“The … the wimps, sir. That’s how Brandy refers to them, anyway. When we were talking, she separated the problem Legionnaires into two groups: the wimps and the hard cases. “
“I see.”
The commander seesawed mentally for a few moments as the lieutenants watched him in silence. Finally he shook his head and sighed.
“It’s tempting to let it go to keep the meeting relaxed,” he said, “and I do want you both to feel comfortable speaking freely. You touched a nerve, though, Rembrandt, and I can’t just ignore it. I don’t want any of the company’s leadership, officer or noncom, to fall into the habit of referring to the company or any subgroup in it by derogatory terms. It tends to influence our own views and attitudes, and even if we manage to resist that trap ourselves, anyone overhearing us will think, with some justification, that we hold the Legionnaires in contempt. I want you-both of you-to actively resist the temptation of forming that habit and to work at breaking whatever habits along those lines you’ve gotten into. Everyone in the company deserves our respect, and if we have trouble giving it, it’s because we haven’t studied them long enough, not because there’s something wrong with them. Agreed?”
The lieutenants nodded slowly.
“Good. For that matter, Rembrandt, I want you to talk to Brandy about her speech patterns. She’s probably the worst violator of all of us.”
“Me, sir?” Rembrandt paled. It was clear she did not relish the thought of confronting the company’s formidable first sergeant.