ostro_goth | OOM: In the forge, for Jean Valjean

He had remembered that Teja said he worked on Security, and also in the forge. He had found the office first, due to the hour. When it was empty, he came here.

He does not know exactly what he is going to say, or even why he cares at all. Well no, this latter is not true - he would not be uncaring to hear of anyone coming to harm. What is strange is the level of unease he feels at not having been told this previously, despite the subject of his last conversation with Teja. It would be easier to just not speak of it at all.

But he would like to be more certain that Javert's apparent difficulties since coming here have nothing to do with him. Because if they are, things must be set to right.

He knocks on the forge doors, then slide his head around to look.

'Good evening, Teja.'

Teja turns from his work, and the scruffy tabbycat by the fire opens both eyes to look at him.

"Greetings, Jean Valjean," Teja says. "May I help you with any thing?"

'Perhaps.'

He enters, and stands.

No, he does not know what to say. He is terribly unpracticed at this.

'I come because...I am not sure. I have questions. And since you appear to know Javert as well as anyone here, and are also a member of the security force, it would seem you are the person to ask.'

"Please sit," Teja says, "by the fire, or by the workbench, wherever you prefer."

He stands, pours a clay cup of cold water, and offers it to Valjean; the forge is hot.

"I shall answer all questions that I may, without breaking Javert's trust."

He takes the water with a nod of thanks, but does not sit.

'You did not tell me he had been attacked while in this place. Of course, it is his business. But I feel, given our last conversation, that it is something you might have mentioned.'

He is still polite as he says this, as he ever is. But there is a hint of steel to it too. He is more than capable of being listened to, should need arise.

"He maintains he was not attacked here," Teja says. "Should I speak freely of his shame to one that may not be his enemy, but is not his friend quite, without need? Javert maintains he left of his own free will; he even insisted on paying for that confounded door the blood-drinker broke when taking him away from the infirmary that night."

Teja sighs, and hides his face for a moment in exasperation with all these strange and stubborn people.

"Given our last conversation, I mentioned what I knew about him before he came to this place. The vampire does not enter into the reason he threw himself upon the mercy of the river Seine; he only seems to have made things somewhat worse by the time Javert returned from his world. No longer an inspector, and no longer of the law, he seems to have been before."

Another pause.

"I know not what you have heard of vampires; your world has them not, nor knows any thing about them. But there are aspects of this that are deeply private, and that should not be bandied about. But ask me any thing you wish to know about those creatures, and you shall have any answer that does not break the trust of Javert, not the trust of Vlad Draculea concerning the amends I had him make for the act of breaking the door, locking in the healer that would stop him. For nothing else could I make him pay, in this place!"

Most of this is entirely lost on Valjean, and it shows. It is clear he does not know any details.

'We do not know he threw himself into the river,' he points out, calmly.

'That is an assumption I will not make, unless hearing it from Javert himself.'

Which he is sure he will never do. And does not want to either, because then he would have to hear the reasons for it. It seems the man may be far more mad than he ever realised.

'My point is not regarding the rules of this bar, though I hear it is possible mind control was used. Having met the vampire in question myself, I would not be surprised to learn it is true. My point is that if your assumption is correct, and that Javert harmed himself, then he should not have been allowed to be harmed further.'

He did not save his life so that vampires could use him for supper.

'I have told you I do not know him well, and it is the truth. But I believe I know him well enough to say that he would not willingly allow himself to be used in this way. You are on Security. I have no doubt you know your job. I-'

He falters here. He does not mean to make accusations. Indeed, he hardly knows what he feels at all.

Edited 2013-10-18 12:45 (UTC)

"I do," Teja says. "And indeed, he did not willingly allow himself to be used thus, but it did not happen here -- he willingly followed Vlad Draculea to his world, and there, he came to grief. That world is for Vlad Draculea to rule, not me to judge. And as long as Javert would not speak of it, or ask me for my aid against the vampire, I may not meddle by myself. I have taken on a Greek immortal over a man all deemed a mere dirty peasant, a year ago, but that happened here, and was mine to insist upon. As long as Javert does not trust me enough to speak up and demand measures to be taken, I may not act on my own."

Pause.

"But for the part where he is not your enemy, I would freely arm you with all that I am not duty or honour bound to keep silent about. Ask!"

