Son of Perdition (Chronicles of Brothers) (7 page)

‘It is forbidden, Marduk, but it
is
possible.Nimrod and the Nephilim, incited by our demonic hordes, were well advanced in their plans to traverse the Shinar force field from the Land of Men into the Second Heaven.’ Lucifer’s expression darkened. ‘Then Gabriel and his Revelators sent word to the High Council. Yehovah confused their languages by day. By night Michael and his armies overthrew our battalions, took control of Shinar and sealed the Portal.’

He flinched at the memory of his defeat. ‘The inter-dimensional force field was permanently ruptured in the battle. If we could control the Portal we could
reverse
the restructuring process and enter through the fissure in the force field.’

‘It has been sealed fast by Michael’s warriors in the Second Heaven these twenty millennia since Babel,’ said Charsoc, pacing the nave. An evil fire flickered in his irisless eyes. ‘Mulabalah, to what extent is it protected all these millennia later?’

Mulabalah, ruler of the Black Murmurers, Charsoc’s spies, rose to his feet, a sinister dark figure in the centre of the Whispering Gallery.The incessant mumbling of the Murmurers fell to a hushed drone.

‘Sire. In our traversing of the time corridors, the Vulture Shaman Scouts have frequented the time lock between the Portal of Shinar and Gehenna. From the time of the uprising of the Nephilim and the Race of Men at Babel, it was defended unremittingly with a thousand of the First Heaven’s strongest battalions.’ Mulabalah hesitated. ‘And the White Winged Lions,’ he said, ominously.

A ripple of horror ran through the Whispering Gallery.

‘These past millennia, however, Prince Michael reassigned the armies from Babylonia to Jerusalem, sire.’ He hesitated, trembling. ‘In 1947–’

‘Nineteen forty-seven!’ Lucifer hissed. ‘Jerusalem. Ashdod was defeated by Michael.’

‘But today only Zalialiel and a battalion of two hundred guard the gates,’ Mulabalah reported.

‘You are certain of this?’

‘It is corroborated by Darsoc and by the Vulture Shaman Scouts, sire. I am certain.’

Marduk rubbed his pock-marked chin in agitation.

‘Your Majesty. It is my solemn duty as Chief of Staff and Legal Counsel to bring to your attention that the Tenets of Eternal Law as pertaining to the Portal of Shinar carry dire consequences to us, the Fallen, if they are broken.’ Marduk lifted his hood, his sallow features clearly visible. ‘
Dire
consequences.’

‘I am well versed in Eternal Law, Marduk. The penalty is not expressly spelt out in the tenets,’ Charsoc hissed. ‘It is nebulous at best.’

Marduk stared coldly at Charsoc. ‘I warn you, Charsoc, do not be deluded. My sources reveal that an addendum has been added, by decree of Yehovah to Jether of the High Council, in order to protect the Race of Men from the Fallen. The rumours are that the
severest
of penalties will befall those of the Fallen who violate the tenets.’

‘Jether and his rumours!’ Charsoc hissed.

Maelageor shook his two shrunken heads. ‘The genome,’ he said. ‘We run out of time, Your Excellency.’

Lucifer strode up the steps towards the Whispering Gallery. The Black Murmurers fell prostrate.

‘The Portal of Shinar is our
only means
of getting the genome into the Race of Men in time. The plan
must
be activated without delay! We must get the Portal back under our control long enough to get Charsoc and the Vial of Sacred Progeny through.’

Lucifer stared down a hundred feet towards Marduk and Charsoc.

‘Charsoc, you will leave at once for the Portal of Shinar. I have entered their world in past aeons as a priest of high standing. You, Charsoc, shall arrive in the world of the Race of Men as my emissary. In human form. You will convey to the Council of Thirteen my choice of the family. Ensure that every part of our strategy is executed with ultimate precision. We can afford no human error. When the plan is set, at the appointed time of my son’s exchange, I myself shall enter the World of Men through the Time Gates. Astaroth! Escort Charsoc without delay.’

He raised his sceptre.

‘Instruct Sargon the Terrible – the great Prince of Babylonia – and his hordes to meet you at the Portal and to hold it until Charsoc is through. By the time my brother Michael realizes our diabolical strategy it will be too late. Zalialiel and his guard will be overrun.’

