2569 A.D.!
THE DULARNIAN QUEEN
AN ADVENTURE IN THE SECOND DARK AGE OF MAN
By Jerome B. Bigge
Chapter Eight
"I would like to speak to your mistress," I said to the slave girl, who bowed low and opened the door wider so we could enter. Lorraine looking up at me, sitting there in her husband's lap, the "smile" she gave me leaving no doubts as to her opinion of being "disturbed" at a moment like this. I don't think she'd expected anything "more" than another slave girl, whose "opinion" would of course mean nothing to a woman like her. As the hour was rather "late", I suppose she was justified in her feelings!
"If you wish this can wait for another time," I said to her, aware that I had "interrupted" something that was none of my own business. There was also the "issue" that I'd once been Jon's to the point that he'd proposed marriage to me. Whether or not Jon still had feelings for me was an issue that might worry Lorraine. When the unmarried former girlfriend is more "beautiful" than the wife there can often be "problems" of a sort I didn't wish to be.
"I `assume' that it is `important' or you wouldn't be here," the Imperial Warlady answered, slipping off Jon's lap to seat herself beside him. She wore a pair of silken pajamas, black, a bit of attire that looked rather good on her despite her swollen belly. Lorraine being the sort of a woman that becomes more at- tractive after you've known her for a while, I might "note" here.
"There is a question that has puzzled philosophers for cen- turies," I spoke, Lorraine nodding, her dark eyes holding mine as I seated myself opposite her, Tori "settling" herself beside me. "One that the captain of my guards has brought to my attention."
"When I address you, how do you wish me to do so?" Lorraine smiled at Tori, who for a second seemed a bit "tongue tied" here!
"I am Captain Tori Wells," Tori answered the tall brunette.
"I address her as `Tori'," I said to the Queen of Trelandar.
"And what is the `question' you wish answered?" she said. I had to "prod" Tori a bit to draw the "question" out of her, but I was rather curious to see what Lorraine's answer would be to it.
"You raise an `issue' that has been discussed by the great- est philosophers on this world since the dawn of civilization," the Imperial Warlady smiled. "Whether or not the political sys- tem has the moral `right' to interfere in `private affairs'. Whether or not the `employer' has the `right' to set working con- ditions as `he' so wishes to set them." I saw Tori nodding, her eyes burning into the darkness of this woman from another time... "I recall Janet (Rogers) and I once discussed this very issue," the Queen of Trelandar continued, her husband sitting there with his arm about his wife. I suspected that he was happy with her. Lorraine is the sort of a woman that is more than just a "wife". Their slave girl, that exotic wench from an almost mythical land across the Atlantic now settling herself down there at one side.
"And did you come to any `conclusions'?" Tori then asked the Queen of Trelandar, a bit "awed" I think of the Imperial Warlady.
"The `answer' depends upon the sort of society in which you wish to live," Lorraine answered. "In the 20th Century this very question was decided upon the basis of `employee rights', a quite natural consequence of the type of political system in use then. The local, state and federal governments of my time passing more and more `laws' in behalf of `employees' until it seemed as if they actually `owned' their own jobs. On the other hand both Ja- net and I `concluded' that the `issue' should be `resolved' upon the basis of `property rights', the actual `question' here being as to `who' actually `owned' the actual job. Did the `govern- ment' `produce' the job, or `did' the employer here? If we have a `socialist' society, then of course the `job' and its `working conditions' are properly set by the government, with the employ- er's only function being that of an `agent' of the `State'. `Socialism' being defined here as `governmental control' of the economic system even if `ownership' is still in private hands as occurred both in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy under Mussolini. On the other hand, if we have a `free enterprise' society, then the government has no `rights' under the law to set the working conditions as the government does not `own' the job in question."
"Wouldn't some sort of `compromise' be possible?" Tori said.
"At what point do you `draw the line' here?" Lorraine asked. "`Where' do you decide that a `line' will be `drawn' between the `rights' of the employer and the `rights' of the employee?" the Queen of Trelandar smiled back. "`Who' `makes' that `decision'?"
"In a `democracy' like ours the `people'," Tori smiled back.
