04 The Edge of Darkness (11 page)

TWENTY-TWO

FASIAL SHADID TURNED the corner and drove toward downtown Cairo and Tahrir Square. He had been a professor of Ancient Writings and Ancient Culture at the American University for twenty years, and before that, a student at the university. He had witnessed the growth of the school to over five thousand students, especially after the addition of the “Greek” campus and the Jameel Management Center.

Fasial was a small man with a leathery complexion. However, he carried himself in a confident manner that made him seem almost imposing. There were large gaps between his teeth when he smiled and his dark brown eyes brimmed with enthusiasm. He enjoyed walking the campus, talking with the students, and looking at the
majestic buildings that used to be a palace that dated back to the 1860s. He also enjoyed attending events in the Ewart Memorial Hall. It was one of the most culturally active auditoriums in Cairo. But his greatest joy was being part of the committee that designed and helped construct the buildings housing Special Collections and the Rare Boole Library.

His curiosity had been greatly aroused when he received a phone call from his assistant Nassar Abdoo telling him to come quickly.

Nassar was sitting at a desk looking through a high-powered magnifying glass when Fasial arrived. They greeted each other and Nassar adjusted the magnifying glass with his bony sticklike arms and oily fingers. His sunken eyes had dark circles around them and a deep furrow of concentration was permanently etched into his brow.

“Fasial, look at this.” He was pointing to the foot-long piece of brass on the table before him.

“Just what do you want me to look at?” he said as he bent forward toward the magnifying glass.

“Look, on the belly of the snake. On the smooth part just below the carved scales.”

Fasial could make out faint traces of what looked to be early Babylonian writing.

“Yes, I see it. Have you been able to decipher what it says?”

“I can make out part of it. The rest has either been rubbed off or exists on the other sections of the snake.”

Fasial looked more closely at the writing.

“It seems to suggest that the Babylonians believed that there was some type of healing power in the snake. Can you make out the word ‘Nehushtan’?”

“Yes, I see it.”

“Just recently I did some tracing back through the Old Testament of the Bible. The word ‘Nehushtan’ is mentioned in II Kings 18, in a
description of Hezekiah’s ascent to the throne. It says, ‘He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherath poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. It was called Nehushtan.’”

“That would seem to suggest that this is one of the broken pieces.”

“Yes, and I did some more research on the word ‘Nehushtan.’ It was also mentioned by a Babylonian priest by the name of Dakkuri who had somehow gotten ahold of the broken pieces of the Bronze Serpent of Moses.”

Nassar smiled at Fasial, exposing his yellow teeth.

“Now for the final proof. Look at the carved scales on the side, just right of the center. If you look carefully, you can make out faded letters, one letter in each scale. To the casual observer, they appear to be random markings on the scales. They spell D-A-K-K-U-R-I.”

“This is a wonderful find, Nassar. I recall having come across something in my research about a cult that had been worshiping this piece of bronze. It would be interesting if we were able to reunite all three pieces, to determine if it truly does have some great power. Up for another late night?”

“I’ve already sent a student to bring us some kishk bread, milk, cheese, dates, and figs.” Nassar smiled. “Let’s get to work.”

It was 11:00
P.M.
when Nassar rose to stretch. He walked around the room nibbling a fig. Fasial was intently reading an ancient manuscript.

Nassar gasped and Fasial’s head whipped around in his direction.

“You startled me, sir. I didn’t hear you coming.”

Nassar looked into the cold eyes of a stranger. The man had black hair and a black mustache and stood over six feet tall. He had a bone white complexion and wore gloves, which seemed strange for this time of year.

“I’m sorry to startle you. I’m looking for a Mr. Fasial Shadid and a Mr. Nassar Abdoo.”

Nassar placed his accent as South African. “I’m Nassar and that is Mr. Shadid.”

The stranger reached out his hand and greeted both of the men.

“May we help you, sir?” said Fasial.

“Possibly. I have been informed that you have a section of what might be the famous Bronze Serpent of Moses. Is this true?”

Nassar and Fasial exchanged frowns. They had informed no one of what they were doing.

“How would you know that?” asked Nassar.

The man shrugged. “Amazing how stories get around. I have something that might interest you.”

Both of them looked at him quizzically.

The stranger reached into his briefcase and removed the tail section of the Bronze Serpent.

