To Reign in Hell: A Novel (20 page)

“But the weapons—”

“Forget them, Asmodai. If it comes to a need for weapons, we’ll have them because the hosts that Yaweh has already armed will be on our side. If the hosts aren’t on our side, then all the weapons you could invent won’t make a bit of difference.”

“I see what you mean.”

“So do I. But Lilith, I’m not sure you’re going far enough.”

“How do you mean that?”

“I’m not sure that we should be trying to convince Satan at all. I think we should be trying to undo the damage we’ve done.”

“Damage?”

“Damage caused by inaction. We should be showing the hosts that we oppose the plan, and that, if they oppose it as well, they can trust us to lead them.”

“How do you propose doing that?”

“In the first place, I think we ought to be at this gathering Yaweh is calling. And when he gives his speech, maybe we can give one of our own.”

“Hmmmm. Not a bad idea at all, lover.”

“Thank you. Asmodai?”

“Well, I still like the idea of building weapons.”

“But?”

“But . . . all right. I’m convinced.”

“Good. We have a couple of days. I want to rest.”

“And I.”

“And I.”

“You’re back!”

“What’s wrong with it, honey?”

“What? Oh. You’re jesting.”

“Sorry.”

She gave forth a laugh that sent the waves reeling. “Don’t be. It’s been so long since I’ve heard anyone jest that I was afraid we’d all forgotten how.”

“It’s all right.”

“Well, Harut, how did you fare?”

“Not well, honey, but I’m all right now. Lilith rescued me.”

“I’m grateful to her. And to many others.”

“Yeah. But don’t worry. You’ll pay ‘em back.”

“Maybe. Harut?”

“Yeah, honey?”

“Could you play me a song?”

“I can’t. My instrument was lost.”

“No!”

“I could sing you one.”

“But your cithara!”

“Asmodai will build me another one.”

“Then I’ll be grateful to him, too.”

Harut smiled and shook his head. He seated himself on a rock and began slapping his hand on his knee, his eyes closed. After a moment, he began to sing.

From the four Regencies of Heaven, they came. Tens of thousands of angels, hundreds of archangels, all gathering on the hill beneath Yaweh’s Palace.

At the top of the hill was a platform with great horns set next to it. These, it was said, would carry Yaweh’s voice to everyone who was gathered there.

Some had been there two days, some three, and some were just now arriving, weary and footsore, to cast themselves down on the ground and rest for a time. It was only a matter of hours, now, until he appeared. The restlessness and feelings of expectation spread through the crowd and infected each angel present.

It was curious to note that there was no division or separation between angels and archangels, as if the coming presence of the eldest of the Firstborn was enough to make any other division among them trival.

They looked up the long expanse of greenery and waited, and the tension grew.

Soon, they told themselves, soon.

“Abdiel!”

“Yes, Lord Yaweh?”

“I’ve just heard from Yahriel.”

“Who?”

“Yahriel. Chief of the Order of Dominions.”

“Oh. Yes, Lord?”

“He says that he needs help. There are more angels out there than his Dominions can cope with. Are all of your Thrones back?”

Abdiel swallowed. “Yes, Lord, but—”

“Is there any reason why they can’t help keep things orderly?”

“No, Lord, but will a mere two hundred make a difference?”

“Maybe. We should try, at any rate.”

“As you wish, Lord. But am I not needed elsewhere?”

“That’s true. Is there someone among your Thrones that you can trust to lead in your place?”

Abdiel breathed a silent sigh of relief. “Yes, Lord. I can find someone.”

Zaphkiel walked along the perimeter of the crowd. From time to time an angel would begin shouting at an angel next to him over a place in the grass to sit. Then Zaphkiel would look at one of the Thrones, and indicate with his eyes, and the Throne would go and speak quietly until the trouble was settled.

That each Throne carried a naked sword in his hand may have helped somewhat.

