"I think it's good you're trying. And we ARE meant to be better." Jacob peered at Sherr over the rim of his glass. "We were founded with the purest of intentions and along the way...it's gotten diluted I think. That's not always bad. London's brotherhood in my day...it's not the same as the Parisian, or The Traitor's Colonial American one, or whatever the bloody Hell Molloy's got going on in Belfast, but, all the same...when we dilute things too far. I don't mean local flavor or customs adjusting to the Creed, I mean to the point where we're grasping at straws and snapping on each other and not doing anything about it..." He shook his head.
"Arno says, and I have to admit I agree, though I didn't when I was young and stupid...that the Creed's a warning, not a grant to do whatever you like. I've seen the aftermath of that particular misinterpretation and..." He shut his eyes, shaking his head, trying to clear it of the images, although that didn't work.
"He thought that the Creed granted him the right to exercise power through whatever methods he saw fit. And, because of that, because he had a teacher who didn't think things through when he was training him, and led him to believe that everything is literally permitted...Well. Nearly an entire brotherhood was killed. " He opened his eyes, frowned and downed his drink all in one go.
"All my best agents...and the women...I'm only glad I had the sense to drag Emmett away from there before the worst went down. He hates me for it, mind you. even three years later, maybe he'll hate me for that his entire life, but it's still the better option than what Jack's fanaticism would have done to him. And all because I let things go, when it'd have been easy to fix them. I'm with you that we cannot let it happen here." He set his glass down, smiling a little.
"Not considering we all were granted this new start.
"And I suppose we've had our tensions, but I don't know I'd say we're all that bad just yet. All the more reason we should stop it at the source, before it GETS there. That all said, besides Emmett, I know that, hmm..." He thought for a moment about what he knew was going on.
"Aedan and I don't get on, but we'll respect each other in the face of common enemies, and he's been kind to Em." Aedan was also literally dying in front of them all, Jacob thought, but that was something to share with his family, not with Sherr, "Tulio and Marcello...you knew THAT one...Thea probably talked to you about her stuff, when you came back. And Shuan is generally a prissy bastard, but he's OUR prissy bastard now."
He paused a second, taking a breath to think about more of the drama.
"I do think Desmond's hurt by Em walking away. He was all set to train him for two years now. Em was so excited when he offered and they're pretty close. Hell, there've been times when Des stepped in to deal with him when I was at my wit's end, and the kid accepted it. He didn't LIKE it, but no one likes being handed consequences at his age. But now..."
Jacob just frowned, "He really hurt him, honestly. I've got to make him understand that, somehow."
And he paused, taking a breath, "You know of other problems, then, Sherr? Mine seem less assassin problems than the fact I've managed to raise...THAT. He's a good kid, or, at least, usually. Though he's not doing such a good impression of it at the moment."