Chapter 12-6 Arrangements

Chapter 12-6 Arrangements

You know whats the sign of a real Necrojack, Avo? Using someone to solve the problems they created.

Look at the dive we just did. Were we richer than the Instrument? No. Not even close. Were we smarter? Id also say not enough for it to matter. But we knew all his habits and flaws, and he wasnt even aware we were there.

How much did we need to modify his memories for him to do what we wanted?

Not at all. Right.

Being a Necrojack isnt all resequencing minds and subverting wards. Its about mastering perspectives and understanding the nature of another persons consciousness. Its why if you were to try and hurt me, I would be in severe danger despite the gap in our skills. We share history. We shared thoughts. There was a bridge of understanding to exploit.

Metaphors dont do the art justice, Avo. Theres nothing like diving into the Nether. Its more than an ocean. Its more than a dream.

Its like the source from which choice flows.

And if you can make someone else think whatever you want them to think or do what you want them to do, then I dont think theres a single power across the all there ever was that can stop you.

-Walton,Low Master

12-6

Arrangements

We think the others did the killings. The other Low Masters, I mean. Denton slowed her words, as her eyes swung like a pendulum between Avo and Draus. There was an anticipation to her posture, as if expecting things to turn violent, or something to sour in her guests.

Instead, both ghoul and Regular mirrored an equal tension in their postures, and then contemplation consumed them.

Cas eyed Denton from the side as he shuffled uncomfortably. Well, if were gonna tell them that, we should also tell them the other stuff. You know. Like how most the Column was against this? How Aegis just wanted to kill the ghoul and retrieve the Frame? How the original candidate for the Frame is still aliveFredritchs gonna be pissed when he finds out his Frame went to a ghoul.

The name spurred a month-old memory within Avo. Somehow, he doubted the depths of Fredritchs ire considering one of Waltons lingering engrams directed him to contact the man.

Once you get to the Easy Armistice, talk to Fredritch Three-Eye and tell him that you're with the Ninth Column, and that the dream is broken. Hell give you an engram containinganother itinerant of me.

Avo replayed his fathers words using his Meta and found held himself to silence. Walton was still weaving schemes around Ninth Column even long after his death. It took skill to compromise an organization so secretive, but it took staggering foresight and skill to turn a probable rival into an asset.

+Draus,+ Avo said, feeding her the memory of Waltons words. +Need you to try and make contact with Fredritch. Will be suspicious if I ask.+

Her mind gave an affirmative note but trailed off into a bitter apprehension. +You didnt know nothin about him+



+No,+ Avo said. The sourness of his admission bothered him as well. +Beginning to understand I dont know much about my father at all.+

+Shit. Makes you sound almost human.+

Its partially why we didnt approach you earlier. Instead utilizing an intermediary. Denton altered her phantoms and a visual representation of Green River came into shape. The Glaives eye twitched. Of course, we now know that she was compromised as well.

Beginning to see a theme here, right? Cas added. Another point to shit our pants about: Him infiltrating the Deep Bazaar. Word gets out about that and the entire Deep Nether network is going to self-mutilate. Well have to go back to using couriers in the Underhive for shit.

Do you know why I woke up in the Maw? Avo asked. For all the successes Walton had at subterfuge, something seemed to have fundamentally gone astray during the grafting process. If there was a plan that necessitated Avo to resurrect a dismembered, discombobulated, organ-harvested, one-week-amnesic husk of a ghoul with a blank-slate Metamind, he couldnt conceive it.

Draus spat over the terrace of their pagoda as she added her own question to the pile. Yeah. Was the ghoul gettin sold to the right Crucible at the right time to run into me by design as well? To Mirrorhead?

Chambers, unwilling to be left out, nodded along, glaring at the opposition.

Beside him, Essus looked too lost and tired to fully grasp the details of the discussion at all.

Unlikely, Denton answered. From what we could gather, your fathers nodes were trying to graft the Heaven to you while moving around on a barge in the Maw. But something went wrong along the way. We found pieces from the barge before the ship could entirely dissolve, but neither you nor the Frame were located in the estimated impact area.

And wasnt that the ugly truth?

The Easy Armistice offers accommodation frequencies as well, Cas added. Perfect if you want a nice place to think about things while the heat dies down. We dont need an answer from you right

Could start this partnership of ours off with a couple of favors, Draus said, interrupting him.

Cas leaned back and sighed, ceding the conversation over to Denton. Avo noticed the man deliberately played a different role to Dentons hyper-competent diplomat. He greeted them with a rough casualness and approached Essus as a fellow refugee by way of suggestion.

Whether that was true or not had yet to be determined.

State your requirements and well see if your dreams can come true, Denton replied.

First thing: Kae. Weve been talkin an awful lot about her without her bein present. Mighty rude. Id like to order an official pickup for her. One with my personal touch to expedite her arrival.

Denton nodded. Her thoughtstuff pulsed static and collapsed inward. She was making a mental note. That can be arranged. What else?

I wanna know about this Fredritch who was supposed to have the Frame. Wanna know if hes gonna be a problem.

I assure you

You can assure me by scheduling a meetin. Me and him. The ghoul stays out of it. Face to face. Just to clear the air.

Cas huffed out a breath. Well. Looks like well have to ask old Three-Eyes what he wants.

Sure. Fine. Draus added another request. This one Avo didnt see coming. And I want to see your operation. All of it.

Denton pressed her lips together. Cas began to laugh softly.

What? Draus said. Somethin funny.

Not for you, Cas said. Truth is youve already seen all of our operations. The laughter suddenly stopped. Its Zein.

What? Draus asked.

Her paths. Her iterations. Echoes. Forks. Theyre the ones keeping all our cells coordinatedthe only reason why were like smoke and myth to everyone hunting for us.

Draus blinked. What? So Zeins what? Her own network?

Shes a lot of things, Denton said. Presently for us, however, she is re-emerging out from the past. Itll be at least a week before were ready to interface with the other cells. Aside from that, we are effectively similar to Incubi strike cells on the practical end. Im sure youre familiar with how they work.

Just about, Draus drawled.

Chambers held up his hand. Can I ask for something?

Everyone ignored him.

Everyone except Avo. A grin spread across the ghouls face as he regarded Chambers. No. Going to need you to give me something.

Iuhsure, consang, Chambers swallowed. W-whats the need?

Instead of replying to him, Avo turned and addressed Denton again. Need a few demiplanes. Someplace good for repeated Thoughtwave Detonations along with one that can let Nether flow through.

Thats doable, Denton asked. Can I ask what youre planning?

Avo shot Draus a look. Ori-Thaum broke Kae's life. Created this problem. Partially anyway. Want to pluck the problem from her head. Take a closer look at it. Pattern and return it." He let out a low hiss of pleasure as he imagined possessing a phantasmic or trauma that could burn away other minds. Youre invited to watch. See what we can all learn. Would be good start to formal partnership.

Denton just stared while Cas shook his head. Fuck me, he said. Hes worse than the Waltons.