The Greater Good - Compromise
"What use 'S the law if it does not serve what 'S right? This "honour" stuff 'S insane. It will limit you. You fink your enemies will limit themselves? Them what'd 'urt th' people f'personal ambitions?!"
"Rhea, you can try to convince me but I have violated my own conscience. You aren't going to understand it. I know. But I have err'd. I have let zhe depravity of Port-a-Lucine affect my judgement."
That hurt.
"So 'm depraved, huh? /Beneath/ you an' your 'onour?"
"No. Not in how I have err'd. I have done ziss for my own benefit. You believe you act for othzers. I cannot leave ziss on my conscience, ziss dark bargain I have struck. You believe in zhe Greater Good do you not? Zhe ideal, of small compromises for the best outcome."
She swallowed. A stiff nod.
"Ziss is /my/ Greater Good. ..It must be ziss vay."
"The compromise I make f'your vision."
There was something sickening about the notion.
"Vun of us must for zhe othzer. I cannot compromise. I must be unfaltering, unerring in my conviction. Duty, Rhea. As I said before. Are you going to make me choose?"
She exhaled heavily.
"No. I damned myself doin' what I would never subject another to. I will not make you choose, my friend. I wont go through wiv it."
-
"Zhe Law, in vun manner or anothzer, came zthrough, for Leomont... But you have muddied your hands in zhe process, Rhea. Have you ever considered ceasing zhe trade.. ? Even if your targets are criminals. Spying, perhaps, but killing? Vun never truly returns from it zhe same. Even yourself. you have felt zhe... Corruption."
"Of course I 'ave. Killin' 'urts, Joachim. It burdens me. But if I don't do it, 'oo does? 'Oo acts when th' law will not? 'Oo acts when th' /law/ 'S unjust?"
"People like myself do; or ve die, for a better vorld. I admit, society is not perfect. Und some laws... Some are unjust. But a faith in mutual duty, in zhe outcome, given time, is vhat adheres society together. If nobody has faith in zhe Cour de Justice, zhere vould be no trials, Rhea. I know it is not easy to understand for you. But it is clear to me."
She scowled.
"Wiv enough work, power an' will you could fix it all. You an' I are more alike 'en your conscience would allow, Joachim. You're smart. You see fings could be made better wivout strict adherence t'flawed rules."
"Could it? Maybe. Or perhaps it vould become zhe norm, all men fend for zhemselves, und zhe stuff zhat holds society togethzer falls apart. I believe in changing zhe rules; making zhem better."
"One fing 'olds society together Joachim: fear. Fear of punishment f'wrong. Fear of loss of status or property. "
"I do not operate on fear, Rhea. I operate on Justice. Yes. Zhey need fear zhe hand of the righteous, but zhey also need see zhe error of zheir ways."
"They only fear an 'and what can strike them down. Th' nobility 'ere abuse their power because there's no one t'old them to account. Because th' corrupt system shields them. They fear nuffin', so they are cruel."
"Zhe system is only as corrupt as you let it be."
"Exactly! You can cut it all out. Every snake. Every enemy of th' people."
"If you murder zhe 'corrupt', Rhea, outside zhe Law, nobody vill fear zhe Law, zhey fear you."
"If they fear you, 'en they will follow your law. You know what's right f'them."
"Zhey vill fear vhat zhe hand of Justice shall do vhen zhey err. But not fear zhrough brutality, tyranny or underhanded murders. Zhey need fear zhe State, for zhey vill have betrayed its true values. Not vhat snake lies vithin, pulling its strings."
"Do you really fink this corrupt place can be cleansed this way?"
"I do believe so. Yes."
"I don't fink so, Joachim. I fink all this sufferin' y'goin' through, these idealistic compromises, will amount t'nuffin' in this world. 'S too cruel. Too chaotic. Too corrupt. But..."
She exhaled, exhausted.
"Y'delusional idealism reminds me of 'ow I felt when I started. An' I guess I 'ope I'm wrong. Because it'd be real bleedin' nice."
"I hope zhe vorld I build vill never rekvire zhe kind of 'Justice' you zhink is apt. Zhat nobody feels zhe urge to kill, to save somevun else zhey believe right. Zhat I can build a better tomorrow. But I cannot make ziss vorld better if I compromise my beliefs on zhe vay."
She shook her head slowly, sadly.
"/I/ will build it, Joachim. An' when I am done, men like you will lead it. But it's too broken not t'compromise."
Compromise.
The necessary Evil.