Harold, Morgan, Chapter 9, a nod to Anastigmat, and dread visuals

[rthstewart]

So, in preparation for another trip to the oral surgeon, I posted the conclusion to the Two Hearts Chapter of Harold and Morgan, here.  And yes, we get the Director's point of view -- a strange place to be, certainly.  And Happy Birthday to therck !!!

anastigmatfic 's pic fic contribution to Morgan and Harold gets some backstory, with more to come.

I realized that my visuals, such as they are, for the banking districts of Narrowhaven were strongly influenced by my time in Siena, Italy and the contrade of that gorgeous city.

Contrada Capitana dell'Onda (the contrada of the Wave)



Contrada della Selva (the contrada of the Forest)


An intersection in Siena where Onda and Aquila (the Eagle) meet



Thanks also to the new readers who have joined on.  I so appreciate knowing I'm not toiling alone.

I suppose I should say something about the portrayal of the Director.  It's complex and not something I've done before.  I've tried to capture a Type A dominant, arrogant, confident man, father, and successful businessman who is watching his adult daughter with a much younger upstart swain/seducer whom he believes his inferior in every sense and yet Linch must look to that younger man to protect his children in ways he cannot.  That's not something Linch is going to accept easily and it's not a pretty process to see the anger, conflict and hypocrisy.  He is a highly controlling personality (and yes, he would do lots of mansplain) who really has had the floor give way beneath him and during a very stressful time. 

Comments

[min023.livejournal.com]

Oh, I've just had a thought of total randomness (yes, I've probably got too much time, and yes, I spend waaay too much time playing with legal materials). Ed says that it's not his first investigation, blah, blah.

It then occurred to me that modern democracies have a separation of powers between investigator and judge for a reason. Yes, Narnia isn't a democracy, it's a monarchy, but what's to prevent a misuse of power if the Just King is emotionally invested (which he is with Morgan). Leo ex machina? The fact that he has to justify himself to his sibs? Just his innate desire for justice?

Yep, totally random : )

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

And, I just jumped on Skype in case you are free. Just Instant messaging, typing chat, not talking -- I can't find the headset and the spousal unit is sitting RIGHT THERE so I don't talk fic when he can overhear. It's mom's dirty little secret. I'll respond more later, but...

[rthstewart.livejournal.com]

And about that separation of powers, I am assuming that none of the Pevensies had a sufficient grounding in law and concepts of separation of power to meaningfully implement an English style common law system - to say nothing of a civil system. I think the best that can be done is that aim to, and try to be fair, afford some sort of process and to find truth in a combined investigative, prosecutorial function. Edmund knows he is accountable to Aslan and to his sibs. This is also where I feel his experience as reformed traitor is profound. I will assume that they have enough understanding to have gotten the concept of "presumption of innocence" and they all powerfully believe in the capability of redemption. So, I see Edmund as very slow to judgment, as affording process, as using the tools of the Beasts as sort of lie detectors in aggressive interrogation that is, yes, marginally coercive to secure confessions. That comfort with coerciveness isn't a nice place, but in the post-WW2 war crimes investigations, it was very real and routinely done. "Tell me the truth, or we hand you over to that mob." Our notions that coerced testimony might not be reliable post date WW2 and are part of more modern, recent jurisprudence. The unwritten story of Black, White and Gray in between was to explore all this -- the traitorous Moles and Mr. Noll and how they investigate and try the matter. And, well, there is the fact, in this chapter, that Edmund views his duty very seriously, he is a pretty emotionally detached person, and he views even the perpetrator(s) as under his authority and protection. He doesn't tell Linch that, but that's what he's thinking. That sense of duty trumps even Edmund's commitment (at this point, whatever it is) to Morgan.

[(Anonymous)]

It should be pointed out that judicial power is one of those which stand for most primal base of monarchy (see e.g. Old Testament). Also among theories about modern role of monarch is that he/she – leaving legislature and executive for elected offices – could play a role of the supreme court. Idea of trias politica principle is an invention of 18th century (Montesquieu).

Krystyna