Ghede felt Halle's presence before he saw her, felt the more pronounced ripples through the spirits around him. "You mind what I said, now," he growled at the cloud. "Or y'all can end up just like your friends there." He gestured to where three or four spirits were still swirling around the room.
"You see," Ghede sighed. "They're out to wreak havoc, and it's like...like overloading a power grid. Eventually the whole thing shuts down, and without it, there's widespread disorder. I need-"
"You need to accept that your time has passed."
Ghede snorted. "In your intangible dreams," he replied. "You need to stop scaring the little ones that just want to be left alone."
"Weak, useless things. Wisps of a dream, left hanging around through sheer luck."
"What, and you applied for the job?" Ghede asked derisively.