The prison hospital arsely furhe walls bare and covered in peeling grey paint. The soft beeping of medical equipment was the only noise in the room, now that the nurses had left us, and the still, almost oppressive quiet was finally broken by hoarse, barely audible words from the woman on the bed. Mary Stuart. She’s… not looking well. No, that’s a major uatement. Her once youthful aiful features had shrivelled up, her body shrunken and her skin sallow and wrinkled. She looked more like a woman ie eighties or early ies now, and her vivid green eyes were now a muddy grey, and her blonde hair now like bleached straw, brittle and pallid. And of course there’s the burns and scars on her body from the backsh too… she looks like a skeleton, more dead than alive…

  “Don’t you… pity me. Heretics.” She whispered, cracked, desiccated lips shedding a trace of blood, which was thin and watery. She was in a tangle of wires, with sensors, drips and other devices attached to her body or sunk in with needles. “I ot abide… false sympathy.”

  David snorted sourly. “You think we feel sorry for you, nun bitch? Truly, you’re delusional until the end. No, you’re just a damn fright, ugly enough to make any man look away.”

  “Mr Reckless! I know she has itted grave offenses, but there is still o be rude!” Mrs Mary-Jane tered. “I’m sorry for his attitude.” She apologised to Mary Stuart. “Although… I certainly uand it.” She ched her fist, remembering the betrayal that had cost her so much.

  “There’s no need for courtesy. That only applies to humans… and I guess human-like beings.” David amended, gng at me. “But betrayers and backstabbers aren’t human, so they deserve nothing but s.”

  “I don’t… disagree.” Eleanor said calmly, looking at Mary Stuart as she merely smiled bndly, her withered lips and gums showing yellowih, the grin only reinf her skeletal image. “But there is no point in unpleasantness, not now. After all…” She met Mary’s gaze, unyielding. “You failed, you lost. And… without a miracle, it looks like death is near.” Elean me, her eyes questioning, and I let my Eye shine, peering into the woman before us.

  “Such a… filthy… gaze. Have you no shame, ying bare a woman’s secrets…?” Mary managed bitterly, and I rolled my eyes, as it wasn’t dissimir to what Sarah had said.

  “You lost any moral high ground when you let Donovan loose on the Princess. Fighting for Territory and power I uand, even if I in no way do, but… such heartless cruelty appals me. Besides…” I pursed my lips, shocked at the frightful mess of her physical form and spiritual body. “…I don’t even know how you are awake, or even alive right now.”

  Her Chakra work is in ruins, only her and to a lesser extent her heart are intact, the rest have shattered, and the flow of aether is wild, attag her own body, degrading it. Perhaps that’s why she’s aged? I’m not experienced enough to tell… the Favour by her heart, Metatron’s Words Of The Lord, seems to have kept the heart funing to aent… and the Linked Seraphim repg her is pulsing out adherehat must be it. Adherence be used to perform miracles, if employed properly…

  “Suffering… if she is truly … worthy of the Lord, then her sacrifices will all… be rewarded in… the Ninth Heaven.” Mary said piously. “Questioning… the grand pn… is hubris, pride is a deadly… deadly sin.”

  I ched my fist, still carefully examining Mary. If it came to repairing her body, I wasn’t sure I could do it, even with my prodigious skills in Chirurgery, and excellent ones iher Healing. But her current state was giving me a few insights which would allow me to improve once I had analysed and internalised them. “I thought God was supposed to be omnipotent.” I said witheringly. “If so, why should he need good people to suffer? If he prevent it and doesn’t, isn’t he not God, but a Devil?” Beside me, David nodded approvingly, and Mary mao raise one feeble hand, the effort nearly breaking her frail, stick-like arm.

