I find myself wondering if this is somehow related to getting the boys to go to bed -- does it require much bravado when you're on your own? ;-)
Bravado “It could be,” said Famine. “But weighing one against the other, I’d say that releasing Narusheteli is a bigger catastrophe, so why weren’t they there for that?” “You could just ask us,” said one of the old men. His voice was crackly and sounded as though it didn’t get used much and there was just a hint of bravado in there.. “Shut up Rashid,” said War. “Why are you here?” asked Pestilence. His fingers tickled Hilda behind the ears, and she tilted her head this way and that, enjoying the sensation. Rashid eyed her with a little caution, and next to him one of the other old men spoke up. “Fate decreed that we should be here,” he said. “Useful.” War’s snort of disdain shivered the walls and small crumbs of rock fell from the crown of stalactites hanging overhead. “Are you trying to resurrect the Infanta?” Pestilence’s tone indicated that War wasn’t helping. War rolled his eyes. “No,” said the old man. “Who am I talking to, by the way?” asked Pestilence. “I don’t know you all as well as these guys do. And are you anything to do with Narusheteli then?” “Abayaman,” said the old man. He stuck his hand out and waited for it to be shaken, but no-one took him up on the gesture so he shrugged and tucked it back into his robes. “Narusheteli is not of this universe but it is normally kept out by stones laid atop certain sacred sites and bound with threads of a particular kind of vampire—” “Yes, oupir’,” said War bluntly. “They’re practically an endangered species these days,” said Famine. “I’m surprised they haven’t made the cover of National Geographic yet.” “We found the stones,” said Scuffles. “At the bottom of the reservoir.” “Anyway” said Abayaman meaningfully. “If you chase it back out of the Universe, you can put the stones back into place and bind them with fresh threads.” “And if that sounds like too much work?” War’s tone wasn’t exactly insolent, as he had no respect for the Seven Sages, but it was well over the horizon away from polite. “Because it sounds like a lot of work to me.” “According to epistemological eschatology, if Narusheteli is given liberty in the world of sorrows then it will end in blood and bone and pain,” said Rashid. “Gloating!” yelled War, pointing a long finger at him. Above, the crown shivered and pebbles bounced down around them all like vindictive rain. “Stop it,” said Famine, pushing War’s arm down. “Gloating or not, the boss didn’t say anything about ending the world this week. And he’s kind of precise on those things.” “Ok,” said Pestilence. “So how do we find Narusheteli then?” They all looked at the Sages, who looked uncomfortable. After several minutes of this, the Sages all got up and walked off down a side-tunnel, leaving the Incarnates standing in the chamber below the Crown of Mercy. Up above, white blobs of light curled around the stone as though looking for a new home. “Scuffles,” said Famine, slowly. Scuffles looked up. “You,” he said, continuing his thought. “Narusheteli is the oath-breaker. Breaking oaths tends to produce scuffles, small conflicts. You should be able to find things that Narusheteli governs. If we keep stopping the oaths from being broken, that would have to get Narusheteli’s attention.” “I’m going to miss you when we leave here,” said Pestilence, just a little sadly.
When Chris laid his hand on the barn door, he knew something wasn't right. It was an instinct of his, to know when a stranger was lurking about the place. He turned to run -- the stranger could milk the cows or find a neighbor to do it -- but paused. He'd been running his whole life and what had it gotten him? He'd lost Emily and their baby, he wasn't living the high life, he was milking cows on Jersey. Some life. Maybe it was time to face life head on instead of always running. He turned back to the barn door and pushed it open.
3 comments:
I find myself wondering if this is somehow related to getting the boys to go to bed -- does it require much bravado when you're on your own? ;-)
Bravado
“It could be,” said Famine. “But weighing one against the other, I’d say that releasing Narusheteli is a bigger catastrophe, so why weren’t they there for that?”
“You could just ask us,” said one of the old men. His voice was crackly and sounded as though it didn’t get used much and there was just a hint of bravado in there..
“Shut up Rashid,” said War.
“Why are you here?” asked Pestilence. His fingers tickled Hilda behind the ears, and she tilted her head this way and that, enjoying the sensation. Rashid eyed her with a little caution, and next to him one of the other old men spoke up.
“Fate decreed that we should be here,” he said.
“Useful.” War’s snort of disdain shivered the walls and small crumbs of rock fell from the crown of stalactites hanging overhead.
“Are you trying to resurrect the Infanta?” Pestilence’s tone indicated that War wasn’t helping. War rolled his eyes.
“No,” said the old man.
“Who am I talking to, by the way?” asked Pestilence. “I don’t know you all as well as these guys do. And are you anything to do with Narusheteli then?”
“Abayaman,” said the old man. He stuck his hand out and waited for it to be shaken, but no-one took him up on the gesture so he shrugged and tucked it back into his robes. “Narusheteli is not of this universe but it is normally kept out by stones laid atop certain sacred sites and bound with threads of a particular kind of vampire—”
“Yes, oupir’,” said War bluntly.
“They’re practically an endangered species these days,” said Famine. “I’m surprised they haven’t made the cover of National Geographic yet.”
“We found the stones,” said Scuffles. “At the bottom of the reservoir.”
“Anyway” said Abayaman meaningfully. “If you chase it back out of the Universe, you can put the stones back into place and bind them with fresh threads.”
“And if that sounds like too much work?” War’s tone wasn’t exactly insolent, as he had no respect for the Seven Sages, but it was well over the horizon away from polite. “Because it sounds like a lot of work to me.”
“According to epistemological eschatology, if Narusheteli is given liberty in the world of sorrows then it will end in blood and bone and pain,” said Rashid.
“Gloating!” yelled War, pointing a long finger at him. Above, the crown shivered and pebbles bounced down around them all like vindictive rain.
“Stop it,” said Famine, pushing War’s arm down. “Gloating or not, the boss didn’t say anything about ending the world this week. And he’s kind of precise on those things.”
“Ok,” said Pestilence. “So how do we find Narusheteli then?”
They all looked at the Sages, who looked uncomfortable. After several minutes of this, the Sages all got up and walked off down a side-tunnel, leaving the Incarnates standing in the chamber below the Crown of Mercy. Up above, white blobs of light curled around the stone as though looking for a new home.
“Scuffles,” said Famine, slowly. Scuffles looked up. “You,” he said, continuing his thought. “Narusheteli is the oath-breaker. Breaking oaths tends to produce scuffles, small conflicts. You should be able to find things that Narusheteli governs. If we keep stopping the oaths from being broken, that would have to get Narusheteli’s attention.”
“I’m going to miss you when we leave here,” said Pestilence, just a little sadly.
When Chris laid his hand on the barn door, he knew something wasn't right. It was an instinct of his, to know when a stranger was lurking about the place. He turned to run -- the stranger could milk the cows or find a neighbor to do it -- but paused. He'd been running his whole life and what had it gotten him? He'd lost Emily and their baby, he wasn't living the high life, he was milking cows on Jersey. Some life. Maybe it was time to face life head on instead of always running. He turned back to the barn door and pushed it open.
Greg - no, certainly not that. Though, to be honest, I can't actually remember what inspired this one.
Hah, quite enjoyed the interactions with the sages. I hope we get to see them again at some point.
Morganna - ah, bit by bit, more and more is revealed. I like it.
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