"But it means other people are."

"But, you have to pick your battles. Pick... pick fewer battles than that. Put some battles back. That's too many.

How many times do you think you can beat something like that demon? If each victory costs this much? At least only fight when you think you can win."

"—I thought I could win, we were winning—and then the demon was much bigger than we'd thought, the factory had a basement and no one knew—"

"So you know sometimes it's harder than you expect. A plan isn't good enough and you need to be sure.

Be honest. Are you planning to fight Conq- him?"

"Well, some of the time sensitivity of that's gone now," she says, gesturing at Doug with her head, "but I can't say I'm super happy with the way he runs this place."

"I don't know that anyone is," Diana agrees, "but he keeps things stable enough that we wouldn't have many allies if we tried anything."

"He's weak," Doug says. "Jeremy said. He won't surrender, have to make him lose." As always, Doug's face looks half vacant, looking fearfully at something that isn't there.

"So if one wanted to overthrow him it would be a good idea to get allies or make him unable to keep things stable anymore. Possibly both."

"No allies, not enough. Embarrass him and he looks weak, outside challengers maybe come early. You know the Herdsman, Di?"

"I have some allies. Herdsman?"

"The constellation. Sending that instead of a warrior construct and having it get a hit or two in, it's a way of saying "you fight like a cow."  But it didn't work. Doug has trouble making new memories, but I remember. No one else moved against the Lord."

"It was... recent."

"Nothing happened in time to matter, then.

Who are the allies you mentioned?"

"...so have you heard of the Thorburns?"

"Not really. Established family?"

"Yeah, in Jacob's Bell. They're, ah, diabolists."

"...No."

"Their current head has... a few hypotheses about demons, and thinks we should really really push back against them right now because if we only do it when it looks like they might consume the planet and destroy everything then we've already lost. I mostly buy that, I've... studied the subject matter a bit."

"Just to clarify, you're not suggesting using demons here? You just came from a catastrophe caused by fighting one. I don't know what it would do if we unseated a Lord that way. Doug and I can still just run."

"—what? No, absolutely not! No, no, not using demons, nuh uh, I get enough bad karma killing them."

"So, not using demons but getting help from the Thorburns. That kind of thing is supposed to be dangerous too."

"Not the Thorburns directly, no. Just—I met and befriended the current Thorburn matriarch, ah... in the past... and formed a cabal of practitioners who were under my seal rather than Solomon's. It persists. But they don't know I'm me."

"I have no idea how much using the extra seal would help. Probably some. But if they're diabolists are we back to using demons to unseat the Lord?"

"I don't know if we should use their help to actually unseat the Lord as opposed to serve as a group of people around whom we can lay low. I really, really don't want to use a demon for that. Perhaps I should swear to this fact to prevent myself from ever thinking it's a good idea."

"That sounds like overkill. And like a risk– if there are allied diabolists in play, who knows how much involvement it takes before you arguably used a demon.

You probably shouldn't lie low. No need to incriminate yourself. Would these practitioners take me in on your say-so?"

"They took me in on Rose's—Rose is the Thorburn matriarch—I'm technically under some interpretations of the word not a diabolist, and as far as they know I'm an illusionist ally Rose sent them. They also owe you big time for the light construct. So yeah, I think so."