Hades' Halls

Broadsword calling

Well, they went ahead with Mats' idea. Though she would not have admitted it even if the four horse riders of the apocalypse were asking her through strained smiles as she hung suspended from the ceiling but her right ankle, Georgie was scrambling. Besides, Mats was far too excited over the prospect of being a milkman and Hades had been charmed with the idea. "How quaint", he had exclaimed as Georgie slammed her head against her palm in the corner. That had been a fun afternoon.

Vexation remained in the rooms of Persephone's Grove but anger dissipated quickly. Georgie had confronted Hades about sending her to sleep for three days, stating how "It's just not cricket". Hades, after enquiring after the meaning of the phrase had the grace to look a little forlorn at the injury of Georgie's feelings but was ready with what he believed to be a sensible answer.

"It was not my intention to have you sleep so long. I only made it so you would rest until your energy reserves were full once again. Though, now I wonder if you have ever run on full steam before, three days is a long time."

"It's called being human", said Georgie, relenting a little at Hades' obvious misconception. He was still new to Earth she remembered and just because he was an everlasting being did not mean he knew his Ps and Qs.

"Being human sounds very tiresome", said Hades.

"You don't know the half of it", said Georgie with a doleful sigh. "Which reminds me ...." Georgie went on to explain to Hades that she really needed to give her, or anyone come to it, warning if he was going to pull such a stunt again as she had missed two work deadlines; rather unfortunate for her academic records.

"Don't fret", Hades reassured her. "That was all sorted out. Everything was sent in before the deadline and by the looks of it you are going to get some quiet excellent marks. Don't worry, it was all done in your style of writing." He leaned in close. "I have access over some very useful people", he gave a sly wink, causing Georgie's eyes to open wide.

She had accepted that, it was too late not to by that point, but she asked Hades to maybe not do it again or else it would not feel like her achievement if her degree was earned for her by souls of the sinful. The shook and parted ways, Georgie to think on more ideas to keep Hades sweet and Hades to wherever he went off to with Spike and Mathias. Namely, a disused town hall just out of Exeter central where the facade of a condemned building hid one of the top secrets in the little city.

"That's the last wire", said Mathias, rolling out from under a desk. "I really don't see why Hades, lord of the Underworld, the big man himself, couldn't just will his operation command centre into place. Or at least pay someone other than his friend to do it for him."

"I'm a god, my dear Emily. Not a purveyor of wisdom." Hades sat on a cushy armchair, feet up on a desk, perusing the Financial Times. He did not really understand all the complicated wordings of some of the articles. Flicking through pages upon pages of the economic aside of current affairs he could not help thinking that mortals really made things too difficult for themselves.

Discarding the paper, Hades stood and went to inspect Mathias handywork. "Excellent, excellent", he cried, clapping his hands once like a man of the world. "It's perfect."

"You have no idea if I've done it right have you?"

"Not a clue", Hades conceded with a grin. "We'll do an all systems check when Spike gets back. Somehow it wouldn't feel right to do it without him."

Before Mathias could respond the demon himself skipped in, smiling dreamily as though all was right with the world.

"Speak of the devil", Hades said before doubling over in thunderous hysterics. He really was too much.