"Soooo, not human?" Willow's eyebrows formed twin peaks.
Florestan turned his attention to her. "No, not at all. Why?"
Willow shrugged and picked at a loose thread on her plaid skirt. "I don't know. It's just that you don't seem all, you know, demony."
"Really?" An amused smile crossed his face. "And you know all about demons?"
Willow frowned. "I know a little."
"Indeed. I imagine a little is all you know." He leaned toward her. "We don't all have horns and scales."
"But you all do make with the wise ass," Xander said.
"Is that so?" Florestan turned toward Xander. Their eyes met and Xander shivered. It was like looking down a thousand-foot well. Then something flickered in those eyes and Xander realized that the bottom of the well was full of snakes and nightmares. He pulled back and had to scramble to keep his chair from falling.
***
Buffy searched Angel's face as he turned away. "I still don't get why he's here talking to us."
"He's covering himself. Things have changed since the plan began. You came back, then Faith showed up, now the Reverend has declared war on Trick-Florestan doesn't think it will work now. If the coup fails, well, let's just say that punishments will be severe, even by the standards he's used to, but he can't denounce the plan because it might succeed."
"So he wants us to do his dirty work for him... Keep it from happening if possible, which will cover his ass, but leaving him some wiggle room if we all end up as smoking cinders."
"Pretty much." Angel nodded.
***
"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" Florestan asked. "Such children."
"Children who know a thing or two about your kind," Willow snapped. "We've killed more than a few of you."
"You haven't killed a single one of us," Florestan said, smirking.
"We have seen a lot of you turn to dust. Or goo. Or something," Oz said.
"You have banished some from these temporary lodgings. Their essence has merely returned to Our Father's House to begin the journey again."
"Journey? Father's house?" Xander turned his head toward Giles but kept his eyes on the demon. "Giles, a little clarification here would be nice."
"I'm not sure I know what he's talking about," Giles replied.
Florestan's laugh was snarky and condescending, a sneer of pure mockery. "Yes, you're quite a wise group." He placed his hands on the table and stood. "I am through here. Tell Angel that I'm most grateful for his assistance." He loped up the steps and was about to disappear into the stacks.
"Wait!" Buffy and Angel stood just inside the door. "Okay, Trick is trying to find this seal. What are we supposed to do?"
Florestan smiled. "Why, stop him, of course."
"Then we could use some more information," the Slayer said. "What's the dilly between Trick and the Reverend, for example."
The demon leaned forward, his hands resting on the rail. "Hampton's reverted to form. He's a complete psychotic, you know."
"Any idea what caused him to go all Cuckoo's Nest?" Buffy asked.
Florestan shrugged. "Apparently he believes that Mr. Trick behaved reprehensibly toward an emissary. I believe you know something about this."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "I believe I don't."
"Then your memory is most faulty." Eyes hooded, Florestan looked at the Slayer. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you are an equal partner here. You are not a force in this war. You are spoils."
"What does that mean?" Willow asked.
Buffy shushed her with a wave of a hand. "I've heard that before."
Florestan's smile was beautiful and tainted. "So you do remember. I knew you would." He vanished between the stacks like smoke in a fall breeze.
They were all staring up at the stacks when Faith pushed through the doors. She stopped, her eyes following their gazes to the books, then looped a strand of gum around her index finger and stretched it out.
"So," she said, "I miss anything?"
***
"Okay," Willow said. "I think this is classic division-of-labor time."
"That's very Industrial Revolution of you," Xander said. "But am I the only one who thinks this guy told us a lot and told us nothing at the same time?"
"Xander's right," Buffy said. "We don't know anything about this seal, what it looks like--"
"What it can do," Willow added in a gloomy voice.
"Makes demons sit up and beg," Faith said. "At least that's what you guys say he said."
Willow shook her head. "The seal is a legend, a myth. There are all kinds of different powers ascribed to it, depending on the story you read."
"A 'for instance' might help," Buffy said.
"For instance, some accounts say that with the seal, Solomon could control matter and the elements." Willow looked around the table.
