(Ytte finally learns Hyle's philosophy) When sleep did come it was deep, dreamless. Ytte slept much later than was her habit. When she did awake the morning sun shone brightly, Ytte could hear two female voices outside engaged in relaxed conversation interspersed with laughter. She rolled out of the bed and pulled on her pants and a t-shirt. She yawned, her hair felt like a bird’s nest but she elected to go outside rather than spend some time on her appearance, she was too curious of the women she had met last night. In the sunlit garden to the rear of the house. Hyle and Reavy were sitting at a small table upon which there was a coffee pot, a rack of toast, a plate of sliced cheese and what looked like a jar of marmalade. The two women were seated either side, lightly dressed both in shorts and t-shirts. Hyle was the first to see Ytte. “Ah g’morgen!” Hyle said, brightly. She indicated a third chair and Ytte took the offered seat. “Hi!” Reavy smiled. It was the first time Ytte had seen her smile. Reavy seemed a whole lot more relaxed than the dour serious faced woman Ytte recalled from their first meeting. “Help yourself.” “Thank you, and Good morning also.” Ytte blinked in the bright sunshine and proceeded to serve herself breakfast. “Did you sleep well?” Hyle enquired. Hyle was a complete contrast to Reavy, Hyle’s well tanned skin and petite build was opposed to Reavy’s tall, powerful, but almost milk white complexion. “Yes, eventually.” Ytte admitted. She noticed a slightly embarrassed look fly across Hyle’s face. “We didn’t…… “ “No it was not … umm that,” Ytte interjected quickly. “It was more that I had a lot to think about, digest.” “Oh, such as?” Ytte sipped coffee before continuing. “Nurse Maisie told me yesterday that you once, no, several times, have confronted dangerous groups. Unarmed! You must have nerves of steel.” Hyle almost laughed the compliment off. “Noo.. I’m a clone! If it all went awry I will just reappear, right?” Ytte looked puzzled by the self deprocating remark so Hyle went on. “Look. Imagine two boys arguing, one finally punches the other. The other, pride hurt, goes and gets a big stick and hits the first with it. In return the second boy gets a big stick, this time with a nail in it. So the other gets a friend to help him, so the other gets two friends. And so on and so forth. You see the cycle?” Ytte nodded. “So , all that was needed was someone to stop the boys arguing in the first place and no one would have been hurt, Yes?” Ytte nodded, following the logic. Hyle went on. “So scale things up. A bunch of rowdies turn up in Hope bent on playing Mr Billy Big Bollocks. Opposed to them are some heavily armed self-righteous people who say they come to protect the town but are really there because of the prospect of a fight. The shooting starts and things escalate. Pretty soon the whole town is a smoking ruin and we, the ordinary people have to start again. Rebuilding.” Hyle paused, Ytte could see the passion creeping into those cool Scandinavian eyes. She glanced at Reavy, Reavy seemed quiet and aloof, watching the over the fields obviously very familiar with Hyle’s theorising. Hyle continued. “I saw this cycle time and again. Finally I figured someone had to stop the cycle, no one else seemed ready to do so. My patience ran out, I suppose.” “But that would not work with everyone, surely.” Ytte countered. “Not everyone would just put there gun down after a few calm words, It does not make sense.” Hyle smiled and put her cup down, refilling it with fresh coffee” “You are quite correct. It took a long long time.” Hyle’s face took on a soft look. “For instance you would get some well meaning Flatfoot… “ Ytte saw Reavy raise an eyebrow. “… Enforcer... “Hyle smirked at Reavy. “...Coming to help. I would ask how. Then they would start on about walls, machine gun nests, fields of fire, all that shite.” Reavy coughed but the smirk remained. Ytte thought that what Hyle had described would be the way she would have defended the town also. But she kept her own council. Hyle continued, now fully in her stride but aware that Ytte was a soldier too and was probably thinking in military terms also. “Hope is a town, not a fort. Do you think people want their kids growing up around barbed wire and minefields? Hemmed in behind walls with searchlights and squads of flatfoots marching up and down?” Ytte saw Hyle’s nostrils flare, she was impressed with which the passion the diminutive blonde was putting her point across. “Violence breeds violence. Ordinary people like the refugees you saw yesterday get killed, the women get raped, kids get orphaned.” Hyle paused, breathing out. “It had to stop.” Ytte sat up in her chair, The soldier in her coming to the fore, Hyle had been very convincing but Ytte still had one point to make. “I agree that diplomacy is the most effective doctrine in most cases, and I am very impressed with the passion by which you have explained your theory. But, there will always be an adversary that will not listen and force would be the only remedy. That is reality, Yes?” Ytte saw once again the tiny smile creep from one side of Hyles face to the other. “Agreed. One day I met one enforcer who shared my aims. Perhaps not my methods, but certainly my aims. When we do get the occasional stubborn problem. She takes care of it for me. Quietly, discreetly. Usually the townsfolk never notice a thing. The peace is not broken.” Ytte saw Hyle’s eyes flick to Reavy. Reavy winked back at Hyle. Ytte understood. Reavy stood up and moved behind Hyle. Putting her hands gently on her shoulders, Reavy then leaned down and kissed Hyle softly. “I’m off to work, my love.” Hyle slowly let Reavy’s hand go. “Take care, min elsker.” Ytte realised she was smiling. She understood a little bit more.