WAG: the Rent

[Mira]

This. Plus, you don't stay at the top of a very Darwinian social structure by letting people start to think they can get away with breaking your rules.

Well, it was Goodman who made sure the judge and other officials never broke the rules again, not Marcone.  If he did he would have added go after those that are abusing those kids, not just to save the kids.  Those abusers unless stopped would just find themselves more kids to abuse..  No, Marcone got pissed because Goodman took out the abusers that were aiding his crooked dealings.

[morriswalters]

Grey did what Jim had him do.  No more and no less.  I suppose it is supposed to show something about Grey versus Marcone.  The problem being that we don't know enough about Grey to know how he is motivated.  We know what drives Marcone because he has a major backstory.

The question about Grey that the short story doesn't answer is what would have gone down if Nicodemus had got to Grey first?  Nicodemus knew enough about Grey, at least by inference, to believe that he could hire him to do the job he wanted done.

This is the problem with the story.  Grey has a no backstory, other than Skin Game.  Jim introduces a new character in addition which IMO makes matters worse.  And where does this fit in the timeline?  The one glimmer of hope the story gives me is that if he is based in Chicago than he might be in Peace Talks.

[Mira]

Grey did what Jim had him do.  No more and no less.  I suppose it is supposed to show something about Grey versus Marcone.  The problem being that we don't know enough about Grey to know how he is motivated.  We know what drives Marcone because he has a major backstory.

The question about Grey that the short story doesn't answer is what would have gone down if Nicodemus had got to Grey first?  Nicodemus knew enough about Grey, at least by inference, to believe that he could hire him to do the job he wanted done.

This is the problem with the story.  Grey has a no backstory, other than Skin Game.  Jim introduces a new character in addition which IMO makes matters worse.  And where does this fit in the timeline?  The one glimmer of hope the story gives me is that if he is based in Chicago than he might be in Peace Talks.

Yeah, but there are hints.  Kringle had a folder of trusted double agents, Goodman was one of them.
Taking pay keeps his mercenary status, but the pay of $1.00 keeps that status.   A dollar is usually something that is exchanged as a token when in reality the desire is to do it for free, but for appearance sake a fee of some kind must be paid. 

I don't think anything would have happened if Nic had got to Goodman first, he is in fact one of Kringle's guys.

[morriswalters]

Monoc Security hires out Gard to Marcone. In Small Favors she complained because Marcone didn't kill his contractors.  I'm failing to see how that sells Grey as a good guy.  That is probably Jim's intent, I'm just saying that it's thin.

[Arjan]

Monoc Security hires out Gard to Marcone. In Small Favors she complained because Marcone didn't kill his contractors.  I'm failing to see how that sells Grey as a good guy.  That is probably Jim's intent, I'm just saying that it's thin.

This could be deliberate value dissonance. Gard and Vadderung have the morality of their time and that is what you use slaves for.   

[Mira]

Monoc Security hires out Gard to Marcone. In Small Favors she complained because Marcone didn't kill his contractors.  I'm failing to see how that sells Grey as a good guy.  That is probably Jim's intent, I'm just saying that it's thin.

  I don't think it sells Goodman as a good guy, he perhaps is someone trying to atone for his past, or for his ancestry.  However it is quite clear about Marcone, yeah, he wanted those kids saved good.  However when his guys on the take turned out to be the pedophiles harming those kids he gets upset because Goodman took them out. 

I think everything we need to know about Goodman Gray is in his name..  While on one hand he can be a goodman, he operates in a gray area of morality.

[morriswalters]

I don't disagree, but it isn't in the text. Not yet.

[Mira]

I don't disagree, but it isn't in the text. Not yet.

Sometimes it doesn't have to be,  addicts often go to jail instead of treatment, but those who make and sell the drugs go free or get lessor punishment..