"Three men sat... Only one of them rose... Nicholas van Rijn wallowed his bulk deeper into his lounger... I bowed to him as is fitting to a merchant prince..."
-Poul Anderson, "The Master Key" IN Anderson, David Falkayn: Star Trader (Riverdale, NY, 2010), pp. 273-327 AT p. 277.
The second, younger, man who does not rise apologizes for "'...staying put...'" (ibid.) He is unwell.
On another occasion:
"[Van Rijn's] corpulent corpus did not rise from the lounger. Dalmady didn't mind. Not only bulk but height would have dwarfed him."
-Poul Anderson, "Esau" IN Anderson, The Van Rijn Method (Riverdale, NY, 2009), pp. 517-553 AT p. 520.
Dalmady didn't mind - so there was some expectation that van Rijn might rise. Later, he does. When Dalmady announces his intention to seek employment elsewhere and starts to leave:
"Van Rijn avalanched upward to his own feet."
-ibid., p. 551.
Suddenly there is something worth standing up for!
7 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
As always, Old Nick makes me laugh! And the common, mannerly view is that a host does rise to greet his visitors. Or, at receptions, to stand where arriving visitors can greet him, as we see Crown Prince Josip at that birthday celebration for his father at the Coral Palace in Chapter 1 of ENSIGN FLANDRY.
And, of course it's traditional in Western societies for us to rise when the head of state or government enters the room. Or when a judge enters his courtroom. And so on.
Sean
Sean,
Years ago, I stood up when a young woman entered the room and she said, "Oh, you're one of those!"
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
The young lady meant you behaved like a gentleman and was pleased by that. Good!
Sean
Sean,
I think that she was just surprised and amused.
Paul.
Kaor, Paul!
Understood. But it was still a good thing to do!
Sean
@ Paul: was this the 20th Century or the 19th?
;)
-kh
20th. I am not that old!
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