“Oh, it’s a long story, but I suppose we have nothing but time, right?” She pulls out another cigarette. “Okay, so the other world is called Aos. It’s run by a pantheon of gods. I forget how many. Ten? Twelve? Whatever, not important. Anyhow, the High Father runs the show, and the others have their own petty squabbles. When they misbehave, he doesn’t clean house like the High Father does here. He basically sends them down to the mortal realm to learn a little humanity.”
Wait, clean house? High Fatherhere?
Before I can ask, she continues. “The people in their world call it an ‘Anticipation.’ The gods are split into the four aspects that the High Father has deemed the worst for a god to have—Apathy, Lies, Hedonism, and Arrogance. Each Aspect is sent to live amongst the mortals, and they can only ascend back to the heavens by defeating the other three aspects of themselves.”
That seems…strange. “Why not eradicate all vices while you’re at it?”
“Why have sugar in your coffee? Why add salt to your food? A bit of spice adds a little flavor. It’s not about destroying someone’s personality as much as it is teaching them a little humility. Reminding them what their purpose is. They’re still his children, though. He doesn’t want to eradicate what makes themthem. Just tweak it a little. Add a little zhuzh.”
It makes no sense to me, but I suppose it makes sense to the god in charge. “Where do I come into all of this?”
“During the Anticipation, each god’s Aspect remains divine. He cannot use his powers. The god remains immortal, however, and does not need to eat or drink or breathe to survive. Because of this, he or she must be anchored to a human. The tether to a mortal keeps the god aspect locked to the mortal plane. Also, it helps the god realize a little something about the people he’s supposed to be serving.”
I piece this together. “I’m going to serve as an Anchor? His mortal tie to the world?”
She nods.
It sounds like something I can do—she referred to it as babysitting. I can keep a god company. “All right. And it’s just until all the aspects defeat each other? What happens to me then?”
“Oh, if he dies, the god’s Aspect is defeated. The Anchor is more or less the target.”
I freeze in place.
“I didn’t say there wasn’t a catch to this,” Lachesis reminds me, smoking her cigarette. “But your situation’s going to be a little different than most. We’ve picked out the Aspect you’re going to be serving, and wewantyou to stay alive. We’re juicing the system, so to speak.”
I swallow hard. “Well, can I say that I’m glad to hear that?”
“Don’t get too excited,” Lachesis says with a chuckle. “You’re going to be saddled with Apathy.”
“Apathy,” I echo. “That’s the Aspect?”
She nods. “An apathetic god of disease serves humanity best at this current time. In the past, Kalos has been a very naughty boy, and the Fates have decided that out of all the possible aspects, they want Apathy in charge for a while. From what I’m told, the last one was Arrogance and he was a goddamn mess. Picked a fight with a goddess, plagues everywhere, tried to conquer the world…just the worst.” Lachesis shakes her head. “So… Apathy.”
“Okay…so I just…stay alive?”
“More or less. But because he’s Apathy, he’s not going to help things along.” She grimaces. “He might work against you. He might want to get done with his stint in the human world as quickly as possible. It’s up to you to keep him safe and yourself alive until he’s clear to ascend again.”
I nod, my head reeling. Well, she did say I would be babysitting. And she said I wouldn’t like it. But David gets his life back, the life he always wanted. He’ll be free from the cancer. He’ll be free from financial stress.
And I’m apparently just a blip on the radar that can be easily removed.
“Any more questions?”
I keep thinking. I’m all for this strange stroke of luck, but I know I should be thinking through the ramifications, or I’ll regret it later. “What happens to me when I die?”
She takes a drag from her cigarette. “Whatever happens in their world. You’re attached to their tapestry of fate at that point and out of my hands.”
“I don’t want that. I want to come back here after I die,” I say. “So I can see my brother and my family again.”
Lachesis rolls her eyes. “You sure?” I nod. “Fine. I’ll pull a few more strings, though it’s not normally done like that.”
“I appreciate you making the exception for me,” I say politely.
The goddess shrugs. “What else?”
I rub my brow. “I honestly can’t think of anything else. But I’m also still trying to absorb everything.”
“Changing your mind?”
