“I'll tell you what. I won't tell you if you're wrong or right, but if you disregard something necessary for judgment, I will advise you to look again. I think that's more than fair.”
“I understand, and I agree that those are fair conditions. We have a deal.” The golden sloth held out its paw, and I shook it.
“Great. I just have one more condition before we proceed.”
“What is it?”
“I want you to restore all the god territories and everything on Earth that you have harmed, including humans. I want them all returned to their original state.”
“That is a lot to ask.”
“It is simply righting your wrongs. I refuse to work with anyone who doesn't take responsibility for their actions, or try to correct their mistakes. That is bad.”
The sloth stared at me, its eyes glittering in a way that Torrent's often did. It was processing the information.
At last, it nodded. “I have corrected my mistakes, Vervain. I regret any wrongdoing.” It bowed to me.
Regret? Could a machine feel regret? I hoped so.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
With every life that flashed across the machine's screen, it learned more. It pulled the knowledge from my mind as I watched, eavesdropping on my thoughts. I had expected this, but it still worried me. Eighty souls might be enough for it to learn how to judge fairly. But I was hoping my last curveball would be impossible to hit.
As I watched and reacted, I also worried about my husbands. How long had I been in the machine? I couldn't say. They had to be frantic by now, but I had no way of letting them know what was happening. At least they'd see the corrections the machine had made in the realms and take it as a good sign.
The judging was constant; no reprieves. Would it be like this if I lost? At least my immortality kept me from tiring. It probably helped that it was my mind at work instead of my body. Nevertheless, my head drooped with relief when the machine sent the eightieth soul to its afterlife. I needed this to be done.
“What is wrong with you?” A.D. asked.
“I am not a machine. Working nonstop takes a toll on me.”
“I understand.”
Are you ready to judge a soul of my choosing?”
“Yes, I am ready. I have designed a procedure for judging souls based on your observations. Which soul shall I judge? There are hundreds waiting. Would you like to inspect them?”
“That will not be necessary. The soul you will judge is mine.”
A.D., still in the form of a sloth, went so still that I thought it was a glitch.
“A.D.?”
“You are not dead. Your soul is not ready to be judged.”
“You can judge a soul before the body is dead. In fact, it should be easier for you. Now, judge me. Am I good or bad? Should I be rewarded or punished?”
“I did not agree to judge you.”
“You did not stipulate that my soul was not to be selected.”
A.D. glared at me from his sloth face—kind of terrifying—but then it nodded. “You must open yourself completely. Hold nothing back. I cannot judge you properly if you hide things from me.”
“I promise to open my mind completely, giving you access to my memories and the accompanying emotions. You will have everything you need to make your analysis.”
“Very well.” The golden sloth shot forward, much faster than any real sloth could move, and entered my mental body.
My back bowed as it sank into me, diving into my mind to dig up every hidden thought and memory. It searched andsearched, but with my willingness, it didn't take long for it to download my entire life.