‘It will be done, my Lord.’ Charsoc bowed deeply.

Lucifer watched as Astaroth strode through the gates followed by Charsoc and the Dark Cabal Wizards bearing the casket that held the Vial of Sacred Progeny.

‘Sire,’ Marduk murmured, an evil glint in his jaundiced eyes, ‘once Charsoc enters the world of the Race of Men through the Portal of Shinar, he cannot get back.’

Lucifer held Marduk’s gaze.

‘He will find out soon enough.’

* * *

Michael stood on the glistening Pearl Sands of the First Heaven’s white beaches. He stared out towards two immense gates that towered far in the distance – the entrance to Eden. Yehovah’s lush Hanging Gardens and waterfalls that dropped a full mile down were faintly visible through Eden’s swiftly descending indigo mists.

Michael had ridden straight to the Pearl Sands after inspecting his battalions on the vast Onyx Plains. He was still dressed in his ceremonial war armour.

His thick flaxen mane was unbraided and fell down his broad shoulders onto his silver armour. The Sword of State hung at his side.

Michael closed his eyes and inhaled the soft fragrance of spikenard that wafted from the plains of the White Poplars in Eden, an unusual tranquillity on his features.

Jether stood at the top of the gilded stairs studying the imperial warrior.

Michael. Chief Prince of the Royal House of Yehovah and commander of the First Heaven’s armies. Jether smiled. Lucifer had met his match in his valiant younger brother.

Michael’s strong chiselled features were relaxed. Jether had caught Michael in one of his rarer unguarded moments. He hated to break the moment, but break it he must.

‘Michael,’ Jether called.

Michael raised his hand in greeting.

‘Revered Jether,’ he said, striding towards the white-haired figure descending the gilded steps. ‘Why, it has seemed countless moons since our last fellowship,’ he exclaimed. They embraced affectionately.

‘I have been many moons in Sacred Council with Yehovah, Michael.

Let us walk.’ He clasped Michael’s arm.

Michael glanced at Jether. ‘You come on grave matters.’

Jether looked into Michael’s fierce emerald gaze. He nodded.

‘Lucifer has chosen the family?’

‘A dynasty. One of the thirteen ruling families of the Grand Druid Council. There is already one son. Another is two months in the womb.’

Jether stopped in mid-stride and looked earnestly at Michael.

‘That one will be murdered in cold blood. Lucifer will put his own infant in its place. Then another, a son will be born. It is written in the Blueprints of Yehovah.’

Michael’s eyes narrowed. ‘Three brothers.’

Jether nodded. ‘Even as yourselves . . . by his deliberate design.’

‘He is
diabolical
!’

‘There is, however, another matter,’ Jether continued, ‘a matter of extreme concern.’

They strode across the pearl sands past the twelve immense white columns of the grand gazebo.

‘Our scouts inform us that the Fallen devise a plan to enter the world of the Race of Men.’

‘That is nothing new. They violate their right of entry constantly.’

Jether turned to face Michael.

‘In human form.’

Michael froze.

‘But it contravenes the Tenets of Eternal Law set in motion by Golgotha.’

Jether nodded. ‘There is only one means by which the Fallen’s DNA can be altered to that of matter,’ he said. ‘Our immediate concern lies with the Portals of the Fallen.’

Michael stared at Jether. Appalled. ‘But they have been sealed since our victory at Golgotha.’

‘We of the High Council have reason to believe that Lucifer may attempt to breach one of the dormant Portals. There is one that is more vulnerable than the others.’ ‘The Portal of Shinar,’ said a voice softly.

Michael turned to see Gabriel drawing up on the sands beside them, astride his winged stallion.

He held out a missive to Michael.

‘Intercepted only minutes ago by Joktan, ruler of my Revelator Eagles.’

Michael scanned it, then handed it to Jether.

‘Astaroth and his High Command surround the gates of the Portal of Shinar as we speak. I mobilize my Royal Guard.’ Michael signalled with his fingers and at once a magnificent winged black stallion flew across the sands, stopping a yard from where he stood.

Jether looked up from the missive, his wizened face pale.

Michael mounted the black stallion. ‘A thousand of my finest battalions and the Winged Lions guarded Babylonia these nineteen millennia. These past seventy years it is two hundred warriors at best.’

