The Nature of the Beast

[Eerie_Coppernight]

I rose from the armchair with my hands behind my back.

"Personally, I couldn't care what he does with it. As far as I can tell, his only motivation is to draw as much attention to himself as possible."

I paused to give a sardonic half-smile. "Like you, I think he does operate more or less on his whims. If he's planning a coup, I've half a mind to let him do it. However," I turned to face my guest, "I'm not so sure one planning to take the throne would throw in his lot with the Resistance so easily. It was almost alarming how little persuading he needed."

I crossed the room and picked up a copy of a certain book. I noted with embarrassment that it was not nearly as well-worn as I would have liked. I flipped through it until my eyes alighted on one of the pages.

"And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?"

I turned back to my expectant guest. "There is fire in that fox, fire that the Scarlet Man has use for. I think he accepted so readily because the Aether had been calling to him.....much like it once called to you and me."

I met the eyes of the girl encased in her armored shell. She must be the nervous type to place such an emphasis on defense. I usually found nervous types irritating, but they were highly useful in calculating every contingency.

"You and I serve the same Master, Miss Fuzzywalker. I do not see why we should not fight on the same side. This fox, and perhaps his Anarchists too, is being pursued by the Scarlet Man. It would not be wise for us to stand in His way."

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

I smile. "Ah, Miss Coppernight, if you will turn a bit over in that book, you will find that the dark powers often respond quickly and deviously to offers made by the good."

And He told them many things in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and they sprang up immediately, because they had no depth of soil. But after the sun rose, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

“Listen then to the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road. The one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.

"I suspect that he is among those who eagerly receive the calling of the Scarlet Man with joy and then leave when trouble comes. To have the Resistance on his side is a matter of convenience, a way to ensure that we will not attack him until it is too late."

I pause. "Meanwhile, the flames you mention in your verse are the fires of hell, the gears of the Fogworks here in Aethasia. Your comparison does not vindicate him."

"I will not stand in the way of the Scarlet Man. My presence here is to guide the fire on the path, to hold it true to the Scarlet Man, and to ensure that he makes good on his word and is truly one of us."

[Eerie_Coppernight]

I looked up from the book, my face solemn.

"Ah, but there's the rub. Will he be guided by anyone? It would seem, at first glance, that fire is ungovernable and I would make no pretentions to the gift to sway it. As for the verse," my face spread into a grin, "I think you should be more sure of your context."

My eyes wandered back to the page open before me. I continued to smile as I read the verses that followed.

"Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel."

"And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment."

"And I said, Let them set a fair mitre upon his head. So they set a fair mitre upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by."

I closed the book and turned back to the skeptical young lady.

"I do not think that the fox will meet with such a terrible fate, o skeptical one. I will not say there is goodness in his heart, I know hearts too well to say that. No, there is something in him that might become good if surrendered to You-Know-Whom. When that happens......."

I allowed myself a very vixen-like chuckle.

"When that happens, he'll be the greatest Resistor we've ever had."

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

"Ah, a firebrand plucked from the fire to become good," I remark. "What an odd way to interpret the Scripture, Miss Coppernight. I wish I could share your optimism."

"Unfortunately, I remember the last time I trusted someone too easily, and while Mr. Fox may be headed for future goodness, his present is far from certain. The automation armies of Mr. Fox and Lucky clashing in the streets will do no good for Aethasia. Fight Fog with Fog, everyone gets sick. I do hope that Mr. Fox gets some Aether Boilers soon, and hopefully not by stealing them."

[Eerie_Coppernight]

A smile spread across my face.

"He would benefit from being more exposed to Aether. Yes, I see no reason why we should not let him have some Aether-tech to play with."

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

I nod. "All the more reason for me to know the location of this man's base. I may not be an inventor like you, but I have much Aether on hand and can arrange a delivery of Aether Boilers," I shrug. "Unless you would rather do that?"

I consider that having Eerie deliver them would be a significant advantage, but I don't want to press. Having passed the moment of tension as to whether I should even be involved at all, I wish to appear relaxed. It would be wise to let this woman think of most of the ideas herself and claim them as her own, rather than me battling her intellect with my nervousness.

[Eerie_Coppernight]

My smile grew into a grin.

"You may join me on my visit there tonight. Only, I must know, how do you feel about fighting?"

I eyed the heavy armor tentatively. The suit said battle-ready, but the demeanor of the wearer said "Would rather be at home, thank you very much." Exactly what she could do in a fight was uncertain. at the very least, I wouldn't have to worry much about protecting her. That suit could probably hold up against Mr. Sparrow's bullets and Mr. Ox's meat cleaver if nothing else. However, Mr. Ox's fists worried me. Tortoises could be crushed with enough brute force and the Anarchists were not above such means.

I should refill my Aethermeter just in case. At the very least, there would be bruises.

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

"I enjoy a good fight. Many enemies have fallen by my hands in the past."

I sigh, get up, and pull out my sword, taking up a fighting stance. The sword at its current length was slightly shorter than an arming sword, short enough to be concealed in the scabbard I'd hidden it in. The interior of the blade looked scarred from use, though the edge was razor sharp. I had seen to that. "I much prefer my sword in this case, but if it comes to a brawl of fisticuffs, I would at least give it a try. The shell is my concern over guns and bullets." I put the sword away, back to its hidden position.

"However, I'm not eager to run out and pick a fight with these people, especially since I don't know who they are. I thought the Resistance and them were on good terms. If they have some sort of initiation that involves fighting, I'll do my best."

[Eerie_Coppernight]

I decided to be perfectly candid with her.

"The only one on good terms with the Resistance is their leader, Mr. Fox. Of the others, I am uncertain. I'm waiting for a courier to make her report on the situation before taking further action. Speaking of my courier," I pulled out a pocket watch and glanced at it, "she should be back soon if nothing goes amiss."

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

I nod and slowly relax back into my chair, allowing myself to get a bit of air between my chest and chest plate.

“Wise decision indeed. But in my experience, couriers tend to be waylaid or otherwise encounter surprises.”

[Eerie_Coppernight]

I turn around, concerned. The possibility had crossed my mind, but I'd hoped the mech suit and barbs would be enough to keep little Miss Platypus safe.

"You think we should go after her?"

[Sierepica_Fuzzywalker]

“I’m pretty sure if you were sending a courier into dangerous territory, he or she would be armed. You strike me as quite responsible in that respect. I just think it’s an unreasonable expectation to expect him or her to show up on time.”

[Eerie_Coppernight]

I nodded a reply.

"She is armed, rather thoroughly too. Still, one never knows how a prototype may malfunction."

Having made the necessary arrangements, I slipped upstairs to change. It seemed an age ago since that moonlit night, but reminiscences would not aid us now.