TheStarsAreRight:CarlNote7

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Beginning

Beginning (Beginning)

CARL

“Join me for some tea, Jack?” Carl had little to say during the ride back to the hotel, but now something is on his mind. By the time you get back to his suite, Julian already has the tea things laid out, and with a few murmurs and a quiet kiss, leaves the two of you so she can see to Richard’s needs.

In an armchair, with a cup in one hand, Carl ponders for a moment before looking quizzically at Jack.

“So. Cecil Becker. What did you think of all that, hmm?”

REDLAND

[Richard? I thought it was Robert, or am I thinking of something else?]

"Ah. Thanks. Don't mind if I do."

Redland snags some tea.

"I know I came out pretty strongly against it in the meeting, but sometimes I'm not whether or not I'm just playing devil's advocate. It's a role towards which I'm naturally inclined.

"For all that I complained that we had more important things to do, I don't know if that's entirely true. To a large extent, I'm happy to defer that decision to you.

"As to what he's actually asking us to do, my objections during the meeting largely hold. I don't have any desire to return this painting to Russia. I don't particularly care about the Russians, and I don't particularly care about the Catholics. That is not to say that I have any special animosity towards either group, but from what I've gathered, Russia is currently 'safe', whether the 'community' is Catholic or Tsarist (or whatever) doesn't really matter to me. That is to say, I don't know that the people of Russia will be any happier living under the oppressive sway of Catholicism than they would under the oppression of the Tsars. If we could help them institute some sort of decent community, I'd be more inclined to undertake the mission from an 'altruistic' standpoint, but as it is ..."

Jacks sips his tea.

"As to what we gain. Well, Mr. Becker did not seem particularly forthcoming with inducements, as far as I could tell. A lot of vague blandishments, in my opinion. I certainly don't want to acquire the ability to destroy millions of people who disagree with my views. From my understanding of the situation, this ability is fairly Russo-specific, so I'm not really worried about it falling into the wrong hands.

"Hmmm. So I guess to a large extent, I'm still skeptical. Also, what is his interest. Is he being forthcoming with us? I'm a bit hazy on exactly what he told us.

"Where do you stand on this? Maybe you can convince me?"

CARL

[ Argh – you’re right – brain fart. I was distracted. ]

“Convince you? Is that my job, now?” Faint smile. “I’m not so sure. There is a lot going on here that isn’t being said; and having Miss, ah, Ripley in the room only made the water that much cloudier. Which I am not happy about; I prefer clarity.” He sips.

“It did not occur to me that the elusive Cecil Becker of London might in any way be related to Colonel Ryan Becker, late of Washington DC and Crazy Peak, Montana ... I’m still not sure what to make of that. Nor am I particularly happy that the two of them, for whatever reason, are deeply involved in the Fight together – and I do not know why it bothers me so. A twin. Hmm.

“But you are correct. It was hard to get specifics out of the man, wasn’t it? He seemed to prefer ominous vagueness to anything concrete; and that catches my attention. “ Carl drinks again, glances at his teacup, and puts it aside.

“By itself, the mission is a good one. Important, yes; but not necessarily important enough to consume *our* time, just now. We need eyes and ears in Russia and we don’t have any; even our ‘friends’ there have been utterly silent. That is a concern. And it’s all well and good to say ‘Russia is protected’, but what if the cure is as bad as the disease? We need to get a research team in there, it is true. And if Russia is virulent, we need them focused on the external threat – rather than, say, deciding to conquer Europe or China.

“So. Why us? Why me? Firstly, because it seems I can afford the time – Tony and his people are tied up for at least a month on vital work -- and because I am partly responsible for putting the Tzar Alexis on the throne. But just as importantly, because there is a link between these ikons, and that monastery, and whatever the Brotherhood is doing. I wish I knew what it was.” He frowns.

REDLAND

"Heh. Well, as I said at the meeting, convincing me isn't necessary to accomplishing anything. As long as you can stand me, I'll go whereever you go. However, if you can convince the skeptic, it often helps clarify your ideas to yourself at the same time.

"Hmmm. Now, I don't know anything about Colonel Becker. Is there anything important I need to know? I will confess to a great deal of ... edginess ... when it comes to military men. Particularly those who are highly ranked. In conjuction with being partial to the use of force, they are often political.

"With Mr. Becker, I would like to know what he gains from what we're doing. I always feel better dealing with someone when it is clear why they are doing something and what advantage will adhere to them. Currently, it sounds as though he is behaving altruistically. It is certainly possible that is the case. After all, we all have an interest in not having the world die out...

"I don't know that the cure could be as bad as the disease. The disease is destruction of the world (emanating through an unprotected Russia). The cure is, most likely, an unpleasant Russia. I agree, that if they wish to become conquerors, that could be harmful. On the other hand, given how Russia is (and has always been), I don't see how they would get past the French, much less the Germans ... and, of course, we have nothing to fear from them. Maybe the eastern Asians, as you say.

"I don't see how returning this picture is going to help, in general. If my options were: Communist Russia, Catholic Russia, or nativist, Tsarist Russia, I'm pretty sure I'd take the latter. They are the least likely to focus their aggression externally.

"Now, if you feel some personal responsibility, that is a perfectly legitimate reason. Especially if there is nothing more important going by the wayside. If you think it is important to establish what is happening with this Brotherhood, that is also fine. I just want to make sure that, given what we know, we're making the optimal decision. I would feel more comfortable if Mr. Becker were a little more forthright, and I'd feel better if I didn't feel like we're going to be helping deliver Russia to the Catholics."

CARL

Carl looks at Jack curiously.

“You keep talking about the Catholics. What do the Catholics have to do with any of this? Aside from the fact that Miss Ripley and Henrik are evidently Catholics, of course. The ikon isn’t Catholic; it’s Russian Orthodox. There’s all the difference in the world.

“So why do we care if a powerful Orthodox ikon is returned to her homeland? After all, the Romanov Tsars were devoutly Orthodox; the Russian people were devoutly Orthodox also; it’s a part of what makes Russia Russian.”

He stops, blinks once; his eyes widen, and he stares at Jack, speaking faster now.

“Russia is half-Orthodox, half pagan. I’d forgotten that. The counterrevolution – it was done with blood magic – elevating the Tsar to a Holy tyrant, with the spirits of the Land to support him – the vodyanoi, domovoi, rusalki – all of those! It was all pagan – what has happened to the Church?”

Carl seems visibly excited, eyes dark, glancing around the room before returning to Jack’s.

“What has happened to the Church, Jack? What *will* happen? It’s half of the axis of tradition – but is it heard?” His eyes wander again, watching invisible things, his hands moving vaguely, drawing. “The land was dead – the land spirits gone or mad. The Church was never a replacement for the pagan reality – merely a guide to better things. Hope in the afterlife – not the practicum, not the *now* of things. Monks, saints, teachers, yes – but the vila and the likho remain, when the priests have gone. Light in the darkness – and that is all. The other half of that ….” He pauses, examining something invisible in his left hand.

“The otyets in Russia – teachers. Not intercessors!” He takes a big breath, lets it out slowly, watching Jack with wide eyes, his hand turning over invisible puzzle pieces.

“Intercession comes from --”

Carl slams his mouth shut, looking as though he’s been sucker punched. He fumbles for his tea, gulping once as if it were a shot of bathtub hootch.

REDLAND

Jack just sits back drinking his tea, perhaps waiting for Carl to continue.

CARL

[ lol – perhaps! ]

After a moment Carl sighs and (reluctantly?) looks up at Jack.

“Theotokos,” he sighs quietly. “Bogoroditsa.

“The Mother of God.” And he waits, in turn, to see if Jack uinderstands.

REDLAND

"Um. That's the Greek term for the Virgin Mary. That's about all I know. I apologize for my ignorance, but these religious things are definitely not an area of expertise for me. That picture was of Mary, right? I thought only the Catholics worshiped Mary. I must be mistaken in that. Er, if the Russians aren't Catholics, why would all those people at the meeting be so excited to return it to them. I thought all of these religious groups viewed each other as heretics. After all, only one of them can be right ...

"Anyhow, I don't want to derail you. It sounds like you've made an important connection. Something to do with reuniting the 'pagan' and Christian elements of teh Russian soul or somesuch. It might be best if you spin the whole thing out before you forget some critical insight."

REDLAND

Jack looks worried for a moment. He speaks tentatively.

"Er, I'm not offending you, am I? I know that religion can be a touchy subject for some people, and I wouldn't want to overstep my bounds. I certainly wouldn't say any of this to some of our esteemed companions, for instance. Let me know if I'm crossing a line or whatnot."

CARL

Carl nods. “Not an issue, Jack. Not with me.

“To Henrik and Miss Ripley, I suppose it’s a matter of degree. Orthodox may not be Catholic, but they’re a lot more “Christian” than pagans are. Also, the presence of something obviously holy and miraculous, like the ikon, has made its impression on both of them in its own right.

“As to the rest – I’m still fumbling here. The symbology has … echoes … on a number of different levels, that are too thick and numerous to be ignored.

“Mary is an intercessor, because … well, the Theotokos isn’t just Mary. Mary isn’t important because she gave birth to Jesus, not entirely. In the Easter Church, it’s more than that – she is the mortal bridge to the divine – the conduit through which God enters the world. And through which the world can reach out to God. A meeting point. In some ways, much like the Principles.

“That’s one thing. Another is that the Theotokos is a powerful, populist, nurturing and change-fostering principle that balances and complements the doctrinaire, ritualistic focus of the Metropolitans, and the central tyrant-figure that is the Tsar himself. The three are analogues of the three Powers, the three Kings, and so on.

“A third thing is the Mother-of-God image itself. We are, repeatedly, faced with … situations … in which the Mother brings forth Her children, and they are more than her … and they are the ones who will change the world.”

He stops again, thinking.

REDLAND

"Hmmm. I apologize. I might not be all that helpful here. It probably won't shock you, but symbolism is not my strong suit.

"I thought that the value of the Virgin Mary was always as the bridge to God. That is, I thought people prayed to her so that she'd take their prayers to God and then he would intercede. She's like a useful middleman, since she's either nicer (more compassionate) than God or maybe just less busy so she's a better listener. Regardless, your point is that her being a 'mortal bridge to the divine' is potentially significant in some way.

