Hey, sorry this took so long, work really dug into my schedule. Either way, this chapter is mostly talking, and a motive is revealed at the end, so stay tuned for that. Also, we get to see more of Albert for a little while, which is always nice to have.
I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 11
Playing Games
Compared to how tense it was during the trial yesterday, the atmosphere in the observation room was almost relaxing. Almost.
It was meant to be Chiaki's shift at this time, but her emotional state wasn't the best, so Celeste offered to swap shifts with her. I was confused why Celeste of all people would want a larger workload, but I figured she probably decided that, since the only thing she could do on this island was play with her cards, it wouldn't make a difference whether or not she also had to watch people while she played.
Since nothing too eventful was happening while the students investigated the island, she managed to talk me into playing cards with her, so she wasn't stuck with solitaire. I told her I didn't like poker, especially when I'm trying to concentrate on a group of children, so we met in the middle and played Go Fish all day.
I watched each of the student bed up for the night, thoughts of their discoveries filling my head. I was still searching for evidence that I didn't have to prove Maki's innocence. With every passing moment, she just looked more and more guilty. I was starting to believe that maybe deleting her would be the best course of action, maybe there wasn't anything to lose. Still, I really didn't want to take that chance.
"Did you notice?" Celeste asked. "While Monokuma was making his speech about "World Ender," he made reference to a member of the organization. No doubt he meant Alter Ego Chiaki. However, he didn't make any reference to Maki or her situation. Is that not odd?"
"Yeah, yeah, it's proof they're in cahoots or whatever." I said. "Got any fives?"
"Go Fish." She said. I added a card to my hand. "I'm not sure why you're so adamant about defending her, when so much points to her being an enemy. Are you perhaps smitten with her?"
"Nah. She's cute, but her personality leaves something to be desired. Hey, kinda like you, now that I think about it."
"Okay, that's just rude. Got any queens?"
I revealed my queen, and handed it over. "Either way, I wouldn't expect you to understand, considering you would've willingly killed everyone just for some money."
She glared at me. "You know, Al, it's behaviour like this why you're still in E rank."
I rolled my eyes. "Like I care about your dumb ranking system. Got any twos?"
"Go Fish. In that case, please enlighten me, why do you care so much about this random girl who you're not even sure is human?"
"Because, it's like I said last night. I just can't abandon empathy for another person like that. Even if there's a 1 percent chance that she's human, I have to keep her alive."
Celeste considered my words for a while. Finally, she said, "Got any sevens?" I handed her my seven. "...Okay, let me ask you this, then. Assuming she is real, what if she was about to kill one of your friends, say... Chihiro, and the only way you could stop her was with lethal force. Would you still stand by and hold onto your ideals?"
"I... I don't know." I admitted.
"It's a simple question."
"No, it really isn't. You're asking me to choose between part of who I am, and something I care about. That'd be like if I asked you to choose between never being rich and powerful, or never telling a lie again. You wouldn't be able to answer, right?"
"...I suppose you have a point."
"Obviously, you'd be fine with killing someone to protect what you care about, in the same way I'd be cool with never lying again. Like Byakuya says, judging other people's values based on your own outlook is extremely dangerous. You can't just ask me to become a murderer. If I just went and did that... I'd be spitting on everyone who died to get me this far."
"You have some interesting ideas about honouring the dead, don't you? Perhaps you could be the Ultimate Mortician." She added a short laugh after the last part, to make it clear she wasn't serious. "Still... it does make me wonder how horrifying you would be if you were to become an Ultimate Despair."
"That's what I'm worried about. Not even the Despair thing, just... what are my limits? Like that question you asked me... Would I kill someone in order to protect my friends? I don't know. I don't know how far someone would have to push me before I break... Something similar happened in Towa, you know. Even before I realized all those kids were being held hostage, when I thought it was only Byakuya, I still told Makoto not to send in reinforcements. It wasn't quite the same thing, since I still had the chance to save at least most of the civilians, but I was still taking a huge risk just to save one guy."
"And Byakuya is hardly your favourite in our class."
"Exactly. How far would I be willing to go for Chihiro or Makoto? I don't know."
