bluescreenwhitedragon

I'll add the relevant portions.

[A pause and then]

Anything else for me?

Got the Esther story, too. Check out the next page.

[It's actually the next two pages, into which he's copied a summary of the story of Esther:

King Ahasuerus is drunk at a festival and orders his queen, Vashti, to appear before him and his guests to display her beauty. When she refuses to come, he kicks her out and looks for a new queen. All the pretty ladies in the kingdom get together to be considered.

Esther's the cousin of Mordecai, a member of the Jewish community. Upon the king's orders Esther's taken to palace. Even as she advances to the highest position of the harem, Mordecai tells her she's got to hide that she's a Jew, so she does. The king falls in love with her and makes her queen.

Later, Mordecai refuses to bow to Haman, Ahasuerus' highest advisor, and Haman requests and is given permission to order all the Jews in Persia killed. When Esther learns about it, Mordecai tells her to reveal to the king that she is Jewish and to ask him to repeal the order. Esther hesitates, saying that she could be put to death if she goes to the king without being summoned and the king doesn't want to see her; Mordecai tells her she's got to try anyway. She goes to the king, and the king welcomes her, and says he will give her anything she wants. Instead of asking directly about the order, she invites the king and Haman to a banquet the next day.

During the banquet, the king asks Esther again if there's anything she wants, and this time she asks the king to spare her life and that of all of the Jews. The king asks who was threatening them, and she names Haman. Haman throws himself at her feet; the king thinks that Haman's attacking her and orders him put to death, and gives all Haman's possessions to Esther.

Esther tells the king about Mordecai's role in her life, and the king makes Mordecai his highest advisor. Esther then asks the king to revoke the order, and king allows Esther and Mordecai to do so. They send out an order in the king's name that Jews can assemble and defend themselves, and can kill anyone who threatens them and their families, and take their goods. On the thirteenth day of Adar, the same day that Haman had set for them to be killed, the Jews do so in one city, killing 500 people but not taking plunder, and they kill around 75,000 the next day again not taking plunder, and then they feast.]

[And below the summary, a direct quote:

"On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. Then the king asked, “What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.”

“If it pleases the king,” replied Esther, “let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.”

“Bring Haman at once,” the king said, “so that we may do what Esther asks.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, “Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Esther replied, “My petition and my request is this: If the king regards me with favor and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the king’s question.”

Haman went out that day happy and in high spirits. But when he saw Mordecai at the king’s gate and observed that he neither rose nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against Mordecai. Nevertheless, Haman restrained himself and went home. Calling together his friends and Zeresh, his wife, Haman boasted to them about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the ways the king had honored him and how he had elevated him above the other nobles and officials.

“And that’s not all,” Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow. 13 But all this gives me no satisfaction as long as I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.” His wife Zeresh and all his friends said to him, “Have a pole set up, reaching to a height of fifty cubits, and ask the king in the morning to have Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and enjoy yourself.” This suggestion delighted Haman, and he had the pole set up.

"So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet, and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.”

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king. ”

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life. Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?” As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face. Then Harbona, one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.” The king said, “Impale him on it!” So they impaled Haman on the pole he had set up for Mordecai. Then the king’s fury subsided."]

Edited 2019-09-19 05:04 (UTC)

[He reads it over once. Twice.]

None of these other names sound familiar.

Nope. But get this - the name Esther was was born with is the name snake lady's using now.

...

Some power play then.

If there is meaning behind it, we need to figure out who is her Haman.

And who her king is.

I doubt it's Lady Lies by this story.

Who else has the kind of power?

Not Azzy, if all those rumors were true. He's got less power than P does.

King of Hell, maybe?

Perhaps. Though we don't know much of him outside of his title.

Actually, we know very little about any Prince or King outside of the ones that touch this production.

Yeah. Feels like we oughtta have less blank spaces by now, but...

But no one wants to give me an org chart. So they're doing it on purpose.

Whatever.

We can find out on our own.

We got more than we used to, anyway.

Exactly.

Now about the other issue---

[May be pointedly looking at Hurricane's leg. What a downgrade from what he had.]

...hey, it's up and running, right?

[Digging through his stuff for one more thing. He passes it Intensity's way.]

[Hurricane, do you even sleep?

But this is probably the best distraction tactic to use on Intensity so he leaves the issue of the leg alone for the moment]

And what's this?

I stole it outta the house.

[He stole a lot of things out of the house. But this is the copy of The Magus that was in the library.]

[Blink at it for a few moments, turning to the pages that it was laid open to at the House.]

I see.

...

Do you think you could hold onto this copy for me?

Sure.

[Blinks back at him. That was an odd phrasing.]

That mean you grabbed one, too?

Angel did from the last run of the House. The last time I saw it, it was with A.

But Angel recites it from memory when stressed so it's not like I need a physical copy.

It could help you with your research. Especially now that a few more names are familiar to us.

Edited (wording) 2019-10-13 08:16 (UTC)

...oh. Right, sure.

I'll hold onto this one, then.

Maybe leave it out on the paladin coffee table. Could be good reading material for the rest of them.

Don't really got a coffee table, but I can start passing it around when I'm done if you think it'll help.

Your unit seemed rather interested in getting in on all of this after the whole Liar Hell escapade, so yes.

I think the more informed they are, the better.

Kay. I'll start handing it around.

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