Chapter 20: And Rend Us Both To Dust Below

Image Description: Rows of empty theatre seats, falling back into darkness. An exit sign is illuminated above. The caption reads, ‘One way or another, the performance ends in death.’ - Hembry

## Credits

### Featured Voices

* Jimmie Yamaguchi as Hayward
* David Ault as Hembry
* Lucille Valentine as Paige

## Episode Guide

Paige embarks on her quest to make a new kind of god - and enlists the help of an old friend.

## Description

### Hayward's Investiagtion

We open with Hayward. He tells us it is the first Wheeze-Day of Fathoms. He has been following Paige Duplass, who is shopping at Mondegreen Avenue supermarket. She bought chalk, psychotropic tea and cleaning supplies. Hayward is being pursued by the Neshite police force, which has made things difficult. We hear sirens in the background illustrating this. He has barely slept or eaten since the events at the Kensey House, He writes all of this down. A police cruiser stops outside, signalling to Hayward that it is time to go.

### Hembry's Performance

Hembry speaks. It becomes clear that he is voicing stage directions. He informs us that his windows are dark, and that the outside world appears to not exist. It seems like his apartment is a set. He asks the nothingness if it is time to begin. In response the door buzzer sounds again and again. Paige speaks, asking Hembry to open the door. They used to work together at OBC. Hembry implores her to leave under his breath. She doesn’t. He turns to the audience, before walking to the door and opening it. Paige enters with flowers. She feigns how nice it is to see him, Hembry continues speaking the stage directions out loud and informs us that they were not close back when they were coworkers despite her display to the contrary. Paige is shocked by this. He instructs her to close the door behind her, which she does. She doesn’t have to fake her concern. Paige asks about Hembry’s sister, he tells her that his sister died. She hugs him, Hembry does not reciprocate. He bitterly responds that she was busy and didn’t make time to check in with him. He acknowledges that it was worse for those whose contracts were renewed and were used by the company rather than let go. He has been getting into theatrics, the Man With Many Faces. Hembry asks her to tell him why she’s here. Paige asks him about the catalogues on licensed and forbidden gods and whether he still has them. He does. She requests he gives her a copy, and he asks what she would do with them. She tells him that she wants to make a new god. Hembry tells her that if she’s caught she’ll be killed. He warns her that a god might come over her by accident when she uses the catalogues. He speaks from experience. Paige asks what’s happened, and Hembry tells her to not ask now. He tells her that there’s a god in his apartment with them, watching their performance. Paige suggests they leave the apartment and go for a walk. He tells her they can’t leave. Hembry’s sink doesn’t work, which outrages Paige, but he informs her it’s part of the set. He confesses that his god likes tragedies, and that all his performances end in death. Paige questions this, asking how his sister died. The Watcher in the Wings requires him to act certain ways, play specific parts. Hembry ends the scene.

The lights in the apartment go out leaving Paige in darkness. The lights turn on again slowly. We hear Hembry’s voice echoing from somewhere else. She tries to open the door, but she’s trapped. She calls for help. We hear Hayward burst through the door. His arrival is announced by Hembry. Paige is furious and attempts to run out the door, but is stopped by Hayward. He’s confused and disoriented by the voice. Hembry announces the sound of sirens. Hayward admits that the police are after him, and that he’s not police anymore. He says they’re leaving, but Paige refuses until she has what she came for. When Hayward turns back to the door it reveals only a backstage area rather than the exit. Hayward begins to panic as Hembry announces an interval.

Hayward and Paige manage to crawl out from behind the curtains and into the auditorium. It’s deserted but they heard applause. Hayward realises it is the haunt of a god. There’s an exit sign, but neither of them trust it. The name ‘The Watcher in the Wings’ begins to make sense to Paige - it wasn’t applause but the beating of wings. Hembry controls the actions. There’s nothing until he says there is. Hembry’s distorted voice returns, telling her she’s wasting her time negotiating. Paige refuses to play her part. But he tells her that her only escape is to play her part. He reveals how this has happened, that he read the catalogues and wanted to be a better actor. That he was sick of who he was and wanted to be someone else. The Watcher in the Wings told him that he could become the Man With many Faces instead. That he could be given a show that never ends. He has been too many people to escape. Paige tells him that they have been trapped once before, and that they can escape again. Hembry becomes agitated again. The sound of beating wings returns.

The set has changed. The past ‘performers’, the sacrifices are left on stage. The lights flicker. Hayward is back onstage. The Man With Many Faces stands behind him, there is a thud and the sound of glass shattering. Hembry smashes Hayward’s head on the edge of the sink. Hayward collapses. Hembry draws the knives. Paige takes over and begins speaking the stage directions. Paige appeals to his emotions. Paige firmly says that Hayward groans, that he is alive and Hayward does so. The Man With Many Faces allows them to leave with the catalogues. Paige takes the books and, supporting Hayward, they leave the apartment.

The Man With Many Faces turns back towards the audience. His faces grin. Angry applause rises, and the Man With Many Faces charges the audience. The Watcher in the Wings flees, pursued by the Man With Many Faces. The wings beat down on him, lashing his flesh. Hembry says it won’t be long now, before he is cut off.

### Carpenter And The Cairn Maiden

Carpenter speaks to the Cairn Maiden, who is watching her from the trees. She asks why she’s here. She wonders if it's because of her actions at the sub-station. She accuses this faith of being busywork, of changing nothing. She refuses to go to another faceless god, and tells the Cairn Maiden to come to her instead. She says that the Trawler-man was awful, but never pitiful. As Carpenter lashes out, the Cairn Maiden disappears. She continues.

## References

1. ↑ Episode Release Announcement on Tumblr
2. ↑ Official episode synopsis at https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/5fec690f8211cf453a1b89e2