  “I have… heard it all… before. I… even threw such words at my… grandmother long ago. I was a wretched, impious… i… child.” There was a series of rattling, coughing noises, and after a moment I realised it was her attempts at ughter. “It is so… easy… to disparage faith, the truth. After all… God ot… speak to us. For he is beyond… our uanding. Just as the… ant… ot judge us, and may sider our as… evil… when we destroy the hat… encroaches…” It seemed to be torment for her to speak, but we all listened patiently as she boured out her words. It gave me more time to observe her, and Eleanor… it seemed that despite everything, seeing Mary in such a state was evoking her sympathy. She really is a kind girl. But then I khat when she offered to help Motoko and Natsumi, fearing I was exploiting and abusing them. She may not always be right, and leaps to clusions far too fast, and be irritatingly stubborn but… I ’t deny she’s good at heart.

  “… to protect … our enviro. But… God is good, despite… your sins, it is… not too te. Although…” her face was now set in a sneer. “My death… is tolerable. But the loss of… the Anulus Fortunae…” Evee her hoarse, throaty whispers, we could hear the mali her tone. “…taken by that creature… who should have… died in the … purges… long ago… we shall not rest until… it is ba… our hands. Artefacts of the Throne… belong to… us.” She slumped, exhausted, her arm giving out a horrible crag noise as it fell back to the bed, limp.

  I think I want another viewpoint… My Astral body formed, and now I could i Mary Stuart in the Boundary as well. There wasn’t much differen what I could see, but even a small nuance or insight might be enough for a breakthrough. “I still don’t get it, why you’re so insistent on yod being the only way.” I shook my head, bothered by it. “You know there are ods and Goddesses out there. And it’s clear that yod didn’t create the Universe, maybe not eveh. Otherwise things don’t make sense.”

  She took a number of long, shuddering breaths, her eyes sliding shut, and for a moment we all thought she had fallen asleep, before more soft words fell from her lips, ced with venomous disgust. “In… my Father’s house… there are many, many mansions… yet many… have been… overrun by monsters… false Gods and… Demons. Worse… perhaps. No, God is not omnipotent. I am… not a fool.” A fairickled down her withered cheek. “True omnipotence… ever… be.”

  “ a God create a stohey ot themselves lift? a spear that be stopped by nothing pierce a shield that defends against everything? God create a married bachelor?” Mrs Mary-Jane said, uanding. “Omnipotence is paradoxical. While there are solutions and workarounds to e up with an accepted, workable definition, that means it isn’t truly able to aplish anything.”

  “Trust you to e up with the expnation. You truly are a teacher.” David joked, through his expression was grim, perhaps not enjoying being in the pany of Mary Stuart. Maybe he bmes her for leading Sarah astray?

  “My children are young, yet I never hesitate to answer any questions they have. Even if they don’t uand the answer, you should never lie or dissemble with them. Tell the truth, and one day they’ll grasp it.” Mrs Mary-Jane looked at me then. “You should remember that advice. You will be needing it.”

  I ughed. “I sure will. Holy, being a father seems scarier than fag down deadly foes. But my father mao raise me and my sis… so I guess I’ll manage. Besides, they’ll have a lot of mothers.”

  Eleanrimaced at that. “So it seems. Well, I have learned my lesson. So long as your children grow up happy ahy, an unorthodox family is nothing to fret over.” She paused, looking at Mary meaningfully. “But I believe we have more weighty matters at hand.”

  “True.” I agreed, and Mary Stuart, who had paused for breath, tinued, lecturing us bitterly.

  “But the Throands above all. The only… light that prevents… true darkness from… ing us all. If God… was truly… omnipotent… then there would be no sorrow, h, no… failure.” Her words were mog. “…grandmother, I was found… wanting… at the end. I am sorry, and you… were right. As always. But you fools… ging to false… hope… see if your false idols, your… wretched faeries and monsters… amount to… anything… in front of the storm of true… darkness… you all… know… so little. And do not… listen.”

