"Fires has stupid, crazy plans which I am not going to allow to come to fruition. Actually the University thing--well, I guess it's not directly relevant, but it came about in the first place because I need some amber for irritating-Fires purposes and I approached a Rubbery Man and said 'hey, I need Warm Amber, what's your price' and the price was getting them educated, I guess I could...probably just ask my grandparent...but I do, also, object to the stratification of society and the persecution of the Rubbery Men, so I'm not going to just drop the task the moment something more convenient comes along."

BESIDES WHICH, YOU HAVE HELPED TO AMELIORATE A VERY OLD HURT. THINGS OCCASIONALLY LAY THEMSELVES OUT CONVENIENTLY.

"Yeah! --I mean, I'd have done that even if I wasn't trying to send a Rubbery Man to school, I'm not just going to let my grandparent suffer, but the two did line up rather neatly."

YES... YOU HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT YOU WOULD PREFER THAT NO CREATURE SHOULD SUFFER. NOT EVEN THOSE WHO SOME WOULD SAY DESERVE TO SUFFER, FOR THE SUFFERING THEY HAVE INFLICTED UPON OTHERS.

"Suffering is bad. More suffering is just more bad."

Another whistling half-laugh. STRAIGHTFORWARD. YOU WOULD FIT IN POORLY AMONG YOUR OTHER GRANDPARENT'S PEOPLE... FOR THAT AMONG OTHER REASONS. YOU DO NOT BELIEVE IN PUNISHMENT, THEN? THAT SOME THINGS CANNOT BE FORGIVEN?

"I...might have a different definition of forgiveness than that? If someone can't forgive another person then they should just never interact again. Forcibly if necessary on the offender's part. I think that there are acts that--that define a person as dangerous, as someone it isn't safe to be around, but--suffering is still bad. I believe in consequences, but not punishment."

CONSISTENCY. A RARE THING. LET ME PUT THIS IN YOUR TERMS, THEN.

THE BAZAAR IS DANGEROUS. IT CARES FOR YOU, WHICH PUTS YOU IN VERY RARE COMPANY. IF I WERE YOU, LITTLE AMALGAM, I WOULD THINK ON HOW TO LEVERAGE THIS TO THE GREATER GOOD.

MR. VEILS IS DANGEROUS. IT HAS LEARNED TO HIDE ITS TEETH, OVER THE YEARS. THEY ARE STILL AS SHARP AS THEY EVER WERE. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, TRUST IT.

I AM DANGEROUS. YOU BELIEVE I HAVE CHOSEN TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, BUT NOTHING HOLDS ME TO THIS, AND SO MY WORD IS AS WORTHLESS AS WINES'.

Once she's read this page, it tosses it onto the fire.

"I want to persuade the Bazaar to be better to people. In general. I've already won a victory for the Rubbery Men. I want to do this in good faith, partly because I think it will work better but mostly because it's my grandparent and I--I love people very quickly. I think you're telling me the truth, but I'll remember what I believe I know because you told me, and if I find out you've lied to me I'll remember that everything else you say becomes less certain. I want to believe you, because I would rather live in a world where people tell the truth, but I know that people lie. That doesn't mean you're lying to me, but I know I have to be careful. Why is Wines the benchmark for one's word being worthless?"

WINES WAS ONCE A RULER, BACK IN THE HIGH WILDERNESS. IT BELIEVED THAT IT COULD MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY, THAT NOTHING NEED BE SACRIFICED. IT GAVE ITS WORD TOO FREELY, AND DID NOT KEEP IT. FOR THIS IT WAS CAST DOWN FROM ITS THRONE, MADE A PAUPER AND A LAUGHINGSTOCK. THE BAZAAR SAVED IT, GAVE IT A REASON TO LIVE AGAIN. IT WILL ALWAYS BE LOYAL TO THE BAZAAR. BUT IT WILL NEVER AGAIN GIVE ITS WORD.

"Ah. I see. I suppose I can see why Fires compared me to it, then, but--I'm not so naive as to think that nothing must be sacrificed. I want everyone to be okay and I don't like even evil people to be hurt but that doesn't mean I'm going to let a killer go free to kill again, if it comes down to it."