At one point he met Yahriel, who was engaged much the same way. They nodded without speaking. Sometime later he met Michael, who was watching the area beyond the edge of the gathering. Zaphkiel bowed low.

“Who are you?”

“Zaphkiel.”

“These seem to be Abdiel’s angels.”

“They are.”

“Yet you seem to be leading them.”

“I am.”

“Well?”

“He’s busy.”

“I see. Well, I’m sure you’ll be of help to Yahriel.”

“I hope so.”

Michael cocked his head and studied the other.

“You don’t say much, do you?”

“No.”

They stood looking at each other. Michael felt uncomfortable. If Zaphkiel felt uncomfortable, he didn’t show it. After a moment, Michael moved on.

Zaphkiel continued, his eyes always moving. Suddenly, there was a low rumbling sound. Zaphkiel identified it as the sounds of thousands upon thousands of angels, all sighing or muttering at the same time. The sound began near the top of the hill and spread backwards.

He looked up at once and saw a distant figure that he identified as Raphael. Next to her he recognized Abdiel. The two of them were walking toward the platform, and there was a continuing rumble from the gathered angels.

Zaphkiel shifted his eyes to the Palace and saw an angel he assumed to be Gabriel leading some dozens of angels toward the platform. Next came twenty angels led by Uriel. In their midst walked Yaweh, barely to be seen. The shouts from the host were nearly deafening.

Yaweh walked up to the platform.

Having seen all there was of interest, Zaphkiel returned to scanning the crowd.

“ ’Tis strange, milord, that none can see us, yet we are so near.”

Satan shrugged. “We can hardly see them. It works out.”

“Verily, milord.”

They sat within a small grove of trees just over the hill from the platform. They had made their way in the night, and remained still and silent. The trees were thick, but sound carried well, and there were many angels walking nearby.

“The sound of angels yelling, milord.”

“Yes?”

“Methinks the time of Yaweh’s speech draweth nigh.”

“I imagine so.”

At that moment, there was sudden silence in the center of Heaven. Yaweh had raised his arms.

“I am Yaweh,” he said, and through the trumps at his sides his voice carried to every corner of the hill and valley. “I welcome each of you.”

He paused and turned his head to look across their great expanse. He lowered his arms and continued.

“Each of you may be at ease, and be assured that I know you, and love you all. I have gathered you together today, in part, to tell you that. You have come, in part, because you know it already.

“This is as it should be.

“I existed, timeless and eternal, alone in the void, from the beginning. This you know, because the beginning was when I came to be. Before me, there was only flux.

“After me, there will be only flux again.”

He stopped to let that have its effect. He wondered about the truth of it, but put it out of his mind. In a certain, poetic sense at least, it was true. That would have to be enough. Unpleasant as it was, he could not fail in his duty to the hosts over a matter of interpretation. And as he looked through the gathering and saw the effects his words were having, he knew that Abdiel was right.

For a time there were murmurs throughout the valley and hillside, mostly consisting of, “Did you hear that?” and, “What did
that
mean?”

Yaweh raised his arms and there was silence again. Then he said, “I did not know I was lonely, at first, because I had never been un-alone. But I was alone, and wished for others like myself.” This was possible. He wasn’t really aware of the very beginning—he couldn’t remember when he had become aware of himself as such. He made a note to ask Lucifer about this, then remembered that he couldn’t. He shook the mood off and continued.

“I reached into the flux, and I drew forth the Firstborn, as, indeed, they have done for the archangels, and the archangels have done for the angels, and the angels will do for whomever follows.

“This is how it was. This is not how it must be.

“I envisioned a place where there would be safety for those made by the flux, whom the flux wishes to have back. Thus, Heaven came to be. Those who were with me during the time known as the First Wave helped to build and extend it. Those who came later did the same. Thus, Heaven is here for us all, though we must defend it from the flux.

“This, too, need not be.

“I have said that this will end—that we need not live in fear of ca-coastrum, that there will be a time of peace.

