furthered Conquest of the Universe. Caution implies doubt, no Fenachrone doubted that they were Lords of Creation. The Party of Postponement didn't doubt, they just thought that the Day of Conquest was not yet come.

Source: Author cave_draco

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Skylark Three Trivia Quiz

The second book in the Skylark series. 'Doc' begins to get into his stride. We have megalomaniac aliens who seek to conquer the Universe v Richard Seaton, Overlord of the Green System!

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