Iern's wife, Faylis, knows of an imminent Gaean coup in Skyholm but feels unable to warn her husband, just as, in the same author's concluding Time Patrol story, a Patrol agent who has infiltrated the Knights Templar knows that the Knights are about to be suppressed but is unable to warn his friend within the Order.
This situation is possible (although, fortunately, has not happened): I am in a religious or political organization and, when giving evidence in court, must choose between committing perjury and telling the truth at the expense of severely damaging and discrediting the organization. In most cases, I would not hesitate to tell the truth. In some hypothetical cases, I would not want to tell it... Probably, we can all imagine our own particular examples of divided loyalties.
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
The Romans had a saying, "Let justice be done tho the heavens fall." Iow, ideally, we should tell the truth, regardless of the consequences, if we had agreed or sworn to do so at a trial.
Catholic priests are sworn to absolutely never reveal what had been confided to them in confession. Sometimes a tyrannical state tries to force priests to break the seal of confession, and some have died rather than do so.
Ad astra! Sean
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