Editing Luke Maddison (section)

==Speech==

Luke's natural register is modern British English — measured, polite, and more cautious than Susan's direct, assertive style. He is the sibling most likely to raise an objection, ask a clarifying question, or express uncertainty. "I don't like the idea," and "I suppose it seems" are characteristic openers, reflecting his habit of thinking aloud rather than issuing commands.

He can be firm when circumstances demand it. With Emily, he is authoritative — "We've no time for playing" and "If you two want to play, go and do it somewhere else" — though his firmness often misfires, as when he dismisses her report of Meg's kidnapping. He is gentler in apology: "I'm sorry, Em." His tone with siblings shifts between fraternal authority and genuine remorse, and he is honest about his mistakes.

His speech is marked by moral qualification. When discussing the plan to kidnap Nena, he does not simply object — he articulates his discomfort precisely: "It's not the plan in general I don't like. It's the thought of kidnapping a woman, even a Bestia." This habit of distinguishing between the practical and the ethical is characteristic; Luke weighs consequences where Susan acts on instinct.

He is polite and respectful in unfamiliar situations. Meeting Mrs Navarro: "Good morning. We're the Maddisons. This is Portian House, isn't it?" He defers to Alucio on Altierran matters without resentment, asking questions rather than challenging expertise: "Are there no other countries? No armies?" His curiosity is genuine, not performative.

With Nena, his speech is consistently gentle and egalitarian. "You don't have to call me 'sir'," he tells her repeatedly. "You're not a Bestia here, remember. You're just another free woman." He frames requests as choices — "Would you feel better with a fire, Nena?" — and gives permission as though granting autonomy rather than issuing orders. This register is deliberate and contrasts sharply with the command-and-obey dynamic of Bestia culture.

In the epilogue, his voice shifts to first-person narration — reflective, wry, and personal. "I suspect that Raf and Susan will soon be setting up their own home together," he observes, the verb "suspect" carrying both prediction and gentle amusement. Of Nena's recovery: "she calls me 'Luke' now although it sometimes sounds like just a variation of 'sir'" — a line that captures both progress and the long road remaining. His humour is dry and self-deprecating: "I've had enough of bells to last a lifetime."

He does not use profanity in the novel, which distinguishes him from both Susan and Meg. His frustration is expressed through tone and qualification rather than outburst.

A representative line that captures his voice: "Because you're alone. I thought you might be frightened." — simple, compassionate, and revealing of the moral instinct that defines him.