#Jon literally says that Gertrude wouldn't survive cos she didn't have a Reason™

[the-magpie-archives]

In MAG 160 Jonah says through Jon that he hopes Jon will "keep an eye on" Martin after the change, aside from being a wonderful pun, it makes me wonder if he didn't expect Martin to be powerful enough to travel through domains of his own accord.

He comments that he knows Jon would be reading it alone, so it's fair to assume if he though Jon and Martin would be together at the time he knew Martin would at least be somewhere else for the execution of the ritual.

And Martin's clearly susceptible to the domains-MAG 170 proves that. If Martin hadn't got back from his walk in time would he have been sent into one?

Yes Jon would've found him, freed him, but he would've had to watch Martin suffering until he could manage it. He struggled enough having to watch Martin's nightmares, what would seeing Martin truly tortured have done to him?

But equally, would that have been the fairest thing to do? The ability to wander the domains is often more a curse than a blessing. To have to survey that level of suffering, ignore the agony that so many innocents face in every domain. Is it better to suffer yourself, or to be free of pain but forced to ignore the pain of others? Martin has a great deal of care and empathy, if given the choice would Jon force him to endure all that they did?

Martin is Jon's reason. His reason to carry on, to fight for himself, but if Martin wasn't in a position to choose, would Jon afford himself that kindness at the possible expense of Martin? Yes if he did nothing he'd be in pain for a while, but he wouldn't die, he'd be safe eventually.

The question is, could he put his reason on the line for the sake of his venture? And if he didn't have Martin would he even have been able to get up off the cabin floor in the first place?