Gabriel laid his hand on Michael’s arm. ‘Brother, that is not the worst. Sargon the Terrible, the great Prince who is monster of Babylonia, travels with his hordes through the heavens as we speak. To meet Astaroth at Shinar.’

‘Sargon will massacre them in cold blood,’ Michael whispered.

Jether shook his head. ‘No.Astaroth leads the Black Horde. He is commander in chief. He will keep Angelic Protocol.’

‘Time is against us, Gabriel,’ said Michael. ‘Follow swiftly with my armies. I must leave with my Royal Guard.’ He lowered his visor. ‘I must leave
now
.’

‘Yehovah be with you, Michael,’ Jether whispered as Michael ascended into the sky on his winged black charger.

Jether sighed deeply and closed his eyes.

‘He is too late,’ he whispered. ‘I see the battle even as we speak. Zalialiel is surrounded. They surrender. Charsoc will enter the world of the Race of Men. Go, Gabriel. Marshal the armies of the First Heaven.’

Jether stared at Gabriel. ‘This is Lucifer’s new strategy. He plans to send Charsoc in human form to the Race of Men. But why?’

An icy chill of foreboding flooded his soul.

‘I go to consult with Yehovah,’ he whispered.

Chapter Ten

The Portal of Shinar

The mammoth door at the entrance of the Ascending Stairs had been ripped from its hinges. Zalialiel and two hundred warriors were lined up against the platinum walls outside the stair entrance, their ankles and wrists chained in heavy iron shackles.

The great silver stairs were hung from one gilded thread, swaying back and forth in the blue-black heavens. At the very top of the thousandth silver stair, lying on the curving arms of a spiral galaxy, rose the immense Gates of the Portal of Shinar, sealed at the base by the great golden seal of the Royal House of Yehovah.

Astaroth, commander of the armies of Gehenna, turned to Charsoc.

‘Michael will have received word of our assault. We do not have much time before his armies descend.’

His black-gloved hands grasped his broadsword. ‘Sargon of Babylonia – Champion of Gehenna!’

The great prince of Babylonia stepped forward. His coarse unbraided red hair fell below his thighs. Thick yellow saliva dripped from his thin blue lips, his red eyes glinted. Astaroth nodded to him.

‘Warriors of hell!’ Sargon cried.

The Black Horde, their black braids hanging well down their backs, held their super weapons, developed by the Twins of Malfecium, at the ready.

‘Open the Seal!’

The warriors advanced and, with their combined strength, raised their huge tactical laser cannons. As one they channelled the searing beams of the lasers towards the Seal. The air exploded beneath the huge Seal holding the Gates of the Portal. The Portal remained firmly shut.

Charsoc frowned.

‘Again!’ Sagon screamed in frustration and a second battalion of Sargon’s warriors stepped forward. They aimed their advanced electromagnetic pulse weapons at the golden Seal. Lightning erupted from the Seal, hurling the entire battalion to the ground.

‘Aaaaahh,’ Sargon cried as he fell to his knees, clutching his head in agony. ‘Yehovah’s sorceries!’

Charsoc walked towards the Portal, his eyes narrowed.

‘Let me try the old-fashioned way,’ he said, removing a ruby-hued stone from his breastplate. He held it over the very centre of the Seal. It fitted exactly, then he turned it two-thirds of a revolution and waited. There was silence.

Then came a deafening blast as the pulsating copper force field of the Portal of Shinar erupted a thousand feet upward into the Second Heaven.

Charsoc smiled. It was exactly as he had foreseen. A flickering electric-blue laceration ran down the entire mid section of the force field.

The inter-dimensional force field was torn.

He looked on in ecstasy as thousands of blazing crimson electromagnetic waves ignited from the surface. The force field’s DNA converter was reactivating.

Charsoc turned. Sargon and his battalions raced towards Michael and his Royal Guard, who were locked in ferocious combat with Astaroth’s rear guard a thousand steps below at the entrance to the Ascending Stairs.

Charsoc watched intently as Sargon’s battalions reached the Gates. Savagely they waded into the fray with Astaroth and his warriors, brutally assaulting Michael’s troops.

