Page 1499

((Double Monday -- Page 1 of 2))
There was a long bout of silence as everyone waited for Malast to respond in some way, but the self-proclaimed God of Boredom merely continued to appear exactly so. Bored.

Malast’s expression didn’t change at all. He didn’t shift in his seat. He didn’t stop resting his cheek on his hand. He hardly even looked like he was paying attention.

But at length, he finally deigned to say, “...That’s nice.”

‘We’re losing him,’ said Garovel privately. ‘This might be our last question, unless we can regain his interest somehow. Ask him if--’

Eleyo wasn’t waiting for anyone’s permission, though. “Would you like it if I became a god?”

Malast looked at him. “I would. What would you do if you became a god?”

“I don’t know,” said Eleyo. “It would depend on the exact nature of my godliness, I suppose. The precise limits of it.”

Malast narrowed his gaze at him. “That’s a lie. You already have a very good idea of what you would do, don’t you? Your answer doesn’t count if you lie, you know.”

“I am not lying,” said Eleyo.

“Even if that’s true, then you still have not answered my question,” said Malast. “Which means I get to ask a different one.”

Eleyo took a step forward. “Go on and ask, then.”

“Are you reconsidering my offer?”

“I never turned you down.” Eleyo took another step. “What must I do?”

Malast grabbed the jar in his lap with both hands. “You need merely to accept this of your own free will.” He held the jar up, grasping the lid but not opening it. “Do you understand that you will cease to be yourself, by doing so?”

‘Hector,’ said Garovel, suddenly urgent.

‘Somebody stop him,’ said Yangéra.

But Eleyo stopped himself. “No, I do not understand that. What do you mean? I will cease to be myself?”

Malast sighed again and brought the jar back down to his lap. “You will be a vessel, like I said--a conduit through which an otherworldly being may experience this one.”

Eleyo took a step back now. “No. You said I would become a god. Not be replaced by one. Those are two very different things.”

“He will not replace you,” said Malast. “He will transform you, and you will transform him. Together, a new being will emerge. A new god, as some would describe it.”

But Eleyo was still taking steps back.

Malast smacked his lips and gave still another sigh. “Yeah, that’s about what I figured...” He slumped down in his stone chair. “I knew that Ettol was just getting my hopes up again. The wily bastard.”

As Eleyo shrunk back toward the group, Carver stepped up to replace him.

“How do you know Ettol?” said Carver.

Malast eyed him a moment and sniffed absent-mindedly. “It’s not your turn.”

Carver was undeterred, however. “Ettol is my uncle. I have known him my whole life, but I must confess that he has always been something of an enigma to me.”