“This peace is coming. But, as I have opened my heart so that you may be, now I ask that my gift be returned. I ask that each of you
think of me with love, so that we may all become one, and together establish a realm of peace, harmony, and love.”

“Milord, what means this?”

“I don’t know, Beelzebub. I wish I knew whether he believed all of this himself, or why he’s saying it if he doesn’t. But don’t speak. I want to hear more.”

“Aye, milord.”

“What is he doing, Asmodai?”

“I don’t know, Lucifer. Should we move?”

“I don’t think so, yet.”

“Why not, Lilith?”

“Because we don’t know what he’s doing. There has to be a point to all of these claims—”

“These lies!”

“As you wish. There has to be a point, and he hasn’t reached it.”

“Do we want him to?”

“I think so, Asmodai. If for no other reason, then to know what we’re up against.”

“Maybe. What do you think, Lucifer?”

“I’m still not certain. But let’s wait a bit longer.”

“Sith?”

“Yes?”

“Why are you on your knees?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh.”

“Now you’re on your knees too. Why?”

“It’s so. . . .”

“I feel terrible about what we said, you know—what we were talking about . . . before.”

“Me too.”

“What should we do?”

“Let’s just listen. Maybe he’ll tell us.”

“Okay. You know, Kyriel?”

“Yeah?”

“If he asked me to . . . do what we were talking about, before—”

“Yeah.”

“I’d do it.”

“Me too, Sith.”

As Yaweh stood before them in silence, many fell to their knees.

Yaweh surveyed them for a moment longer, then spoke again.

“We will join together, and make something more than any of us can be alone. Look around you. Your brothers and sisters are all around you. As you love me who created you, and I love you whom I have created, so you love each other, who were created together.

“Now rise, all of you, and join together before me. Come closer now, here in front of me, so you are as one. That is well. Breathe together and think together and be together. Yes. Even closer now, all of you, so you are as one.

“Do you feel how I love you all? Can you return my love for you? Try. . . .”

Abdiel turned to Raphael and whispered, “He speaks well. I’d never have thought it.”

Raphael didn’t answer.

“I think we should begin,” said Abdiel.

“Very well.”

“Can you remember what to do?”

“I remember.”

Abdiel closed his eyes and felt Raphael next to him. The two became as one, and then Yaweh was there, guiding and leading, and slowly, the angels of Heaven were there, too.

A few at first, and then gradually more and more. Abdiel felt Yaweh begin the working—begin to turn the illiaster into a form that he could use, to create, and bring about his desires.

Still more angels joined. Abdiel felt the force of Yaweh’s will commanding the force of the illiaster in nearly all the hosts of Heaven.

Abdiel had never had a notion of Yaweh’s tremendous will. Otherwise, he would never have entertained fanciful thoughts of turning this event in a direction of more direct use to himself. But Yaweh was in total command of the energy—his will dominated the three of them; the force of his mind overpowered them.

Some of those in the front began to sway, but they didn’t seem to notice.

Yaweh was utterly silent and motionless as he worked, and nothing came closer and closer to becoming something. Angels near the front began to fall over, and those further in back were wavering.

Abdiel and Raphael felt the lines of tension from Yaweh as surely as they felt the lines of force from the assembled hosts.

Then, taking a deep breath, Yaweh began in earnest.

TEN

And all those souls joined in a holy dance,
and then, like shooting sparks, gone instantly,
they disappeared behind the veil of distance.

—Dante,
Paradiso,
Canto vii:7-9

Lucifer, Lilith and Asmodai watched
in silence as the ceremony continued. They saw those in the front falling, and those behind begin to stagger, but they didn’t say anything. After a time, they saw Yaweh close his eyes, bow his head, and begin to work his hands in and out of fists. Lilith said, “What is he doing?” “I don’t know,” Lucifer answered. “I can tell that he’s drawing on his illiaster, but—” “More than that,” said Asmodai. “Look closer. He’s drawing on the illiaster of every one of those angels.”