CHAPTER 25 - A Dish for Gods
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"That's not possible." Her voice weak. Incredulous.
Although a renowned Occlumens, perfectly capable of shielding his thoughts, Raven was equally skilled at detecting lies, no matter how convincing. Yet she couldn't detect a trace of fabrication in Voldemort's claim, and that's what terrified her to the core.
Somehow, the possibility that he was telling the truth frightened her.
He was right, of course. A life free of Trigon's influence had always been the only thing she'd ever desired, but after this much time, how could she possibly adapt to a normal existence? Was she even capable of living a healthy life at this point?
Presuming he was right, of course, and that he could in some way purge her soul and blood of her demonic heritage while keeping her mind and personality intact. Presuming all of this, would she even allow him to do it? Raven wasn't an idiot. Despite a congenial interaction with the Dark Lord so far, she wasn't stupid enough to trust him. She knew there was some catch involved.
Voldemort hadn't responded to her, and by this point it was clear he wouldn't. Her statement was interpreted to be rhetorical, it seems.
The color was still absent from her face, but she willed her voice to resume. "You aren't known for your altruism, Voldemort. What do you have to gain - really - from granting me this? You wouldn't be getting my powers in transference."
"Nor would I want them," the Dark Lord interjected playfully. "I've sseen how much fun they are, and I admit I lack your lifelong commitment to sstoicism."
"So what's your angle?"
Tom shrugged indifferently. "I may have been exaggerating my need for a partner, but what I mosst certainly do NOT need is another adverssary to contend with. With your demon powers out of the way, it'sss a win-win for both of us."
Raven kept her silence, preferring not to show too much of her hand. She was already at a substantial disadvantage simply because the Dark Lord knew her weakness.
Tom Riddle interpreted her silence as doubt. "Let me make myself clear: I am in this war to win it, Raven Roth...Sssomething that would be infinitely more challenging were I to go up against you as well as Dumbledore. I could try and compete with Albuss to win you over to my cause and fight for me, as he has done with you, but I am not Dumbledore. I do not believe our war should involve you at all, nor should the responsibility to win it be dumped on you. You came to the Wizarding World to find peace, did you not? I ask you who between Albus and I have actually offered you that? And not on a deferred, sservice-obligated basis."
Yes, the demoness decided to herself, this guy was very good. But not quite good enough.
Yet.
"You'll forgive me if I'm having difficulty trusting you either can or would fulfill your lofty promises." She shifted her weight as she verbally speculated. "Assuming you can purge my soul of Trigon, what's then to stop you from reneging on your deal? Without my powers, I'll be as good as a Muggle."
He nodded sympathetically. "Nor should you trust me so easily. I am normally opposed to the archaic Unbreakable Vow, and would never insist you make one. However, for the peace of mind that would ressult from no longer having to worry about the greatest threat to my victory...I would be more than willing to take one mysself."
On its surface, Voldemort's counter seemed perfectly reasonable to her...but at the sudden, shocked intake of breath from Severus, still standing next to her, Raven comprehended that this was an unprecedented move for the Dark Lord.
Apparently, he meant business.
An Unbreakable Vow from the Dark Lord himself...he wouldn't agree to such a thing casually. The demoness tried to think of every possible motive and consequence he might be trying to achieve.
"But what about-"
Tom Riddle cut her off. "If your new friends in the Order of the Phoenix can't ssupport your choice to finally experience real life and love, they never were your friends to begin with." He went in for the kill. "They view you as nothing more than an asssset. A weapon. A thing. You hadn't even been at Hogwarts a week before Dumbledore tried to enlist you in his army and delegate responsibilities. I don't care what you think of me...demanding sservitude is no way to earn your allegiance." He leaned in physically to emphasize: "Your worth is not and should not be measured by your powers."
Slowly, ever so slowly...Raven's resolve began to slip. Merely the fact she hadn't yet yelled in his face was evidence enough that she was considering it.
"I'm sure Sssseverus would agree," the Dark Lord added with a knowing smile.
The empath was slightly startled from her thoughts at the touch of Snape's hand softly nudging hers. She looked up to meet his gaze for the first time since Voldemort had dragged him over. One emotion above all was brimming from his eyes... fear. He was scared, but that was entirely too vague a notion. Raven noticed a foreign feeling warming her stomach when she realized that he wasn't just afraid...he was scared for her.