Celeste seemed to realize that we weren't really playing anymore, as she set down her hand of cards. Grand Bois Cheri must have also realized this, because he jumped out of her lap and onto the table. His tail scattered the deck of cards all over the place. Celeste grabbed a nearby lint roller and swiped it across her skirt, picking up all the stray grey cat hair stuck to it.
The fat feline made his way toward me. I slowly rose from my chair and backed away. "Celeste, remember when I said I was allergic to cats? I'd really prefer not to have a stuffy nose on top of everything..."
"Grand Bois Cheri, come back here right now." She demanded. When he did not immediately obey her, she reached across the table and snatched him up.
"You said he was acting weird lately, right?" I recalled.
"Ever since we got to this island. Though this is the first time he went after a person."
"A person? As opposed to...?"
"Well, he usually spaces out and stares at a wall for a while. Every so often, he'll make his way to the computer over there. It's like he's distracted by something that isn't there..."
I laughed. "Well, they do say some animals have a sixth sense. Maybe he's just drawn to me because of all my misfortune and negative energy."
That earned a light laugh from Celeste. "Don't be ridiculous, Al. Besides, wouldn't an animal be afraid of someone who brings misfortune? Perhaps Grand Bois Cheri sees something in you that even you don't know is there. Something nice and peaceful."
"Is that your attempt at cheering someone up?" I shook my head with a smirk. "And what, you don't buy supernatural stuff, but you want a castle full of vampire butlers?"
"How did you...?" She paused when she realized who she was talking to. "It's scary how much you know about us, and how little we still know about you."
"Hey, I'm an open book. If you don't know something about me, it's because you didn't ask. But don't worry, I won't make fun of you for wanting vampire boyfriends. To tell you the truth, I've always wanted a pet dragon, myself."
"Okay, I think that's enough for one day." She said. "You're still clearly mentally exhausted."
"And physically." I added. "Don't forget physically. It's not my fault I have trouble sleeping. Every time I close my eyes, I'm back at the killing game..."
"I can certainly sympathize with that." She admitted. "Still, I'm sure there's no shortage of sleep medication on this island."
"Yeah, I guess." I rubbed my forehead. "Hey, maybe the next time I see her, I could ask Seiko to make me something."
"Who?"
"The Former Ultimate Pharmacist. She's the branch head of the 4th Division. Her and I never really talked, but she was in Toshihide's class before the Tragedy, so I guess we have... or, had a common friend. Also, I'm pretty sure she's related to Susumu, but I never asked her about that..."
"I didn't need to know all that, but thank you, Mr. Exposition." She said. "You really should go and try to get some sleep, though. You're only going to be getting in the way when you're sleep-deprived, you know."
"Thanks, Celeste. I didn't know you cared so much." I got up and headed for the door. "I'll see you in the morning, alright?"
As she picked up her scattered cards, she bid me farewell. "Yes, see you then. Oh, and I'm still three wins ahead of you."
I nodded and made my way out of the building. What I didn't tell her was that my next destination was actually the archives, what the Future Foundation had turned what was left of the library into. I may not be able to gleam much by watching the students sleep, but I may be able to find out something by re-reading what little information we have.
The next morning, Maki found herself listening intently to the others in the dining hall. She didn't contribute to the conversation herself, but took interest into each of the students' opinions on the matter at hand. As Hajime entered last, she called out to him, "Hey, Hajime, right on time. What do you think?"
"What do I think... about what?" He asked.
"Isn't it obvious? What we discovered yesterday, about the traitor and World Ender and whatnot. Do you have any ideas?"
"After one night's sleep... there's no way I'd suddenly find out anything."
"Well, that's obvious..." Mahiru said. "The same goes for me, too."
"I didn't get enough sleep last night because of that baffling nonsense." Peko admitted.
"B-But... I wonder if it's really true... That there's a traitor among us..." Mikan said.
"No need to worry! You don't have to worry about the traitor at all!" Nekomaru insisted.
"H-However... if, by chance, a worst-case scenario..."
"Impossible! Even in a worst-case scenario! You don't have to worry about the traitor!"
"What do you mean?" Hiyoko asked. "You're being awfully certain about it."
"Of course! In fact, that so-called traitor is tied up at the moment and can't move at all!"
"...Huh?" Hajime exchanged glances with several of the other students. Maki nearly choked on her toast, and glared daggers at Nekomaru.
