A moral quandary Lord Vileburn and Elizabeth left shortly after, though Memnith did a cursory inspection of the Rose Library and hmphed in a way that made Ernest smile. When quiet had returned to the room, and Samual had reshelved a stack of papers, Lord Derby looked up from his notes. "If anything," he said quietly, "I worry more now that the King had made the wrong decision in this matter. Elizabeth's concerns about the demon appear valid to me, and if we only think we know what we're doing when we actually don't, the mistakes we could make could be... important." "Your reading, milord," said Samual, gesturing to the remaining small pile of papers. "Is not convincing," said Lord Derby. He shook his head gently. "It's clear that many of these authors have never been to Carcosa, and some of them express skepticism that the place even exists. There are two, so far, that describe it in any detail, and while those descriptions do match where I was, I think I actually spent longer there than they did. And I was there less than an hour!" Samual sat down in the other chair, perching on the very edge of it and ready to leap to his feet if instructed, or if anyone should come in. His shoulders hunched in a little, and he rested his elbows on his knees. "Then it's all about maintaining the King's dignity then?" Lord Derby started, and stared at Samual. Then a smile widened his lips and danced in his eyes. "Aha," he said. "No, if anything it's about retrieving it. Dignity is a codename, Samual, and I'm afraid that that is everything you're likely to be permitted to know about it. But that seems to be at the heart of this: a moral quandary that the King is trying to resolve. When do you accept you made a mistake and something is lost forever, and when do you keep trying to retrieve it because you still have hope?" Samual frowned and rocked back and forth a little. "It makes more sense," said Lord Derby, "if you think in terms of people rather than objects." "I don't think I really understand, milord, but I am certain that you do." "Sometimes I wish I didn't."
Lord Derby's notes were filed in the Rose Library as he said he'd committed them to memory already, and then he and Samual were conducted to another windowless room which seemed to be underground and, as Lord Derby considered the twists and turns they'd taken, probably under the Barracks across the road from the main body of the Palace. While a small door, unadorned and squeaky-hinged, let them into the room, the room itself was spacious and ornate. The ceiling was carved into geometric patterns, a large ellipse intersected by several parallel lines standing out and encompassing many of the others. The walls were hung with tapestries which had metallic designs woven into them, and each tapestry was hung on a rail to allow it to be moved across its wall. The floor was clear, but at the sides of the room there were sideboards filled with objets d'art. "This is usually an examination room for students of the magical and thaumaturgical arts," said Magister Keith. "It's constructed to cope with students getting things wrong, or losing control. Which makes it a rather safe space to open a gate to Carcosa." Lord Derby nodded. "The interesting part is that in order for you to come back you'll need to open a gate yourself."
2 comments:
Woohoo! One week and then it's a new job!
A moral quandary
Lord Vileburn and Elizabeth left shortly after, though Memnith did a cursory inspection of the Rose Library and hmphed in a way that made Ernest smile. When quiet had returned to the room, and Samual had reshelved a stack of papers, Lord Derby looked up from his notes.
"If anything," he said quietly, "I worry more now that the King had made the wrong decision in this matter. Elizabeth's concerns about the demon appear valid to me, and if we only think we know what we're doing when we actually don't, the mistakes we could make could be... important."
"Your reading, milord," said Samual, gesturing to the remaining small pile of papers.
"Is not convincing," said Lord Derby. He shook his head gently. "It's clear that many of these authors have never been to Carcosa, and some of them express skepticism that the place even exists. There are two, so far, that describe it in any detail, and while those descriptions do match where I was, I think I actually spent longer there than they did. And I was there less than an hour!"
Samual sat down in the other chair, perching on the very edge of it and ready to leap to his feet if instructed, or if anyone should come in. His shoulders hunched in a little, and he rested his elbows on his knees.
"Then it's all about maintaining the King's dignity then?"
Lord Derby started, and stared at Samual. Then a smile widened his lips and danced in his eyes.
"Aha," he said. "No, if anything it's about retrieving it. Dignity is a codename, Samual, and I'm afraid that that is everything you're likely to be permitted to know about it. But that seems to be at the heart of this: a moral quandary that the King is trying to resolve. When do you accept you made a mistake and something is lost forever, and when do you keep trying to retrieve it because you still have hope?"
Samual frowned and rocked back and forth a little. "It makes more sense," said Lord Derby, "if you think in terms of people rather than objects."
"I don't think I really understand, milord, but I am certain that you do."
"Sometimes I wish I didn't."
Lord Derby's notes were filed in the Rose Library as he said he'd committed them to memory already, and then he and Samual were conducted to another windowless room which seemed to be underground and, as Lord Derby considered the twists and turns they'd taken, probably under the Barracks across the road from the main body of the Palace. While a small door, unadorned and squeaky-hinged, let them into the room, the room itself was spacious and ornate. The ceiling was carved into geometric patterns, a large ellipse intersected by several parallel lines standing out and encompassing many of the others. The walls were hung with tapestries which had metallic designs woven into them, and each tapestry was hung on a rail to allow it to be moved across its wall. The floor was clear, but at the sides of the room there were sideboards filled with objets d'art.
"This is usually an examination room for students of the magical and thaumaturgical arts," said Magister Keith. "It's constructed to cope with students getting things wrong, or losing control. Which makes it a rather safe space to open a gate to Carcosa."
Lord Derby nodded.
"The interesting part is that in order for you to come back you'll need to open a gate yourself."
Greg - day four is tomorrow!
Ooh my, that ending. Interesting part indeed.
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