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You brought such upon yourself when you accepted my patronage.

[Ah, how like the Cardinal. Always making it about himself. The most important man in France. Which was true, for as much as that was worth - he was powerful. But she had walked her road long before she had come to serve him.]

[She smiles, briefly, casting her eyes down.]

Long before, Cardinal, long before.

[He raises an eyebrow, sighs heavily, and drops the parchment he was reading.]

You clearly have something you want to say. I suggest you do it quickly, my carriage leaves in an hour and I have work to complete before then.

[Gruff as ever, but her work is... exceptional - vital for France, even, not that he would ever say that out loud.]

[A familiar air, that. The put-upon servant of France. As if he didn't gain anything from the violence in the shadows - but of course, he was a servant wasn't he? Of France. Of God. As if God would welcome home a son with such stained hands, so proudly held up as if a martyr.]

Your agents are too many, and too lax. I do not leave a trail, unlike them - and yet I wait weeks or months between your commands.

[She leans forward, hands on the edge of his desk.]

Your shadow world lets in too much light. Allow me to deal with that.

Everyone leaves a trail eventually. And the reason why you wait so long is you are far too skilled to be wasted on the menial, everyday tasks. The things I have you do are for the benefit of the entire country. Is not not reward enough?

[For all the vile and evil things he has to do, he hopes that God will have mercy on him since everything he does is first for France and then for the Church. Preventing the looming war from tearing France to pieces is ugly work. He's not proud of that. Only that he has protected France and the Church as long as he has.]

You do not need to feel threatened by the others. They are more disposable and more easily replaced when that is needed.

Not by them. By their incompetence.

[Reward enough. As if any of it is rewarding. It is about survival, which is something he doesn't truly understand. He who has never wanted for anything. Let him starve, for a week, then let him speak of such lofty things. It was why she despised him.]

[But it was also why she feared him. Minds like his could consign tens of thousands of lives for the greater good, creating crimes unthinkable to those like her - and being certain, absolutely certain, of being right to do so.]

And some of them should be disposed of sooner, rather than later.

[Because it wouldn't be the Cardinal who paid for those mistakes, but her.]

Did you ever consider that I hire some of them explicitly due to their incompetence?

[She wouldn't be wrong about him with regards to him feeling right to do what needs to be done. But his love for France also means that he ensured the Bible and the Catechism were translated into French, something that won him no favours in Rome. Yet, the people do love him for that. Any other things is - politics. A necessary evil in his mind.]

You needn't worry. Anyone who survives their incompetence long enough to face me again, are well cared-for.

[Meaning he makes his own arrangements. Though, often those times are far closer to his own hand for even his taste. He prefers to operate at a distance.]

Unless, of course, you have someone specific in mind?

What kind of consequences?

[They loved because they did not know. He threw the masses their crumbs, and since the crumbs were better than those of the Crown, he was beloved. It never ceased to amaze her just how simple it was to stay in power, once you were there. And yet, so low a bar that it was - so many failed to lightly step over it.]

[At least the Cardinal's red shoes hid the blood, no?]

[She straightens up, striding to the near window.]

Gaudet, for a start. But Dujon, even more.

[A slight pause, and the most delicate of shrugs.]

What sort did you have in mind?

[He is not like most Cardinals. He prefers his black boots and only his most regal clothing for State visits. As to remaining in power. The bigger reason is having a King as weak as Louis.

Her suggestions give him great pause.]

If I didn't know better, I would say you were trying to disseminate the Red Guard.

[Not that he's surprised by her suggestions. Nor would he be surprised if that was her intent. Still, she has the presumption to say it out loud. It's one of the things he found invaluable about her.]

I'm sure you've thought about this in detail. So, how should I replace them?

Hmm.

[Garma wonders, then says,]
Ladies first. What were you thinking of?

Edited 2022-07-14 10:44 (UTC)

You can always find more of your little paladins.