"Blast, I'm not sure I know what the Metropolitans are. If it's important, you may have to explain it to me. Again, though, I take it that you're indicating here that Mary sort of represents you, the Metropolitans represent the King of Fate, and the Tsar is represented by the King of the Body?

"And again, on these situations of which you speak... I'm lost at sea.

"However, if you're still germinating ideas, feel free to speak on without filling me in. Sometimes when inspiration strikes it's best to let it flow."

CARL

“True.” Carl waves his hand again, vaguely. “I’m not sure where I’m going with this … inspiration, hunches, they’re not always right.” He looks up. “But so often, lately, the intuition reveals patterns – patterns that *are* important, that turn out to matter a lot. Those patterns are, as often as not, in the fuzzy stuff, the symbolism, the stuff that’s hard to digest in the clinical light of a classroom or a lab.

“The Metropolitans are the priesthood of the Church. Specifically, the bishops and cardinals, if you will. I use the term loosely here, to mean the upper ranks and policy makers, as opposed to monks and deacons or village priests.”

He ponders some more.

“It’s just a lot of pieces, Jack. They feel as though they ought to fit together, that’s all.

“So let’s see…. “ He frowns, concentrating on an elusive thread.

“Sometime in the past thousand years, give or take a few centuries, something – someone – killed the land in Russia. The leys dried up, the ambient all but disappeared. The remnant folklore speaks of a place rich in blood magic, powerful spirits, many dark, others quite benign, but powerful – great and small – that so deeply imbued the character and cultures of the people that even the intercession of the Greek church, then the Mongol Tartars, then the Russian church only added to the mix – never replaced it. The soul of the place is hungry, violent.

“In the midst of all this, there are – were – places of great religious power. Most are gone, but some remain. The monastery from which that ikon, and others, came is one of these.

“I have to wonder if the land was suppressed deliberately, to curb the power of the spirits and their sorcerers – but if so, it had dire consequences. Without the binding effect of the ambient, a long, slow process of collective isolation and … I suppose a form of alienation … sets in. Russia, and Russians, are individually and collectively set adrift, from each other and from the rest of the world. The Church is an anchor, through rite and ritual, but it is, in a sense, crippled – any binding benison is limited, because away from the church, from the ritual itself, there’s nothing to keep it going, do you see? Faith is a candle – but the air is thin in Russia, outside of the churches and holy places.

“Ikons … are like portable churches. More than that – because many of the churches are merely places to store and revere the ikons. Ikons in the Slavonic church are often more important than the priests – because they are known to be able to cause miracles, where priests cannot. Add to that the particular intercessory powers of the Bogoroditsa, and you will see that an ikon like this one, with immediately visible miraculous properties, is going to be a rallying point for the Church like none that have been seen in, well, I don’t know how long.

“I do wonder what the Tsar thinks about all of this. The Tsars in the past were very pro-Church, racist, and anti-sorcery – but that was, apparently, a public face. The rite that was used to destroy the Communists was a Romanov family heirloom, passed down and learned each generation in direct contravention of the laws the ruling family espoused daily.”

Carl fumbles for his drink, swallows, then looks at the now-empty cup in mild surprise before putting it down.

“This isn’t where I was going. There’s something about the Theotokos herself, and the Tsar, and the Tsaritsa Ineska, and the importance of children – and my own role as King of Life – and the need for Russia not only to be strong in its faith, but to be *unified* in its faith – otherwise the protection of the spirit of the land is spotty and depends on the individual. The Tsar, as God-defended ruler, with the Church at his side, is a powerful anchor – but the Tsar as priest-sorceror, with the leshy behind him, is less stable. The presence of an heir – no, a *miraculous* heir – born despite adversity, with the mother and her faith in the Church a metaphor for the Theotokos –

“That is the cement I’m looking for. And that is why I need to go to Russia,” he finishes simply. He pours himself a new cup of tea."

REDLAND

Carl has had a lot of conversations with Jack, and even though Jack is pretty much always wrong about everything, he's usually wrong in a particular way. Like, even though he'll make ludicrous or naive suggestions as to how to proceed, it's clear that he has a good understanding of the situation. Here it is like he's missing something essential, for whatever reason.

"Is the 'killling of the land' similar to what the King of Fate was proposing as a solution to the Outsiders, just on a different scale? Would it be likely, then, that the old King may have been responsible for this? If so, would the new King be able to undo it? I guess that was a lot of 'ifs'...

"Hmmm. Russia has long been a backward country. I suppose if this mysticism stuff has some bearing on actual life, that this could help account for that."

He continues kind of grasping about.

"The thing is, though, that the Tsars and the Church have always had a pernicious effect on Russia. The point may be, that what we're trying to accomplish is more along the lines of preserving the world, as opposed to making it a better place (a point of view with which I can sympathise), but I would feel better if, instead of attempting to instill a Russia built on the twin axes of faith and coercion, we were attempting to offer them a land of reason and freedom. Perhaps we just work with what we're given. Or perhaps my view of the good is too narrow."

He seems almost to be thinking out loud for a moment. "Maybe if there is free movement it doesn't really matter that much. Hmmm. Perhaps breaking down the old order could have value, even if what replaces it is frequently worse... As long as exit is allowed, each society can work as a type of lab experiment..."

He shakes his head.

"Er, sorry. Um. Let's see. So, the upshot of what you're thinking, is that my claim that Russia is 'safe' is incorrect, since it is not particularly robust. Going to Russia would have value, insofar as restoration of the religious orthodoxy will, combined with the monarchy, lead to a stable, unified Russia that will have a greater capacity to withstand Outsider incursions?"

CARL

[ I noticed that – but have no tools to address it, really. So we proceed…. ]

Carl shrugs, smiling.”It’s a theory anyhow. Truth is, we don’t know *what* is going on there until we look.

“Don’t downplay your position, Jack. Reason and freedom are good things, and in my mind at least, ought to be sought after. They do not, however, reinforce magic by themselves or make good defenses against it. What we’re talking about here is reinforcing patterns already etched deep into the land and the people, because those patterns are bulwarks against attack. If Russia were a nation with an ancient and time-honored tradition of reason and freedom, then we could reinforce those to its defense – but we don’t.

“And it’s not entirely true that the Tsars and the Church have been bad for Russia, though it does seem to be so in the last hundred years or so. Antonov writes very persuasively that the Slavonic Church and its integration into public life was one of the things that actively preserved Russian culture during the Tartar occupation, and helped it rebound with vigor after the Tartars were overthrown. Certainly the Russian Empire of the fourteenth through seventeenth centuries was, by the standards of its day, a vigorous and rising polity – though the life of the individual peasant wasn’t particularly wealthy or enlightened.”

REDLAND

"Well, I certainly bow to your superior knowledge of how these things work. Certainly, one reasonable way for me to think about this, would be that the first thing we need to concentrate on doing is making sure the world doesn't end. If that happens, then nothing else is all that important. Even if I were to think that we were definitely making the Russians worse off, if it is a necessary component to preserving the world, well, there's always the opportunity to 'fix' Russia later. Hmmmm. So, it sounds like we're definitely going to be journeying to Russia. Not a place I've ever had any desire to visit, but what're you going to do?"

He smiles and shrugs.

"I wonder if we can get anything more substantive out of Mr. Becker. I've never been a master of bargaining, but, if we're going to agree to do some work for him, we might as well try to squeeze some more concessions out of him... unless we're already considering him an ally, in which case, I suppose it can often be advantageous to do something as a favor. Do you think there's anything more we can accomplish on the Becker front, or do you think that ship has sailed?"

CARL

“Becker, hmm? “ Carl nods. “Cecil Becker took me by surprise all right. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t him.”

Sips.

“Ryan Becker, Cecil’s brother, is a real straight arrow, stand-up sort of fellow, or so it always appeared to me. Like I said before, he’s an Army colonel; he commands an Army unit that is specifically charged with fighting occult intrusions onto American soil. The US government has a number of projects going on that front, but Becker’s is the biggest in terms of manpower. He and his men have been effective at pushing back at things too big or messy for little groups like ours to do much good. What he lacks, as far as I can tell, is good reconnaissance; his forces are excellent once they arrive, but it takes time for them to get somewhere, and they don’t get much advance warning. However, that will probably change; the Americans are working hard at their own research and development, and can probably come up with useful tools, including detection instruments faster than any of us – including Pentheus – can.

“Meanwhile, I and mine have dropped them tips when we’ve found evidence of things about to happen; and once or twice we’ve been able to lend a hand as subject matter experts, though that’s a bit edgy. Most of the folks who work with me don’t want to be attached to Government service. Any government.” He smiles.

“So here we see Ryan’s brother, living overseas, gathering intelligence and knowing quite a bit, obviously, about things that Ryan and his Army buddies could benefit from knowing. On the one hand, that makes sense – he’s likely to learn a lot from sources that won’t talk to Government men, and can probably complement the efforts of others – but on the other, it scarcely instills confidence. I wonder whether Cecil actually works for the US, or is entirely independent?”

REDLAND

"I don't mean to sound paranoid, but I just wonder if we should trust him. When we tried to contact him last time, he did not appear in any hurry to speak with us, but instead fobbed us off on his lackey, Mr. Handley. Did this painting change his mind, somehow? How long has he actually had it in his possession? It does strike me that if somebody wanted to eliminate you, Russia would be a pretty good place to do so. We'll be in the middle of nowhere, relying on his contacts. Our position seems, potentially, precarious."

He grins wryly.

"My being suspicious must seem silly to you. After all, I, apparently, trust and associate with the Dark Pharaoh. I can't deny, that a particular character ... er, trait ... of mine, is that if everyone tells me not to do something, I amm, as you know, highly disposed to want to do that thing. The reverse also holds true. Perhaps my antagonism towards Mr. Becker is driven by the fact that everyone at the meeting, other than you, seemed to trust him and was eager to do his bidding.

"However, I don't think that's the case. It's more a case of how suddenly things happened, a question of 'why us?', his general mysteriousness, and the precariousness of the situation that will surround us in Russia.

