So, I guess the question that remains is, will you catch up with comments before I end Lord Derby's tale?
Released "Grace has been released," said Memnith. He and Lord Derby were sat in a coffee-house on the Strand. They'd sat at the back, away from the plate-glass windows, in a booth. The high wooden sides concealed them effectively from casual customers, and the waitress had brought them a full coffee-pot and a three-tiered silver tray of petit-fours. "Released?" Lord Derby's self-control wavered for a moment and the biscuit he was holding in his finger snapped in half. "Released in the way Labdaris was released?" Memnith poured fresh coffee into his cup. "No," he said with a tone of finality. "There were elements of the council who wanted that, but it was agreed by a significant majority-" here he looked directly at Lord Derby to make sure he was listening "-that such brutality was not in keeping with the morals and ethics of the country. That caused another discussion though, since her questioning-" "Interrogation," said Lord Derby. "-was then debated as to whether it was immoral, unethical, or both." "And what was it?" "Debatable," said Memnith. He chuckled and picked up the milk jug, upending it over his cup to get the last few drops out. The colour of his coffee barely changed. "The Lords Martial maintained that she was a Prisoner of War and that military rules applied. The Lords Theological maintained that by creating demons she was a heretic, and by creating them from people she had invented a whole new category of sin. The Lords Thaumaturgical maintained that she was still human and was entitled to basic rights." "That sounds like a very academic discussion," said Lord Derby. He set the pieces of his biscuit down on the table. "Although I am surprised that the Lords Thaumaturgical weren't arguing that by using the Power of the King in Yellow she'd forfeit any right to mercy." "And if we had," said Memnith with a ghost of a smile, "where would that put you, exactly? No Ernest, much as it pains me to admit it, you've rubbed off on some of us with your unbending determination to do the right thing. Grace wasn't tortured, or punished without reason, but equally to get the information we all wanted, we couldn't just ask nicely. When she resisted, more force was used. But no more than necessary." "You can be sure of that?" "I was the one questioning her." Lord Derby was silent for several seconds, turning the pieces of the biscuit over and over, pushing them back together and pulling them apart again. "How could she be released?" he asked. "Two reasons," said Memnith. He sipped his coffee and frowned. "I don't know how you can drink this black, Ernest. Firstly, we've been very open about her being a prisoner here. I'm sure his Polish Majesty is also aware of it, and probably wants to talk to her too. Grace isn't stupid, and she's not going to want to go anywhere near a King for whom mercy is a four-letter word. Secondly, the means of interrogation we used have a side-effect: they destroy the memories recovered. She knows either nothing, or little as makes no difference, of her demon-creating works or her time in Carcosa. She has uncomfortable blanks in her memory, and those would worry any prospective magical employer." "That doesn't sound humane." "I know." Memnith finished his coffee. "But of all the ways of questioning her, I can guarantee you that that one hurt her the least and leaves her with some chance of a normal life. She can't go back to what she was, but what spy can when they're compromised?
Huh, I was as surprised as Derby by Grace's release, but the explanation does make sense. Things are certainly drawing to a close now, but I'm glad you've taken this route with the conclusion. It feels... 'civilized' comes to mind :)
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So, I guess the question that remains is, will you catch up with comments before I end Lord Derby's tale?
Released
"Grace has been released," said Memnith. He and Lord Derby were sat in a coffee-house on the Strand. They'd sat at the back, away from the plate-glass windows, in a booth. The high wooden sides concealed them effectively from casual customers, and the waitress had brought them a full coffee-pot and a three-tiered silver tray of petit-fours.
"Released?" Lord Derby's self-control wavered for a moment and the biscuit he was holding in his finger snapped in half. "Released in the way Labdaris was released?"
Memnith poured fresh coffee into his cup. "No," he said with a tone of finality. "There were elements of the council who wanted that, but it was agreed by a significant majority-" here he looked directly at Lord Derby to make sure he was listening "-that such brutality was not in keeping with the morals and ethics of the country. That caused another discussion though, since her questioning-"
"Interrogation," said Lord Derby.
"-was then debated as to whether it was immoral, unethical, or both."
"And what was it?"
"Debatable," said Memnith. He chuckled and picked up the milk jug, upending it over his cup to get the last few drops out. The colour of his coffee barely changed. "The Lords Martial maintained that she was a Prisoner of War and that military rules applied. The Lords Theological maintained that by creating demons she was a heretic, and by creating them from people she had invented a whole new category of sin. The Lords Thaumaturgical maintained that she was still human and was entitled to basic rights."
"That sounds like a very academic discussion," said Lord Derby. He set the pieces of his biscuit down on the table. "Although I am surprised that the Lords Thaumaturgical weren't arguing that by using the Power of the King in Yellow she'd forfeit any right to mercy."
"And if we had," said Memnith with a ghost of a smile, "where would that put you, exactly? No Ernest, much as it pains me to admit it, you've rubbed off on some of us with your unbending determination to do the right thing. Grace wasn't tortured, or punished without reason, but equally to get the information we all wanted, we couldn't just ask nicely. When she resisted, more force was used. But no more than necessary."
"You can be sure of that?"
"I was the one questioning her."
Lord Derby was silent for several seconds, turning the pieces of the biscuit over and over, pushing them back together and pulling them apart again.
"How could she be released?" he asked.
"Two reasons," said Memnith. He sipped his coffee and frowned. "I don't know how you can drink this black, Ernest. Firstly, we've been very open about her being a prisoner here. I'm sure his Polish Majesty is also aware of it, and probably wants to talk to her too. Grace isn't stupid, and she's not going to want to go anywhere near a King for whom mercy is a four-letter word. Secondly, the means of interrogation we used have a side-effect: they destroy the memories recovered. She knows either nothing, or little as makes no difference, of her demon-creating works or her time in Carcosa. She has uncomfortable blanks in her memory, and those would worry any prospective magical employer."
"That doesn't sound humane."
"I know." Memnith finished his coffee. "But of all the ways of questioning her, I can guarantee you that that one hurt her the least and leaves her with some chance of a normal life. She can't go back to what she was, but what spy can when they're compromised?
Greg - ... I doubt it.
Huh, I was as surprised as Derby by Grace's release, but the explanation does make sense. Things are certainly drawing to a close now, but I'm glad you've taken this route with the conclusion. It feels... 'civilized' comes to mind :)
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