Dragnet

This is Brust fandom. People of all ages, sexes, and walks of life, from
every continent and some places that aren't on continents at all. And on
the Web, your only locations are your email address and your home page.

I got a tipoff from a watchful citizen. This "spiffit" had a hunch that
the 'introduction' to Teckla, between the Cycle and the prologue, bore a
suspicious resemblance to the voice-over opening to each episode of
Dragnet. That's a classic TV cop show. A lot of you out there only know
it from reruns, and maybe there's a few who've never heard of it at all.
But this fan's been on the beat a long time, and I thought Spiffit was
on to something.

I checked it out with a contact at the Beeb. The tip was legit.

		Dragnet:

This is the city: Los Angeles, California.

[Often, but not always, a long monologue ending with a reference to
crime.]

That's when I go to work. I carry a badge.


		DragaeraXXXXXXXX Teckla:

This is the city: Adrilankha, Whitecrest.

[Two paragraphs about the city, its inhabitants, and the ultimate
support of justice, the Empire, ending with:]
  But the organization that exists at the core of House Jhereg operates
illegally. The Empire is both unwilling and unable to enforce the laws
and customs governing this inner society. Yet, sometimes, these
unwritten laws are broken.

That's when I go to work. I'm an assassin.


The evidence was found convincing beyond a reasonable doubt. Verdict:
Another entry in the Allusions file. Case closed.

The story you've just seen is true.

	http://world.std.com/~mam/Cracks-and-Shards/jokes.html#Dragnet

-- Mark A. Mandel
   http://world.std.com/~mam/Cracks-and-Shards/
   a Steven Brust Dragaera fan website