[Dragaera] An alternative solution to the Mellar problem

[Eugene Zaretskiy]

On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 4:06 PM, Jerry Friedman <jerry_friedman at yahoo.com> wrote:
> --- On Tue, 3/2/10, Eugene Zaretskiy <eugene.zar at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Tue, Mar 2, 2010 at 2:49 PM, Alexx Kay <alexx at panix.com>
>> wrote:
>> > A friend of mine has just started reading the Vlad
>> books.  Though he
>> > clearly quite liked _Jhereg_, he came up with an
>> alternative solution to
>> > the Mellar problem that I don't recall having heard
>> floated before.
>> > Presented for your interest:
>> >
>> > "The thing is, the bad guy had to be killed, but
>> couldn't while he was in
>> > Castle Black, and the clock was ticking, because the
>> Jhereg Council was
>> > out eight million, and things were starting to
>> unravel. But there's no
>> > time limit if the Jhereg can keep operating, so one
>> way to save face is
>> > for Morrolon to lend the Jhereg enough money to keep
>> going for thirteen
>> > days. Even if he isn't rich enough to float eight
>> million, he seems rich
>> > enough, and has enough favors, to scrape up enough
>> money to cover things
>> > until the bad guy is no longer his guest, and can be
>> > killed with no loss of honor."
>>
>> >From what I understood about Morrolan, he isn't the
>> type to agree to
>> "loopholes" like this easily. He was willing to put up with
>> Vlad and
>> Aliera's solution partially because he had absolutely
>> nothing to do
>> with it whatsoever. Vlad didn't tell him the plan, if I
>> recall, on
>> purpose. In the same sense, paying the Jhereg money could
>> be construed
>> as dishonorable because Morrolan was becoming directly
>> involved in
>> actions leading to the death of his guest, immediately
>> after leaving Morollan's home.
>
> I don't see that as a problem--the connection is
> extremely indirect, and Morrolan doesn't care what
> happens after Mellar leaves.  I think it's a stronger
> objection that, as Jon Lincicum suggested, he wouldn't
> lend the Organization money, just as he won't hire
> assassins to commit assassination (though he will hire
> them as security consultants, recruit them for his army,
> and invite them to dinner--cf. the end of "The Marching
> Morons").

I agree. Morrolan's reluctance to deal with the Jhereg is a better
reason than his indirect role in Mellar's murder. I just don't see
Morrolan doing this, so that reason is as good as any.

>
>> Furthermore, I haven't read Jhereg in a while, so pardon me
>> if this
>> isn't correct, but I don't recall the Jhereg's lack of
>> funds to be the
>> entire motiviation behind the swift schedule. Waiting any
>> longer
>> simply multiplied the risk that Mellar's plan would become
>> known and
>> the Jhereg's reputation is sullied, permanently. Similar to
>> why they want Vlad dead as soon as possible.
>
> That's how I remember it too.  Their reputation was
> the /main/ reason they couldn't wait to kill Mellar.

It thus follows that, even if Morrolan couldn't lend the money, but
Vlad was able to find a willing donor and all other issues of economic
importance were taken care of, the Jhereg would still be unable to
wait. In fact, isn't this handled in the book already? Again, been a
while since I read it, but when Vlad realizes the full extent to which
Mellar's plan is unfolding, he comments that Mellar has no real hope
of escape in any case; he only needs to survive long enough until he's
destroyed and dishonored the three houses. Speed seems to be what
forces Vlad's hand, not money.

>
> Jerry Friedman
>
>
>
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-- 
Eugene Z
http://blog.eugenez.net