'I do not wish to know anything personal about it. It would be most uncomfortable for both he and I.'

For so many reasons.

He sighs, and attempts to make himself understood.

'The last time I saw Javert, he was not himself. I did not wish to tell you this - it is his business, and I do not understand it myself. But from what you have said about his apparent change already, I feel duty-bound to add...he indicated something else, earlier. That I had annoyed him, and he would rather I kill him than set him free.'

Which does not mean he threw himself into the river, as far as Valjean is concerned. That would be insane. But it does indicate that yes, something has occurred.

'The reason I mention it is because if this is where the difficulty starts, then his state of mind has caused him to fall deeper into trouble than I would ever have expected. I do not pretend to understand why. But if, because of this, he has...if some harm has befallen him here, because of it, then-'

He spreads his hands, helplessly.

He does not want to be responsible for this. Not if Javert did not make a willing choice to be taken away. If he was taken advantage of, then there is a reason he would have been able to have been.

'Forgive me. I do not mean to imply blame. I simply wish to understand what happened, so amends can be made.'

"I do not take blame in this, either, and know you mean none," Teja says. "Javert will not allow any debt, charity, mercy - he would pay or work for any thing, rather than owe gratitude for a mere bowl of stew. He paid for the door that Vlad Draculea broke, as I said. How much worse if that which was owed is his life: - it is easy to infer that he would rather throw it away than owe it to a law-breaker that is also a good man. That realisation alone must have confounded him utterly -- and then that debt added to it, when you freed him instead of killing him! Now it does make sense!"

Teja shakes his head.

"But I do not think he attempted suicide-by-vampire. I know not why he went with Vlad Draculea; he seems to have promised help, but I know not what for, exactly, and neither will speak of it. Vlad mopes spectacularly, or did, for he has left now; Javert is so worried that his injuries may be seen that he refuses to roll up his sleeves for work, which in any other forge would mean grave danger of setting himself alight while he works; there is a reason why we have leather aprons and bare arms! They appear to have spoken of many things while there; but whatever good that might have done seems to have been utterly erased by what Vlad did --- which he regrets bitterly, but cannot ever un-do."

Edited 2013-10-18 16:00 (UTC)

This sounds like something else he does not want to touch. Whatever goes on between Javert and those of his acquaintance, it is no business of his. He holds his hands up to indicate this.

'Please, no. If he and and this vampire are...whatever they are, I do not need to know. It is the cause that worries me.'

He lapses to silence for a moment.

'I do not think it so easy to infer. He has rarely been as simple. But no matter; I do not need to know more. Enough that it has happened. I will...I will have to speak with him.'

He knew he would have to. But now he knows it, and it is still not a pleasant prospect.

Edited 2013-10-18 18:45 (UTC)

"In this matter, that which one needs to know, and that which one would scour one's mind with a wire-brush to un-know, lie far too closely together," Teja says. "He and this vampire are not anything; it would be the vsmpire's wish they should even be spoken of in the same sentence, but I assure you, they ought not."

Teja looks at him almost ruefully, as Iif the metaphorical offer of said wire brush was now in order.

"I would hope that he gives you answers; for he is a true master of dogged silence and the refusal to speak. Until then, one must infer and guess. You should indeed speak with him, if you are not wholly enemies in that way. Two things, though, I would ask of you in this."

If a wire brush were on hand, he would indeed take it at this point. Good Lord, he never imagined - no, he will not think of it. It is not important.

Instead, he thinks of a time where Javert was only too willing to speak, and wondering if he should want him to return to it. He has known the man to always talk much, and say little, but it clear that things are different now.

'You may ask.'

"One, I would ask you to go and speak also with Guppy Sandhu, the healer who has treated Javert in this, just after he came in from the river Seine, and later, when he was in the infirmary again, from whence he then went with the blood-drinker. Guppy was the one who was locked into a latrine; but not that is what you should speak about, but all that of Javert which you would share, for it would help in treating him," Teja says. "I consult with him as well, even though he may not tell me all he knows, bound by his professional oath of confidence, just as I may not tell him all I know, if one takes me into his trust. You need not tell him of what you spoke of to me, but whatever you feel free to tell without dredging up darkness from your own soul, tell him. I would give you a note that I see you as important in the matter, so he would not simply see you as a stranger come to speak with him about one of his patients. He would not take this at all well; he has a very high ethic in his work. He is from the early 21st century, a time much different from yours or mine, so if for a moment you cannot understand what he says, it is not the translation spell breaking down, it is a mere mismatching of concepts. I still do not know what that 'discharge summary' is, the medical procedure that was apparently violated."

