| TITLE: The Lying Game By Jemmiah "You're quiet this evening." Qui-Gon's observation was tinged with more than a hint of concern, not merely the musings of a man who was finally enjoying some peace and quiet after a long hard day. Now that he was back in his apartment, seated in his comfortable chair, the master could afford to take a look about him and try to focus on the tasks awaiting him next day. A combination of the force and plain perception alerted him to the fact that Jemmiah seemed unusually preoccupied - and a brooding Jemmiah usually spelled trouble. As much for his own peace of mind as for hers Qui-Gon pushed himself out of the chair and, brushing the creases out of his clothing, walked over towards the couch where she sat alone, gloomily staring at the floor with her chin rested on her hand. He took in the slightly drawn brow and the pursed lips, wondering what it could be that put her in such low spirits. "Are you alright?" He continued, not altogether certain if her behaviour was due to boredom or perhaps feeling slightly out of sorts. "Maybe you should go to bed?" Jemmiah answered him with an indifferent shrug of the shoulders, and when no further reply was forthcoming Qui-Gon chose to seat himself next to her on the sofa so that she would have less of an excuse to avoid him. Just because he had reached the end of his teaching day as a master didn't mean that his duties as a pseudo-parent had ceased too, and if Jemmiah were having problems then it fell to him to get her to talk through her troubles. "Is there something bothering you perhaps that you would like to discuss with me?" Pressed Qui-Gon, hoping to strike the right balance in tone between masterly adviser and caring guardian. "Maybe I can help you�" Jemmiah turned to face him at that moment, eyes round and solemn. It was difficult sometimes for Qui-Gon to remember that she was in fact ten years of age when she looked a good many years younger, and he was always careful not to be perceived as talking down to her. Still, no matter how small and innocent she appeared, the large nerf-eyes always took him by surprise. "Master J." Jemmiah's voice was both serious and worried. "Can I ask you a question?" Qui-Gon spread his hands in an open gesture that indicated his willingness to listen. "By all means. That is what I am here for." "Okay." Jemmy wet her lips a little too nervously for Qui-Gon's liking. "Is it ever okay to lie? Or is it always wrong no matter what you do?" Instantly Qui-Gon's suspicious mind - honed by years of looking after padawan learners - went on a full red alert warning. "Why?" he demanded sharply. "What have you done?" "I haven't done anything!" Jemmy whined, feeling more than slightly hurt at his lack of trust in her. "Promise I haven't! It's just that there's something bothering me and I wondered if there was ever any situation where telling fibs would be the right thing to do." "You mean," Qui-Gon stared back at her as if trying to peel away the guarded layers of her mind, "does the circumstance ever merit being deceitful? If the truth would be more hurtful to the person than what they wanted to hear?" "Yes!" Jemmiah nodded enthusiastically. "That's exactly what I meant. See, you know all this stuff." "So do you." Pointed out Qui-Gon reasonably. "You know the difference between right and wrong." She made a disparaging sound at the back of her throat and all but turned up her nose at what he had said. Of course she was old enough to know right and wrong - she wasn't stupid! But that hadn't been what she had asked. Why was it whenever she asked Qui-Gon a question he always tried to hold a full-scale inquisition to determine what lay behind her reasons for asking? Wasn't it enough just to ask? "Master J, I was brought up to know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong. My mother made a point of it." Jemmy began to feel awkward with having brought her family into the conversation and wished she hadn't done so, for it would give him the opportunity to gently ply her with questions she really didn't want to answer. Hurriedly she changed the subject. "But it's the putting into practice bit that I am having trouble with." Qui-Gon frowned. He had to be careful what he said in reply, because if he answered positively, that yes, it was alright to tell lies it was as good as giving her a licence to fib. That was the last thing that he needed! No, it was up to him to set the girl a good example seeing as she now had no family to do so. Then again, it wasn't as if he was squeaky clean himself in the lie-department� "It's a matter of conscience." Qui-Gon replied, trying to put into words exactly what he felt. "You see, I would be a hypocrite if I told you that I had never lied in my life. I do try not to resort to falsehoods, not only because it is wrong but also because - and you can be certain of this - they always find you out in the long run. Please remember that, Tangles. If you cannot accept the consequences of something you undertake to do, you're best not starting it in the first place. Sometimes," he began to feel as if he were floundering in trying to find a safe moral ground against a muddy sea of half-truths, "it is possible to get by in stretching a point. That way it becomes neither true or untrue�am I making this too complicated?" Jemmiah's confused face was all that he need by way of a reply. "What I am trying to say is, that if