Father Browning got to the entrance too, and stopped beside the holy water basin, shaking his head as he watched the tall woman disappear in the night.

«I suppose you could have sat in a pew during mass?» he said, still looking outside, his dark eyes hidden behind his glasses, but clearly speaking to Garaham beside him.

«I was praying.» the Enforcer said.

«For her not to notice you, I gather.» the priest joked.

«I try to avoid personal contact with my Coven outside the office, as much as I can.» Garaham replied, dryly.

Father Browning rolled his eyes.

«I don't think this is the-»

«Oh, look who slithered out of his cubicle.» an elegant voice said. An elegant voice that sent waves of irritation along Garaham's back. Both him and the priest turned to notice the smirk on face, gleaming at them from down up.

«Councilman Jägermann, a pleasure as always. I don't see your blushing bride.» Garaham greeted him.

«And I don't see yours, is this a new game in Losertown?» Jägermann snapped back.

«Boys, boys, manners.» Father Browning intervened, raising his hands to separate them, even if only in gesture. «Joachim, is something the matter?»

«Ask him, Father. Have you come to confess your theft?»

«Theft?» Father Browning looked at Garaham. With not enough shock in his eyes. «Again?» he mouthed, covering his mouth so Jägermann couldn't see. Garaham rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

«I have nothing to say.» he lawyered up, instinctively.

«Oh, you still haven't confessed to the good Father? He's put his paws on a Pandora's Box.» Jägermann exposed him. «And he's keeping it hidden from the Council.»

«I only knew about the trial, certainly not the details still. Why haven't the Virtues been informed that a Pandora's Box had been recovered? These weren't the pacts, Joachim!» Father Browning suddenly turned serious, focusing on the blonde man in front of him. Garaham took a step back.

«Well, I'll leave you to it then. It seems you have much more to discuss than I.» he said. Father Browning glared at him.

«Garaham, did you steal it?»

«No. I didn't.» he answered, ready and sustaining the priest's eyes. Before Jägermann could say anything, the priest slowly nodded, and Garaham simply disappeared without a sound.

«That clown. Of course he didn't, his Coven of brain-deads did.» Jägermann spat. «I didn't remember you were so easy to bamboozle Father. But you're Temperance, not Smartness, for a reason I gather.»

«First of all, Smartness is not a Holy Virtue.» the priest pointed out. «Second, Joachim, we had a deal. You could study me, and my powers and, in exchange, you would have kept me, and the other Virtues informed about any Pandora's Box. How have I not heard about this one?»

«You're conveniently forgetting that one of the entries of the deal was the Order helping you disappear from the Vices' radar, stashing you in a safe place. Well, we did. So, don't act like you didn't get anything for just some simple tests.»

«You got more information from me than all of your predecessors in centuries, so don't act like you did anything out of the goodness of your heart either.» Father Browning retorted. «I'm listening.»

«All right. Some time ago, some rumors started about the D'Yves finding yet another Pandora's Box. Of course, we remembered our binding pact with the Virtues, and their holy duty to keep the Pandora's Boxes from being open, and even if we couldn't act out in the open, every one of us had started planning how to get to the box before Justin, or anyone else of his family of madmen, could do anything rash and stupid.» Joachim started to talk, in a very self-righteous tone.

«Bullshit, you just wanted it to finally have one to study.» Father Browning scoffed.

«Father! Language! In your own church!» Joachim feigned shock and awe.

«I'm pretty sure my boss wouldn't mind.» Father Browning dismissed the problem with an eloquent gesture of his hand. «So, you were getting to the part where you forgot to tell me for weeks you had eyes on a Box.»

«We didn't, all right? Nearly every Council, apart from Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos I think, wanted to put someone on the job.»

«Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos has always been a wise woman.» Father Browning nodded.

«She sure is. But, in this instance, even trying wasn't enough. You wouldn't think so many people feared Justin so badly not to hear the siren's song of a Box. I had just put my hands on someone who could do the trick and I was convincing them, but we were all beaten to the punch by Della Rovere and his lackeys. And of course, the little weasel didn't even think about coming clean and give up the box. Partially because Justin jumped on us with this trial nonsense. I gather he's just waiting for the thing to blow off and then we'll see the box mysteriously reappear in his heroic hands.» Joachim explained, growling for half the speech

«Very well then.» Father Browning nodded. «When this happens, I hope the Order remembers our pact for real, and let us keep an eye on the Box while you try to study it without opening it.»

