Ah. Yes. I should explain to you about all that, since I'm attempting honesty with you now. I was doing a lot more maneuvering than you could see. [Which Gregor apparently has no problem explaining to him in retrospect.]
First of all, my other ability here, the oaths one, disallows oaths made insincerely. It'd never have worked if you hadn't meant it; I felt it take, so I knew you did, and furthermore if you developed some duplicitous motive later you'd be barred from hurting any of us anyway.
As for the matter of giving you a blank check, I'm not sure this will make sense to a Jacksonian, but the fact of the matter is that I owe all the Imperium the very same. My life is not my own. [He'd sounded cavalier until this point, but now his voice drops, quiet and heavy under the weight.] It has never been my own. I needs must balance what you're owed with what I owe everyone else, so there is some limit to what I'd give you-- quite a lot of limit. But if it's within my power, yes, you personally were owed something.
[A beat.]
And if you'd like all the calculations, I admit I am predisposed to think you must be more than just an assassin, if given the opportunity. By genetic code alone, whatever relation you want to claim or disclaim. I hardly thought I was getting nothing out of the deal.
no subject
First of all, my other ability here, the oaths one, disallows oaths made insincerely. It'd never have worked if you hadn't meant it; I felt it take, so I knew you did, and furthermore if you developed some duplicitous motive later you'd be barred from hurting any of us anyway.
As for the matter of giving you a blank check, I'm not sure this will make sense to a Jacksonian, but the fact of the matter is that I owe all the Imperium the very same. My life is not my own. [He'd sounded cavalier until this point, but now his voice drops, quiet and heavy under the weight.] It has never been my own. I needs must balance what you're owed with what I owe everyone else, so there is some limit to what I'd give you-- quite a lot of limit. But if it's within my power, yes, you personally were owed something.
[A beat.]
And if you'd like all the calculations, I admit I am predisposed to think you must be more than just an assassin, if given the opportunity. By genetic code alone, whatever relation you want to claim or disclaim. I hardly thought I was getting nothing out of the deal.