“My humble abode,” Diana said. “I do have a house, but I spend most of my time here.”
The computer monitors, even, were old CRTs, some black and green. The place smelled like tea, ozone and mold. The whole setup, including the vaguely rounded pile of snow above the building, struck me as being a kind of high tech hobbit hole.
Not what I might have assumed.
Maggie smirked, “This is where the magic happens, huh?”
Ty groaned.
“I like it,” I said. I wasn’t lying.
“I do too. Aesthetically. In terms of usability, though, a lot of it’s grandfathered in. My mentor was cutting edge, but cutting edge then is archaic today. I’m not sure if it’s easier to let go of the sentimental attachment or wizard up some kind of power up to the equipment.”
“You were close,” I said.
“Yeah,” she said. “By the way, I really am sorry for shooting you.”
“It was nonlethal, you were trying to help,” Alexis said.
“Did you talk to Fell’s family?” I asked. I wasn’t sure if the old woman counted, but ‘family’ could just as easily refer to the little girl alone.
“I did. They aren’t as forgiving as miss Alexis is.”
I nodded. “Trouble?”
Diana frowned, taking her seat. “A lot of trouble these days.”
“Not so different from my life,” I told her.
“Maybe not. I felt some empathy for you when I realized just how much you’d gone out of your way to stop the Hyena, imp and the demon in the machine.”
“Machine?” Rose asked. “I don’t think there were any machines in there. The factory was stripped bare.”
“That’s not the kind of machine I’m talking about. I’m talking about reality.”
“Ah,” I said.
“I haven’t been sleeping, and I’m prone to go off on tangents when I’m on my own. The sisters are attacking in shifts, and the problem with my setup is that things are spread out. I won’t share details, I hope you understand why.”
She didn’t trust us one hundred percent. I nodded.
“I can protect my things if I’m paying attention. But I can’t pay attention while I’m sleeping, and they attack every two to four hours. I’m making mistakes, and I can’t afford to.”
“You have sentimental attachments to those other places?” I guessed.
“Yeah. He made all this fun, you know? Geeking out, hanging on every word while this fantastic, funny, geeky man described what he was doing. Tapping into greater things, experimenting on my own… I can remember the day I surprised him, came up with an answer he hadn’t.” Diana had a fond smile on her face. “Then push came to shove, reality settled in, and he cut his life short for my freedom. Freedom I frittered away.”
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I know how important precious people can be.”
Alexis glanced at me. I kept my eyes fixed on a stack of paper between me and Diana, refusing to meet hers.
“You asked us to come here for more than a second apology and some company,” Rose said. “You want help.”
“I’m not twisting your arm,” Diana said, quiet, “I’ll totally understand if you refuse, and I promise no vendetta or meaningful grudges, so long as it ends at just a polite refusal. Or even a refusal punctuated with swear words, if you decide me shooting your friend there deserves it. But I’m very tired, the Sisters think that if they keep messing with me, they’re either going to break the machinery that their spirit is dwelling in, or they’ll break me, and I’ll find a way to return it to them.”
“They aren’t fond of me either,” I said.
“Can you try?”
“I’ll trade a favor for a favor,” I said.
“I’m listening.”
“We’re meeting the Sisters,” I said. “If the opportunity arises, and if we can do it without undue risk or harm either way, I’ll see what I can do to alleviate the strain they’re putting on you.”
“I’d complain about how vague you’re being, but I’m happy to hear this much. What are you asking for?”
“Permission. I want freedom from the rules of the contest, to practice as I need to practice, to deal with the demon in the factory, and maybe the imp if the opportunity arises.”
“I don’t think I can give you that permission.”
Maggie was the one who spoke, “You’re Conquest’s champions, you’re his hands. In his absence, I’m thinking you could collectively be his voice. Blake would be acting outside the bounds of the contest, but this would give it tacit weight.”
Diana nodded slowly. “Swear you won’t use any power directly gained or granted during these excursions should the contest resume.”
“Hey,” Ty said. “We’re offering help, no need to play hardball.”
“No,” I said. “That’s fine. It’s in my interests to do it. More weight, as Maggie said. I hereby swear that I’ll put all power and weapons aside, to the best of my ability, should Conquest be freed and this contest resume.”
Diana nodded. “Tea stopped boiling, and I didn’t even notice.”
She was halfway to her feet when she saw our expectant stares. “You have my permission, by the way.”
I relaxed a little. I wasn’t the only one.
She bustled with cups and teabags for a moment, re-confirming a few people’s choices of tea.
“Earlier, we were talking about websites and cameras,” Ty said, with the next available moment of quiet. “Seems like you’d be the person to ask for clarification.”
“If you’re looking for a fast power grab, this isn’t the way to do it,” the Astrologer said, without turning around. “What I do took generations to put together, and it has its weaknesses.”
“I’m not looking for a fast power grab.”
“This is niche, unperfected, pretty out there by practitioner standards.”
“It’s like you’re speaking my language,” Ty said.
“You really are speaking his language,” Alexis said.
“I can almost guarantee that I’d bore you if you let me get going,” the Astrologer said.
“Bet you wouldn’t,” Ty said.
“You probably wouldn’t be able to bore him,” I said. “As for the rest of us, why don’t we say we’ll stay until the tea’s done, and then we have to go? So we have an excuse to leave if we need it?”