(no subject)

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Tomorrow Mary turns thirteen.

The cook is going to make a cake and she is to be let off lessons. Other than that she's not really sure what to make of this; despite the cold weather, she's sitting outside by her tree (now bare) in her garden, trying to decide.

Comments

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

It would help if Mary had a sense of humor at all, too.

His response takes Mary a few moments to parse, but when she finally works through it, she frowns.

"There are only a very few choices in any given situation that are sensible. Sometimes it may be different depending on what people can do - but not so different as all that."

[wolflord_andain]

"When one is planning ten moves ahead, Mary, sensible tends to take on a different meaning."

Not that he expects her to understand this. Yet.

But one day--

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary takes a beat to consider this.

"You are talking about strategy."

All the Roman historians have paid off to some extent, at any rate.

The wind is cold; Mary leans forward and wraps her arms around her knees, putting her chin on top of them.

"I do not know if strategy and sense are the same thing."

[wolflord_andain]

"Then how, if I may be so bold, should you choose to differentiate them?"

This may or may not be intended to be a lesson. It hardly makes much of a difference, now does it?

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary shoots him a Look at the 'if I may be so bold' - he is her teacher, and he asks her things like this all the time; there is no need to be ironical - before lapsing into thoughtfulness.

"Strategy is cleverness," she says, finally, "but it is not always sense. Strategy is about winning but sometimes it is more sensible not to be fighting."

Obviously this whole 'more sensible not to be fighting' thing is something that Mary feels applies much more to other people than to her. But.

[wolflord_andain]

"And recognizing that, of course, is yet another facet of strategy. You might take care to remember that, Mary. It's far too easy a factor to overlook."

Galadan speaks from experience, here.

Just don't try getting him to admit that.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I do," Mary says, rather indignantly.

"But I do not think it is always strategy. For there to be strategy you must be wanting to win something."

[wolflord_andain]

Galadan's eyebrow arches fair to hit his hairline.

"And do you truly imagine that there is a moment in which a man or woman is not looking to win something?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Yes!" Mary says, startled - both by the question, and by the undeniably impressive eyebrow arch.

[wolflord_andain]

"Do go on. I'm curious to hear at which point you believe such events might come to pass."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"When you are just talking to people. That you know - people that you like, I mean. If it is people that you do not like, perhaps you are trying to beat them," she admits, "but if it is people that you do you do not always need to be winning something."

[wolflord_andain]

Were Galadan another man he might ruffle Mary's hair. She is very young. He has never had cause to forget that.

"I may, I suppose, hope that such a belief serves you well. I find it doubtful, as your world is not so very different from my own."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"Perhaps not - but if you are always trying to win, of course other people are going to be trying to win too," Mary says, slowly - puzzling it out as she goes.

"And you always are because you are always thinking of strategy.

If neither of the people who are talking is trying to win then - then it is different."

[wolflord_andain]

"And do you suppose you shall ever have a guarantee that your--conversational partner, as it were--has no agenda of his or her own?"

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"There are some people that I know do not have - have agendas. Not for me, anyways."

The word Mary is looking for, and not finding right at the moment, is 'trust'.

[wolflord_andain]

"Perhaps not sinister agendas--that I'll grant you freely."

Is he still teasing? The arch of his eyebrows suggests he may well be.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

Mary eyes him.

"I do not think that 'I do not wish you to die' counts as an agenda."

[wolflord_andain]

"And that, I believe is where you are mistaken, Mary. An agenda such as that is one that will influence a man's--or woman's--actions for a very long time. You would do well to be aware of it."

Galadan's own agenda for Mary, such as it is--

Well. That is neither here nor there, at the moment.

Or is it?

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I suppose it might be an agenda, technically," Mary says, unwilling to concede defeat. "But it is not the same as strategy. I do not think that anybody sits around over a chessboard thinking ten moves ahead on their diagrammed plan to make sure that their friends do not die. Not unless they are also strategizing something else too."

Mary is fairly certain that Galadan does not wish her to die, and that he does wish her to be well-educated. She has not yet thought about what other goals he might have than that.

[wolflord_andain]

Hi, Mary. You are talking to Galadan. Have you met him?

Don't answer that.

"And shall I ask you about your friend Wellard, then?"

Galadan has trouble believing that Mary does not have plans to keep Wellard safe from himself. Somehow.

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I do not scheme to protect him," Mary starts to protest, and then snorts, suddenly.

"Though I think sometimes that perhaps I ought. Mostly I just shout at him."

[wolflord_andain]

Galadan raises one eyebrow.

"And how effective a tactic has that proven to be? If I may ask, of course."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

This is something of a hit, but Mary says stoutly, "He has not had any near-death experiences at all in the past few months!"

Obviously this is all due to Mary's expert coaching.

[wolflord_andain]

"And how often have you and he been in a position to converse?"

Galadan's tone is very dry.

"In the spirit of academic curiosity, of course."

[mistressmaryquitecontrary]

"I spoke to him when I was back from school -"

. . . has she spoken to him more than that?

"- and things have gone more quickly here than they have in Milliways!"