we are not truly immortal

[dark_light]

After Glass's party is over with, Amariah and Kas go home.

Amariah fetches down their alethiometers.

"It's about time I took care of Alethia's afterlife, whatever it may be," she says quietly. "What can the alethiometer tell you about what I'll find?"

Comments

[pythbox]

"The mountain remains a danger," says the alethiometer.

[lifes_sake]

"In what way? To whom?"

[pythbox]

"Through their desire to rule in the name of the Authority, to everyone."

[lifes_sake]

Kas, can you get more detail about how the remaining mountain angels are dangerous? It's saying they are dangerous to everyone because they want to rule in the name of the Authority, but I bet it would've come up in conversation before now if 'pissed off angel' were a common cause of mishap for regular people here.

[truthwright]

They don't do stuff directly, that much, says Kas after a short consultation. But they can go anywhere and see anything they want, and they can - encourage. And the shit they encourage is not good shit.

[lifes_sake]

What pray tell is the shit they encourage?

[dark_light]

Enchanting at least sometimes works up here, I could maybe enchant them all into a box like his till they want to talk, says Amariah dubiously.

[truthwright]

Kas goes quiet.

[pythbox]

Wherever the rest of the angels were going, it doesn't seem to be up to Kas and Amariah; there's no sign of them.

[dark_light]

"Sweetie?" murmurs Amariah.

[truthwright]

"I just - wow," he murmurs, shivering.

So I asked what the Clouded Mountain wants, he says into the link.

They want to rule every conscious mind on every world. No dissent, no disagreement, nobody doing anything without permission. Total control. Of everything. Technically they want it all for the Authority, but most of them don't know he's - like he is.

[dark_light]

Shit.

[lifes_sake]

Amariah, your world - do I start engaging these little creeps?

[dark_light]

Yeah. We're on our way.

She flies down the mountain.

[lifes_sake]

These little creeps aren't within no-wishing range.

Cam wishes them quick clean ends, one at a time, square by square.

[truthwright]

Kas thinks of something to ask the alethiometer.

...Anybody care that angels don't have afterlives?

[lifes_sake]

I care some. Could Amariah retrieve them with evils if she wanted? I mean, that worked on Shell Bell and Nathan and it wasn't moving them from Downside. Cam pauses in picking off angels. In case they are swayed by the fact that he can do it; in case the answer to his question is "no".

[pythbox]

The rest of the angels take the opportunity to flee back into the mountain.

[truthwright]

Yep, Kas reports from the outside entrance to the Authority's cave. You can evil 'em back.

[dark_light]

So they're not irrecoverable then. Amariah is heartened by this notion. I'll see about enchanting them a box all the same, no sense wasting evils - you good for another spell, sweetie?

[truthwright]

Sure!

[dark_light]

Amariah has a spell composed inside thirty seconds.

The angels get the non-aquatic equivalent of a fishtank, wrapping around the mountain; it will suck in angels who approach too near - with "too near" responding to the recent absorption of angels, so it can swallow entire flocks even if they turn back after the first - but will not let them out, without the intervention of an enchanter.

[truthwright]

Well, that'll help, says Kas. He flies down to Amariah and hugs her.

[dark_light]

Hugs.

Amariah goes to watch angels slurped up into the angel tank.

[pythbox]

Since every single angel was inside the mountain by the time she finished her spell, there is an impressive amount of slurping going on.