Iron nods. FIRES HAS NEVER BEEN THE SUBTLEST THINKER. EVERY IDEALIST IS THE SAME, TO ITS MIND: AN ICARUS WAITING TO FALL. I AM NOT SO LIMITED IN MY THINKING.

"I'm glad. Talking to Fires was...enlightening, but also very concerning." She pauses, considering. "...He didn't seem very okay. Is there--I'm not saying I'd put it at the top of my priority list, but--is there anything I can do to help you the way I helped the Bazaar by healing it."

A long pause.

HELPING THE BAZAAR WAS A GOOD START, it writes. WE WILL ALL BE HAPPIER WHEN WE ARE FREED FROM ITS SERVICE.

IF YOU MEAN "IS THERE A WAY TO HELP THE MASTERS OF THE BAZAAR BE HAPPY?" THEN THE ANSWER IS NO. WE ARE TOO MANY, AND TOO DEEPLY DIVIDED.

IF YOU MEAN "IS THERE A WAY TO HELP IRON"...

Another pause.

YOU MAY HAVE WONDERED WHY I DO NOT SPEAK.

"I sort of assumed you didn't want the Bazaar eavesdropping on everything you said."

YOU ARE NOT INCORRECT. BUT YOUR ASSUMPTION WAS MADE IN POSSESSION OF LIMITED FACTS.

It stands and sheds its robe. Underneath, it's covered in silky black fur, marred by a mess of white scar tissue at its throat.

AFTER THE DEATH OF CANDLES, VEILS THOUGHT THAT I MIGHT BE A THREAT. I HAD BEEN CLOSE TO THE RUNT, AFTER ALL. AND SO IT RIPPED OUT MY THROAT AS I SLEPT, SO THAT I WOULD BE CRIPPLED SHOULD I EVER THINK TO ATTACK IT. It hisses raggedly and continues writing. THE CORRESPONDENCE IS THE GREATEST WEAPON OF ANY BEING WHO CAN USE IT. I HAVE HONED MY BODY FOR CENTURIES ATTEMPTING TO EQUAL THAT WEAPON, BUT IT WILL NEVER BE ENOUGH. I ASK THAT YOU RETURN MY VOICE TO ME. I HAVE MUCH TO OFFER YOU, BUT I DOUBT YOU DESIRE RICHES, AND SO INSTEAD I WILL AGREE TO A FUTURE FAVOR.

She hisses when she sees the scar tissue, and nods, and glows. 

The scarring melts away. Iron breathes in, then out.

"Tha-" it begins, then flinches at the sound of its own voice. "Thank. Thank you."

Its hand rises to its throat. "I... hh. You have done me... a great service." With every few words, it twitches again, the sensation of speech so unfamiliar as to be jarring.

"I'm glad. I am going to have to have a talk with Veils. But not until I have more...credibility, I think."

It exhales a flicker of the Correspondence. A savage beast made worse by civilization. A monster which does not care who it kills as long as it is killing. A creature with two sides to it, one purring and indulgent, one a merciless killer. A formidable opponent for one inexperienced in the arts of violence and deceit.

"Wow. Yikes. Yeah, that's..." She sighs. 

Frustration at escalating levels of bullshit. Grim determination in the face of the expectation that a cycle will continue. The strategic resolution to deal with one enemy at a time insofar as one's enemies allow this. 

"I heartily agree with the sentiment," Iron says. "If, at some point, you wish to learn how a celestial being fights, you may come to me after I have had some time to recover my own faculties and I will teach you."

"That sounds extremely useful and I may well take you up on it at some point."

"Are you considering my angle?" Iron chuckles, then raises its hand to its own throat in some amazement. It shakes its head and continues. "For once, it is simple: I think you have the potential to do great things, interesting things, and I would like you to live long enough to do so. It would be a terrible shame to lose a promising meddler to a creature as... crude as Veils."

"I'm going to have to tick a few things off my to-do list first. But I think the two of us could have an extremely mutually beneficial relationship."