Sime~Gen Roleplaying on IRC: Snake River Dam Scenario
Episode #177: Drug-Dealing, Snake-Loving Bastard (6/4/01)
Borgmann nods his thanks to Nick, and scuttles past the Donor to Arat's desk.
Borgmann: Controller Arat, thank you for giving me a moment of your time.
Arat looks upon Borgmann with the strained patience of a man who has been hounded nearly beyond his limits by a person who is, basically when it comes down to it, though he may not agree with this assessment, Borgmann's fault. 1
Arat nods.
Borgmann can't zlin a quiver in Arat's Farris nager, but the dark circles under the eyes speak for themselves.
Borgmann: I had a rather disturbing conversation with Professor Ro yesterday. I was hoping that you could help me put some of his statements into perspective.
Borgmann, unlike Arat, is unable to keep the effects of severe insomnia out of his nager.
Arat's eyes widen slightly. It hadn't occurred to him that Ro might spread the answers to his questions around.
Arat wonders if that is what has happened.
Arat would have hoped that Ro would have the decency to go back to Gen Territory and pore over his papers in solitude like a good researcher.
Arat: What statements did he make?
Borgmann: We were discussing Minister Plum's upcoming trial, and its political ramifications.
Borgmann: He implied that these were likely to be significantly more severe than I had thought.
Borgmann: Even to the point of endangering Unity itself.
Borgmann has found that the past winter has given him a fresh appreciation for the Tecton's selyn-delivery system, and how precarious it really is.
Arat considers.
Arat: You say he only implied it.
Arat thinks it is difficult to evaluate such a statement without specifics.
Borgmann: He's an academic. He never says anything directly.
Borgmann: He seemed to fear that the Church of the Purity would be able to use Plum's trial to gain functional control over the New Washington government.
Arat frowns.
Arat sincerely doubts it, but he cannot claim to be an expert so he says nothing.
Borgmann: That is not consistent with my childhood memories of the Church's power, although I admit that I have not followed New Washington politics as closely as Professor Ro no doubt has.
Arat: I see.
Borgmann: However, there was a certain edge to his nager -- he seemed to be fearing a personal loss in connection with Plum's trial, and the surrounding publicity. I had been told that he was an academic, not a politician?
Borgmann: I got the distinct impression that he wants the trial stopped entirely, and not for the reasons that he presented.
Arat: Does it seem inconsistent for an educated Gen to care if the Church of Purity gains power over the government?
Arat asks this totally deadpan and without sarcasm, which not many could do.
Borgmann: He was sincere enough in his distaste for the Church. But this seemed more personal than that. It's nothing I could quite put a tentacle on, but....
Borgmann spreads his tentacles in a gesture of helplessness, plainly ~~ uneasy ~~
Borgmann: And then there were all the questions about Hajene Wise Snake, and her known and suspected extra-legal activities.
Borgmann: He asked me how the Tecton would treat her, and you, if they become public knowledge.
Borgmann: And whether I knew of any hold she might have over you.
Arat assumes that was just an attempt to get information about Arat without asking him about current affairs, the direct approach having proven unfruitful.
Arat: Do not be concerned about that.
Arat: He is studying me.
Borgmann looks cautiously ~ relieved ~
Borgmann: I see.
Borgmann: About Minister Plum's trial....
Borgmann: Have you any suggestions for how to minimize its negative impact?
Arat: Upon whom?
Borgmann is personally heartily sick of the whole business, but all his wishing hasn't been able to make the problem disappear.
Borgmann has been thinking a great deal about priorities.
Borgmann: First, upon the Tecton's ability to maintain donations at sufficient levels to meet its obligations, both here and in other Tecton-affiliated Sime Territories. If that fails, nothing else matters.
Borgmann: Second, upon the integrity of the the Norwest and Nivet Territory governments, which must depend on its citizens' trust that justice will be served.
Borgmann: Third, upon the continuing development of relations between Sime and Gen Territories, and finally, to the extent possible, upon all the individuals whose lives and careers will be affected, starting with Minister Plum, and not ending with ourselves.
Borgmann realizes that many of these goals are mutually contradictory.
Arat: I do not believe the trial, whatever its outcome, will have as far reaching an impact as you suggest.
Arat believes that lawyers and judges all over both Territories will observe the proceedings with great interest, and that it will enter into the body of precedent and be used with great glee in the future, mostly to the detriment of individual obscure prosecutees.
Arat is certain that he himself could suffer greatly if it was shown that he did not move to seize Plum from Borgmann's custody quickly enough.
Arat is fairly confident that the IDAS' reputation as ogres is so great already that one more scandal involving IDAS will have no effect whatsoever upon its operations.
Arat does not see the issue of Snake's behavior coming into play any time soon, simply because it has no bearing on the court case and the judges will not allow it to be talked about officially.
Arat supposes it would be a disaster if that last became a public scandal; however, it does not strictly speaking have anything to do with the trial, which is what Borgmann is talking about.
Borgmann: And the publicity surrounding the trial?
Borgmann: Is there any way to limit or control the sort of coverage it receives?
Borgmann thought of several, but none of them were legal, strictly speaking.
Arat studies Borgmann.
Borgmann has accepted Arat's analysis that the situation is not so dire as Ro believed, but being constitutionally incapable of not worrying, he is looking for further precautions to take, just in case.
Arat: To do so may be unwise. Why do you wish it?
Borgmann is ~ ashamed of his own cowardice ~
Borgmann: I fear what might happen, if the coverage gets out of hand. Goodness knows that there have been enough irregularities over the past winter to start a full-scale investigation and witch hunt, if they are presented in a suitably dramatic fashion.
