davids at kithrup.com writes: > ... he doesn't want to distress Lady Teldra by > making her do something so unnecessary & impolite. I think you're overestimating -- or underestimating -- Vlad and Teldra. I mean, consider their conversation throughout the book. Clearly, Teldra respects Vlad, even considers him to be a sharp cookie. Vlad knows, either through experience or instinct, what is appropriate at what times. People keep thinking of Teldra and the Issola in general as getting all distressed over impoliteness. I think that the generalized 'you' have it wrong on that count. The Issola don't concern themselves with politeness, they concern themselves with what is -appropriate-. Paraphrased, Vlad says, "Lady Teldra. Was that polite??" Teldra smiles and replies, "No, but it was appropriate." As she points out, there are a lot of things that Vlad could do that, in various circumstances, are -appropriate-. To the guy on the road who says, 'Move aside, whiskers,' Vlad could bow and scrape, tell him to fuck off, bust his kneecaps, or stick a dagger in his left eye. All of them can be appropriate actions -- certainly not all of them can be described as -polite-. Consider the line from the Cycle: 'Issola strikes from courtly bow'. Striking, in whatever manner, isn't POLITE. It can, however, be appropriate. What is appropriate when a Dragonlord insults you, busts up your home, and takes your things? Declaring war on him. What about a Dzurlord? Challenging him. How about a Jhereg? Sending an assassin after him. How about a Phoenix? Hey, who knows, right now there's only Zerika. Maybe you send her a bottle of wine, work that entire 'decay' angle, you know? Whatever an Issola does, it is supposed to be APPROPRIATE. That isn't the same as polite. Of all the Houses, the Issola and the Yendi may be the most dangerous, because you never see it coming. But at least with the Yendi, you expect them to be devious; the Issola don't strike people that way, because they forget that the easiest way to seize a castle is to take it from within... Knightmarshall Felix Surnamed Eisen, or "Iron Felix" Hand of Morr, The Order of Bones