Ars Procudendi


Sloane: "For me to send them after the way they behaved in Monte Carlo, not to mention the way Sydney just behaved in my office, would be tantamount to rewarding them for insubordination. I thought I would have your support on this."

Jack (pauses, then): "Arvin, the nuances of fatherhood may elude me, but...there is one thing I am sure of: You are not going to forge any kind of bond with Nadia if you attempt to keep her from working with her sister."

Alias 4x07, "Détente"


Lies are fragile.

Through the decades, you've learned no matter how careful their construction and how ingenious their creator, they are easily dismantled or shattered. Those whose deceit is a seamlessly forged, if occasionally double-edged, blade are rare; and though you know them, arguably too well, you have preferred telling the truth

just not all of it.

Veracity is both more complex and infinitely simpler, a mosaic of pieces to be shifted, revealed, or obscured. The small section you'll let one person see is not false per se, but neither does it show the whole picture:

The Passenger's bond to the one chosen to realize Rambaldi's work, corroding one side of his relationship with his daughter. Your face next to Nadia's, overshadowing his paternal attempts, seamlessly merging into your far less paternal notions. Nowhere to be seen: Rambaldi endgames of power and glory.

You'd consider the situation an exemplary case: damned if you do, damned if you don't

if it wasn't Arvin Sloane, hardly an apprentice sent on a fool's errand. Yet his fires are your forge: from the scattered pieces of his lies and your parts of the truth, you'll shape the perfect weapon.

And slay this second master.


A/N:

1. Huge heaps of gratitude to my dearest Elise2 for her awesome beta work.

2. Written for Yahtzee's Give & Receive Ficlet Meme.

3. Because I realised Latin is a dead language: procudere, procudo, procudi, procusumto forge.

4. Yes, my Jack killed Irina. I'm still hoping Jayjay's didn't.