"'Always they try to pirate my executives what have not yet sworn fealty, like the thieves they are. And I, poor old lonely fat man, trying to run this enterprise personal what stretches across so many whole worlds, even with modern computer technology I get melted down from overwork, and too few men for helping what is not total gruntbrains, and some of them got to be occupied just luring good executives away from elsewhere.' He took a noisy gulp of beer."
-Poul Anderson, "Esau" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 517-553 AT pp. 521-522.
("Gruntbrain" is a frequent derogatory term.)
In a later episode, when asked how he knows how much a competitor has spent spying on him, van Rijn manages to look both smug and hurt.
The act: competitors trying to pirate executives are thieves whereas van Rijn has got to lure executives from elsewhere; it is reprehensible of a competitor to spy on van Rijn but clever of van Rijn to spy back.
The reality: "confidentially," he would acknowledge that, of course, his competitors can expected to operate the same way he does.
Today: a Buddhist day retreat at the Meeting House, then the Avengers film, from the spiritual to the spectacular, and not much time for blogging.
3 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
Not much blogging? This has to be one of the busiest blogs I know of! Sometimes I have a hard time keeping up with you and the comments in the comboxes.
I strongly suspect Old Nick doesn't really mind too much if his competitors TRY to spy on him! I'm sure he has a good deal of fun thwarting and outwitting them.
Sean
Sean,
The fact that they have to resort to spying is a demonstration of his competitive success.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Exactly, I agree! And Old Nick also seems to be more successful at spying than many of his competitors.
Sean
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