Under the circumstances, Raphael didn't laugh at the thoughts running circles in Erskine's head. He did, however, smirk and glance toward the man, amusement warring with the concern in his eyes even from where he stood back, arms crossed, to watch Merlin and Gabe as they spun the wards. There was, of course, no way Merlin and China had done anything other than catalogue books. Aside from Merlin's sleeping on the couch.

He didn't say anything, though. Humour, true humour, was still too new for him to muster it in a situation in which his little brother would be once again throwing himself into Hell's gates.

That little tidbit was something Rafe hadn't quite gleaned from Gabe, though, and the thought visibly shook him. "They mean to cut this world off from the lifestream?" he blurted, aghast. "They're insane."

"They don't know what they're doing," Gabe murmured, still paying half-attention to the rest of them as Merlin wasn't. "They understand enough to feel they understand it all, and nowhere near enough to know what they're doing would be disastrous." He opened his eyes, the cosmos in them, and his lips quirked. "Par for the course when it comes to people such as them, really."

Despite himself, Raphael laughed. Gabe continued. "I appreciate you coming, but I'm going to be the one to talk, thank you, Erskine. Auron Tenebrae will be an open book to me. Anything he tries to come up with to object, I'll know. Besides." He came very near to smirking. "I have a few tricks up my sleeves too."

"Just so long as you don't blow your arms off," Merlin muttered, stepping back and dropping Gabe's hands. "There. That should keep the taint from reacting to your glory, but don't stress it too much."

Gabe smiled, rueful and warm at once. "Thank you, Merlin. Okay." He held out his hands to Fletcher. "We'll start outside the graveyard, please. Let's not strain me."