TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote1
REDLAND
As Carl is going back to his hotel room late at night after meeting with the local Fae, Redland bounds up.
"Howdy! I was hoping to catch you before you left, but I guess I must've missed you. I've been talking to Meredin about our situation with Mr. Usher and Ms. Hamilton. I wanted to get her advice, as she is very intelligent and offers valuable insights.
"Meredin's read of the situation, is that if we agree to Mr. Usher's deal, the Fae as a whole will likely benefit, you will be able to further your plans, Auda, Henrik, and Rebecca will benefit, and Ms. Hamilton would likely benefit as well, so there's no particular downside.
"I have a lot of confidence in Meredin's assessment, so I guess my recommendation is to follow through with the terms of the deal at your earliest convenience.
"What are you thinking?"
CARL
Carl, tired and a bit on edge after a long session with the Fae, is startled, as much as anything else, by the sheer novelty of Jack “bounding up” to meet him. He stares, a bit blankly, for a moment then shakes his head with a smile.
“That was a lot all at once, wasn’t it? Fortunately, there is one quality Miss Quesne [sic] possesses in abundance that you did not mention, and that is discretion. If you were talking about anyone else, I should be very very worried right now – you’ve been giving away our secrets, Jack, in large numbers.
“Am I to conclude then,” he adds mildly, “that you’ve discussed not only the Usher deal, my negotiations with Hanna and Usher’s separate interests, but also Henrik’s marriage, Auda’s Kingship, and my own larger designs? What about your private deals with the Dark Pharaoh? Were they in there too?”
Carl laughs once, shaking his head ruefully.
"I don’t really mean to needle you Jack. Really I don’t. I know you have a vested interest in seeing me proceed. Meridin Caine is very discreet, professionally so, but even so, everything you tell her becomes a thing of value which she *will* use to her advantage when she can.
“Did you swear her to secrecy at least?” Mildly curious look.
REDLAND
"Now, I wouldn't go blabbing about everything. For instance, I haven't said anything about Auda's kingship... er, but everything else, yeah. Now that you mention it, I probably /should/ ask her about Auda's kingship...." [Jack winces slightly]
"Sorry, I know I ought not to be making light of your concerns. Let's see. I've told Meredin everything that might pertain to me in some way, which would include my dealings with the Dark Pharaoh, Pentheus, the search for Donal, any dealings I've had with the Fae, of course, and well, lots of other things. Um... I've also specifically told her anything that I think might be of interest to her, which mainly includes Fae or Nightsider-related issues.
"I didn't swear her to secrecy. I trust her. She's a kind person and she wouldn't do anything to hurt me.
"That being said, I've tried to tell her anything I can that she might find valuable. She seems...
"I want to assure you that I haven't spoken of Mr. Usher's plans regarding Ms. Hamilton with anyone else, nor do I intend to. I'm pretty sure I haven't discussed any of our secrets with anyone except Meredin.
"Anyway, if there is anything you don't want me to tell her, please let me know and I'll keep a lid on it. I don't want to get you into any trouble."
CARL
Carl sighs. “All right. Let’s take a few minutes.” He gestures toward his room – to the elevator, if we’re still downstairs. “Will you come in?”
…
Opening the room, setting his satchel by the table, Carl removes his coat and hangs it in the closet. He doesn’t say anything more but waves you to a chair, then settles opposite.
“I’m afraid I’ve rather left you out to dry, haven’t I?” he says, watching you. “I apologize for that.
“But here’s the thing. I have asked you to be my negotiator, yes? To be a diplomat and spokesman for the King of Life. That means a lot of things. It means that you get to hear, and influence my opinion on,” he raises an eyebrow, “a lot of issues that I would never mention otherwise. You get to hear my secrets, my plans, because you must know of them, if you are to be able to maneuver with the proper context. And because I consider you a friend, I expect you to have my best interests at heart, and to keep my secrets secret, and watch my back. As I do yours.
