"L. E. Modesitt - Timedivers -Timegods - 03 - Timegods' World" - читать интересную книгу автора (Modesitt L E)

nobleman, she's threatening to commit suicide? By throwing herself into a lily pond? And
she drowns in waist-deep water? How can you take that seriously?"

"Master Sammis!" There was a pause. "How do you know the water is waist-deep in the
Major Royal?"
"I checked in the Archives when I was in Inequital last week with my mother. The original
plans say the pond was built to a quarter rod depth. It was later bricked up to a handspan,
but at the time of Carnelia, I assume that it was the deeper level." Actually, I really hadn't
done all that much research. I'd been discussing it with my mother, and she had
mentioned the depths. But she was always right, and Old Windlass wouldn't know the
difference.

"And where in the Archives did you find this wonderful information?"

In the background information on the history of the Palace Major." Windlass really looked
confused, then. Started mumbling to himself, something about the material not being in
the public domain. Finally, he looked up. "All right, Master Sammis . . . even if the Major
Royal were only a quarter rod deep, you are missing the point through a technicality--

Jeen was trying to keep from laughing, and Trien was grinning, and if Windlass saw them I
was going to be in big trouble.

"--that Carnelia, indeed all the early Western royalty, placed an inordinate emphasis on
sexual purity, perhaps because of the lower-class stigma attached to sexually transmitted
diseases before the availability of modern medical techniques, and partly because of the
need to ensure a clear line of royal descent in order to avoid a repetition of the chaos
created by the Fylarian Fragmentation . . ."

I had to hand it to Windlass. He could talk his way out of anything.

". . . so you are correct in saying that in the modern context Carnelia's actions seem
farcical. But that is not the question, Master Sammis. Are her actions farcical for the time
and the society in which she existed? Are they? Come now?"

"It still seems like she overreacted, but it's hard to say, sir." I could have argued it either
way.

"Master Sammis, last week you were disciplined for your reaction to criticism by a
comrade of your performance during the centreslot title game. In fact, upon one occasion
you failed to place an inflated rubber bladder inside a loose section of netting in the middle
of a grassy field. This failure did not affect your survival, your future, or your status. It
should not have affected your self-esteem, given your overall athletic reputation, despite
your size. Yet you were so threatened by a mere verbal criticism that you employed bodily
violence.

"Carnelia's whole value system and life may be threatened by her thoughtless action. Yet
you, who react violently to a meaningless criticism of a generally meaningless game, are
going to tell me that context is not important?"

Jeen was still grinning, but now he was laughing at me.