Of all the answers she might have given, tolerance was perhaps the most maddening: one could not shake their heads at tolerance without seeming unChristian for it. But what it was, as a Ministerial policy on this particular terrain - no doubt that was Minister Ross’ byword in every regard, tolerance - was a damning show of weakness, an admission that she and her department were pleased to capitulate and dress up a defeat of the civilised world as showing clemency. (So had Julius Caesar done in his Bellum Civile, just before he destroyed the Republic.)
“An admirable statement, Mrs. Skeeter,” Emerett said coolly, tiring of feigning excessive cordiality to so tiresome a woman. If he had not been convinced of this already, here was another sign that her policies would help speed the collapse by doing none of the boldness that was needed.
But then, she was a woman. What had he expected? “Though in practice,” he added sagely, as if he had any right to offer ‘friendly’ advice, “you may well find that protecting peace requires something of a firmer hand from the government.” They were in the bookshop; perhaps he could direct her towards Romans 13:4 or some Aquinas or Augustine. Some wars were just and worthy of being waged, and taking the easy way out of an issue by denying it ought to bite her back one day. “A little public justice is undoubtedly overdue.” But if she would rather sacrifice innocent human lives than the freedom of a few murderous werewolves, that was, unfortunately, her prerogative. For the moment.
“An admirable statement, Mrs. Skeeter,” Emerett said coolly, tiring of feigning excessive cordiality to so tiresome a woman. If he had not been convinced of this already, here was another sign that her policies would help speed the collapse by doing none of the boldness that was needed.
But then, she was a woman. What had he expected? “Though in practice,” he added sagely, as if he had any right to offer ‘friendly’ advice, “you may well find that protecting peace requires something of a firmer hand from the government.” They were in the bookshop; perhaps he could direct her towards Romans 13:4 or some Aquinas or Augustine. Some wars were just and worthy of being waged, and taking the easy way out of an issue by denying it ought to bite her back one day. “A little public justice is undoubtedly overdue.” But if she would rather sacrifice innocent human lives than the freedom of a few murderous werewolves, that was, unfortunately, her prerogative. For the moment.
