129 – What I would least like Linasika to know

Excerpt from the proceedings of the Chevengani Mental State Assessment Committee, etesora 83, Y. 1556.

La: We reconvene. I describe for the record that Chevenga is lying entirely relaxed and unmoving on the couch, with no expression on his face and his eyes half-closed, as if he were semi-conscious. Krero, has the drug taken full effect?

Kre: It should have.

La: Our two members of the Arkan Truth-Drug Law-writing Committee who are present, may I ask whether, from your experience and study, you concur?

Anchera Kalkilae, Servant of Leyere West: Yes, he appears to be under the full effect, and sufficient time has passed.

Tena-e Michere, Servant of Porokaralinga: I concur with the addendum that testing questions are the best measure.

Kre: Chevenga, lie to me, how old are you?

4Che: Twenty-eight.

Kre: What is your name?

4Che: First Virani-e Fourth Chevenga Shae-Arano-e.

Li: What?

La: Point of order, Krero, you asked his name and he said “First Virani-e” before it, though he’s under truth-drug and therefore should be telling truth and truth only; why would that be?

Kre: I… have no idea.

Li: Why would he add an extra name?

Kre: All I can say is that it must somehow be true to him. All right, I should say this; under truth drug a person always tells what he believes to be the truth. If he believes falsely, he will still say what he believes. He does not know it is false, so it is still truth to him.

La: Chevenga, why did you say First Virani-e Fourth Chevenga Shae-Arano-e?

4Che: It’s my name.

La: But you’ve never been known as—

Kre: You can’t argue with him. Let me see if I can find out what this is about; it’s good fodder for a demonstration of questioning, actually, since it’s something that’s a mystery to me. Chevenga, why, along with Fourth Chevenga Shae-Arano-e, did you say First Virani-e, when we asked you your name?

4Che: Virani-e is my name.

Kre: How so, when no one, I should say… how so, when I have never heard it?

4Che: My mother gave it to me.

Kre: Your mother gave it to you? Did I understand that right?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: When did she give it to you?

4Che: …

Kre: All right, there’s a question that didn’t work. Somehow there is more than one answer, to when she gave it to him, or perhaps no answer. Chevenga, from whom did you first hear the name Virani-e applied to you?

4Che: From my mother. Kar…

Kre: Karani Aicheresa?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: See, he wanted to give her name, because he’s before a Committee of Assembly, sworn to answer not just truth, but clear and complete truth. But he already gave a substantive answer, his mother, and adding her name was more than he has the will for. Because his own will has been taken away from him, he has only yours, the questioner’s, to draw strength from to make his answers. That’s how the drug works. Chevenga, around when did she first tell you of the name Virani-e?

4Che: The middle of the Lover’s Moon.

Kre: This year?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: And from where, did she tell you, did it originate?

4Che: From what she felt of who I was while I was in her womb.

Kre: Now that was an unusually long answer; when someone under the drug says that many words, it is sometimes wise to question whether it’s acting fully. Though the dose is adjusted to a person’s size, and other factors, it still doesn’t always act the same way on different people, some are more sensitive, some less. Sometimes you find, mid-questioning, that you have to up it. But you also have to consider whether the overly-long answer was still a single answer, a single unit of meaning. I count this one as that; all of it is in answer to the question, and no part of it would make sense without the rest.

Not only that, but when a person is truth-drugged, especially more than once, his degree of sensitivity to it becomes clear, and the precise dose needed to effectively question him can be determined and recorded. When Chevenga was in Arko, such a measurement was made, and it was well tested, and it came to us, and she whom we called Irae dosed him according to it. So I am very confident he’s under the full effect. Yes, Chevenga, the Mahid still have a little influence on you. Think of it this way: the stinking black-clad pig-rapers are now assisting, from beyond the grave, the work of a Yeoli Committee, sorry, two Yeoli Committees.

You see nothing on his face; the part of him that can laugh has been split off from the part that is still with it. But I’m sure that in that split-off part he’s laughing; am I right, Chevenga?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: When he comes out of it, when he’s whole again, and if it crosses his mind to remember this or we remind him, he’ll laugh in a way we’ll see. So, Chevenga, your mother had that name in her mind for you before you were born?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: Was it the name she would have given you if she had had her choice?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: So your mother would have preferred to call you Virani-e, once you came alive out of the stream, over Chevenga?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: Why were you named Chevenga, then?

4Che: She was outvoted by my other parents.

Kre: And it’s First because there are no previous semanakraseyel named Virani-e?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: There’s a story here. If he were not under the drug, we could just say, “Tell us the whole story,” and he would. But under the drug, he can’t. He’s not capable of directing himself that much. Chevenga… now that she has told you this, are you intending to give up “Chevenga” as your name?

4Che: No.

Kre: Why not?

4Che: It’s too well-known.

Kre: You intend to be known by both?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: See, that’s how you do it.

Li: I hope that my time was held, for this very educational, but long, intercession.

