> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0Questions For Further Study
>
> 1) We know from "They Also Serve" that Ian Bancroft was Darius'
> Watcher. =A0We also know from the Watcher CD that Bancroft was assigned
> to watch Immortals participating in the Vietnam War. Was someone else
> watching Darius or do you think Bancroft was assigned because Darius
> had decided to go to Vietnam on a peace mission?
At the time, my thought was that, just as soldiers in Vietnam had
their 1-year tours of duty to do, the burden of being the Watcher in
the war zone placed in a position to hear about guys who don't stay
dead (or the guys who see them not stay dead) would be spread around
Watchers of the right age who either were between assignments or had
stable assignments that could be handed off for the length of a tour
of duty to someone who couldn't serve in the war zone. (This was
different than being the Watcher of a specific Immortal who was
participating in the war.)
Despite the "Band of Brothers" flashback, I don't think Darius went to
every war zone. In the original draft of "The Hunters," before Werner
became ill, a huge deal is made of the fact that Darius leaves Holy
Ground to come to Duncan's rescue in that courtyard fight (in the
filmed version, it's Richie on his motorcycle). That's something that
has stuck with me (even though I guess it's not technically canon,
since Werner couldn't film it) and I went on to use in Barricades,
when it's a momentus deal to Duncan that Darius leaves the sanctuary
of St. Julien's to find him in order save Paris. (And, speaking of
"Band of Brothers," doesn't Grayson taunt Darius about never leaving
Holy Ground?)
On the other hand, I've never worked through the ramifications of
Darius' apparently public reputation as a peacemaker in "Band of
Brothers." Was Victor Paulus originally just a parishioner at an
obscure Paris church inspired by Darius, or was Darius a Dali Lama-
like public figure to whom people from around the world came for
guidance and mediation? And if so, what did he do to get that
reputation?
> 4)In the flashback, Bancroft appears very idealistic about being a
> Watcher. =A0In "They Also Serve" he seems dedicated, but his idealism
> seems to have vanished. =A0Why do you think Bancroft's idealism about
> being a Watcher got lost over the years?
He went from being Darius' Watcher to flying a desk and pushing
paperwork? That would certain take the shine off the job for me <g>
Donna
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