"I mean, I don't usually have time for regret." Philippe, scratching his lowering scalp, to remotely regret like these days is strange to him.
"You worth eons. And you said you don't have time to feel?'
"My job as CEO took me 6 hours a day. I spent 4 hours doing all the administration work, 2 more hours for whatever dinner party to fit into the elite circle, 2 more hours for scheming. Every day, including weekends. Really, I had no time to look back."
"Indeeđ. It is always chasing after tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow."
"As if you could live until tomorrow." Philippe laughs and looks at Raymond eyes to eyes. " There are tons of accidents that could take your life away. How do you know if your lovers, your family or your employee just take your time when you asleep?"
"You are so distrustful, even toward your family. Is that why you don't do your best to get Sylvia out?"
Raymond talks as if he was testing the water, carefully and slowly. That does get to Philippe.
"I had access to the locations of all people inside the system." He sighs then blows out the secret he has been keeping for the last 60 years.
"You could give that to me on the first day or any other day!" Raymond starts scolding him. "That would help a lot to catch those criminals. Hell, that would certainly make sure nobody went out of the line."
Hearing the word "out of the line" cringes Philippe. After all, the Timekeeper Department always underfund and not equipped with enough information. He collects himself and explains his uncomfortable about giving out that kind of information.
"I told myself that was against my own rules of intruding other's privacy. And did you think that knowing all the clocks' actions and where-being would be too all powerful? You cannot hide from me with that clock. You cannot do anything without thinking about your overlord - me. I really don't like people to suffer more fear, their short existence is enough to care about."
"Ok. I get your point. You are against being too much of a cruel dictator." Philippe has to roll his eyes with that dictator word but let Raymond go on without an excuse. "If you are so against that option, you could have limited that to your daughter's case only. She is, after all, your daughter. You should have done everything to save her like your word."
"And that action alone could raise too many questions about how I get that information. However, I certainly could throw one thousand years to save her that day. That is nothing and I could take that back in no time. But I still not do that." Philippe tries to avoid talking about him not treating Sylvia as he should and instead talks about the paradox that confused himself for this whole time. Why?
"I knew that she would rob my bank, I could raise more defense. I could hire people to just take her back. But I did not do that. I could change my password to all things in the world, but I chose something she thought I like."
"So I was right? You were her accomplice?"
"Don't be ridiculous! I do not believe her small resistance could lead to anything."
"Me too. That was too easy to be true. If so, I would not want to believe they could actually win something I could have done 50 years ago."
That is impossible. Even though Philippe did try to brainwash and redirect people's mind, humankind can not change from a violent and passionate and wild race to become domesticated and obedience. 'The star dies, but the light never dies; such also is the cry of freedom.'
"How long have you been in the force?"
"50 years."
"And you did not remember anything come close to a revolution? Even though I would say the last 60 years are quite peaceful, but to say everything is in order would be a lie. The Economic circle makes sure that any problem would arise whenever interest rises. "
"I mean, there was Will Salas's father. He fought the gangs around zone 12. He was not able to get to any higher up zone before he died though."
Will Salas family. That New Dayton resident, how did he get to the city's center? He related to Henry Hamilton's death. Henry Hamilton... he was one of the smart heirs, still not want to dirty his hands with the ruling procedure, still wanted to scold him about human's right and extending time-life. Actually, with Philippe understanding, Henry's death - or maybe his suicide, considering his appearance in New Dayton, is predictable. Some person does not want to live...
Hm. Henry Hamilton inherited more than a million years. He did not have an heir or any close relative. For Philippe's plan, the more money he has, the better his situation can be. He should find those years.
"What are we going to do now?"
"Why do you need to do anything, Raymond?"
"I don't know, Weis. My clock ends. I expected myself to die then. I don't know what to expect now. You know, my outer appearance got frozen, and my mind, then, it was static, it was stuck on wanting to live more, for just one more day. Now, when my clock comes out of the picture, that life signified nothing. My liffe signified nothing. What should I do now?"