Monday, 9 December 2024

An Offensive Act

Poul Anderson, "Honorable Enemies" IN Anderson, Captain Flandry: Defender Of The Terran Empire (Riverdale, NY, February 2010), pp. 277-302.

At last, Dominic Flandry, still a "Captain," meets a being whom, if we have been reading consecutively, we recognize as Aycharaych of Chereion before he is named. By now, Flandry knows of Aycharaych's reputation. Their dialogue includes -

Flandry: "'No offence meant.'" (p. 277)

Aycharaych: "'And none taken.'" (p. 278)

It was pointed to me and other students in a Philosophy tutorial that we are not exactly free to say, "No offence meant," whenever we like. The tutor gave an example in which he introduces someone by saying, "This is Smith. His mother swims after troop ships. Oh, no offense, old chap!" Speech is a social act and we are responsible for its implications and consequences, unlike Humpty Dumpty who claimed that a word meant whatever he said it meant.

Flandry's "No offence meant" is flippant in the circumstances since Aycharaych the telepath has just caught him burgling the Merseian delegation's guest quarters on Alfzar. The burgling is a professional act but nevertheless surely is offensive enough by anyone's standards.

3 comments:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

Actually, Flandry's "flippant" comment and Aycharaych's ironically urbane response was quite sincere! Professionals like them fully expect their opposite numbers to spy on them, burgle each other's offices, subvert, bribe, etc. It's all part of the quiet, undercover wars waged by rival great powers. And, for the agents of these powers, I'm sure it is mostly "nothing personal," it's just part of their job, their duty.

I was also reminded of US Secretary of State Henry Stimson's scandalized comment in the 1920's, after finding out US intelligence agents were decoding and reading foreign diplomatic mail: "Gentlemen don't read other people's mail." That was hopelessly naive and unrealistic of Stimson in a world where great nations have to spy on rivals and enemies.

Ad astra! Sean

S.M. Stirling said...

Agree with Sean. What we were seeing between Flandry and A. was professional courtesy, heavily leavened with irony.

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Mr. Stirling!

And the beginning of "Honorable Enemies" has always amused me!

Merry Christmas! Sean