Not Sure What I'm Getting At Here...

Not sure what I'm setting up here and the sequence is just too long to post in its entirety so I'll just give a sum up:

A person is holding a fancy party but is nervous around guns and restricts the person hired from using firearms of any sort. When a group of terrorists attack the party, they leave thirty people dead and beat the hired security guard to within an inch of her life before she manages to escape to a closet.

When the hired guard's friends manage to get a gun to her she takes down the terrorists within a matter of seconds despite being badly beaten. The friends then confront the host and the following confontation occurs...

Friend 1: What were you thinking keeping her from using a firearm?

Host: I didn't want her to hurt anybody. She has a history of shooting hostages!

Friend 2: Well, there's thirty people dead now which in common opinion is far worse than being wounded.

Host: But some wounds last a life time!

Friend 1: You really are thick headed.

Thoughts?

I see you're going for a very cynical tale where dogs get shot as needed. The host is a Wide-Eyed Idealist, and the purpose of this whole exchange should be why her ideals are dangerous and misguided. (These are not my beliefs — I view ideals somewhat more positively — but I can tell what you're going for, and it's your story.) If it's your opening or near there, it can set a gritty tone for the entire work. Towards the middle, and it gives you a chance to develop up the your characters with regards to how they deal with those on the other side of the Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism. I'm under the impression this isn't part of the finale, for various reasons.

edited 12th Dec '10 12:42:16 PM by KillerClowns

Its amusing, I'll give you that. Makes me wonder WTH the host's logic is to say that when thirty people are dead, though. How realistic is this story? I get the impression that it's the type that will sacrifice a bit of realism to the Rule of Funny, but It would take a few pages into the actual story for me to be certain of that.

This event takes place towards the middle of the story and I just thought that the host should be in shock and conflicted as the events take place. Various lines may sound comedic but that's merely how the characters talk.

I don't really know what to say about it then, other than to make sure the reader gets that impression in context, instead of thinking it was intentionally funny or having it look like a non sequitor.

Should I remove those last two lines, then?

I agree with that.

Although, if the host is really that wide-eyed, I think she'd be in more of a state of shock.