Feed them all, let Dad sort it out

“What if none of you needed to eat?” I smile.

****'s frown deepens, “Then she wouldn't be able to threaten anyone that way…” he considers, bringing a taloned hand up to his chin, “...but she'd still be getting off scott-free. It feels wrong. Also…” he pauses, “...do you understand just how much energy we use?”

“Not at all,” I shrug, “but you did as much as say I have literally infinite power to burn as long as it's not too focused, and you folks are apparently spread out basically everywhere.” As the black demonic entity tilts and nods his head, I ask something that's bugging me, “...why do you look like that? I mean… you seem like a nice guy, but you're…” I don't want to say it.

“It's the work of my own subconscious,” the entity answers, “I look like what I expect a deity of **** to look like, so my appearance is pulled from a nightmare from when I was a mortal child,” he shrugs, “we're all like that. My sister Water has fins rather than legs and has to swim around topless. My brother Nature became my sister shortly after his adoption, and still thinks of himself as male… but at least he's decent, what with the leaves. Poor Justice is blind… but I suppose those details don't matter.” He considers, rubbing his chin, “I'm not sure everyone would trust a mortal to sustain them…”

“Well… I'm not entirely mortal at this point, and it's pretty much ‘trust me’ or ‘trust her’,” I shrug, “...got any better ideas?”

“No.” **** answers reflexively, “...so I'll ask my siblings how they feel about it. You'll need to visit us all in our homes to apply the spell…” he slips into a practical mode, “...which means every one of us will need to give you some kind of blessing so that we can arrange it,” he chuckles, which sounds viscerally disturbing, “and they'll have to bless you before you give them their meal ticket, so there shouldn't be any twisting. You'll probably get a lot of blessings so small as to barely qualify, but nobody will want you dead or upset, so they're not going to be poisoned.” He nods, “should be okay. I'll pitch it to them… are you ready to go back?”

I nod, and the world fades out… but I don't find myself back in my ship. I'm on a beach, looking out at a sunset over an ocean… and the spells I usually use to ‘see’ everything in all directions are absent. I keep those in ****'s office, and for me to not be back on my ship, someone more powerful than my patron is almost certainly involved… so there's pretty much only one reasonable explanation. So in this place that's clearly intended to relax me, I find I am really, really nervous.

“Fear not,” a calm, grandfatherly voice comes from behind me, “while I'm not going to say you've done nothing wrong, you've been trying to do right, and I do respect that. It's part of why I chose you.”

I take a slow breath, trying (and failing) to keep my pulse down… I have a pulse again? “I'm not worthy.”

“You're not…” the voice behind me chuckles, “...and that's okay. That's not the point. Never was.”

Is it okay for me to ask… “...why You're here?” The calm, friendly voice that has me worried completes my thought. “It's fine. Basically, your plan, while well intentioned, would produce some problems later: Your new siblings would no longer need to care about the mortals they shepherd, and some of them… well, I love ‘em, but they're still kids in some ways.”

“I'm hardly any better,” I do NOT turn around.

“You try,” he chuckles, a warm, friendly sound, “It's good that you helped out Edward, but you should turn that off in a little while… a few decades.”

“You just told me his Name,” I blink.

“I did,” the man confirms.

“...and referred to them as my new siblings.” I blink again. Umm.

“Correct,” he confirms.

“I'm guessing it's part of an alternative solution?” I swallow.

“Indeed. It's my responsibility to discipline Sally. So her leave of absence starts now,” I can hear the sad smile, “but her job is still necessary. So I'm giving it to you.”

“Thank you…” hmm… what's my view of what a deity of life would… oh.

“I'll let you get acquainted with your new place…” his voice fades out.

Wait… this is mine? And then… I'm MORE. I simply know my job. And I can do it. I am watching as an Astral Leviathan gives birth. As an elvish couple sires an heir. As a pair of newlywed Lashunta consummate their marriage… and I select a soul for the child when sperm and egg meet. I watch as a Vesk mother lays her first clutch of eggs. I keep a watch as butterfly-like Dessimar hatches. And on. And on. And on. Billions of planets, and the void between. quintillions of creatures complex enough to house a soul… including a few newly aware machine intelligences. And each and every one gets my full attention. And I remember everything. And it's not noise. And I'm in my realm, watching the tide. And it all makes perfect sense.

And I am ALSO in my ship, twice: Once in my mortal body, and once watching over the tiny little girl that is growing inside: A little organic soul that's going to grow a mechanical body… and Life… the old Life… is with me, now in plain sight, material, and hugely naked….