Ones and Zeros East

Let my servants be brought forth.

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libskrat

This humble one, Firdausi Tousi, abases himself before the Imperial Majesty.

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This humble one, Scamandius, abases himself before the Imperial Majesty.

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This humble one, Benedict, abases himself before the Imperial Majesty.

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Fyodor, you are a stranger to my court. Your dress is odd, your accent different, if not displeasing, and even your name does not fall easily from my tongue. It is my Imperial Command that you tell us what your people are best at, what feat or skill or learning they have that is superior to those of my other courtiers.

Tell us, then Fyodor, for the amusement and enlightenment of the court, what is so special about you?

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libskrat

And I daresay they never lack amusement...

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sunday-courtier.livejournal.com

This humble one, Sallan, abases himself before the Imperial Majesty

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ptevis.livejournal.com

This humble one, Roland, abases himself before the Imperial Majesty.

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Apparently your people are also experts in circular reasoning, as demonstrated by that last sentence It is obviously the work of a master.

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For your family's sake, I hope you possess other talents. It pains me to think of others being sent to their doom as punishment for your lack of ability.

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Come, good Benedict, do not judge poor Fyodor too harshly. Many is the man who has been dazzled into incoherence by her Imperial Majesty's brilliance.

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You are right, friend Scamandius, and I must offer my humblest apologies to both you, Fyodor, and to you, most wise and capable Majesty, for my rudeness. Pray continue, good sir.

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Scamandius, you seem ... knowledgable in the ways of our Court. For the benefit, or perhaps for the amusement, of us all, please discourse on how one might, in your opinion, win the favor of the Empress. I am sure that some of your fellows will benefit from your advice, in one way or another. If they have questions, please incorporate them into your lecture.

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Of course, your Imperial Highness. While I would never deign to claim I fully understand what might win your Imperial Majesty's favor, I can explain my simple guesses on the subject.

It seems to me there would be two things foremost that your Imperial Majesty might be interested in from us: learning and entertainment.

Learning, I say, for even though your Imperial Majesty is more learned than any one of us -- nay, as I look around, surely more learned than the all of us together -- still, your Imperial Highness is not all-knowing. Surely each of us knows at least one thing your Imperial Majesty does not; things which, in their own small way, might make an already glorious reign shine a little brighter.

It takes the learning and wisdom of your Imperial Highness to send my people's sailors and fishers far to the east, to find the rich stock of fish briefly mentioned in an obscure ancient text. Yet your Imperial Majesty may not yet know of the remarkable medicinal properties our sailors have discovered from the oil of the fish's livers, the strange birds nesting on the rocky islands near the fishing grounds, nor even the newest songs the men use to while away their long, hard hours at sea.

Which is to say, entertainment, the other thing which we might provide. For while we can surely not compete with the talent of the assembled poets, bards, and musicians of your Imperial Majesty's court, we might perhaps be able to provide a bit of novelty. A choice new song from our far-flung regions, a thrilling new tale, or perhaps even a delicious fresh joke.

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libskrat

Were I to answer thoughtfully, I might surmise
that good Scamandius' guesses both
assume a third, to wit: a novel turn.
For what's the use of learning if there's no small corner left unlearnt before? nor is the finest jest or sweetest tale worth the telling, save it be a novelty.

Though I'm as much a laughingstock as he whose sally I poked fun at earlier, I will make bold to say my piece again, in hopes that, if its content does not please, the manner of its saying may seem new.

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Alas that our purposes must now oppose! For here I find two who I would delight to spend days debating and discussing with, but whom I must consider as threats to myself and my order!

I might add one more thing that those gathered before the Empress may offer her, a varied perspective. For while your Majesty undoubtedly has knowledge far greater both in breadth and depth than that of your humble servants, even the wisest have acknowledged the value of having others, even those with a lesser understanding of the subject at hand, consider an issue. Perhaps by looking at the situation with fresh eyes, we may find some new facet, which in turn may amuse or assist the Empress, and thus gain her favor.