"Tied up... you say..." Sonia repeated. "Um... Could you be... referring to Nagito, whom we have not seen since yesterday?"
"Who else could it be!?" He asked. "Nagito's the traaaaaitor!"
"Wh-What about that other part?" Hajime asked. "Where you said he was tied up and can't move..."
Nekomaru's expression made it clear he had put his foot in his mouth. After a moment, he shouted, "AW CRRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPPPP!" Then, he started glancing around the room. "H-Hey, Maki! What should I do!?"
"You imbecile! Don't rope me into this!" She groaned as everyone's gaze fell on her. "You know, I shouldn't have expected the loudmouth to stay quiet. This is my fault, really. I had too much faith."
"...Hey, what does this mean?" Mahiru asked sternly.
"Look, I wasn't going to let him off the hook just because the fireworks didn't hit him, alright?" Maki said. "We can't let someone like him run around free. He's too dangerous."
"Teruteru died because that guy tempted him, right...?" Nekomaru asked. "So that makes him a killer too! It's necessary to deal with him in an appropriate way."
"So that's why you left him tied up..." Peko nodded in understanding. "However... that cannot be helped. He is quite dangerous."
"How should I put this... he's a little creepy..." Mikan agreed. "Ah, not that I want to badmouth him."
"He's not a little creepy, he's creepy to the max!" Ibuki shouted. "His creepiness is so high he could sell tickets to see it!"
"Hmph, that's truly a nice line." Gundham remarked. "Every fibre of my being agrees with you. That's right, there is no existence more troublesome than that of an incomprehensible human... What they like and what they hate... What makes them happy, what makes them angry... It's normal for all beings to have standards rooted in experience so they can predict their opponent's actions. But at times... those standards do not work on certain opponents. Those are the most fearsome opponents of all. Establishing a relationship with such a human... is impossible."
"You should be careful." Mahiru warned him. "You're teetering on the edge yourself."
"No, no. He's got an interesting viewpoint." Maki argued. "Gundham, with a little effort, you could make a good psychologist."
"Thank you, but you can keep your domain with the humans. I'm more comfortable mastering the behaviour of beasts for the time being."
"Anyway, where did you two tie up Nagito?" Mahiru asked.
"The dining hall in the old building. I figured it would be a while before anyone found him there."
"That's... where Teruteru got killed...!" Hajime realized.
"He needs to reflect on what he did in that place..." Nekomaru said.
"So you're saying it's better to kill off a troublesome ally before they turn into an enemy." Hiyoko laughed.
"Gaaah! You killed him!?" Mikan shrieked.
"No, Hiyoko's just being a little snot." Maki shot. "We just knocked him out so we could tie him up."
"Then what shall we do with Nagito at this point?" Peko asked. "Let's hear everyone's opinion."
"Hmm... it's not safe to let him walk around freely." Mahiru admitted. "There's no telling what he'll end up doing next..."
"He's also the most likely person to be the traitor." Hiyoko said.
"So isn't it okay if we just keep him tied up for a while?" Akane asked between bites of food.
"If so... It seems it would be better to watch him for a while." Sonia decided.
"But it would be bad if we don't let him eat or drink." Hajime said. "He might end up dying for real..."
"Well obviously, I wasn't going to let him starve." Maki defended. "I was going to sneak him some food after breakfast."
"Jeez... I didn't expect you two would do something like that..." Mahiru scolded.
"And I really don't get why you aren't treating it like a good thing."
"Teehee... and I thought that tiny boy was up to something again..." Hiyoko teased.
"Who are you calling "tiny boy"?" Fuyuhiko asked, making his way up the stairs.
"Wah! You're here!?"
Fuyuhiko shook his head. "It figures... You guys are messed up. Is that what you guys do? If you don't like your "buddy," you corner them... Tch, look at you sheep acting all righteous."
"Nagito is far from our "buddy"." Maki argued. "He's actively trying to halt our progress because of his ideals. He's our enemy."
"Oh? Did the shitty sheep all bleat at me?"
"...As a word of warning, if you don't want to join him in the chains, you'll stop being such a hindrance yourself."
"Try it if you dare, bitch!"
"Your threats are weak. I've dealt with some twisted monsters over the years, real criminals. Without the Kuzuryu Clan to hide behind, you're just a cowardly crook."
