Besides, said Suriyawong. This was not a rescue operation.What was it, target practice? Chinese skeet?An offer of transportation to an invited guest of the Hegemon, said Suriyawong. And the loan of a knife.Achilles held up the bloody thing, dangling it from the point. Yours? he asked.Unless you want to clean it, said Suriyawong.Achillese handed it to him. Suriyawong took out his cleaning kit and wiped down the blade, then began to polish it.You wanted me to die, said Achilles quietly.I expected you to solve your own problems, said Suriyawong.
Suriyawong dismisses the notion that a recent event was a rescue operation, sarcastically suggesting it resembled target practice instead. He emphasizes that the situation was more about manipulating relationships, offering transportation to a guest of the Hegemon while also metaphorically lending a knife, symbolizing trust or betrayal. Achilles, confused and hurt, questions Suriyawong's intentions after discovering a bloody knife, suspecting it was meant for him.
Achilles confronts Suriyawong about his dangerous expectations, feeling abandoned and manipulated. Suriyawong, however, justifies his actions by saying he anticipated Achilles would handle his own challenges. This exchange highlights the complex dynamics of power and expectation between them, with Achilles grappling with feelings of betrayal and Suriyawong maintaining a pragmatic but cold stance on responsibility.