"Nothing is without risk." Edmund's voice was firm. "Prohibition has risk—the Slicer sat sealed for centuries and learned nothing until it interacted with other tools again. Possession has risk—obvious, documented, tragic. But community-supported partnership? We haven't tried that. We have one case, one data point, one example of what happens when support is present instead of absent."
He looked around the table.
"I propose we give Miss Louvel conditional continuation. Not freedom—conditional. Enhanced oversight. Required companion at all times. Monthly evaluations that check for signs of tool influence. Mandatory community connections with other wielders. Documentation of everything. And if she shows any signs of corruption, any loss of control, any indication that the pattern is repeating—immediate confiscation."
"That's a significant departure from your initial recommendation," Sir Caldus observed.