Both of their mouths flew open. Fasial put down the manuscript and went over to look at the tail section of the Bronze Serpent. They took it over to the large magnifying glass and began to study it. They noted the Babylonian writing and the similarity of the carved scales.

“Where did you get this?” asked Fasial.

“It recently came into my possession,” the stranger replied evasively.

With a nod from Fasial, Nassar went to a file cabinet, unlocked it, and took out the middle of the Bronze Serpent.

“Bring it here, Nassar. Let us see if they fit together.”

All three gathered around the magnifying glass. Nassar gently fitted the two pieces together.

“A perfect fit. The breaks are so fine that the pieces could easily be put back together and no one would know the difference,” he said.

“Excuse me, sir,” said Fasial. “We have introduced ourselves but we did not catch your name.”

“My name is Talon,” said the stranger as he began to take off his gloves.

“Is that your first or your last—?”

Nassar and Fasial’s attention was drawn to Talon’s hand.

“Did you have an accident?” asked Fasial.

“What, this?” He held up his odd-looking finger without a trace of self-consciousness. “As a matter of fact, I did. When I was a young boy I had a pet falcon. One day he attacked me and ripped off my finger. I had it replaced with this one.”

“It seems quite sharp,” said Nassar.

“Let me show you.”

The words were barely out of Talon’s mouth when he lashed out with a backhanded swipe under Nassar’s chin, severing his larynx. Blood gushed everywhere as Nassar clutched at his throat and collapsed to the floor.

Fasial was frozen for a moment as his mind tried to absorb what had just happened. Then he ran to the desk and grabbed a sharp letter opener. His breathing came fast as he brandished it at Talon.

Talon stood like a statue, a sneer curling his thin lips. “Well, this ought to be fun.”

Fasial was waving the letter opener back and forth in front of him, hoping the motion might ward off an attack. He was wrong.

Talon stepped forward, spun, and fired off a spinning back kick that sent Fasial into the wall. The letter opener flew out of his hand and across the room.

Fasial held his stomach. “I can’t… breathe,” he rasped.

Talon threw a punch into his chest, right over his heart. Fasial’s eyes grew wide for a moment and then he collapsed to the floor.

“Problem solved,” said Talon.

TWENTY-THREE

MURPHY HAD MIXED EMOTIONS as he walked up the meandering pathway to the Memorial Lecture Hall. His topic for the day was evil angels, and while it was good for the students to understand the influence of evil in the world, he hated to give Satan and his demons any credit and thereby add to their notoriety.

Forewarned is forearmed
, he thought.

As he rounded the corner of the Science Building, he saw the students already making their way to his class. It was a sunny morning and the smell of magnolias was heavy in the air.

He nodded to some of the students as he entered the hall, stopping to field some questions about homework assignments. He noticed Shari setting up his PowerPoint projector on the stand near his desk.

No one could ask for a better assistant
… a
little kooky at times, but very supportive
.

He hooked up his computer to the projector, pulled up his lecture slides, and arranged his notes.

He was about to call everyone to take their seats when
she
entered. This was the third time that Summer Van Doren had attended his lectures. And again, as before, the men in the back of the lecture hall also noticed her.

“Good morning, class. Last time we talked about good angels. Today we’ll be discussing the other side of the issue. The dark side of evil angels.”

Murphy saw a hand go up in the back of the room. It was Clayton Anderson. He knew that something crazy was coming.

“What is it, Clayton?”

“Dr. Murphy, did you hear about the angel that died?”

“No, Clayton. What about him?” He knew that he was being set up.

“He died of harp failure.”

Everyone groaned. A few students rolled up paper balls and threw them at him. Anderson was giving the class his typical innocent “Who, me?” look.

“Is that part of your homework that you want me to grade you on, Clayton?”

Anderson gave a sheepish grin and shook his head.

“Smart lad.”

Murphy caught Summer smiling at him with a twinkle in her deep blue eyes. It was very distracting. He gathered his wits and turned on the PowerPoint projector.

“Let’s get back to our topic here. The Bible makes reference to demons and evil spirits. They are basically those angels that chose to follow their leader, Satan.”