"Wh-What did you say...!?"
"...Enough." Peko said. "Knock it off, you two."
Fuyuhiko silently boiled as he glanced between her and Maki. When he had calmed down, he said, "...Y-You bastards... I'll make sure you regret that later...!"
Maki rolled her eyes as he left the restaurant. "What a fool..."
"Maki... let us stop this already." Sonia begged.
"Jeez, all this fighting... I can tell it's not going to be easy in the future..." Mahiru said.
"The future... huh... I wonder if we even have a future..." Mikan said quietly.
"Hey, don't start mumbling like that! If you do that, I'll get depressed too!"
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"Either way, I believe we should get to work." Byakuya said. "We truly won't have a future if we can't find a way off this island."
The other students agreed, and finished up their meals before heading out.
The bell of the diner door rung as Maki pushed her way inside. It was about noon, and everyone had been investigating the new island thoroughly for the last few hours, some more than others. Maki had taken a break from reading her case binders, and instead spent the morning investigating with everyone else, if only because the sunshine was good for her skin.
Her eyes turned to the only other customer in the diner. Byakuya had in his hands a double-decker cheeseburger and a milkshake. "Hello."
"Hey. Eating our sorrows away, are we?"
He sighed. "Is it that obvious? I've been doing my best to hide my thoughts from the others."
"Yeah, well, unfortunately I'm just that good at reading people. But in all seriousness, you've got me worried. You've only been talking when issuing a command or something, and even then, it's toned down. Really, you're just throwing around suggestions like everyone else. That's not like you."
"What do you know about the real me?" He asked.
She couldn't think of an answer. She walked up to the counter. "So, is this place self-serve or something?"
"Not quite. Just state your order."
"Um, okay. I'd like a cheeseburger, smashed, some fries, and... I don't know, a coke?"
Suddenly, a Monokuma appeared behind the counter, wearing a classic white diner hat. It held a ticket in its hand, which it passed through the window to the kitchen. A moment later, a tray containing Maki's order was passed through, and the Monokuma passed it to Maki.
As she grabbed it and turned away, she muttered, "Queer..." under her breath. She made her way over to Byakuya's table, and took a seat directly across from him. "My figure's going to hate me for this later, but I currently couldn't care less."
He forced a smile. "It's like I always say: People will flake out and let you down, but carbs are always there."
"Right..." She took note of the fact that he sounded like he was talking from experience. She eyed his expression with her heterochromatic gaze, but he betrayed nothing. "Well, anyway, all I really wanted was to make sure you're still good. If one person loses it, the whole group's going to suffer, you know?"
"You don't have to worry about me. I'll cut myself out at the first sign that I'm causing problems. But I also don't see myself as fit to lead anymore. If you care to take up the mantle, feel free."
She laughed. "God, no. Hopefully, my days being burdened by a group are over."
"I take it you had bad experiences with leading in the past?" He asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Something like that. Let's just say I fit better in an advisory role. Though I must say, I didn't think the Ultimate Affluent Progeny would be able to self-reflect so well. Honestly, I assumed a Togami would be too prideful to admit when they went wrong."
"Don't you get it? I failed. I swore on the Togami name that I would keep this group safe, and I failed. I'm not worthy of the name Byakuya Togami."
"...I know a thing or two about living up to expectations. But the way I see it, if you're not worthy of something, do you really need it?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... Say I was in a similar situation in the past. Let's say I had a name, and identity, that I tried to live up to. But then I failed to meet those expectations. Personally, I'd just change. Change the identity that people wanted me to live up to. They tell you success requires hard work and dedication, but if you're smart enough and don't mind settling for something less, you could just change the goalposts to something more manageable."
As Byakuya finished his burger, he seemed to consider what she told him.
"Of course, I guess it would be a little trickier to pull off if you're such an influential figure like Byakuya Togami. It would really suck to have so many people rely on you."
The boy seemed to be considering the door. He checked his watch, sighed, then pushed his empty milkshake cup to the side. "Waiter, keep 'em coming!"
The two continued their conversation well into the afternoon.
"Ahem... Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make... Emergency, emergency! Students, head over to Jabberwock Park as fast as you can! Come on, hurry up! Whoever gets there first, I'll treat you to my special-made curry rice tomorrow night! Come on, hurry the eff up!"
