insufficiently suspicious.
"What about them?" Hecht did know that he was woefully ignorant
about all that. Other than that a string of murders had culminated in
the emergence and passing of major Instrumentalities during the
Calziran Crusade.
Hagan Brokke observed, "The soultaken were just a foretaste of
what's coming, I think. The gods themselves have begun to take a real
interest in mundane events."
"Gods?" Clej Sedlakova demanded. "There is only one God!"
"Excuse me. For want of another label. High Demons, if you prefer.
To borrow from the Dainshaukin."
Those monotheists recognized a mind-boggling array of lesser
supernatural entities arranged in several parallel and inimical
hierarchies.
Hecht smiled. "I don't much care." No one took exception. Even
Sedlakova was disinclined to insist on strict conformance to dogma.
"I'll think about it. Though that's something more suited to the
Collegium. Colonel Smolens. To my earlier point. I'll be out of touch.
You'll have to deal with whatever comes up. I shouldn't be gone long."
Smolens asked, "Do we know where you are? Do we admit that you're
not around?"
"If you're pressed say I'm not available. You really won't know
where I am." Though he would not bet against the Deves keeping track.
"How long? At the most?" Titus Consent asked.
"As long as it takes to finish what I need to do." Meaning do not
get up to anything he should not. "Good. Enjoy yourselves. Oh. You
wanted a private word, Titus?"
Consent betrayed what might have been a glimmer of fear. He
whispered, "Outside the Castella. I'll walk with you."
Hecht nodded. Not inside the keep of the Chaldarean religion's most
ferocious defenders? What a surprise.
Hecht waited till after they crossed to the shore and were headed
downriver, toward the Memorium. "More problems with the Elders?" The
Seven, the Elders of the Brothen Deves, were a pain as big as the heads
of the Five Families, or members of the Collegium. They could not leave
Titus Consent alone to get on with his sacred work.
"Not yet. I'm sure there will be. That isn't it. Yet."
"Well?"
"Noë is almost to term."
"Uhm." Hecht knew Consent's wife and sons by name but had yet to
meet them. Deves did not mix with Chaldareans socially.
"Congratulations."
Consent stopped. He shuddered. Hecht halted, back to the jungle of
monuments to Old Brothen emperors, generals, and dictators, and their
triumphs. "What is it?"
"Noë and I have discussed this for months. We want you to be the
baby's godfather. And Principatè Delari to sponsor us. If he will."
Hecht did not get it right away. He still had to get the hang of
being Episcopal Chaldarean. "Godfather? I didn't know Deves did that."
"Not the Chaldarean way. My brother would do it. If I had one. Since
I don't, my uncles should get the job."
Hecht finally caught on. "Are you talking about converting?"
"I am. If you'll be the baby's godfather. And if Principatè Delari
will sponsor us. We've been studying in secret. We already know most of
what we need to."
Hecht was stunned. "But you're the Elect."
"They never asked
me.
I don't want to be the Elect. It's
eaten me up for twenty years. I want out. I want to convert."
"The Seven will explode! They won't have anything to do with us
anymore. They'll blame us." Selfishly, he added, We'll be blinded."
Consent was not offended. "That will come eventually anyway,
Captain-General. The Elders are beginning to question the benefit of
continuing an alliance put together for the Calziran Crusade. Nor does
the Patriarch see any need to keep on getting along with Deves or
Dainshaus."
"Shortsighted of him."
"Indeed. Our moneylenders are the main financiers of his adventures.
The Seven won't lend Sublime a copper for a crusade against the Connec.
We don't have that many people there. The Seven think it will be easier
and cheaper to protect them by just fixing it so the Patriarch can't
afford to hire soldiers.
"I think they have blinders on. Sublime isn't worried about
"What about them?" Hecht did know that he was woefully ignorant
about all that. Other than that a string of murders had culminated in
the emergence and passing of major Instrumentalities during the
Calziran Crusade.
Hagan Brokke observed, "The soultaken were just a foretaste of
what's coming, I think. The gods themselves have begun to take a real
interest in mundane events."
"Gods?" Clej Sedlakova demanded. "There is only one God!"
"Excuse me. For want of another label. High Demons, if you prefer.
To borrow from the Dainshaukin."
Those monotheists recognized a mind-boggling array of lesser
supernatural entities arranged in several parallel and inimical
hierarchies.
Hecht smiled. "I don't much care." No one took exception. Even
Sedlakova was disinclined to insist on strict conformance to dogma.
"I'll think about it. Though that's something more suited to the
Collegium. Colonel Smolens. To my earlier point. I'll be out of touch.
You'll have to deal with whatever comes up. I shouldn't be gone long."
Smolens asked, "Do we know where you are? Do we admit that you're
not around?"
"If you're pressed say I'm not available. You really won't know
where I am." Though he would not bet against the Deves keeping track.
"How long? At the most?" Titus Consent asked.
"As long as it takes to finish what I need to do." Meaning do not
get up to anything he should not. "Good. Enjoy yourselves. Oh. You
wanted a private word, Titus?"
Consent betrayed what might have been a glimmer of fear. He
whispered, "Outside the Castella. I'll walk with you."
Hecht nodded. Not inside the keep of the Chaldarean religion's most
ferocious defenders? What a surprise.
Hecht waited till after they crossed to the shore and were headed
downriver, toward the Memorium. "More problems with the Elders?" The
Seven, the Elders of the Brothen Deves, were a pain as big as the heads
of the Five Families, or members of the Collegium. They could not leave
Titus Consent alone to get on with his sacred work.
"Not yet. I'm sure there will be. That isn't it. Yet."
"Well?"
"Noë is almost to term."
"Uhm." Hecht knew Consent's wife and sons by name but had yet to
meet them. Deves did not mix with Chaldareans socially.
"Congratulations."
Consent stopped. He shuddered. Hecht halted, back to the jungle of
monuments to Old Brothen emperors, generals, and dictators, and their
triumphs. "What is it?"
"Noë and I have discussed this for months. We want you to be the
baby's godfather. And Principatè Delari to sponsor us. If he will."
Hecht did not get it right away. He still had to get the hang of
being Episcopal Chaldarean. "Godfather? I didn't know Deves did that."
"Not the Chaldarean way. My brother would do it. If I had one. Since
I don't, my uncles should get the job."
Hecht finally caught on. "Are you talking about converting?"
"I am. If you'll be the baby's godfather. And if Principatè Delari
will sponsor us. We've been studying in secret. We already know most of
what we need to."
Hecht was stunned. "But you're the Elect."
"They never asked
me.
I don't want to be the Elect. It's
eaten me up for twenty years. I want out. I want to convert."
"The Seven will explode! They won't have anything to do with us
anymore. They'll blame us." Selfishly, he added, We'll be blinded."
Consent was not offended. "That will come eventually anyway,
Captain-General. The Elders are beginning to question the benefit of
continuing an alliance put together for the Calziran Crusade. Nor does
the Patriarch see any need to keep on getting along with Deves or
Dainshaus."
"Shortsighted of him."
"Indeed. Our moneylenders are the main financiers of his adventures.
The Seven won't lend Sublime a copper for a crusade against the Connec.
We don't have that many people there. The Seven think it will be easier
and cheaper to protect them by just fixing it so the Patriarch can't
afford to hire soldiers.
"I think they have blinders on. Sublime isn't worried about
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