Ben let out a long breath. He wished the threat had been enough, really he did. He wished that Macmillan had just backed down when he'd sent the initial letter. He wished that he'd shown any indication at all that he even felt guilty about it. If he backed out, Ben would have let him without question. Since he hadn't, though, they were stuck. A threat that Ben later rescinded wasn't an effective threat at all — it was worse than nothing, it was proof that he couldn't follow through and that November had no defenders. It was as good as a license to continue as he had been before.
"If the threat was enough, he would have refused the challenge," Ben pointed out. "Or he would've told his second to talk it down. It's too late now. He's — he's committed to this, which means I've got to. I've got to," Ben said, shaking his head again as though to bolster his own nerves. He could do this. All he needed to do was hold it together for an hour tomorrow morning. Long enough to look brave and fire off some curses and then get a promise that Macmillan would stop his behavior before he left. He could do this. With Art's help, anyway — he might or might not have been able to hold himself together long enough on his own, but there was a reason he'd asked Art to be his second instead of Aldous. If Art was coming with him, he could do this.

MJ made this <3
"If the threat was enough, he would have refused the challenge," Ben pointed out. "Or he would've told his second to talk it down. It's too late now. He's — he's committed to this, which means I've got to. I've got to," Ben said, shaking his head again as though to bolster his own nerves. He could do this. All he needed to do was hold it together for an hour tomorrow morning. Long enough to look brave and fire off some curses and then get a promise that Macmillan would stop his behavior before he left. He could do this. With Art's help, anyway — he might or might not have been able to hold himself together long enough on his own, but there was a reason he'd asked Art to be his second instead of Aldous. If Art was coming with him, he could do this.

MJ made this <3