T'ain't much of a chapter, I know, but deciding where to place it had been a bit...tricky. It had to go before the beginning of the "Corrections" arc, but I couldn't quite decide if it belonged before or after "The Hunted."
I hope I made the right choice.
Okay, standard disclaimers of ownership: I own...um...
Wait. Do I even name any characters in this one?
I know who I want the speakers to be, but I mean to leave the identities open, with the intent that it won't set any future arcs in stone. Mostly to allow for alternate timelines that share histories, but also to cheat my way around any "out-of-character" nonsense.
Either way, naming names would kind of restrict that.
Which brings me to the other tricky part of this chapter: Getting the scene the way I want it, without it being obvious who the speakers are. Or without giving readers an impression that won't work within any of my universes.
Or without turning it into a "Mr. Exposition" chapter.
*sigh*
If I'd done this chapter properly, I would actually have sprinkled some of the details throughout the entire story, or at least a few relevant arcs, instead of an info-dump in a single chapter.
But if I'd done that, I might have forced myself to commit to a given set of characters (and in the case of one of my original ideas, a given set of traits), rather than leaving it open for my alternate timelines.
Well, you know the drill, so let's get on with the story.
Intermission
"I thank you for the...courtesy to grant me this audience," the visitor said.
The host merely snorted in derision.
"Truly," the visitor insisted. "You have every reason to hate me. I would not blame you if you threw me out."
"Just get on with it," the host said. "Tell me why you wanted to speak with me, so I can throw you out."
"Our two peoples have a shared past," the visitor began. "I've looked over my history. Our goals were once the same as yours. Our job is the same, even now—"
"Ha!" the host interrupted. "Your job is nothing like mine. We may have a similar focus, but our goals were never the same."
The visitor did not speak until the host signaled to continue. "Your job, I believe, is to protect the boy, yes? To shield those with such power, especially from those who do not understand it, a world that fears those who are different. Your give such as the boy the means to fulfill their potential, to serve their purpose."
The host hesitated, then nodded. "You know much about my people."
"Not enough," the visitor admitted. "My job, on the other hand, is to watch those with such power, to restrain them, if need be, to ensure that such power is not unleashed, uncontrolled, against a world that is not ready for them. Surely you understand the damage such power can have."
The host nodded again.
"And given that damage, and how it would affect your job," the visitor continued, "is there any reason why our two goals must be exclusive? Why can we not pursue them together?"
"Because my job," the host snarled, "is to protect and teach such people. I try to ensure that my quarry will survive long enough to learn control. You...not so much."
"We do have options that you do not," the visitor agreed, "but there are others. And for any option to be effective, we require a thorough understanding of these powers. It is in pursuit of that understanding that we are lately taught to do as we have done. The job is the same; it is the methods that have changed."
The host thought this over, then finally nodded. It made sense. It did not mean the visitor was truthful, but it did make sense. "And what do you want from me?"
"Nothing," the visitor replied, "for the moment. I may trade information at a later time; simply knowing that I have that option must suffice for now. I must learn who else I can speak to, who I can trust. Many are set in the ways I've been taught, and I dare not reveal myself to them."
"The rot runs deep," the host said.
"And this rot cannot simply be cut out," the visitor added. "Not until I know how deep. Until then, neither my associates nor yours can afford to know that we have spoken."
"Agreed," the host said. "So long as you give me no cause to doubt you. And the boy?"
"I will do what I can," the visitor said, and sighed. "I will try to limit the damage they will cause. But I dare not give them cause to doubt me. Anything I do, I must give them a reason for it, so that the rot does not cut me out."
"Since you must hide among the rot," the host said, "see to it that the rot does not infect you."
The visitor sighed. "I will certainly try."