Roland, on the other hand, is determined not to fear the worst about Susannah's silence. He is taking what Wyatt had told him about Susannah having gone on some sort of distant mission a while back and about district thirteen's habit of playing their cards very close to their chest, and he is holding on to it. Perhaps he should rather know for sure one way or the other, but whenever he thinks on that idea a deep down part of Roland quails at it, shrinks away and reminds himself that people lose contact in war, sometimes for a very long time. That this is just the way things are, and even all the magnificent things that Panem's machines can do can not completely prevent it.
So Roland believes that Susannah is alive. Or rather, that there is no way to be certain whether she is or isn't, and so that she and the strange, chaotic creature in front of him may again meet some day with one another. Which is why he decides to poke his nose in. There is something in that trouble between them that it does not seem to him that Harley has understood, and it may do Susannah some good down the line if he can, by some slim chance, get her to see it. Although if she gets too far into that second drink before he does it, it may be a lost cause.
"I don't know if Susannah ever explained to you what being a gunslinger means," he says after a slow drink of coffee, because like hell is he forgoing that particular indulgence no matter what they happen to be talking about. Besides, there's that caffeine in it, and the sugar. He needs it. "Some of it means taking those parts of ourselves, the Detta parts, and keeping them clean and in good shape. Ready to use. And then not using them until we see that the time is right. You have something like Detta in yourself, too. Not the same, I think, but almost similar. But you're no gunslinger. If Susannah was angry at you, unwilling to trust, it isn't because she wanted to know that you liked the Susannah part of her better. Do you understand?"
It's honest, that last question. He's willing to try a couple more times to explain, if he sees Harley genuinely try to think over it. It isn't an accusation of any kind, or at least it isn't meant as one. Roland really does want to know.
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So Roland believes that Susannah is alive. Or rather, that there is no way to be certain whether she is or isn't, and so that she and the strange, chaotic creature in front of him may again meet some day with one another. Which is why he decides to poke his nose in. There is something in that trouble between them that it does not seem to him that Harley has understood, and it may do Susannah some good down the line if he can, by some slim chance, get her to see it. Although if she gets too far into that second drink before he does it, it may be a lost cause.
"I don't know if Susannah ever explained to you what being a gunslinger means," he says after a slow drink of coffee, because like hell is he forgoing that particular indulgence no matter what they happen to be talking about. Besides, there's that caffeine in it, and the sugar. He needs it. "Some of it means taking those parts of ourselves, the Detta parts, and keeping them clean and in good shape. Ready to use. And then not using them until we see that the time is right. You have something like Detta in yourself, too. Not the same, I think, but almost similar. But you're no gunslinger. If Susannah was angry at you, unwilling to trust, it isn't because she wanted to know that you liked the Susannah part of her better. Do you understand?"
It's honest, that last question. He's willing to try a couple more times to explain, if he sees Harley genuinely try to think over it. It isn't an accusation of any kind, or at least it isn't meant as one. Roland really does want to know.