Bernard le Roux tells the story of mediating between a Swedish local authority and parents of two autistic adults who had been labelled "particularly difficult." Years of complaints had gone nowhere; an inquiry concluded the authority was "not at fault." Le Roux conducted separate dialogues with all stakeholders. For Albert, the shift was clear; collaborative care arrangements transformed his situation. For Marcia, ingrained patterns resurfaced despite good intentions. But something unexpected emerged: politicians ordered a larger public dialogue on how the municipality cares for disabled people. In his postscript, le Roux shares a striking insight from attending the conference: he'd been treating dialogue as a tool for intervention, but meeting practitioners showed him it's actually a way of relating and acting. "Mediation is a specialist intervention which seldom leads to changes in the system that causes the conflict itself." He uses Cape Fynbos fire ecology as metaphor: conflict, like fire, is essential for regeneration.