Rhodes was unwilling to help himself:
<Her brother looked at her, then at the animal/Greek God presenting itself.
"I think he might be more pure?" he whispered.
"Probably true," she answered back, tossing her mane, "but except for his axe, we don't need him.">
"Incoming!" hollered Chuck.

Chuck glowed from within. It had to be a trick-of the light from the statue's armpit, right?

+-+

#3 answered the scritching at the basement door, because he didn't read the footnotes at the end of Chapter 48, "Entertaining Guests."
The devil chuckled.
TACO gathered himself within his hunger.
Manuel began to realize he was out of his depth.
The devil looked straight at them & was tickled some more.

-+-

"This ain't Tennessee!" said Runni's Mom.
"No," said Runni, "Damnit, Stallion."
"You never asked me anything directly, honey," whickered Stallion.
"I think I might have," admitted Snoddi, with a hitch in his voice.

(Thank you, that stirs my literary feelings.)

"Okay," sighed Stallion to Snoddi, "We'll drop these two off here to confer with their daughter, but you're coming with us."
"Okay," answered Snoddi, alarmed but relieved.
"Get off our backs," said the stallions, in unison.
Runni's parents obeyed with as much haste as they could manage.
Snoddi mounted Stallion, & the three of them ran to visit TACO.
"What's new, dear?" Runni's mom asked her.
"Nice place you have here?" asked her dad.
Runni wondered where she'd get her new material.

Desiree looked down at Rhodes, where he squatted by the gutter.
"What are you doing?" she asked, as if interested.
"I felt a little sick for a minute," he told her, "as if too elevated."
"Stop lying to me!" Desiree said.
"I know that's not your trick," said Rhodes as he regained his orientation, "We can go now, Chuck."
Chuck chuckled, because he knew a thing or two about maintaining control. ...not as if he really wanted it.