Dalish ud Klavan was almost a twin for the pictured typical Dovenilid in
Marlowe's library. Since the pictures were usually idealized, it
followed that Klavan was an above-average specimen of his people. He
stood a full eight feet from fetters to crest, and had not yet begun to
thicken his shoes in compensation for the stoop that marked advancing
middle age for his race.
Marlowe, looking at him, smiled inwardly. No Dovenilid could be so
obviously superior and still only a lowly student. Well, considering
Harrison's qualifications, it might still not be tit for tat.
Mead began to get to his feet, and Marlowe hastily planted a foot atop
his nearest shoe. The assistant winced and twitched his lips, but at
least he stayed down.
"Dalish ud Klavan," the Dovenilid pronounced, in good English.
"David Marlowe, Secretary for External Affairs, Solar Union," Marlowe
replied.
Ud Klavan looked expectantly at Mead.
"Christopher Mead, Assistant Undersecretary for External Affairs," the
assistant said, orientating himself.
"If you would do us the honor of permitting us to stand--" Marlowe asked
politely.
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"On the contrary, Marlowe. If you would do me the honor of permitting me
to sit, I should consider it a privilege."
"Please do so. Mr. Mead, if you would bring our visitor a chair--"
They lost themselves in formalities for a few minutes, Marlowe being
urbanely correct, Mead following after as best he could through the maze
of Dovenilid morés. Finally they were able to get down to the business
at hand, ud Klavan sitting with considerable comfort in the carefully
designed chair which could be snapped into almost any shape, Marlowe
bulking behind his desk, Mead sitting somewhat nervously beside him.
"Now, as I understand it, ud Klavan," Marlowe began, "you'd like to
learn something of our policies and methods."
"That is correct, Marlowe and Mead." The Dovenilid extracted a block of
opaque material from the flat wallet at his side and steadied it on his
knee. "I have your permission to take notes?"
"Please do. Now, as it happens, Mr. Mead and I are currently considering
a case which perfectly illustrates our policies."
Ud Klavan immediately traced a series of ideographs on the note block,
and Marlowe wondered if he was actually going to take their conversation
down verbatim. He shrugged mentally. He'd have to ask him, at some later
date, whether he'd missed anything. Undoubtedly, there'd be a spare
recording of the tape he himself was making.
"To begin: As you know, our government is founded upon principles of
extreme personal freedom. There are no arbitrary laws governing
expression, worship, the possession of personal weapons, or the rights
of personal property. The state is construed to be a mechanism of public
service, operated by the Body Politic, and the actual regulation and
regimentation of society is accomplished by natural socio-economic laws
which, of course, are both universal and unavoidable.
"We pride ourselves on the high status of the individual in comparison
to the barely-tolerable existence of the state. We do, naturally, have
ordinances and injunctions governing crimes, but even these are usually
superseded by civil action at the personal level."
Marlowe leaned forward a trifle. "Forgetting exact principles for a
moment, ud Klavan, you realize that the actuality will sometimes stray
from the ideal. Our citizens, for example, do not habitually carry
weapons except under extraordinary conditions. But that is a civil
taboo, rather than a fixed amendation of our constitution. I have no
doubt that some future generation, morés having shifted, will, for
example, revive the _code duello_."