There is literally no one I don't hate right now.

[notplaying]

Toby was in the council office. He had the door propped open with stack of his least favorite books, and numerous stacks of paper neatly set out in equal intervals around the table with chairs in front of each. He was at what he counted as being the fifth one. The order was: Council Parameters, Grievances of Property, Grievances of Person,

Comments

[dogbitesman]

"That sounds like Ankh-Morpork before Havelock Vetinari," William said, thinking. "With the caveat that while murder was punishable, as you say, by public execution, you could only commit murder if you lived below a certain income bracket."

Which was no longer true, because Vimes would arrest anyone.*

He made a note. "It does make a certain kind of sense. I imagine people would get sick of voting on every decision every week, and if everyone but those who are passionate stopped bothering to vote..." He shook his head. Passion was all well and good, but a government being operated on the say of extremists was not a nice image. "Of course, if people continue to run without platforms or any idea of what they stand for, it's hard to say that we've elected them for their opinions and that they represent the populace at large, wouldn't you say? Currently we're not electing people based on what they represent, but on competence and personality. And given how overcrowded the field has been the last two times, memorability is probably a very

[dogbitesman]

"There probably isn't any," William said, making another note in case he was very much short of space and needed to run COUNCILLOR CLEARS CUPBOARD CONSULATE.

"...and it might be the place for him to enquire about dual citizenship, I suppose," he said, reading further. "What is this, here, about citizenship, five months?"

[notplaying]

"Citizenship is a stand in word, albeit a particularly loaded one. It's a question of what should it take for one to be able to run for office. No one here is a citizen by choice, it's not something to be earned the way it is in America, where a lot of emphasis is put on being a citizen. But as another way of trimming the heard of would be council members, of setting a bar that must be met to be elected, we kicked around the idea of citizenship. Ultimately, given the situation here, it's too flawed and too restricted. Citizenship wouldn't affect anything but your ability to run for office, and it should stand for more than that. Everyone who arrives here is a citizen, and is afforded the same rights. This works. Now. Personally, I think citizenship does exist here, and one becomes a citizen when they choose to become a member of this society. Not meaning you have ot join the kitchen crew, but meaning you're not dissenting, not striving to upset the community. I know that sounds... lax, like it's not really anything, but we

[dogbitesman]

"I've known one or two individuals who I think would have done that, had they remained here," William commented as he wrote. "But it is loaded, as you say. How do you define involvement, or participation in society? Is secession the default, or does it only apply if you actively select it?"

This was more William thinking over things than an active line of questioning; if it were, he would have only asked one question, because you were very lucky if you found someone who would or could answer two at once.*

*At the other end of the scale was Lord Vetinari, who could fail to answer as many as a dozen questions with a single statement. More, since the invention of the clacks.

[notplaying]

"Well, so far involvement is the default. The only examples we've had of people rejecting the betterment or at least maintenance of the community's general prosperity were extreme and violent. One is jailed indefinitely and the other took his own life. Secession would have to be an active choice, a... pointed decision. The captain of that ship, the Serenity? He's as close as we have to someone actively removing themselves from what I suppose constitutes citizenry, but he helps during times of crisis, he presents himself at elections if he's summoned, he isn't a detriment. He's just antisocial. It's a line we haven't had to watch get crossed yet and so it's one we probably can't set down, which is problematic in its own right, but there you have it. So much of this is new ground." He tapped his fingers on the page.

"Sometimes I can't believe I'm still here."

[dogbitesman]

William stared at his notebook while he thought about that last sentence. "No, sometimes I can't, either. And then I look up and here I am."

He coughed, then said, "Er, anyway. What's this about non-reactive legislation?"

[notplaying]

"Laws that aren't in response to something that's happened, and laws that don't serve as countermeasures to behavior or crime," Toby said. "How did the government operate where you come from?"

[dogbitesman]

"That's ... complicated," William said. "Naturally. The city-state was run - well, 'run' isn't the right word, but I think you follow - by a Patrician. Actually, run is the right word but I used it wrong, now that I think about it. Officially he's the absolute ruler, but he doesn't rule so much as he ensures everything runs. Well. He ensures everyone else ensures everything runs. The guilds manage their own affairs, and they're too busy arguing with the other guilds to cause any actual trouble, and everyone answers to Vetinari so it's generally thought best to make sure he doesn't have to ask you any questions."

William ran a hand through his hair. "That's the abbreviated version. And like most abbreviated versions, it's probably almost wholly inaccurate."

[notplaying]

Toby listened with interest.

"A patrician. Interesting. But it sounds as though he's one of those rare despots who happen to be genuinely intelligent, not just cunning, and are dedicated to the reality of their city instead of the dream." He sighed and kicked back a little. "Not bad. I mean, even if it grates against all of my basest instincts, not bad. What are the guilds?"

[dogbitesman]

"Yes, he is. So, naturally, people keep trying to depose him." He shook his head, then answered, "Guilds are sort of like ... trade unions, I think the parallel is," William said. "Collective organisations of all practitioners of a particular profession, run by members of that profession. And therefore responsible for making sure nothing goes wrong with it. Bakers, Butchers, Carters and Drovers, Engravers and Printers, Thieves, Assassins, Beggars, Seamstresses ... I think there are over 300, all told. Of various sizes and political relevance, of course."

[notplaying]

"Of course," Toby said, wondering slightly at Seamstresses. "There used to be guilds, they turned into unions. Of varying degrees of effectiveness."