"As to Colonel Becker, I guess I'm one of those who work with you who dislikes governments in general. By construction, everything they do is at the barrel of a gun. It can't be denied, though, that if you need to accomplish a specific task, having the resources of a friendly government at your disposal can hardly be overvalued. I would definitely feel more comfortable working with an entity such as Pentheus, than I would with an entity like the United States Government."

CARL

“Hmm.” Carl chuckles. “My experience is the reverse. Corporations, especially private ones, seem to be less trustworthy than governments all in all. Not that either one is particularly safe to work with.

“Our position in Russia will indeed be precarious, at least potentially. The borders are closed; even though I do have some friends inside, I have not seen or heard from them lately, and have no idea what they are up to, what they want, or whether my notions of friendship still apply. Also, an object of power like the Weeping Mary is by nature a political hot potato. We may expect all sorts of factions wanting to control it, turn it back, speed it on its way or capture it for themselves. Becker wants us to return the work to the monastery where it was made. The Tsar may have different ideas.

“I’ll need to talk to Becker about this; he is right that taking the ikon will get us into Russia, where we can learn something of the landscape, but it may not be possible to get the ikon to its intended destination. I want to find out just how important that is to him.”

REDLAND

"Also, how important it is to our traveling companions, including these museum folk. I don't know how things have been recently, but we've never been the world's most cohesive group. Not that I'm pointing fingers, as I seem to be one of the primary dissidents. Anyhow, one thing we don't need is an object that will fracture the 'team spirit'. Obviously, you know where I stand in relation to this painting. Namely, I have no inherent interest in it, and I don't really care where it ends up. That, of course, would change if we agreed to deliver it to a particular place. Some of the others appeared to have a more visceral reaction to it, which could, conceivably, create problems down the line."

CARL

“Good point. Several. In fact I expect to test that very issue, before we go into Russia.” Carl raises his eyebrows.

“Assuming that everyone agrees to make the trip, my intent is to go from here, to the Estate (to pick up the other ikon), then to Geneva (to speak with Emma Hamilton), and then to Rome. I’m setting Vienna aside for a short while, both because Auda isn’t here, and because I think Rome will teach us a few things, about one another and about how the ikon makes waves.

“From Rome we board ship – hopefully to Odessa. If we can get official clearance we’ll take the train overland from there. No skulking about this time.” He seems amused.

REDLAND

"Hmmm. A couple of quick questions:

"1) I've probably asked this before, but can I go to the Wisphers Estate?

"2) What are we planning to do in Rome? Aside from departing for Russia, that is?"

CARL

"Yes you can, with limitations. The 'finger' that is on you is not large, so the defenses will not stop you -- particularly if you're with me. However I daresay the House will feel uncomfortable to you as long as you are there.

"As for Rome, well. I want to take our newcomer friends to a couple of places in Rome where the faith is especially strong, and gauge their reactions. I also want to take the ikon around, and gauge the Church's reactions, to it and to us. Think of it as a dry run on Russia, in a place where I can call on a lot more help if anything goes pear-shaped. Make sense to you?"

Beginning (Mid)

REDLAND

"Well good. I'll go from an uncomfortable boat to an uncomfortable house ... I like to stay consistent."

"About Rome. Sure. That makes sense to me. If things go sideways, it's definitely best to be in a controlled environment.

"One thing I'm wondering, though, is why the painting is so important. That is, I understand that a painting that creates a 'weeping' sound is mildly interesting, since usually paintings just sit there. However, it doesn't seem that miraculous. Does it do anything else, or is the crying sound it? Otherwise, it seems far less exciting then, say, telepathy."

CARL

"Ah. Yes. On a conceptual level, I agree; telepathy is more interesting, has more potential, than a picture that cries. But you must remember that this is not merely a picture, but an ikon. An object of religious adoration, a focus for the faith; and in the iconography of that faith, both in the Catholic and in the Orthodox churches, the image of the Virgin Mary who weeps for the sins of the world is one that has been spoken of, written about, painted, dreamed of, and fought for for centuries. A tangible, visible manifestation of that image will draw crowds, inspire fervor and get important people to sit up and notice where a man who says he can read your thoughts, and proves it, merely raises suspicion and unease.

"I don't know that Becker's ikon does anything but weep. However, that is more than enough to make it matter. Do you see?"

REDLAND

"To an extent. It causes me to think of a potential ... scheme ... that we could perpetrate. Could we not get a talented painter, say our friend, Henrik, and have him paint some nice symbolic pictures. Then we could hand them over to someone like you. You could then enchant them. For instance, I'm a bit hazy on my religious knowledge, but some of the monotheists, I believe, place some value on the stigmata. All of the religions, I imagine, have something to do with healing, so we could try something with that....

"Anyhow, if we produced enough of these things, we could export these things to other peoples that have a monotheistic heritage, like the Catholics, Islamics, Protestants, Jews, etc., and reignite the faith of millions, perhaps a billion people. This could make a lot of places 'safe', right?"

CARL

"Hmm." Carl considers this. "It feels like cheating. But at the same time, there's some sense to it.

"Lord knows, there have been enough hypocritical clergy in history. Do the ends justify the means?"

He smiles. "You wouldn't get Henrik to paint them though. He takes his faith seriously."

REDLAND

"We might be able to get him on-board. As you could tell from the meeting with Mr. Becker, he is the closest thing I have to an ally on the matter of Pentheus.

"As to means and ends, it certainly seems to me that the consequentialists have the edge here. At the end of the day, happiness is what is really important. Most people act like this is true, even if they won't admit to it. For instance, with the Protestants, the carrot is heaven. If you are a good fellow, you'll get eternal happiness in heaven. Even a Kantian, when trying to persuade you, will shoehorn in welfare arguments.

"The big problem the consequentialists have in capturing the imagination of the public, is twofold: they are too rational (no mystery) and their symbols aren't epic. The Communists haveEquality, the Kantians have Virtue, the monotheists have God. What do the utilitarians have? Happiness. How prosaic. The Communists have the class struggle, Kantians have the hypothetical imperative (okay, that's maybe more impressive to philosophers than to the public), and monotheists have sacred texts. The utilitarians have the 'Hedonistic Calculus'.

"You could see this with the group during the meeting. The scorn with which 'appeasement' is held. Fighting and dying ... that's noble. Appeasement ... that's the act of coward. That's fine. Everyone else can be noble and fight and hold their head's high. I'll do what it takes to keep the world safe. If that means being a groveling lackey and making deals with Outsiders like the Dark Pharaoh, so be it. They'll curse my name, but, in truth, they'll be happy to be alive. I'm not concerned with my pride or what others think of me. Am I being arrogant in thinking this way? Probably. I will, however, continue to analyze things, rationally, to the best of my ability, and I'll continue to push for ideas that will help as many people possible survive and prosper in the world to come, even if it means humiliation and weakness in the short-term."

CARL

Carl smiles. "It's good to have you aboard, Jack. You know where you stand and are unashamed to say so. That sort of forthright honesty is gold to me; you have seen how rare it is, I think.

"You're right, too, about symbols. In the game of mystic powers, symbols -- as well as how strongly they're held close by the people -- have immense value; in some ways, they define the rules of the encounter and the means of measuring success, because the observer -- or perhaps I should say the participant, there are no passive observers in ponics -- inevitably affects the encounter and is affected by it. Merely perceiving something changes it, and also changes the perceiver; and the vivdness and commonality of the symbols used to interpret that perception help to set the event's power to make change happen." He laughs quietly. "Reminds me of a Swedish fellow I met a year or two ago. He said there was a mathematical basis in straight-up physics for the notion that perception inevitably alters the thing perceived. I wonder what he would have said if I'd told him it was always a two-way street?"

REDLAND

"That's one thing I was wondering about with my idea to, er, falsify religious artifacts. Is there any 'inherent' truth to any of these beliefs (God, Odin, Raven, Ra, Zeus, whatever?) Does it really matter, at all, what people believe, or does it simply matter that they believe it strongly. If I could get the Scandanavians all fired up about belief in Satan, or if I could get the Sioux to become huge believers in numerology, would that suffice to protect the land? Further, would that mean that numbers would gain power in Sioux territories?"

CARL

Carl ponders.

"I don't want to come off here as too much of an expert, however I can share with you my impressions, if you like, and the reasons for them.

"I suspect that the answer lies somewhere in between. Yes *and* no, rather than yes *or* no; and I'm not the fellow to tell you whether God -- or any of the many named Gods -- has a substantive, objective reality that is distinct from anyone's beliefs, including religion, ponics, physics, or what have you. My faith, on that level, is irrelevant.

"The world soul, as I've modeled it, takes characteristics from the substances that compose it. Those substances accept and reinforce patterns, in turn, from the individuals and groups that live within it. Faith, passion, and repetition strengthen the patterns. In effect, the unity "learns" from its members, what is good and bad, right and wrong, acceptable or not. It is a living, communal thing, as you might say, very Utilitarian.

"Does God exist? Do any of the ancient Gods exist? Yes. Are they all created figments, subpatterns of the world soul, or are they more? Empirically, I don't know. I have seen Ra. And Osiris. But was Ra created out of millenia of repetitive worship, or did Ra preexist that worship? Are the patterns imprinted on the Unity by the worshipers, or by the Gods, or both? After a certain point, I am certain it is both -- but where did it begin? I don't know.

"Belief, by itself, doesn't provide protection. Belief in powerful protectors , to the point that those protectors show up, provides protection. Those protectors might take the form of patron gods, as in the Egyptian case, or sheer bloody-minded ethnic, cultural or moral superiority, as in the German rassenverein. Or the communal God-walks-among-us of Shiloh. Or the vigilant ancestor spirits of Voudun or the Hopi kachina. Satan's probably not a great protector though. I don't think so anyway."

REDLAND

"Hmmm. That's interesting. It strikes me as important for a couple of reasons. First, I've never believed in any of this supernatural stuff, and I'd feel better about myself if these things weren't, er, objectively true, but were merely subjectively true. Either way, of course, my prior beliefs were mistaken, but it is less vexing to be mistaken for the right reasons then for the wrong ones. Heck, I'd generally prefer to be mistaken for the right reasons then to be correct for the wrong ones...

