|
Previous: Rack
|
Next: Be Not Proud
|
law of attraction
Melakt looked at the two spirit forms before him dubiously.
"You're asking me to intervene?"
As Tavakh nodded gravely, Taris summoned all the positivity she could find. "Iss one madman blew up the guvvermint & iss jess the law of nature that kilt all the meyun." She flashed her brilliant smile. "There's good people there who kin save the situation, an ah believe they will if they git our help."
Melakt wasn't buying it. "The Council will be convened, it's been decided. I'm not sure at this point you could even count on my vote."
Tavakh could feel Taris dying inside beside him. He rallied with everything he could. "We understand, Taris & I, we're no happier than you." He couldn't help but play his best cards. "I believe Taris is ready, and I'm willing to walk among them as well."
Melakt leaned forward on both hooves on his desk. "Do you understand what you're saying?" He focused on Taris, certain she was as surprised as he was at Tavakh's suggestion. "Do you believe you're ready?"
Taris would never know from where the composure came. "Tavi & I have talked it through. Ahm ready, ah know ah kin count on Tavakh, an ah hope ah kin count on you."
Melakt scowled as much as his current form would allow. "I think you're both faking this show of bravado. You're asking me to risk an awful lot on the tribes of Abraham."
Tavakh delved into his bag of useful information once again. "It's understandable why the Christian right would adopt a successful strategy from their enemies."
Melakt raised his eyebrows, such as they were. "The Christian Right?"
Taris beamed at him. "Yeah, ah figgert aht who dunnit from thuh vahbrayshuns in thuh lahnz!" Taris re-tasked her eyes and other assets in Tavakh's direction in a wanton display of gratitude.
Melakt watched as signs of unasked-for pleasure danced across Tavakh's face.
At last he sighed at the noble alliance before him. "How much time do you need?"
Taris let out a little burble of delight. "How much kin ya get?"
Tavakh knew that was out of turn. "What she means is, I think, that your ability to baffle even a spiritual bureaucracy is the stuff of legend."
Melakt laughed once, like a small dog barking. "Hah! Do you really think such an obvious patronizing remark will buy my favour with the damnation of an entire species on the table?"
Tavakh smiled back. "It has worked on you in the past, I took my best shot."
Taris seemed close to bursting with joy. She was pursing her lips to stay silent.
Melakt nodded, still smiling. "A fair jab, Tavakh, my friend. I will do my best to baffle them with big words & deep concepts."
Taris avoided clapping by banging her wrists together and stamping her feet on the carpet.
Tavakh managed to retain his dignity. "I know you will do your best."
Melakt was secretly happy to have joined the conspiracy, but sobered as he closed out the deal.
"Just keep in mind the penalty if this all goes wrong. 'Emptiness, Absence, Separation from God.'"
Tavakh was gracious in victory. "Ah! One of theirs! Shakespeare?"
Melakt shook his head. "Eliot."
Taris was looking baffled. "Ah don't get it." She looked from one spirit to the other. "Emptiness, absence, separation from god is what we have now, innit?"
Melakt looked at Taris like a tolerant parent. "They believe their god created them."
The young spirit continued looking from Melakt to Tavakh and back again. "Hell, that would sorta invalidate the whole purpose of life, woodennit?"
Tavakh rose, bailing out after a hard-fought victory. "Come, Taris, there is much to do." he resisted the urge to grab her by the ear.
Taris was having none of it, so he settled for her upper arm, almost lifting her up from her chair to Melakt's amusement.
"So they worship their god basically because it's *needy*, is that it? Their god is an emotional child?"
Melakt smiled as Tavakh managed to get the young spirit out the door.
He opened his notebook to the pages marked "Sons Of Abraham". He added Taris' last words to his pages of useful quotes for improvisations.
"You're asking me to intervene?"
As Tavakh nodded gravely, Taris summoned all the positivity she could find. "Iss one madman blew up the guvvermint & iss jess the law of nature that kilt all the meyun." She flashed her brilliant smile. "There's good people there who kin save the situation, an ah believe they will if they git our help."
Melakt wasn't buying it. "The Council will be convened, it's been decided. I'm not sure at this point you could even count on my vote."
Tavakh could feel Taris dying inside beside him. He rallied with everything he could. "We understand, Taris & I, we're no happier than you." He couldn't help but play his best cards. "I believe Taris is ready, and I'm willing to walk among them as well."
Melakt leaned forward on both hooves on his desk. "Do you understand what you're saying?" He focused on Taris, certain she was as surprised as he was at Tavakh's suggestion. "Do you believe you're ready?"
Taris would never know from where the composure came. "Tavi & I have talked it through. Ahm ready, ah know ah kin count on Tavakh, an ah hope ah kin count on you."
Melakt scowled as much as his current form would allow. "I think you're both faking this show of bravado. You're asking me to risk an awful lot on the tribes of Abraham."
Tavakh delved into his bag of useful information once again. "It's understandable why the Christian right would adopt a successful strategy from their enemies."
Melakt raised his eyebrows, such as they were. "The Christian Right?"
Taris beamed at him. "Yeah, ah figgert aht who dunnit from thuh vahbrayshuns in thuh lahnz!" Taris re-tasked her eyes and other assets in Tavakh's direction in a wanton display of gratitude.
Melakt watched as signs of unasked-for pleasure danced across Tavakh's face.
At last he sighed at the noble alliance before him. "How much time do you need?"
Taris let out a little burble of delight. "How much kin ya get?"
Tavakh knew that was out of turn. "What she means is, I think, that your ability to baffle even a spiritual bureaucracy is the stuff of legend."
Melakt laughed once, like a small dog barking. "Hah! Do you really think such an obvious patronizing remark will buy my favour with the damnation of an entire species on the table?"
Tavakh smiled back. "It has worked on you in the past, I took my best shot."
Taris seemed close to bursting with joy. She was pursing her lips to stay silent.
Melakt nodded, still smiling. "A fair jab, Tavakh, my friend. I will do my best to baffle them with big words & deep concepts."
Taris avoided clapping by banging her wrists together and stamping her feet on the carpet.
Tavakh managed to retain his dignity. "I know you will do your best."
Melakt was secretly happy to have joined the conspiracy, but sobered as he closed out the deal.
"Just keep in mind the penalty if this all goes wrong. 'Emptiness, Absence, Separation from God.'"
Tavakh was gracious in victory. "Ah! One of theirs! Shakespeare?"
Melakt shook his head. "Eliot."
Taris was looking baffled. "Ah don't get it." She looked from one spirit to the other. "Emptiness, absence, separation from god is what we have now, innit?"
Melakt looked at Taris like a tolerant parent. "They believe their god created them."
The young spirit continued looking from Melakt to Tavakh and back again. "Hell, that would sorta invalidate the whole purpose of life, woodennit?"
Tavakh rose, bailing out after a hard-fought victory. "Come, Taris, there is much to do." he resisted the urge to grab her by the ear.
Taris was having none of it, so he settled for her upper arm, almost lifting her up from her chair to Melakt's amusement.
"So they worship their god basically because it's *needy*, is that it? Their god is an emotional child?"
Melakt smiled as Tavakh managed to get the young spirit out the door.
He opened his notebook to the pages marked "Sons Of Abraham". He added Taris' last words to his pages of useful quotes for improvisations.