Teja shrugs.

"The edge of 'must be known' and 'may not be spoke' again is so, so narrow in this."

He thinks hard about this. He feels himself being pulled into something - something he has absolutely no desire to be part of. But if he must, he must. One cannot pick and choose where help is most needed. Still, he is loathe to agree to tell perfect strangers details he himself is not sure of.

'And the second?'

All that are concerned by this will be drawn to places that they would not wish to see; it lies in the nature of the woe they are dealing with. Milliways had never before truly needed a suicide watch, or had a Bound patron that was nigh beyond help.

"Do not press the subject of the blood-drinker when speaking with Javert; he is more than spooked from it all, and his soul is not whole. Sometimes, it may happen that the mere memory of a thing will plunge a man into darkness beyond his own help. Whatever happened, or happened not, he took it very badly while maintaining that it is all, in some way, his own fault."

Again, an offer of a wire brush might well be in order. Teja shrugs ruefully.

This must be spoken of.

Edited 2013-10-18 21:31 (UTC)

'I will not press the subject.'

He most certainly does not wish to press any subject. Well, that is clear. But he is too preoccupied with the notion of the man no longer being whole in soul; for the first time, there is a hint of curiosity to his thoughts, above and beyond the desire to right a possible wrong.

'I apologise for drawing you back into this, Teja. I simply did not know who else to ask. I cannot promise to be of any help to him - if it is as you say, and he left this place at the mention of my name, I may only make it worse. I will not press him. I will do what is best, even if it means withdrawing entirely, and speaking to him only when it is necessary to conclude our business in our own world.'

"Do not apologise," Teja says. "Talking, and listening, and speaking in turn is how one must, apparently, solve this. If this can be solved. I would do what I can to help the man, not only because he works for me, but because if I am here, I am the one that must help, by mere virtue of my presence."

'And you are admirable because of it. I have the feeling you will be far more useful in this than I will manage to be.'

He sighs, just a little, and sets his empty cup down.

'I will not agree to speak to the doctor until I have spoken to Javert. It is not fair to decide anything about him, without the man himself being heard. And if he asks me to go away, and never speak to him again, I expect I will heed him.'

Even he, he thinks, would not be able to resist such an invitation. To walk away from arrest, after years of being persued? He does not think he is strong enough to refuse the chance. Not if it means he will be able to stay with Cosette.

But then, he does not truly believe - even now - that Javert will allow this. In truth, he has no idea what he will do, or say, or how such a meeting will progress.

"I shall consult with Guppy, however," Teja says. "He has been treating the man, and would be again, the next time anything happened. His only duty is to his patients; he has no divided loyalties or any own involvement in this."

He raises an eyebrow here - something else is expected to happen? But that is not his affair either, and he will not pry into any further circumstances without first meeting his old adversary.

'That is your choice, of course. Tell me then, how I will recognise this doctor, should the need to meet with him arise.'

"Truly, do seek him out, I mean it," Teja says. "Once you spoke with Javert, that is. Guppy is small and dark and curly-haired; his ancestors were from India, but he is English. He often has one or more of his three little children with him, as he is a very dedicated father."

'Thank you. I will give the matter some thought. And again, I thank you for speaking with me on this subject.'

He bows shortly, and then straightens his coat.

'No doubt we will meet again. Good evening, Teja.'

Edited 2013-10-18 22:38 (UTC)

Teja bows shortly as well, and looks Valjean in the eye.

"I am sure we will," he says, "and eventually, I shall play you music, and we shall not have to speak of dire, painful things. Now is not yet the time, though. I am sorry for that, but thus is fate."

'I should like that very much.'

If there is ever such a time where dire, painful things do not rear their heads.

'But you are right; it seems it is God's will to have us delay. So be it. There is time enough.'

A smile then, brief but genuine, and he slips out of the door.

Edited 2013-10-18 22:48 (UTC)

After he is gone, Teja tidies up the forge, sends the cats out into the night, and then goes to find Guppy.

OOM: In the forge, for Jean Valjean

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