12-13-2024, 08:52 PM
Helena looked at him with avid calculation, deciding if he had enough power and influence of his own to be of use to her. Clearly he was not the head of this organisation, as she had hoped he might be. But ambition was not without merit, even if it did not come with all the trappings of power she might have preferred.
“The Custody told the world about you. Now it is up to you to show the world what you stand for. If the Brotherhood can quite literally fashion Nikolai Brandon as some kind of ridiculous god, you can certainly bring restitution to your own reputation. People believe what they see. It is time to come out of the shadows, perhaps. And to stop killing children, obviously.”
Her fingers tapped around the glass. She had seen the video he shared, of course. She’d witnessed it first hand with Daniil Myshelov, and examined the gorilla’s body afterwards. “You hardly need to capture Nox Durante. If he was once one of you, you were beyond foolish not to cement him to your cause. I’d warrant it's not too late for that, for the way you capture a man like Durante is with loyalty, Mr Lagueux. This is what I have been saying. He is not the dissident you should fear, he is the man who will help you control them. Him, and others like him.”
Her eyes narrowed a little, but of course she did not miss the inference. It gave her something new to consider; a new angle for alliance. “I find the violence distasteful, but it serves its purpose. Of course we are not all violent, and nor is violence the only thing this power may be used for.
“I will continue to be frank – I see little use for games, and I require honesty in return for my own. It seems you are an anomaly amongst your own kind. How many support you? I’ll not throw my lot in with a rebellion doomed to failure, no matter your good name and ambition.
“I am an Asquith,” she reminded sharply. “I bring valuable connections – our reach might easily extend beyond Moscow one day, together. If I am to support you, I will need assurances.”
“The Custody told the world about you. Now it is up to you to show the world what you stand for. If the Brotherhood can quite literally fashion Nikolai Brandon as some kind of ridiculous god, you can certainly bring restitution to your own reputation. People believe what they see. It is time to come out of the shadows, perhaps. And to stop killing children, obviously.”
Her fingers tapped around the glass. She had seen the video he shared, of course. She’d witnessed it first hand with Daniil Myshelov, and examined the gorilla’s body afterwards. “You hardly need to capture Nox Durante. If he was once one of you, you were beyond foolish not to cement him to your cause. I’d warrant it's not too late for that, for the way you capture a man like Durante is with loyalty, Mr Lagueux. This is what I have been saying. He is not the dissident you should fear, he is the man who will help you control them. Him, and others like him.”
Her eyes narrowed a little, but of course she did not miss the inference. It gave her something new to consider; a new angle for alliance. “I find the violence distasteful, but it serves its purpose. Of course we are not all violent, and nor is violence the only thing this power may be used for.
“I will continue to be frank – I see little use for games, and I require honesty in return for my own. It seems you are an anomaly amongst your own kind. How many support you? I’ll not throw my lot in with a rebellion doomed to failure, no matter your good name and ambition.
“I am an Asquith,” she reminded sharply. “I bring valuable connections – our reach might easily extend beyond Moscow one day, together. If I am to support you, I will need assurances.”
![[Image: helena.talin_.klotho-scaled.jpg]](http://thefirstage.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/helena.talin_.klotho-scaled.jpg)