"Yeah. Jackson. Why don't you go help your friends plan the schedule?"

"Of course. It was nice meeting you." And with that, he goes.

"Why don't you come inside?"

Lao enters the house. "Nice place," he comments.

It's certainly very cozy. Couches and armchairs appear wherever they can be justified, and the fireplace is roaring. It's warmer in here than it is outside, where the sun bakes the earth. The colors are all yellows, oranges, and reds. There are blankets piled on top of every flat surface, including a few neatly folded and placed along the floor.

"You can sit anywhere. You should get comfortable before I start explaining what's going on. Tea?"

"I'd love some. You must be very popular in winter," he comments. Fortunately, sensitivity to extreme temperatures is something he left behind with his Last Breath.

"With folks like Jackson, yes. With the rest of this town, no. There's a bit of a divide, you see, between those of of us who cooperate and those who cower."

He begins preparing the tea. This makes the house a touch warmer.

"How new are you, exactly?"

"I arrived about half an hour ago. I haven't had time to pick up on much besides Jackson's posse of zombies and that there's some weird plant everywhere."

"They're not zombies. The decay doesn't go much further, usually, before the next feast. They heal better than we do, because they've been fully converted. I'm guessing I should start by explaining the church."

"Yes, please do."

"The Order of Good Cheer values honest, open living. Neighbors should never lie to spare each other's feelings, or play games, but they should always be there to support one another. Community is about feeding every member. Your tea is ready."

"I do not think that is what I needed explained about the church," Lao says blandly. He accepts tea, and takes a cautious sip.

The tea is warm. It's not hot enough to burn, although perhaps for the young, sick, and elderly it could still pose a danger. It's certainly more bracing than comforting.

"Right. Maybe I should start with what the church does. They worship John Barleycorn, who died for their sins. They ritually cannibalize him once a year, and in between, they cannibalize each other. It helps with the decay, and with their power over the harvest."

"There we go. This Barleycorn character, he's a god? I've never eaten a god before."

“Yes, he is. It’s almost a metaphor. If you don’t think about it too hard, you can convince yourself you’re not eating flesh. Helps that it’s not all flesh. Cornmeal, too.”

Sip.

”Everyone in this town is involved, whether they want to be or not. You just have to decide what you want to get out of it.”

"What's on offer? I already have eternal youth and inhuman beauty."

“What’s the cost? I can control the weather, don’t need food or water, help plants grow supernaturally fast, feed people, regenerate, and create Husks like Jackson and his friends.”

“The cost is my undying devotion to the Neverborn, and everything that entails. It's not a good deal. I can already live without sustenance and regenerate, and I’m not sure I’d want the rest."

"You sure I can't sell you on it? I don't know much about this Neverborn, but 'undying devotion' doesn't sound fun."

"It isn't. If I betrayed the Neverborn to seek a new master, I would be subject to tortures the mortal mind cannot imagine. I could partake, but not if it meant splitting my loyalties."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, no. What would the Neverborn want you to do here?"

"They seek the destruction of all that is. This doesn't technically mean I'm obligated to go about killing everyone I lay eyes on, but they wouldn't mind if I did. In the medium run, I they'll want me to cause at least a modest amount of death and destruction, and in the long run I expect they'll want me to do my level best to return to the Labyrinth, assuming they didn't cause me to come here in the first place. I'd want to check with them-" he shudders "-but I can leave that for tonight."

It's good to have tea to sip for moments like this one. Sip.

"We have plenty of things that need destroying, when it comes time to prioritize. I'd start with the higher members of the church."

Lao smiles. "I did get that impression. What have they done to offend you?"