I arrived at Room 221, Tom Beckman’s office, shortly after half eight the following morning. The office’s occupant, Tom Beckman himself, invited me in.

“Good morning Mr Stirling.” Beckman didn’t look up from a sheet of paper he was studying. I cleared and pulled a seat up to his desk. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay.” I said. This wasn’t a complete lie. I’d gone out in the afternoon of the day before and bought what was likely a worrying number of painkillers. They were helping quite a bit. I sat down, trying not to wince.

“I’ve been reading your report.” Tom Beckman nodded to the sheet of paper he was holding. Evidently a transcript of my interview with Trey. “It seems your theory was correct. The assailant is targeting inexperienced acolytes and is likely that they are choosing their targets based on the field work records.” My chest swelled with pride upon hearing that. Or maybe that was swelling due to physical trauma. “You did well to force the assailants to reveal that there are two of them, too.” Beckman continued.

“Thank you sir.” I said quietly. Beckman put my report to one side.

“We’ll need to begin an internal investigation into the identity of the assailants, but unfortunately I can’t put that task on you.”

I must admit I was a little disappointed to hear that, though I perked up a little when Beckman continued talking.

“I have a different task for you, one which I believe you are well suited for.” I wondered what he had in mind. “It concerns Miss Pour.”

Verity? What had she done this time? Actually, what had she done to deserve any of this?

“You may have been wondering why I was given the task of teaching Divitaetion to Miss Pour.” As a matter of fact, I had. I’d wondered about that a lot. I didn’t feel quite so bitter about it anymore but it did still puzzle me. “Listen to me Mr Stirling.” Beckman looked me dead in the eyes. “What I am about to tell you must not leave this room. The only other members of the Church of Mammon that are aware of this are Grand Elder Guyard, Miss Pour, and Mr Isambard Poster, though even he does not know the full extent of the matter. Can I trust you?” Tom Beckman was offering to tell me a secret known only to him, the Grand Elder of the Church of Mammon, and… and Verity…

I nodded. Of course he could trust me.

“Good.” Beckman sighed. “Then listen closely. Grand Elder Guyard believes that Miss Verity Pour is what the Church of Mammon has been awaiting for years.”

He didn’t mean-

“Mammon in human form?” I heard myself ask. Beckman nodded.

That was ridiculous. Verity? A deity? Impossible. Wouldn’t she know? Wouldn’t she be more… deity-like? And surely the very deity that gave us the gift of Divitaetion wouldn’t need to be taught to perform Divitaetion?

“Tell me what you are thinking, Mr Stirling.” Now I heard Beckman speak. I went to say “that makes perfect sense” like any good upstanding acolyte of the Church of Mammon would do. But instead I said exactly what was on my mind. Cracked ribs were making it hard to self-censor.

“That doesn’t make any sense.” I said.

To my surprise, Beckman nodded.

“You’re absolutely right, Mr Stirling, it doesn’t. Miss Pour is exceptional in many ways, but I do not believe she is Mammon in human form.”

“Exceptional?” I echoed. Beckman nodded again.

“She was first found by Mr Poster using search.” Search was a cast that allowed you to perceive Divitaetion performed by others. “He wouldn’t have paid it much heed except that he detected incredibly large casts occurring. When he called finance, they had no records of transactions that large taking place, so he investigated and found Miss Pour.” Verity had managed to learn a little Divitaetion before she came here, which by itself was enough to be labelled as exceptional. “When Mr Poster met Miss Pour he discovered a few things. Firstly, the only Divitaetion Miss Pour knew was Heat which I believe she had been using to keep her home warm. Secondly, as far as Mr Poster could tell, she was not giving anything up to cast Heat.”

“Is that even possible?” I asked.

“I do not know.” Beckman shook his head. “As far as Grand Elder Guyard is concerned, it is an irrefutable sign that Miss Pour is Mammon in human form.”

“And as far as you’re concerned?” Beckman was silent for a while.

“I believe Miss Pour is hiding something from us. I believe she is hiding the source of her Divitaetion.”

“Why would she do that?” I asked.

“I believe Mr Poster let her become aware that such an ability was the only reason we were interested in her, and she is using that to her advantage.” Beckman sighed. “There are some mysteries surrounding her though. Whenever she casts, the resultant Divitaetion is actually worth far more than the money she spends. She cast a blade that should have been worth five dollars, and yet it took another blade worth over two hundred to shatter.”

