Fall of Lucifer (17 page)

Michael stood by the battlements, surveying the great activity at the huge pearl gates of the First Heaven in the distance. Gabriel sat at the far end of the table, silent, disconnected. Lamaliel, a chief elder, stared far into the distance, his ancient, watery grey eyes pained.

‘Yehovah grieves,’ Jether said, raising his head. Wearily he surveyed the solemn, weathered faces around the table. ‘It is the fire of free will.’

Xacheriel uttered a deep sigh. ‘Lucifer ensnared Eve before she could replicate. His sole intention must be to mutate the offspring’s DNA.’

Michael turned. ‘The portal has been shut. The gates will be sealed by dawn. The warring cherubim with flaming swords guard the tree of life.’ He turned to Jether. ‘What are we to do, old mentor? You know far better than we the twisted intricacies of Lucifer’s mind.’

Jether shook his head wearily. ‘This is just the beginning. The darkness has not yet taken full root in Lucifer’s soul. But when it does . . . ’ Jether shook his head.

Michael stood beside the battlements. ‘We can’t just stand by and let it happen. With one treacherous act he has destroyed an
entire
race!’ He gripped his sword so tightly that his hand trembled.

Jether waved him quiet. ‘Temperance, Michael, I beg you.’ He sighed. ‘This is a time for restraint.’ He smiled up at Michael, his pale blue eyes gentle. ‘All is not lost, Michael. Yehovah will do what is just according to the eternal laws. He is slow to anger, great in mercy.’ He hesitated. ‘He will do what is
just
, Michael.’

Lamaliel paced along the battlements, muttering. ‘It is the binding legal consequences of Eve’s defection that we cannot escape. She switched allegiances. Man is forever bound to it.’

Jether opened the codex on the table in front of him. ‘I have studied every tenet, every addendum, for an irregularity.’ He stroked his beard. ‘Because of this defection, duplicitous as it was, I am afraid the title deeds for Earth now legally pass over to Lucifer – Earth and its solar system, the Second Heaven. The ark of the race of men is now legally his, as he knew it would be.’

He laid the great archive book down and sighed deeply. ‘And the race of men. They have moved out of Yehovah’s jurisdiction. Lucifer is now their legal sovereign. Their ruler.’

He fell silent as the full horror of Eve’s defection sunk into the listening elders. The whole council was sombre.

‘It becomes worse,’ Jether continued. ‘If the race of men desert Yehovah in aeons to come, Lucifer is legally entitled to lodge a claim against mankind in the courts of heaven.’

‘A claim?’ Michael exclaimed.

Lamaliel looked up from his tomes. ‘Yehovah cannot be false to His eternal law. He cannot judge Lucifer and yet not judge men. If man continues in disobedience to the Almighty, they must suffer the same condemnation as will be meted out to Lucifer. Lucifer could legally enforce the penalty that every man’s soul is his – to be with him in hell and the grave and in Tartarus. And when his judgment comes, they will burn with him in the lake of fire. Charsoc is fully cognizant of all such undisclosed tenets. Lucifer will ensure they are used to complete man’s eradication.’

Lamaliel looked to Michael. ‘The ark must be handed over to Lucifer by dawn. You must take it to him, Michael.’

Michael’s hand went to his sword.

Jether shook his head. ‘No, Michael. No recrimination, no anger. Just the facts . . . ’ A flicker of a smile played on his lips. ‘ . . . as I taught you. You will have your moment, Michael, when you will rid the heavens and Earth of all iniquity, once and for all eternity. So it is written. But for now . . . ’ he folded his hands . . . ‘patience.’

Gabriel lifted his head and smiled strangely at Michael. ‘I will go with you.’

Michael shook his head grimly. ‘No!’

Gabriel’s eyes glittered. ‘And who made
you
my keeper?’ He slammed his fist on the table and strode over to Jether, clasping his shoulders a little too fiercely. ‘Let me go, Jether. I would see my brother.’

Michael looked to Jether. ‘Don’t send him, I implore you. He’s vexed by the same evil.’ Michael threw his hands up in exasperation. ‘If he goes, he’ll never return!’

Jether sighed deeply. He picked up his papers and spoke softly, looking down at the table. ‘Gabriel will accompany you. It has been decreed.’

