This is What They Took From You (short story)

 was the ninth story in The Boulevard: Volume One.

1
In a small out of the way room, Emmeline narrates the events of the day to her familiar, Petricrieu, in linear time, as best as she can manage.

Hannah Drummond comes to find Emmeline in the Heresiologists’ Dining Hall, asking her to run an errand, to go to the local market and pick up some spices, used as preservatives, or poisons. Emmeline tells the clay of the Heresiologists’ House that she'll be doing this. It was approved, though Emmeline received a message from Saint Dolores to visit when free. Emmeline travels to the market, and the Angel weighing down the roof churns out a revelation.

At this point Emmeline stops her story, Petricrieu being worried that the two of them might be caught for not following the parables. Emmeline insists that it's fine, they can always say that the Saint has given them specific orders, but Petricrieu notes that this risks her hearing about the incident and realizing the two of them are out of her control. Without Emmeline all day all Petricrieu can do is worry. And all Emmeline can do is act on instinct and predecision. It frustrates them both.

Emmeline returns to her story, a young woman stands up in the market and proclaims that the Angel is broken, but that she's heard from the true Angel of Gibberline and will reveal it one week from now. Emmeline goes to recount this to the Saint, and when the Saint hears this, she mutters, "The true angels of Gibberline, and they wear their skulls on the outside."

This reminds Emmeline and Petricrieu of something that happened to them, a meeting with the Faction. Emmeline woke up tied to a chair, being interrogated by a woman in a skull mask, trying to reach out to Petricrieu, but being walled off from her, years of the Saint's alchemy keeping her in a stupor. The member of the Faction asks some questions about her cognition, but, getting nowhere explains that the Faction is something like the third side in the war between the Angels and the rebel Angels on their world. Well, except that the theology of this planet is a microcosm of the larger conflict.

Emmeline finds this hard to swallow, but the Saint had asked for her acolytes to prepare the alchemy to petrify a familiar. The acolytes were thrilled, each thinking that they'd be the ones to get rid of their familiars, though Emmeline knows that it will be used on Peggy Clay, the woman from the market. Saint Dolores has asked her to give a sermon.

2
A discussion takes place between Mother Dwysan and Mother Horun, concerning the Broken proto-Remote colony Gibberline, concerning what caused the colony to become Broken and how to reverse it.

Dwysan notes that the colony has built a culture around the signals received from the local sentient clay and that her attempts to build up a power base in the local populace are being undermined, asking if it's Horun for her to stop.

Horun says that she's been looking into the heretics, completely boring, standard golden age mythos. As far as she can tell the angels have always transmitted nonsense, no sudden intervention to make the colony Broken.

3
Gibberline listens to its inhabitants, the messages they write in its flesh, coughed up again when asked for. Clay familiars bequeathed to the children, when they find a single shape for their familiar it understands a little more. Angels sprout from the walls, sputtering nonsense. Gibberline knows that it's nonsense. There's an infection in Gibberline, an infection called Paradox, using its clay for their own ends.

4
Horun and Dwysan squabble, Dwysan exulting in the angels and what they do for the world, proclaiming them a new form of loa on the brink of being created, Horun insisting that the clay is just mirroring back the thoughts of the inhabitants in a feedback loop and accusing Dwysan of accidentally creating this entire scenario.

Cousin Treacle interjects, the two of them have gotten nowhere on this project, and each have asked for oversight on the other, so she has come to investigate.

5
Miss Romiley, an elderly woman, entered along with Drummond to the church to hear the sermon. Saint Dolores announces the speaker, Peggy, and offers her the chance to proclaim her heresy. A box is brought forward, and as it's being opened, Dolores expresses regret, saying that she wished for one of her acolytes to be strengthened in their faith, but someone had destroyed her Waters of Confirmation. As such, she calls for Emmeline to come forward to commune with the angel in the box. The angel that was not a smooth body with a blank face. The angel that was many strands woven together. The angel with a skull for a face. The angel that unraveled and began to envelope Emmeline as she screamed.

6
Emmeline is in a room trying to recover, communing with Petricrieu, explaining the pain, how she was the angel, or how the angel was acting through her. There was a ship of stories breaking free of the angel, angels trying to free it, and angels trying to wrestle it down. And the entire time she just felt shattered. And the worst part was being without Petricrieu, she reached for her, and she thinks the others saw. And then, and then, they can hear someone coming.

7
Romiley confronts Drummond, who was sneaking up on Emmeline with a knife. Saint Dolores bursts into the room, insisting that the ritual must have gone against Drummond, so Drummond is attempting to dispose of the evidence. Romiley pulls out a skull mask and dons it - Treacle orders the two to sit. Dolores, or, Dwysan, and Drummond/Horun then proceed to argue with both each other and the person they asked to come arbitrate as to the events that had transpired in the history of the colony, including the creation of the artificial angel and their mutual manipulation of Peggy Clay. Finally, Treacle pointed out that this entire affair was to determine whether the angels could think for themselves. So she simply asks Emmeline what was present in the angel's head. Emmeline says nothing but her own pain and thoughts reflected back.

8
Out in the muddy expanse beyond Gibberline, Emmeline and Petricrieu watch Dolores be consigned to The Boulevard. The two, newly inducted as Faction trainees, discuss their concerns about the group, how even Treacle, who woke Emmeline up, messed with their heads for amusement, the entire group seems self centered. Perhaps the only way to survive is to keep out of the way. And to stay together.

9
Looking at Gibberline in the distance you can make out its shape, an immense angel, shattered in some war, left to die, broken, making its way, slowly crawling across the plain. Bit by shuddering bit.

Characters

 * Emmeline
 * Petricrieu
 * Mother Dwysan
 * Mother Horun
 * Peggy Clay
 * Cousin Treacle
 * Gibberline

Continuity
to be added