Time: At the same time that Fourth Fist is being deployed to seek peace with the Union
Place: A room in the Castle
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Refiner: How do you think they’ll do?
Mangler: Badly.
Refiner: A direct answer. Can you be more specific?
Mangler: Very badly.
Refiner: Why?
Mangler: Subtracter took their whole team apart, in about a minute.
Refiner: Subtracter is Her fist. It is no shame to fall before her.
Mangler: Come on. It was one on five.
Refiner: I take your point.
Mangler: Fists are supposed to have people who are basically on par with the very best. First Fist has the dog guy. You guys have Lucy. Third Fi-
Refiner: Like I said, I understand your meaning.
Mangler: I’m not saying that they are weak, don’t get it twisted. I’m just saying that Rebeccah is their only truly big deal, and she is totally passive.
Refiner: So, another Sixth Fist situation?
Mangler: Just about. Preventer should anchor them the same way that Fader does. They may lose a lot of fights, but they shouldn’t die like the last gals did.
Refiner: I see.
Silence.
Refiner: You understand, of course, that this criticism could be taken as disloyalty to Her.
Mangler: *snort*
Refiner: Your irreverance-
Mangler: Look, I’ll talk to this puppet if you want to play it that way, but I’m not going to be threatened by it.
Deceiver: Alright, sheesh.