Snape found his voice. "I'd have fallen for you all the same if you didn't have any magic."
Raven cursed the obvious blush that stained her cheeks and ducked her head to hide it. She swallowed thickly.
"We've been fighting this war for a long time without you," Voldemort said with finality, "and I believe we shouldn't drag you into it. You've sssaved the world once already... we can ressolve this one on our own."
For a solid moment, the demoness had nothing to say. Covering for her dumbfounded look and complete lack of words, she unreservedly tossed back her glass and chugged the remaining portion of her mimosa. Nobody could accuse her of being a lady.
With no small amount of embarrassment, she swallowed down the burp that tried to escape. This meeting was NOT going at all the way she had expected, and she found herself woefully unprepared. While she felt confident (and not a little enjoyment) engaging in a battle of wits and shrewd discussion, she was utterly out of her depth at this moment.
She was not a tactician, a double-agent, or a diplomat. As depressing as it was for her to face, the truth was that Raven was a soldier. She had been so accustom to Robin thinking for the team and giving the orders... Not that she wasn't sharp or capable of shrewd analysis, but shit had just gotten a little too real for her.
Now, she found herself looking to Snape for some small indication of the right course of action. But to her dismay, he remained silent and stiff. For once, she was very worried about making the right choice...not just for Dumbledore and the war effort, but for herself as well. Raven had never put herself or her wants first. Something like her couldn't afford to make selfish decisions. But if ever there was a time for her to look after her own self-interests...
The sorceress cleared her throat. "I will need time to think this over."
"You do what you think is besst, Raven Roth," the snake-like man countered. "But if you go back to Dumbledore, you can be sure of three things: Firsst, that he cannot offer you what I do. You will continue to love Sseverus with a longing that will go unfulfilled, and you will never know laughter or joy or friendship. Much as you always have. Ssecondly, that he will no longer trusst you in the field now that you have been given this offer. And lasstly," his voice became waspish in intensity, "that at ssome point, ssomewhere down the line...you know what he'll ask you to do." His pointed look got the message across.
The Dark Lord suddenly hissed out a chuckle. "Esspionage," he laughed sarcastically. "He knows you could level this place with a sssnap of your fingers...did you really think he wasn't planning on utilizing the ssuper-weapon up his ssleeve? He's playing a game...tessting you...sseeing what you'll do without a leash."
Raven fought to keep some semblance of strength in her voice. "I'm still not convinced leveling this place isn't the right thing to do."
He gave a half-smile. "As I said...you do what you think is besst. But, I'm sure Albuss has told you that when my Death Eaters take the Mark, it binds them to me for life. I don't take that degree of loyalty lightly, Raven Roth. I owe them to defend my life with every ounce of sstrength I have, or I would betray that trusst. Tell me...does Albus demonstrate ssuch equal reciprocation? I'm certain you realize he's perfectly aware that killing me will also kill Sseverus. Has he begun to ssabotage your relationship with him yet? How long do you imagine he will wait before ordering you to desstroy us both? Another week...?" He snorted. "If that...?"
At this, the demoness looked back to Severus. He kept his face studiously blank, and she could just tell he knew it was the truth. That sense of resignation emanating from him was unmistakable.
Deep inside her mindscape, Blue Raven frantically looked around the gathered colors for some guidance. Voldemort was expecting an answer and she needed to give him something. "Well?" She asked desperately.
"Umm, number one, Voldy is one ugly-looking creeper guy. And number two...gross." Pink Raven held up a hand as she walked away from the group.
"FUCK that snake dude!" Green Raven made a punching motion. "And FUCK that limey Pai Mei-lookin' old fart too! I say we kidnap Snape and fly away to Fiji. To hell with this lame-ass Narnia world bullshit anyway."
"That would be the biggest cock-tease of all!" Lust pouted. "On a romantic paradise island with no way of...sealing the deal..."