  “If the situation is so dire, we should be w together, not against each other.” I shook my head, annoyed. My Eye was still analysirying to gather more information about the strange Linked Seraphim, which was far more powerful than the Linked Principality Sarah had, the eg nature of it more apparent, the differeween a small railway tunnel, and the Seikan Tunnel. Or maybe a better analogy is the el Tunnel, being as I’m here in Britain right now? “Wouldn’t it be better to form on cause? After all, all that our flicts have led to is sorrow and futility. You’re now broken, and others have died or lost their Favours too. If matters are as dangerous as you cim, then it’s mado fight amongst ourselves. I get that the Gods want to form a sirong Astral Emperor, but it doesn’t have to be that way…”

  “Madness?” Mary rasped suddenly, her muddy eyes staring into mih a mixture of ferocity and mog pity. “The ant… cims to get the will of… God. I learned… I too was… a sinner, who questioned… and mocked… what I did not uand. But the Throne… is the mightiest, and… yes… there is a saying… is there not? Might… makes… right. Yes… I have… fallen. But despite my despair at… my failures… I rejoice… to know I will sit in my Father’s mansion, at his side… I am only sorry… I failed him. But God… is fiving to those… who love him. As for you all… the time when… you see the foolishness of your… defiance… draws ever… ever closer. But it is not… too te. Return what you stole, accept… your sins and… repent. Many be saved. Or else…” her eyes glittered darkly. “…best pray that it is… the Inquisitor-Cardinal or Judgement-cardinal… that delivers judgement on your… wicked, heretic souls. For the mansions of the Heavens… are overrun with tless… abominations. Pray… they do not find… you first!”

  At that she squeezed shut her eyes and didn’t reply to our questions. David snorted, annoyed. “It’s all just damn hypocrisy. If you do it, it’s good and right, and if we do it, it’s sinful and wrong. Bullshit. That’s why I love the Octagon. Everyone has the same rules, the same ce, relying on only their own skills. Who is right should never be determined by where the hell you’re standing!”

  “I quite agree.” Eleanor spoke, troubled. “It all seems so… unpleasant. Everyone’s retionship with God should be their own personal choice. I believe, though I was never overly pious. Most of us from the Church of Engnd aren’t, it’s a bit of a running joke.” she expio me, and I agreed, as my mom was the same way. Not that it seems out of pe, sidering Japan has a simir sort of retionship with its own Gods and Kami. “I want to believe the Gods are benevolent, are helping us, but… it’s hard at times.”

  I nodded, still trating on Mary Stuart. I think I retrieve Metatron’s Favour. Linked Seraphim is still beyond me, I think… “Yes, seeing some of their choices, and some of the abilities Favrant, and havi guesses to their goals… but Mary Stuart is right about ohing. We don’t know the full picture. Even with some insider knowledge I have from a source…” I wasn’t prepared to namedrop Tan with Mary listening. “…there’s still a lot we’re blind on. But what I do know is that they genuinely want to save Earth and humanity, but their methods… I don’t know if Gods truly look at us like we’re ants, but…perhaps being Gods means they don’t have the same emotions and sce as we do.” Tan said that the Gods often do kions, perhaps even more extreme than we mortals. So perhaps their ability to rationalise, to sacrifice, is equally overblown…

  “If so, it’s greatly disappointing.” Eleanor said at st. “You’re right. Expeg Gods to to the way we are is certainly hubris. But I ’t help but be disappointed if it’s not the case. Being forced to rely on those who see our suffering and sacrifice as necessary…”

  “Which is why we’re all w together.” I tered. “We’ll use what we’re given, but we won’t be beholden to those that aren’t worth our worship. If the Gods want our fealty, then they have to be better than we are, not just stronger. Otherwise, we’ll bze our own way.”

  David ughed at that, g me on the back, Mrs Mary-Jane nodded, agreeing, and Eleanor also ined her head. “Yes, I cur. Though that goes for you as well, Akio. You are the face of our fa, so don’t let the power and fame go to your head and lead you astray. You would disappoint far too many people, and if you make your lovers cry…”

  “I know.” I assured her. “I try and keep a level head… huh?”

  Another hag series of ughs came from the shrivelled throat of Mary Stuart. “You would stand… where even… the Angels fear to… tread, where the… Saints bleed, and Martyrs fall? Such arrogaruly is… worthy of being a heathen idol. Enjoy your… arrogance… and ignorance while it… sts…”

  “If you shared what you so clearly are hinting at knowing, rather than spitting out words of hate, then perhaps we would uand…” Eleanan, frustrated, but David stopped her.

