"I'll leave that up to your imagination, Skulduggery," Merlin told him, and went back to sipping his coffee with soft murmurs of appreciation.
Gabe frowned. "We have clues."
"We've been handling Lucifer for a few million years now," Raphael agreed.
"I've been overseeing his wagers for the last dozen ten-thousands or so," Gabe pointed out.
"Not that we're going to object to the help, of course," Rafe added.
"But we do have ideas."
"Do enlighten us, then," Merlin said dryly.
"The slingshot effect," the two Archangels chorused, and Gabriel leaned in. "It's something we've been discussing to get him out of this universe. Given the infinite possibilities of multiple versions of us, something about each universe must resonate only, or primarily, in those belonging to that universe."
"Some universes resonate similarly," Rafe added. "That's why the Faceless Ones who came to this dimension are the Fallen from ours, and why the Faceless Ones the two of you fought are the very same, and not the ones from another dimension altogether."
"It's not an overt thing," Gabe said. "It's something that's very, very subtle. Something I doubt Lucifer will be able to hear. I can, because it's my talent, and Rafe can, because it's his patronage. But it's--" He paused, thinking it over. "It's the reason," he said at last, "why someone from another universe speaking Myron's true name wouldn't be able to control our version of him. Even though it sounds like the same name on a physical level, on the metaphysical they sound different. It's also why I could trace your universe using your name, even though if you spoke it aloud it would sound the same no matter what universe you're in."
"Which means," Rafe continued, "that our Lucifer will resonate with our universe. If we can track those sounds, we can play them to yank Lucifer back to where he's supposed to be without having to actively fight him. On Earth, in our universe."
There was a pause. "I admit, I'm impressed," Merlin said. "I don't know why, but I am. I always forget how great your understanding of physics and metaphysics truly is, beyond simply saying it's magic."
"That's just what we say to people who aren't smart enough to understand what we're talking about," Gabe said with a straight face, and then grinned.
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Gabe frowned. "We have clues."
"We've been handling Lucifer for a few million years now," Raphael agreed.
"I've been overseeing his wagers for the last dozen ten-thousands or so," Gabe pointed out.
"Not that we're going to object to the help, of course," Rafe added.
"But we do have ideas."
"Do enlighten us, then," Merlin said dryly.
"The slingshot effect," the two Archangels chorused, and Gabriel leaned in. "It's something we've been discussing to get him out of this universe. Given the infinite possibilities of multiple versions of us, something about each universe must resonate only, or primarily, in those belonging to that universe."
"Some universes resonate similarly," Rafe added. "That's why the Faceless Ones who came to this dimension are the Fallen from ours, and why the Faceless Ones the two of you fought are the very same, and not the ones from another dimension altogether."
"It's not an overt thing," Gabe said. "It's something that's very, very subtle. Something I doubt Lucifer will be able to hear. I can, because it's my talent, and Rafe can, because it's his patronage. But it's--" He paused, thinking it over. "It's the reason," he said at last, "why someone from another universe speaking Myron's true name wouldn't be able to control our version of him. Even though it sounds like the same name on a physical level, on the metaphysical they sound different. It's also why I could trace your universe using your name, even though if you spoke it aloud it would sound the same no matter what universe you're in."
"Which means," Rafe continued, "that our Lucifer will resonate with our universe. If we can track those sounds, we can play them to yank Lucifer back to where he's supposed to be without having to actively fight him. On Earth, in our universe."
There was a pause. "I admit, I'm impressed," Merlin said. "I don't know why, but I am. I always forget how great your understanding of physics and metaphysics truly is, beyond simply saying it's magic."
"That's just what we say to people who aren't smart enough to understand what we're talking about," Gabe said with a straight face, and then grinned.