Ramifications: Day 12

Word Count: 72,062

Summary of Events:

Lachlan got three new grunts to help him by being on the lookout for transfers before chatting with Harrison's daughter a bit — only to be told off by Harrison for doing so. Dom called Lois about the fact that she'd invited all the Shelter's full-time volunteers to a banquet that was to happen at one of the Shelter's regularly scheduled mealtimes; troubled by their disagreeable conversation, Dom summoned Elijah to talk with him about it . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""You, and the whole Shelter, have nothing to worry about, I promise you," Elijah said, reaching forward and placing a hand on Dom's shoulder. "This is going to be bad publicity for Lois and Lois alone, and, although it's unfortunate that she's liable to look bad because of this, we can't really do much about it."

"I must admit, I don't really understand Lois' behaviour," Dom said.

"I can't say that I'm all that terribly surprised, though," Elijah said. "I think Mags saw this coming a long time ago, and I have a feeling she might be glad — if she's even conscious of what's going on down here — that she's not here to be a part of it."

"Why?" Dom asked.

"She and Lois were like sisters who never got to be sisters," Elijah replied. "And in recent years Lois had been trying to use their closeness to manipulate her into making changes here at the shelter that Lois wants to see."

"You mean she wasn't kidding about the chandeliers and silverware?" Dom asked.

"No," Elijah replied.

"As much as I feel like it might give these people even more dignity to think they're being treated like royalty, it's not really the point," Dom said.

"No," Elijah agreed. "Lois also wanted to see some of the volunteer groups we bring in be rejected because they worked for or were associated with business rivals of her husband."

"Oh good heavens," Dom said.

"Exactly," Elijah said. "Mags was resisting her quite well, but it was really destroying her to see what Lois was becoming. I think that's actually one of the reasons Mags started leaving you in charge here and hunting down the drug dealers so as to witness to them, so that she didn't have to deal with Lois."

Dom shifted his jaw, that sounded awfully selfish.

"And, I must admit, I feel like that was a good thing because Lois wouldn't listen to her," Elijah said. "Not to mention it gave you the training you'd need to be where you're at now, although I know Mags prayed regularly for forgiveness if she was being selfish by doing what she was doing in avoiding Lois."

"Lois hasn't brought up the chandeliers or anything like that since either," Dom said.

"No," Elijah agreed. "And I think that's because she knows she doesn't have as much to manipulate you with. Right now, though, I think she's trying to find more and better ways to manipulate you, starting with this banquet."

"So do you think that means there will be a set of terms and conditions accompanying the money she gives?" Dom asked. "Like, that it'll have to be spent on chandeliers and velvet and silverware?"

Elijah shifted his jaw. "I never really thought of that, but I wouldn't put it beneath her to do something like that.""