THE MAN WHO KILLED HIS BROTHER, CHAPTER 15

[kastenessen]

Ginny dissappears to surgery while Brew stays in the room, recuperating. Then Ted enters, desperate finding Mittie and tells Brew:

"...he gave me a message for you. He said he wants you and Ginny to vote for him. The next time he runs for something."

Brew is surely surrounded by a******s, and I think SRD don't like politicians...anyway, Brew sees that Ted is crying and realises that he have power to move him. Then comes an interesting self-analyses from Brew:

They all had power - Stretto, Acton, Ginny, even Ted - they were all able to make other people feel fear or grief or respect. The bastard who put Alathea where she was sure as hell had the power. The only exception was Axbrewder. He didn't have any of his own, so he lived off other people's. And when he couldn't get that, he got the best substitute he could find - out of a bottle. I didn't seem to have any choice about it. I was on my feet.

This is true and untrue. So far he hasn't accomplished much in real terms but we know that he has the power to affect people, which he does, that he can set things moving if he only doesn't underestimate himself. Brew is a man who dare to go where no man dares to go you know! (He went to el Senor, didn't he?)...going off story all the time huh! OK!...anyway...

He washes himself and leaves with Ted but returns to the room for Ginnys purse, with the keyes to the Olds and Ginny's gun, then they head for the cafeteria to wait for word of the state on Ginny...Then of course Acton shows up. They get into close-combat, not fighting but almost, Acton saying he is being accused by Stretto that everything is his fault (which is exactly what it is, well almost...if he would have done his investigation properly some things would never had happened)...and Brew realises he can get information from him. Brew asks about who knew Alathea was in that specific room, how did Stretto knew for instance? From Acton he learns that the message was given to one of his secretaries but don't remember which one...But Acton's brain starts to work, he knows now he can analyse the papers and compare the last two papers (the two that counts) with the piece that Ginny tore off, that would be some sort of evidence...all this takes time, Brew is in a hurry, so he asks the natural question:

"Acton, why did you have to scare people like the Christies? You didn't think they were pimping and pushing for their own daughters. What were you trying to do?

The answer was: He wanted something to happen. Keep it out of the papers and therefore sending a message to whoever responsible, to let them know that someone was after them. Making them nervous...Such a stupid method! Brew want's to know why he made life hell for the parents but instead asks how he found Alathea. She was found naked with cuts and scrapes and had only been gone for ten days! Brew realises she had escaped. From Ted Acton hears everything about Sevin Rinlassen.

Brew finally get to see Ginny, unconscious but alive! He puts the purse with the gun beside her. It might be useful when she wakes up...

There was so much information in this very short chapter that it was difficult to summarise without quoting all of it but I think I got the most of it...so...

Kasten

[Dragonlily]

I love the personal style you gave this, Kasten. It's also a very personal chapter, very human-focused. None of Ginny's analyses, Brew is on his own now.

Brew knows he’s in shock, but this is an especially good description of shock. Brew hears Ted say:

“Brew, get up. We’ve got to find Mittie.” He didn’t seem real enough to move me. The only thing I could see in the dust and the late afternoon sunlight was the blood pumping out of Ginny’s forearm.

Here’s what I love most about Brew:

“Brew, Ted said, “you look terrible.” He tried to smile.

That finished the job. Despite myself, I started to function again. “I look terrible? How long has it been since you had anything to eat?”

Brew is incapable of giving up as long as someone needs his help. Quite to the contrary of his self-analysis.

When Acton calls Brew out of the cafeteria and Brew tells Ted to come with him, I wanted Brew to tell Ted, “I need witnesses the next time Acton beats me up.” Then I turned the page, and there was Brew saying, “”I need a witness who can tell the judge you hit me first.” That was satisfying.

Brew hates politics, but he knows how it works. He tells Acton:

“Stretto almost got killed.... Now he wants to blame somebody. You’re as good a scapegoat as any.”

Brew successfully maneuvers Acton into recognizing his own responsibility in the bombing, and he also gets one of his flashes of intuition. Suddenly he understands Acton. Brew can get along with just about anybody once he understands them. This is something I really identify with.

Now Acton is even ready to work with Brew. He can organize all the grunt work, but Brew wants a short cut. He can’t get out of his mind the picture of Alathea rescuing herself when no one had been able to get to her. He finds Ginny still unconscious after surgery, fills himself with the image.

With Ted still trailing behind me, I left the hospital, feeling like a murderer who just hadn't managed to find the right victim yet.

[kastenessen]

With Ted still trailing behind me, I left the hospital, feeling like a murderer who just hadn't managed to find the right victim yet.

Just love your last quote here Joy! It's so powerful and subtle...

It was strange. I thought this chapter would be an easy one, it is only six and a half pages long. But I felt I could go on forever thinking about it. There was something to write about in every sentence. So much is revealed here, so much falls into place about Brew, Acton, Ted.

It's as you said Joy:

Brew is incapable of giving up as long as someone needs his help. Quite the contrary of his self-analysis.

What he thinks of himself and what he does is like two opposites...

kasten