In accordance with Monokuma's overly-pushy announcement, the students headed straight for the park. Of course, their main motivator was the threat of an uncertain death rather than the thought of eating some curry rice made by an animatronic teddy bear. Well, barring one student...
Akane pumped her fist in the air as she arrived at the deserted park. She quickly scanned the area, and saw that she was alone. "Yahoo! I'm the first one here! The curry's all mine!"
Hajime, who arrived seconds behind her, shook his head in disappointment.
Sonia, despite not reaching first place, shared Akane's excitement. "Indeed, I wonder what kind of curry it is!"
Hajime stared slack-jawed. "You too...!"
Ibuki arrived next, in the middle of a thought. "What's the scientific term for when you get hungry after hearing the word, "curry"!?"
Fifth was Fuyuhiko. "You guys are fucking stupid... Don't get worked up over something so idiotic..."
"Finally, there's something we can both agree on." Maki said as she arrived. "But it's at least impressive that everyone can get so distracted despite our situation. Isn't that right, Byakuya?" She turned expectantly to the rotund boy next to her.
His eyes wandered to everyone who arrived before him. "...I'm assuming this means I'm too late for the curry, then?"
Fuyuhiko facepalmed before shouting, "Hey, where the hell is Monokuma!? Get out here!"
"Okie-dokie, thanks for waiting! Thanks for the miracle of waiting!" The voice of the bear rang through the park, and once every student had arrived, he appeared in front of the statue.
"Hey Monokuma! I was the first one here!" Akane declared. "That means I got dibs on the curry!"
"No need to rush, no need to rush!" He assured her. "I'll properly treat you to my special-made Monokuma Curry tomorrow night."
"M-Monokuma Curry...?" Hajime repeated.
"It's an extremely delicious curry made from unknown meat, wilted vegetables, and a mysterious brand of rice!"
"I can't imagine anything delicious... based on those ingredients..." Mahiru said.
"No worries! It takes skill to make curry nasty!" Ibuki declared.
"That is truly a nice line... but it is meaningless." Gundham countered. "Now Monokuma... let us hear what your business is. However, you should know I, the Supreme Overlord, have very little time to spare, understand? If this is something foolish, know that I will feed your remains to these beasts!"
"Huh? Huh? You haven't noticed yet? The reason why I summoned you guys... If you look closely at this park, you should be able to notice."
Everyone's gaze turned to the massive television hooked up to an arcade machine off to the side. They all had curious expressions on their faces, but Chiaki simply approached it. "Ah! Isn't this an arcade machine?"
"Puhuhu... thaaaaaat's correct! Sooooo I would like the long-awaited Recreation Time to begin!"
"Don't tell me..." Hajime groaned. "You're going to tell us to play this game..."
"Hey, what's the game?" Chiaki asked excitedly. "What games are on this?"
"I've only prepared one game, but... it's truly a gem." Monokuma assured her. "After all, it's a game that I personally created!"
"...Huh? You did?" Hajime asked.
"Then... it is not something I could possibly look forward to playing." Sonia said.
"No no, don't compare it to those amateur fanservice games... You know that famous game that everyone's been waiting for a sequel to? Well I made a brand-new game instead!"
"F-Famous game?" Hajime repeated.
"Now then, I shall present it!" Suddenly, he booted up the arcade cabinet, and the giant television lit up with it, revealing the title screen. "Tadaaaa! The name of the game is Twilight Syndrome Murder Case!"
"What the heck!? That's pretty lame!" Hiyoko said. "I wanna play games about riddle-solving professors or collecting cute monsters."
"Stupid... Don't say such silly things! What if we get weighed down by all the quarters!?"
"Twilight Syndrome is an adventure game series..." Chiaki explained. "The first one was released in 1996... It's about a group of high school girls who go exploring in order to verify numerous urban legends... The player controls the character like a side-scroller."
"I have no interest in weak things like video games!" Nekomaru declared. "And... I don't even know what generation a game that old is!"
"With your face... I find that hard to believe." Mahiru remarked.
"But adventure games are boring and tedious to play, right?" Hiyoko asked.
"Don't diss adventure games... Besides, there's a lot of reasons to make one..." Monokuma defended. "You know... like budgetary reasons!"
