Stephen wrote: <What amuses me about the little mutual deprecation society Avon and Vila have established by season 4 is that Avon knows that Vila isn't as cowardly and incompetent as he pretends to be and Vila knows that Avon isn't as unemotional and logical as he pretends to be.>
Oh yes, but at the same time they don't have any illusions in the *other* direction, as well; the self-interest *is* an integral part of each of them, as the other knows (it just isn't as *big* a part as Avon, especially, would like to believe of himself; see that lovely little scene in Killer). They both *are* selfish bastards, despite reams of wallowy fanfic to the contrary. Which brings us to:
<And then in Orbit Avon goes and acts as self-interestedly and as ruthlessly as his persona to Vila's absolute horror.>
Horror, yes, but (IMO) *not* surprise. Watch Vila as Orac says the magic words: , Avon is stunned, had to stop and think - but Vila *doesn't*, not even for a milisecond thinking "he couldn't ..." He's off like a shot.
Vila knew what Avon was going to do before *Avon* did; he never actually trusted Avon's heart, just Avon's self-interest. He believed that he was safe with Avon simply because Avon's self-interest dictated a more cautious and considered approach to danger than Tarrant's gung-ho-ism, *not* because he thought Avon would go out of his way to protect anyone except Avon (and probably Blake). Which of course begs the question, can there be a betrayal of trust where there's so little trust anyway?
Vila is as mad as hell at the end of Orbit (he still isn't over the terror), and definitely he's sourer and more wary from then on, but I doubt he'd have fixed on it as a personal betrayal, rather a reminder that no he *isn't* safe, especially in the increasingly dangerous spiral they're in. If it happens again ... *it* will happen again.
<If Vila had had the gun Avon would have been just as horrified. I seem to remember a couple of episodes where he takes betrayal particularly badly.>
<grin> and that would include the last few minutes of *that* episode, yes? But that was different, that was *Blake*. I very much doubt that Avon has the same expectations of Vila as he does of Fearless Leader, or of Anna.
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