Scaevola's Triumph (Gaius Claudius Scaevola trilogy Book 3) by Ian Miller

muttered.
    "What was that?" the Ulsian responded angrily.
    "Nothing," Gaius muttered.
    "It was indeed something!" the Ulsian snarled. "You're truly a barbarian! You want Ulsians to rush off and get killed. You're a . . ."
    "I was suggesting that the Ulsian military had better get off its arse," Gaius said coldly, "and I never suggest that battles be bought with soldiers' lives."
    "We should get off this topic," Vipsania said, as she pushed herself between the two of them. "What we want to know is, when are we going to be let outside?"
    "When our meetings decide!" the Ulsian said angrily.
    "And when'll that be?" Lucilla snorted.
    "When we're ready!" came an even angrier reply. "These things have to be done properly, not like barbarians do them!"
    "Of course," Gaius muttered sarcastically. "We've got to have the appropriate number of meetings."
    "I'm glad that at last you agree," the Ulsian said, with a mixture of relief and arrogance. "You must excuse me. I must go."
    "Presumably to another meeting," Gaius muttered.
    "Of course!"
    "How can we find out what's going on at the meeting discussing us?" Vipsania asked. She had lifted her tone and was desperately trying not to give further offence. "I mean, since it's about our future, we should know something about it."
    "On your display," the Ulsian said. "Key in the meetings channel, and key in 85/53212."
    "Why such a large number?" Vipsania asked innocently.
    "Because," the Ulsian said in a tone of utter exasperation, "each meeting has to have a different number, and your affairs are that number on the list this year!"
    The Terrans simply stared at each other as the Ulsian strode off. They had that many meetings on that many topics, which went on for almost unlimited time? When did anybody on this planet do something other than attend meetings?
    Lucilla turned towards the Tin Man, and said, "This may seem a silly question, but is there a reason Ulsians cover themselves completely?"
    "It is quite a sensible question," the Tin Man nodded. "The clothing item you refer to is called a trefune. It is now an item of formal dress, like a Roman toga."
    "How do Ulsian's recognize who's underneath?" Vipsania asked curiously.
    "They don't," the Tin Man said, "which, I should add, is the current purpose of the trefune. When Ulsians attend meetings, they may then express any opinion they wish to express, free of any fear of consequences. You cannot attack the person of the speaker, so to speak, if you have no idea who the person is. Accordingly, all issues have to be discussed solely on their own merits."
    "That could lead to problems," Gaius frowned.
    "How?"
    "Well, suppose, say, you were discussing the city's water supply. A speaker could claim to be the senior engineer but he could be anyone. A lunatic could insist on anything, on the grounds that . . .
    "Not at all," the Tin Man said. "Anyone who claims to have views superior in anyway to the average views must present the evidence for the expertise, and would not wear a trefune."
    "So if you arrived at a meeting without a trefune," Lucilla offered, "you would be declaring that you thought yourself to be superior to others in the room?"
    "Yes," the Tin Man said. "Returning to Gaius' example, the senior engineer would not wear a trefune. He would not be claiming to be superior to the others in general terms, but he would be claiming superior expertise in the matter of water supplies. But anyone without a trefune and without such a good reason would be immediately condemned for arrogance."
    "Then perhaps we should get . . ."
    "No need," the Tin Man said. "If you do not wear one, you can also be stating that you are non-Ulsian, which, in your case, is self-evident."
    "I see," Lucilla said, although from her expression it seemed evident that she did not see very much.
    "What an interesting custom," Vipsania remarked later.
    "Very," Lucilla replied sarcastically.
    "No, I mean it," Vipsania continued. "The senate, back in Rome, could do with