.010 [Video--totally public, as usual]

[what_ho_jeeves]

What ho, Professor Fate! We never did finish that questionnaire, you know. Somehow we got on the topic of eggs instead and never quite came back around to the main point. In fact, not only did we not finish, we didn't really get much of a start, either. So I'm just going to assume that you answered "yes" to question number one, "Are you evil?" if it's not too much trouble. You see, all the other questions rather require that the answer to the first question be "yes."

So, on to the second question.

[Clears throat.]

Why are you evil?

...

[Waits. Looks at his pocketwatch.]

...

Professor Fate? I say, Professor? Are you there? [Usually Fate would be shouting into the communicator by now. Bertie frowns.]

...

Professor, if you can't hear me, say something. ...No, wait, that doesn't work at all, does it. If you can hear me, say something.

...

Professor?

...

[Professor Fate is gone, but it hasn't yet occurred to Bertie to check his warden item. So the Barge gets Bertie's (increasingly bored and restless) waiting face for a long time.]

Comments

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[damesuccubus.livejournal.com]

Does that work, just asking an inmate why they're evil?

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[what_ho_jeeves]

I don't know. I haven't had a chance to try it before today.

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[damesuccubus.livejournal.com]

Sadly for you, I think you would have found your method to be a failure.

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[what_ho_jeeves]

Oh. [Sadface.] Are you quite sure? I was considering the psychology of the individual. I thought to myself, "Wooster," I said to myself, "What makes this gentleman tick. You need to know. Get right on it." And so I did. Asking politely seemed the best approach.

Are you sure it wouldn't have worked?

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[damesuccubus.livejournal.com]

[...sigh.] I think you would have needed to be less upfront. Perhaps...eased into the topic. Instead of asking why he is evil, you might ask why he does evil things.

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[what_ho_jeeves]

Ah, yes I see. Approach the issue a bit more delicately, as it were. As one might lightly and subtly chastise a friend for wearing a red tie with little horseshoes on it.

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[damesuccubus.livejournal.com]

...why would you chastise someone for that? But yes, that's exactly what I mean.

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[what_ho_jeeves]

Well...horseshoes. [He says as if that explains it.] It's not exactly fashion forward, more like fashion sideways and a little bent out of shape. [Says the man who thinks a white dinner jacket is just the thing.]

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[damesuccubus.livejournal.com]

Ah. Like if I wore breeches, or multi-coloured hosiery.