Indeed. I suppose its for myself more than anyone else. The quiet is most conducive for such a performance.
[And he looks out at the water.]
I've never lived near the sea. Visited a couple of times, but...I suppose the busy heart of a city is closer to my soul than this. But it's nice, though.
[A puff from his pipe, adjusting the wine bottle in his hand.]
Not altogether different from the Port of London, by the sounds of it. Though no ocean there. Simply the dark waters of the River Thames. [And a pause.] I suppose you find a fair bit of crime in a place like that.
London....you could write a book on that city of cities.
[He exhales, his breath tinged with the smoke of his pipe.]
It is the hub of the British empire. It hosts the Houses of Parliament, standing tall and proud among the backdrop of rows and rows of buildings and factories alike. It holds great railway stations and piers on the river with boats, receiving visitors the world over. It is the center of the literary world, and its many publications are sent to numerous countries to enjoy and read.
[And then a pause. His gaze lowers.]
But for all its beauty, its splendor...it is a dark, dark city. A foggy city. And within that fog lies twisted back alleys and shadowy quarters. The light from the achievements of our government only make the poverty, grittiness and grime stand out all the more. Burglary, missing persons, murder...it all stands as part of a massive web throughout the city. And that is precisely why I must live in a place like that. To snip the threads where I can.
[He lets out that characteristic obnoxious laugh, but he doesn't let it linger, just smirking slightly to himself.]
But no, it's more that I rather tripped into the thing, and found that solving the cases of those brought to me was just the thing to stimulate the mind. I can apply my methods of logic and deductive reasoning and pull out the solution where it might be hidden. There's nothing like it in the world. And I don't quite care for the limitations of the force, though they do their jobs well as they possibly can.
It certainly is a once in a lifetime sort of thing. I'm glad that I have the means to do it, and pursue what I like. Things weren't always so easy. [And then, he turns back.] Ah, but now I'm curious. I must return a similar question to you. What got you into this line of work to begin with, Lieutenant?
Nothing dramatic. Just time and experience. The Moralintern -- the international government, essentially -- isn't all bad. But it is rife with bureaucracy, and there is only so many times you can hear that "things will get better in 10 or 20 years" before it starts to sound hollow. Especially as the decades come and go.
Right now, the only thing I believe in is the RCM. In the officers I work alongside with. Every system of government may have failed our city, but we won't.
So essentially, it all runs up against corruption, stagnation, and the unwillingness to change...
[Which is the opposite of who he is, as a person. He can't envision running up against a system like that for too long without going mad.]
Well, if you must have trust in something, having trust in the people around you is a strong place to start. It's a solid strategy, Lieutenant. I truly hope your efforts will succeed. People need people like you.
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I think I like it the way it is now. Better than the usual noises of a city at night. You can hear the waves.
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[And he looks out at the water.]
I've never lived near the sea. Visited a couple of times, but...I suppose the busy heart of a city is closer to my soul than this. But it's nice, though.
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I work in Revachol's 57th precinct -- the Industrial Harbour area. Plenty of ocean, but the view isn't too pretty. Or the sounds, or the smells.
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[A puff from his pipe, adjusting the wine bottle in his hand.]
Not altogether different from the Port of London, by the sounds of it. Though no ocean there. Simply the dark waters of the River Thames. [And a pause.] I suppose you find a fair bit of crime in a place like that.
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[He thinks...]
What sort of a place is London, if you don't mind my asking?
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[He exhales, his breath tinged with the smoke of his pipe.]
It is the hub of the British empire. It hosts the Houses of Parliament, standing tall and proud among the backdrop of rows and rows of buildings and factories alike. It holds great railway stations and piers on the river with boats, receiving visitors the world over. It is the center of the literary world, and its many publications are sent to numerous countries to enjoy and read.
[And then a pause. His gaze lowers.]
But for all its beauty, its splendor...it is a dark, dark city. A foggy city. And within that fog lies twisted back alleys and shadowy quarters. The light from the achievements of our government only make the poverty, grittiness and grime stand out all the more. Burglary, missing persons, murder...it all stands as part of a massive web throughout the city. And that is precisely why I must live in a place like that. To snip the threads where I can.
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I suppose I can understand that.
Is there any particular reason you chose to become a private detective? As opposed to, say, joining the police.
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[He lets out that characteristic obnoxious laugh, but he doesn't let it linger, just smirking slightly to himself.]
But no, it's more that I rather tripped into the thing, and found that solving the cases of those brought to me was just the thing to stimulate the mind. I can apply my methods of logic and deductive reasoning and pull out the solution where it might be hidden. There's nothing like it in the world. And I don't quite care for the limitations of the force, though they do their jobs well as they possibly can.
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Never thought detective work was something one could just "trip into"...
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Sometimes, when you find something that you can apply your skills and expertise to....well, it just becomes elementary to pursue it further.
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[He looks away for a moment.]
It certainly is a once in a lifetime sort of thing. I'm glad that I have the means to do it, and pursue what I like. Things weren't always so easy. [And then, he turns back.] Ah, but now I'm curious. I must return a similar question to you. What got you into this line of work to begin with, Lieutenant?
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I joined the force when I was 23. I was young, idealistic, and felt I had something to prove. A "true blue" moralist who believed in the system.
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I can't help but notice the use of past tense there, Lieutenant. What changed?
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Right now, the only thing I believe in is the RCM. In the officers I work alongside with. Every system of government may have failed our city, but we won't.
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[Which is the opposite of who he is, as a person. He can't envision running up against a system like that for too long without going mad.]
Well, if you must have trust in something, having trust in the people around you is a strong place to start. It's a solid strategy, Lieutenant. I truly hope your efforts will succeed. People need people like you.