"Anyway, my self-esteem aside, there are two (related) reasons this seems important to me:

"1) If there is no need for objective truth to the beliefs, then, in essence, we can get people to believe anything we want, so long as, as you say, it is a belief in a protector of sorts. We can exaggerate, fabricate, lie, if need be, so long as we can convince enough people to believe. Obviously, it is easier to get people to believe something traditional, but really, anything they are predisposed to believe would work.

"2) If it doesn't really matter how old a belief is or how true, any strong, protection belief is as good as another. If the new German nationalism (which seems to be of a specific type, so it wouldn't be as old as nationalism itself) is just as powerful as Ra, then it would seem that length of belief is irrelevant, as is 'truth' of belief. All that matters, then, is strength of belief.

"Satan seems like he'd be an alright protector. I mean, I'd prefer somebody like Tyr, since I doubt I'd want to actually live in a domain where Satan was the guardian spirit, but you'd probably be safe from Outsiders (it'd be the Insiders who'd be a bit dicey).

"It's odd. I guess I'm not of much use to the world soul. Since I don't believe in anything I don't provide it with any power. By the same token, it would seem that I'd also be a particularly poor 'wizard'."

CARL

Carl sighs. "Some aspects of this conversation make me very uneasy -- which I suppose merely means it's harder for me to be objective than it is for you.

"As far as length of belief is concerned, I suspect that though that may seem true, we are probably in a special case right now, inasmuch as the Well of Souls was only recently repaired and the world is still waking up. This might, then, be a good time to establish a toehold on faith history, hmm? The Unity has memory too -- but it's just woken up, and is learning from us right now. Later on, that might not be so true.

"And one thing I don't want to do is teach the Wold Soul to lie -- or that lies are more useful than truth."

Beginning (End)

REDLAND

"Certainly truth is to be generally preferred to a lie. I'd say there are three main reasons for this:

"1) Advancement of knowledge. If an economist is falsifying his data, one of two things happens. Either he gets caught and his reputation is destroyed or he is not caught and the discipline suffers. I am hard-pressed to think of a situation where lying in matters of cumulative knowledge leads to an improvement in the world.

"2) It's a lot simpler. If you ask me how my date with Ms. Caine went, and I don't want to tell you, so I lie and say I lost my memory of the event, then every time I talk to you, I have to remember two versions of history. This can be complicated. If I say that Ms. Caine's hair looks great in a ponytail, you may wonder how I know that, since the only time she wore it that way was on our date. Further, if I go talk to Rebecca and she asks me the same question, I then have to worry if I tell her the truth that it will get back to you. I have to devote much more mental activity to maintain the lie.

"3) It's good for others to consider you honest, and the easiest way to have others think of you as honest is to simply be honest.

"On the other hand, truth is only an instrumental value, not an end to itself. If your wife sees a girl walking by and asks you if this girl is prettier than she is, if that girl is Helen of Troy, you may be in a bind. If you say, 'Yes', you may hurt your wife's feelings, but if you say, 'No', your wife may trust you less. I'd, of course, say 'No', but a Kantian would condemn my weak adherence to the truth.

"More extreme, would be a situation where an assassin comes to my house, where my wife is sleeping, and asks me if she's home. I would obviously lie and say that she was not there. I wouldn't feel the slightest qualms of conscience about such a lie.

"Truth is good, but it is assuredly subservient to other goals, in particular, happiness.

"If the World Soul is like a five-year-old, then it may be best to not offer a nuanced version of honesty. Telling the truth is a good default position, and if a person (or entity) is not sophisticated enough to determine when lying will lead to a net increase in utility, then the simple rule of truth always should be preferred.

"If the World Soul is more cunning, though, or could be taught to be, it seems like it would be best to give it an optimal set of tools. Selective lying can be one of these tools. Similar to the coming of the assassin, if an Outsider asks the World Soul if there exists a weak spot in our defenses somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, I'm inclined to thing the World Soul should lie through its teeth ... er, teethlike objects."

CARL

[ Sorry for the delay --I moved this weekend, and the new place doesn't have internet access yet, so email is hard to come by ....]

"Hmm. It may be convenient to consider the Unity as a five-year-old, but the analogy can't be stretched too far. In some ways, it's better, in others it's worse.

"Let me be vague, for a moment, to outline some basics.

"Think of the Worldsoul as a sea of potentially intelligent, potentially aware 'stuff'. For the most part, it's 'asleep', unaware and possessed of only basic tropisms -- its personal 'laws of nature'. The energies that comprise it, however, can be encouraged to act in concert, either by constraining them, as in devices or spells, which take advantage of those laws, or by imprinting them with signatures and templates of one sort or another. In either case, the more soulstuff that weaves together to act in concert, the more powerful the aggregate becomes -- and also the more acute and far reaching its perceptions, and the more, ah, willful the aggregate becomes. Beyond a certain point of complexity, the aggregate can be said to wake up, to become aware of and interested in itself and it surroundings -- but that awareness and the nature of that interest are colored by the constraints and templates that went into its awakening.

"Now, it is possible to awaken the stuff in larger or smaller chunks, from tiny sprites such as you've seen me create, up to a Unity enclosing the entire planet or more. Any chunk large enough to be borne by and protect a populace is not so much a five-year-old, but a preternaturally intelligent, perceptive and willful newborn who learns from the templates within itself as much as from its surrounds.

"So the question becomes, how does such an individual perceive and learn? It learns from us. Mostly ponically, that is, and the complexity and intensity of ponic information is greater in mankind than in most other living things. We are, for good or ill, the most influential template-makers -- and we, in the main, are deaf and blind to ponics. Our ponic structures are affected by the things we do and know and believe, but it's all unconscious, second-hand. Those structures are affected broadly by physical stress, for good or ill, and more strongly by the basic impulses that affect us most deeply on a primal emotional level. That is why faith, and passion, love and hate and fear and joy are so important when awakening a protector -- why dry logic is not -- and why the rites and myths that evoke deep responses in a population are the ones that will make the most difference to the world soul in that locale.

"Does that make sense to you?

"Most people, as I say, are deaf and blind to the ponic world. Soldiers, or Blessed, such as Rebecca or Boris, have the ability to interact directly with their own personal ponic structures. For that reason, they are more deeply influential on the Unity and its parts than ordinary men. The Fae, the Islanders, and the other Children of the Principles are also immensely influential - because they, in their ways, are each more closely tied into the energies of the world souls. That is a part of their value in the Fight.

"Do you see?"

REDLAND

"Hmmm. You know, I actually talked about this a little bit with Rebecca a long while back. Albeit not in regards to the Worldsoul, so I didn't put the pieces together. I'd meant to follow up with you on the 'intelligence' of ponics, but either I did and have forgotten about it, or it's just something that got lost among all of my other thoughts.

"It is odd to me that it doesn't learn through reason and thought, but instead learns through emotion and feeling. It obviously causes me a bit of trepidation. Decisions based on emotion will tend to be haphazard and only accidentally optimal. 'Dry logic' is consistent ... predictable. When you're counting on someone (or something), these are attributes that are desirable.

"It also highlights what a marginal figure I am (and will be) in the world. 'Faith,' 'the primal emotional level,' these things are the antithesis of what I represent. Does this put me at odds with the Worldsoul? Will my presence undermine your efforts to raise protectors? Will the world to come have a place for me?"

Redland shakes his head.

"This is something I've considered before. It has always been obvious that I'm an outsider ... er, that's with a lowercase 'o'. I'm a 'hanger-on' ... and maybe that's the way it will always be."

CARL

"Well, I wouldn't set yourself aside all that quickly. It's not that the Unity doesn't think, or can't, or doesn't *learn* through thought - it's that the primordial means by which the mundane and the ponic worlds *communicate* is through the visceral. Which makes sense if you think about the way the whole thing arises. Thought -- or at least logic -- is only one possible mode of existence, and not the first arising on this Earth. In fact there is substantial evidence to support the conclusion that mankind is the most complex natural species on the planet, the one filled with most potential and the most capable of affecting both the Unity and causality, precisely *because* we have grown up head-blind, unaware of those rich and influential flows that bind everything. It is the very struggle, the stubborn and willful thrashing against the patterns of influence that I call the Blind Dance and others call Free Will, that makes us so valuable, to the world and to the Outsiders -- and also makes mankind the caretakers of this body in which we live, whether we will it or no.

"Consider: There are modes of information in the 'magic realm' -- the Master of the Tower has access to them, and so does the Tibetan Sanctuary -- in which the most likely consequences of any action were simply obvious to all, without thought or consideration. In such an environment, where everyone and everything simply *knew* how things would most likely go before it happened, would there ever be any reason for logic to be discovered? Or for cognitive thought, true intellect, to arise at all? The only limits on a sort of autonomic machinelike predestination would be set by how far ahead one perceived -- or on how far away one was capabe of noticing things. In short, upon one's -- upon anyone's -- ability to be surprised by something.

"I'm getting a bit distracted. Dry logic is *very* desirable, oh yes. But arises from isolation, from many-ness, not from one-ness. If we hadn't been isolated, we wouldn't have anything to contribute to the partnership when we come together. The visceral forms of communication can serve to awaken the Unity, or pieces of it -- but once awake, aware, capable of thought and self-consciousness, it must learn about thought and logic and ethics and all of that too -- and fast! So the traditional methods only get us so far. The folkloric patterns help us, in that they serve to imprint humanlike templates, that impart person-like habits, and thus we are dealing with something that thinks and acts at least recognizably. There is, however, further to go."

REDLAND

"That makes some sense. However, it sort of feels to me like we're constructing flawed vessels and then attempting to patch them up ex-post. These 'protectors' are not created tabula rasa. If we're jamming these things full of faith and tradition, we're not going to be creating 'beings' that will be inclined to logic. Zeus didn't spend a lot of time in contemplation, and he's the construct of the most enlightened of ancient people. I'm just worried, because the ancients were stupid and barbaric, and the passions that drive people are, generally, stupid and barbaric. I don't doubt that protectors formed in such a fashion can be effective in dealing with external foes, I just wonder whether we can put the pieces together, after the Outsiders have left, in an appealing fashion."

