"I'm sure there's a metaphor in it," Braxiatel mused, taking in the Frenchman. Every time Braxiatel saw Robespierre, he immediately recalled the preconceived notions that others brought to the name, as well as one man's particular stubbornness to believe that Robespierre might not be the so-slandered tyrant of history. To Braxiatel, it didn't really matter. History required distance, and of late, Braxiatel had been feeling very removed.

So he smiled at Robespierre and said, "I have always appreciated its architecture."