"Oh! That was another thing. Mordred, you said that the gardener had - dropped a rosary into one of the little mouths that had appeared on the property? And it had turned to stone? The mouth, I mean, not the rosary."

"It was a crucifix but yes."

She is very unsurprised by rosaries freezing mouths.

"Right, that was it. - oh. Also we, uh, think that it the mouths might be, uh, infectious? They keep - the house of the man who had tried to stop the cult a decade ago kept forming water marks that looked just like mouths. And the mental asylum where Mr. Aarons was being kept didn't have the same visible signs, but - the other patients kept talking about the mouth. About mouths. We didn't know what they meant at the time. One of them tried to bite me, while he was talking about it."

"But especially given the priests in your book I don't think that means particularly much? They could still pray and hold masses, and things. -- to be clear I do trust you but I'm hesitant to extend that to everyone and anyone who can touch a rosary or holy water or take communion."

"Demon possession can have visible signs. I would expect any priests who worshiped demons to be unable to perform a true mass instead of a blasphemous perversion."

Lev has feelings about translating the phrase 'blasphemous perversion' which exactly two people in this room understand.

Mordred may be wearing his friend's rosary but he is still, in fact, an atheist. It has not become easier in the last few months to believe that there is an all-knowing all-powerful deity who notices and cares for every fallen sparrow and wants things to turn out okay.

"Do you have any other questions for me? Or ways that I can assist?"

"Well, we still need a guide to get through the desert, I think?"

"After Adua, though."

"Yeah, I think - it sounds like nothing horrible is probably going to happen to the Dallol ruins in the next few days, in which case we should first determine whether we can get any information from Acuna. He shouldn't recognize us. And then, after that, we can come back here and see if there's anything to be learned from Dallol."

"I can guide you and take you to the site and well away from Dallol village." She makes a face. "You would not want to stumble into Dallol village these days."

"Afar in that area have become-- strange in recent years. They no longer travel their old nomadic routes and rarely leave the village. The other tribes of the area have come to shun them, uncomfortable in their presence. They avoid going into town to trade with them, even if it means traveling farther to collect goods that they need. It's best to stay away."

"I see." She does not really see but Berhane seems like she knows what's up.

Oh, like Innsmouthers. Sometimes that just happens to small towns. Mordred nods.

"Ah." Spooky. Spooky isolated probably haunted town.

Haunted? Infested? Converted? Something.

"Well, if that's all, you may stay at the nunnery tonight and leave early tomorrow for Adua."

"Thank you. We appreciate your help immensely."

 This will hopefully be nicer than the hotel and if so he's glad of it.

[For romantic plot tumor, click here.]

The next morning, Berhane approaches. "The other nuns and I have discussed your story. We find it disturbing. We want to help as best we can. One of our finest exorcists, Sister Araari, has agreed to join you on your investigations, if you will have her."

"That sounds like an extremely useful person to have along."

"We would very much appreciate having someone knowledgeable of the area and of exorcising this sort of demon accompanying us!"

Berhane gestures for Sister Araari to come forward.

Araari steps forward! She's a young black woman, with medium brown skin; she wears all handwoven white cotton and a netela scarf covering her hair. She’s young and looks a little nervous, but she smiles at the party. “Hello.”