“As an ordinary man, a private citizen, of course you can do what you want, say what you wish to whomever you like. But you’re not just giving away your own secrets here. You’re giving away mine. And Auda’s and Rebecca’s, and the King of Life’s, and so on. Those are worth a lot, you know. And Hanna’s secrets too; she may not wish Miss Kane to know the things you or I do about her. I haven’t asked; I shouldn’t have to. It would never occur to me to share her confidences with others. It’s too easy to do her harm, and she is both powerful and very exposed.”
Carl leans in a bit, folding his hands.
“Now, you like and trust Meridin Caine. I’m glad you do. You’re the first person I’ve ever met, however, who referred to her as ‘kind’. Perhaps I don’t know her as well as you, but I have known her longer, and in my experience kindness has taken a backseat to business acumen and the delicate job of maintaining a balance of power by keeping secrets. Do you see? I don’t know the Miss Kane you do; and you, apparently don’t know the one I’ve met.”
Carl leans back again, settling his weight on one elbow.
“So that’s my speech for the night. Do try to remember that you are not only carrying your own secrets, but other peoples’ too – and you ought to ask them before sharing what isn’t yours to share. And note, too, that I have never asked you for the details of your promises to the Dark Pharaoh. It’s the same courtesy, really.
“… Just how does she feel we’ll all benefit from this little play, anyway?”
REDLAND
OOC: Shoot, this will play out a bit awkwardly regarding Redland's later blabbing about the plan to unofficially observe the field test.. but I'll try to finesse that one when it comes up next time! I suppose It's possible he'd already told Pentheus before this conversation took place.
IC: Redland looks stricken. In fact, it almost seems like he might cry. It's really quite awkward and embarrassing.
"Carl, I'm really sorry. I've behaved terribly. I've been a bad friend. I guess I just wasn't thinking. I don't know what to say... let me just grab my things."
He gets to his feet unsteadily and heads for the door.
CARL
"Wait, Jack! Where are you going?" Carl stands, surprised by the vehemence of Jack's reaction.
REDLAND
Redland reaches the door and then kind of slouches down. He says dejectedly:
"I guess I'm not really sure. Where can I go? It's not like I have a job anymore... I mean, what am I doing here, in America? A couple of months ago I was at the library working on my paper. I just... I don't know if I can take it anymore... I think it was that fricking 'Communion'. It just brought out so starkly how empty my life is. I have no one... nothing..."
He hurriedly rambles on, "Listen, you don't want to hear about this garbage. I talked to Pentheus, and it'll be another week-and-a-half before the field test. I'll pull myself together and meet you there. I won't let everybody down."
CARL
With a sigh and a frown, Carl gestures to the chair.
“Come back in here, mister,” he says, trying to soothe. “It may not seem like much, but you have us. We need you, Jack. I need you. And I like you.” Simply. “You are my friend, and I’m not about to abandon you over a misunderstanding.
“Now … can I get you some tea?”
REDLAND
Redland fumbles at the door for a second and then nods, "Okay. Yeah. Sure."
Whether he's talking about the tea or something else entirely isn't quite clear.
He slumps back into the chair looking particularly wretched. (Though, I suppose it's not as though he ever looks all that great, even on a good day!)
CARL
Carl picks up the telephone, calls the desk and orders some tea sent up for both of them, then sits again, facing Jack.
“All right,” he says. “Why so quick to leave? How bad is it really?”
REDLAND
When Carl turns away to use the phone, Redland surreptitiously wipes his face. When Carl turns back, Redland looks a little more composed.
"No, no. It's alright. I apologize. I've had some... issues... with depression in the past. This is nothing serious like that. I've just been feeling a little... off... since L.A. I'm usually able to suppress my emotions better. Feelings are such an... imposition on others, you know?
"Maybe I'll take tomorrow off. Instead of studying Boris's documents on 'magic' or looking for Donal or whatnot, I'll go to a museum or something fun like that and take it easy.
"Don't worry, though, I haven't forgotten my obligations. I'll be ready to do what needs to be done. You can count on me."
CARL
I’m sure I can.” Carl smiles, relieved, and returns to his chair.
“They’ll have the tea up here shortly. In the meantime, tell me… “
He thinks for a moment, trying to find the words, then looks up inquiringly.
“… Jack, is any of this … fun for you? Exciting? Are you here only because you have to be, or is any of this its own reward?”
