Social Interactions

Poul Anderson, The Man Who Counts, III, see here.

Lady Sandra calls van Rijn "Nicholas" and is able to address him with disrespect because she is:

"'...the heiress apparent of a nation with important trade concessions to offer." (p. 354)

By contrast, Wace addresses van Rijn as "sir," except when his nerves are worn so thin that he forgets "...the deference due a merchant prince." (p. 352)

Unable to talk back to Lady Sandra, van Rijn takes it out by screaming abuse at Wace. (As an employee, I would find that unacceptable.) Later, in "The Master Key," we learn that it is fitting to bow to a merchant prince. These guys have built a mercantile league sprawling from Canopus to Deneb so they have developed their own acceptable expressions of respect.

Attempted communication is reduced to its most basic level when Wace addresses their Diomedean rescuers in Tyrlanian:

"'We are friends. Do you understand me?'" (p. 356)

- but receives an unintelligible response. (ERB avoided such problems by decreeing that all Barsoomians spoke a common language.)