EVIL OR FALLEN ANGELS

• Angels kept in prison
  

• Angels that are free
  

• Demons
  

• Evil spirits
  

• Satan—leader of the evil or fallen angels
  

“These demons or evil spirits have been given a number of different common names. Some of the names will be familiar to you and others may be new. All cultures have terminology for angels and for some form of demonic or otherworldly creatures. As you look at the next slide, see how many of the names are familiar to you.”

VARIOUS NAMES FOR EVIL
OTHERWORLDLY CREATURES

Baba Yaga	Ghoul	Puck
Banshee	Gnome	Specter
Bogeyman	Gremlin	Spook
Bugaboo	Hobgoblin	The Undead
Doppelganger	Imp	Vampire
Dybbuk	Incubus	Wandering Soul
Evil Spirit	Mombo Jombo	Werewolf
Fiend	Phantom	Witch
Fury	Poltergeist	Zombie

“You wouldn’t want to encounter any of these guys in a dark alley or spot them following you across campus. As you are no doubt aware, the movie industry has used the various names of evil spirits for horror films, in which these creatures wreak havoc, terrify, and murder people. There are a number of films that deal with the exorcism of evil spirits. Scary stuff.”

Someone made a ghostly
oooooh
sound, and Murphy didn’t have to see to know it was Clayton Anderson. The class had a good chuckle, which was okay with Murphy.

“Exactly. But not all otherworldly creatures are depicted as scary. Some have been portrayed as being kind or helpful in some way.”

VARIOUS NAMES FOR GOOD
OTHERWORLDLY CREATURES

Brownie	Mermaid
Elf	Nymph
Fairy	Pixie
Fairy Godmother	Satyr
Familiar Spirit	Spirit Guide
Genie	Superhero
Leprechaun	White Witch

“Think about the Aladdin films with the Genie in a lamp. Or how about superheroes, like Superman, Batman, and Spider-Man? There are also all of the Disney films with fairy godmothers, singing mermaids, or little elves that help Santa Claus at Christmas. If you want to find otherworldly creatures, all you have to do is turn on the television on Saturday mornings. Young children are indoctrinated at an
early age into the world of ghosts, demons, wizards, witches, mediums, and the occult.”

Murphy clicked up the next slide.

“The chief of the fallen angels is a being named Lucifer, but he goes by many names.”

VARIOUS NAMES FOR LUCIFER

Abaddon	Lucifer
Accuser of the	Morning Star
Brethren	Old Serpent
Adversary	Power of Darkness
Angel of the Bottomless Pit	Prince of This World
Apollyon	Prince of Devils
Beelzebub	Prince of the Power of the Air
Belial	Ruler of the Darkness of this World
Devil
Enemy	Satan
Evil Spirit	Serpent
Father of Lies	Son of Dawn
God of This World	Spirit That Works in Disobedient Children
Great Red Dragon	The Tempter
King of Tyrus	The Unclean Spirit
Liar	Wicked One

“The Bible suggests that this angel, Lucifer, was a very beautiful being who became filled with pride. He tried to engender a rebellion in heaven among all the other angels. The angels that followed him became evil spirits or demons, and to this day they attempt to hinder the influence of God in this world. From their influence have risen cults, false religions, and the worship of spirits that has affected mankind down through the centuries. Yet, each October we celebrate these spirits in an event called Halloween.”

One of the students raised her hand.

“Dr. Murphy, is Lucifer as powerful as God?”

“No. He does, however, have great powers and influence in the political affairs of nations. His final end will come in what is commonly called the Day of Judgment. He and his fallen angels will end up in a place called the Lake of Fire. Most people call it hell. There is a popular conception about Satan, with his pointed ears, long tail, and pitchfork, ruling over this place.”

Murphy noticed Summer quietly stand up and leave.
She must have a class to teach. She sure is easy on the eyes
.

Stay focused
.

“In our class on biblical archaeology,” he continued, “we have studied the influence of pagan gods on the lives of people from many nations. Often priests or other influential people commissioned artisans to make idols of gods and supernatural creatures out of wood, stone, clay, and metal. Many of these artifacts have been discovered and studied by universities and private groups around the world. The Israelites also did this with the Ark of the Covenant. This box contained the Ten Commandments given by God to Moses, Aaron’s Rod, and a golden jar of manna from the wilderness. As you recall, manna was food that God provided for the Children of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness. The Ark had two cherubim, or angels, carved out of gold on the lid.