REDLAND
Redland sits back, seriously considering the question. He seems to be making an effort to behave like his usual self, though he still looks pretty ragged.
"Hmmm. Let's see. As to the first question... fun... I'd have to say, 'no'." He pauses for a moment. "Er, that is to say, mostly 'no'.....
"Exciting... sure. Though, perhaps not surprisingly, 'exciting' isn't necessarily my cup of tea, so to speak.
"On the other hand, I have learned some pretty interesting things, which is always good. And as was pointed out to me recently, if the Outsiders triumph, there probably won't be a lot of use for my paper on the gold standard. Which is to say, that what I'm learning now is more important than what I'd be learning in the stacks in England.
"Hmmm. Sorry, I'm rambling a bit. Let's see, your last questions seems to contain a false dichotomy. I'd say that, yes, I'm only here because I have to be, but at the same time, I've had some rewarding experiences. I might even go so far as to say that it has been good for me. Just because I wouldn't choose it doesn't necessarily mean it's not the right thing for me.
"That being said, after I solve this problem with the Outsiders, my current plan is to leave all of this magic business behind and work on repairing my reputation in the academic community. It's generally right for a person to pursue his comparative advantage, and, while I think I can be considered an expert in economic theory, I'm still a rank amateur in all of these mystical matters.
"Never fear that I'll abandon you halfway through, though. Despite the fact that I've always heaped scorn on Deontologists, I know where my duty lies... and I've been working hard every day to get up to speed on what I need to know. Heh, that's why I need that day off!"
CARL
Carl listens intently while you talk.
“Then you should take it. I’d hoped you’d come out to New Jersey with me in the morning, but it sounds like you may need to be away from all of us for a while.” Carl smiles, though he is obviously still concerned.
“Jack, what I hear you saying is that we’re not using you well – or rather, that you’re not being engaged to your own best advantage. Am I right? How would we do that? The Fight isn’t really about magic, you know; it’s merely that this … technology … isn’t well understood, and that the monsters, the weapons, the mediums of exchange all seem miraculous – so steeped in folklore that ‘magic’ seems the best term, and ‘science’ one of the first victims. I’m one to talk, hmm? With my King of Life and Principles and so forth? Those don’t seem rigorous or technical at all. They’re merely the tools we have – the ones we know.
“So let’s think about this a moment. How can you help the Fight from your own position of strength? You’re an economist. Seems to me, that means you have a combination of mathematical acumen and a lot of very specific domain knowledge. Am I right? Well, by that same definition, I’m an engineer. I’ve had to step a long way out of my old box to be effective in the Fight, but it’s a knowledge of electrical engineering that got me here. Can’t we do something similar for you?
“The math, for example, is a definite help. You probably have knowledge of statistics and can do a lot of numeric models in your sleep. Yes? I can’t imagine real-world domain specifics will help us much when dealing with Outsiders, but it may very well help when dealing with nations and churches and other organizations like Pentheus and the Trujillo Tower. And beyond that – we don’t know much about the Outsiders, except that they’re generally deadly to us – but we do know that there is a process of communication and exchange that they recognize. And where there is communication and trade, there may be an economy. An economy that we mortals are not a part of, but that exists *between* the Outsiders, based on entirely unearthly conditions and values, exchanging unimaginable goods for unknown benefit.”
Carl leans forward, eyes brightening, gesturing with his hands.
“Does that interest you, Jack? It interests me – because I’ve seen it. I know the place exists where they trade, and I’ve seen it in action. I just don’t know what I’m seeing. I don’t even have the background to make sense of it – but you do. Why do you think I was so interested in your offer to be a negotiator? Because you have eyes and a mind – and an education! – to see things I don’t, right where I am most blind. I think I’ve said before, I wanted to take you there – but we’ve both got caught up in the pace of events. It hasn’t happened yet.
“D’you think it’s possible, even in part, to become a part of such a system, to use it to negotiate leverage somehow? Because if it is, to negotiate directly, to know one’s strengths and weaknesses in such a value system – if they have one – then Pentheus’ system, by comparison, is a crude and clumsy one! And working through the Dark Pharaoh or Others like It is so dangerous, precisely because It has Its own agendas that we will never know, and perhaps cannot understand. I don’t trust It, and can’t think of any way to ensure Its reliability. We need someone local – someone like you – to figure the system out and learn how to play the odds.