"Nice toy if you can get it," Xander said.
"It would help if we knew the form of the seal," Giles said.
Willow sighed. "I think more stories call it a ring than a scepter, and if you think about it, a ring makes more sense. Solomon was never without the seal, which would be easier if it was a ring."
Xander shook his head. "They're trying to locate a four thousand year old ring? Good luck. I can't find clean socks."
"So what's the plan?" Oz said.
"The division of labor thing," Buffy replied.
"That does seem the most efficient option," Giles said. "I assume that Willow will be helping me with research?"
"Sure," the redhead said. "Oh, but, can it wait until after the game, because I'm already, you know...."
"Certainly," Giles said. "It will take me a few hours to gather the relevant texts and materials."
"Great," Buffy said. "I guess that leaves me and Faith." She turned to the dark Slayer. "We need to keep an eye on CRT."
"I don't think so," Faith said. She tapped her neck with two fingers of her right hand. Buffy flushed dark red.
"You're right," the blond Slayer said. "I should probably stay out of Trick's way. But you shouldn't be out there alone."
"Why not?" Faith asked. "I did it for a couple months."
"But you don't have to now. We'll help." Buffy put on her best serious face.
"Buffy's right," Giles said. "Now that we have some idea of what Trick is after, it makes him that much more dangerous. You shouldn't be out there by yourself."
"Excuse me," Xander said, raising his hand. "Right here, me, guy with nothing to do. I can go with Faith."
A heartbeat of profound silence followed his statement, then Faith said, "Sure, why not? We've partnered before."
Buffy and Giles exchanged a look. The Watcher cleared his throat. "That's a good idea. The two of you should keep surveillance on CRT. Buffy will patrol the city at large."
"I can keep an eye on the airport and the docks. Maybe the trains." Everyone turned to look at Angel, forgotten until he spoke. He shrugged as his eyes cut back and forth. "At night, of course."
Buffy frowned as Xander spoke. "Little surprised you want to be part of the team, Angel. You and what's-his-name there seemed pretty tight."
Angel turned to face Xander. "You don't know anything, Xander. Don't let your mouth write checks your body can't cash."
"So I guess this is all coincidence... You coming back and now a demon wants to talk to us, so, hey, I'll just get my old buddy Angel to set up a meet." Xander snapped his fingers. "That reminds me... why are you back? And how did you get here?" Angel took a half-step toward him. Xander's hand jerked up to shoulder level.
"Okaaaayyyyy." Buffy pushed up from her chair, moving quickly between them. "Let's fight bad guys, not each other. Xander, maybe you and Faith should get going." Xander stared at her, his eyes hot, then dropped his hands and stalked away. Faith jogged after him.
"Well, uh, we're going to the game, I guess," Willow said. Oz circled his arm around her waist. "We'll be back here right afterward, okay?"
"Yes," Giles said. "That should give me enough time to get started. Enjoy yourselves."
As the door swung shut behind the witch and the werewolf, Buffy turned to Angel. "Okay, what's up with that whole 'you're not fighting the war, you're what the war's about' shtick? That's twice I've heard it."
Angel shrugged. "I'm not really sure."
"Do you know what he meant when he said that we'd never killed a demon?" Giles asked.
Angel rubbed his hands together and looked at the Watcher. "That I know about. You might want to sit down," he said, motioning to the chairs. "This is going to be new information. See, when you dust a vampire or decapitate a demon, what you do is eliminate their physical form. Their spirit returns to its source, to Hell."
"And what happens then?" Buffy sounded annoyed.
"They are punished for their failures, then they begin the journey again."
"So instead of making a difference I'm just sending them to the demonic principal's office for a spanking?"
Angel's face was bleak. "You have no conception of what these punishments are like, or how long they last. Time doesn't work the same way there. There are demons still being tormented for things that happened before human history began."
Buffy's face softened, her eyes opening wide. "That's where you met him, isn't it? There in that place, when you were..."
"Yeah, that's where I met him." Angel's jaw clenched tight, a knot of muscle throbbing below his ear. "Want to see the scars?"
