Hitherby drifts formlessly out of a bush near the door, or perhaps up from the grass, or off the wall.
Pat sets the duffle bag down on the porch, reaching for his keys.
Hitherby hums cheerfully. "Mazpatiel."
Pat looks at the swarm. "Hitherby. Did you strafe Edward and I?"
Hitherby swirls notes up a variant scale, and says, "It was not strafing. It was an inconspicuous greeting."
Pat says "Ah. It has all become clear to me now."
Hitherby bobs. "We have been raiding Focals."
Pat squints. "Who is we?"
Hitherby chirrups, "Me. Sephar."
Pat says "Is there trouble?"
Hitherby hums thoughtfully. "No longer."
Pat lifts an eyebrow. "There was, before?"
Hitherby muses softly, "I was forced to use a Song to draw the demons away from the computer screen. Then it was necessary to outthink the Lilim and the Djinn to save my host."
Pat says "You were discovered?"
Hitherby says, cheerfully, "Temporarily."
Pat says "Elaborate."
Hitherby says, "I destroyed a can of bug spray, then escaped from under a glass, then escaped into the office, broke through the door, and eluded pursuit."
You say "They chose not to follow beyond the office."
Pat says "Consider me impressed. That was quite the accomplishment."
Hitherby says, "We acquired much information."
Pat says "Can you relay it?"
Hitherby hums. "The Lilim has returned to Earth. Verthurel is being hastened out of Trauma; the other casualty is being ignored. There was a Djinn computer expert who was investigating you and Daimon. Then they received a message on their screen."
Pat says "That message being?"
You say "I believe Sephar has the message. They reacted to it by suggesting that things are moving fast, that the Media does not know how to butter its bread, and that there was some uncertainty as to whether to pursue the old targets or the new ones."
Pat squints. "Which side their bread is buttered on?"
Hitherby bobs. "Yes."
Pat nods. "I believe the lines of alliance are being drawn in Hell.
Hitherby bobs. "That was my impression."
Hitherby wing-mutters, "I have hopes that the message itself will prove more illuminating."
Pat says "Nightmares and the Game have allied. Media and Lust seem to be supporting Dark Humor."
Hitherby considers that.
Hitherby says, in a tone of faint dismay, "This is not the most balanced pairing."
Pat says "No, it is not. I have no indication of the stances the other Principalities have taken, though. If any."
Hitherby hums a low tone. "I am glad that there is strife in Hell. And all of the Princes are unfortunate creatures. Despite my promise, I am not convinced that Kobal is anything otherwise. Still, one could hope for stauncher --" A confused swirling. "I have no idea what the proper term is. It is not 'allies'; the Media or Lust would destroy us in a moment if they could, and I would not help them in anything but this one matter ..."
Pat nods. "Entirely understandable. I think that save one, we are not involved in this due to personal sentiment to Kobal."
Hitherby bobs. "It is Daimon's love for Kobal that is worth preserving, and worth preserving the Prince for. All other reasons and outcomes are in the hands of Destiny."
Pat purses his lips. "Perhaps."
Hitherby says, proudly, "I made a tunnel in their door."
Pat says "A tunnel? By what means?"
Hitherby adds, thoughtfully, "Was Eduardo talking about Uriel?"
Hitherby bobs up, then down. "Using my forelegs."
You say "The tunnel, not Eduardo."
You say "He never used my forelegs."
Pat says "Uriel."
Hitherby hums agreeably.
Hitherby explains, "A culling light."
Pat nods. "Oh dear."
Hitherby observes, "Ethereal creatures are created by dreams."
Hitherby hums pensively. "The alternative is unthinkable."
Pat nods. "Perhaps an oblique reference to Taroniel and the Calabite."
Hitherby explains, softly, "That being -- well --"
Hitherby mutters softly, "Who is Light?"
Pat mutters. "Prophecy."
Hitherby says, "I should not like to think of that one taking a more active hand in the world."
Pat says "Indeed. It would be...ugly."
Pat hoists up the bag. "Let's go inside, then."
Hitherby nods, and -- well, she's already inside. So she just returns to patrol.
---