Oh ... thank you. [ Matt sounds surprised, and genuinely touched by the offer. He likes Ruby--feels a connection to her, even apart from their shared Aspect. They have some things in common. And it shows a real generosity on Set's part, he thinks. If he were really so single-minded as he's seemed to Matt at times, he'd pressure Ruby to participate instead of helping her sit out.

For "necromancy," his eyebrows climb; he sputters a faint laugh at "dissipation." There's one answer to his private question about trying to barter for time with the Tree. ]

My methods are more pleasant than that, at least. [ Though he's not sure how much he really wants to get into it all right now. Matt knows things are urgent, increasingly dire--and Set doesn't strike him as likely to take offense at the concept itself. Still, they're strangers. ] Um, but, can I ask you one more thing? It's about Meridian.

The way I heard it, if Meridian restores everyone's worlds, they'll be just the same as they were before. Nothing can change or get better, except ... you know, organically, the way we try to do it through history. What do you think about that? It doesn't really sound like "creativity" to me.