James wrote: <From a pragmatic point of view, Avon cannot ignore what the others in the group think of him - otherwise they wouldn't follow him. This doesn't mean that he has to be nice to them - the "hard man" approach can be just as effective.>

Mine Own Opinion is that he *does* care in a skewed sort of way; he works fairly steadily to make the others believe, not that he would stab them in the back, but that he *will* put himself first and foremost. As I've mentioned before, Avon's impulse to discourage trust is very strong, moreso even *than* his self-interest, to the point where he will stir up distrust even when it's a bad idea ("I have to get rid of Blake first. You're next on my list." Cygnus Alpha). He wants to keep the others wary of him, wary of relying on him, wary of trusting him.

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