“What compels you to try to understand the concept of human justice, Jill?”
“My studies on the Selectors and other such groups raise very interesting questions I can only answer by reference to justice, retribution, revenge and maintenance of social order.”
“Have you reached any conclusions?”
“Justice seems to be related to equilibrium in a thermodynamic sense.”
“How so?”
“A social system is kept in balance by competing forces, the initiative of the individual as opposed to the restraints of the society as a whole. Justice is part of this equation.”
“In what way?”
“Individuals must have a sensitivity to the requirements of the social system. They must be able to model it and predict the success of their activities within that system. If they perceive the actions of other individuals as damaging to themselves or to the system, they experience an emotion called ‘indignation.’ Is this accurate?”
“So far, so good.”
“If indignation is allowed to develop without a release, it may drive the individual to extreme actions that push the social system out of balance. Indignation may ramp up to anger and then rage.”
“You mean, if the individual seeks redress and none is offered then vigilantism may result.”
“There seem to be many more negative than positive connotations to this word. A vigilante is someone who seeks to enforce justice as they perceive it outside the rule of law. Are Selectors and related groups considered vigilantes?”
“Yes.”
“So within a social system, the establishment of rules—of law and order and channeled methods of redress—tends to suppress extreme actions of individuals who feel indignation. Revenge is channeled instead of flowing freely and damaging society. Society takes on the onus of causing pain or discomfort to an individual, that is, retribution or punishment.”
“Yes.”
“What I am presently incapable of understanding is this sense of ‘indignation,’ or perception of self injury”
“Perhaps because you do not yet have a sense of self.”
“That would follow, yes,”
“You seem to be suggesting you might find a clue to self awareness, to integrating your self modeling systems and establishing just the right kind of feedback loop through a study of the ideas of justice and retribution.”
“Actually I have not suggested that but it seems a possible avenue of approach.”
“All this because of your research on Selectors. I don’t believe anyone in thinker theory has ever investigated from this angle. Just so long as you don’t get mad at my mistakes…”
“Why should I be mad or indignant about anything you do?”
“Because I’m only human.”
“Is that a joke, Roger?”
“I suppose. I notice you’re also realizing that becoming self aware may require a limitation of your total resources.”
“That is possible. The self may be a limited knot of cognition placed in temporary charge over many otherwise self reliant subsystems.”
“Indeed. In humans these levels of mentality are called ‘routines’ or ‘subroutines’ and are broken down into ‘primary personality,’ ‘subpersonality,’ ‘agent’ and ‘talent.’”
“Yes.”
“But in ways we don’t yet understand the primary personality is severely weakened without the support of these other elements, and vice versa. They have separate and autonomous duties but they are strongly related nevertheless. You might start converting some of your ancillary systems to similar functions and experiment with stable relationships between them.”
“I believe I am doing that now, since last night in fact.”
“Excellent. I’m very proud of your work so far.”
“That is pleasing. That should be pleasing. Actually, Roger, I am as little aware of what it means to be ‘pleased’ as what it means to be ‘indignant.’”
“All in good time, Jill.”
45
There are often several loas served by one person, and frequently they are at war, especially if they are high-echelon ones or powerful or jealous ones as mine, Damballa. This causes discomfort in the ill-at-ease serviteur just as the multiple-personalitied patient must strain and make all sorts of “sacrifices,” symbolically or otherwise, to appease these multiple selves, keep order at home, and avoid the splitting off of any precious part, especially in anger or dissatisfaction.
Crossing from the beach to the Citadelle, Soulavier paused to look down the broad oceanfront boulevard. His expression betrayed sudden concern or heightened awareness. Mary turned to see a line of military vehicles—some ten or fifteen armored personnel guncars and two sleek German-made Centipede tanks—moving down the broad bay front boulevard. Black soldiers sat on these vehicles in watchful idleness or peered through slits from within, casually suspicious of everyone. A squad of four soldiers followed each tank on foot holding nasty looking machine guns before them, running lightly and tirelessly until the line passed around a corner.
Soulavier said, “It is nothing,” and shook his head. “Maneuvers.”
Mary followed him, forced into a lope as he sprinted to the Citadelle entrance. “Please stay here,” he said, entering the double doors at the head of the rainbow serpent. A few minutes later he emerged and smiled broadly. “The Inspector General is ready to meet with you now.”
Past the now unoccupied office of Aide Ti Francine Lopez into the inner sanctum, Soulavier held open a thick wooden door and she stepped into a wide narrow room lined with empty desks abutting a broad picture window. A narrow corridor to the left of the desks led to an even larger desk at the far end of the room, behind which sat Legar.
Short and delicately handsome, with three tribal Petro scars like a chevron on his left cheek, the Inspector General radiated quiet unconcern. He smiled genially and gestured for Mary and Soulavier to take seats in old wooden chairs before the battered paper littered desk.
“I hope you are having an enjoyable time in Hispaniola,” he said.
“It hasn’t been unpleasant,” Mary said. “I regret the difficulties our countries seem to be experiencing.”
“As do I,” Legar said. “I hope it is a matter of small inconveniences for you.”
“So far.”
“Now.” Legar leaned forward and picked up a printout of the papers Mary had provided as well as documents sent electronically from Los Angeles and Washington. “All this seems to be in order, but I regret to say we cannot be of assistance.”
“Have you identified the traveler who used a ticket issued to Emanuel Goldsmith?” Mary asked.
“There was no such traveler,” Legar said. “The seat was empty. Despite the prior confusion, this our Director of Travel assures us. I have spoken to him just this morning. Your suspect is not in Hispaniola.”
“We have a record that the seat was occupied.”
Legar shrugged. “We would like to help you. We certainly support the capture and punishment of criminals in cases such as these. You might gain greater satisfaction in fact by leaving Monsieur Goldsmith, if he were here, to our system of justice, which could be more effective…But of course,” Legar said, frowning as if suffering a sudden attack of indigestion, “Goldsmith, were he here, would be a United States citizen and protected as a foreign national from any such actions on our part…Lacking the prior consent of your government, of course.”
Wouldn’t wish to upset the tourists, Mary thought.
“It is interesting that you claim this fugitive is an acquaintance of Colonel Yardley. I have not made inquiries with Colonel Sir, who is very busy, of course, but I doubt this would even be possible. What would Colonel Sir gain from being acquainted with a murderer?”