"There's no doubt about it," Logic nodded. "We are in a pickle. On the one hand, everything Tom Riddle has said checks out to be accurate. It isn't a matter of 'if,' but 'when' Dumbledore asks you to destroy the Dark Lord for him, and subsequently Severus. Your theory that he doesn't wish to relinquish his power was flawed...The power he is disinclined to relinquish is over you. Evidence suggests he is sincere in his desire to defeat Voldemort...but once the war is won, the Headmaster also loses the influence he has over us. We'll be a free agent again that could just as easily topple their newly won victory. Going back to Dumbledore may be right, but it might not be best. However, on the other hand, accepting favors from an evil warlord - even profoundly beneficial ones - with the agreement of remaining neutral is anything but neutrality. Your friends will view it as a betrayal, and a choosing of sides, despite your personal leanings."
"So what do I do?" Real Raven asked despairingly.
There was a quiet sound of someone clearing her throat, and Blue Raven turned to accept any additional advice.
Back in the ballroom, very little time had passed for the other occupants as they waited for the empath's reply.
For his own part, the Potions Master had many thoughts he refused to let himself ponder right now. Too dangerous to let his mind wander this close to the Dark Lord. But he noticed with increasing interest that Raven's irises began changing hue from the already-unnatural purple to a rich shade of teal as she looked up at him. He wondered what that meant.
The aquamarine eyes held him tenderly for a moment before gaining some inner resolve and closing in finality.
She took a very deep breath. Then re-opened her eyes and turned back to Voldemort, her irises now back to purple.
"Tell me what I need to do."
To her great shock, Snape grabbed her elbow and spoke out of turn. "Raven, no. Don't do this."
"Ssseverus...?"
The spy ignored his master and instead continued speaking urgently to the demoness. "I have spent the past seventeen years of my life knowing that I was going to die and that my death would mean the freedom of the Wizarding World from the mistake I made as a teenager. I came to peace with it a long time ago. Don't throw away an easy victory on my account."
The sorceress gave him a slight smile, ignoring Voldemort's sudden silence and painfully straightened posture.
"If you have to die for a mistake you made when you were seventeen, it will not be because of me. Not to mention," she added with a raised eyebrow, "who ever said this was entirely on your account? As someone I care about once said, it just so happens that not everything is of your concern."
His face shuttered into a pained expression.
In an effort to reassure him (as well as herself), she grazed her hand along his. "As dangerous as this man is to the Wizarding World, so much more so am I. If there's a chance I can finally purge myself of the evil inside me..." she trailed off, beseeching him with her eyes to understand.
Saying nothing, and still not looking at her, Severus let out a shaky breath and intertwined his fingers with hers.
Swallowing thickly, Raven turned back to face the Dark Lord, hand still locked in Snape's. Straightening up to her tallest height, she addressed him plainly. "I don't like you, Voldemort, and I don't trust you."
He smiled, but she continued without allowing him to interrupt.
"The barbarism of your agenda is matched only by your primitive methods. By all rights, and for the safety of thousands of witches and wizards, I should end you right now where you stand."
Voldemort flicked his tongue out and licked his lips in anticipation of the final point she was leading to.
"However," Raven added grudgingly, "there have been men like you all throughout human history. Kahn. Tojo. Hitler. Stalin. Hussein. Mao. Your story is nothing new. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last. The world will go on well after you are dead and rotting."
She steeled herself.
"I accept your offer because I know if I don't, there stands a good chance the world won't continue on."
The Dark Lord gave a gracious - even appreciative? - nod to her statement with a look of slight amusement. "You don't have to like me to do business with me. I don't requesst your support or alliance. I believe I am doing the besst thing for my country, just as you do. Let the hisstory books pass judgement."
"Take the Vow. And then get this demon out of me."
Entertained by her brusque attitude to get on with it, Tom Riddle indulged her by sticking his hand out to hers and snapping the fingers on his other hand. Immediately, Lucius Malfoy strode forward to offer his services.
"Luciusss," his master hissed, "be sso good as to witness my Vow."
The Malfoy patriarch bowed and removed his wand from his sleeve. "My lord."
This time, there was no hesitation as she accepted his proffered hand, though internally she did wince at the cold skin she grabbed onto. Almost like a cadaver.
She frowned slightly. "Aren't you supposed to kneel?"
A moment's pause of slight shock divided her question and Voldemort's sudden outburst of laughter. Not even the hissy chortles...loud, throaty chuckles. "Did Dumbledore tell you that?"
The look on Raven's face at the realization sent him back into a relapse of unexpected laughter.
With an irritated huff to supplant her embarrassment, she cut in. "Let's just do this."
