Some Polesotechnic League spaceships that pass through Borthudian space are attacked and captured and their crews are conditioned to work for the Borthudians. The trade union, the Federated Brotherhood of Spacefarers, refuses to continue to travel through that space - except in a punitive expedition, which the League cannot afford to mount. Van Rijn tells other company bosses that:
"'The Brotherhood will accept no more.'" (p. 152)
- and confidentially adds that neither would he. The Brotherhood's stance obliges him to take action that would soon have become necessary in any case. Who wields power? In the ordinary way of things, van Rijn. He owns and controls the company and not only gives the orders but also, more importantly, gives orders that work so that, most of the time, there is no cause for complaint. Routineers remain in employment while those who can rise from the ranks do. Fundamentally, the Brotherhood wields power because it can withdraw its labour and could take control of the company although things never come to such a pass.
How is agreement reached? Van Rijn is canny enough to understand when interests coincide. The Borthudian situation has become intolerable both to Solar Spice & Liquors and to the Brotherhood. Joint action becomes not only necessary but also possible. Van Rijn will return to space...
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And Old Nick had an Andersonian moment of realization during that conference he had with other magnates of the League in his mansion on the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He had a sudden flash of inspiration, an idea on how to resolve the Borthu problem.
Ad astra! Sean
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