“D’you think, Jack?” Carl looks expectant.
REDLAND
[BTW, do you need a recap of what happened at the end of the last session? I've been lazy about updating the website lately, so there's not much there]
"If I could be of particular help in New Jersey, let me know. While I think I need a break, I'll have plenty of time for that before the field test. Everything else I'm doing prior to that here in New York is not of a particularly high priority or time sensitivity. Well, unless Thomas can locate Donal for me, but that probably won't be for awhile, I'd imagine."
Redland brightens up a bit.
"Some of the cutting edge work being done in economics is in the new discipline of econometrics. Though it is not in my primary field, I have, of course, kept up on the literature. There are some fairly sophisticated models being developed...
"However, economics is far more than just statistical analysis and the mathematics of exchange. Certainly one of the key concepts in the field is understanding the concept of scarcity and the optimal allocation of scarce resources. But things such as the difference between marginal effects (as opposed to average or total effects) is also a critical concept. And the conept of 'utility' is a particularly useful tool in understanding behavior. Understanding (and predicting) behavior, that's really what economics is about. Oh, and incentives. We're particularly in tune with understanding the influence of incentives on behavior..."
[He pauses for a second]
"Ah. Sorry. That's really neither here nor there, right? Um, there's a pejorative saying in the discipline, 'All the work is done by the assumptions.' While it's obviously being used critically, there is a lot of truth there. I bring this up, only because I don't think you have been 'misusing' my talents (what few I have). I've only been with you guys for about 70 days or so. Much of this time I've been skeptical (and ignorant) of many things pertaining to the Outsiders. As such, any model I'd've developed would've been worthless, since my assumptions would have been invalid. Sadly, I'm still woefully ignorant. This is why I spend every day doing things like reading Boris's lecture notes or practicing channeling energy. I like to think that my critical thinking skills are solid, but if I don't understand the foundations, if I can't formulate the proper assumptions, well, I'm just an ignoramus with a fancy model.
"Insofar as you think my current level of 'real world' knowledge is sufficient to be of value for anything (nations and churches), please let me know.
"Insofar as my knowledge is lacking, well, that's why I negotiated with the Dark Pharaoh, took Communion with the Fae, stayed behind to talk to the snake people, etc. If I'm going to deal with the Outsiders, Fae, snakemen, and others, I've got to learn as much as I can, as fast as I can. If this means I get cursed or tainted or whatever, so be it. I don't intend to throw my life away, and I won't let anything tamper with my brain, but I will do whatever it takes to make sure we win... and that we win in the right way."
CARL
[Actually, yes. I had to leave before it was over – so I missed the ending. Things were just starting to go awry when I walked out the door…]
Carl nods. “You’ve been doing the right things then. Or so it sounds to me. One of the problems we have – all of us – is simply that we know so little. When the very laws of nature alter from encounter to encounter, and everything displays so many more degrees of variability than you normally find in the day-to-day world, anything we try to extrapolate from normal life is worth that much less!
“I told you I’d been to the, call it the negotiating place. It’s difficult to describe, because one doesn’t see or hear it, exactly, but … Outsiders are there. They come there, or exist nearby, and they’re all different. Most are so astonishingly different that they and we have no commonality at all – no means of understanding. Before one can even communicate, one must find something that has … enough features in common … so that communication is possible. Then one must build up a common ground, of understanding and value. It’s not easy. It’s bewildering. But I should think that modeling utility and incentives, in cases where you have no assumptions to start, would be very useful indeed.” He grins.
“What’s a deontologist?”
REDLAND
[I've attached something I'd already written up. It is mostly accurate reporting, though there is one outright lie. Rebecca actually caused the people to run into the fence.]
"Deontology is any theory of ethics that is centered around 'duty'. As opposed to a theory with a sensible summum bonum, such as 'happiness'. Deontology is popular with philosophers on the continent, as opposed to the far superior philosophy practiced by those of us in the U.K.
