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--donation bonus (day #23, post 5/5)--
“I suppose the boy would not require much motivation,” said Meriwether, almost sighing. “What kind of world do we live in, where mere children can cause so much misery?”

“You say that like we’ve caused none of our own,” said David.

“There is a difference. What we do, we do for the good of the nation.”

“Of course.”

Meriwether shook his head. “There is that tone of yours. Saying one thing while implying another. I wish you would just be straightforward for once.”

David merely returned a placid smile.

Meriwether had always been a rather blunt instrument. Sometimes that was helpful. Most times it wasn’t. But he was an honest man, on the whole, which David appreciated. It made things simpler, if not necessarily easier.

“Bah,” said Meriwether. “You and your games. I have no patience for them.”

“I’ve noticed.” David rested a hand on the shorter man’s shoulder. “But these are hardly games anymore, I fear. I hope you will take that under advisement and err on the side of caution.”

Meriwether eyed the hand. “As usual, I have no idea what you are trying to say.”

David’s smile tightened. If only matters were as simple as just being able to warn the man about Luther. Certainly, it would have been nice to come right out and say it, but what, then, would happen if Meriwether went on to have a conversation with Luther about David? Quite possibly, Meriwether would be his tactless, confrontational self and alert Luther to the fact that David might not truly be on his side. That, or maybe Meriwether was playing some game of his own that David had yet to see through. Doubtful, sure, but David had misjudged his brothers before.

But despite all this, perhaps there was yet a way that David could help his brother here, a way which posed no risk to himself. He removed his hand from Meriwether’s shoulder. “I wonder what Luther was thinking as he watched Nathaniel being killed.”

Meriwether’s expression turned to disgust. “What a repulsive thought. Why would you wonder such a thing?”