"Don't tell me you're crushing on him, Swann. You know that kind of thing's a no-no." It's hard, again, to tell if Jason's joking or not, if he's actually teasing or just couching condemnation in good humor to avoid being taken to task for him.

He nods a little bit, more dipping his chin than anything. "Fair enough. Good luck getting him to do anything useful while he dries out, though. Believe me, they're completely helpless when you cut off their source."

Jason Compson the Third's death to alcoholism is common knowledge in the Capitol, and for his part Jason sounds more bitter than he does sad.