[Said matter of factly, sinking into one of the chairs opposite, delicately working off one of her gloves, then the other.]

Dujon is no major matter. He drinks, to excess, and makes poor decisions. Any incident arranged outside any number of taverns would handle it.

Gaudet, however, might actually be missed. A long river voyage, perhaps, a terrible accident somewhere far away...

I was thinking that you might have enemies. And that these enemies should...cease to bother.

That's the plan, usually. That's what the war is. However, does this mean you have any strategic suggestions?

You are not listening. I am well aware that it is possible to replace them and of methods to retire them. I am asking specifically how you think I should replace them.

[Her biggest weakness is not thinking things through to their end-result.]

[How she wishes she could say that she isn't. How she longs for the day when she won't have to, when he's in the ground and she can do a little trot upon the Earth.]

If you mean, dear Cardinal, how you will find bodies to replace them - there are always those who will give their all to put their irons in your fire. And I am certain that you have a replacement in mind for every last one of your servants.

[Herself included, she has no illusions on that point.]

The difference between us is I am somewhat more...active in the retirement phase, shall we say? You squeeze every drop of usefulness out first, like a lemon, first.

Oh yes. I strategically remove every one of your major opponents, ever so quietly, and your war becomes more...a brief farce, for the enemy.

When it's possible to do so, of course. Otherwise, they are lives wasted. And you're speaking as if you don't benefit from my patronage. I do not expect to be liked by you.

[He stands, he looks far more casual than he feels. A part of him would like to strangle her.]

However, do not forget that all you now have is courtesy of me. I can have you returned to your gutter if you forget your place.

[And a part of her would like to employ any of the three methods that she can think of to kill him before he leaves the room, of the top of her head. A growing part.]

Of course.

[Inwardly: I will outlast you. We'll see which monster is the last in the labyrinth.]

[And she will stand, as is his due deference. Albeit a bit slowly.]

[He doesn't care if she outlasts him. He has many, many ways his influences will live on long after he's in the grave.]

You need to exercise more caution or you may find yourself redundant.

[Again, the terrible actions reason can take that she would never have considered - in the name of legacy, the name of France. But oh, Cardinal, was she ever learning at your feet.]

As you say, your eminence.

I shall take your opinions into consideration. Should they show anything other than allegiance to France, the Church, or me, they will be dealt with...

[Which honestly goes for anyone.]

...And you will be rewarded, as always.

[Garma Zabi grins.] Sounds like a plan. However, I must recruit you, first, before that can happen.

And what, pray, does that involve? Other than, I would assume, handsome payment.

[Garma twirls his hair a little, smiling.] Naturally, soldiers have wages. And a chance at glory.

[She carefully suppresses the laugh. Glory, oh yes, she knows what that means to a soldier - limbs gone, eyes shot out. Dead while still alive. Glory is one of those things that sounds wonderful, so long as you never see her face.]

Let's stick to the wages, shall we?

What a cynical lady, when you can't even be that much older, judging by your beauty.

However, as the lady wishes. What's on the resume?

[Well earned cynicism, which she stands by.]

Oh, I prefer...demonstration. Showing rather than telling. Let's say you set me a little task, hmm?

[Huh. Garma wonders if he can trust her enough to give her some task, even if it's supposed to be a trial, a demonstration.]

Are you certain you're up for that already? I don't even know where your loyalties lie.

My loyalties? They are to whomever is paying me - belief only comes with time, after all.

[Or never. Probably never.]

I knew it, you are a cynic. And how much are you worth?

[The smile that comes to her face is elegant, at that.]

Better than anyone you're currently paying, I assure you. But as I said, I'm more than happy to demonstrate, if you'd like an enemy to stop...being inconvenient.

[Now Garma Zabi wonders whether he should even trust her. On the one hand, this all sounds so enticing, on the other, he should probably first ask a frien------

......oh.]

I'll consider this.

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Why hello there!

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Garma's a rich brat since he was little, so the latter's truly important to him.

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