Chapter 16 of 74 · Book 6, The Eye of the Bedlam Bride

Chapter 16 — Ogun

Book: The Eye of the Bedlam Bride · Part: Havana · Previous: Chapter 15 — The Thorn Room · Next: Chapter 17 — Two goddesses · Floor: Floor 8 — The Ghosts of Earth · Series: the series

Opening

<Note added by Crawler Tipid, 4th Edition>

Summary

'I killed my best friend today. I wish I had never made it this far.' (Crawler Tipid, 4th Edition) — Lightning through the ceiling; the Scavenger's Daughter opens her eyes (All-Smash +300%). Ogun, human-sized, leather apron, a necklace of teeth, eyes of white light, level 250, invulnerable, unsponsored, an outsider from an obscure dissipated pantheon who toils at a celestial anvil making armour for four-legged beasts, 'a strong contender for the celestial throne', here because 'punishments should be handed out in person'. Plan Exit is Protective Shell, Invisibility and a Puddle Jump for four. 'You also unleashed my sister back into the light. That is unforgiveable.' Sister Ines stands between with her trident — 'You're not a real god' — and is Shelved for six minutes, the trident shattered. The god heals Paz with a sizzling handprint and takes back the healing: 'Go in darkness […] alone and without armor.' 'Fuck you. Go fuck yourself.' 'I know who you are.' Carl casts Black Nimbus on Anton (the nipple-ring spell that strips a worshipper's benefits) and two Heal scrolls; the shunned mark goes — and so does the god's mercy; Ogun steps on Anton's head. 'One of those rules is that you must know your place. If I didn’t hold Emberus in such high esteem, I would crush you, too.' Then: 'Now tell my sister I said, ‘Welcome Back.’' Paz, face burned to muscle, the debuff made permanent: Ogun had cured everything except his 'Inevitable' debuff, and only at the end. Then the warning: Sister Ines's race carries Toxoplasma-something — people like her, want to protect her, forget she told them, and it grows; the cousins worshipped Ogun to resist it and forgot why. She is not a worker: the Havana crew were guards at a women's prison walking the inmates to the med building; she was the inmate, El Segador de La Habana, who poisoned every sister in her convent; Anton killed Elian after… 'Eat the nun.' 'That's not who we are, Donut.' 'THEN WHY DID YOU ASK?' We can party with her. It wouldn't be so bad — and the chill of the thought. Carl chooses separation and warnings. Katia, via Donut: another god is coming with a quest they must do; she will not say how she knows. Paz refuses the potion — 'My soul is at peace.' Ines wakes, weeps, blames Carl ('Why didn't you get that shrine piece?'); 'Everyone leaves me'; then a flag in Paz's neck. Whoom. A common green card. 'Yemaya has made an appearance in the realm […] Eileithyia has made an appearance in the realm'

Characters

• Carl — Shouts at a god and is spared for Emberus's sake; 'I made this happen.'
• Princess Donut — 'Eat the nun'; 'THEN WHY DID YOU ASK'
• Ogun — Invulnerable, calm, unsponsored, with a place in the throne race; crushes Anton like nothing.
• Anton Lopez — Killed underfoot after Black Nimbus removes him from mercy.
• Paz Lo — The burned face; the confession about the sister; a card at the end.
• Sister Ines — Shelved, then revealed: the Reaper of Havana, with a skill that makes you love her.
• Katia Grim — Knows a god and a quest are coming and will not say how.
• Mongo — On slug duty; would eat the nun if asked.
• Emberus — The esteem that keeps Carl alive.

Locations

• The Colón cemetery — The Temple of Yemaya, blood on new tiles, the fountain boiling over.

Motifs

• The gods — A god's punishment in person; the celestial throne; 'know your place.'
• The orishas — Ogun's sister returned; two more gods arrive.
• T'Ghee totems — A dying man flagged into a common card by his friend.
• The Scavenger's Daughter — Eyes open, eyes closed: a divine patch that reacts to gods.
• SlugPox — Level 3, 5, a danger-dingo-faced one; Mongo's snacks.
• Carl's family — 'That's not who we are.'