Dennis Higbee wrote >Right. If it was about the Demon, he'd have no reason to go after Vlad at >all. Vlad took out someone who was quite possibly a rival and the Demon >is plently smart enough to make sure Boralinoi was succeeded by someone >who would fit the Demon's plans. > > > >>As much as the organization would like to supercede >>its own authority, it has rules - like the not at home >>and no family rules. Now,... I can't remember if it >>broke the "not at home" rule BUT, I don't think it's >>hit family side. >> >> > >I don't think there's an explicit rule for going after stool pigeons. >Sure, it's good business, but that doesn't make it a rule. > It's pretty clear that everyone who has squealed in the past has bought it big-time, and usually pretty quickly, too. It may not be quite as important as getting the treasury stealers, but it's close, and for analogous reasons: if someone gets the idea that you can squeal to the Empire & live, the possibilities for blackmail are endless & the rewards potentially astronomical. The House would never be able to do business again without having to look over its shoulder; probably its most important pieces of business couldn't be done at all. It would have much the same effect as someone stealing the treasury & getting away with it. The Demon may or may not be personally involved in the search for Vlad, but he's unlikely to call it off or starve it of resources. I figure the only way for Vlad to get the Organization to drop him is to do it a favor as big as recovering the treasury *AND* leaving the business side fo the House forever, in exchange for the Organization's dropping the hit forever. Becoming a neutral, in effect. Of course, he's got resources to protect him against a hit now, so it may not be quite as important to him. As for attacking Cawti et al--kill them, and you create a Vlad bent on wreaking havoc. . . with a GW. Not a pleasant prospect. Capture them, and you may be starting something you can't finish, not to mention breaking your own rules. Same logic re: Aliera et Morollan, except you may also start another Jhereg-Dragon war. And since Vlad has dropped out of sight, you can't even be sure he will find out what is going on in time for your subtle trap to bear fruit; as far as you know, he has no more contact with these people. You'd probably do something like watch the known haunts of all these associates, put a massive reward out, & do something like the equivalent of perpetual spells waiting to be tripped any time Vlad drops his protective stones (you won't know about these, but you will know that *something* is stopping a trace, so you'd try to set seomthing up to be tripped if whatever protection he has goes away, no matter how briefly). As for his GW, as has been noted, Morollan has been killed twice. And Spellbreaker didn't always protect Vlad, nor completely stop a spell. Being more complete now, I'm sure it does a better job, but can it stop Elder sorcery, just to use one case off the top of my head? No matter how subtle the wizard, etc. Snarkhunter