La: No, pardon me, it slipped my mind to do that, but I will add a twentieth to your time, Linasika, go ahead.

Li: Chevenga, what would you least want—

Kre: Ch’eng’, don’t answer that. Scraping was voted down!

Li: What you refer to as scraping involves not one question, but a series, does it not? I intend only to ask him the one.

La: I suggest we give Chevenga his choice in this matter.

Kre: Chevenga, is it all right with you that Linasika ask what it is you’d least like him to know? For the love of All-Spirit, say no.

4Che: No.

Li: President! I call abuse! I most forcefully request that this answer be struck from the record.

La: Heard, Linasika, but I think it need not be struck. Bear with me a little. Sib Captain Krero, you are under oath, though I realize we did not have you swear not to intercede to aid Chevenga in concealing information. It seems we were remiss in that, as it was necessary. But you are under oath to tell us the truth. Did you not just influence his answer, indeed determine it?

Kre: Yes. I did.

La: Because, as you said, if a person under the drug is commanded to give a certain answer, he will, even if it is not true, is that so?

Kre: Yes, it is.

La: But you also said that if he is asked the question again, without any command, he will answer the truth, is that so?

Kre: Yes.

La: So… by now, we’ve said a few things since he gave that answer, and a little time has passed. Would your command still… hold, or will the effect of it on him have worn off by now?

Kre: It will have worn off.

La: So if he’s asked again, he will answer truthfully?

Kre: Yes.

Li: Pardon me, and my apologies to you, Captain Krero, but I am concerned that, should Chevenga answer no to this question on the second asking, some suspicion will remain that it is due to your command, rather than being the truth of his preference.

La: Maybe we needn’t worry about that, let’s see. Chevenga, do you consent to Linasika asking what it is you’d least like him to know?

4Che: Yes.

La: So you are free to ask, Linasika. But first, hands on crystals, Captain Krero Saranyera. For the purposes of the Committee I take the role as Adakri. Krero Saranyera, as you hold both your own and the Committee crystal in your hands, and in the worldly witness of the people of Yeola-e as represented by this Committee, and the spiritual witness of All-Spirit, we ask that you swear you will in no way interfere with the questioning of Fourth Chevenga Shae-Arano-e under Arkan truth-drug with the intent of concealing any information or aiding him in concealing any information.

Kre: I swear I will in no way interfere with the questioning of Fourth Chevenga Shae-Arano-e under Arkan truth-drug with the intent of concealing any information or aiding him in concealing any information, second Fire come if I forswear.

Sc: The witness is sworn.

La: Good. Go ahead, Linasika. Perhaps we’ll clear the air a little here, this way.

Li: So, Chevenga: what is it you’d least like me to know?

4Che: How much I dislike you.

Li: Whew! What a surprise!

Kre: Indeed.

Da: None to me, either.

La: Order.

Li: Why do you dislike me, Chevenga?

4Che: Because you hate me.

Li: I do not!

Kre: Why do I have to keep saying this? You can’t argue with him.

Li: All right… Why would you think I hate you, what is your evidence?

4Che: In every word and look.

Li: I… you think my concerns are not legitimate?

4Che: …

Kre: Not clear enough.

Li: Chevenga, do you think I have no legitimate concerns, in regard to you?

4Che: No.

Li: You… don’t think I am without…

Kre: Ch’eng’, don’t answer. You’re going to confuse him, Linasika, if you haven’t already, and he’ll give you nothing, or answers that are worthless. Let me get at what I think you’re getting at. Chevenga, do you think that Linasika has at times had some understandable concerns in regard to your actions or words or intentions?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: But do you think his actions and his words towards you are generally prompted purely by understandable concerns, and nothing else?

4Che: No.

Kre: So you think his actions and words towards you are sometimes prompted by something other than understandable concerns?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: You think they are prompted in part by hatred?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: Do you think they are prompted in part by anything else?

4Che: Yes.

Kre: What?

4Che: Envy.

Li: Hold on here! Hold on! He can’t know what’s in my heart! Krero, you said someone who is under truth drug will tell you the truth as he believes it to be—even if it’s not actually true, because he’s been misled, or he has misunderstood or misinterpreted something, or because his thinking is distorted—correct?

Kre: Correct.

Li: Well we know his thinking is distorted, that’s been made extremely clear. Not exactly something to envy.

Kre: Look, you wanted truth out of a truth-drugged person. You got it. But let me explain about asking for reasons. If you ask him why something, and there is more than one reason, he will answer giving you only one, usually the one that he sees as most important. To find out the others, you have to ask him why else, or is there another reason, and you’ll get them one at a time, so you keep going until, when you ask him if there’s another reason, he answers no.

So I’ve left this incomplete, Linasika. He might have another twenty ideas of what prompts your actions towards him, and I’d be interested to hear them, but I won’t ask, since, lucky for you, it’s his mental state, not yours, that is the mandate of this committee.

Li: I thank you so much for your generous restraint, Captain Krero.

Kre: You’re most welcome.

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