A prayer ritual was an extremely solemn affair.
The old gear and ratchet wrench used as guides, tinder lit by sparks struck from steel, Consecrated Machine Oil offered in tribute, and a Punched Card-not one could be missing.
Eliobuyazi secretly rejoiced. Fortunately, he was devout enough in his daily life to carry all these things with him, so he could set up the ritual immediately.
If he let them use this to stall for time, they might well manage to fool their way through.
His decision to pray immediately had truly been a stroke of genius. Eliobuyazi could not help feeling rather pleased with himself.
As for whether the Lord would respond?
The corners of Eliobuyazi's mouth curved upward.
Pascal and Elliot had clearly overlooked something: all the Great Beings had now sealed their Abodes and could not possibly respond!
Even if the Sea of the Moon lay in the gap between dream and the present world and might indeed allow prayers to reach Him, the Lord would never make a special response over such a trivial matter!
But this was their own fault to begin with. That fool Pascal had already lost the moment he proclaimed this to be the Lord's guidance!
And Elliot had only added fuel to the fire. Now he had no way out at all!
Eliobuyazi had already begun weighing his words, ready to savor his imminent success!
In front of the Difference Engine, however, Elliot curled his lip.
The bishop was indeed right: the Furnace would not respond to him.
If Elliot had been sitting there in person, he really would not have had any good way to deal with him.
But things were different now. Elliot pulled the Difference Engine Core straight out.
The Card Difference Engine shuddered, its sound sinking lower.
Ignoring