The Blue World by Jack Vance

McManus,
where he describes the theoretical elements of Home World law. This
is a passage not included in the Analects and is not widely known.
Suffice it to say, the man who establishes a precursory condition for
a crime is not necessarily guilty; he must actually, immediately, and
decisively cause the event.”
    Barquan Blasdel, in
his easy, almost patronizing voice, interrupted: “But this is
precisely Sklar Hast’s act; he disobeyed King Kragen’s statute, and
this precipitated his terrible justice.”
    Roger Kelso
listened with a patience obviously foreign to his nature; he
fidgeted, and his dark eyes glittered. He said, “If the worthy
Intercessor allows, I will continue.”
    Barquan Blasdel
nodded politely and sat down. “When Sklar Hast spoke, he put
forth a conjecture which absolutely must be resolved: namely, did
Semm Voiderveg, the Tranque Intercessor, call King Kragen to Tranque
Float? This is a subtle question. Much depends upon not only if Semm
Voiderveg issued the call, but when. If he did so when the rogue
kragen was first discovered, well and good. If he called after Sklar
Hast made his attempt to kill the kragen, then Semm Voiderveg becomes
more guilty of the Tranque disaster than Sklar Hast, because he
certainly must have foreseen the consequences. What is the true state
of affairs? Do the intercessors secretly communicate with King
Kragen? And my specific question: did Semm Voiderveg call Kragen to
Tranque Float in order that Sklar Hast and his helpers be punished?”
    “Bah!”
called Barquan Blasdel. “This is a diversion, a dialectic
trick!”
    Phyral Berwick
deliberated a moment. “The question seems definite enough. I
personally cannot supply an answer, but I think that it deserves one,
if only to clarify matters. Semm Voiderveg: what do you say?”
    “I say
nothing.”
    “Come,”
said Phyral Berwick reasonably. “Your craft is Intercessor; your
responsibility lies to the men whom you represent and for whom you
intercede; certainly not to King Kragen, no matter how fervent your
respect. Evasion, secrecy, or stubborn silence can only arouse our
distrust and lead away from justice. Surely you recognize this much.”
    “It is to be
understood,” said Semm Voiderveg tartly, “that even if I
did summon King Kragen—and it would violate guild policy to
make a definite statement in this regard—my motives were of
the highest order.”
    “Well, then,
did you do so?”
    Semm Voiderveg
looked toward Barquan Blasdel for support, and the Apprise
Intercessor once more rose to his feet. “Arbiter Berwick, I must
insist that we are pursuing a blind alley, far from our basic
purpose.”
    “What then is
our basic purpose?” asked Phyral Berwick.
    Barquan Blasdel
held out his arms in a gesture of surprise. “Is there any doubt?
By Sklar Hast’s own admission he has violated King Kragen’s laws and
the orthodox custom of the floats. It only remains to us—this
and no more—to establish a commensurate punishment.”
    Phyral Berwick
started to speak, but yielded to Roger Kelso, who had leaped quickly
to his feet. “I must point out an elemental confusion in the
worthy Intercessor’s thinking. King Kragen’s laws are not human laws,
and is unorthodoxy a crime? It so, then many more beside Sklar Hast
are guilty.”
    Barquan Blasdel
remained unruffled. “The confusion lies in another quarter. The
laws I refer to stem from the Covenant between ourselves and King
Kragen: he protects us from the terrors of the sea; in return he
insists that we acknowledge his sovereignty of the sea. And as for
orthodoxy, this is no more and no less than respect for the opinions
of the arbiters and intercessors of all the floats, who are trained
to judiciousness, foresight, and decorum. So now we must weigh the
exact degree of Sklar Hast’s transgressions.”
    “Precisely,”
said Roger Kelso. “And to do this, we need to know whether Semm
Voiderveg summoned King Kragen to Tranque Float.”
    Barquan