"I have no intention of visiting nor staying in your 'Hell', nor do I aspire to your notion of 'Paradise'," Vares states coolly to Ameline. "If death is imminent, I would sooner throw myself into Twilight that my soul might find its way back through Transmigration to try again and again than to accept slavery to some fragment of the Divine Essence. I am not Abd Allah nor Abd Jaweh and I do not care for the lie that it is 'Holy' to murder another who does not belong to the exact same sect of Divine worship. Look to the 'purity' of your own Church before condemning those who will not be slave to its doctrine, Ameline"
Taking a deep breath he continues with, "Your Power is genuine, but do not rely solely on SELF-Sacrifice for your strength. Be mindful that we've already considered the ongoing threat that Khyrom poses not just to us, but to the rest of the Covenant and others beyond. If we simply snatch Carmen away, somehow, Khyrom will try again, and may be more blatantly destructive in his methods. I am not encouraging an open assault on the City of Brass. If you have some idea other than simply pleading your case before him and throwing yourself on Divine intervention or spiritual well-being after your 'martyrdom', I'm willing to hear it. Sooner or later that method will lead to your destruction, and unless you're tired of this Life--and is that not a 'sin'' of dolor?--you should plan to Live."
OOC: Oooh. Pulling the, "You're going to Hell" line is about the last way to persuade Vares to Believe. And with the mass murder of the Cathars ongoing--to say nothing of the Crusades--Vares is more than fed up with the Church's claim to be on a "Holy" mission. He's also met too many Magi who profess to be Christians who happily murder hedge wizards without deigning to offer them a chance at Order membership (whatever the Peripheral Code insists), or who do, anyway, when the hedge wizards aren't really UP to the level of the Order, nor do they pose a threat to Gifted Magi.
Related note. "Abd" translates as either "slave" or "servant", depending on context. Many Muslim rulers proclaimed themselves Abd-Allah or Abdullah in some translations. Vares is neither slave nor servant of anyone or anyTHING.
He also has his suspicions about how the Divine is spreading. Too many of its bastions are fueled by Martyrdom. Self-Sacrifice is an ancient Law of Power, and one that the Divine uses to disturbing extent. Ameline could be planning/hoping for a Martyrdom in the Arc of Fire which would plant the seeds of the Dominion WITHIN the Magic Realm itself, giving her a prompt pass into her Paradise and threatening Magic at its very foundation. She's probably not that devious--that doesn't mean that the Divine isn't.