- You think Peter is free? - Jester pushed the last few bullets into the clip and hid it in the depth of his cargo vest. - Just because he is in charge here?
- Well, he decides where we go and we follow him. How else will you call it? - Mary tried to read her opponent, but to no avail.
- Burden. Responsibility. Anything but freedom. We follow him because he has a good understanding of this country, not because we trust him unconditionally. He has to look for decisions that we will perceive as good ones. If he starts acting stupid, we will stop following.
- Nobody is free, then? It's not like I have a choice which side to join. I don't know this place and have no chance of hiding on my own. Camarilla lackeys will kill me before I even open my mouth and Bishop will torture me to final death because he thinks I know something. And your situation is even worse.
- Well, that's true that neither the leader of the pack nor it's lowest ranked members will not have a practical freedom. But does that really defeat the concept? What if we look somewhere in the middle? Think about Nibs or Wen.
- I'm pretty sure Nibs wouldn't know what to do on his own.
- Well, that's what he says. But does he really have to do anything? Or what does he really mean when he says "to do"? He somehow survived 20 years in the middle of warzone.
- That's not too impressive on bloodsucker scale.
- Unless you take into account that place was crawling with furries. Some sort of ancient burial ground of their kin. How long you think would survive there?
- Ok, you might have a point about him. But Wen? She doesn't seem to even care...
- And why would she care? About Nibs, you know at least something. And her, do you know she is? Can you guess her bloodline? Do you have an idea why she is on the run?
- She has never shown anything except speed and a bit of strength - pretty much anybody could learn these tricks. Maybe she really doesn't have any bloodline at all, as she says. She crossed some Prince and that story seems to check out.
- More precisely, she jokingly says she has her own bloodline. But what if she is NOT joking?
Mary shrugged. She could never think about such possibility. Jester continued:
- So, what about Prince Albert? You know how exactly did she "cross" him?
- Said something about injustice...
- You know where is that kiddie now?
- I heard he is dead. Some sort of werewolf accident.
- So, if that's such a minor thing as saying something, why is she now on the list of the new Prince?
Mary was puzzled. She didn't say anything in reply. Jester has waited for a few minutes and continued:
- She "crossed" him with the nail file, all the way across the neck. Did that in front of city council, and walked out with the head. Nobody dared to stop her. Later on, the concil has made up the story about furries, just to keep their heads on. You know, if sect leaders find out that council did absolutely nothing to stop her, some cleansing has to happen.
- So, declaring a hunt is only logical here. Nasty enough to force her go into hiding, but not a real chance that some bounty hunter junkie will get her for real.
- Finally you start to get the feel of politics!
- But if she is that powerful, why doesn't she claim some domain? Could have literally taken the Glass Trone left vacant in in that accident.
- Well, why people want power?
- Control the resources. Acknowledgement. Decide fates of others.
- All that while trying to avoid being backstabbed. Which if these things do you think Wen needs?
- None I guess. She needs company. But do you really think being on the run like us is safer?
- That throne is called "glass" for a reason. No prince has ever held it longer than 40 years. Being on the run until the next bloodsucker claims it is far easier. And after a hundred years pretty much nobody who was in the council on that day would be walking the earth to remember her face. And after all, why don't you go and ask her in person?