003.

[velocette]

[LOCKED to WARDEN FILTER]

[He's thumbing through papers, frowning a little.]

Who's the best fighter on board?


[LOCKED to HARVEY DENT]

Hey. Guess we're hitched to the same wagon now.

Comments

[halftheman]

Fish? What do you mean, fish?

[velocette]

They're just fish. Rumble fish. They kill each other if they're in the same tanks.

[Yeah he'd made up that phrase--rumble fish--so his dimwitted brother would understand why they were so profound for him...but the phrase kind of sticks, now.]

They're called Siamese Fighting Fish in the pet stores.

[halftheman]

And what the hell am I supposed to do with a fish? Had dogs. Never had fish.

[velocette]

What'd you do with the dogs?

[halftheman]

Two rottweilers; Romulus and Remus. Companions. Guards. Had to put 'em down. Got injured.

[velocette]

You just feed fish. They're easy.

[halftheman]

Sounds boring. Ornamental animals.

[velocette]

Most fish are. These are special.

[halftheman]

Why? Cause they'll kill each other? Any animal will if you kick it hard enough.

[velocette]

Yeah, I know, but you don't have to kick these. That's the point.

[He's practically giddy at the thought that maybe, maybe Two-Face or Harvey will get it, because right now he's pretty sure he's the only person alive (or dead) who does.]

Living does it to them. Just like with people.

[halftheman]

So why keep 'em if they're just going to kill each other?

[velocette]

That's the trick.

[Which reminds him:]

How d'you define 'ethics'?

[halftheman]

It's a code of conduct for proper behavior. Varies culture to culture.

[ Law school definition. ]

[velocette]

That's kind of a joke, isn't it. [He'd be snickering if it was just a little bit funnier, a little bit scandalous.]

I believe in personal ethics though. Back home they tell me I'm a criminal...but everyone's got their personal code.

[halftheman]

You've mentioned before. [ And he doesn't believe it. The man's about as criminal as the rest of the warden element. ]

[velocette]

[He won't often catch nuances, but he hears--or sees--disbelief because for once he's actually watching for it.]

What's your idea of criminal?

[halftheman]

You killed a man before? For pleasure? For compulsion?

[velocette]

[His expression doesn't change, but there's an almost imperceptible distance in him now, like a screen has come up.]

Yeah.

[halftheman]

Make you feel good? Feel powerful?

[ Harvey watches; nobody should forget by his nature, he's as much a psychological predator was a physical one. He was a lawyer, once. And a damned good one. ]

[velocette]

[He's aware he's exposing a flank here, but he's not about to lie about it. There will be times enough in the future when his deafness interferes in their conversations; no reason to make it worse than it already will be when Harvey thinks he's ignoring him on purpose.]

I didn't feel anything. And I don't really define power as what other people can affect.

[halftheman]

You feel nothing? No pride. No power. No satisfaction. Nothing at all?

[ He's sniffing around that flank, alright. ]

[velocette]

I stopped feeling proud a long time ago. And he was just some guy, there's nothing to be satisfied about whether he's alive or dead.

[But he is terribly amused by the questions, wondering how this ticks together in that divided mind over there.]

[halftheman]

Then why did you do it?

[velocette]

I was a dumb kid. I thought he was a harbinger of the end--that was still when I thought I could save people from themselves. I realized the truth after he was already dead. [He's very nonchalant about it, and honestly so, with no bravado in the slightest.]

The other guy was incidental. He was all hopped up and I knew he wouldn't stop coming at my brother, but I don't think I really meant to kill him. Just one of those things.

[halftheman]

Hrmph.

[ Harv doesn't say much. He thinks. ]