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contact part deux
if this were modern times byerly would probably make you listen to total eclipse of the heart before you were able to leave a message
I have never seen any conclusive proof he is not.
And he is the scion of a wealthy powerful house, but he chose to be loyal to us despite the indignities of the dungeon? I don’t think so.
He is more competent than he lets on. The rest of it could be an act.
He attached himself to a leader and positioned himself to have a view of everything that went on in the office.
He has a friend he has never mentioned and a fiancée he has never mentioned, and they are both suddenly here at the same time Corypheus is pushing for more power and attacking us where we live.
And, [ setting his knife down, onion successfully chopped, ] he was mean to me.
And he is the scion of a wealthy powerful house, but he chose to be loyal to us despite the indignities of the dungeon? I don’t think so.
He is more competent than he lets on. The rest of it could be an act.
He attached himself to a leader and positioned himself to have a view of everything that went on in the office.
He has a friend he has never mentioned and a fiancée he has never mentioned, and they are both suddenly here at the same time Corypheus is pushing for more power and attacking us where we live.
And, [ setting his knife down, onion successfully chopped, ] he was mean to me.
Ouais, ouais, everyone has an agenda. But she is not going to say who she worked for—and even if she did, it would not mean she could not be lying, or she could not work for someone else now, or she could not have been a double agent the whole time. So you have to use your beautiful, clever head and look at what information you do have, about how she behaves and what she has and has not done here, the same as with everyone else.
[ A low growl of frustration. All of this is correct. But it doesn't address the core of it, which is: ]
I just don't like being asked to trust someone who doesn't trust me. [ Further: ] I don't like your life potentially being in the hands of someone who isn't — It's beyond easy to imagine a situation where you could be alive or dead and she simply won't tell me because the information is too sensitive.
I just don't like being asked to trust someone who doesn't trust me. [ Further: ] I don't like your life potentially being in the hands of someone who isn't — It's beyond easy to imagine a situation where you could be alive or dead and she simply won't tell me because the information is too sensitive.
That's—
[ Bastien would like to say she wouldn't do that. But really it's only that it seems unlikely that the knowledge of whether he was alive or dead would ever be very sensitive. It seems perfectly likely that she'd refuse to tell Byerly if it was. ]
That's fair.
[ The fight is fading out of him. He leans closer to take hold of By's hand and hold onto it. ]
[ Bastien would like to say she wouldn't do that. But really it's only that it seems unlikely that the knowledge of whether he was alive or dead would ever be very sensitive. It seems perfectly likely that she'd refuse to tell Byerly if it was. ]
That's fair.
[ The fight is fading out of him. He leans closer to take hold of By's hand and hold onto it. ]
They could blow up the vault.
[ Could sound flippant, but doesn’t. He tilts his head into By’s face and rearranges his hand to interlace their fingers and grip tighter.
He’s thinking of Granitefell. Diplomatic outreach. Safe. He hadn’t been worried at all—hadn’t seen the cliff ahead until the voices came over the crystals and he was already falling. ]
What is happening to the Veil. What could happen if he opens the Black City again. There would be nowhere to hide from that. Not here, not Gwaren. Not Kaiten.
[ Could sound flippant, but doesn’t. He tilts his head into By’s face and rearranges his hand to interlace their fingers and grip tighter.
He’s thinking of Granitefell. Diplomatic outreach. Safe. He hadn’t been worried at all—hadn’t seen the cliff ahead until the voices came over the crystals and he was already falling. ]
What is happening to the Veil. What could happen if he opens the Black City again. There would be nowhere to hide from that. Not here, not Gwaren. Not Kaiten.
You have me.
[ He tips his head back, all the way, so Byerly's looking down at his forehead instead of his hair. ]
And that will be my condition. I don't think I would be doing that much more field work. But you get to know where I am. You get to know if anything has gone wrong. Yeah?
[ He tips his head back, all the way, so Byerly's looking down at his forehead instead of his hair. ]
And that will be my condition. I don't think I would be doing that much more field work. But you get to know where I am. You get to know if anything has gone wrong. Yeah?
[ The slightest nod. ]
I don't think I could be the way I was again if I tried.
[ He shifts back away from Byerly, but only to give himself space to hold his jaw and look him in the eye. ]
And if later you ask me to stop, if you think I am changing or if it is too much, I will. I'll make you talk about it first—but if you mean it, that will be that. I won't resent it or hold it over your head later or anything. I promise.
I don't think I could be the way I was again if I tried.
[ He shifts back away from Byerly, but only to give himself space to hold his jaw and look him in the eye. ]
And if later you ask me to stop, if you think I am changing or if it is too much, I will. I'll make you talk about it first—but if you mean it, that will be that. I won't resent it or hold it over your head later or anything. I promise.
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