Ragnarok: The Fate of Gods (28 page)

             
“But although the Theocrat was more intelligent than any who had held the book before, even he could only employ a fraction of its power.  He was not wise enough to learn the true nature of the book.” 

             
Zeke had already guessed how the story ended. “And then came the Karellan.”

             
Around them, the hallway began to change into a stone tunnel.  “I tried to stop it.  When the resistance grew strong enough, I sponsored a mission to retrieve the book.  Ezekiel, you were part of that mission.”  He made no mention of Ariel.  Perhaps even the wise Sandalphon couldn’t see everything. 

             
“But the mission failed,” continued the sage.  “Rome collapsed, and the book was lost.  But someone found it.  Someone wise enough to surpass the strength of the Unified Theocracy.  That person is the Karellan.” 

             
The tunnel narrowed abruptly.  Elijah again placed his hands, on the dead end before them.  This time the rock seemed to push outward, creating a new tunnel. 

             
“Daniel has told me about his plans, and he told me about your fight with Metatron.  I know he is intelligent enough to use the book for his own purposes.  And although I can not say why, I also know he has chosen you to receive the power to fight the malak.” 

             
Zeke was not prepared for that surprise.  “What?” 

             
“The Karellan
chose
him?” asked Ariel. 

             
“Yes.”

             
Jack chimed in.  “So just to check, I’m not the
only
one freaked out by all this stuff?  Because you all seemed pretty laid-back about it until now.”

             
The tunnel opened into a cavern, where a large hole opened in the floor beneath them.  “Do not be afraid.”  Elijah stepped into the hole.  A strong wind grew out of the hole, pushing up on him, slowing his fall.  The others hesitated, but followed.  First Daniel, willingly following his leader.  Then Zeke and Ariel.

             
Jack was the last.  “See?  That’s what I mean,” he called into the ground.  “Everyone is perfectly fine about leaping into a dark pit at the bottom of the sea?” 

             
There was no answer.  “Fine,” he said, and leapt in after them. 

             
He landed soon after.  The others had waited for him, Elijah still briefing them.

             
“Whatever the Karellan’s motives are, he has given us a window of opportunity.  The book has been damaged over time, and some pages remain with us.  Those are the pages that deal with weaponry.  They are the pages that teach physical strength and summoning ethereal power.  In essence, they teach the power to destroy malak.” 

             
Ahead of them was a small door.  Elijah approached it and pushed it open with his bare hands.  Inside was a sturdy, concrete room.  There was only one thing in this room. 

             
A pedestal with a thin section of a damaged book. 

             
“Ezekiel, the Karellan chose you for his plans.  That means you are the only one who can receive this power.  With these pages, you can learn how to destroy the malak and Metatron.” 

             
Zeke eyed up the pedestal.  He approached slowly.  This was the book he had been sent to Rome for.  The book that put the Karellan in power and made him set loose the malak and the draugr.  The book that led to the attack on Nifelheim.  The book that led to Charlie and Emily’s deaths, and Jae-Hoon’s breakdown. 

             
He hated it as much as a human being could hate an inanimate object.  Speaking almost without thinking, he said, “Give me one reason why I should accept your help.  Give me one reason why I should use this book.” 

             
“The Karellan needs these pages too.  Their power is the only way to stop him.  Only by defeating him and recovering the rest of the book can we prevent the Resurrection of God.” 

             
That didn’t sound so bad.  “The Resurrection of God?” he asked.

             
“Yes.  The Rapture.  The end of the world.” 

Chapter Eighteen: The Governors’ Ambitions

             
Castrating harpy bitch!
he thought as Lilith burst into the office.  Jae-Hoon never felt comfortable giving reports with her in the room.  She had, in his opinion, reduced a noble and respectable man to a groveling bureaucrat. 

             
“Are you still obsessing about that silly data?” she asked snidely.  The question did not come as a surprise.  Both men knew she was there as a spy. 

             
“Actually, yes,” Dumah replied.  “I was just
debriefing
Jae-Hoon now.” 

             
Hear that, bitch!
cried out Jae-Hoon’s thoughts. 
Go run to your boss!  The damage has already been done!

             
“So everyone already knows about the Karellan’s hobby,” she said flippantly. 

             
Hobby?  Devil woman!  I’ll kill you! 
The Slayer screamed internally. 
He made me murder all those people!  Hobby?  You monster!

             
Lilith continued, oblivious to the subconscious vilification.  “Big deal.  What are you going to do?  Incite a rebellion?” 

“
We have to do something.” 

