Annotated 38-11
One thing that expert manipulators know is that there are a variety of tools you can use to move people where you want them to go, and you’re generally better off not applying more force than necessary. Blowhard tyrants stretch their power to the limit as often as they can, ensuring they’re more likely to lose that power faster, damaging the state apparatus to soothe the constant, yawning hunger of their egos. But Gastonia isn’t being run by any blowhard tyrants…yet.
And so Pardo gets gently escorted out of the Hall, after a lawyerly argument that he himself had set precedent for his own expulsion. And Reynolds gets his expulsion in the form of an offer. And the offer is further sweetened by the opportunity to right an old wrong.
Ardaic is certainly not incapable of using more forceful methods, as the ghost of Brunhilde would attest. But his temperament is more suited to this kind of diplomatic solution, especially when he’s addressing a Head of House. When next he and Reynolds meet, he will have few gentle methods left at his disposal.
It’s funny. I had thought Pardo was killed before reading last update’s commentary, and I don’t remember this either. Probably just a busy time in my life, because I enjoy Ardaic executing his awful duties!
It’s kinda amazing that Reynolds is doing all this greatly by himself. He even has examples in the Heads how to have assistants, but apparently he isn’t having any of that. Not even when Ardaic pretty much oopsie-mentions it as well with “surely there are law-abiding gnomeS who could work on this”, and Reynolds just goes with “yes, yes, let ME take a look at those”. XD
In the last couple of pages Caneghem is acting as a loyal (and silent) member of the altruist conspiracy, despite both despicing and personally easily outpowering the other members. I remember some speculation in the original run as to what his game was here.
With the Caneghem end game we got, he is simply following along here (and only gives Reynolds a cryptic warning in the next page). But had you decided his end game here? And to widen the question, at what point in the story did you decide on Caneghem’s plan?