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sunday-courtier.livejournal.com

Though our perspectives may indeed be varied, we are in accord in at least the one matter: we are, none of us, worthy of being in the presence of such might and glory as her Imperial Majesty. For what else may we be, to her, than a source of entertainment?

I, my most humble self, come here as the last scion of my house. Would that I could spend my days basking in the radiant glory of her Imperial Majesty, like a flower turning to face the sun, providing for her my humble forms of entertainment and, dare I hope, amusement. So I, Sallan of the Far Northern Reaches, do wipe a tear at the truth of my fellows words, and abase myself once more. I pray that we may, together, craft a gift of our meagre skills for her Imperial Majesty that, whilst still humbled before her Imperial Majesty's splendour and that of her court, is still a whole greater than the sum of its parts.

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We have nothing to offer besides entertainment; but novelty, varied perspectives, and learning are all entertaining, are they not?

And good Benedict, do not despair. For as long as our debates and discussions do not descend into banal and petty sniping, then we may all hope to offer novel, varied perspectives, which we can hope will both entertain and perhaps even be useful for her Imperial Majesty.

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Well said, dear Scamandius. Few, if any there be, among the varied callings here in this mortal fold can compare to the blessedness of the task set before us here. Let us pray that we are up to the task.

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Benedict,

Your tender concern for your fellow courtiers is noted, as well as your recognition that others are your rivals.

So from you we will have a discussion of ethics. We would ask of you to discourse at length on the ethical implications of cooperation and competition. Is it, for example, ever ethical to provide bad or dangerous advice to rivals in an attempt to eliminate them? If such happens to you, what is an ethical response?

My other courtiers are again to have the opportunity to ask you questions about this, to explore your reasoning.

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Your Excellency raises an excellent question. The ethics of court have been debated since the first tribal chief sat near the campfire and listened to the complaints of his tribe, but I shall endeavor to provide a fresh vantage point, if nothing else.

I would propose that deliberately bad advice would be unethical in the extreme. Our task is to please you, and bad advice could be the cause of removing one who would otherwise have provided you with much entertainment, novelty, and insight, for the purpose of promoting one's minor cause over your Majesty's welfare.

On the other hand, I find dangerous but not deliberately misleading advice to be ethical, if risky. For while the advice may lead the taker into disaster, thus assisting the giver, the risk may also return great dividends for the taker, for the taker could through his daring win your favor, bringing disaster to the giver. One should be extremely careful in doing so, however, for it is easy to cross the line into deceit, where they risk the wrath of both their Empress and their God.

As to the following of misleading advice, I believe that for whatever advice one receives, the proper attitude is 'Caveat Emptor'. One should consider that whatever advice one receives is coming from one who you know to be a rival, if not directly in what he seeks, than indirectly, for we all seek boons. One should consider carefully before following any advice given, for ultimate responsibility for our actions rests with us.

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I feel that both would be ethical - after all, in a game with stakes as high as this, turnabout is fair play. However, I feel it would be a far better choice to simply ignore the advice, and rise above it, thus demonstrating, if not purity of heart, at least a level of restraint and self-control greater than that of the giver of the proffered advice.

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Ethics would leave me free of compulsion to act, but one may be guided by higher laws than those of ethics. And, as Saint Paul said to the Corinthians, "though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

That charity would lead me to quietly warn Firdusai of the danger of the advice being proffered to him, that he might succeed or fail in his quest by his own merits. That way, should her Majesty choose to bestow her favor upon my unworthy head, I know that her blessing is obtained in righteousness, and if not, I can go to my Lord with a pure heart and clean hands, knowing that I had done my best, and run the race placed before me to the best of my ability.

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libskrat

And if you should observe our Fyodor there without his jet-black cloak and smiling bright, with poison dripping from his every word?

What then? Is evil less so, brightly clothed?

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