Lois McMaster Bujold
Correct, Joen's demon is not Des. But an interesting compare-and-contrast about how much can go wrong with a demon too long in the world under corrupt and corrupting and/or ignorant masters.
Desdemona was much luckier in her riders, not least because she fell into shrewd and nurturing Temple hands soon enough.
Best Temple vs. Worst Hedge is kind of cherry-picking the moral gradient; there can be hedge sorcerers who do well, due to their personal integrity, and Temple sorcerers who do badly due to their lack of same -- we saw an example in Tronio. But the Temple's oversight, or, more correctly, the oversight of the better folks in the Temple, do try to improve the odds.
A demon's underlying nature is chaotic-destructive; that never goes away. Even a demon as "good" as Des could be spoiled if it fell into the hands of a bad enough rider. Whether a demon as smart as Des could get herself out of that trap, ah, more promptly than natural is another interesting knock-on question. With its own consequences...
Ta, L.
Correct, Joen's demon is not Des. But an interesting compare-and-contrast about how much can go wrong with a demon too long in the world under corrupt and corrupting and/or ignorant masters.
Desdemona was much luckier in her riders, not least because she fell into shrewd and nurturing Temple hands soon enough.
Best Temple vs. Worst Hedge is kind of cherry-picking the moral gradient; there can be hedge sorcerers who do well, due to their personal integrity, and Temple sorcerers who do badly due to their lack of same -- we saw an example in Tronio. But the Temple's oversight, or, more correctly, the oversight of the better folks in the Temple, do try to improve the odds.
A demon's underlying nature is chaotic-destructive; that never goes away. Even a demon as "good" as Des could be spoiled if it fell into the hands of a bad enough rider. Whether a demon as smart as Des could get herself out of that trap, ah, more promptly than natural is another interesting knock-on question. With its own consequences...
Ta, L.
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