610
Leonard visited Klein during a break in his routine patrol, then finished his rounds as usual and returned home.
He opened his eyes on the long sofa, yawned, and began wavering between getting up for a glass of water and lying there a little longer.
"Finished chatting with your former colleague?" An aged voice sounded casually in his mind.
"Yes."
After wavering for half a minute, Leonard threw back the thin blanket covering him and got up to boil some water.
It was already well past midnight, with only a few hours until dawn. To avoid adding to his gas bill or drawing the attention of passersby, Leonard lit a candelabrum and moved about in its dim light, preparing himself a late-night snack.
"Old Man, do gods spread their faith to stabilize their own condition?"
He placed the brass kettle over the stove. As he waited for the fire to bring the water to a boil, Leonard finally could not resist asking, "Old Man, what was the world like in the Fourth Epoch? How did people live? Did gods and emperors have absolute authority like this, too?"
"Your former colleague told you about 'anchors'?"
Pallez was somewhat surprised.
"I find it strange, too... Logically speaking, if Dwayne Dantès, that ancient figure from the Fourth Epoch, brought up 'anchors,' I'd take it for granted, since you often say similar things yourself. But Klein, as the Fool's Blessed, doesn't even consider discussing such things blasphemous? Could the god known as the Fool really be that merciful?"
Pallez remained silent. He tried hard to recall the deeds of the Half-Fool, but in truth, as angels of adjacent pathways, their interactions had been limited even within the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Epoch.
Besides, Pallez had still been a young man then, growing