“Quite possibly,” said the tallest member. “But let us wait upon our assistance and judge its effectiveness.”

They all agreed, and then after a moment of silence, they each repeated the phrase solemnly.

One member went to douse the censers, each which held its flame atop a balance which a handless thumb had pushed all the way down on the right side.

Then darkness suffocated the meeting room and dispelled the five masked members.