That was one of the differences between the good guys and the bad guys during the war. People followed Mevolent's orders out of fear, greed, or an assumed knowledge that there was no other choice. People followed Meritorious because they chose to. People like Meritorious, and Deuce - they didn't command respect. Not in the same way Mevolent did. Their orders were taken differently because their orders were given to men and women who wholeheartedly volunteered to fight. Submitted themselves willingly to that command, giving up entire lives and families to do so.
There was a time China thought them naive. The way she stiffened involuntarily at the words that's Corrival's order was more than enough evidence of that. It was also, however, one of the reasons she withdrew from the war and became neutral. Genuinely good people following orders, being asked to do horrific things, and choosing to do them anyway because they truly believed the world would be a better place without Mevolent in it. Without the Faceless Ones in it.
It had gotten China to thinking. And now, here she was. Now, she didn't really mind following Corrival's order, and not just because it was what she would have done anyway.
Corrival Deuce was going to make a genuinely good Grand Mage. In the same way China was fond of doing what Skulduggery Pleasant asked of her solely for the asking, she suspected she might be leaning towards doing the same for the Council of Elders.
To an extent, of course. One couldn't be a good information broker without being able to keep world-changing secrets.
The thought didn't quite come hollowly this time, either.
China's smile turned genuine by a fraction. That was more like it. This was how she should feel. Proud. Of her position, of her influence, and of her choices. "Combining the reflections," she mused quietly. "That would still be ending the spell. The point of that little exercise was to create as many Cleavers as possible. Casting as many reflections as possible. There was never one reflection copied, which makes this slightly more difficult." She hesitated, then shook her head. "Not impossible, of course. Especially not with a few days to iron out the details."
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There was a time China thought them naive. The way she stiffened involuntarily at the words that's Corrival's order was more than enough evidence of that. It was also, however, one of the reasons she withdrew from the war and became neutral. Genuinely good people following orders, being asked to do horrific things, and choosing to do them anyway because they truly believed the world would be a better place without Mevolent in it. Without the Faceless Ones in it.
It had gotten China to thinking. And now, here she was. Now, she didn't really mind following Corrival's order, and not just because it was what she would have done anyway.
Corrival Deuce was going to make a genuinely good Grand Mage. In the same way China was fond of doing what Skulduggery Pleasant asked of her solely for the asking, she suspected she might be leaning towards doing the same for the Council of Elders.
To an extent, of course. One couldn't be a good information broker without being able to keep world-changing secrets.
The thought didn't quite come hollowly this time, either.
China's smile turned genuine by a fraction. That was more like it. This was how she should feel. Proud. Of her position, of her influence, and of her choices. "Combining the reflections," she mused quietly. "That would still be ending the spell. The point of that little exercise was to create as many Cleavers as possible. Casting as many reflections as possible. There was never one reflection copied, which makes this slightly more difficult." She hesitated, then shook her head. "Not impossible, of course. Especially not with a few days to iron out the details."