Inheritor
Mervin Hardy
Enacts cruelty as tradition.
Contradictions
- Postures as predator; collapses under resistance.
- Obsessed with status; terrified of losing it.
- Wants authority; survives on intimidation.
Presence
Uses slurs like inherited weapons.
Loud in safe company; brittle when challenged.
Confidence only when protected by property and law.
Timeline markers
- 1970s — Raised inside Hardy immunity; learns cruelty is consequence-free.
- Late 1990s — Assumes day-to-day gatekeeper role at the property.
- Early 2000s — Manoeuvres with Shiralee to secure inheritance.
- 2003 — Confronted by Bal; myth of Hardy superiority cracks.
Quotes
- “What the fuck do you want, boy? Pounding on my door like you own the place?”
- “Well, the piccaninny’s back.”
- “Oh, you mean your precious lubra?”
Dee resonance
No resonance; cannot perceive value beyond ownership and dominance.