Today I was thumbing through the book one more time, and find myself dwelling on the scene where Archie first goes to see Marko.
It's another heartbreaker--Archie is convinced that he's secretly being summoned to see Wolfe, he's sure of it at every turn, and at every turn it's still not true. It's like he's stuck in the Denial Stage of Grief.
And Marko is so tender and solicitous of Archie, like Archie has been bereaved, or has just been wounded. (Both true.) He spends the entire first part of their meeting trying to soothe Archie's feelings in one particular way: trying to keep Archie from being upset that Wolfe has now relied on someone else more than on Archie himself:
"My friend Archie," he said sympathetically. "It is my part to tell you exactly certain things. But before I do that I wish you tell you a thing of my own. I wish to remind you that I have known Nero a much longer time than you have. We knew each other as boys in another country--much younger than you were that day many years ago when you first saw him and went to work for him. He is my old and dear friend, and I am his. So it was natural that he should come to me last night."
Everyone in the world assumes that no one is closer in Wolfe's inner circle than Archie, including Archie. And now that Wolfe has left Archie out for real, it requires a lot of explanation and justification.
Poor Marko, though. "I told him, Archie, that his conduct was inexcusable," he says, and he's obviously so upset and sympathetic on Archie's behalf, but that doesn't help Archie's broken heart. And Archie still can't help but ask, after the entire explanation, "No word for me at all?" Arrrrrrgh.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2015-09-25 02:56 pm (UTC)It's another heartbreaker--Archie is convinced that he's secretly being summoned to see Wolfe, he's sure of it at every turn, and at every turn it's still not true. It's like he's stuck in the Denial Stage of Grief.
And Marko is so tender and solicitous of Archie, like Archie has been bereaved, or has just been wounded. (Both true.) He spends the entire first part of their meeting trying to soothe Archie's feelings in one particular way: trying to keep Archie from being upset that Wolfe has now relied on someone else more than on Archie himself:
Everyone in the world assumes that no one is closer in Wolfe's inner circle than Archie, including Archie. And now that Wolfe has left Archie out for real, it requires a lot of explanation and justification.
Poor Marko, though. "I told him, Archie, that his conduct was inexcusable," he says, and he's obviously so upset and sympathetic on Archie's behalf, but that doesn't help Archie's broken heart. And Archie still can't help but ask, after the entire explanation, "No word for me at all?" Arrrrrrgh.