"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool! Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man! Good afternoon, Mr. Lovers! Good afternoon, Mr. Sun!"
After Fors and Xio had reported their experiences to her earlier, Audrey had become somewhat worried about Qilingus's presence, especially upon learning that the incident had already caused one death.
But once she was drawn into the Tarot Club gathering again, her worries gradually eased, and her mood began to improve.
In Audrey's mind, ordinary Beyonders could only hold secret gatherings in the material world, constantly worrying about pursuit by official Beyonders. The Tarot Club, however, held its gatherings directly above the illusory gray fog, as though gods were conversing.
That distinction convinced Audrey that she and Qilingus were not on the same level, soothing much of her earlier panic.
After Audrey finished greeting everyone, Nimrod followed what he and Klein had agreed upon before the Tarot Club gathering. He first signaled that he had something to say, then slowly addressed Justice and the Hanged Man beside him:
"We've pinpointed Qilingus's location and are preparing to hunt him down."
For a moment, everyone except the Fool, who sat silently on his throne, looked surprised and incredulous.
They've already found Qilingus? The Aurora Order moved that quickly?
Alger grew excited, but he forced his excitement down and asked Nimrod in a low voice:
"Where is he?"
Nimrod had no intention of answering Alger's question. He merely raised both hands and pressed them downward:
"Please be patient, Mr. Hanged Man. I understand that you want to enlist the Church of Storms to surround and eliminate Qilingus, but please consider our circumstances as well."
"I believe the Church of Storms' Archbishop hates me and my subordinates even more than he hates Qilingus. Surely you understand the relationship between the Church of Storms and the Aurora Order."