A Long Silence by Nicolas Freeling Read Free Book Online Page A

meeting.
    Still, when he left he had a grin, because he’d had an idea. Not in the slightest superstitious, he enjoyed it when something allowed him to pretend he was. Losing a watch on the Koningsplein was at least a sign from heaven telling him to go and buy another from Mr Saint only just across the road, and that was something to grin at: he told his colleague, a lawyer with whom he was having lunch.
    â€˜A lamentable thing happened to me; a purely personal and relatively trivial incident. It might change the whole shape of a theory I’m working on.’
    The colleague was amused.
    â€˜But that’s rather naughty, isn’t it? I know from reading your reports as well as from the way you speak that you have a highly subjective way of going to work, but isn’t this an exaggeration?’
    â€˜Yes, of course, I’ve been reproached with it before now. I know all the arguments – a lawyer considering a brief does not stop to worry about his client being guilty – or personally unappealing – or sadistic towards his wife. He couldn’t. A negotiator, a civil servant, let’s say, working on agricultural price subsidies – he doesn’t stop to think how much he likes New Zealanders. I’d be inclined to answer firstly that he’s never truly objective however much he thinks he is, and secondly that the virtues of objectivity are greatly exaggerated. As far as police work is concerned, there is too much objectivity applied. Crime hasn’t got much to do with absolutes like right and wrong – like some more coffee? A policeman is a good deal of an actor – a comedian if you prefer. Is a doctor’s job to cure disease or to alleviate suffering? Both, of course. It all sounds easy. But when he finds himself in conflict, when the objective good of the patient is not identical with his own moral standards, as in the classic instance of abortion? He follows the law, and the law is very often bad.’
    â€˜These are student arguments,’ said the lawyer dryly. ‘Anybody of experience knows that crime or disease or whateverit may be calls for a remedy, the remedy must be applied, and if the patient dies, why, that’s just too bad.’
    â€˜I quite agree. Cardinal Richelieu condemned one of his own oldest friends and most faithful servants to death for reasons of state, and I approve. There’s a deal too much sentimental cant spoken about compassion – in fact, in this world there’s a great deal more cant than compassion.’
    â€˜Alarmingly true.’
    â€˜But there are moral issues where the good of the greatest number or the safeguards of society have no bearing and where only our own personal conscience can suffice. Objectivity isn’t a virtue; it’s an overrated dodge for evading responsibility.’
    â€˜Your ethics are questionable and your logic deplorable,’ said the lawyer, grinning.
    â€˜Quite so,’ agreed Van der Valk. ‘Now if we split the lunch bill in half, is that objective? Or if we toss for it – is that objective? And is either more ethical than my paying for it? Give me subjectivity every time.’ And a loud laugh made several Dutch lunchers look at the two of them, without any objectivity at all.
    â€˜Cant,’ said Van der Valk, feeling in his raincoat pocket to make sure his gloves were there, and remembering they weren’t, ‘is our worst enemy. I hear more humbug…’
    He passed the Spui on his way to catch a tram, and his nose twitched. No place to buy a watch – too dear! If he found any good reason for leaning on Mr Saint a scrap, though, it might be in a good cause.
    *
    Mr Bosboom was a great consolation to him. Wholeness, simplicity, honour – and an earthy Dutch choice of language: it pleased him no end.
    A minuscule house in the suburbs, with a minuscule front garden full of roses which had used their available space to the last centimetre.