"As to the Trujillo Tower, if you think I'd be ready to go to such a place, I'd certainly be willing... from what I've been hearing from the locals here, it can't be any worse than New Jersey."
CARL
Laughter. “Actually, most of New Jersey is quite lovely; there’re just a few areas close to Manhattan that are desolate. All in all, Jersey is prettier than Trujillo, and not just in the scenery. I don’t like the Tower at all, and I think their process and philosophy are horrible – but they have an immense amount of information, ready for the asking.
“So deontology really isn’t related to ontology? When you used the word, I wondered. I’ll have to look it up … so what do you in the UK call your ethical model then?”
REDLAND
"We've cornered the market on Utilitarianism. A deeply misunderstood and unfairly maligned theory of ethics, if you ask me. But then, as something of an adherent, I guess that's unsurprising.
"Hmmm. I'd have to brush up on my roots. Insofar as ontology is 'metaphysics' and deonotology is a subset of 'ethics' (which in turn could probably be considered a subset of metaphysics), it's all a bit confusing.
"Well, the Tower or New Jersey, you let me know where you need me. On the topic of philosophy, I think we've discussed the Tower philosophy before, but is there anything in particular I need to know? I mention it, because I'd like to talk to the King of Fate and I'd like to avoid any missteps with him. Among other things, I'd like to know what he and his people did to Pentheus when they were here. I'd hate to think they did something that will botch up the field test and cause me to be eaten."
CARL
“Oh, I don’t think you’ll get to the Tower right away, unless you want to hop skip and jump through a number of portals. Otherwise it’s a sea voyage to Spain; and since we – or at least I – will be heading that way in a month or so anyhow, why rush?
“Theo and his folk are, I believe, in China at the moment. I haven’t heard from him for a few weeks, however, so I’m not up to date. What did you want to talk to him about?
“Tower philosophy is very pragmatic. Whatever gets the job done, by definition, is allowed, and in fact is mandatory. The ‘job’ itself, of course, is ‘whatever the Master wishes.’ No real pretense of ethics or morals, or so it appears from the outside. You’d have to ask him for the fine details.
“Is there anything you need to know? I guess so. Theo, now the Master of the Tower, used to work against the Tower, with me. He helped to destroy the previous Master and took his place. Unfortunately, Theo carries the old Master’s legacy … which includes a quietly powerful and insistent voice inside him that tells him how things ought to be done. How much he listens – how much his own views have been changed by that – I cannot say.
“The Master’s powers are to spin peoples’ fates. He is able, I believe, to select your future for you, by snipping off the threads of alternate possibilities, removing choices.” Carl stops for a moment, just lets that sink in, then continues with a shrug,
“As for what they did to, for, or with Pentheus, I don’t believe they’ve spoken directly. Tony mentioned investigating one of their labs, but I have no details. Next time I talk to him, I’ll ask.”
REDLAND
"Pragmatism. Ugh. I think we have to blame you Americans for that one. Though I guess it sounds more like the philosophy of Thrasymachus.
"Depending on how receptive he is to my questions, the most pressing thing I wanted to discuss, is what happened at Pentheus so I don't get killed at the field trial. I wanted to hear his views on 'well capping'. I want to know what they're planning on doing so that our team and his team can work in concert, if possible. I feel like I might be missing something here. I took some notes awhile back, I believe, on what I wanted to talk about, but it is one of those things that has always gone to the back burner. Now that the field test is almost upon us, I feel a greater urgency to speak to him...
"I guess I also feel as though I should give him another chance. I have a very low opinion of him from our first brief encounter, but I may have jumped to conclusions too rapidly.
"Hmmm. He can cut off your possible futures, eh? I'm not sure how that could be possible, but it certainly sounds horrible."
CARL
“Theo is a good man.” Carl pauses briefly. “He is, has been, under a lot of pressure. Carrying the legacy of the King of Fate can’t be easy. Aside from all sorts of other complications, it has thrown him in opposition to a lot of things we stood for together. You must form your own opinion; once he and I were friends, but nowadays we’re more like uneasy allies.“
Carl turns, settling forward a bit, becoming a bit more businesslike.