Sobering up, the Dark Lord gave a curt nod to Lucius, who then spoke the same foreign words Arthur Weasley had back at the Order. Like before, an iridescent ribbon appeared from nothing and fluidly looped itself around their clasped hands.
"I, Lord Voldemort, do hereby swear and affirm that upon freeing Miss Raven Roth of the demonic half of her soul, I will take no hostile act against her or physically harm her in any way."
The translucent band glowed brightly for a moment before tightening and fading away.
"Furthermore," another band materialized around their hands, "upon freeing Miss Raven Roth from Trigon's grip, I do hereby vow never to use magic against her."
The second band shined brightly before disappearing.
"Finally," a third ribbon appeared, "I agree of my own free will to provide basic protection of her well-being that is within my reasonable power to do so when she is no longer able to defend herself."
Again, the intangible rope burned bright and tightened before fading.
"Additionally," Voldemort looked up sharply as Raven interrupted the process. The red, slitted eyes narrowed critically, but he made no move to break away or question her. "Additionally, Lord Voldemort will take no steps to punish or seek revenge on Severus Snape." She returned his glare boldly and unapologetically. "I didn't forget his treasonous words," she answered his nonverbal protest, "as I'm sure you didn't, either."
The narrowed eyes finally gave up and relaxed as he looked back down at their joined hands and the newest glowing ribbon surrounding them. With a dejected sigh, the Dark Lord acquiesced. "I do hereby vow and agree."
The ribbon gleamed, tightened, and then vanished.
Lucius said some closing spell, and the deed was done.
The two powerful beings ended the ceremony with a forced handshake before breaking contact. Raven almost missed the smirk on Snape's face as she glanced over at him.
In the excitement and fear at the latest developments, Severus himself had almost overlooked the fact he had openly tried to thwart his Dark Master's plan in front of him. He was infinitely grateful Raven had thought to protect him from his foolish outburst. Albus would have his guts for garters after discovering he had voluntarily blown his cover ...that was, if he managed to leave the revel alive... but Snape couldn't bring himself to care. Dumbledore had just lost the two most valuable pieces in his chess game in one go, and it was, in some small way, a result of his own doing. Or at the very least, it felt like it was.
Severus was by no means pleased by this staggering setback. On the contrary - he had meant what he told the girl. She was their best chance at an easy victory and a quick end to the horrible war that had already cost the Wizarding World so much. Nearly his entire adult life had been spent fighting to end this misery, knowing full well that it would mean his ultimate demise. It was only right. His teenage mistake had cost the life of the one person he had cared for, so it was only just that he should lay down his own to undo the wrong he had helped create. It was atonement.
But now...
Snape had found a reason to selfishly desire life...to dread that inescapable justice. For seventeen years, he had suppressed his innate instinct for self-preservation. For seventeen years, he had welcomed the idea of redemption at the cost of his life. If he had been completely honest with himself, it was very...Gryffindor. But now... He wanted to live. He wanted to spend more time with this forceful young woman. It didn't escape him that fulfillment of his desire would cost lives that otherwise wouldn't need to be lost if Raven simply put an end to the war. Really, for the first time, he was being...Slytherin. Putting his own wants ahead of the greater good.
Now, his self-loathing was entirely justified. Nobody could ever accuse him of being a hero. Severus Snape is a petty, selfish, vindictive man, and he's happy Raven is sacrificing the upper hand in the war for petty, selfish, and vindictive reasons. He inwardly cringed, hating himself all the more as he made no move to interfere when Voldemort escorted Raven to the sette at the side of the ballroom.
The two sat down in what Snape recognized to be a Privacy Bubble. The Potions Master lingered along the outskirts of the dance floor, keeping a watchful eye on the pair while observing the rest of the revel-goers. At one point, Lucius approached and attempted to make small talk, but he soon complained that Snape was still holding a grudge against him for what transpired at the meeting before last and left to go schmooze other guests.
Glancing back at the Dark Lord and the Dark Sorceress, Severus longed to know what he was telling her.
After what felt like a quarter hour, Raven stood up suddenly and swept away from the couch. She briskly made her way over to where Snape was standing.
"We're leaving."
Her hooded face betrayed nothing, but Snape could feel the anger and disappointment in her body language. He was full of questions, but knew better than to ask anything here. Knowing he was dependent on her protection, now that the Unbreakable Vow would soon become voided, Severus followed her without hesitation.
