Barid laughed. "Loki is an interesting case, certainly. A rather... creative individual, isn't he? Although, as you've seen, rather craven, at times. Do you blame him for running? You said yourself, the last time you met, you intended to kill him, after all. As for others going missing? No, he had nothing to do with that. I assure you, they are unharmed, they've simply had their ability to influence sharply reduced. 'Religion is the opiate of the masses,'" he quoted. "But people do not need opiates; they need the fire of invention, the drive to success, and religion will not bring that to them."