«Believe me. Nobody wants to risk another Ebyakh.» Joachim suddenly went serious.

«Excuse me, Father?» Fabrice's voice cut through the short silence fallen between the two men. Father Browning's expression softened naturally.

«My dear Fabrice, I thought you were already gone.»

«Maybelline needed some advice on her brother. It appears he's under the influence again, and she really needed to talk to someone. Oh, Joachim, so nice to see you too.»

«Fabrice.» the small man lifted his hand to shake the other's vigorously. «I was meaning to stop by the hospital later in the week, to have a word with some of the board members.»

«I do hope you'll be so kind as to accept a dinner invite, before then. I'm sure Diane would be ecstatic at the thought of showing her new drapes to your wife.»

«Then, just let me wait for my paycheck because what usually happens when we come to dinner is an immediate next-day run to buy something that could match your wife's impeccable taste for internal design.» Joachim replied, with a kind smile. «Do give her my bests. And to the little one.»

«Will do. Have a nice evening Joachim. Father.» he waved them goodbye, and then disappeared along the street, followed by the two men's gazes.

Father Browning sighed.

«You see that man? He, and all the others exiting my church. Those are the reasons Pandora's Boxes shouldn't be opened. If you and your Order mingled more with good people, maybe you'd remember.»

«We mingle with humans enough.» Joachim's eyes darkened, slightly but notably. «We keep the Undertide creatures at bay for them, remember? We're not all just playing high and mighty with Divine powers bestowed from above.»

«Because hunting down Vices while they hunt down us isn't dirtying our hands enough in your eyes?» Father Browning raised an eyebrow.

«Spend an evening with Oberon and Titania, or with Louis XIV and Marie Antoinette and then we'll talk.» Joachim put his hands in his pockets. «Good night Father, you'll hear from me soon.»

Father Browning barely nodded in response, letting Joachim Jägermann leave his church steps, and walk to a car nearby. Then, he waited until his church was empty, and finally relaxed.

He knelt in front of the altar, and put his hands together, closing his eyes. A soft and diffused golden light engulfed then first, and then all of his body, as he focused his thoughts on two people in particular, praying for Temperance to reach them, and enlighten them, through him.

«God Father bless your son and your daughter in this time of troubles. For he is stubborn and blinded by resentment, and she is violent and blinded by sorrow, and they are both very flawed people. But, ultimately, I know they're pure in heart. And I remember what you said.» he pronounced the next words with a soft and respectful tone. «Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.»

https://youtu.be/x-xpMRCnJRE

The view from the upper north terrace of the restaurant was one of the most mesmerizing sights of the city. The expanse of buildings and lights, especially at night, was breath-taking. That was one of the reasons why a dinner at Peppino's was so difficult to reserve, especially when spring was in its prime.

That was what the Lions were enjoying, quite sure that Whisper's scramming bubble would have rendered their little chat completely inaudible by anyone else. A bottle of the establishment's best French wine had just arrived at the table, and Mariposa's eyes glimmered with expectation.

«Why do you think he summoned us here?» Glory was nervous, Christmas Eve nervous.

«Isn't it obvious? He noticed our efforts in trying to retrieve his music box.» the tall, elegant woman was still clad in her day-job women suit, with the large pin "Vote for Norton" still pinned to her lapel. «The point was being noticed.»

«I don't like the guy.» Avalanche frowned. «His internet footprint is next to minimum. Plus, are we sure he won't try anything strange with Whisper?»

The young, slim man was encased in his silence.

«I don't even think Justin knows Whisper's a Leshrac, Avalanche. Plus, I would never willingly expose you to any danger. And even if, I think that four of us can take a D'Yves. We're a team. We're a family.» Mariposa smiled, repeating what sounded like a regular mantra. «Do you have everything?»

Glory nodded, taking out a file filled with sheets and photographs, dearly organized. There was the report of their diviner, the ones on the Pollos' movements of the days before, everything they had discovered about them, even if it wasn't much. The Order protected the privacy of their Coven members very well, to ensure that much of the oldest way of backstabbing someone couldn't happen.

«Let's hope he's satisfied with this.» Avalanche said, sipping his wine. «I can't believe our dream could become true.»

«The Pandora's Boxes Search and Recovery mission has been dormant for ages. Are we sure that impressing a D'Yves will be enough to press Jägermann into refunding it?» Whisper spoke, taking everyone by surprise. Mariposa put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

«Not enough but is surely another step forward.»

