Klein could not, in truth, quite recall whether he had ever told «Hanged Man» and the others that the five pathways of «Sailor», «Audience», «Sun», «Reader» and «Secret Petitioner» were interchangeable — short of using «Dream Divination» there and then to recall.
But since «Hanged Man» had expressed perplexity over the Storm Church's stance, it meant he had not been thinking in terms of interchangeable pathways: whether he simply did not know, or had failed to link the two matters together, Klein judged it necessary to make himself plain enough that the members of the
Once «Hanged Man» Alger and the others turned their gaze his way, Klein manipulated «World» Gehrman Sparrow to say, in a low voice and somewhat uncertain tone: «'Storm', 'Sun', 'Audience', 'Reader' and 'Secret Petitioner' are kindred pathways.
«'Night', '
«And kindred pathways often become enemies — though this is not absolute; at the very least, the Seven
Hearing «World's» answer, «Hanged Man» Alger first recalled
It gave him a rather peculiar sense of superiority and of delight, as though he had glimpsed the heart of the matter, transcending the tier upon which the great majority of Storm Church Beyonders stood.
«Justice» Audrey, for her part, also gained an entirely new appreciation of Intis's strange silence in this war, and grew more uneasy still about the situation in
Furthermore, she had now learned that she could convert into «Darkless Walker», could convert into «Disaster Officiant», could convert into the Sequence 4 represented by that demigod from the Church of Knowledge earlier.
As for the Sequence 4 corresponding to the «Secret Petitioner», that was utterly outside her consideration.
Of course, she still preferred «Manipulator» to the rest, for she had a heartfelt fondness for the «Audience» pathway. And yet she also felt a heartfelt dread of high-tier Beyonders of the «Audience» pathway — Hewen Lanbis had left her with a markedly unpleasant impression, and Adam's «Where words are uttered, they shall be known» had cast a small psychological shadow upon her, so that she had often to perform self-analysis to cure the corresponding troubles.
«Hermit»
While the other members of the Tarot Club gave their thoughts free rein, «Hanged Man» Alger said to «World» Gehrman Sparrow: «My thanks for your explanation.»
He did not say in particular what he had come to understand.
Truth be told, there was a moment when Alger contemplated leaving the Storm Church and converting to some other pathway; that was at least better than waiting within the Church for a hope so faint. In the end, however, he set the thought aside, for he had spent a great deal of time pursuing the position of cardinal in the Storm Church, and now he had begun to hunger for the rank of first among cardinals — to become the angel in charge of the «Substitute Punishers» or the ascetics.
As for the office of Pope, Alger had no longing for it, since it was far too close to the «
Were he indeed chosen as Pope, Alger suspected that no sooner had he set the triple tiara upon his head than a «Lightning Storm» would descend from on high and reduce him to a heap of charred char.
Seeing the exchange between «World» and «Hanged Man» concluded, «Moon» Emlyn asked, with mild curiosity: «With which pathway can the 'Pharmacist' pathway be interchanged?»
The racial character of vampires determined that none of them wished to convert to other pathways, for that often meant the loss of «identity recognition»; so Emlyn had not paid much heed to such matters before.
«The 'Planter' pathway of the Church of the Earth,» «Hermit» Cattleya answered in passing.
The 'Planter' pathway… that which the
Just then «Judgement» Xio also spoke up: «With which pathway is 'Arbiter' kindred?»
«'Lawyer',» Cattleya answered concisely.
The 'Lawyer' of the «Black Emperor» pathway… meaning that if I am able to reach Sequence 5, I can then convert to Sequence 4 of the «Black Emperor» pathway; and Forsi has said that Mr. «Fool» possesses a card of blasphemy in which is harboured all the secrets of the «Black Emperor» pathway… «Judgement» Xio suddenly found that there seemed, after all, to be a thread of light in the future.
It must be remembered that the «Arbiter» pathway was firmly held by the two great royal houses; even the corresponding military bodies had only low- and middle-Sequence potion formulae. For their Sequence 5s to advance further, they had to receive a bestowal from the royal house — just as every general had to be commissioned by the king or queen; and what was received was, essentially, prepared potions and ritual procedures.
For Xio that meant that she had next to no chance of acquiring, or rather of buying, the Sequence 4 potion formula of the «Arbiter» pathway.