(no subject)

[sythyry]

Woe for Real-Eel, cont. [15 Chirreb 4261]

Real-Eel:"I was wondering something, though, Vae."

Me:"I don't think that's a good idea, R-E."

Real-Eel:"I'm prepared to pay."

Me:"No, you're not."

Vae:"How is it you dispute that with her?"

Me:"I know more about the price than she does. Or than you do."

Vae:"Not I understand...?"

Real-Eel:"I don't understand... wouldn't I be paying the price to the nendrai?"

Me:"Well, no, you wouldn't just be. She's not a person, as far as the law goes..."

Real-Eel:[with waxing indignation] "That's ridiculous. She's nearly as much of a person as you or me!"

Me:"Well, legally she's not. She's more of a foreign city-state."

Real-Eel:[With waning indignation]"I ... what does that mean?"

Me:"It means that Vheshrame is officially worried about trading issues with her, for one thing. Commerce is supposed to go through me at the moment, pretty much."

Real-Eel:"That's insane and ridiculous and cruel. Is the Duke so poor that he he has to get his share?"

Me:"Um ... no. His share would only be two or three lozens so far anyways."

Real-Eel:"Well, that's a ridiculous demand, and a greedy one, and ..."

Me:"Um ... R-E? Don't say anything you don't want the Duke to hear in about a third of an hour."

Real-Eel:"You'd tell him?"

Me:"I wouldn't even be asked. Do you imagine that the Vheshrame guard isn't watching us with a dozen different scriers? They're very worried about Vae."

Real-Eel:"Well, this isn't any danger to the city -- it's not even for me! Vingi needs to get home in a hurry, for some court case against his family."

Me:"Maybe you can ask the Duke for an exception? Or Kaim-Su? Kaim-Su is easier to get ahold of -- he's probably just inside the Halflight Gate."

Real-Eel burbled unhappily at me for a bit. I burbled unhappily back at her. Honestly I don't know what the right thing for this situation is at all, but the duke is pretty clear about wanting to limit commerce with Vae to, well, someone he can control. Some Zi Ri he can control.

Real-Eel:"All right, you win, Zi Ri. I'll go talk to Kaim-Su. You're not being the best friend I ever had though."

Which stung, since I had, in fact, just saved her from getting punished by a thoroughly irate duke.

And she rode Nestrune's horse off to the Halflight Gate.

Vae:"Should I be upset at that, Sythyry? For it's not very free for me, is how it seems at me."

I had forgotten that she was sentient and standing there listening, despite being a little pig.

Comments

[jareth-atian.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't worry, that is a very common problem. I also occasionally have trouble remembering that my associates are sentient when they transform into small plush pigs with catapults strapped to their backs.

While I'm sure that I'll soon read about your own careful diplomatic handling of this situation, I would like to offer my own suggestion in case a similar occurance: Smile innocently and note that obviously, the Duke's ruling wasn't against *Vae*...The Duke's ruling was restricting Real-Eel! To truly throw Vae off the scent, lament at how sad it is that in some cases, Monsters obviously have more freedom than Primes.

Hum. Then again, that might be a bad idea. One wouldn't want Vae to decide that her Prime friends need to be 'saved' from the Duke, after all...

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Or turned into monsters. }:)

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

That's very devious!

[niss-the-ai.livejournal.com]

They just need to bring the Duke out to talk with Vae. I'm sure she could change his mind on the subject.

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

I keep finding myself wondering, "Why a catapult?" Then I realize that madness probably lies at the end of that train of thought.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

It's a bit of wordplay, though I daresay that, of all the living things in Ketheria, only Vae and I understand it. Unless she's crammed that language into more brains, of course. If you nasalize the word "catapult" it becomes the word "sorry". My translator seems to have missed that -- perhaps it needs more emphatic chastisement, or perhaps more kathia.

[vernononfm.livejournal.com]

I recomend kathia. Positive reinforcement and all. :) Otherwise, it will worry that it may make mistakes, and be so nervous about making them, that it makes more mistakes! So, kathia. :)

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a great deal more coherent than my initial theory involving her staging a tiny, tiny siege on Vheshrame Mene, at any rate.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

I think she could mount a great big devastating siege, if she wanted to.

[yotogi.livejournal.com]

Again more coherent than my initial thought, but perhaps a great deal less cute.

[tuftears.livejournal.com]

I wonder what it was Real-Eel wanted to ask Vae about now, of course...

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Real-Eel:"Well, this isn't any danger to the city -- it's not even for me! Vingi needs to get home in a hurry, for some court case against his family."