Notes on recent happenings:
(#29502)

     I dislike being beaten up. I dislike it even more when it happens two times in immediate sequence. However, this complication pales by comparison to my annoyance at having to present myself for pulping. The first occasion in this recent set occurred under rather clandestine (and embarrassing) circumstances, so I will not bother you with the details...which is to say that I will not have to murder you if I find you reading this. My reading public always prefers it when they get to live to discuss my work.

     So, we shall skip the first occurrence with only the cursory detail that it involved some very... specific... members of my personal staff and a hearty several rounds of gang-beating. Also let it be cryptically stated that I had absolutely no choice in the matter, whatsoever. There. That clears that bit of the subject up.

     I may speak freely on the subject of the second pounding, with the single sticking point that I would very much rather that Morgan not be allowed to peruse this document. As reports are somewhat hazy on the subject of his literacy, I will proceed to assassinate his character with abandon. Since I am most comfortable with a listed, scientific format, I will indulge myself for the purpose of degrading his blunt and idiotic behavior:

    ITEM #1: The Lady Kali is dead.

      Subset A: She was killed by a large canine.

      Subset B: It was very messy.

    ITEM #2: All Amberite Royals are totally desensitized to the physical upsets surrounding death and dismemberment, including the removal of vital organs and the deliberate or incidental arrangement thereof into works of modern art.

      Subset A: In this case, it can be assumed that the Salvidor Dali Entrail Exhibit was not intended to be artistic by the large dog that mauled her.

      Subset B: This callous desensitization applies in all cases of death and injury, including (if not especially) those involving close relations.

      Subset C: This does not by any means preclude an emotional response to the death of a sibling with whom one did not harbor an intent to murder - or in the case of Gerard's brood, that rare thing the gods name familial closeness.

      Subset D: I did nothing to upset the emotional variables or constants in the deathscene equation. I refrained from making personal comments of any kind about the deceased.

      Subset E: I did make very utilitarian comments and proceed with very pragmatic action, in the moments immediately following the discovery of the corpse. I considered these to be well within the bounds of accepted behavior in the vicinity of people who are not strangers to death in its many forms.

    ITEM #3: Morgan became shocked and highly displeased at my pragmatism and unwillingness to fake a proper amount of shock at the dismembered state of his sister.

      Subset A: I was not shocked, horrified or about to lose my breakfast.

      Subset B: Neither was Dylanna.

      Subset C: Neither was Morgan.

      Subset D: Morgan's displeasure seems to rotate about the fact that a relative had been the possessor of the corpse.

        Proposed: I believe most strongly that, had it been a palace guard- and not his sister- lying on the floor, he would have displayed a total callousness to the purely physical accoutrements of demise, just as did the rest of the occupants of the room.

        Interjection: Please note that I am not advocating that he feel no emotional response to the death of a close relative. I simply reiterate that his behavior - and the demands he placed on the behavior of others - amounted to a faking of squirrelly, gut-churned, rookie-homicide-cop, barf-on-the-carpet-while-everybody-nods-and-says-dumb-things-like- "Ohmygod... how awful... how could someone do such a thing?", offending of sensibilities. Steaming bulldroppings.