"Would you mind explaining to me how a living, breathing human being could get in contact with the most powerful force in this universe?" Botolf asked.
The frustration had built up in him, but he tried very hard not to yell at Mother or take too sharp a tone.
"Botolf, dear, you simply don't know as much as you think you know," Mother gently replied.
The two of them went back and forth while Briana, Lucifer, and Oberon sat around the little fire pit, quiet for the most part. Lucifer's mention of "time" had put Botolf on edge since the previous evening, and the full explanation of what had happened on the Scottish plains only caused him more grief. The three bystanders had varying opinions on the situation. Oberon was not worried at all because he would have no say—verbally or physically—in the politics that were to come. Lucifer worried silently, but worry wasn't the only emotion he felt at the moment. He was never one to openly express his sentiments, at least not all of them, so his worry coupled with regret, fear, vengeance, and a touch of lust was sealed within him. He was filled to the brim with feelings, but his figure was a shade to them. Briana, on the other hand, was quite open about how she felt regarding the situation.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?" she demanded from her seat.
Her request went unfulfilled, so she asked again.
"Can someone tell me what's going on?"
Mother made a response, "Look, sweetheart, you will learn in do time, but right now you need not worry."
Brianna scoffed. Sweetheart? she thought. She slumped back against the log by which she sat and stayed quiet for just a moment longer before directing her conversation to Lucifer.
"Do you know about what's happening?" she asked.
Lucifer didn't reply. He simply slumped over and kept looking at his thumbs, which robotically orbited each other. Briana didn't give up.
"C'mon, I know you know something," she went on, "Spill it."
"Uhm, miss?" Oberon spoke up.
Briana turned to him, "What is it?"
"Um, no one speaks to mister Lucifer directly. All conversation must go through me," Oberon explained.
"Oh," Briana said, looking back to Lucifer, whose eyes still remained fixed on his thumbs, "Botolf says you and Mother Nature have history."
At that, Lucifer's thumbs came together at the tips and his eyes averted to his left, in Briana's direction. Their gazes met, and Briana had a slight grin on her face.
"Ask him what happened between him and Mother Nature," Briana asked.
Oberon hesitated, "Um, I'd rather not."
"Oh, c'mon, just ask him," Briana prodded.
Oberon still do not do as she asked. Frankly, he wasn't required to do anything for Briana, and he respected Lucifer too much to ask such an invasive question.
"You do have a lot to learn about the afterlife, you know?" Oberon said to Briana.
Now, Briana was quiet, and she stayed that way even after Mother and Botolf ended their spat and addressed the group once more.
"Listen, Lou, I know you're upset about this, but there's nothing much that we can do besides confront Time, verbally, I mean. We don't want to cause any trouble," Mother explained.
Lucifer had his eyes on his thumbs again, but he grunted in an unsatisfied tone.
Mother sighed, "I know, I know, but we can still do something about Andy right now."
