Lalor Appears On the Scene
On the same day, 10 October, Peter Lalor now appears for what seems to be the first time. Immediately launched into a leadership role, interestingly. He managed this through, maybe, his family connections, education, or perhaps all of the above, or maybe something else entirely, who knows? His name doesn't seem to appear earlier, so quite how he arrived here in such a role is a bit unclear.
It's worth noting, also, that it's not the Gregorius affair, of which he may yet have been unaware, that brings him to the government camp at this time. Nope, it's Scobie and Bentley. He arrived to ask that the matter be considered again. Surprisingly, Rede agreed, so it seems quite unlikely that Lalor was all fire and brimstone.
Lalor may just have been reasonably advising Rede of his view of the situation out on the field, and the rapidly approaching risk of armed rebellion. And, no, you conspiracy theorists, this does not make him a police spy. It makes him someone who doesn't want to see life uselessly wasted. So, perhaps Lalor helped Rede begin to understand the danger of his situation, and he decided to do something sensible.
But, with the benefit of hindsight, it may actually not have been the best decision Rede could have made. And maybe it wasn't actually anywhere near being the best thing he would have done if he was actually being smart. Then again, the poor unimaginative dolt was caught between a raging bull and a rampaging dinosaur.
It's worth noting, also, that it's not the Gregorius affair, of which he may yet have been unaware, that brings him to the government camp at this time. Nope, it's Scobie and Bentley. He arrived to ask that the matter be considered again. Surprisingly, Rede agreed, so it seems quite unlikely that Lalor was all fire and brimstone.
Lalor may just have been reasonably advising Rede of his view of the situation out on the field, and the rapidly approaching risk of armed rebellion. And, no, you conspiracy theorists, this does not make him a police spy. It makes him someone who doesn't want to see life uselessly wasted. So, perhaps Lalor helped Rede begin to understand the danger of his situation, and he decided to do something sensible.
But, with the benefit of hindsight, it may actually not have been the best decision Rede could have made. And maybe it wasn't actually anywhere near being the best thing he would have done if he was actually being smart. Then again, the poor unimaginative dolt was caught between a raging bull and a rampaging dinosaur.