"Man, and I was a big fan of the series." Chiaki sighed. "I don't know why, but I feel like you totally tainted the series."
"Shouldn't you be tainting you face with tears of gratitude? I've cast a spotlight on a neglected title!"
"And what's the point of this game?" Hajime asked.
"...Hm?"
"I mean... it's not like your telling us to play it just to enjoy it, right?"
"Puhuhuhu... you certainly noticed the good part. That's right, this game is gonna be your next motive! The motive you need to kill people! After all, I'm gonna get bored if the next blackened doesn't show up soon!"
"This game is the... motive...?" Chiaki asked.
"In truth, this game's theme is a missing link. You know, it's a recurring theme for mysteries, right? It's kinda like a hidden connection."
"Wh-What... does that mean?" Mikan asked.
"If you're interested... then try playing it!"
"...O-Okay."
"You can't!" Mahiru warned. "You gotta say no! It's a trap!"
"What? Not playing would be the dumbest thing we could do." Maki argued. "What we should do is play it while we're all together like this. That way, no one's out of the loop, everyone's prepared. The difference between someone who's prepared and someone who isn't, in a situation like this, is their vital signs."
"...Wh-What do you mean?" Mahiru asked.
"If someone secretly played it on their own, they would have the advantage, right? They'd have a chance to strike while we're weak. And we'd have to spend our investigation period playing the game in order to learn their motive."
Monokuma laughed. "You guys are all enemies, you know? Is it really all right for your enemy to have an advantage? If you're going to just ignore it, then do whatever you like, even if you're fully aware of the situation. Bye byeeee!" With that, he disappeared.
"Wh-What... the heck...!" Hajime asked.
"Anyway, it would be dangerous to carelessly touched this game. There is no mistaking that." Peko decided.
"Y-You are right..." Sonia agreed. "It might be better if we wait and see how this plays out."
"Guys, I'm not going to pretend I don't know what's going on." Maki said. "You all don't trust me because I messed up once before. I made a bad call, and now you don't trust my judgement. But if we don't play this game now, it's only a matter of time before the next blackened does. At that point, they'd become a hunter. And we'll be the hunted."
"Th-That's a messed up way to think about it...!" Hajime said.
"...But it's true." Fuyuhiko agreed. "Heh... it's your loss if you end up dying. All we need to do is kill if we want to live. I don't want to end up like Teruteru or Kazuichi." With that, he turned and walked off, away from the group.
"B-But... Maki and Fuyuhiko make good points..." Mikan said.
"You too!? What're ya sayin'!?" Akane asked. "Do ya really wanna kill someone that badly!?"
"It's not like that... I mean, how can you be cautious if you don't even know the motive!?"
Mahiru shook her head. "That... That might be true, but..."
"...It doesn't matter." Chiaki decided. "Motive or otherwise, it doesn't matter... I won't let another killing happen. I will never... ever... let a killing happen."
Suddenly, a bell rang, and the monitor for the park booted to life. "Ahem... Hope's Peak Academy's School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make... It is now 10:00 p.m. Please return to your rooms and relax. Let the sound of the ocean gently rock you to sleep. Now then, sweet dreams everyone. Good niiiiight..."
"It's already that time, huh..." Nekomaru said. "It's better if we just break for today."
"I'll try to think about it tonight more carefully..." Mahiru said. "The correct thing for me to do... But regardless, I will never kill anyone. I mean, it's impossible."
"M-Me too... it's definitely impossible..." Mikan agreed.
"...Fine." Maki said. "I'll let it go for now. Let's hope a time doesn't come when I have to say "I told you so." I'll be holding you to your oath, Chiaki."
The girl nodded, her expression more serious than anyone had seen yet. Just as quickly as her resolve showed itself, it was replaced. She yawned deeply, and rubbed her eyes.
With that, everyone headed to their cottages for the night. The fear of the unknown hung over them all night.
Albert had a talk with a friend, we revealed that Maki and Nekomaru took out Nagito, Maki had a talk with the Imposter, and the motive was revealed. That's enough for one week of work. Or, one-and-a-half weeks, I guess. Almost two, actually. You know, these statements won't really age well when people read this like, a week from now and don't experience any the wait between the chapters.
In the next chapter, we'll see how this motive plays out, and if anyone will be tempted to play it.