Michael gazed in astonishment at Jether. Gabriel smiled triumphantly.

‘You will find your powers greatly diminished in his kingdom,’ Jether spoke gravely. ‘You must pass the test.’ He glanced at Charsoc’s empty throne and then bowed his head, his voice barely a whisper. ‘May God keep your souls.’

* * *

The legion of forbidding silent riders and the Holy Watchers left the mountain on their white steeds, their golden lances held high. Their lips were sealed with the coals of fire from the labyrinths of the Holy Mountain. Their Nubia-like faces were covered with golden visors that shimmered like flames. They followed Michael, who was clothed from head to foot in golden war armour, his green eyes firm with resolve.

Gabriel rode in the centre of the Watchers. Around him rode the revelator envoys, ten shining angels in white on white stallions, carrying the ark of the race of men – the golden casket with carved cherubim on each corner. The casket contained the title deeds to Earth and the race of men.

They left the gates of the First Heaven far behind them, escorted by the archangel Raphael and his legions across thousands of new galaxies until at last they could glimpse Earth’s solar system.

At the entrance to the Second Heaven, Raphael bowed his head and saluted to Michael. He and his legions left the brothers and the Watchers to go on alone.

Far ahead Lucifer’s forbidding black cohorts patrolled the Second Heaven’s perimeter. Saturn burned red on the horizon.

Michael turned to Ariel, one of his generals. ‘Let us ride.’ Michael kicked his steed, and the silent legion moved towards the forbidding jagged iron perimeter of the Second Heaven.

Into outer darkness.

* * *

Lucifer was seated at his throne, poring over his scrolls.

‘Your Majesty . . . ’ Charsoc bowed low in obeisance. ‘There is a matter.’

Lucifer looked up, vexed. Moloch entered, pushing Sachiel to stand in front of Lucifer.

‘Moloch found him praying . . . ’ Charsoc lowered his voice, ‘to Yehovah.’

Lucifer froze. A look of sheer hatred crossed his features. He stood and waved Moloch away.

‘You were praying, Sachiel?’ He started to pace the room, his hands behind his back. ‘You were praying . . . ’ Lucifer’s tones were melodious, soothing. ‘Yes?’

When Sachiel didn’t respond, Lucifer spun towards him. ‘Answer me when I address you!’ he screamed. ‘You are in the presence of a king!’

Sachiel raised his head, his eyes clear. ‘I was praying to Yehovah, sire.’

Lucifer smashed his fist on the table. ‘You have one king, Sachiel. You are to worship one king alone.’

‘I worship only one King.’ Sachiel looked long and hard at Lucifer. ‘He is the King you taught me to worship.’

Lucifer swept the scrolls from the table in a fury. ‘You are a
fool
, Sachiel. He will not have you back. You deserted Him – of your own free will!’

Sachiel hung his head. ‘Yes, I deserted Him. I committed treason, and forever I will suffer for my mistake.’ He lifted his tortured features to Lucifer. ‘But I will never stop loving Him.’

Lucifer turned to Moloch. ‘Leave us!’

Moloch left the chamber. Charsoc remained, standing by silently.

‘Sachiel,’ Lucifer’s voice was a low, strangled whisper, ‘do you think that it is you alone who suffers in this manner?’ He expelled a deep and trembling breath, brushing at the bedraggled locks that had fallen over his forehead. ‘True hell – true torment, Sachiel . . . ’ he put his face close to Sachiel’s . . . ‘is to be banished from Yehovah’s presence.’

Charsoc closed his eyes. A sudden fleeting anguish clouded his features.

A deep strangled sob escaped Lucifer. He leaned back against the table, worn.

Sachiel leaned towards him. ‘Then let us repent, Lucifer. There are those who would go back to all that we knew and loved. It is not too late.’

Lucifer stared over Sachiel’s head. Sweat broke out on his forehead and poured down his cheeks. ‘There are times I feel His presence, Sachiel.’ Lucifer wiped his brow with an embroidered cloth. ‘He is here with me still, urging me to repent.’

The air hung silent and heavy between them. Lucifer looked up at Charsoc, who looked back with eyes filled with suffering.

Then Lucifer turned to Sachiel, his eyes narrowed. ‘It is your prayers, Sachiel – you bring Him here!’ He spun around, rabid with rage. ‘You fool, Sachiel. He will not receive you back!’ Lucifer tilted his back and called. ‘Zadkiel!’

