Fall of Lucifer (24 page)

Hundreds of younglings were bent over microscopes, studying DNA and blood types, while hundreds of others studiously gathered files of information and took copious notes.

Xacheriel was laboriously putting the finishing touches on a flying platypus. ‘Kalleel, pass me the latest database!’

Kalleel staggered up to him, hidden beneath a vast pile of dog-eared papers that stretched from his knees past his corkscrewed ginger hair. Xacheriel clucked his tongue in impatience. He ignored the papers and whisked off the top a silver microchip the size of a pinhead. He held it up in the air, and immediately millions of gigabytes of information appeared.

Xacheriel sucked his pen. ‘Lamech!’

Lamech looked down from atop the dinosaur.

‘The ark blueprints . . . hard copy.’

Lamech teetered on the ladder and drew out a large roll of papers from under his apron.

Xacheriel tapped his staff on the floor impatiently. ‘Come
on
, Lamech – we haven’t got all day.’

Lamech wobbled desperately astride the dinosaur. Slowly, slowly, slowly it tilted. Xacheriel watched as if in agonizing pain, his eyes following every tilt until it came crashing down right at him, very nearly crushing him.

Xacheriel and his crown landed on the floor. He glowered darkly at the dazed but unhurt Lamech and grabbed the papers out of his hands impatiently. Dusting himself off, he laid out the blueprints of the ark over a table.

‘Here you can see the ark is divided into three storeys,’ he explained, ‘each with varying compartments depending on the dimensions of the species.’ He carefully smoothed out the papers. ‘I have meticulously calculated the dimensions, keeping in mind that apart from the elephant and the . . . ’ He gave a dry look at the collapsed dinosaur and the long-suffering Lamech, who was trying to extricate himself from under it. ‘ . . . and the dinosaur, the average animal will be approximately the size of a sheep, and that each species will be represented by its young.’

He turned to Dimnah, who was working away on a new design. Xacheriel raised his eyebrows and peered over Dimnah’s shoulder at a complicated design for a kangaroo. Xacheriel frowned. ‘How many times must I point this out, Dimnah? Miscalculations, miscalculations! Far too short!’ He prodded at the kangaroo’s paws. ‘Completely out of alignment . . . ’

Dimnah went beetroot red.

‘That’s the third time this week . . . ’ Xacheriel held him by the ear and dragged him to a door labelled ‘Blunders – Prototypes.’ They peered through the porthole. In the centre of the room were a kangaroo, a giraffe, and a panda. ‘Long necks, short paws . . . and black-and-white bears. Blunders – all blunders!’ Xacheriel heaved a great sigh. ‘What would Yehovah say!’ He turned to Kalleel. ‘How many species are presently on your database?’

‘Over a hundred and thirty thousand – out of a million species, milord. The ship will accommodate only fifty thousand.’

Peleg looked up from his microscope. ‘It can accommodate double that, sire.’

Xacheriel waved him quiet. ‘Yes, yes! At fifty thousand animals, the ark is still only 37 percent full – but we’ll take no risks on review of the volume and pressure propensities. These are Yehovah’s instructions.’

‘But there are over a
million
of Yehovah’s species, milord!’

‘Kalleel, Kalleel,’ Xacheriel groaned, raising his hands in despair. ‘Think like a scientist!’ He paced the portal, rattling off data. ‘Of the total number of species, 838,000 are arthropods – lobsters, shrimps, barnacles – and marine creatures – 21,000 species of fish, 1,700 tunicates, 600 echinoderms, 107,000 molluscs, 10,000 coelenterates, and 5,000 species of sponges!’ He retraced his steps. ‘The amphibians will survive outside the ark, Kalleel, as will the majority of reptiles. In addition, some of the mammals are marine – the whales, seals, and porpoises. They will survive.’ He rubbed his hands. ‘Peleg!’

Peleg jumped to attention and saluted. ‘Milord, we predict that the animals will undergo a type of dormancy – a hibernation. With their bodily functions reduced, the ark is equipped with fresh air and sanitation for a total of 371 days, sire.’

