As always, this chapter was a fantastic read. I still feel so bad for Talan. Her respect and love for Clark sustained her in her search and rescue of Clark before, and saved him from death this time. I also feel confident that her love for Clark will get him home, but where will it leave her?
She looked around at the immense group. These people were all here for him. They were waiting and hoping – like they would for their own loved ones – for any small bit of encouraging news.
I love this passage and had to restrain myself from quoting the whole thing. Clark has definitely changed the Kryptonians. They know he's not one of them, but his compassion and love have won them over.
"It seems fitting that it was Kal El who killed him," another man responded.
"No it doesn't," came the retort. As one, the entire crowd turned to look at the woman who'd said it. "Kal El is a gentler sort of person than we are. You could see it in his eyes, and like that woman said, in the way he would carry a child. But we made him fight our battles for us. We should have slain our own monsters."
"The First Minister holds his duty to protect this world as sacred," Talan replied. Outwardly calm, the currents of confliction swirled around inside her.
Here too, Talan is praising Clark for the Kryptonian value of duty, but I think they all know that duty above all else is misguided. Clinging to duty and tradition pulled them into civil war against Rae Et and Nor, but an outsider's love and compassion will teach them all the value of good emotions.
That's something I've always hated about the New Kryptonians. They say that emotions are a weakness, but they seem to pick and choose. Love, compassion, kindness are disregarded, but greed, anger and hate seem to be accepted. They're a hypocritical people and I'm glad to see that in this story, they're learning that about themselves and it's making them uncomfortable (as the "currents of confliction swirled around inside" Talan).
"I am so sorry, Clark," she murmured, slipping easily back into English. "I have said it before, but we never should have brought you here. This wasn't your fight." She took his hand in her much smaller one. "Please know that I will do everything I can to make sure you get home as soon as possible."
She swallowed roughly around the lump in her throat. "Nor fired on the civilians you were evacuating. You drew his fire by running down a corridor. Nor shot you in the back. He was going to kill you…"
A look of horror crossed his face, his eyes growing wide. "I killed him, didn't I?"
"It was self-defense, sir. He would have killed you and others and he would have escaped if you hadn't," she whispered stridently.
"I killed him," he repeated dully as he stared at her in disbelief. She wanted to shrink from his gaze but there was nowhere she could go.
"You had no choice," she said firmly, but the look on his face told her that he found no comfort in her repeated reassurances.
He lowered his eyes, looking away from her. "I killed him," he whispered again.
Lois can help him overcome his grief and guilt, he just needs to get home. Zara, Talan, Ching, the Kryptonian people all realize that they've asked too much from him, that his time with them has damaged him and they all want him to be happy, to go home. Please send him home soon...
BJ
