Flandry Of Terra: Poul Anderson

His officially defined duty was to seek out threats to the Pax Terrestria and neutralise them - or, failing that, call in His Majesty's military forces, who will deal with them in an more drastic and final way. Flandry's definition of his duty: to stick his finger in the dike of civilisation, to hold off for his lifetime the inevitable coming of the barbarians and the Long Night. So he battles gloriously, murders remorselessly and betrays outrageously. His justification? To save the simple pleasures of human civilisation! Cover art by Michael Whelan.