Borgmann: I know we can't muzzle the reporters -- I wouldn't want to live in a society where we could, to be truthful.
Borgmann: However, there must be ways to limit the damage they can do.
Arat wishes Borgmann would just come out and suggest whatever it is he has in mind.
Arat certainly doesn't know.
Arat: We must endeavor at all times to be honest and truthful about what has occurred.
Borgmann nods.
Borgmann: It might be possible to divert them with favorable news stories, at least somewhat. We have had our share of successes, here, or we would never have survived the winter.
Arat frowns.
Borgmann is not averse to diverting a starving wolf pack by giving it his saddle horse.
Arat: If you are asking if I approve of such tactics, I must stress that I do not. Unless they also include being cooperative when you are asked about what occurred.
Borgmann nods.
Borgmann: That is always wisest. Frankly, I think that in many ways, the truth will work in our favor.
Arat wouldn't go that far, but he does believe that not appearing to try to cover anything up will minimize any catastrophe.
Borgmann: For instance, Professor Ro seemed to have heard that Plum was imprisoned to force him to donate, rather than being forced to donate because he was imprisoned.
Arat has no comment on that sort of ignorance.
Arat knows it has no place in the courtroom.
Arat knows that the courtroom facts will be attended to in gory detail if the media catches hold of it, and that the entire affair will be irrelevant if the media doesn't.
Sylma manages to overtake Jeniard on his way back to his quarters.
Sylma is, of course, easily athletic enough to overtake just about anyone, without augmenting.
Sylma: Hajene Jeniard, do you have a moment?
Jeniard wasn't exactly taking his time; he only gets a few minutes to get the place cleaned up and glug some tea.
Jeniard: Uhh... sure Sylma.
Jeniard scratches the tea off his list.
Jeniard smiles at Sylma.
Sylma falls into step beside Jeniard.
Jeniard: What's up?
Sylma: I was hoping that you could satisfy my curiosity.
Sylma: I'm trying to understand Controller Arat and his immediate staff a little better.
Sylma smiles back, in the charming fashion that has always allowed her to get Sedel to do just about anything she wants.
Jeniard: Uhhh... right.
Jeniard peers at Sylma wondering just what the heck is going on here.
Jeniard is fairly certain that Sylma has learned a lot about Arat and his immediate staff just by spending day in and day out with Arat for the last two months, but who knows?
Jeniard: So what do you want to know?
Sylma: I've been noticing some rather strange irregularities, and hearing about some even odder ones.
Jeniard has, not surprisingly, heard this before, mainly from people asking questions about his and Arat's exact relationship.
Sylma: I'm having a great deal of trouble knowing what to believe. For instance, does Controller Arat's remarkable forbearance with Hajene Wise Snake have anything to do with a gentleman named Pearcy, or something like that?
Sylma has always been a sucker for "clandestine romance" stories, even when they involve such an unlikely protagonist as the Weasel.
Jeniard looks quizzically at Sylma.
Jeniard: Pearcy?
Jeniard's expression changes as comprehension dawns.
Jeniard thinks Sylma must be talking about Snake's drug supplier.
Jeniard studies Sylma in fascination, wondering if she knows anything or has just stumbled upon a detail.
Jeniard: You know this guy??
Jeniard thinks if it is true, it's an incredible break.
Sylma: No, but from what Sedel said, the Narosians are well informed about him. He's apparently from a diplomatic family, although he's obviously quite comfortable with less refined society.
Jeniard winces at this slight upon Snake, and by inference, Arat.
Jeniard: Careful, there.
Sylma: No insult intended to Controller Arat, of course.
Sylma wonders for a moment how Snake would have turned out if Arat had had a tentacle in her upbringing.
Jeniard: Was there anything else?
Sylma tries to imagine Snake with hair neatly combed, and in a clean uniform, and can't.
Jeniard stops in the middle of the path. He suddenly seems a bit more eager to get it over with than previously.
Sylma: Well, with respect to Sosu Nick... what do his pants have to do with anything?
Jeniard looks somewhat bewildered.
Sylma found that particular portion of Sedel's report very confusing.
Jeniard: Nick's pants?
Sylma: Yes. I've been told that something happened in Capitol?
Jeniard looks completely confused by this.
Jeniard: Something happened to Nick's pants?
Jeniard thinks that one of them isn't sounding very intelligent, and he's afraid it might be him.
Jeniard: I'm sorry, I don't understand.
Sylma is working on the assumption that Methylda was referring to some inappropriate sexual affair, although it is unclear what sort of affair a Narosian would view as "inappropriate".
Jeniard glances back in the direction of the Tecton compound. He would really like to get back to Arat and report the possible break on the source of the Xylexion.
Sylma: I don't think I understand very well, either, but my source was very sure that something critical happened, with respect to Sosu Nick's uniform pants.
Jeniard: Look, I have no idea what you're talking about.
Jeniard: I'm sorry about this, but I just thought of something I have to tell Arat right away.
Jeniard: Can we talk some other time?
Sylma decides that any further information from Jeniard is likely to come more quickly if she doesn't antagonize him.
Sylma decides to try again, when she has more concrete information.
Sylma: Of course, Jeniard. But please, as I told Controller Arat a few days ago, I am aware that he is facing... difficulties. If you or Controller Arat have a use for the sort of services that are my House's specialty, I hope that you will call upon my services.
Jeniard: Uhh... great.
Jeniard hopes his wince wasn't too obvious.
Jeniard: See you!
Jeniard scurries off up the hill.
Notes:
1) "...hounded nearly beyond his limits by a person who is... Borgmann's fault." This refers to Alain Ro. [return]
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