  “There’s no point. I know her sort. She revels in having power and knowledge others don’t. If she didn’t, she couldn’t be special. She’ll never reveal the truth behind her words. Otherwise the truth could have brought others into their fold peacefully. They always talk about being a good shepherd, but really, they want to be the wolves.”

  “Not everyone is like that.” I had to interject. “I’ve met good, charitable priests, and the Pope did call for calm and ciliation. We shouldn’t judge a religion by its most… excessive… believers. My mom, Eleanor… you believe, and you’re not bad people.”

  “I should think not. I could be ised alongside Saint Gee, for having to put up with you.” Eleanor said with some amusement, a slight smile on her face, before she looked down at Mary, her humour fading. “So, you know you are dying, right?”

  “I should… have died… that day. But it seems the Lord… has o… task for me.” She scoffed. “Yes… when I lost… the Fortune I was… blessed… with… the backsh of hosting the merest figment of an Angel… broke me. Withered me. Burned my life. But…” Her fervent gaze showed she still had some fire left inside her. “…you are all fools. You left… me alive. And… that is a… mistake. Unless you wish to repent… kneel and wash my feet… beg fiveness and I may just… speak up for you.. before the other Cardinals. But be swift… for… even a miracle… ot stave off… the iable. But… while my body… and my spirit… are sundered… my soul… shall shine on, incorruptible… eternal… in paradise…”

  “Yes, it was a mistake. Your fellows are too clever to fall for our traps.” Eleanreed, before looking over at me again. “Akio, you extract them?”

  “One of them, certainly.” I agreed. “Are you sure? She’s a British citizen and a criminal, but this is still… extra-legal.”

  “Do it. If we are destio take from each other until only one remains on top, then I’d rather it is you who stands at the pinnacle. I’ve seen yenerosity and unwillio cause harm unnecessarily.” Her smile was suddenly warm. “I wonder how Aditi is doing? Not that I wish Miss Motoko and Miss Natsumi to lose, but… friends e first.”

  Aether surged from me, and Mary shuddered. I carefully began to probe arouron’s Favour, and she shuddered, but not from pain. She was ughing again, and suddenly aether and adherence surged. It didn’t seem possible with her work the sort of ruin that should have left her dead, but my Eye saw that the Linked Seraphim was suddenly gushing out energies, which swirled down to her heart and were sucked in, fuelling the sudden power. One finger poi me iher triumph or warning, as her mouth shaped words that I couldn’t uand, the sound a horrible buzzing that made us all tremble and feel nauseous, blood droplets scattering from our noses and ears.

  [My Heart Shall Stop, My Spirit Quieten And I Shall… Be… By… The… Right Hand… Of… The Lord…]

  Blood gouted from her mouth, scattering down her frail, wasted body, and the soft beeps of the medical maes around us were now just long, quiet hums. A doctor and several nurses burst in, and they pushed us aside, heedless of our status. I let them do it, as the Favours were no longer mio take. At least I’m what happens when a Chosen dies…

  It was fortunate I had decided to be present in the Boundary as well, as Metatron’s Favour released a surge of what looked like violet spatial element, tearing free, the heart Chakra colpsing. It then vanished, leaving behind a small hole which was leaking in a higher ether density. irely dissimir to the usage of Saionji Gin-san’s Favour. Linked Seraphim reacted differently though, sug in all the aether, adherend elemental essence around it, being diffuse and starting to fray apart, even as fragments of it were drawn into itself, being passed elsewhere, as far as I could tell. Not wanting to miss my ce, I struck out with as many bdes and scalpels of aether as I could, ed in adherence, and the Favour tried to repel me, as if it was alive, uhers which reacted passively as I harvested them.

  Seeing my strained expression oerial, Eleanor asked me if I was all right, and I nodded, even as I was rocked by a surge of adherence, taining a ferocious, searing light and fme po. It hurt, but I was able t it off, trusting to my Ether Healing, and as the Favour colpsed in on itself, the remains vanishing, I had carved off quite a k, which rapidly broke down and I absorbed.

