or alter the human body and mind,” said Valeria. “It is the only method that can be used on a living creature—for life is far too complex to be persuaded. One must use deeper permissions to alter a life form, quickly and permanently. Most other commands, as I am sure your city has learned, are…unsuited for application to life.”
“If by that you mean our shit killed loads of people in horrible ways, yeah,” said Orso. “Yeah, we did do that. So?”
“So—if I give you the base commands for this act,” said Valeria, “then…you should be able to combine it with the technique of twinning reality—to assert that two separate individuals are the same. It would allow two living creatures to share thoughts, experiences, perspectives, memories. Including the knowledge of sigils, and the permissions of an editor.”
“Are you suggesting we should twin Berenice with Sancia?” asked Gregor.
“True. Then when Sancia communes with Gregor’s alterations, she would essentially be taking Berenice with her. Berenice would see what Sancia sees. She would be able to witness the sigils, and remember them, and give them to me to use upon the key.”
“And that’s all she’d see?” asked Sancia.
“Untrue. She would see and experience and know a great deal more than that. She would know everything that Sancia would know, and the reverse is true as well.”
Berenice and Sancia exchanged an uncomfortable glance. “Could you…explain what this would really do to us?” asked Berenice.
“Difficult to describe…Sancia may know more. It would be similar to what it was to touch the key…”
“Like Clef?” said Sancia. “Me and Berenice would share thoughts like…like that?”
“To an extent. Imagine two panes of colored glass, raised to the sun. Now place the edges of one atop the other so that in one small portion, the light flows through both. A slight overlap, if you will.”
“And we wouldn’t need any sacrifices?” asked Orso.
“The full ritual would not be necessary. Would only need to implant them in a living host, which does not require such a formality—that is why the plate in your head first worked, Sancia. An easy bypass.”
“You’re saying…me and Berenice take some plates,” Sancia said slowly, “scrive them with a set of sigils you give us, and then we can…what, stick them inside our actual skin?”
“Swallowing them seems simpler,” said Valeria. “Preferable, yes? Would also render the effects impermanent. You would only share your selves while the plates remained in your systems.”
“All this,” said Orso, “to learn the secrets of time, so we can wake up Clef.”
“You are talking about scriving time—one of the most powerful permissions in all of reality. Not stealing a recipe to make sweetbreads.”
Sancia and Berenice exchanged another look, both clearly unnerved by the proposal.
“Would you really want to try this?” said Sancia to her. “I mean—I’ve had this experience before, a little. I’ve had people in my head. I’m not sure if this is something you will want, necessarily…” She looked at Berenice hard, then glanced at Valeria, as if to say—And I’m not sure we should trust this goddamn thing either.
Berenice reached out and squeezed her hand reassuringly, though perhaps she was trying to reassure herself more than anything. “Perhaps you’ll be able to show me, then.”
“Are you sure?” asked Sancia.
“Absolutely not,” said Berenice. “I’m not sure about this at all. But…I don’t see another option.”
“Then I will show you the sigils you need,” said Valeria.
* * *
—
The process was surprisingly simple: Valeria flashed the sigil strings upon the reflections in the walls, and Orso and Berenice copied them down. Then Valeria showed them the way to combine their own work—the process of twinning reality—with hierophantic commands that could apply them to a human being.
“Most critical part,” said Valeria, “is ensuring you apply a gradient to the effects.”
“Meaning…we don’t assert that Sancia is exactly like Berenice?” asked Orso.
“True. That would be very bad.”
“Why?” asked Sancia.
“Imagine your mortal form, suddenly mashed together with Berenice’s—bones inside of bones, veins suddenly