Angel asked only that one question. Sanders and Gloria each asked one of the others: Sanders focused on the demon itself, while Gloria hesitated over what to do with Azaz.
The demon's answers were sly. He seemed to say plenty about himself, but none of it touched on anything crucial.
He brushed over Azaz's situation just as lightly.
Then it was the demon's turn to ask a question. He still wanted to know how Angel was connected to Grewu. This time, though, neither Angel nor Sanders said a word.
The demon had kept every meaningful answer to himself. They might be able to infer a few things, but that was hardly the promised exchange of questions and answers.
The demon could only depart with regret.
After the demon left, Azaz remained uneasy. He had told them the truth, but he had still made offerings to a demon. He had no idea what would happen to him. Even if he threw himself into Sebastian's arms now, he did not believe he could escape someone of Sanders's caliber.
All Azaz could do was wait anxiously for Gloria's decision.
Silence spread through the hall. Over the Mind Tether, however, Angel and the others were deep in discussion.
"What do you plan to do with Azaz?" Sanders asked again.
This time, Gloria did not immediately say she would kill Azaz. Sanders had been right: Azaz would be easy to kill, but the demon would survive. Now that he had reached the Southern Region, he could simply tempt another Gourmet Wizard into making offerings to him.
And would the next Gourmet Wizard hold fast to their convictions and keep resisting the demon as Azaz had? Gloria herself did not believe it. The Gourmet Wizards of the Southern Region knew nothing about making offerings to demons,