“But how, Vervain?” Athena asked, a happy Hephaestus cradling his automaton core like a baby behind her.
“My life is full of contradictions. The machine couldn't process them. Unity broke, then Judgment, Truth, and Computation.”
Pan burst out laughing. “You confused it to death? Way to go, V!”
“That was only half the battle.” I looked at Agwusi, still chained, her eyes wide. “It realized what I was doing and tried to stop me. But God had you program the machine to be used by me. It told me I was in control. I only had to accept that control.”
“You shut it down because you were its master,” Agwusi whispered. “How did he not think of that?”
“I don't know. Maybe your God wanted it to happen this way.”
“He's not my god. Not anymore. And I don't think so, Vervain. I think this was more about taking you out of the world than making things easier for the Gods.”
“Duh.” Horus rolled his bi-colored eyes.
Pan snickered. “Well said, bro.”
“Who has the key to Gleipnir?” I held out a hand.
“I do.” Fenrir stepped forward. “But I don't want this woman released, little frami.”
“She's not a danger to us anymore. I freed Ty from her love, and she knows what she did was wrong. I believe Agwusi was a victim too, Dad. She tried to help us in the end. Can you not forgive her?”
“She took my son!”
“And only tried to love him.”
Fenrir sighed, his massive shoulders falling, and pulled out a golden key.
Agwusi's eyes widened as I approached her with the key. “Truly? After all I've done?”
“You've done a lot of good too,Trickster.” I unlocked her chains and removed them.
As Agwusi stood up, Fenrir wound the chain and locked it upon itself. But she didn't even glance at the Wolf God. Her eyes were on Ty as she went to him. He stiffened when she stopped before him.
“I know you don't love me anymore,” Agwusi said. “But my love for you will be eternal. Please, forgive me.”
Ty frowned at the ground and then raised his face to meet her gaze. “Your intentions were good, but you were misled. I forgive you.”
Agwusi let out a shaky sigh. “Thank you, Ty.” She stepped back. “Goodbye. I wish you true happiness.”
“I wish you well too, Agwusi.”
The trickster turned and left the house, heading to the tracing hut without another word. People moved out of her path and watched her leave, all of us feeling the weight of it. Here was the true end to our ordeal. The end of the trickster.
A crash startled us and drew our attention to the corridor. Trevor, Kirill, and Viper came out of the corridor carrying pieces of the machine. Grim-faced, they strode past us. We followedthem outside, where they cast the pieces into a pile and stood back. We surrounded the wreckage, and everyone looked at me.
I stepped forward, but instead of looking at the machine, I looked up. I wanted to say something eloquent, something that would make God think twice before messing with us again. But all that came out was, “Fuck you!”
I blasted the hunks of metal, glass, and wire with dragonfire. The metal turned red and then black, slowly melting.
Shango joined me, adding his fire to mine. With a deep, rumbling voice, he roared, “Fuck you!”
Re stepped forward, and sunlight poured from his hands. “Fuck you!”
Blue, the Aztec God of War and the Sun, strode up next. Grinning, he shouted, “Fuck you!” More sunshine burned the machine.
Mr. T. wasn't a man to curse, but as he came forward, he shouted, “Fuck you!” More sunlight shone on the pile.