"There are more `employees' than `employers'," the Queen "smiled" back, Tori nodding. "And the people of Dularn vote for Senators who then `pass' laws which your Queen either passes or vetoes," Lorraine said. "So eventually it is Maris who decides."
"And over a period of generations a nation becomes `social- ist'," I answered, well aware of the political "realities" here. A Queen, any Queen, tends to have "feelings", emotions involved. She does not always "act" in a completely "rational" manner... There are also certain "political pressures" that effect things.
"I don't see anything `wrong' with `that'," Tori answered.
"You are a Warrioress, not a Scribe," Lorraine smiled back. "I doubt that your education included any study of `economics'."
"What `difference' does it make if the `government' was to `run' everything instead of having things as they are right now?" Tori spoke. "It might even be `better' having Maris run things."
"Those who fail to `understand' history are doomed to repeat it," Lorraine laughed softly, Tori blushing a bit at this now... She knew she was being made "fun" of, but she didn't understand "why". I did, but it would hard to explain to a woman like Tori! Tori was good at "small unit tactics", things like that, but she wasn't really a heavy "thinker" as such, her husband having mar- ried her no doubt because she had a very attractive face and Tori was rather full in the bust, which some men do like in a woman...
"No `socialist state' in the history of Mankind has ever been `successful'," I said to Tori, seeing her nod back in reply.
"In a `socialist state' the `government' must decide what sort of `economic activities' people are to `do'," Lorraine said. "There were countries like that back in my time, but none of them were ever economically `successful' even with our own technology." Janet Rogers did have government "control" of "nat- ural monopolies", but she never attempted to actually "run" peo- ples' lives or directly regulate the "activities" of most people.
"We could keep `private property', but make employers re- spect the `rights' of their employees," Tori ventured in reply. She was "game", despite being far "out classed" by Lorraine here.
"There are more `employees' than `employers'," I told Tori. There would be no natural "limits" on what might be "voted" then and the concept of "rights" is a "quagmire" that has no natural "limits" due to the "fact" that once you start saying that people have "rights", then where "DO" you finally "draw the line"? Such actually "happened" back in the 20th Century. I refer the reader to life in the United States from 1992 to the year 2008 AD. From the election of Bill Clinton to the election of Janet Rogers. The "development" of a "social welfare state", the economic de- cline of the United States of America that caused the people of that country to eventually elect Janet Rogers as a "solution"...
"And in a `democratic' society they will `vote' for their own `short term' interests despite the consequences in the long run," Lorraine smiled. "That is why it was `necessary' to design a political system as I did then that would allow a considerable amount of freedom, but yet would not be subject to the "whim" of the voters." I saw Tori nod thoughtfully, and then glance at me.
"Janet Rogers and her own `NEW ORDER'," I said to Tori now.
"On which most societies of today are `based'," Tori said.
"An `elected legislature', a monarch with an absolute veto," the Trelandarian Queen smiled back. "The `representatives of the people' pass laws, and then one of `us' must decide whether or not the law is wise or stupid," she smiled, seeing me nod in re- ply back. I knew she had the power which I didn't to "repeal" laws once passed, something I'd been "pushing for" ever since I'd understood what the true "role" of the Queen was here in Dularn.
"What happens if you get a `bad' Queen?" Tori smiled back.
"Can she pass laws on her own?" Lorraine smiled back at her.
"That `Kathis' who was replaced by Tulis," Tori mused then. Tulis had been the Warlady of Dularn under Kathis, I recalled...
"Killed by her own people," Lorraine smiled, her knowledge of such "matters" surprising. Queen Tulis had been a well known Warrioress. Many considered her to have been a "better" Queen than me. Especially considering the "events" of the last four years, although I doubt Tulis could have done anything more. There are also "Darlanis worshipers" (That's what I call them!) who feel that the Imperial Empress could rule Dularn better than I do. Even Lorraine has a few "fans" all of her own here too...
"It is getting `late', Tori," I said, seeing her nod back.
"I hope I get the chance to speak to you again," Tori then told Lorraine, the Imperial Warlady giving her a warm smile back.