«One would think it shouldn't be so difficult to convince an Order of Mages to let someone search for one of the most powerful artifacts ever. Especially when we haven't really handled one in all of these centuries, as an Order.» Glory looked at her wine, frowning.

«We've been through the song and dance. You open that particular field of research back, and it's Ebyakh Labs all over again. The Council doesn't want another one of those happenings.»

«But it has been almost fifteen years since the accident!» Glory got particularly heated up. «And it's not like magic laboratories never mysteriously blow up!»

«I know, and this is why this is the right time to strike. But we need all the pieces of the puzzle before making a bold move. We already have Della Rovere, he'd do anything to annoy Jägermann, Ivanova of course, and your cousin Zachariah on our side.» Mariposa softly patted Whisper's shoulder. «If we add Viceroy D'Yves, then we're only missing the illustrious Manuela Luisita Pordelada Dos Santos and we're almost done. When you have Logistic on your side, you're more than halfway. But Logistics moves only if one side is strong enough. We know that Fong, Nzeogwu and Cavanaugh basically don't care, and Casadei will just try to play Switzerland. But with some effort...»

«I agree, the Pandora's Boxes are really funny. You should definitely try to find one. So amusing.» chirped a voice right behind Mariposa, where just a second before there was nothing.

Now, Justin D'Yves was smiling like a crocodile, looking at all of them. Instinctively, Avalanche moved just some inches left, and Glory to the right, getting a bit closer to Whisper, in such a natural and perfectly synched move, it was like dancing.

«Monsieur D'Yves, it is an honour and a pleasure.» Mariposa stood up, bowing her head with respect. Justin laughed in delight.

«Madame Campaign Manager, I'm happy to tear you away from your day-job to let you indulge in less mundane and more... thrilling conspiracies.» the Frenchman replied, gesturing her to sit down. «And you're all so very nice and heroic, but if I wanted the Leshrac dead, he'd be face in his consommé. Don't worry, I don't go around directly killing every Leshrac I see. I stopped after the third tennis elbow.»

Everyone could see Whisper shivering, but he remained shielded by his silence. Justin put a hand on the back of Mariposa's chair, almost fatherly.

«Now dear, I see you have something for me.»

«We got some intel, and we're happy to try and contribute to the busting of Order Law criminals.» she offered, almost ceremoniously, passing the file.

Justin took it up and started rapidly flipping through the pages, then looking very serious, closed the files.

And threw it from the terrace.

The four paled in unison.

«Yeah, that was very useful. Thank you dears.»

«But...» Mariposa staggered «The... the pages the...»

«Uh? Oh, I, erm, destroyed them. Don't you do that with super-secret important documents? Destroy them? You do have copies, don't you?» Justin looked at them, as if it was so obvious it went without saying.

«Y... yes of course.» Avalanche found the voice to reply. To see the tall, thick Jamaican struggle to find a stable, deep voice and not a terrified squeak was something to behold. And Justin beheld with so much merriment.

«Very well. I'll see you tomorrow at the Trial, then, and I can grant you, you'll have the biggest surprise of your life.»

«Surprise...?» Mariposa snapped back into business mode, her eyes transfixing on the mage before her. «What do you mean? Are you calling us as witnesses?»

«Oh! So much better, my dear butterfly, so, so much better! But I won't spoil everything now! Where's the drama in that? You'll see. Oh, if you'll see! Tomorrow! Don't be late!»

With a scenic bow, he laughed and then jumped over the terrace's railing, into the void below. No one of the other customers seemed to have noticed anything. The four Lions remained there, looking at the empty space that had so briefly hosted Justin.

«That's why we hate them.» Whisper grumbled, under his voice, as usual. «How can you reason with someone like that?»

«We don't need to reason with him, we just want him to be pleased. And he will be.» Mariposa stood, her hands firmly planted against the table. «Tomorrow, be in your best gear. I don't know what will happen, but whatever will happen...» she smirked, looking at the three in front of her. The crème de la crème of the Coven Mages of the Order, handpicked and selected like the disciples of Christ themselves.

All three of them looked up to her. All three smiled.

«... the Lion will roar.» they said, in perfect, almost melodic unison.

***

Hi everyone!
So, the table's set and the Trial's starting soon. What's laying in wait for the Pollos? What's Justin's plan? What will happen to the Lion's ambition? Is Staccato really Banshee's long lost brother?
Stay tuned, 'cause the fun's only started (well, not for the Pollos, it's not).

As always, vote and comment to your heart's content!

Love, Daniel.