Serene Falcon

The Prescriptive Right

June 27th, 2007 at 7:21 pmabout (Other Writ, Correctitude)

‘Your statement,’ he repeated, ‘was a lie, and, as you now admit, a pointless one. You have admitted that, yes ? Very well. We don’t yet know what kind of man you are, but the evidence so far suggests that, although you may not be a criminal psychopath in any of the generally accepted senses of the word, you possess many of the characteristics often attributed to the so-called moral defective. Still, for the present we shall have to be content with an ad hoc classification, such as — oh, what shall we say ? Variegated delinquent, perhaps ?’ His eyes sought the witnesses’ approval. ‘There is, in any case, one thing of which we can now be certain. Our delinquent is an inveterate as well as a resourceful liar.’

I was weary enough to lose patience with him.

‘Where,’ I asked, ‘did you get this extraordinary idea that you have a prescriptive right to be told nothing but the truth ? Does it come up through the seat of your academic chair ? Or is there some tatty sociological saint who once taught that all who have to submit to your questioning are, by divine decree, automatically on oath ? Of course, that must be it. And what happens when the poor souls perjure themselves ? Obviously, burning at the stake would be too mild a punishment. Instead, we’re slowly and brutally classified ! Right, Professor ?‘

Connell chuckled, but Krom only nodded encouragingly.
‘Slowly and brutally ? Yes, I expect you’re right, Mr Firman. And so ?‘

‘And so, the only time you’ll hear a truth from me is when it happens to suit me better than a lie or when none of the available lies is good enough to stand inspection. Truth games are dangerous, even for children.’

Eric Ambler : Send No More Roses