Jack scratches at his chin for a moment before continuing.

"It's always easy to criticize (which what I like about it), but I'm not sure I have anything positive to add. Perhaps it is as you say, better to start with a human-like entity (even if I find it flawed) than it would be to start from scratch, the latter taking too long to generate anything useful."

CARL

Carl too is silent for a moment, thinking.

"I don't like it much -- but I understand your objection. Not sure what to do about it though. The communication barrier is ...

"The soldiers are able to overcome it, I suppose. But there aren't very many of them."

REDLAND

After Carl speaks, Redland allows the conversation to lag for a bit while Carl grabs some more tea.

"You mentioned that your intention is to travel to the Wisphers Estate, then go to Geneva, then Rome, and finally, from Rome to Odessa. I suppose there may also be one or two more days spent here in England. How many days would you estimate it will be before you undertake the trip from Rome to Odessa?

"I ask, because I wonder if it would make sense (and be feasible) for me to make a quick trip back to New York while the rest of you are doing these things. I don't have any business in Geneva or Rome, and the only thing I'd want to do at Wisphers is check in to see how Laura is doing, which probably isn't wholly necessary.

"I'd like to recover my journals, if possible, and it would probably behoove me to speak with Ms. Caine to see if she might happen to have any knowledge of why my memory is so sketchy. If the Fae had picked up any information on Donal's whereabouts, I could take a gander at that. Heck, since it appears that the Brotherhood is a significant player in Russia, I could also check in with Pentheus and see if they have any current, relevant information for us regarding this commmon antagonist.

"It would certainly require me to hop through some teleporters, which is always a bit dicey, but, from what we've talked about, I'm not sure how much value I'll be to you in Rome."

CARL

"Hmm," Carl ponders. "You mean overall, between now and setting sail from Rome? I'd rather hoped you'd come with me on all these stops -- thought I'd show this stuff off to you, at least in passing. The value would be to me in receiving your reactions and impressions of the conditions there. An outsider's viewpoint, so to speak." He smiles.

"But all in all, at a guess, perhaps two weeks from today we'd set sail for Odessa. Could do it in as little as ten days I suppose. Three in England, one in travel to France, one to two in France, one to two in Geneva (though I'd like longer, one to travel to Rome from Geneva, and at least one in Rome.

"So yes, you *could* go. I do wonder if it's a good idea to ask Miss Kane about things at the moment...

"And it does not sound to me as though the Brotherhood is active in Russia -- they are certainly busy in Hungary an Romania however. Hauptmann's old stomping grounds."

REDLAND

"Okay. Yeah. It'd probably be a better idea if I just stayed with you. It's my understanding that I have not fared too well heading off on my own. I'll need to think about it, though, since I would very much like to know what happened to me. The more I dwell on it, the more disturbed I become."

He reflects for a moment.

"As to this Brotherhood business, I apologize. My mind has been a little less agile than usual the last few days. Why was Mr. Becker discussing the Brotherhood again, if not in regards to Russia? Was it part of the quid pro quo?"

CARL

"Two separate topics. I asked him if he knew who, if anyone, was active in Romania.... he answered." Grim smile.

REDLAND

"Hmm. Alright. Why would you ask about Romania? Is that a usual hotbed of activity or have you been hearing rumors?"

CARL

“There is a large, important cluster of leys that cover Hungary, Romania, Serbia and some of the other states in the region. Those leys converge at a single point that someone organized could use to influence the region's ambient. Places like that sometimes develop, ah, personalities of their own. I asked Cecil Becker if he knew of anything acive in the region and he said the Brotherhood was building there. That's it. It means, however, that the enemy has something to defend, and potentially the means to defend it. That's not good."

January 6 update

CARL

“Not good.”

Struck by a thought, Carl pulls out a tattered notebook, flips through the pages for a moment, frowning at some haphazard scrawls.

“I think I need some more detail from Becker. I’ve been thinking about a particular ley conjunction, the

hotspot I mentioned before, that’s in Hungary barely north of the Yugoslavian border, southwest of Lake Balaton.”

He looks up, seeming more concerned now.

“But there’s another spot which may be the one the Brotherhood is working on. It’s about three hundred miles

East and further south, straddling the Danube River on the border between Yugoslavia and Rumania. This

one’s no hotspot – it’s a ley pattern about fifty miles across, of a type we already know can easily be turned

into an open doorway for Outsiders. If the Brotherhood seeks to create a causeway for the Beast to enter

our world, they couldn’t ask for a better place to do it!”

Carl looks from Jack to his notes, his worried look deepening.

“This is bad, Jack. Could be very bad.”

REDLAND

"So, how do you deal with something like that? I sort of understand why leylines are important, though I'm not sure if I'm clear on the difference between a 'hotspot' and a 'pattern'. Is a hotspot a point that lies on a leyline (or some convergence of leylines), whereas a pattern is something like a point that is (potentially) miles a way from a leyline, but is surrounded by them in some configuration?

"Anyhow, that aside, what could be done to disrupt their plans? Can something be done that doesn't require some sort of confrontation with members of the organization? If they did succeed in creating an entry point for the 'Beast', is that necessarily bad? That is to say, could it, somehow, be turned to our advantage?"

CARL

“Well…” Carl takes a deep breath, “That depends on what the Brotherhood does, on how they intend to do it, and on how careful they are about it. I don’t know, for instance, if they’re actively trying to use the pattern; I only know that, given what I’ve learned about these things, if it were me and I wanted to make such an opening, that would be a good place to have it done.

“But yes, there are things that can be done. The more we know, the more efficient we can be. For example:

“If the Brotherhood were trying to open the way for the Beast using the pattern, and we were able to learn both what they wish to do, and when they wish to do it, then it would be possible for us to hijack the leys, as it were, at the right time to disrupt or change the effect of their ritual. This works best if it comes as a surprise,” he smiles, “as you can imagine. Redirecting the leys, or using our own patterns to ‘hijack’ their effect, would likely change the outcome of the Brotherhood’s rite – but that might not be enough. For example, if they intend a ceremony that involves sacrificing a lot of people, as was done last time I saw this pattern used, such a hijack might change the outcome but the Brotherhood would have still killed a lot of innocents. Which is not an acceptable outcome for me.

“If we found we couldn’t stop them in time, we might be able to botch things so that the Beast, when it arrives, turns on the Brotherhood instead of being useful to them. That’s not a great outcome for me, but it might remove trouble further in the future.

“The other alternatives that occur to me right now are either very risky, untried, silly or just plain mad.” He smiles again. “We might dash in and somehow use the lines ourselves, to open the way for something of our own choosing. What that might be I don’t know, and I don’t know the cost yet; it depends on what they’ve done. Or we could disrupt the lines entirely, so that the pattern goes away, temporarily or permanently. Things like that have a big effect on the world – I can’t predict the outcome, but we might be buying more trouble, I don’t know. We might bust in and fight the Brotherhood, which makes us avid to their Goliath if they’re at all prepared. We might try to buy them off, I don’t know how or with what. We might try fighting their leadership in an attempt to take control of their organization,” he shrugs”, or any other solution you can think of from popular literature.

“We might even sic the local army on them, or even grab the hotspot, raise up some sort of titan and march it down there ourselves. If we had a few more months, we could establish the Fae as allies, or any of the other Children, and use them as a lever; but all these things depend on our knowing what’s happening and when the others intend to move. Which we do not.

“Hmm. The only other potentially useful tool that occurs to me right now is that we have you.” Carl raises his eyebrows placidly. “I imagine the officers of the Brotherhood would enjoy having a visit from a bona-fide chosen agent of the Dark Pharaoh.” He spreads his hands wide.

REDLAND

"Ah. Okay. So what they are attempting to do is similar to what the Pentheus people are going to do with their field test. That is, it's more like a, uh ..."

He pauses for a second.

"Sorry, I thought I had a good analogy available and then it just slipped away. Er, so, they're not setting up a permanent gateway to the Outside, but are instead 'summoning' up a particular entity? That means, in this instance, to foil their plans, we would just need to interfere with this particular operation.

"I can't imagine anyone would be particularly interested in this solution, but if one of the main issues is that they are sacrificing a lot of people, one way around this would be to give them Pentheus's technology that allows summoning with minimal (or perhaps no?) sacrifice.

"As to the efficacy of undertaking a competing effort with the leys, I guess that's outside my area of knowledge. It sounds like a reasonable way to go, though other than disrupting the leylines, it sounds like these types of strategies may only achieve a temporary reprieve. That is, if the pattern still exists, even if we stop them this time, they can just come back later when our attention is occupied elsewhere.

"Would they want to talk with someone associated with the Dark Pharaoh, though? Isn't he a competing aspect with the 'Beast'? It is my understanding that they have very different goals.

"Regardless, however, I'd be happy to meet with them. If there is any good way to resolve the problem without conflict, I think we should, at least, consider it."

CARL

“Well, as I said, thus far we don’t know anything about what they’re doing – other than their historical goals, which center generally somewhere between cultish worship of the Beast aspect and personal desire for power and control – and the fact that Mister Becker says they’re active and building power in the region. Their historical methods didn’t draw overmuch on the leys, so perhaps they’re not looking at these places at all.

“Perhaps,” he repeats pointedly.

“As for your thought, to give them the Pentheus machinery,” Carl laughs softly, “isn’t that rather like giving a bomb to a Bakuninist so he won’t throw rocks through your store window? Not that it’s a bad idea, really; if the focus of the Brotherhood were simply to grab power, I could see helping them in order to defend the region, but I have no confidence that such a move would help us, or the world, by opening the door more easily.”

Carl thinks for a moment.

“I don’t have a lot of insight about the Cult of the Beast, or the Cult of the Black Pharaoh. My understanding, though, is that the various Aspects of, er, that Outsider aren’t in competition any more than your eyes are in competition with your right thumb; they’re just different, and they interact with us differently. According to the few notes I do have, the two cults recognize this and cooperate. You could probably ask your patron for more information, though I wouldn’t want to pay much of a price for it.”

REDLAND

"You obviously aren't aware of the extreme animosity between my left eye and my right thumb ...