She stood tall, hovering over her husband, who sat slumped in his chair. 
“Forget about the Karellan.  It is not your place to question your superiors.  You may not like the system, but you have to learn to accept it.  You are part of it.”

Dumah stood.  At his full height he towered over Lilith. 
“That, my dear, is exactly the reason why it will never change.”

“
Ha!  Take that!” shouted Jae-Hoon, surprised at his own outburst.  The other two stared at him curiously for a moment then went back to their argument. 

“
So you think a rebellion is the answer?”  Lilith pushed past him and sat in his chair, swinging her feet up onto the desk.  He dress slid back slightly up her legs. 

Neither man was interested. 

“Whether or not you convinced a handful of first class citizens means nothing. The Karellan will still have an army of supporters.  What do you have?  A second-rate militia equipped for fighting nothing more dangerous than monsters.” 

Dumah looked at her for a moment, dreading what he had to say. 
“No, you’re right.  Rebellion won’t work.”  He tried not to act defeated.

She laughed. 
“Just as I thought.  You don’t have any idea.”

“
I didn’t say that,” he countered.  “We don’t have strength for a rebellion.  But we might have support for an assassination.” 

Her eyes widened.  Her feet dropped back to the floor. 
“You’re joking.”  Silence.  “You can’t kill him.  He’s too strong,” she pleaded nervously. 

             
“Then we’ll have to find someone who can hold his own in a fight.”  He turned to Jae-Hoon.  “Do you think you’re up for it?” 

             
He hesitated.  The Karellan was a fraud and a murderer, but he was still the Hierophant.  To go against him would mean both hypocrisy and treason. 

             
Or atonement. 

             
“Don’t make me laugh,” said Lilith.  “Pitting your Slayer against the Karellan?  Not a chance.  He is a survivor of the Roman Conflict.  He trains every day.  He’s just as strong as he was ten years ago.  You’d need to find one hell of an assassin.”

             
Jae-Hoon didn’t have to think.  The idea hit him instantly.  “Branderlief.” 

             
“What?” they said together.

             
“The Karellan was in Rome?  So was Branderlief.  The Karellan trains every day?  So does Branderlief.  He’s the strongest person I know.  He just
has
to be strong enough.” 

             
Dumah looked interested.  Then his eyes dropped with disappointment.  “He’d never do it.  Not if I’m involved.  He doesn’t trust me.” 

             
Lilith laughed.  “That’s right.  You can’t even ask him.  Warrior’s pride, right?  Or is it shame?  Adam, you’re getting boring in your old age.” 

             
Jae-Hoon wouldn’t give up.  “What about Daniel?”

             
“The Raven of Memory?” asked Lilith. 

             
“Yeah.  If Uzuki agreed to help us, Branderlief would probably agree as well.”

             
“You want the Raven of Memory to help assassinate the Karellan?”  She was astounded. 

             
“It would be perfect.  Daniel knows all his movements.  We could use him to formulate a plan.  Or something.” 

             
“You want the
Raven of Memory
to assassinate
The Karellan?”
she repeated.

             
Dumah looked at her and grinned.  “You sound surprised.  You didn’t know?  The Karellan isn’t the only person with spies.” 

             
Her eyes widened with fear.  She had entered this office with orders to talk her husband out of a rebellion, and had inadvertently talked him into an assassination. 
The Karellan is just as strong as he was ten years ago
.  What kind of spy was she, leaking information like that?  Now they were hiring the strongest assassin they could find. 

             
“You’re going to get yourself shot for high treason,” she said, more concerned with herself than her husband. 

             
Dumah walked towards his door, taking Jae-Hoon by the shoulder.  As he did, he spoke to Lilith, not looking back.  “Thank you for your faith.  I know I won’t get your support, but I at least need your secrecy.  I’m sure you understand.” 

             
She did understand.  Whether it was intentional or not, she had led these men to attempt an assassination.  The Karellan need never know.  “Fine.  But you had better appreciate this.  I’m going to get myself executed because of you.” 

             
Dumah turned back to her.  “Thank you.  I wouldn’t ask for anything more.”

             
He followed Jae-Hoon into his reception area and let the door slide shut behind them.  Then he turned to his secretary and said, “I need a messenger.  Top-security.  To travel to Rome.”  The girl looked shocked.  “Don’t ask, just find one,” he urged.  “And no paperwork.  Let’s keep this one under the table.”

             
She left the room.  Dumah waited until she was gone then turned to Jae-Hoon.  “How are you doing?  Personally?” 

             
“Me?  What?” 

             
“You know what I mean.  There are a dozen ways we could have broadcast the Karellan’s reports.  I sent you to that cardinal because I knew you were having some issues.  You wanted to talk to someone. Did you work everything out?” 

