I had a sudden strange pang from missing Katia dearly. I was keeping track of all the gods and goddesses in my scratch pad, attempting to create a proper family tree. She would’ve had all this shit figured out already.
I continued. “I do think this mystery is important to solve. Even if I didn’t have the quest, I have a sneaking suspicion that the answer is the key to unraveling all of this, including all the stuff Rosetta just explained with the Scavenger. Even the AI itself wants me to figure it out.” I gave an involuntary shudder, remembering that moment when the AI, having taken control of the Emberus priest, had sucked on my toe. “I have a suspicion the AI doesn’t actually know what happened, either. I’m starting to form a very loose theory, but I don’t have nearly enough information.”
I held up the memorial crystal. “When we first heard of this thing, it was in the High Elf Castle. The description said the castle had something that helped protect them against Scolopendra’s attack, and it was required if one wanted to survive the final battle. It’s all tied in. The fact Scolopendra issiblings with Apito, possibly two parts of the same entity, is interesting.”
Prepotente straightened. “My quest arrived just at the beginning of the Butcher’s Masquerade. The Epicure told me it was crucial for me to obtain the crystal. And when it was stolen from me, he sent me multiple sobbing tirades about how I was a terrible adherent.”
“Tell me more about your god. I know nothing about it except the information from the patch.”
The Epicure patch on my jacket protected me from vampires and werewolves.
“The Midnight Epicure protects all prey animals by destroying all existence after unleashing all the consumed back into the galaxy,” he said. “They who were eaten will become the devourers. It is an apocalyptic form. I first learned of the god during a taping ofPlenty of Plentywhen one of the participants told me about it. It was originally designed as a xenophobic tale to scare non-caprid children, to warn them of the caprid race when they first started integrating into Syndicate culture. It grew into a symbol of hope and comfort for my kind. My sponsors gave me the ability to worship him in a benefactor box, and I obliged.”
“And the quest itself?” I asked.
“It says for me to hold on to the crystal, and I will know when to use it.”
“Is he sponsored this season?”
“No, I do not believe so.”
Prepotente reached out, wanting the necklace back. I handed it to him.
I had not received an update from Emberus while I was holding the crystal. I smiled at Rosetta. “I think you were right. No god updates while we are in here.”
“Nor did I receive a message when I took the necklace off,” Prepotente said. “As long as it’s back on my neck by the time I leave, I believe we are indeed safe.”
She nodded. “Good.”
The door to the stables burst open. It was Samantha. “There you are! Why are you all in here? Is it because of the sexy piggy?” She floated in. “Ohhh, it’s very stinky in here.”
She did not have Grigori with her.
“Samantha, what did you do with the fleshmancer?”
“I don’t like that guy, Carl. I don’t think he’s properly qualified. He didn’t even gasp when he entered Sam Town. You’re supposed to gasp when you see luxury. He’s talking to Jamal about his legs. What are you talking about in here?”
Imani stood. “Time to leave. Florin needs us out there.”
“We’re doing the planning thing,” Donut said. “Come on, Mongo. Say goodbye to your friends.”
Samantha looked about the room suspiciously. “Ooohh, I get it. You’re doing that thing where you’re being all secret about the plan and not telling anybody because if people know about it ahead of time, then it fails, but if you keep it a big secret before it happens, then you know it works. I’m doing that, too.”
“Wait, what are you planning?” I asked. “Samantha, you don’t plan anything.”
“It can’t be stupider than what Carl is doing,” Donut muttered.
“Oooh, now I really want to know,” Samantha said. She floated over to Penelope and grasped the pig’s tail with her mouth and then let it go. “Boing!” she said. Penelope squealed and rushed across the room, causing both Gonk and Simoom to shift and grunt. Samantha turned to Donut. “Show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.”
Donut scoffed. “Carl has a stupid plan where he’s going to leave the party and try this really idiotic thing to get a bunch ofimmortals who hate each other on a floor where they can’t die at the same time and then get them to kill each other anyway. But what he’s really doing is planning an elaborate suicide that’s probably going to get all of us killed also, and since he’s not going to be in a party with me anymore, he’s going to die sad and alone, wishing I was there with him, because he doesn’t trust my Cockroach skill.”
Samantha brightened. “That’s just like my plan, too!”
[ 71 ]
All two hundredcrawlers for the Pineapple Cabaret transfer along with several hundred of their friends were gathered together in the main square in Hungry Eyes. There were too many of them to fit in the guild common room, so we’d have a quick goodbye there. And then we had to do our race. This was where we were headed now.
I stopped in the garage to give a quick word to Bucket Boy, who sat sullenly in the corner, watching Hedy work on the last-minute fixes. Pontiff the bullheaded Taurin was here, talking quietly with him. Rosetta and Tipid had hired the former stripper, and he’d be our driver for the next race.