"I'd say it's more like leaving your front door unlocked when you know burglars are about ... you're still going to get ripped off, but at least they won't break down your door on the way in. Generally a bad idea, of course, since the value of the stuff in your house is usually worth a lot more than the value of the door, but on the other hand, if the Brotherhood is determined to summon something, finding a bunch of people to sacrifice may be a low cost to them relative to their expected payoff, in which case, why lose the door along with the rest of your stuff? I hadn't taken into account that, as you say, theoretically, the Brotherhood could be a line of defense. All in all, probably a bad idea, but who knows?

"It does sound like, if at all feasible, we should attempt to talk to them. We just don't know very much about what exactly they're trying to accomplish. For as long as their true motives remain hidden, it is difficult to formulate an optimal strategy in how to deal with them. If you think that the Dark Pharaoh adherents and those of the Beast are allied (or at least friendly), it'd probably make sense for me to make an attempt to meet with them. I'm a fairly nonthreatening sort of fellow, and with my somewhat uncoventional ethical beliefs, I'd probably have an easier time dealing with them than most people you have at your disposal. I am, unfortunately, a bit squeamish, which could pose a problem. I imagine the Brotherhood are comprised of some fairly ruthless, intransigent individuals.

"If you think it's alright, I'll go ahead and try to ask the Dark Pharaoh about the issue. Heck, he's a friendly fellow, I'd imagine he'd toss me the information for free, especially since it seems like it could benefit him."

January 12 update

CARL

This appears to trouble Carl, but he nods, once.

“As you say. Asking cannot hurt. Especially since I always assume that anything the Dark Pharaoh has to say has hidden aspects which might turn on us later.” He snorts. “Just like the Elders.”

REDLAND

"Alright. Sounds good. I'll let you know if I hear anything. As far as I can recall, the communication really only works one way, but I'll poke around and see if I can get the Pharaoh a message. I wouldn't be surprised if he has eyes and ears everywhere (maybe even literally!)

"Say, do we have any good mechanism for setting up a meeting with the Brotherhood? I assume your relationship, such as it, has always been characterized by animosity. If you don't have any good way of setting up a meeting, we can always check with Mr. Becker. I can also, once again, poke around on my own and maybe even ask the Dark Pharaoh about this as well."

CARL

“That depends. I have met, previously, a few of their members, some of which would remember me and might be willing to talk. I don’t know where they are at the moment, though Becker might know; if not, a little investigative research might turn them up.

“Once we find either the right people or a base camp, it’s probably as simple as walking up, staring down their guns, establishing bona fides and saying hello.” Carl shrugs.

REDLAND

"I imagine we can ask Mr. Becker about these things before we head out, and I can attempt to contact the Dark Pharaoh at any time. If need be, I can probably send out some feelers while we're in the France/Italy zones. I assume any meeting would have to wait until after we're finished with the Russia trip."

Jack looks back at his notebook for a moment.

"To backtrack for just a moment, when you said that you wondered if it would be a good idea to ask Ms. Caine about things, I think I did a poor job of reading your body language on that one. Were you thinking that it would be a good idea?"

CARL

Carl sighs. "Fair enough." He looks regretful.

"Here are my thoughts on Meridon Kane. I have met Miss Kane a handful of times. She is bright, careful, very professional, and extremely good at what she does, which is keeping secrets and watching out for the interests of the Fae. She always struck me as a woman with a deep inner core of unhappiness, which I presumed sprung from her condition -- but she is a survivor, and had carved a niche for herself in a dangerous society.

"A couple of years ago, that society had three factions, the Nightfolk, the Enclave, and the Elders. Miss Kane dealt only with the Nightfolk -- the other two kept entirely to themselves and had no need of, nor interest in, her services.

"Today things are different. The Nightfolk have become the Fae, and are galvanized into groups supporting Medea and those who wish to be free of her influence. The Enclave and the Elders have joined forces and are maneuvering around and into Fae society, a potentially powerful faction with unknown and probably varied motives. Roderic Usher is an influential Enclave member who, allied with one of the Elders, now seeks open alliance with Medea; this will upset a lot of apple carts, and Medea herself is listening.

"You came to New York to meet with Kane. I came to meet with Usher, and to set some plans in motion with Fae from both pro- and anti-Medea camps. These we did. At the same time, you seemed extremely taken with Meridon Kane, though I didn't meet her myself this trip; you bought her gifts, arranged a night out at the opera, and showed every sign of wanting to continue a close personal connection with her. It seemed to me a sudden and unexpected infatuation. I wondered about undue influence, but saw no signs of any; yet a couple of days later, at sea far from New York, you fall prey to an unexplainable illness that has left you without any memory of our time in New York or of your meetings there -- and in fact, you seem taken with a young Fae from California, which I hadn't heard about before. I heard nothing of your business with Miss Kane, if there was any, only of your personal dealings. Thus, if there were business arrangements made, contracts signed, or anything of the sort between you and her, none of us now know what they were any more -- and I have to wonder if that is deliberate.

"What do I think of your asking Miss Kane about things? I am torn. It could either be a very good idea or a very ... risky one, depending upon a couple of things. She could be very helpful in recovering what you have lost, or she could be part and party to that loss. You and she may be innocents in an accident, victims of someone else's foul play, or on opposing sides in some scheme; and right now we have no way to know which.

"Now, I can also say that Miss Kane has always seemed forthright to me. She doesn't strike me as the underhanded type and would probably find my intimations insulting; in the past, if she didn't want to say something, she'd simply tell you so, and wasn't party to lies. So I consider the alternative: that your feelings for her were honest and she returned them, and what then? If you went to her not remembering her at all, with whatever you shared between you unrecalled, I imagine she'd find that upsetting. Wouldn't you? In which case you and she would probably be allies in the quest to figure out what had happened to you, and why, and at whose hand. Which might turn your brief return to New York into a long diversion from our mission here and further east. I, selfish fellow that I am, for all the goodwill I hold for you, would prefer to see the bigger schemes set in motion before we turn to more personal concerns.

"So do you see why my response is complex?"

REDLAND

"Hmmmm. Well, I certainly seem to be skilled at botching things up.

"Let's see, there are a number of different elements to what you've said here, and I'm a bit confused on a few things, so let me see if I can get some clarification.

"First off, you mention that Ms. Caine has some sort of 'condition' which may have contributed to a profound unhappiness. Do you know if I knew what it is? Is it any of my business what it is? If so, what is it?

"Also, you mention that she has carved a niche for herself in 'a dangerous society'. Is that the Fae society or something darker?"

He looks like he has more questions, but he forces himself to pause and wait for a response.

CARL

Carl nods once. "You ought to know. I assume you did know, before. Let me summarize briefly, then ask what you need to in order to fill in the blanks, hmm?

"There is an alien organism - we call it the necrogene. It is small, like a bacterium, and behaves very much like a disease, but with properties unlike any Earthly disease. When the necrogene is introduced into an animal or human being, it preys upon the blood and surrounding tissues. The necrogene is treated like any other invader organism by the body, and is usually killed by the body's defenses. However, the organism is necrogenetic, thus the name: those cells that die naturally, rather than being killed, burst open to give forth the next generation of young. The young are mimics; they take the form and function of the cells the parent had been eating.

"As a result, infection by the contagion normally passes in a few days, like any disease; but an infection that is too massive, or one that is repeated too often over an extended period of time, becomes incurable. The disease spreads throughout the body like a cancer, only this cancer gradually replaces the tissues and organs of the body with substitutes made up of the necrogene. When such a person dies, the replacement completes; the result is Fae.

"Miss Caine is incurably infected, and has been for a very long time. Her life is a balancing act between the needs of a normal life and the perceptions and urgings of the Fae condition. That she remains in that condition tells me that she does not want to be Fae. Neither does she want to die.

"Now, I spoke of a dangerous society. I was refering to the society of the Nightfolk -- the vampires, if you will. Before Medea, those who died of the condition became Nightfolk. Distorted copies of the original human hosts, with the hosts' memories but with a fundamentally alien structure beneath -- alien desires, alien emotions and deep hungers and drives, masked by a powerful mimicry both of the mind and body. Over time, the alien "self" grew stronger, until in some cases it was able to discard the human mask entirely -- first in the psyche, then in the body itself. The result were the Elders. A mature form of the alien colony organism, if you will.

"Nightfolk society was harsh and dangerous, controlled by strict codes and swift retribution to those who broke them. Incurables, like Miss Caine, were accepted as second citizens in that society, but usually only that. That she was able to acquire and wield enough debts and obligations to keep herself safe, and to become trusted by so many, says much about her character and strength of will.

"Another thing you must understand is that the Nightfolk, like the Elders, were alien. They were cut off from the Worldsoul and from the community of living things in the world -- a separation that had and has profound consequences, which is probably fodder for another conversation later.

"Medea came along at a time of great change. On the one hand, the rising power of the Ambient was making the world more and more hostile, more poisonsous, to the Nightfolk. The Elders were strong enough to survive it, but the Nightfolk were not; without some fundamental change, they would die. Medea brought that opportunity. She offered a communion to those who would accept it that changed them, bringing them into the Unity and reconnecting them with the world. Those changed Nighfolk -- the reconnected ones -- are what we now call the Fae. They are very different, psychologically and spiritually, from the vampires of old. Fae society is, really a much nicer place than what came before.

"All the Fae that exist today have taken Medea's touch, or were born into the life from another who was already changed. The Enclave folk, like Usher, are not Fae. They exist through the protection of allied Elders.

"Does that help?"

REDLAND

"Hmm. Interesting. Let me see if I have this correct. All of Miss Caine's cells, tissues, and organs have been replaced by the necrogene? Or is it only most, and it's only when she 'dies' that the replacement is complete?

"Is she, then, in a constant state of change? That is, are the 'urgings of the Fae condition' increasing in intensity, or would she have reached some sort of plateau at this point?

"Also, you mention that you can infer that she does not want to be a Fae. This would imply to me that she did not choose her condition and is, thus, likely not one of the 'Medea Fae'. Thus, if she were to 'die', she'd become one of the 'Enclave' types. Furthermore, since the Ambient is hostile to 'Enclave' types, she would soon 'truly' die from exposure. Is that a correct set of inferences?