“I Last time I talked to Theo, he had modified the ‘well-capping’ scheme. One reason he felt we needed to cap the well was because the existing configuration has, in his estimation, damaging effects on the world. The cap was a drastic proposal to avoid the damage, as well as a way to lessen the threat from Outside – this latter point is one where we disagree.
“He told me, when we were in Los Angeles, that he’s found another way to avoid the damage, without the catastrophic side effects. Instead of capping the existing well, he wants to open another one, spreading the load and allowing a more balanced flow of energies. This is possible because there is, apparently, a second blocked well that I didn’t know about. It’s in Antarctica, not far from one of the portals connected to the Redoubt.” Carl grins. “So sometime in the next couple of months, a group of us gets to make a trip south into some very old ruins on the polar ice cap. That should be very interesting.”
REDLAND
Redland yawns.
"Sorry about that. I guess I'm pretty tired. I should probably get back to my hotel and snag some shuteye.
"If you want me in New Jersey tomorrow, let me know. If not, well, at the very least, we should talk again before we head out to South Dakota. It's my understanding that you'll not be here in New York too much longer, right?
"Oh, and if you could think of a way that I could contact the King of Fate, that'd be a load off of mind. If not, eh, what can you do?"
CARL
[Running down, are we? J ]
“Well... You want to speak with him, yes? As opposed to a letter, or a message passed on? If so, then the only way would be to contact him mentally; they don’t have telephones in that part of the world.” Carl taps his forehead suggestively. “I know you don’t have his signature, or any of the others that are with him, but I do. I could call them, and try to bring you into the call, though I’m not the best at that – Rebecca is better….” He stops, hesitates.
“Ah – do you *want* the King of Fate to have your signature?”
REDLAND
[Heh! I'm not sure if you've 'filled in the gaps' of your stay in NY/LA, but I figured if we closed this one down and then talked again on the 9th, we'd, potentially, have a boatload of new topics!! Also, did you get the summary okay? I sent it as an attachment, which is always dicey. If not, a little earlier today I attached it to the 'wiki', so you might have better luck there...]
"If we contacted each other in that fashion, he would definitely have my signature? Would I have his? Would that allow him to... 'do something' to me? If we were to somehow meet in person, could he just grab my signature anyways? What would.... er, maybe I should give you a chance here..."
CARL
[Quite true. I don’t have my exact timeline here at work, but as I recall, this is the evening of the 6th. The evenings of 6th, 7th and 8th I’m working with the Fae; daytime on the 7th I’m in NJ most of the day; the 8th I go to Boston to meet with factory and shipyard folks. I forget what happens on the 9th, but I think I leave by rail that afternoon – so a further meet on the 9th will be the last till we meet in South Dakota. That works for me. Oh, and BTW, Theo’s people contact *me* late afternoon on the 7th, which does indeed clarify a lot of things.]
“Yes. If you spoke to him that way, he would have yours, and you would have his. I don’t think he could reach out that way and automatically ‘do’ anything to you, but it would allow him to find you if he needed to, certainly. If you were to meet in person, he could easily get your signature, simply by touching you. He could do it without touching too – but you’d feel that, it’s obtrusive.
“I didn’t mean to upset you, Jack. Anything I just said of him is probably true of me as well. I just happen to think he’s spookier than me.” Carl shrugs, raising his hands in a ‘what-can-you-do’ gesture.
REDLAND
[I'm not sure what you're going to find out in the next couple of days, but, hopefully, it'll be interesting! Redland is unlikely to uncover too much more of interest between the 6th and the 18th (when we started up last session, I think). I finished up most of my important things already, and they all took place prior to our conversation here. Unless something on Donal popped up, (which would just require more work for Janyce!), I'll only be doing minor stuff for a couple of weeks. So, if you wanted to pick up another conversation on the 9th, I'm game!]
"Okay. No, I mean, that shouldn't be a huge problem. If he's okay with, uh, 'talking' to me in that fashion, I'd be okay with it, too. If he cared, which I'm sure he doesn't, I imagine he could snuff me out quite easily whether I do this or not.
