My Alex Abel.

[Tim Dedopulos]

> What does Alex do?

Alex's defining characteristic, to my mind, is that he 
wants to save the world (from itself, anyway) and he
thinks he knows the best way. Everything else - the
ruthless callousness, the money, the hit-squads - is
just window-dressing, as far as he's concerned.

Here's a chance for him to do right, if it's on the 
up 'n' up. He can make a start on bringing around a
better world with this girl, who he has a karmic debt
to, of sorts. 

So, IMLUV (In My Little UnaVerse), he might have a team 
seize the pair of them and take them to a neutral safe-
house that doesn't matter to him, and have them thoroughly
checked out - financially, physically, legally, 
spiritually, psychologically and magickally, see if things
are on the level. He's not going to do a thing without 
being absolutely certain they're for real and bear no
malice. If they're trying to pull something, they're dead.
If they've been manipulated into trying something, they're
dead or imprisoned depending on the level of brainwashing,
and the manipulators are staring down the barrel of one
big, fat Jyhaad.

If there's genuinely nothing odd going on, they're
real and not Tulpa, and she's not his daughter, then he
has a shot at building them a life they don't feel so
trapped by that Mona has to look to sell Ruby - a sort of 
grand experiment to see how people react to his vision.

Or Ruby might have skills he can use, in which case he 
might employ her. He might even think she's cute enough
to buy in the spirit of Mona's offer, as a sort of
nostalgic sex-slave (although he'd probably drug her
to keep her docile in that situation).

Alternatively though, he might just tell Mona to sod off, 
then have the pair of them waxed the next morning. After
all, it's for the best - 'cos there are people who would
buy her, and the last thing he needs is an old ex rich
and vengeful. If you can do magick through the place where
a man's shadow has fallen, or through his birthsign,
surely you can do magick through a place where he has 
sown his seed?

I don't see any other options. He's not going to just
turn her down and let her get on with her life. Ruby
& Mona are rich, employed, enslaved or dead depending 
on Alex's mood (now _there's_ a risk to please even
the most hardened Chaos Mage...)

Tim.

       Imagine there are two of you. Which one would win?

Tim Dedopulos, Project Editor **** tdedopulos at carltonbooks.co.uk