“Demons are also seen in the design of ancient and some modern constructions. Some buildings have included decorated waterspouts
that project from the building to dram water off the roof. These waterspouts are formed to look like grotesque, otherworldly creatures and are called gargoyles. Many of the Gothic cathedrals and palaces have these features. Often they are half human and half animal or half bird. Rainwater is channeled through the mouths of these creatures and away from the buildings, and the word ‘gargoyle’ comes from the Latin word
gurguilo
… which means ‘gullet’ and has to do with drainage. Some of the early stonemasons must have had some fun with these gargoyles. They would occasionally portray their patrons or colleagues in a grotesque form. It is something that Mr. Anderson would really enjoy.”

Everyone looked at Clayton and made an
oooohing
sound. Clayton happily soaked up all the attention.

“In some Asian cultures, the roofs curve up at the bottom to form a point, the thought being that the points would help to keep evil spirits away from the homes, places of business, or houses of worship. In cultural parades and events, Asians will often have a long, colorful costume that forms a fire-breathing dragon. This costume is carried by many people and weaves back and forth through the crowds of people. Just another example of the strong influence otherworldly creatures have had on society.”

A hand went up.

“Dr. Murphy, does that include things like séances, card reading, and crystal-ball reading?”

“Yes, it does. In séances, mediums attempt to contact some type of spirit. They often suggest that they are human spirits of the dead but they can also be some form of supernatural creature, like a fallen angel. In card reading or crystal-ball reading the practitioner is attempting to tap into some otherworldly source that will predict the future.”

Another hand went up.

“Dr. Murphy, what about people who worship Satan and fallen angels?”

“I suppose one of the most famous is a man by the name of Anton Szandor LaVey In the late 1960s he wrote a book called
The Satanic Bible
. His book became very popular on college campuses and outsold the Bible for a period of time. He became the head of the Satanic Church.”

A student spoke up.

“Dr. Murphy, did this LaVey guy have some sort of weird childhood?”

“I don’t know if you would call it weird or not. But as a sixteen-year-old, he played the organ for a carnival, where he would observe men lusting after the half-naked dancing girls. He also played the organ for a tent-show evangelist who happened to have his tent at the other end of the carnival. He would see the same men who’d been lusting after the dancing girls sitting in the chairs with their wives and children, and he became very disillusioned as a result of their hypocrisy. He came to the conclusion that man’s carnal nature will win out in the end. This helped him to form a philosophy that was based on indulgence of desires. He listed Nine Satanic Statements that he said helped to clarify his doctrines.”

Murphy projected a slide with the information.

LAVEY’S NINE SATANIC STATEMENTS

1. Satan represents indulgence, instead of abstinence.
   

2. Satan represents vital existence, instead of spiritual pipe dreams.
   

3. Satan represents undefiled wisdom, instead of hypocritical self-deceit.
   

4. Satan represents kindness to those who deserve it, instead of love wasted on ingrates.
   

5. Satan represents vengeance, instead of turning the other cheek.
   

6. Satan represents responsibility to the responsible, instead of concern for psychic vampires.
   

7. Satan represents man as just another animal, sometimes better, more often worse than those that walk on all fours, who, because of his “divine spiritual and intellectual development,” has become the most vicious animal of all.
   

8. Satan represents all of the so-called sins, as they all lead to physical, mental, or emotional gratification.
   

9. Satan has been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.
   

Murphy glanced at the clock on the wall.
“We
have time for one more question.”

“Dr. Murphy, do you have other examples of worship of angels or otherworldly creatures?”

“There are many. Not all of them focus on angels, demons, or other creatures. Some focus on demonic types of philosophy.”

Murphy clicked up his last slide.

“Here’s a list of some of the things that have grown out of demon-related thinking.”

ALTERED STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS

Astrology	Ouija Boards
Auras	Parapsychology
Blood rituals	Psychic surgery
Channeling	Psychics
Crystal Work	Pyramid Power
Dreamwork	Regression therapy
Dungeons & Dragons	Santeria
Eastern gurus	Scientology
Edgar Cayce	Shamanism
Exorcism rituals	Tarot cards
Friday the 13th	UFO s
Lucis Trust	Voodoo
Macumba	Wicca
Mantras & mandalas	Yoga