Myaru stared into the pitch blackness of the chamber that housed her 'children', straining to keep herself from displaying a show of impatience. They were insolent, these fools who called themselves the 'Ministry'; and for all their years, they still fell back on their old, childish tricks when forced to confront her head-on.

Only Faust had dared go farther, and she had made sure he learned of his folly during the war with Diabalos. That lesson, she hoped, would echo through what ages there were left for them, and teach them not to disobey her so completely.

But it wouldn't, she gathered as she looked down at her watch, stop them from trying to insult her when they thought they were safe from her wrath.

"We apologize, 'Mother'."

She lifted her eyes again, blinking unfazed into the darkness. The low, monotone voice echoed just slightly, the only indication of the chamber's true size.

"The delay was unavoidable." Another voice, almost indistinguishable from the last, rose from the emptiness. "The situation in Aveh required our attention. Please...... forgive us our insolence."

Myaru cocked an eyebrow, detecting a faint hint of sarcasm in the last statement. Not that she hadn't expected it; they were arrogant beyond their time, after all. She allowed it to pass without comment or reaction, simply crosing her arms and tapping her fingers against her elbows.

"You called us? We have come, as promised."

She let her expression relax, though her fingers nevr ceased their rapid stacatto against her arm. "Peter. Do you still call yourself the leader among your brothers?"

There was a moment of silence, and then the smooth, mechanical voice of the eldest Minister boomed forth. "It could be said so, Mother."

She nodded, aware that they could see her -- or sense her movements, if need be -- even though she could not do the same where they were concerned. Now...... how could she put forth her protests without seeming like a petulant child? Image and a long his tory were almost all she had in the way of leverage with them; she couldn't afford to destroy any of it. Their proclaimed reverence would only go so far, and she wouldn't put any real faith in what was there.

They would not understand. And Myaru did not want to explain to them her reasons for her actions. What good would it do? They had their own plans, and they only partially complimented hers. All that was in her favor was her posession of Elly, and their fear of the Contact.

As if he were a threat. Kyouran was a little twitchy at times, but even he realized that the Ministry was needed alive -- for now. Once they outlived their usefulness, she wouldn't bet money on their survival, even in their current state.

"In that case," Myaru finally said, choosing her words carefully, "I will address my question to you: Why have you amassed our troops for invasion into Aveh?"

Another pause blanketed the room in silence. "Mother, as I am sure you've noticed, Aveh has fallen under the rule of Kislev. We cannot allow such a show of insolence from the Lambs. Moreover, Aveh's resources are needed in our effort to supply Mordon and his project. We cannot --"

"I am aware of the political state in Aveh."

"Then you understand our position," another put in, a bit more softly than Peter. "The campaign is in the best interests of our goals."

Her fingers stopped abruptly. That was their excuse? It was plausible, she supposed...... but hardly probable, for such rushed preparations. And it certainly didn't justify the risk involved. Myaru didn't know how they planned on this 'sure victory' of theirs, but she damn well meant to find out.

"The campaign........" She shook her head, clipping her words. "You're putting more at risk than to gain, -children-. If you haven't forgotten, there are -two- candidates for the Anti-type; and one is in Bledavik right now, happily wasting her potential in Kislev's army."

"And how does this concern us, if I may ask?" Abraham, she thought. It was hard to tell, with the mechanical distortion warping their voices.

"How does it...... concern you?" If she had not been accustomed to their evasions, Myaru might have thought Mordon had already wiped them from the computer banks. But only a fool would take them at their word. "You know very well how it concerns you. What if this 'Athena' turns out to be the true Anti-type, instead of Elanore? If she dies, your plans will be for naught.

"As far as raw power is concerned, Elanore seems to be the prime candidate -- but she has a weak will. Athena, however, is displaying everything that alerted us to Sophia's rise, so long ago -- namely strength in leadership and ideals. So, children, what will you do, if we lose our Anti-type? What will you do if Athena meets her death by your plans, and she is proven as Darius's other half?"

"We will gladly aid you in restoring the balance between the Contact and the Anti-type, Mother...... but our plans must be carried out."

Peter finally raised his voice again, pitching it to a more human tone. "You speculate then, Mother, that they...... are both the Anti-type? Such is all I gather, from your explanation."

"It is not possible," the other spoke up again. "There is only one Anti-type, and one Contact. So it has always been."

"There are two Contacts in existence at this moment, Damien. If that is possibel, it is quite probable that teh same could occur within Elly, though the reasons are understandably obscure."

Myaru remained silent, exerting all of her willpower to hold back her derisive smile. She couldn't decide whether they were playing games or taking the absurd idea and running with it -- although she had to admit, it presented interesting possibilities. THen again, Peter had always been one to explore all options and believing solely in logic; it was what had kept him in a position of leadership for so many years.

Would this help her at all? Would they be more inclined to obey her wishes, if they thought their plans hung in the balance? If indeed they did think that -- only three had spoken so far, and none of much influence save Peter.

She sighed; dealing with them was most definitely not the highlight of her day. And she had yet to meet with Mordon and discuss their plans for pursuing Elanore. "I imply nothing, Peter; I simply say that you should have a care in choosing your plans. Ten days is not enough time for me to take Athena from the line of fire without arousing suspicion, or worse, interference from Kyouran. You run the risk of losing everything with this one rash action."

"With all due respect, Mother, I believe you are overreacting."

Peter broke in before the other -- Faust this time, she thought grimly -- could continue with that fateful line of thought. "We will, of coure, aid you in any way possible, and instruct our soldiers to spare any woman matching Elehaym's description...... but we cannot possibly divert our plans at this time."

"Aveh seems very important to you," Myaru mused, careful to keep her voice neutral. Inside, she seethed; yet another defeat, in so little time...... and she could not afford to be at war with them again, just yet.

And they knew it.

"Yes, Mother. A foothold on Ignas is essential to our continued success."

**Continued success for...... what? The construction of our Maker does not require such strenuous efforts.** She snapped her arms to her sides, straightening from her contemplative pose. "I see. Is that your answer then? Are you set to this...... course?" Folly would have been a better word for it.

"That we are," the eldest said expressionlessly. "However, we will, as we said, render any aid possible where the Anti-type is concerned."

"Yes, I think Kyouran will have the young boy in hand himself; we will have no luck seeking control over the Contact."

Myaru nodded once and turned, striding away from her sphere of light to the doors -- distinguished only by a faint line at the bottom that shone like a candle in the blackness of the chamber. Her children said nothing more as she left -- only the dead silence of computer banks, and the hum of sound dampers, would have told anyone the room wasn't empty, or a gate into the hell of the Void.

She hated failures -- hated them beyond measure.

Someone was going to pay for this. Soon, and with great pain.

(Summary: Myaru confronts the Gazel Ministry, then storms off to find Mordon.)