Silly Magistrate, Empirical Opposition Is For Barbarians

"Amazed I stare at this elaborate utterance as it winds its way out of me. Am I mad enough to intend a provocation?" (Coetzee 116)

Prior to this passage, The Magistrate questions the torturer as to how he can devote himself to torturing people. The response that he receives is indeed a provocation as he seemingly knows how the torturers would respond, despite his inquisition. This leads me to believe that The Magistrate might actually be "mad enough to intend a provocation". One has to take into account that he is an elderly man who has been serving the very empire that brands him as an enemy for his entire life. As he draws closer to death, he might begin to wonder if his service to the empire is for a greater good or a greater injustice. While it isn't explicitly revealed in the text, it seems as if The Magistrate would not be one for the use of torture and execution to bring justice to those who have done the empire wrong.
It seems as if he was surprised at his actions and the reactions that they caused, though one could attribute that to his seemingly naive nature. However, I do believe that while he may be surprised at the actions of the empire (though he really shouldn't be), he does have a hidden motive behind his actions as his last living action could be to make change within the world, or at the very least, open people to the idea that the empire is slaughtering an entire group of people for being what they are and nothing more. The Magistrate may be reckless and careless in his actions, but his potential intentions could stretch years beyond his lifespan.