"I'm not actually into self-flagellation. I do not plan to, like, live on New Valinor after I've put it back best I can."

"I am glad to hear that. But - do you plan to go have a run at ruling the multiverse, or are you going to be like 'that should go to someone who is purer of history than me' -"

"It doesn't seem very respectful of the consent of the governed to put me in charge and not tell them or tell them and put me in charge over the inevitable objections. I'd like to help but..."

"Anyone I'd trust to rule the multiverse is also someone who'd do what you did, given the choices you had. The only difference is that no one actually made them do it."

"And I'd buy that reasoning but Random Multiversal Citizen Twelve Billion isn't likely to."

"Well, they don't get an opinion about who the emperor actually listens to, you can do as much advising as you want."

"Yeah, I can do that part."

"Thanks for telling me. It's nice to have a more complete picture."

"You're welcome."

"Do you want a hug or something."

"If you like."

"It's not actually about me? I have Huan and I sort of have a girlfriend now, I have lots of people I can hug when I want a hug -"

"I run on a zero-hug diet pretty okay by default and even motivated as you are by my emotional state you needn't feel like I'm being neglected in some crucial way, but I wouldn't turn you down, is what I mean."

"Okay." Hug.

Hug. Sigh.

"We're really lucky Edie met you."

"I'm glad I can help."

"Let me know if you need anything, not that I'm expecting that to occur, because you are a demon."

"I am indeed a demon, it's mostly pretty nice."

"We're gonna be very demon-bottlenecked on ending scarcity in the multiverse, hard to find people trustworthy enough for dimension-hopping tech and Edie's probably not gonna want to fork ten times now that I won't - I think Maitimo's very faintly annoyed with me about that but it's not like he'd say anything..."

"I don't really want to fork either. Pity the other Revelation seems not to be a me."

"Maybe the Edies can fork off of Ada. Maitimo's eventually going to want at least ten of him, too..."

"I guess with an entire multiverse to handle it's sensible if you can cope with it okay."

"Yeah. Not for me, but I can definitely see the appeal. Wonder if they'll be interchangeable or if one of 'em will be emperor of the multiverse and the other ones vaguely jealous..."

"This is the kind of thing that would worry me if I had a fork. Alts, we could just divvy things up and then flawlessly cooperate, forks don't have natural specializations so it'd be slightly forced."