‘Very good, Peleg. A male and female of all the selected species will reside in the lower vestibule of the ark – that way we will preserve the lineage of every creation. It’s settled! Review the databases, Kalleel – fifty thousand.’ He tapped on the Blunders porthole and winked at Dimnah.

‘Only if you have room!’

* * *

In a holy chamber not far away, the mood was serious.

Thousands of solemn angelic battalions were gathered on the Mount of the Congregation. Michael walked forward and knelt in front of the altar balustrades. Jether laid the Sword of State on the altar, then took it and placed it upon Michael’s left shoulder.

‘With this kingly sword do justice, forbid the growth of iniquity, maintain the things that are restored, punish and reform what is amiss, and confirm what is in good order. And doing these things, you may be glorious in virtue.’

Grimly Jether passed the golden Sword of State – which had been Lucifer’s – into Michael’s hands. ‘Go and execute Yehovah’s judgments.’

Chapter Thirty

The Fountains of the Deep

Michael, in full battle dress, rode like the wind across the firmaments on his white steed, followed by a thousand great angelic warriors on horseback. He lifted the heavy golden Sword of State high above his head as he rode, shouting to his warriors, ‘Loose the fountains of the deep!’

A massive, fierce lightning bolt illuminated the four corners of the sky, its brilliant orange fire striking the earth with unbelievable force, rupturing Earth’s crust. The thousand dread warriors dispersed to the four corners of the firmament. The angelic riders pulled on huge chains.

Again the flaming lightning struck the four pillars on Earth’s chamber floors. As in slow motion, they collapsed into rock fragments, generating huge tidal waves onto the surface and subterranean waters, and accelerating into space as meteoroids. The boiling black subterranean waters ruptured Earth’s crust, the raging waters beating the ark violently.

Michael and his warriors surrounded the ark like a shield as the great waves of muddy water jettisoned high above Earth, hurling up asteroids. The violent floodwaters unleashed their boiling frenzy upon all those on Earth – men, women, and the Nephilim desperate to escape its wrath.

Michael’s angels rode the ark on the tops of the violent tidal waves, protecting Noah’s family and the selected animal species. Continents crushed and thickened; mountains buckled. And finally, the ark smashed onto Mount Ararat, hidden beneath the raging waters.

A terrible silence fell over all of Earth and the firmament as the raging floodwaters started to subside.

The angelic host waited on the ocean waves astride their huge stallions, silently watching the ark for signs of life. The great vessel had suffered tremendous external damage.

Jether and Xacheriel also watched, stony-faced, from the portal of the universes, intent on the door of the ark. Xacheriel put his head in his hands. ‘The whole race . . . ’ he muttered. ‘An entire race . . . wiped out.’ Dry sobs racked his ancient frame. The body scanner pulsar showed no reading.

A sombre Jether placed his hand gently on Xacheriel’s shoulder, restraining his own tears. He watched the ark silently.

Xacheriel raised his head, dazed. ‘The calculations were meticulous,’ he mumbled.

He turned to Jether, who stood at the portal, openmouthed in astonishment as he stared at the vast, flaming rainbow that covered the firmament directly over the ark.

Xacheriel followed his gaze. Then he swung around to the body scanner. It was pulsing. The pulsing grew stronger. He started to chortle euphorically. ‘Rakkon, get me the pulsar matter scans!’

And then Jether laughed – a loud, deep, joyous laugh that would not be stopped. ‘Yehovah!’

[[GABRIEL IMAGE]]

And so the lineage of mankind was saved, and Lucifer’s terrible evil was thwarted.

But gradually, as the aeons passed, men’s hearts again grew cold as they fell to depravity and vice, to selfishness and greed.

And they once more forgot their Creator . . .

Chapter Thirty-one

Babylon

Jether paced up and down the banks of the Tigris, his eagle blue eyes scanning the vast Babylonian horizon for signs of his one-time compatriot. His ornate crown was absent, and he wore simple white robes devoid of his usual jewels and fine stitching.

Far away in the distance, towering 230 feet high over the stark Babylonian plains, loomed the seven terraces of Nebuchadnezzar’s tower of Borsippa.

