You know what’s interesting here? I think this might be the first time (or the first time in a long time) that Andrew’s been told to his face that he’s not some heartless monster.
It’s very clear from the very beginning that Andrew couldn’t give two shits about what other people might think of him. But for the first time, here’s someone who blatantly looks at him like he’s a human and not a sociopath, and what’s more, that person is also threatening to fight anyone who might say anything against him.
Andrew’s world has not worked like that up to this point. In his world so far, everything’s been an exchange. If he does this, he’ll get something in return. Nothing more and nothing less. A promise is a promise and the cold, hard, law.
And now he’s got Neil Josten over here: someone who’s sacrificed himself to Riko over winter break once already for Andrew, and is now casually speaking about doing it again. Can you imagine how unsettling that might be?
No wonder Andrew says the “going on ninety-three”. He’s unnerved. Things don’t work like that for him. These kinds of actions are not given freely. Neil Josten is over here trying to turn Andrew’s world on it’s side.
(I could also go on about how Neil Josten is a person that has spent a good 18 years of his life not thinking about anyone’s survival but his own and is now over here casually offering to fight those who might besmirch Andrew’s honor but we’ll save that for another post)
Excellent points, and by all means do another post about Neil Josten willing to joust for Andrew’s honor!