             
Jae-Hoon was grateful for his concern, but frustrated to report that he had made no progress.  “He just gave me the usual routine.  ‘Can a man judge God?  We can not see his true purpose. ’ It’s the same thing I had been told for years.  It’s what I used to believe.  It really didn’t help.”

             
Dumah motioned to the office’s small couch.  They sat.  “If it’s something you used to believe, why didn’t it help?”

             
“I don’t think he understood my situation.”

             
“He didn’t know what you knew?” 

             
Of course he did.  He was the cardinal.  He had been trying to cover up the Church’s involvement in the Karellan’s affairs.  Jae-Hoon tried a different approach.  “I tried explaining things to him using his own terms, but he still didn’t understand how I felt.  He just told me that questioning the Church was hypocrisy, and that was a sign that I was weak.” 

             
Dumah let out an unexpected laugh. 

             
“Sir?” asked Jae-Hoon, slightly offended. 

             
“And you took that from him?”

             
“I don’t follow.” 

             
“Listen to yourself.  Listen to the words you used.  You tried
explaining
to him. 
He
didn’t understand.  You are one of the strongest, wisest people I know.  It sounds to me like you went up there with something to teach the cardinal, and
he
was the one with the clouded mind.  Did you really let yourself be called a hypocrite by a person who preaches compassion and secretly sends people to their deaths?” 

             
Jae-Hoon was silent.  It seemed obvious in retrospect.

             
“My boy, there’s no bigger hypocrite than the cardinals who know what they’re doing, but feel no guilt.  They’re different from you.”

“
Are you saying they’re the weak ones?” 

“
Not exactly.  But I refuse to believe that Largo’s idea of hypocrisy is worth much either.  No, I think you’ve already made up your mind.  You just haven’t figured that out yet.”

             
“I don’t understand.” 

             
He pulled a coin from his pocket and showed him the Karellan’s head on one side.  It wasn’t really the Karellan.  Reclusive by nature, the overlord had passed a law forbidding the reproduction of his image by any method.  The artwork on the currency was merely a random face that was chosen to represent him. 

             
“I need your word that you will accept the decision by this coin.  If you do that, everything will work out.” 

             
Jae-Hoon was startled.  Did he really intend to settle his inner turmoil with a coin flip?  “Sir?” 

             
“Please.  Trust me.  I know what I’m doing.” 

             
He hesitated.  It didn’t seem much stranger than discussing his crisis with a holy man who tried to kill him.  “Okay.” 

             
“Good.  Heads, you leave the Church and live your own life with no regrets.  Tails, you accept the Cardinal’s lesson and never question your orders again.”  The governor tossed the coin into the air.  It spun.  His hand reached up and grabbed it, then slapped it down hard on his wrist.  But he didn’t uncover the coin.  “Which is it?” he asked.  “Right now you know what you want this coin to say.  Is it heads or tails?”

             
Staring at the coin, Jae-Hoon understood. 

             
“Do you feel any better?” his mentor asked.

             
Yes
!  A weight had been lifted!  His crisis was over!  His path was clear! 

             
“No,” he said, fighting back tears.  “What does it change?  There were still all those people I killed.” 

             
“I’m sorry,” Dumah answered.  “I know it hurts.  That’s guilt.  Understanding that we’ve sinned is what makes us human.  Hold on to that.  The fact that you feel so crappy is what will help you recover.  You’re not a bad man.” 

             
“Thank you,” Jae-Hoon answered weakly. 

             
Dumah stood, helping the priest to his feet.  “Do something relaxing tonight.  Go somewhere pleasant.  Get away from the Church and work and the draugr.”

             
“But what if something happens?” 

             
“You’ll be the first to know.  But please, take care of yourself.” 

             
“Thank you.” 

             
Dumah showed him out of the building.  Jae-Hoon set out through the decaying streets, thinking of his words.  Between the Supervisor, who had earned his respect, and the Church, which had abused it, he knew who to trust.

             
Get away from the Church
, he thought. 
I’ll do exactly that.  I’m going to move out of the priests’ dormitory!

             
Jae-Hoon’s new-found enthusiasm was squelched only by the realization that he had no clue how to find a place to live in the slums of Nifelheim.  But he decided that he was in no hurry, and the best way to start was a long walk through the city. 

             
He didn’t get far. 

             
The ASH was still within sight when he heard a voice from a dark alley.  “Pssst!  Hey!  Preacher man!” 

             
Jae-Hoon stopped, puzzled.  He scanned his surroundings for the source of the voice.