The Creation Engine was unusually quiet tonight. Murphy had made arrangements in advance, giving the bigwigs stationed there the night off so they could rest.
In theory, no one would turn down a "paid vacation." The problem was that when the Creator's Chosen entered tonight's "Promised Land," he was surprised to find someone still "working overtime without pay."
"Lady Hathor, don't you have a little date tonight?"
Murphy stared sternly at the Secretblood Archduchess, who was jotting down the Creation Engine's appearance and functions in a notebook. His expressionless voice continued:
"A mysterious and elegant lady like you must be quite popular with men. Pardon my frankness, but what happens here tonight must not be known by anyone besides me—especially not by a vampire with as many secrets as you."
"You go ahead with your business. I'm just looking."
Hathor smiled, then made a graceful "please, go on" gesture and said:
"I won't interfere in anything you're about to do here. I'll just bring my eyes and ears along and let my mouth rest for a while tonight."
"I've been this direct, so how can you not understand that I'm telling you to leave?"
Murphy stepped forward and activated the Creation Engine's control console.
"You understand perfectly well. You just want to pry into a little secret that belongs to the Creator's Chosen. Fine, fine. There's nothing I can't let you see, anyway. After all, if word of tonight's business gets out, I won't be the one coming after you."
He glanced at Hathor, who hadn't been intimidated in the slightest, while extending the Myriad Forms Device into the shape of an astral guide staff for locating their position in the Astral Realm.
"Or do you have a secret you'd like to share with me? Let me guess—is it about