Florestan turned his attention to her. "No, not at all. Why?"
Willow shrugged and picked at a loose thread on her plaid skirt. "I don't know. It's just that you don't seem all, you know, demony."
"Really?" An amused smile crossed his face. "And you know all about demons?"
Willow frowned. "I know a little."
"Indeed. I imagine a little is all you know." He leaned toward her. "We don't all have horns and scales."
"But you all do make with the wise ass," Xander said.
"Is that so?" Florestan turned toward Xander. Their eyes met and Xander shivered. It was like looking down a thousand-foot well. Then something flickered in those eyes and Xander realized that the bottom of the well was full of snakes and nightmares. He pulled back and had to scramble to keep his chair from falling.
***
Buffy searched Angel's face as he turned away. "I still don't get why he's here talking to us."
"He's covering himself. Things have changed since the plan began. You came back, then Faith showed up, now the Reverend has declared war on Trick-Florestan doesn't think it will work now. If the coup fails, well, let's just say that punishments will be severe, even by the standards he's used to, but he can't denounce the plan because it might succeed."
"So he wants us to do his dirty work for him... Keep it from happening if possible, which will cover his ass, but leaving him some wiggle room if we all end up as smoking cinders."
"Pretty much." Angel nodded.
***
"You're very sure of yourself, aren't you?" Florestan asked. "Such children."
"Children who know a thing or two about your kind," Willow snapped. "We've killed more than a few of you."
"You haven't killed a single one of us," Florestan said, smirking.
"We have seen a lot of you turn to dust. Or goo. Or something," Oz said.
"You have banished some from these temporary lodgings. Their essence has merely returned to Our Father's House to begin the journey again."
"Journey? Father's house?" Xander turned his head toward Giles but kept his eyes on the demon. "Giles, a little clarification here would be nice."
"I'm not sure I know what he's talking about," Giles replied.
Florestan's laugh was snarky and condescending, a sneer of pure mockery. "Yes, you're quite a wise group." He placed his hands on the table and stood. "I am through here. Tell Angel that I'm most grateful for his assistance." He loped up the steps and was about to disappear into the stacks.
"Wait!" Buffy and Angel stood just inside the door. "Okay, Trick is trying to find this seal. What are we supposed to do?"
Florestan smiled. "Why, stop him, of course."
"Then we could use some more information," the Slayer said. "What's the dilly between Trick and the Reverend, for example."
The demon leaned forward, his hands resting on the rail. "Hampton's reverted to form. He's a complete psychotic, you know."
"Any idea what caused him to go all Cuckoo's Nest?" Buffy asked.
Florestan shrugged. "Apparently he believes that Mr. Trick behaved reprehensibly toward an emissary. I believe you know something about this."
Buffy's eyes narrowed. "I believe I don't."
"Then your memory is most faulty." Eyes hooded, Florestan looked at the Slayer. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you are an equal partner here. You are not a force in this war. You are spoils."
"What does that mean?" Willow asked.
Buffy shushed her with a wave of a hand. "I've heard that before."
Florestan's smile was beautiful and tainted. "So you do remember. I knew you would." He vanished between the stacks like smoke in a fall breeze.
They were all staring up at the stacks when Faith pushed through the doors. She stopped, her eyes following their gazes to the books, then looped a strand of gum around her index finger and stretched it out.
"So," she said, "I miss anything?"
***
"Okay," Willow said. "I think this is classic division-of-labor time."
"That's very Industrial Revolution of you," Xander said. "But am I the only one who thinks this guy told us a lot and told us nothing at the same time?"
"Xander's right," Buffy said. "We don't know anything about this seal, what it looks like--"
"What it can do," Willow added in a gloomy voice.
"Makes demons sit up and beg," Faith said. "At least that's what you guys say he said."
Willow shook her head. "The seal is a legend, a myth. There are all kinds of different powers ascribed to it, depending on the story you read."
"A 'for instance' might help," Buffy said.
"For instance, some accounts say that with the seal, Solomon could control matter and the elements." Willow looked around the table.