A distant thundering grew louder. Beyond the ziggurats a whirlwind arose from the north, bringing forth a vast cloud of fire glowing with blue and amber lightning. Flowing crimson robes materialized out of the flashing mists onto the far bank of the Tigris, followed by a head and the rest of his body.

Jether rolled his eyes in annoyance. ‘Cheap tricks, Charsoc,’ he observed tartly. ‘Fit for a conjuror, not an ancient monarch – even a defected one.’

Charsoc smiled in gratification and turned blind eyes towards the voice. ‘My honourable compatriot, Jether.’ Charsoc’s evil, wizened features were framed by his jet-black, straight hair and beard, which both reached to the dirt. He bowed deeply, his hair sweeping the ground. ‘I regret that I have regressed to the lower boundaries of sorcery of late. Not quite as sophisticated as what we were used to.’ He hesitated. ‘But . . . rather agreeable, I might add.’

Charsoc levitated above the deep flowing waters of the Tigris, hovering and then landing gracefully opposite Jether on the bank.

Jether stood, his arms folded, his expression grim. ‘You demanded my presence.’

Charsoc nodded. He stared in gratification at the Babylonian terrain. ‘Babylon the Great. My master’s pride.’

‘She has laboured in sorceries and enchantments from her youth,’ Jether muttered.

Charsoc smiled. ‘I come on pressing matters as royal emissary.’

Jether closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. ‘I saw this encounter many moons ago in my dreams.’

Charsoc nodded. ‘You always were seer more than pragmatist, Jether.’ He hesitated, enjoying Jether’s discomfort. ‘As for myself, I have always favoured the side of pragmatism.’

Jether stared at Charsoc grimly. ‘ . . . and expediency.’

Charsoc smiled indulgently ‘I have missed our repartee, ancient companion.’

Jether’s lips tightened. He held his hand out towards Charsoc.

Charsoc nodded and drew out a golden pouch with his bony ringed fingers. He withdrew a missive sealed with Lucifer’s royal seal and placed it in Jether’s grasp. Jether tore it open, scanning the contents.

Finally he looked up. ‘So, it is as my premonition bade me. He would lodge his claim against the race of men.’

Charsoc shrugged. ‘They have deserted Yehovah. He demands judgment.’

Jether nodded wearily. ‘It is written in eternal law. He is legally entitled to lodge a claim against mankind in the courts of heaven.’

Charsoc paced leisurely up the bank.

‘You have disclosed the contents of the codices?’ Jether asked.

Charsoc gestured to his sightless eyes. ‘My master’s rewards are more compelling than your overlords have been of late.’

‘Transgression is reduced to ashes in His presence, Charsoc. This you well knew.’

‘Yes, yes. I should really have been more careful. Well, really, I should have been burned to a crisp.’

‘You are fully cognizant of all our undisclosed tenets, Charsoc. I take it that Lucifer is now well informed about them as well.’

‘
Well
informed,’ Charsoc said. ‘We will ensure they are used to complete man’s total eradication from our universe. He would 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.’

‘And you, Charsoc?’

‘That is all.’ Charsoc lifted his bangled arm. ‘ I will take my leave.’

Jether indicated agreement and turned, the hot, dry south wind blowing his robes. ‘Charsoc,’ he whispered, staring out beyond the blue glazed bricks of the upper levels of the ziggurats glistening in the scorching Babylonian sun. ‘You who were privy to so much, ruler of the ancient elders of the Ancient of Days, high steward of His sacred mysteries . . . ’ He turned and stared directly into Charsoc’s face. ‘Why did you betray us?’

Charsoc smiled thinly, and his pale blue eyes stared ahead expressionless. ‘I told you, Jether – I am a pragmatist. In simple terms, I wanted
more
.’

With that he vanished back into the mists of the Tigris.

* * *

Jether was seated at the enormous lapis lazuli table in the lower vestibule of the Great Elders’ Hall, almost completely obscured from view. Only his crown was visible behind the numerous stacks of ancient tomes of eternal law that surrounded him.