The Park, Sunday Early Morning

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

There was no better time or place to oversee the work being done to set up for the graduation brunch than early in the morning with the dog, out in the park. The first men and women were up and about their roles.

Cable paid them a moment's worth of attention, then proceeded on his way.

Tether had calmed down over the years, and so Cable could devote most of his attention to Jan. Who hadn't. Calmed over the years, that is.

In fact, she was trying to get a look at just about everything. Ever.

[[ open ]]

Comments

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"Don't suppose she's graduated, eh?" Price said with a chuckle. He nodded in Jan's direction. Children at least he was better suited to talk about than dogs.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"I think she still has a few years on her," Cable deadpanned. "She's a slow learner."

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"Well I'm sure she'll pick things up in time," Price said. "Do you have much affiliation with the school? I know you're the mayor and all, but never thought that meant much of a personal obligation in the academics."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"It doesn't," Cable agreed, "Besides the fact that I believe a good education can solve a myriad of problems before they start. Zoe has her ballpark and I have mine."

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"What sort of problems are those, then?" Price said, rather curious as to what his boss was implying. The man was both utterly respectable and utterly terrifying. Which mainly just spurred his curiosity.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"In this world?" he asked, casting a look towards the dorms. "In any of theirs...? There are very few problems that can't be fixed with a good education... or a blow to the head..."

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"Interesting philosophy," Price said. "Most problems I see in the world... they aren't caused by a lack of education. But maybe that's just my own world."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"I said a good education, Captain Price..." he said, snagging Jan's arm before she hurled herself into a bush. "I never said we had any good examples of it in the world today. It takes a lot more than mathematics and language lessons to teach children about right and wrong, and cooperation."

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"The problem there is, whose version of right and wrong do you teach?" Price said. "Because what's good for The Motherland isn't what's good for Merry Old England."

He was a cynic, always would be. It wasn't the Gulag that did that to him.

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"What's good for humanity is what's good for us all," Cable said, shooting him a glance. "Thinking in terms of nations and political stakes generally brings conflict."

Pause.

"And a large headache for the UN."

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

Price nodded, unable to disagree with that. "The problem is, most people like the idea of separate nations. The poor in America sleep better knowing they aren't starving like orphans in Africa. They want to know they're better than someone."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"And where do you think that want starts, Captain Price?"

[stayingfrosty.livejournal.com]

"Greed, I imagine. Envy. The usual biblical sins. Not that I put much water in the book itself, but... as for base human vices, it's pretty spot on," Price said. "People will always want something more. Myself included."

[spring-lost.livejournal.com]

"So you'd admit that the issue to be solved isn't so much if they want..." Cable said, his mouth quirking, "But what they believe they want."