[IC Inbox -- Snowblind]

[heavensreader]

Is it worki - oh. Ahem. This is Kesara Freamon. Please leave your message here and I will call back on you as soon as I can.







Wait, is it still - argh, how do I ma-

Comments

[devoutish]

No, I don't.

I do think Duster is hoping he'll pick and pick less now, and I think he may be right. There's a point, right, when words move into guns and knives. Duster decided that that point had been reached. He thought about it, discussed it. It was not rash.

[Which was why Alfie had given his blessing. If Royce had been raging and planning to rush off in the heat of the moment, Alfie would have done his best to stand him down.]

[heavensreader]

Then Duster was a damn fool! What's the use of killing your man here where it's - if he thinks -

[She doesn't have the words to explain - if living hurts more than dying. It's too alien a concept for a sturdy young heart. But she has the sense of it in her gut and it sends the waves of anger up, up and again. She bites her lip and sticks her hands into her hair to try to calm herself down.]

Everyone here is always complaining of how bad things are - and then goes and makes it worse!

[devoutish]

His death wasn't the point. Trying to kill him off, to end him, to bank on him not beating the odds and coming back - no. The point was punishment.

[As far as Alfie knows, anyway.]

[heavensreader]

[Punishment. That is a different perspective. She understands that one a little more clearly. It only calms her a notch, though.]

It isn't going to work - you weren't here before when Dr. House got into all these tight spots. Someone beat him nearly to death before as punishment - ask Miss Angel - and it hasn't changed a thing.

[devoutish]

He doesn't care. Yeah.

I wasn't here, but I've spoken to the man, and that does not surprise me much.

[He'd hoped that this would make House temper himself, but he's not counting on it.]

[heavensreader]

Punishment that doesn't change anything is just revenge.

[They are not her words, and perhaps as much can be heard in her voice. She has never had any need for revenge. The concept is a distant, alien one.]

Did you tell Duster about that? Does he realise? He's not going to get what he wants. No one's getting anything out of this.

[devoutish]

We talked about it. Consequences, what might happen, what might not happen. He chose to do it, and I respect that.

[heavensreader]

[Perhaps he is implying that she should also respect it. She thinks she hears as much. But Kesara’s gut still growls protest. It’s like when Handsome Jack killed Zach, the same feeling, beyond hurt and anger. No right, she thinks, no right…]

I’m going to talk to him. This is ridiculous, Mr. Solomons, we have so much to do and they do that, this is ridiculous. They need, there needs to be – reason.

[devoutish]

He did have reason, yeah? You do not have to like it, you do not have to agree, but he did not do this unthinkingly.

[heavensreader]

No, I don't mean a reason to do it - to murder someone. I mean they need to see reason, both of them, all of them. We're, we're...

[She feels very childish saying this to him, but steels herself and ploughs ahead.] This isn't really a town, Mr. Solomons, this is more like an expedition. And those need order, if anyone at all's to come back alive.

[devoutish]

We'd need somebody in charge for it to be a proper expedition. We'd need order, right. Strict order. But we haven't got the right sort of set-up here for that.

[He doesn't think it would ever work.]

[heavensreader]

[He's right, naturally. When she thinks about it at all, she sees as much, and a small sound of furious frustration escapes her.]

I bet that, back in London, you don't work with people who can't keep strict order. Not in what you do!

[devoutish]

[She isn't wrong. He might work loosely with them, but closely? Never. People who can't control themselves, or control the people under them, are unreliable.

But.]

This isn't London, bubbeleh.

[heavensreader]

This isn't Serindia either. [She had so many good tricks back home...]

But they're men. They're just men. Lao Dian says, anyone that has a brain, belly, and balls, can be caught by one of the three. It takes the right trick, that's all.

[devoutish]

[Kesara, don't talk about balls. He swallows a little sound of surprise and amusement.]

Duster is tricky, yeah. But his way is a bit different from mine, and a bit different from yours.

[heavensreader]

Oah, everyone's a bit different. Lao Dian said that too - that a Chinaman's brains, or belly, or even balls aren't all like an Englishman's. But they're people. Even those who say they're not - I've been watching. I can do people, Mr. Solomons.

[It is all the confidence she has, and she will stand on it all she possibly can.]

[devoutish]

I believe it.

[He can do people too, and she's worlds better at it than he was at her age.]

What do you plan to do about Duster?

[heavensreader]

I'll talk to him first. I'll - I'll try to understand. But... [she's silent for a moment, chewing on her lower lip. She suspects that she knows at least one outcome of that conversation already.]

... but maybe it's Dr. House that I'll have to do something about.

[devoutish]

Dr. House needs to do something about himself.

[heavensreader]

He does. And he knows it, but that's just why he won't. He's angry that he needs to do anything.

[devoutish]

Are you planning to talk to him, too?

[heavensreader]

Not... yet. [She speaks slowly now, thinking it through as she does.] I told you. Nothing's really changed. I don't have any - any - what's the word, Mr. Solomons, for something you use to make something move that's too big for you?

[devoutish]

Leverage?

[heavensreader]

Leverage. [What an excellent word.] I need time. I'm not that good at this yet. But I'll learn by doing.

[devoutish]

And that you are good at. Yeah.

Are you good at compromise and negotiation?