"Small price to pay for not bein' under yet another thing's thumb." He has no regrets. It just hurt a little. But, to the other subject.
"They shoulda learned to use the guns. Or got me the parts to make somethin' bigger. But looked like they were much more into talkin'." He wipes his nose. "Well, at least no one else got took. I don't think, anyway.
"Protecting themselves wasn't just on you. You ain't a gun with a mind! You ain't the fist they punch things with. They all had their own hands, their own eyes! An' I know you're the type to be feelin' bad over this kinda thing but Darlin', they fucked themselves all on their own.
"I think I told you about 'em. But back home, there's the Traveller's dogma... this belief you give people whatever they want, just be some Athenean explosion of knowledge, freely bestowed. But then there's the Sword Logic. That idea that people don't deserve to live if they can't force their way through life. Me? I think there's gotta be some sorta middle ground. I don't see the value in giving. I see it in sharin'.
"Darlin'. You gave more than you had in you. They didn't share enough." He brushes her cheek with his knuckles. "You more than did your best. And out of the lot of 'em, you're the one the Head's always gonna live in fear of, even if that red-head signed her name to it... or was it the squirt? Whichever. You get the point."
no subject
"They shoulda learned to use the guns. Or got me the parts to make somethin' bigger. But looked like they were much more into talkin'." He wipes his nose. "Well, at least no one else got took. I don't think, anyway.
"Protecting themselves wasn't just on you. You ain't a gun with a mind! You ain't the fist they punch things with. They all had their own hands, their own eyes! An' I know you're the type to be feelin' bad over this kinda thing but Darlin', they fucked themselves all on their own.
"I think I told you about 'em. But back home, there's the Traveller's dogma... this belief you give people whatever they want, just be some Athenean explosion of knowledge, freely bestowed. But then there's the Sword Logic. That idea that people don't deserve to live if they can't force their way through life. Me? I think there's gotta be some sorta middle ground. I don't see the value in giving. I see it in sharin'.
"Darlin'. You gave more than you had in you. They didn't share enough." He brushes her cheek with his knuckles. "You more than did your best. And out of the lot of 'em, you're the one the Head's always gonna live in fear of, even if that red-head signed her name to it... or was it the squirt? Whichever. You get the point."