Reading Faded Sun

I am reading C.J. Cherryh's Faded Sun trilogy as I think about the upcoming panel on disability in sf/f and media at GeekGirlCon. I read one of them, maybe the last one, long ago completely at random and was struck by Cherryh's alien race, the regul, and their awesome powersled hovercraft and how status and age correlate for the regul. Older high status regul become physically bigger and bigger until it is difficult for them to move around, and it is part of their high status that they don't do anything for themselves but are served by the young underlings who are more mobile. She writes it very convincingly. Well, in the first Faded Sun book there is also a human envoy who has been sent to deal with the regul, picked in part because he is older and they might respect him. They send Duncan, a sort of space marine, with him to be his "youngling" servant. Right at a crucial moment the elderly envoy has a stroke, his left side is completely paralyzed, and he can't speak. The regul just shrug and stick him in a power sled hovercraft and give him a sort of AAC console which he types on. It feels like he gets more respect from the regul after his stroke.

Cut for mild spoilers.

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