"Nice toy if you can get it," Xander said.
"It would help if we knew the form of the seal," Giles said.
Willow sighed. "I think more stories call it a ring than a scepter, and if you think about it, a ring makes more sense. Solomon was never without the seal, which would be easier if it was a ring."
Xander shook his head. "They're trying to locate a four thousand year old ring? Good luck. I can't find clean socks."
"So what's the plan?" Oz said.
"The division of labor thing," Buffy replied.
"That does seem the most efficient option," Giles said. "I assume that Willow will be helping me with research?"
"Sure," the redhead said. "Oh, but, can it wait until after the game, because I'm already, you know...."
"Certainly," Giles said. "It will take me a few hours to gather the relevant texts and materials."
"Great," Buffy said. "I guess that leaves me and Faith." She turned to the dark Slayer. "We need to keep an eye on CRT."
"I don't think so," Faith said. She tapped her neck with two fingers of her right hand. Buffy flushed dark red.
"You're right," the blond Slayer said. "I should probably stay out of Trick's way. But you shouldn't be out there alone."
"Why not?" Faith asked. "I did it for a couple months."
"But you don't have to now. We'll help." Buffy put on her best serious face.
"Buffy's right," Giles said. "Now that we have some idea of what Trick is after, it makes him that much more dangerous. You shouldn't be out there by yourself."
"Excuse me," Xander said, raising his hand. "Right here, me, guy with nothing to do. I can go with Faith."
A heartbeat of profound silence followed his statement, then Faith said, "Sure, why not? We've partnered before."
Buffy and Giles exchanged a look. The Watcher cleared his throat. "That's a good idea. The two of you should keep surveillance on CRT. Buffy will patrol the city at large."
"I can keep an eye on the airport and the docks. Maybe the trains." Everyone turned to look at Angel, forgotten until he spoke. He shrugged as his eyes cut back and forth. "At night, of course."
Buffy frowned as Xander spoke. "Little surprised you want to be part of the team, Angel. You and what's-his-name there seemed pretty tight."
Angel turned to face Xander. "You don't know anything, Xander. Don't let your mouth write checks your body can't cash."
"So I guess this is all coincidence... You coming back and now a demon wants to talk to us, so, hey, I'll just get my old buddy Angel to set up a meet." Xander snapped his fingers. "That reminds me... why are you back? And how did you get here?" Angel took a half-step toward him. Xander's hand jerked up to shoulder level.
"Okaaaayyyyy." Buffy pushed up from her chair, moving quickly between them. "Let's fight bad guys, not each other. Xander, maybe you and Faith should get going." Xander stared at her, his eyes hot, then dropped his hands and stalked away. Faith jogged after him.
"Well, uh, we're going to the game, I guess," Willow said. Oz circled his arm around her waist. "We'll be back here right afterward, okay?"
"Yes," Giles said. "That should give me enough time to get started. Enjoy yourselves."
As the door swung shut behind the witch and the werewolf, Buffy turned to Angel. "Okay, what's up with that whole 'you're not fighting the war, you're what the war's about' shtick? That's twice I've heard it."
Angel shrugged. "I'm not really sure."
"Do you know what he meant when he said that we'd never killed a demon?" Giles asked.
Angel rubbed his hands together and looked at the Watcher. "That I know about. You might want to sit down," he said, motioning to the chairs. "This is going to be new information. See, when you dust a vampire or decapitate a demon, what you do is eliminate their physical form. Their spirit returns to its source, to Hell."
"And what happens then?" Buffy sounded annoyed.
"They are punished for their failures, then they begin the journey again."
"So instead of making a difference I'm just sending them to the demonic principal's office for a spanking?"
Angel's face was bleak. "You have no conception of what these punishments are like, or how long they last. Time doesn't work the same way there. There are demons still being tormented for things that happened before human history began."
Buffy's face softened, her eyes opening wide. "That's where you met him, isn't it? There in that place, when you were..."
"Yeah, that's where I met him." Angel's jaw clenched tight, a knot of muscle throbbing below his ear. "Want to see the scars?"
