JUNIPER
you think i'm happy because i'm smiling,
but it's the easiest thing to do
Juniper sighed. Here they went. But at least Azrael had responded with questions, not outright disbelief or defensiveness -- or even doubt. That was a good sign.but it's the easiest thing to do
"I don't really know the answer to either of those questions," Juniper said. She could tell Azrael simply that the Voice ordered the Ascended's attack, that they should ask the Voice -- but Juniper didn't want to make so direct an assault on Azrael's worldview. Besides, she suspected the Voice would feed the child a sugarcoated version of the story, one full of justifications and rationalizations.
Many Fae would have gone the opposite route, would have told Azrael that the Ascended had attacked because they were simply evil and grasping and could never be trusted. But this obviously wasn't part of the diplomatic conversation and sincere exchange of ideas that Juniper had come here for. Instead she went for a more neutral and objective explanation: "The strike against the Mathair opened a portal. I believe that was the motivation for it."
As for the Mathair's potential return ... Juniper would have liked to tell Azrael that they were working on it, but that information might reach Wessex, and it could turn out to be strategically significant. So she opted for a less-complete truth: "We don't know if she'll ever come back. We're not even sure she still lives at all."
if you looked a little closer,
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
you'd find my eyes aren't smiling too.
