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“I mean, we are allies. We are in a really bad situation. If this palace, this city and any of the people in it, including yourselves and your friends, are going to survive, we have to work together. We can’t afford any secrets.”

Edwyrd nodded. Gastropé shrugged, “We agree, what do you think we haven’t told you?”

Damien looked back and forth between the two. Antefalken also seemed puzzled by Damien’s comments. “Simply this: A little bit ago, I went to talk again to the Rod; I came directly to your room from there. Having verified that the Rod was telling the truth about all the demons in the palace, and for lack of any decision by the council or any other plan, I decided to go and try and negotiate some more with the Rod. I wanted to try and convince them we’d known nothing about the demons until last night.”

Edwyrd and Gastropé both nodded, it seemed like something, at least. “Unfortunately, my reception this time was even less enthusiastic than the first time.” He looked significantly at everyone in the room. “Upon my arrival and being presented to Talarius and the Arch-Vicar General, I was ordered to stand put while the two men inspected me through a hand mirror.”

“A hand mirror?” Antefalken asked.

“A hand mirror. Apparently it is capable of detecting demonic influences.” Antefalken made a gesture with his face, impressed apparently. “It seems they are now in a hyper-paranoid state. They now suspect that anyone coming near them could be a demon or a demon’s agent. They weren’t particularly clear on that point. However, what seems clear is that they now know that some demons can shape change.”

Edwyrd started getting a sick feeling in his stomach. “How would they have gotten that idea?” Antefalken asked Damien.

Gastropé interrupted. “Can they?” He was starting to look a bit paranoid himself. Damien ignored him, answering Antefalken instead.

“I’m coming to that. Apparently, they claim to have captured a spy. A demonic one.” Edwyrd was really getting nervous now. “It happened last night. One of their sentries spotted a demon hovering over the camp, spying on their actions. Talarius apparently shot it out of the sky somehow.”

Gastropé was looking completely lost. “When soldiers went to hunt it down, all they found was a naked boy, approximately nine or ten years old.” Edwyrd had to hold himself from groaning out loud. “The young boy apparently told Talarius that he’d been captured by a demon, and only released when the demon was wounded.”

Gastropé started putting a few of the pieces together apparently, for he spoke up. “You mentioned Rupert earlier? Are you saying that Rupert was kidnapped by a demon?” Gastropé looked almost in shock. Edwyrd knew the man’s feelings about demons, he was also sure Gastropé was thinking about the fact that the Rod was after Rupert, along with the rest of them. “Gods above.” He rubbed his temple.

“Not. Exactly.” Damien replied. Edwyrd’s stomach went through the floor; he dreaded what must be coming. “It seems the next morning, Talarius brought a priest to verify the truth of the boy’s story. It seems the boy and the priest recognized each other.”

“Shit.” Gastropé’ said. “The priest from Gizzor Del.” Damien just looked at him meaningfully. Gastropé coughed slightly and said apologetically, “I guess we did kind of gloss over that part.”

“Why don’t you explain it now? Since it seems appropriate at this point.” Damien said.

Gastropé smiled sickly, Edwyrd wanted to find out what had happened to Rupert, but he figured this was going to be the only way. “Well,” Gastropé said hesitantly, “I’m not up on all the details, Jenn or Rupert could probably tell you better.” Damien continued to stare. “It seems that in order to leave the Abyss, the demon needed a link or something. Needed someone to summon him. I’m not sure what he did, but apparently he intercepted another conjuring. An individual summoning another demon. He sort of appropriated the summons I guess. I’m not really sure if that’s possible?”

“Extremely rare, but it can happen.” Antefalken assured him. “One of the risks of demon conjuring.” Antefalken smiled evilly. Gastropé gulped.

“Anyway, it turned out to be this priest Verigas, in Gizzor Del. He sort of went hysterical. Can’t say I blame him. Anyway, the demon forced open a rift and let us all step out. Including the demon traveling with us now.” Damien was shaking his head, obviously imagining the situation. “Needless to say, the big demon alone was enough to send the man off the deep end. The rest of us didn’t seem to help. We were all looking rather disreputable at this point.”

Gastropé shrugged. “To make a long story short, we tied him up. He’d seen us all, but we didn’t plan on ever seeing him again. After all, he’d been doing something taboo for his religion. We just left him. We arranged it so that he’d be able to get free after we’d left the city. Apparently his conscience got the better of him, and he went to his superiors and they unleashed the Rod on us.”

“He sent the Rod after you?” Antefalken asked incredulously.

Gastropé smiled rather embarrassed. “It seems he kind of thought we were the first wave in a demonic invasion force.” Damien was rubbing his head with both hands.

“So that explains why the Rod is here?” Damien asked.

“Well, we thought so at first.” Edwyrd spoke up at this point. “However, it’s apparently escalated beyond that. They apparently found out about the archdemon after the book, and that sort of added fuel to their fire. I’m pretty sure finding hundreds of demons and some archdemons in the palace didn’t do much to relieve them.” Damien simply groaned.

“But what about Rupert? You say the priest identified him? Or someone?” Edwyrd asked.

Damien nodded, reorienting himself. “According to Talarius, Verigas identified him as Rupert, one of the Minions of Evil. From your story, that sounds exactly like what happened.”

“So the Rod has him?” Gastropé’ asked Damien. “I know they probably think he’s evil, but they wouldn’t hurt a little kid would they?”

Damien just looked at him for a moment. “Actually, Talarius apparently did try and calm Verigas, and if it had succeeded, they probably wouldn’t have harmed him.”

“Wouldn’t have harmed him? What exactly do you mean?” Edwyrd was literally sick to his stomach at this point.

“Simply this: In an effort to convince Verigas that Rupert was harmless, Talarius pulled out the mirror. Apparently to his surprise it revealed the boy to be a fourth order demon.”

“What! That’s ridiculous!” Gastropé shouted. Antefalken was thinking hard, it appeared. He was twisting his head and chewing his lower lip. “Rupert is as human as any of us!” Antefalken looked up at this, Gastropé paid him no heed.

“Perhaps.” Damien said calmingly. “Except that, apparently, when he realized he was revealed, Rupert started to shape change into a demon.” Gastropé was shaking his head in adamant denial. “Fearing an attack, and knowing how dangerous a fourth order demon would be. Talarius slew the demon or boy.”

“Slew it?” Antefalken asked in disbelief. Edwyrd put his head in hands. Gastropé just stared in shock at Damien, finally silenced.

“Slew it. The Arch-Vicar General and Verigas were both there. Both priests swear by their god in front of the entire Rod that what Talarius slew was a partially shape changed demon. As if further proof were needed, the body and all its blood faded as if it had never been. Leaving only the clothes torn by the demon’s transformation.” Edwyrd breathed a sigh of relief. If Rupert had faded, then maybe he’d been sent to the Abyss like a real demon. It hadn’t happened on the ship, and Rupert had no real connection to the Abyss, but maybe. All he could do was hope.