Michael and his Royal Guard warred ferociously but Charsoc knew that they were clearly outnumbered. He also knew that Gabriel would be following hot on Michael’s heels with the armies of the First Heaven. Time was short.He must enter the world of the Race of Men with the genome at once.

Charsoc nodded to Dracul – ruler of the Warlocks of the West and ancient leader of the Time Lords. The thirteen Time Lords stood in a full circle, then lifted their black cloaks. Scorching green lightnings erupted from the fingertips of the Warlocks, striking the laceration of the force field. The Portal’s Inter-dimensional Threshold was opening.

‘Charsoc the Dark – you enter the Race of Men in their image!’ Dracul hissed.

Charsoc glanced back just as Michael was heaved savagely up the Ascending Stairs by Sargon and his thugs who flung him viciously to the ground at the base of the force field.

Charsoc rose two hundred feet into the air above Michael, where he hovered, completely immersed in the blazing crimson waves of the force field, his entire body vibrating at ultra-high frequency.

Bruised and beaten, Michael watched through clouded eyes as Charsoc’s DNA restructured before his eyes.

The blazing crimson waves passed through Charsoc’s nine-foot form. He shrank to a mere six feet three inches. His beard disappeared and his long black hair turned silver and became cropped to within half an inch of his scalp. Dracul opened the casket and carefully removed the Vial of Sacred Progeny.

Michael looked on, appalled. He had no doubt what it contained. Charsoc opened his palm. The Vial flew up into his hand just as the Inter-dimensional Threshold opened fully and Babylonia became visible to the Second Heaven.

Charsoc disappeared.

Sargon grasped Michael from behind, his broadsword at the Archangel’s throat. He leered at Astaroth, thick yellow globules of saliva dripping from between his black stumps of teeth.

‘We finish the job,’ he snarled. ‘We massacre their Prince and Commander. Send him to the Abyss.’

Michael stared at Astaroth, incensed. ‘You break the Tenets of Eternal Law,’ he shouted, struggling violently in Sargon’s savage grip. ‘Gabriel rides as we speak with the Armies of the First Heaven. Surrender while you can.’

Astaroth stood silent, his back to Michael and Sargon.

Sargon pressed his swordpoint into Michael’s throat until a blue blood-like fluid dripped from Michael’s neck.

‘Astaroth . . . ’ Michael gasped for breath. ‘The Protocol . . . You of all . . . ’

‘Lay down your arms, Sargon.’ Astaroth’s voice was soft. ‘We have completed our task. Charsoc and the Sacred Vial have passed through the Inter-dimensional Threshold.’

He shook his head at Sargon. ‘The Chief Prince has no weapon. He has surrendered. It violates Angelic Protocol.’

Sargon stared at Astaroth with hatred. ‘We, the Fallen, do not abide by Angelic Protocol,’ he roared.

Astaroth pried Sargon’s sword from his fist and pulled Sargon upwards until the two giant warriors stood face to face. ‘We, the Fallen are not barbaric vandals.’ Astaroth spoke through gritted teeth. We are
warriors
. We adhere to disciplines.’

‘Your sentimentality clouds your judgement,’ Sargon snarled. ‘You will pay with your
head
!’ He kicked Michael savagely. ‘You were too long his compatriot!’

With one violent thrust, he threw Astaroth to the ground and turned to his battalions, an evil leer on his face. ‘We follow Charsoc into the world of Men! We would have some sport.’

‘No!’ Astaroth cried.

Michael watched in horror as two great black wings rose from Sargon’s colossal shoulders and he rose into the blazing crimson waves, followed by five hundred of the Fallen.

Astaroth stood helpless as his troops followed Sargon’s forces, until only Astaroth himself remained. He raised his gaze to the horizon. Gabriel and the armies of the First Heaven were descending towards them.

‘It is too late,’ Astaroth whispered. ‘I cannot surrender.’

He walked slowly towards the Portal.

‘You break Eternal Law!’ Michael shouted. ‘It will not go well with you. There is an addendum!’

Astaroth stood on the edge of the Portal, then turned to look at Michael.

‘My path is set.’

‘Astaroth!’ Michael reached for his arm just as Astaroth rose beyond his grasp and stepped through the Threshold of the Portal of Shinar.

And vanished into the world of the Race of Men.