To his complete and utter lack of surprise, Raven didn't get very far before she was intercepted by the Dark Lord, who had glided into her path.
"As disstasteful as it is, I assure you it's the only way."
Her amethyst eyes narrowed harshly, irritated by the detainment. "And I assure you that isn't an option."
"Raven Roth, how many people have you murdered?"
A window in Malfoy's house shattered. A few witches shrieked at the startling noise.
Tom Riddle merely smiled, lips stretching wider than his eyes. "Any one of them would have done. And I have a ssuspicion they were all for a good reason."
The demoness leaned in, her voice lowered dangerously. "I have never, nor will I ever, kill anyone in cold blood apart from my father... and possibly you."
Voldemort raised his hands in a peacemaking gesture, but didn't back down. "You ssay that because your father and I deserve to die in your eyes. But what about the many others who also deserve death?"
"I refuse to kill anyone for my own personal gain."
"Ssso noble," the Dark Lord hissed in a tone that wasn't quite sarcasm, but wasn't entirely genuine. "I can make that dilemma easier on you."
Raven paused, turning her head ever so slightly. "What...do you mean?" Cautious. Wary.
The Heir of Slytherin didn't answer her, instead offering a ghost of a smile and turning to look over his shoulder. Although he didn't say anything, a large, vicious-looking man standing off behind him with matted grey hair and grizzled features cocked his head slightly. The imposing man bared his pointed teeth in a feral sneer, but his eyes remained distant.
Raven recognized him and she felt her stomach turn. This was the Death Eater in Snape's pensieve memory that had gleefully ripped young Percival Weasley apart with his own teeth and nails. He had even eaten chunks of his flesh as he went. She felt bile rise in her throat. In addition to the wave of nausea his presence sparked, the sorceress identified a familiar evil inside this man. Whatever it was, it was the same evil that lived inside Remus Lupin... except whereas Lupin lived with it - this man lived by it.
The Death Eater whose name was Fenrir Greyback locked eyes on Severus Snape...a Wizard whom he had once feared and respected. Now, though, Snape had betrayed them right there for everyone to see. He had tried to undermine their Master and could cost him his plan. Oh, how he would like to rip and tear and bite and claw him. He felt foolish for having respected and deferred to Snape in the past. He hated anyone that made him feel foolish. He needed to be punished. Fenrir knew his Master wanted Snape to be punished, too. But he had promised the demon witch not to. Maybe if he punished Snape for him, the Master would be pleased with Fenrir. Fenrir would be rewarded. Punishing Snape would be reward enough, but Fenrir liked making his Master pleased, because that always meant more opportunities to bite and claw and rip. He would do this for his Master. And because Snape was a traitor who needed to be punished...
Raven watched intently as the beast-like Death Eater advanced on Snape like a wolf stalking his prey.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
The Dark Lord shrugged innocently. "I'm not doing a thing."
Raven side-stepped Voldemort and inserted herself between Greyback and Severus, who had taken a few steps back as he noticed the change in behavior.
Removing his wand from his sleeve, Snape touched the empath on the shoulder. "Raven, remove yourself from his path. He is a dangerous creature."
"So am I," she answered. To Greyback: "Stop where you are. Make your intentions known. Your behavior is threatening."
"My intentions," the beast answered, his voice gravelly, "do not concern you." He didn't stop.
"Voldemort, control your men."
"My men are not sslaves."
For the first time since she'd arrived, the entire ballroom completely ceased its activity and watched the events unfolding with bated breath. The tension in the room escalated when Fenrir rumbled a low, animistic growl as he stared over Raven's shoulder at the Wizard she was guarding.
The sorceress stood in a ready position, knees slightly bent, hands free, all her senses alert and providing an endless stream of reports on the situation. Her empathic probe monitored his bloodlust and unhinged anger.
"Sir!" she barked, trying to interrupt the track he was on, "Step away from us before I forcibly remove you."
Snape's hand on her shoulder increased pressure as he attempted to pull her behind him. "Greyback, stow your fangs. This is not the time or place."
Despite his strong voice, Raven could feel the terror inside him. Something about this Death Eater was personally terrifying. Despite Snape's profound sense of fear, he made one last final attempt to pull Raven to safety.
