The Red-Headed League: Dirt

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Red-Headed League
Title: Dirt
Author: Mafief
Rating: G


The floor has been dirtier since Vincent started with his pictures and it has taken me ages to clean. I complained to Vincent, and he said he would convinced Mr Wilson to up my wages. The nice clerk convinced the stingy man.

Now he’s gone. Mr Wilson even eyes me suspiciously and I’ve been returned to my previous my wage.

Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

It's always the decent folks who suffer most at the hands of both the criminal and the appallingly stupid.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Sadly, yes. :(

[debriswoman]

Neatly highlighting others caught in the ripples.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :)

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Time to look for a new job.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Yes, and fast!

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Excellent point about an unmentioned victim of the whole business.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

There are so many in these cases.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

A really nice look at a character out on the edge of the story.

And it's such an original interpretation of what might have been the relationship between her and 'Vincent Spaulding'. He isn't trying to get advantage of her, he isn't ignoring her - he takes the time to try and improve her lot.

Clay is a very dangerous man but you do see a spark of loyalty and selflessness later when he's willing to take all the blame if it means his accomplice gets away. It really does seem feasible that he might also feel some loyalty to the girl who is technically his fellow employee.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

You know what? That interpretation wasn't what I was aiming for at all, so you get the kudos for the original interpretation. I was going for Clay somehow paid her to keep her quiet and happy, since they were paying for Wilson to be other places. I like your interpretation way better. :)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I do feel a bit of a fool though, that I managed to completely misinterpret your story ^__^

But that too is such an original interpretation - that Clay was also using money to solve the problem of the servant girl potentially giving him away. And of course Wilson would afterwards be suspicious that she'd never mentioned anything odd going on in the house.

[mafief.livejournal.com]

Nah, I wouldn't. If this was teaching or a scientific manuscript where I needed to have the student or reader understand my exact meaning, then I'd be rather unhappy with myself that I communicated ineffectually and my meaning was not clear.
However, this is the part of literature that I find interesting/fascinating - we both can read the same text and get completely different interpretations. Yah, author's intent, but this author is keeping it vague. :)