March Through Zorkagrad

A Knight Of Ghosts And Shadows, XVII.

While four hundred ychani, led by Ywod and enclosing Flandry and Kossara, march into Zorkagrad, Flandry asks why the suburb that they pass through is deserted. Kossara passes the question on:

"Untrained humans could not have conveyed information accurately in that wise; but soon she told Flandry from Ywod..." (pp. 553-554)

- that local citizens have taken a form of direct action called an ispravka.

We admire the ychani's ability to pass information accurately back along the ranks of a march. When large numbers of human beings gather together, there is always the potential for utter confusion. Of course, many large events are orderly because they are sufficiently well organized and because most people know in general terms what is supposed to be happening but any new informational input has to be announced through a PA system. There is no ability to pass information accurately from person to person.

Once, when a crowd had congregated and was setting off to march through a city center, one man took it up on himself to stand beside the starting point of the march repeatedly shouting, "He's not letting you through up there!" Who was not letting us through? A policeman? A march steward? Someone else? Where was he not letting us through to? As we proceeded, we were able to march unhindered along the intended route. What were we supposed to do? Stop marching to ask that guy to explain himself or just continue marching? We did the latter.

At a trade union conference, the General Secretary, in the chair, announced that there was a bomb alert and asked us to leave the building. While we were leaving, he said, "I can see some people at the back of the hall waving their arms as if to tell me that the alert is over but I have not yet been told this by building security so could people please continue to leave the building?" Almost immediately, he said, "I have now been told by building security that the alert is over. Could people please return to their seats?" Needless to say, I heeded the Secretary, not anyone taking it up on themselves to flap their arms from the back of the hall!