  You have gained in strength. Your Level has…

  Another Level up. Niot a total waste then, But… the main be was a surge of adherence, refilling my dwindling stocks. Perhaps I wouldn’t have to beg Tan for a handout after all. Looking at Mary’s sad, shrunken corpse, the Diving up on resuscitation and cheg his watake the death pronou, I slipped quietly out, the others following me.

  “A fitting end for her. Hypocritical to the finish. I thought suicide was a sin?” David scoffed, only for Eleanor to criticise him.

  “That’s rather crass, David. And it wasly… suicide. She just didn’t want us to take away her Favours, did she? It’s more… like dying to protect a secret. Spies a agents would see it as an honour. And I daresay she sees it as Martyrdom. Poor, pitiable idiot.”

  “That’s rather charitable of you. I won’t shed a tear for the bitch.” David wasn’t moved by Eleanor’s words. “How about you?” he asked me, and I seriously sidered it.

  “I’m not a heartless person. I’m sorry it had to e to this. But… she reaped what she sowed, as I think they also say in the bible, don’t they? There are many unfortunate people such as those who were caught between the siblings in South Korea that deserve my sympathy. So I’ll just t this as the clusion to her misguided story. Though it’s not the end.”

  “Yeah, I don’t think that her anisation will let it go.” David agreed. “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the lord, right?”

  “That is worrisome.” Mrs Mary-Jane fretted. “Do you think they’ll e after us all?”

  “Maybe not specifically, but they still likely want what the Tower holds.” Eleanhed. “And since Akio here plundered a ring to give to Shaeu… no, we surely haven’t see of them. I wonder…” she looked at me seargly. “Do you think that the ominous feeling you have might have to do with the Church of True Revetion?”

  “Maybe. No, it’s likely. Judging by the dream vision Tsukiko had…” I expined about the white dragon and its feathers of light. “It does seem a little… biblical, in terms of imagery.”

  “We should be on high alert then.” Eleanreed. “Well, this was disappointing. We gained little. Perhaps we should have dealt with her when we had the ce.”

  “Pns don’t always work out as we hoped.” I soled her. “Besides, it was also that you tried to be passionate and follow the w as well. And in the end… perhaps that power wasn’t meant for us. Besides, it wasn’t a total loss.”

  “Oh?” she raised an eyebrow questioningly, and I eborated.

  “I got a much better insight into how the Linked Favours fun. It’s still well beyond my full uanding, even with my Eye and my Chirurgery, but I tell it’s a sort of bond and also a transmitter, in a way. It absorb a adherence, aether and likely other things. Huh.” I paused, having a sudden thought. Isn’t that a lot like Lovers’ Link, at least the Rank eleven version Eri has? That transmit aether and adherehough it’s far cruder. That might be an area for study… “In any case…” I finished. “It likely has a lot of uses we don’t know, such as strengthening and healing. From what Sarah told you back then, it seems it also devour captured Favours as well. That Pantheon really doesn’t py fair. But then, the biggest fists are the st word.” Rather than anarchy, it seems that the Pantheons have an agreement, but it clearly favours the Orue Throne, judging by what we’ve learned. But that’s no different to how it works here oh. The stronger, richer party makes the advantageous rules to maintaiatus quo. Well, we’ll see. We’ll definitely see, as I don’t pn to just let that happen here…

  “No shit.” David agreed, ign Mrs Mary-Jane as she told him to mind his nguage again. “So, the mess is ed up. To aent. There are still several other traitors who turned on the Princess. Shouldn’t we deal with them as well, while we’re at it?”

  Eleanor shook her head. “Not yet. We would still like to get our ws updated first. We were behind Japan in that. And our Parliament isn’t as keen on w together as your Diet was.” Eleanor tutted, irritated. “But before that… we were rather distracted by the petition you proposed. We still have to sort out the matter of the returned citizens…”

  Yes, we do. And Christina Bakker is still hanging around like a tig timebomb. There’s so much to do. And tomorrow I am due to go to Kyoto with Tsukiko and Yasuhide-san. I think maybe Yukiko-san might be ing as well. But before that… I wonder how everyone is getting on with raising their affinity with Jumong’s Favour?

  ShipTeaser