"I might want to wait a day or two on it, if that's okay... I'm pretty worn out. It's been a tough week. But let me know what works best for you."
CARL
“I’m happy to help, Jack, if it will help you, though I don’t know when Theo will be free… and if he’s onsite somewhere, it would be best not to contact him without some warning. Most likely I’ll be leaving on the 9th or 10th myself, but that gives us a few days yet.”
Carl glances at the door.
“You sure you don’t want to wait for the tea? It’ll be here soon.”
REDLAND
"Thanks, Carl, I appreciate it.
"Well, I'd hate for it to go to waste. Sure, some tea sounds nice. Just let me close my eyes for a couple of seconds."
CARL
“Of course. Make yourself at home.”
Carl rises, leaving Jack to his own thoughts, and quietly putters about the suite, close to the end of his own long day. A few minutes later, there is a knock at the door, and the promised tea arrives on a white covered tray. There is a murmured exchange, and Carl brings in the tea. The tray goes on the sideboard, the cups and saucers on the table, and there is a companionable silence as the tea leaves steep.
REDLAND
After sucking down a spot of tea, Redland seems to rally a bit.
"Say, do you think I would find it worthwhile talking to someone in this Brotherhood of the Beast? Is that organization a major player? Now, from what I understand, they seem to be pretty evil. However, is it a certainty that that they would be of no help? Does the Brotherhood have a common purpose or are they just a group of individuals seeking their own interests... who are not particular in how they go about achieving these ends?"
CARL
Carl chuckles softly. “Waking up?”
He sips his own tea before answering.
“I would say both – though I could be wrong. The records we have about them show that there is a definite commonality of purpose, and part of that commonality includes a doctrinal worship of Nyarlathotep. One of Its aspects, anyway – the Beast, the Ravager, the Destroyer. A different aspect than the Black Pharaoh you have met (though there is a cult for that aspect as well.) The Brotherhood lays claim to a hermetic tradition that comes out of Egypt, but I don’t know much about it.
“What I do know is that they have tried, more than once, to create ‘Keys’ – devices and even living persons who become physical gates for Outsiders, so that They can come and go at will to ravage the world. The Brotherhood have extended an awful lot of effort into that sort of thing in the past.
“On the other hand, the Brotherhood members I have met personally have been very secular in their attitudes, keen, power-hungry, and extremely egoistic. We did not talk philosophy, so I can’t say how much they were driven by faith. There is a global organization and a fair amount of concerted effort, but the Brotherhood’s officers operate with extreme autonomy too. I wouldn’t be surprised to find that some, at least, of the high-ranking members care more for personal gain than dogma or loyalty.
“I think the Brotherhood is very unlikely to want to ‘protect’ the world from the Outsiders, all in all. Quite the opposite. Some of them might be bought, I suppose, but given the wealth of the group and its members, the price would be high and the results unreliable.
“If they had an arch-rival group we could play them against, perhaps … but I don’t know of one.
“Does that help?” Carl sips.
REDLAND
"Hmmm. I'm not sure... insofar as they are 'True Believers', it would certainly be harder to bring them to the table in a useful manner. Obviously, if their goal is the destruction of the world, we would (likely) have insufficient commonality of purpose to strike up a useful conversation.
"On the other hand, if they primarily worship an Outsider, it is conceivable that they could achieve their purpose without harming the world.
"Similarly, if they are, as you say, primarily secular, it is unlikely that they want to die in the near future. Probably they would have some sort of pact in place with an Outsider that would protect them. However, as long as they are not dogmatic, it may be the case that they are open to reason.
"If we could resolve our differences short of conflict, that would be, in my opinion, worth exploring.
"Also, it is likely that they have some knowledge of Outsiders that could be valuable to us.
"I have been marked by the Dark Pharaoh. I don't know if this would make them more disposed to talk to me, as opposed to being indifferent or outright antagonistic, but if I could open up a dialogue, it strikes me as having the potential to be beneficial to everyone... and there's nothing I like more than a positive-sum game."
CARL
“Agreed.” Considering nod. “But what would you say?
“I approve of negotiation, but you have to have something to offer, as well as something you want, don’t you think? “ Carl is intrigued. “Dialogue by itself is not enough. Where would you take it?”
