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]

Slowly, sadly, he shakes his head.

[dark_light]

[You don't remember?]

[pythbox]

A helpless shrug.

[dark_light]

[Kas, can you check if he's fixable if I decide to do that - maybe not wishing, but an enchantment, witch magic -]

[truthwright]

[You... probably don't want to do that,] says Kas, after consulting his alethiometer. [This is the Authority.]

[dark_light]

[He is a shriveled angel who can't withstand someone tapping on the glass in his tank. What happened to him?]

[truthwright]

[It doesn't know. But - he's the oldest angel there is.]

[dark_light]

She resumes talking to the Authority.

[What do you do, in there?]

[pythbox]

He shakes his head.

[dark_light]

[Please answer me. Even if you don't know, you can say so.]

And then her lie detection will work.

[pythbox]

[nothing,] he says softly.

It is true.

[dark_light]

[That sounds boring.]

[pythbox]

He has no answer for that.

[dark_light]

[Is there anything you want to do?]

[pythbox]

He shakes his head again.

[dark_light]

[You want to just hang out in your box and not do anything?]

[pythbox]

He nods.

[dark_light]

[Say it, please.]

[pythbox]

He closes his eyes instead.

[dark_light]

[Say it, and then I'll leave you be if you're being honest with me.]

[pythbox]

After a minute or so, he manages,

[yes]

[dark_light]

[I can tell that's not the whole answer.]

[truthwright]

[Is grilling this guy really getting us anywhere?] wonders Kas. [Look at him, he can barely talk.]

[dark_light]

[Yes, that's what it looks like, but if he used to be a god I'm not sure how this happened and it could also have not happened, goodness knows I'd consider faking broken if someone had just killed one of my allies and was questioning me under lie detection - let me know if the alethiometer can effectively substitute for him for the questioning.]

[truthwright]

[The alethiometer says he is exactly as fucked up as he looks. What else do you want to know?]