Zadkiel entered. Gone were the features that had once been almost as beautiful as Lucifer’s. Now he was gnarled and bent.

‘He is filled with treacheries,’ Lucifer said. ‘Banish him to the penitentiary!’

Zadkiel stared at Lucifer, appalled. ‘But this is Sachiel, milord. He has served you all your years . . . ’

Lucifer stared narrowly at Zadkiel.

‘Very well,’ Zadkiel said. ‘Moloch and Ruber will be his escort to the penitentiary.’

At the mention of their name, the two fallen angelic generals arrived in the chamber.

Sachiel stared at Lucifer, his face set like stone. ‘You were once noble, Lucifer. Blameless. Wise and just in all your ways. The light-bearer!’ He bowed his head. ‘Yet even to the gates of Sheol He will not abandon me!’

Zadkiel stared ahead, ashen-faced.

‘Save your simpering!’ Lucifer said contemptuously. He nodded to Moloch, who dealt Sachiel a vicious blow that knocked him to the ground.

Moloch grinned and shoved Sachiel to his feet, pushing him out of the doors.

Lucifer turned back to his scrolls.

As Zadkiel strode to the door, Lucifer called his name.

‘Zadkiel,’ he whispered in a cajoling tone, ‘you were not thinking of praying to Yehovah, were you?’ Lucifer gave Zadkiel a brilliant smile. Charsoc watched Zadkiel intently.

‘No, Your Majesty.’ Zadkiel looked directly into Lucifer’s eyes. ‘I worship only one king.’

Lucifer looked long and grimly at Zadkiel, as though reading his very soul, then turned back to his scrolls, inscrutable.

Suddenly a strange lightness crossed his countenance. ‘Oh! They are here! I sense them . . . ’

He rose and moved swiftly to the enormous rubied chamber windows. ‘Go to them, Zadkiel. Welcome my brothers to my kingdom.’

Chapter Twenty

Road to Perdition

The galaxies seemed to be drawing in on them as they neared Lucifer’s new kingdom. They had left both the First and Second Heaven far behind them and had entered a vast nether world of outer darkness.

Gabriel shuddered. ‘The nether regions.’

The rings of Lucifer’s planet burned unusually bright. Michael stopped in mid-stride and gestured to the company to wait. He stared out in wonder at the magnificent magenta planet. It was surrounded by six rings of glowing ice, three hundred dazzling azure suns, and a myriad of amber moons.

‘His new kingdom,’ Gabriel whispered in wonder. ‘He has re-created the beauty of Tertus. Hues beyond imagination.’

As the brothers and the Watchers drew nearer to the gates, hundreds of huge, blinding light sources turned on them as though switched on by an intelligent, unseen source, seeming to illuminate the entire outer darkness in its wake.

On either side of the towering black iron gates, the entrance into the nether regions, loomed two macabre, black, stonelike seraphim, towering a hundred metres above them. These were the black seraphim. Each had six scaled, black wings and two heads: one with the face of a dragon and another with the face of a Gorgon. Their alert red eyes blazed with the flames of the damned. Circling overhead at the entrance were thousands of giant black banshees, with wingspans of thirty feet, evil glinting in their beady yellow eyes. Their ghoulish screeching filled the solar system.

Michael stopped and gestured to the company to wait.

The gates were suspended as by an invisible force in the centre of the magenta solar system – nothing above or beneath except for the ominous, towering gates. The perimeter was enclosed for thousands of leagues by a forbidding jagged iron barricade. At least a hundred enormous watchtowers soared above them, and menacing, black-armoured Luciferean guards patrolled the perimeter.

Michael turned to his company. ‘Come, let us ride.’

They halted directly in front of the iron gates. Their stallions stood on some kind of black tar and pitch, which was now the terrain under their feet. All at once the ground began to shudder underneath them, like an earthquake.

Michael’s stallion began to whinny, and Michael stroked his neck. ‘Easy, Ariale.’ He turned to Gabriel. ‘He smells the sorceries,’ he murmured.

The shuddering drew nearer and became rhythmic. Suddenly a huge troll-like creature bent down and peered through the gate, his yellow eyes gleaming in the semidarkness.