"On the other hand, since the necrogene replaces itself upon death, Ms. Caine (as well as all of the Fae) are effectively immortal (unless killed). That is to say, they cannot die a natural death from age? Is that true?

"How does this 'Union' work? Or, perhaps more to the point, why would the necrogene not continue to dominate and transform the person from fully human to fully 'Nightfolk' after some time? I assume that whatever Medea did, did not fundamentally effect the pathogen."

CARL

“Good questions!” Carl is pleased. “Of course I simplified things a bit, but you seem to have it pretty well down.

“I left out something of the mechanism, both for brevity and because it involves more of the, ah, mystical bits.

“The necrogene feeds, not on the chemicals and tissues that make up the body, but upon the life force in them.

In a normally healthy (if I may use the term) incurable, one typically sees a plateau; she may stay substantially as

she is for a very long time, aging little if at all, and generally not too susceptible to most ordinary diseases, pos-

sessed of hypersensitive perceptions and other qualities suggestive of the Fae. That plateau, however, is

unstable. A strong shock to the body, such as a fall or auto crash, anything that causes a large amount of damage

to flesh, could literally kill her and cause the cycle to complete, even if it might not kill an ordinary woman. So she

is at once stronger and more resilient than normal, and also more fragile, beyond a critical point which I cannot

identify.

“Nightfolk society depended on this. In order to be successful, the physical and psychological mimicry had to

build up gradually over time. Simply infusing a victim with massive amounts of the necrogene and then killing

him or her, by drinking blood or otherwise, causes a huge die-off, then a swift overwhelming rush of less-

differentiated necrogenetic growth that, at worst, creates a puddle of hungry helpless toxic slime – and at best

transforms the victim into a half-finished ravenous bestial thing with little but strength and appetite. Very nasty.

Siring a descendant amongst the Nightfolk required a lot of time, care, and companionship, maintaining their

companion to the plateau and beyond. Couple that with the fact that the vampire receives a great deal of

benefit from the companion beyond mere sustenance (in effect, the communion with the living grants the

only real connection with the Worldsoul a vampire has, even though it is temporary) and you see that

companionship of this type was very important to the Nightfolk, whether it was voluntary or not.

“As you say, I believe Miss Caine is, was, the victim of assault, and not a willing companion. I haven’t asked, so I

am not certain. She has been around since long before Medea, so your other assumptions are correct – unless,

of course, she has received communion from one of the Fae since that time. I cannot say if she has, or would,

allow such a thing.

“As for why the necrogene doesn’t simply finish the job on its own … well, before Medea, the condition reached

plateau because the necrogene gets more, or better, sustenance from living tissue than from other necrogenes.

As there was less original life in the body, the mimics had less to feed upon. This doesn’t kill them, but it slowed

them down. I don’t know if the plateau is ever absolute, but at some point it seems so, barring accident; and if

some critical system did fail, then you had the classic scenario of a ‘temporary’ death and return as one of the Folk.”

He thinks a moment.

“Prospects of physical death rarely seemed to bother the Folk. They did, however, face another terror. Sooner or

later, the Folk lost their humanity to the urgings of the alien self underneath. This might take anywhere from

decades to centuries, but it did happen to almost all. The older Folk would … fade … go mad I suppose by our lights,

in any of several directions, but the process terrified the younger Folk. Only the strongest of the Folk ever became

Elders. Most killed themselves, or were killed by younger Folk who saw in them what they feared most: a loss of

Self.

“Whether that is true of the Fae, I don’t know. Fae are a new thing, at least in this cycle; they’ve only been

around for about two years, so we have no experience upon which to draw.”

REDLAND

"Two thoughts come to mind, in regards to my memory:

"1) Given that I, apparently, had some sort of connection with Ms. Caine, and given her dangerous and, presumably, uncomfortable condition, I wouldn't be shocked if I tried to 'do something' about it. I'm perfectly willing to bargain with anyone, and if someone (e.g., the Dark Pharaoh) indicated they could help her, my memory problems may be a side-effect (or component of) a deal.

"2) You mention that Ms. Caine was around long before Medea. Does that mean she is considerably older than I am? If so, that seems a bit odd that she would have some sort of romantic interest in me. I would think that I would seem banal and laughable. Perhaps she did have some scheme that involved manipulating me. I have never been a particularly good judge of character."

Jack frowns.

"Anyhow, you mention that the necrogene must take hold gradually over a long period of time, since a quick influx of necrogene would leave the victim a vegetable. Is this only the case if the person 'dies' soon afterward (or even a long time later, but they'd be fine in the meantime)? Or would the inference be that Ms. Caine was somehow repeatedly attacked over a long period of time?"

He frowns again.

"That sounds pretty gruesome...

"Now, you say that the Fae do not seem bothered by the thought of physical death. Is it nearly impossible to kill them or is it more of a type of a philisophic bent? I also wonder if this 'loss of humanity' only occurs to Nightfolk proper or if anyone afflicted with the necrogene is at risk. Hmmm. Have there been any long-term cases of someone being afflicted but not 'dying' that could be used as a reference?"

He pauses.

"Hmmm. I wonder if I'm losing the thread here... perhaps I'll try to circle back in a minute."

CARL

"I'm not sure whether there's a need to circle back, as you say; we have no real agenda. However, I think this is useful to both of us, so circle as you wish.

"I did wonder if you'd negotiated somehow, with someone or something -- but I see no easy way for me to find out. I also wondered if the loss was somehow related to this episode you mentioned where you were assaulted in New York. But since neither you nor I know much about that, there didn't seem much to say about it.

"I'm not the medical expert on these things, though I have read quite a bit of the research documentation. Which is rather gruesome, by the way. I gather that the phage takes a long time to properly settle in, to match itself both physically and ponically to the host's structures, but that the crisis point comes at the time of the host's death. I expect that a huge influx of the phage into an otherwise healthy host might cause damage or even death however. So it's likely that repeated exposures are the most sure way, even if they aren't the only way.

"Miss Caine is older than Medea, yes, but you must recall that Medea herself has only been Fae for a couple of years. Hannelore, as she used to be known, is about my age, maybe younger.

"I used to know a fellow who had been afflicted, badly enough to be incurable, in the 1870s. He lived that way for over forty years, without visibly aging much physically, but mentally, that's another matter. I never asked him if his condition was the result of a single attack or of any -- and I guess I'll never know. He's gone now."

REDLAND

"Now, if this condition has a significant ponic component, would that be something you could affect, as the King of Life? For example, if Ms. Caine were to wish to no longer be infected with the necrogene (which she may or may not want... even pain, if not unbearable, can become an integralpart of who you are), could you remove the virus, or if that would lead to death (given the extent of its infiltration) alter it in some fashion so that she was no longer 'incurable'? Would this be something, er, what's his name, Dr. Parkhurst would know something about or is he more oriented on the biological component?

"You mention that the Enclave (and Elders) are 'alien' and have no connection to the 'Worldsoul'. Are those two things synonymous? Does this mean we would term them Outsiders? Do they have any special connection to the Outside? Can they communicate with the Outside in ways that humans cannot? If we could somehow alter these necrogenes, could that help us in some fashion? When you say that the necrogene effects them mentally, is it sort of like a psychological disorder, a 'brainwashing', or something else entirely?"

Jack stops speaking abruptly.

"Sorry, that's quite a few questions..."

CARL

Carl chuckles, pleased. “I’m glad to have caught your interest! It’s so good to have a new set of eyes on the problem, and you are quick, Jack. Let me see if I can even answer all of these; we’re getting into ground that hasn’t been gone over before.” He smiles, leaning forward slightly and checking things off on his fingers.

“One. Yes and no. As King, I do have some power over just about all Earthly living things – but not because of ponics. My particular demesne is in Vitalics – the Life Force. I talk more about ponics because they’re more readily accessible, and because I’ve done more scientific research on ponics than on vitalics, back before I took up the Kingship. But the King of Life holds vitalics. Ponics belong to the King of Fate.

“That said, had I the time to work on it, I believe I could probably offer Miss Caine a course of treatment that would cure her if she desired it. So could any of the Kings – or more certainly all three acting together. As things are today, it would take me some weeks or months to train up the necessary technique, and there is a small but real chance that I would find myself incapable of helping her in the end. But it *could* be done. Doctor Parkhurst’s aid would probably speed the process.

“Two. It’s not quite fair to say the Nightfolk and the Elders have *no* connection to the Worldsoul, but they are hybrid creatures. We speak of ‘aliens’ and ‘Outsiders’ as if they were the same, but they’re not, always. There are, in the world, things that are not born of our soil, whose structures of energy are distinct from the World’s ambient, who are thus separate from the Worldsoul. Some of these, like the Pharaoh, are truly from beyond our space and time, Outsiders in every sense. Others have come to the earth from other worlds, from space, but they are still from “this” reality – they are more akin to us than the Pharaoh and Its brethren, even though they are not Earthly and do not belong.

“Does this difference matter in the larger scheme? Perhaps. Perhaps not. But it is an important one for your question.

“From time to time, things fall from the sky onto our world. Some of them are alive, in a sense. One such sort of life which appears to us as a kind of motile vapor, has infected the world many times in history, and in many places. I won’t go into the whole long tale now – ask later if you like – but the result was that the vapor changes the living things it touches, so that those things breed in new shapes, new colors, new ways.

“We have samples of many things that have been changed by the vapors. Most do not flourish; they are no longer suited for our world; but some of the more primitive forms, bacteria, molds, microorganisms, do survive and even thrive, with strangely different strengths and needs. There is strong evidence that the necrogenetic animalcules that cause the vampiric condition are descended from such an event, or perhaps several such.

“The Nightfolk, then, are alien hybrids, born both of the alien and the earthly. They are not true Outsiders, and they are – or were – incomplete, dependent on their feeding to provide them things that were necessary for them to live in this world. Even the Elders, in which the alien has largely driven out the earthly forms, have something of that lack – though they are able to repair and improve themselves to get by.