REDLAND
"Well, my negotiating style, if it could be called such, is generally to try to find out what people want and then give it to them. I'm not sure if you've ever seen me 'negotiate', but I am not gifted at dealing... sharply. To do so requires too much posturing, at which I lack the skill and too much conflict, for which I lack the will. To a certain extent, this means that people can take advantage of me. However, while I lack the desire to deal sharply, I am willing to walk away.
"So, to actually answer your question, I would come to the deal... not prepared to ask for anything, but prepared to offer something. What that would be, I'm not sure. It depends on the nature of the person I would speak to. Perhaps I can help them acquire what they want in a way that does not result in harm to the world. I wouldn't need to ask them for anything... allowing me to help them (in the right way) would be all I'd want... And then maybe we could coexist peacefully."
CARL
Carl laughs softly. “I see what you mean,” he says. “You’d be a dangerous man to head a negotiating team then. It sounds, however, like you’d be a good man on a mission to find out what someone wants or needs, without too much bias.”
His gaze sharpens a bit, thoughtful.
“What we need, however, is someone who can figure out what the other guy *really* wants or needs – not just what they *say* they do. Do you think that’s something up your alley?”
REDLAND
"Yeah. Something like that would probably play into my strengths. Heck, even my (manifold) weaknesses could serve me well in such an endeavor."
Redland finshes up his tea and sits thinking for a moment.
"Of course, as I say, when it comes to an organization like the Brotherhood, we may see all three aspects of your division. That is, they may say they want one thing, really want something else, but actually need something else entirely.
"I like to think that I'm intelligent enough (as well as sufficiently... nonthreatening... amiable... harmless?) that people will take me seriously when I attempt to articulate these divisions."
CARL
“And it might be different from person to person, aside from the organizational goals. True. Word to the wise, however, people rarely look well upon someone who tries to tell them what they need, especially when it’s different than what they want… or what they say they want, which might be serving some other goal. It might be best to make the assessment, but not try to sell the other guys on your conclusion – or even mention it, hmm?”
REDLAND
"Admittedly, I seem to make it a personal quest to tick off the members on my own team with alarming frequency. Never fear, though, since it takes awhile for a person to realize how irritating I truly am..." Redland again pauses for a second. "Now, I could be mistaken, but (so long as I'm not talking about supply and demand or something) I believe I can do a reasonably good job of reading a room and telling people what they want to hear. Not necessarily an admirable quality, but... Heck, I can even squash my annoying tendency to make... 'witty'... comments, if the situation warrants. ... Well, probably." Pauses again. "Say, what is it you're looking to accomplish in New Jersey?"
CARL
Carl raises an eyebrow. “I’m starting to set up the first of the Faerie embassy sites. Medea has sent some people to examine the locale and make a few final decisions, and I’ll be meeting them tomorrow night, but I need to do some preparation also if we’re to set the stage properly. So tomorrow during the day I’ll walk around, take measurements, do a few Kingly things, and set the stage. I could use your help, if you’re willing, to act as a second pair of eyes and hands. You know, hold measuring tapes, help me draw patterns, report on any effects you might notice, shake me if I get too caught up in a trance, that sort of thing.” He grins. “Not romantic or dangerous, but it could be interesting. And it’s very pretty countryside. Lots of tramping through the forest though. If you’re more of a museum fellow, I understand.”
REDLAND
"Hmmm. 'Not romantic or dangerous, but could be interesting.' That's right in my wheelhouse. In fact, it may be a perfect description of me, personally. I'm in."
Backpedals a bit.
"Er, there won't be any Fae there, right? I'd also like to get back somewhat early, if possible. That aside, I'd be happy to help."
CARL
Laughter. “No Fae in the middle of the day – check.” Pauses. “I’ll come back out myself tomorrow night.
“And in that case, we’d both best get some sleep. We should be ready to leave about ten tomorrow.”
REDLAND
"Sounds good. I'll see you bright and early(ish) tomorrow. Dang, I'm exhausted...
"Thanks for the chat. Sleep well."
CARL
"Goodnight, my friend. You too."
