Once the meal got rolling, Seth discovered that the food already on the table had only been appetizers. Course after course brought endless dishes both familiar and exotic. Miniature hamburgers and chicken wings sat alongside stuffed pheasant and bizarre shellfish. Seth tried to pace himself, sampling a wide variety, enjoying the unique sauces and seasonings.
Mom and Dad warmed up to the satyrs, who entertained everyone by telling loud jokes and consuming enormous quantities of food while Seth timed them. The atmosphere so closely mimicked a joyous holiday that before long, Seth almost felt like nobody in his family had ever been abducted or presumed dead. By the time the dessert carts were wheeled in, he felt stuffed and relaxed and less worried than he had for as long as he could remember.
At the head of the table, Agad tapped a crystal goblet with the side of his fork. The diners grew quiet as the aging wizard prepared to speak.
"Thank you all for joining me for dinner. This is the most spirited feast I have enjoyed since before most of you were born. That includes Stan and Hank."
Everyone laughed.
"Together, we have won a miraculous victory. Having narrowly avoided disaster, I suspect we can all look on the simplest of pleasures with renewed appreciation. We now have an opportunity to help define a new future, to safeguard it against some of the perils we have endured, and to recover from the losses we have sustained. Let us take a moment to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice to help bring us this victory."
Seth stared at his lap, trying not to think about Coulter, willing his eyes to stay dry. He pushed away mental images of brave astrids and fairies falling. Jaw clenched, he fought to ignore memories of Lena, Dougan, and Mendigo. He thought of them often, and would think of them again in a more private setting, but at the moment he wished Agad had not brought such strong emotions so close to the surface.
"We will all be dealing with change in the coming weeks, and months, and years," Agad went on. "For most of us this will be welcome, even if it entails new challenges. Preserves will be restored and reorganized. Where appropriate, new leadership will be appointed. Much of what has been broken will be mended, in most cases, to be stronger than ever. We will rebuild, and a new era of peace and security will dawn."
This earned spontaneous applause.
Agad stroked his beard. "I will bear many responsibilities as I seek to establish further protections for the new demon prison. In the end, once the artifacts are stowed away, along with a variety of new protocols and precautions, I believe the prison will be much closer to impregnable than ever. As the new caretaker of Living Mirage, I will base my activities from here, and some of you may be involved from time to time. I don't want to drown this merry occasion with tedious words, but there is one matter I feel we must resolve as a group before I can proceed with my duties. This matter involves the punishment of the Sphinx."
The room was dead silent.
"After the battle on the Shoreless Isle, I pondered on how to deal with the Sphinx. He offered us pivotal assistance at the end, but it was aid for a catastrophe that he had worked tirelessly to manufacture through deceit, sabotage, and even murder. My inclination was to let nature take its course. The Sphinx had been prolonging his life using the Font of Immortality, and I decided an appropriate punishment would be to forbid him use of that artifact--in essence, a death sentence.
"When I delivered this verdict to the Sphinx, a long conversation ensued. The Sphinx accepted the justice of the proposed punishment, and then proposed another solution. Personally, I would be willing to accept the alternative he offered. He submitted to scrutiny from both Bracken and the Fairy Queen, who believe he is sincere.
"We all know the Sphinx is a master of persuasion. I decided to lay the matter before you, without the Sphinx here to exercise his powers of influence. I avow beforehand that, regardless of my own opinions, I will abide by whatever decision we make as a body right now."
Seth was on the edge of his seat. He glanced at Newel, who was gnawing on his fabric napkin, eyes wide with interest.
"As I lock the new demon prison tighter than the old, I will need new Eternals," Agad explained. "By now, all of you know the role the Eternals played in keeping Zzyzx closed. The Sphinx would like to be one of those Eternals."
An uproar of muttered exclamations followed. Agad held up his hands, and the murmuring quieted.
"Allow me to set forth the details for your consideration. Essentially, the Sphinx is attempting to exchange an execution for life in prison. Consider these points. As an Eternal, the Sphinx would not be able to open the demon prison unless he was dead. He has never believed anyone but himself should open the demon prison, which he proved on Shoreless Isle, so he would almost certainly be loyal to our cause. He has a knack for longevity, and for protecting himself. He knows how to keep a secret, and how to hide. He is remarkably cunning and patient. He has successfully coped with the challenges of a long life, and craves more. As a volunteer who would fulfill the requirements of an Eternal, I do not believe we could find a more ideal candidate.
"Keep in mind, being an Eternal is more punishment than prize. Ask Bracken or Kendra--most of our past Eternals had difficulty coping and considered their fate a weighty ordeal. An unnaturally long life, hunted, on the run, is no paradise.
"Considering the Sphinx's history, I would take extra precautions, personally monitoring him and installing a multitude of magical and practical safeguards. I would give him some latitude to choose a hideout and to implement whatever defenses he deemed most effective, but he would be on a leash.
"By giving into this request, would we be rewarding his crimes? Under other circumstances, I do not believe the Sphinx would want to be an Eternal. But as an alternative to death, he seems willing. Let's have Bracken testify to his motives."
Agad extended a hand and Bracken stood up. "The Sphinx has a strong will. He has much practice in shielding his thoughts from external scrutiny. But as I extensively probed his mind, I came to believe he wants to become an Eternal for acceptable reasons. First, he wants to persist. He has a profound fear of death, coupled with a powerful enjoyment of existence. Second, he wants a shot at redemption. He knows he spawned a catastrophe, which was never his intention. He wants to do everything in his power to ensure that a similar crisis never happens again. And last, he feels guilty and sees this as a fitting punishment. I have no love for the Sphinx, and I studied him long and hard. This is all I found."
Nodding at Agad, Bracken sat down.