Sword Quest VII - A Z-Machine Adventure

[Kilgamayan]

> "Why do you believe she is nobility, then?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Why do you believe she is nobility, then?"

>"Because I traced her bloodline," says Seiga.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "And how did you do this?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "And how did you do this?"

>"I had to go through a bunch of books, and look at some graves to be sure," says Seiga.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "And she could not have done the same with me?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "And she could not have done the same with me?"

>"Well, she didn't do the looking around that proved it," says Seiga. "Nor did she really have the materials to do so."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "You could have given her the materials."

[Hello Purvis]

> "You could have given her the materials."

>"I'd have to steal them," she says.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Surely there are ways of obtaining legitimate copies of important historical records such as these?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Surely there are ways of obtaining legitimate copies of important historical records such as these?"

>She shrugs. "Not fast enough, certainly."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Why not present a general lineage summary, with sources cited if I am skeptical?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Why not present a general lineage summary, with sources cited if I am skeptical?"

"Well, that would still ruin the surprise," says Seiga. "And I don't remember all of them, so I'd have to go find them again. And then you'd be gone and nothing gets done."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Perhaps you should have kept track of the resources you used, then."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Perhaps you should have kept track of the resources you used, then."

>"I was trying to keep from being caught at the time, but I suppose that is a point," says Seiga with a shrug. "Nothing to be done for it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> Put on a slightly bemused expression.
> "To be perfectly honest, Seiga, I am somewhat surprised you did not keep some sort of ledger, even without considering anything related to me. It seems the logical thing to do just in case you need to double-check your research for any reason."

[Hello Purvis]

> Put on a slightly bemused expression.
> "To be perfectly honest, Seiga, I am somewhat surprised you did not keep some sort of ledger, even without considering anything related to me. It seems the logical thing to do just in case you need to double-check your research for any reason."

>"It didn't seem necessary at the time," she says with a shrug.

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Regardless, yes, I agree that there is nothing to be done now to turn back time. This was simply an exercise in finding a more appropriate approach to a dilemma."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Regardless, yes, I agree that there is nothing to be done now to turn back time. This was simply an exercise in finding a more appropriate approach to a dilemma."

>She nods. "And, there was nothing to be done at the time, either."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "That may be, but that could have been avoided had you thought to have Meira introduce herself and collected a list of reference materials for her accordingly. Which, by the way, would have also preserved the surprise, assuming you instructed her not to name you."
> Make sure this is said in a conversational and/or instructional tone, rather than a hostile or chiding tone.

[Hello Purvis]

> "That may be, but that could have been avoided had you thought to have Meira introduce herself and collected a list of reference materials for her accordingly. Which, by the way, would have also preserved the surprise, assuming you instructed her not to name you."
> Make sure this is said in a conversational and/or instructional tone, rather than a hostile or chiding tone.

>"Maybe," says Seiga. "But it certainly wouldn't have preserved the surprise of having it all done with before presenting it."

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Then perhaps an explicit ground rule needs to be established, to avoid this situation in the future. You are not to steal from anyone in order to accomplish whatever goals you may have at any given point. You are to think through alternate strategies to solving dilemmas, as many as it takes until you find one that does not involve stealing. If you are unable to come up with a method to accomplish your goal that does not involve stealing, you are to put it off until such a time when you or someone else does come up with such a method. Is this clear?"

[Hello Purvis]

> "Then perhaps an explicit ground rule needs to be established, to avoid this situation in the future. You are not to steal from anyone in order to accomplish whatever goals you may have at any given point. You are to think through alternate strategies to solving dilemmas, as many as it takes until you find one that does not involve stealing. If you are unable to come up with a method to accomplish your goal that does not involve stealing, you are to put it off until such a time when you or someone else does come up with such a method. Is this clear?"

>"I suppose so," she says, "But it does overlook the necessities of time, don't you think?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "There are no necessities of time. Medical emergencies aside, if something cannot be done without stealing, then it is not worth doing."

[Hello Purvis]

> "There are no necessities of time. Medical emergencies aside, if something cannot be done without stealing, then it is not worth doing."

>"So medical emergencies do count," she says. "Thus, it's fine to steal when lives are in danger, you'd agree?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I am not in the mood for time-wasting semantics arguments, Seiga. You know exactly what I mean."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I am not in the mood for time-wasting semantics arguments, Seiga. You know exactly what I mean."

>"I am only trying to discern what you actually mean, Crown Prince," she says, frowning, "as you have said some very contradictory things just now. It seems to me you are saying do not steal, lest someone is in danger. Is this wrong?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "Immediate danger, and even then thought should be put into how to avoid theft."

[Hello Purvis]

> "Immediate danger, and even then thought should be put into how to avoid theft."

>"Does this not contradict itself?"

>_

[Kilgamayan]

> "I do not see how."

[Hello Purvis]

> "I do not see how."

>"If it is immediate danger, then what time is there for pondering? That suggests that action is necessary at once, wouldn't you agree?"

>_