Christine’s Reviews > First Against the Wall > Status Update

WHAT AN ENDING

Make an allusion, create a metaphor—that's what Warrick had done. He'd looked at the pacing panther and he'd seen Toreth. At the time, Toreth had been pissed off enough to try to scare Warrick properly, but he'd been flattered, too. Sick or not, the panther was fabulous to look at—dangerous, beautiful, rippling with controlled power and self-absorbed strength. That wasn't enough, though. That couldn't be enough.

"Well, what it's like, having a regular thing?"

"It's good." He took a deep breath. "It's good—knowing what he likes. It makes it...easy. To...I don't know. To stay in bed on Sunday morning, or whatever, and fuck or not, and not have to think about everything. Anything. It's safe—no, not safe. That's stupid. Just...good."

She could feel him shaking with the effort it took to say that much. (🥺)

“Like I said before, this is personal. I won't let him win, if there's any way to prevent it."

"Giving your life so that we might live?"

Toreth didn't recognise the quotation, but he could spot irony. "Fuck, no. If it comes to that, you won't see me for dust."

"Just checking. I'd hate to be thinking about throwing my lot in with someone who's completely fucking insane."

He gathered a variety of …insults themed around the general idea that he was taking it up the arse from spooks.

The horrified reaction of Payne amused him no end. Either the Service was improbably virtuous, or Payne had led a staggeringly sheltered life, or he was upset by the lack of sirring that went with the enquiries as to whether Toreth had to salute while he was bending over for it. Probably the latter.

“the first voice they hear is going to be identified with the bastards who kicked the shit out of them, locked them up in there, and left them in the pitch dark for four days, cold, frightened, hungry, thirsty and in pain…”

Most were looking uncomfortable again at the idea that there were real people out there, really suffering. Good. He knew all about prisoner depersonalization theory.

She wished Toreth wouldn't do that. He'd always done it, to some extent, but ever since Jon Kemp had hospitalized her it was like having an overprotective older brother. One who could unconsciously give the impression that he would break the limbs of anyone who laid a finger on her. He had scared off more than one boyfriend—these days she tried not to let them meet him, and warned them first if it was unavoidable.

Wow, starting with a bang. Really curious to see where the political developments go in this one.