"Changer of Worlds", written by David Weber, is the fourth and last short story in the third Honorverse anthology, also named Changer of Worlds and published in 2001.

Plot Edit

The treecat Branch Leaper, a young scout of the Bright Water Clan, realizes that a mated pair of 'cats with powerful mind-glows approaches. He soon encounters Laughs Brightly, known to humans as Nimitz, and his mate Golden Voice, also known as Samantha. They have returned to the People's world to meet with the elders of the clan.

Once they arrive at Bright Water's central nesting place, they are greeted by Wind of Memory, the clan's senior memory singer, who instantly senses the power of their bond. However, several members of the clan, including Echo of Time, another elder, do little to hide their disapproval; as a memory singer who decided to go out into the world of the "two-legs" and bond with one of them, Samantha is rather uncommon. She explains, however, that she stands with her decisions. The other 'cats learn of how she suffered after the death of Harold Tschu, her first human person, and how Nimitz's enduring love saved her life in the difficult time that followed.

At this point, Nimitz and Samantha explain the true purpose of their coming: they want to convince their fellow 'cats to finally end their "great deception" and reveal their true intelligence to the humans. Bark Master and other elders heavily oppose that suggestion. After hearing first-hand testimony of the perils and dangers of the ongoing First Havenite-Manticoran War, and the possible annihilation the war entails for their race, the 'cats make the momentous decision to extend their territory off-world and "colonize" other worlds: after a lengthy discussion, the clan elders support Nimitz' and Samantha's plan to found a colony in Harrington Steading on the planet Grayson.

The couple then returns to the Harrington homestead and is greeted by Honor Harrington, not knowing that her treecat friends have just begun to forever change their world.

Background Edit

At only about 9,600 words, Changer of World, which details events taking place during the timeframe of the novel In Enemy Hands, is one of the shortest Honorverse stories. Apart from a very minor appearance by Honor Harrington at the very end, it features no human characters except for those mentioned in dialogue by the treecats.

References Edit

Characters Edit

Bark Master | Branch Leaper | Climbs Quickly | Crooked Tail | Death Fang's Bane | Echo of Time | Honor Harrington (Dances on Clouds) | Nimitz (Laughs Brightly) | Samantha (Golden Voice) | Songstress | Swift Darter | Wind of Memory

Planets Edit

• Sphinx

Other Edit

Bright Water Clan | First Havenite-Manticoran War | Death Fang's Bane Clan | memory singer | Sun Leaf Clan | treecat