“I…” The enigma of Verity Pour was only growing. What Beckman was essentially saying was that Verity was ignoring one of the most basic rules of Divitaetion. “What does that mean?”

“I do not know…” Beckman said again. “But I am hoping that you might be able to help me on that.” Right, the task he had for me.

“What do you need me to do?” I asked tentatively.

“I see that you have become friends with Miss Pour. I commend you for not letting any jealousy cause you to push her away.” I felt my face heat up slightly at that, “Miss Pour has reached a stage in her training where she will mostly be practising the casts she has been taught. I would like you to assist her in that practice, and also find out what she was using to cast Divitaetion before she learned it could be done with money.”

“Before…” I echoed, “You still think she was casting Divitation without money?”

“Indeed. She has been using something else before Mr Poster found her, and I want you to find out what it is.” I considered this. I was being ask to essentially spy on Verity, to apply the same dedication to investigation I’d shown for the assailants for her.

“Am I really the best choice?” I said, “Would Faith not be a better choice?” Beckman didn’t answer immediately.

“I am afraid I cannot trust Miss Acre. Nor Mr Poster for that matter.” I couldn’t bring myself to ask why. “Can I trust you, Mr Stirling?” Beckman asked me once again.

Spy and investigate Verity on behalf of the Church of Mammon…

“Yes, you can trust me.” I heard Hugh Stirling say.

I saw Verity again that evening, in the dining hall obviously. The dorms did have a common room of sorts but I rarely spent time there, and had never seen Verity there when I was. There was no Isambard or Faith, or Trey for that matter, in sight. It was the perfect chance.

“How are you doing?” I asked as I sat opposite her.

“Fine.” Verity answered, “I spent most of today in the gym, practising.” Verity had brought up her Divitaetion practice without me having to say anything.

“How did it go?” Verity pouted.

“I’m not sure.” she said, “It’s hard to tell if I’m doing it right…” The stars had aligned. I had been given my new task by Tom Beckman just this morning and I could begin in earnest almost immediately. And yet… I found myself hesitating. Why was it so hard to ask her if she wanted help? It was as simple as that! It was what Beckman needed me to do and it was something that I… Something that I wanted to do to…

That got me to talk.

“Do you want some help?” Verity looked surprised, or perhaps shocked was a better word, at that question. The look didn’t last long though.

“Are you sure you have time?”

“Well for a few reasons… My role in the investigation is over now, so I currently don’t have any outstanding work…” That wasn’t a complete lie, I told myself “So I’ve got time.”

“Okay,” Verity smiled, “Then I’ll see you tomorrow in the gym?”

“Sure.” I answered, my voice cracking a little. I wished that wouldn’t keep happening. Verity chuckled. For a moment I thought she was laughing at my cracking voice, but then she said:

“It’s a little funny, you came here to study under Tom Beckman, but instead I was the one who studied under him. And now I’m going to study under you.” I wasn’t sure how funny I thought it was, but the idea that Verity was going to “study under me” filled me with an odd feeling.

It was by no means an unpleasant feeling.

That night I opened up the copy of Money Maketh the Man that had been left on my bed when I first arrived. I’d already read it, and all the writings of Jeremiah Guyard, but hearing that Grand Elder Guyard thought he’d found Mammon in human form, and that he thought it was Verity, inspired me to go over a few of the passages. There were a few published collections of Jeremiah Guyard’s works out there, but Money Maketh the Man was the true holy text as far as I was concerned. It not only included Jeremiah Guyard’s many essays on economics and philosophy, but also many letters he sent out telling others of the revelation Mammon granted him. The letter he wrote to his friend, a vicar, immediately after receiving his vision from Mammon.

My dear friend, you know that I have struggled with my faith for many years. Well you will be delighted to hear that no more will I doubt or falter. I have received proof, in no uncertain terms, that your God is a lie and his very nature is one of mankind’s greatest deceptions. I have seen the truth, and now know what my purpose is. But do not be discouraged, for I can reveal this truth to you now.

The rest of the letter detailed the core tenants of the purpose of money and was the definitive text that defined our beliefs. It even laid out some of the initial ideas that would be taken on by the Church of Mammon, including his ideas for how the Church would be structured and what its meeting houses would look like.

It must all be white, both inside and out. Our people and our homes must inform every passing traveller that out intentions are pure, and unsullied by pretence. We do not deny ourselves and we do not worship that which requires we deny ourselves. We worship that which all humanity should worship. We worship that which truly gives man power. Money.

There was no record of if Jeremiah Guyard’s friend wrote back.