Raven's empathic power may have been effective in reading intent, but it was Snape's experience as a spy and Death Eater that let him read the body language that indicated the moment Fenrir attacked.
It was a slight glint in the cruel amber eyes - a slight dilation of the pupils and a minute twitch of a muscle in his cheek.
Snape saw it, and he instinctively knew he had to protect the woman in front of him. Just as Fenrir lunged, Snape's arm wrapped around her chest and he spun their bodies around rapidly, his black Death Eater robes flowing like a cape as he reversed their position. Now, his back was exposed... He cursed his unthinking choice of movement... but his wand hand was unimpeded.
Too late.
With razor sharp, claw-like nails, Greyback dug into Severus' back through his robes and tackled him to the floor, pinning him beneath his massive bulk.
Snape groaned in pain as blood soaked through his clothes where Fenrir's claws were still entrenched. The Death Eater tore at his skin and bared his wolf-like teeth as he leaned down to bite.
At that moment, Fenrir was encased in Raven's signature black energy and hurled sideways off the Potions Master. The force of the throw sent him skidding across the polished wood floor all the way to the wall, where he crumpled.
Raven, now having regained her balance after Snape had suddenly spun her around, knelt down and helped him roll over and sit up.
Severus frantically looked around him for his wand. He had dropped it in the force of Greyback's tackle, and now he searched around him in a panic.
There it was. It had rolled the same direction Fenrir had been tossed, and was almost half the distance. Or at least...it would have been half the distance if Greyback had stayed put where he'd landed.
The beast-like man had risen to his feet and was sprinting at them again.
"Rip and tear! Kill and eat!"
Snape's eyes were wide, his face drained of color and nearly paralyzed with fear. Internally, he was 16 again inside the Shrieking Shack facing a turned Remus. But this time, he had Raven.
"Down, Fido!" she caught Fenrir in mid-pounce and, continuing his momentum, sent him flying directly over them and skidding to the opposite wall. Her eyes narrowed at his heaving body across the room. "Stay," she commanded.
That set him off again, and he was charging them yet again a split-second later. Except this time, he stayed on all fours.
He ran like an animal, his pace actually increasing with the added use of his hands.
Raven watched with a disturbed glance, something like fear also beginning to build inside her. Everything seemed to slow down as she watched him run at Snape. This isn't natural. This thing isn't human. It is dead-set on murdering Severus. And isn't going to stop. I'm running out of options. There's no other way.
Raven pushed away the notion that she felt a tingling sensation just behind her eyes as she focused on the wild animal bounding toward them.
"That's enough," she uttered, raising a hand cased in black flames.
The black energy stopped Fenrir as he was in the air soaring at Snape during his final lunge...no more than two feet away from the Potions Master. The frenetic thrashing of Greyback intensified as she lifted him even higher. With the one hand keeping him aloft, Raven raised the other at the Death Eater's chest. A pained groan escaped his throat as black energy surrounded both Raven's palm and his chest. Her gloved hand began to close slowly, forcefully, and coinciding with this Fenrir's noises began to grow louder and more distressed.
Her palm continued to curl slowly, forming a loose fist until at the last moment, Raven forcibly clenched it tight.
"Now play dead."
Greyback released a scream that sounded like a dying dog as his heart ruptured in his chest, crushing in on itself and exploding from the pressure. Within several agonizingly long seconds, the Death Eater expired from the internal bleeding that ravaged his system, his feral amber eyes now glassy and lifeless.
With slowly dawning horror, Raven released the corpse from the ceiling and let it drop like a rock to the floor below. It crumpled in a heap, much like the traumatized sorceress next to it, who cradled her face with her elbows in her lap.
"Well done, Raven Roth." The waspish, airy voice of the Dark Lord interrupted the stunned silence of the room. "You've certainly exceeded my expectations. I can now see why you are his Gem."
The demoness sucked in a ragged breath, trying to calm her heart rate and breathing despite the dead body lying no more than ten feet away.
"Congratulationsss," he hissed in her ear. "The hard part is over."
A/N:
Let's be sacrificers, but not butchers, Caius.
. . . And, gentle friends,
Let's kill him boldly, but not wrathfully;
Let's carve him as a dish fit for the gods,
Not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds;
And let our hearts, as subtle masters do,
Stir up their servants to an act of rage,
And after seem to chide 'em.
- Julius Caesar, Act 2