“Yet there is more. The Nightfolk, and the Elders, are by dint of their alien natures, a part of something Other, as much as – or perhaps more than – they are a part of our world. That Otherness seems, to us, to be a true Outsider, though it may be merely another Worldsoul from a far-off world. We call that Other the ‘Grandfather’. I don’t know if the Elders have a name for it.

“The Fae are Nightfolk in which the connection to the Grandfather has been replaced by a connection to our Worldsoul. It affects them greatly and fundamentally –not physically but emotionally and spiritually.” Carl pauses. “I wonder if it is possible for an Elder to undergo such a change? Or what the result would be?” He blinks, thoughtful, for a moment. “My my.

“Anyhow, the Elders, one supposes, might be able to communicate with the Grandfather, even if they cannot contact Outsiders as a whole.

“Four. When I say that the infection changes people mentally, I mean two things. One is that the victim gains new sensitivities and acuities that are powerful, unexpected, and in some cases harsh or bewildering, and cannot be turned off or pushed away. The other is that the phage itself, as its presence grows in the body, acquires its own intellect, its own will, and its own strange appetites and desires that are felt by the host, and may be profoundly in conflict with what the host wants or needs. Some people give in to them, others fight them, but all are affected.

“Do you see?”

REDLAND

"Ah. Right. I should have recalled that the King of Life was Vitalics. It just seems odd, since Ponics seems the most dynamic of the 'Forces', which inclines me to think of it as the antithesis of Fate and more in the 'chaotic' realm of Life. It is good to know that a 'cure' is likely possible. Clearly it is of narrow interest, since I don't think most of those who carry the pathogen would be thankful to be 'cured'. Whether it could be turned to other uses, is, perhaps, another story. The longevity (and health) provided by the necrogene could be of obvious benefit if decoupled from the mental intrusion. Anyhow, when I talk to Ms. Caine again (which I clearly need to do at some point), I may broach the subject, with your permission, after feeling her out a bit to determine if it is of relevant interest.

"When you speak of the hybrid nature of the Nightfolk, do I understand you to mean that they were originally human and were infected by (something akin to) this alien vapor (as opposed to 'whole' beings who came to our world from outside)?

"Theoretically, if we wanted to communicate with the Outsiders, we might be able to go through some chain of, say, I talk to a Nightfolk/Elder who speaks to the Grandfather (in some fashion) who then passes on the information to the Outsider we wish to contact? I guess that probably wouldn't work too well, but who knows?

"In regards to the mental change, the first seems primarily physical and, in some sense, terrestrial. The latter issue is more interesting. Presumably, this 'intelligence' is Outside in some way. Er, though it is likely of the variety that is of our universe as opposed to the Dark Pharaoh-type, right?" He continues almost to himself, "Hmmm. Hmmm. Perhaps there is no particular advanatage to be had there..."

He continues.

"Anyhow, now that the Elders are part-and-parcel with the Nightfolk, is it even possible for the existing Nightfolk to go the Medea-route?"

CARL

“A good question. I don’t know the answer. But it is an issue that may come up soon, inasmuch as Roderic Usher intends to court Medea.” Carl raises his eyebrows consideringly. “If there is to be communion between such a couple, it raises all sorts of related questions, doesn’t it?”

He settles back in his chair.

“When I speak of the Nightfolk, I’m talking about the vampires in general, which includes the Fae, the Enclave, and the Elders. They’re all essentially hybrids – originally human, infected by the necrophage which is itself an alien hybrid organism with links to the vapor and the Grandfather. See? I didn’t mention it before, but one quality that the phage and the other descendants of the vapor share is that the individual cells tend to share a group awareness when living in proximity. Thus, in the body, the phage builds a second “self” which mimics the original living self, in much the same way as the cells mimic the host’s tissues and organs. With the death of the host, only the mimic is left. Before that death, the two are in uneasy residence – if the mimicry were perfect, the host might notice only the altered perceptions, but it never is, because the phage-self also has appetites and reactions; it too, in effect, has will.

“You know about the six Principles and their Children, yes? All six Principles are, essentially, mechanisms of hybrid mediation between the Worldsoul and an Outsider which has chosen for whatever reason, to more or less benignly live here. That choice is sometimes an uneasy one, and there are issues of dominance and control; but in each case, both we and they get something out of the alliance. So you see,” he smiles, “I’m not entirely against Outsiders, I simply want to ensure that the local team remains in charge.” He shrugs.

“Now, about ponics and Fate – ponics isn’t really the most dynamic of the forces, it’s just the most accessible. In reality, it’s the most structured. Ponic energy is all about communication. Sharing. It carries information between things that are aware. If you will, think of pons as messengers. In a world dominated entirely by ponics, where all events were known about by everything as the events took place, and the consequence of each thought and action were immediately obvious to all, I imagine the entire world would gravitate into a sort of “perfect form” scenario, where the best outcome for the world at every moment was the only outcome possible. Life that evolved in this environment wouldn’t even *try* to struggle against this approach, because that wouldn’t be optimal. Don’t you think? And how much does this sound to you like the perfect crystalline vision of the Master of Fate, where all outcomes are controlled by a single all-knowing self?

“In contrast, Vitalics – Life – is anti-entropic. Vitalics embody potential – possibility – they’re the power source for change. Chaotic, like you say, but an important complement to that perfect form. From my perspective, the ‘perfect form’ is stagnant; it’s perfect only within its own context, and it has not the viability or flexibility to respond well to anything outside its own control. As one reads in Darwin, overspecialization to a niche is fatal when the niche changes; and Vitalic forces tend to push toward flexibility and generalization.

“Does that make sense?”

REDLAND

"I know you've mentioned that ponics are primarily used for communication, but I thought they also gained intelligence when grouped together in large quantities and could then behave in unpredictable ways. That doesn't sound very 'Fate'-like, or am I missing something essential here?

"With this group awareness of the cells ... is this why I felt, um, 'connected' to the entire community when I had acquired some of the necrogene in Los Angeles? Or is the group awareness only internal and what I experienced was something else entirely? Did it have something to do with all of the people there being 'Medea' Fae?

"Also, it does sound as if the phage is truly a parasitic vector. It seems inevitable that the parasite will convert the once-human eventually into an Elder, though I suppose the 'phage'-self, if intelligent enough could come to some uneasy alliance with the 'true'-self...."

He trails off.

"I had not known that about the Principles. I mean, I knew that the Principle of Compassion had something to do with an Outsider, but I thought that was a special case. So, Ms. Laura has some sort of connection with an Outsider? Will she be okay? Obviously things didn't work out too well with the Lady, should we fear something similar here? Is there anything that I can do to help, like finding the 'Agent of Change' or somesuch?"

He stops suddenly as if just thinking of something.

"Hey, if we know all of these Principles, and they all have a connection with an Outsider, why couldn't we leverage that in some way to facilitate communication? I know that all Outsiders are different and whatnot, but still....

"Er, and whatever happened to the search for the Principles? Did they become unimportant when you switched plans? Or, at least, relatively unimportant, since they're just one more potential 'community' of resistance?"

CARL

Carl starts to answer your early questions, but subsides, waiting for you to finish with a more somber air.

“I have not set aside the Principles, Jack. To me they, and their Children, are very important. What has happened

is that we are no longer following the “One God” plan, as you call it. That plan called for the Principles and their

Children to act as conduits into the Worldsoul, in a coordinated effort to awaken it all at once.

“Since we are not trying to do that any more, the coordination – and thus the simultaneous presence of all

six groups in a single working – is no longer necessary. They are, as you say, still individually important, both

as centers of resistance, and as rallying points for various archetypal aspects of the World’s will. They also

still provide a necessary input and interchange into the Unity, which will benefit the world whether or not it

is unified.

“I had not considered using the Principles as negotiators with the Outside, since the various Outsiders involved

have already “come in”, as it were. It’s an interesting idea.” Carl smiles briefly. “I can’t help think it may be

naive to expect to find any active allies out there, or forces that we can afford to bargain with – but just because

it’s naive doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

“In fact I’ve talked to you before about the fact that the Kings *have* negotiated with the Outsiders in the past,

on a more or less limited scale. They had dedicated negotiators in fact, which meant that they got something

useful out of the deal without losing their sovereignty. I tend to prefer that route – trained human negotiators –

to use of the Principles, who are so useful in other ways; but it doesn’t mean that it wouldn’t work.

“Do you want to brainstorm on the negotiation angle, see what you can come up with?” He grins. “I bet it would

suit you. The problem as I see it, of course, is understanding the true motives and value basis of things as

diverse and as unknowable as Outsiders. How do you know what they really want? Are we stuck with the

old mechanisms of put-it-by-the-rock barter exchange, and is that enough?”

REDLAND

"I think that the 'put it by the rock' method is too crude to be used except in the direst of circumstances. That is, if we're actively being wiped out, then grasping at whatever straws we can find is a reasonable course of action, and it would then behoove us to make imprecise, poorly understood deals. Anything short of a 'doomsday' scenario, and I wouldn't feel comfortable with a deal made in this fashion from a 'risk/reward' perspective. It would be both unclear what we had purchased and what we had given up.

"Certainly, I prefer trade, negotiation, alliances, peaceful coexistence, etc. To have much hope at this, though, I would think we'd need a minimum level of understanding between the parties. If we can't get there.... Anyway, to that end, I'd love to find an intermediary who could bridge the gap. Whether the intermediary would need to actively participate in some prospective trade is less important than their ability to help the Outsiders and the Insiders arrive at some level of understanding.

"Given that the Principles are already in contact (in some fashion?) with a 'friendly' Outsider, they strike me as ideal for this purpose. However, if they're inadequate or unavailable, for whatever reason (e.g., Aspiration is too new to understand what's happening or Compassion is hostile), I'd be happy to pursue the Fae/Grandfather angle if there was anything there. If the Brotherhood has any knowledge beyond the rock/barter level, I'd talk to them and see what I could learn. The King of Fate might have some research. I vaguely recall that we may have learned something in Los Angeles pertaining to the situation. The Dark Pharaoh could obviously tell me some things if he desired...

"Certainly trained human negotiators would be optimal. The closer the negotiator is to the principal involved, the better. However, I would think that to be considered 'trained' would require knowledge that we aren't particularly close to having at this time."