Hi David.

>> Whether we see it as "torture" or we see it as "flirting," the fact
>> remains that the interrogation techniques Beam's shows us -- remember,
>> he's _choosing_ the circumstances in any given scene -- for the Empire
>> Landing-Troops is _more brutal_ than what he shows us for Trask's
>> Vikings.
>
> Differing intentions? Trask's Vikings were out for what they could get. The marines may have been following a playbook.

Perhaps. The fact remains Empire Landing-Troops implementing that particular "page from the manual" was the scene Beam chose to present to us.

> How big was the verification equipment? Too large for field work?

Well, Trask's Vikings are "in the field" too, conducting their interrogations inside the Mardukan royal palace (though I suppose it's possible they were using a veridicator they got from the Markukans).

Cheers,

David
--
"As my stories all have a political and social slant instead of a physical-science slant, I think the one author who influenced me most was Nicco Machiavelli, with H. L. Mencken placing and Karl von Clausewitz showing." - H. Beam Piper, "Double: Bill Symposium" interview