lying and its consequences do not bother your conscience then you would not have asked me this question in the first place." Jinn smiled, ruffling the chestnut hair with affectionate pride. "But on occasion, if the force tells you that a thing must be done -" "What kind of thing?" Jemmy narrowed her eyes. "I don't know." Qui-Gon's bemused half-smile didn't really enlighten her any, but at least he wasn't suspicious any more. "It could be anything," He continued, "but in carrying out the will of the force it might become necessary to do things that might otherwise be seen as improper�" "Like lying?" Jemmy asked him, hoping she was still correctly following his train of thought. "Exactly. Now, If I were to point through to the balcony and tell you that the moon was pink, you would call me a liar, wouldn't you?" Jemmiah knew fine well that the moon wasn't pink, but just incase Qui-Gon had secretly waved his hand and used a jedi trick to make it turn a funny colour, the Corellian girl found herself snatching a quick look in the direction of the night sky to where the stars twinkled and glittered like tiny jewels sewn into a dark curtain. Of course, just as she had known, the moon was completely normal. "Well, yeah. It looks pretty-non pink to me." She folded her arms, waiting to hear what he would have to say next. "I'd say that was a big untruth. For a Jedi." Jemmy added. "The Jedi aren't perfect. We are flawed individuals just like any other being. It is just that we have been given this gift of listening to and using the force, and for that reason it is important that we take the trouble to iron out as many of the faults and frailties that we are subject to from time to time. And that is something that everyone can take the time to do, not just Jedi. Patience, yes. Tolerance. Understanding. These things are learned over years. Lying really has no place in the world of a Jedi. That said," Qui-Gon's sudden and unexpected grin seemed to light up the room, blue eyes gleaming mischievously, "on certain planets the moons ARE pink due to refracted light and surface matter and so on and so forth. I never actually told you which moon I was referring to. So what I told you was correct�" "From a certain point of view." Jemmy grumbled, annoyed at being outsmarted. "Now I know where Obi-Wan gets it from!" "Obi-Wan still has much to learn, about the force and as a person. In time he will�" "Learn to tell even bigger lies?" Jemmiah supplied triumphantly. "No! That was not what I meant at all, as well you know! Now, I hope that has cleared up my standpoint on lying and being deceitful." Qui-Gon made as if to stand again, but Jemmiah's next words made him stop half in and half out of the seat. "But," Jemmiah looked up at him uncertainly, "what about doing it for someone else's benefit? What if you thought that in the end it would be worse to tell the truth? I mean, say for example Obi-Wan said he was doing that schematics assignment you set him but he was actually writing a love poem for some padawan girl three years older than him, and wasn't round at Zac's place like he said but was away seeing this apprentice. Now, in that instance�would I be better telling you the truth or should I let you live in ignorance because the truth might upset you?" Qui-Gon tipped his head back and laughed heartily, a side of him that few but those closest too him were privileged to see. Wiping his eyes, the master couldn't help but marvel over the youngster's imagination! He knew that she would feel put out that he was mocking her elaborately supplied example but it was difficult to do anything other than chuckle! "Oh, I am sorry Tangles." Qui-Gon apologised, seeing the uncertainty in Jemmiah's face. "Truly! I should not laugh at you that way." "Well, should I lie or should I tell the truth?" Jemmiah demanded, feeling impatient for lack of guidance. "It's important that I know these things, Master J!" Amidst more laughter at the adamant and pious set of her face, Qui-Gon waved her question away, finding it difficult to concentrate in the light of such a ludicrous question! He finally managed to get off the sofa before another paroxysm of laughter shook his frame, feeling the indignant copper eyes follow him as he walked over towards the refrigeration unit in the kitchen in search of a glass of citrus, watching his every move. "I do not recommend lying, Tangles. Occasionally - VERY occasionally - it might be permitted to stretch the truth. What is called a white lie." "Good." She smiled prettily. "That's put my mind at rest." "Glad to hear it." Smiled Qui-Gon, picking up the bottle of liquid. "Now I know it's okay to lie in exceptional circumstances..." "Very exceptional." Qui-Gon interjected once more. Jemmiah nodded her agreement. "In that case, Obi-Wan's not on a hot date with an older woman." Qui-Gon stopped dead in his tracks. "Pardon?" He asked, his brows taking an alarming hike into orbit. "He's not going to stay out late, he's not going to sneak back in when you are asleep and he didn't ask me to lie about it to protect your feelings." Jemmiah stood up, bringing the conversation to an effective end. "And I am not going to bed to avoid being interrogated about it any more." With that, Jemmy tossed her long hair backward from her face and stalked imperiously towards her bedroom door, leaving a slack-jawed Qui-Gon staring after her. "I hope you don't have a good night!" |