The Keys of Solomon (42 page)

Sam shook his head slowly from side to side. “This is too much! I don't understand! Why doesn't God just … fix it?”

Nathan smiled. “The Creator has given us all the tools to do what is needed. We each must find the faith to take up those tools and do what is necessary. First, we must find the Keys. Then we must forever break the back of Legion.

“Know this, Sam Conner. Many innocent lives will be destroyed in the attempt. Perhaps even your own. As ever, the decision, the choice, is yours. You will know how to contact me with your answer once you have it.

“And in the meantime, you've acquired new friends and powerful allies. In fact, two of them are coming this way now. You can trust them, Sam. You must. Without one another, you have little hope for tomorrow. Remain strong and true to one another. Now I must go.”

“Wait! Your name…”

“I am called Nathaniel. Or Nathan, if you prefer. Oh, yes. Both Joriel and Uriel send much love.” And he was gone.

Sam sat down on the edge of Kat's bed and held her tiny hand in his.
He said you'll recover. God, if you're listening … thank you. Thank you.

Sam was still holding her hand when Enrique and Thomas entered the room.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The “What If” Game

Not long ago, a close friend asked me if I thought
Offspring
was actually grounded in an element of truth. The person wanted to know if I believed “evil” roamed the earth, in both incorporeal and corporeal forms, with the capacity to influence human behavior or cause direct harm. And if I believed in demons, did I also believe in angels? My friend wasn't the first person to ask me that question. In fact, that issue surfaces during nearly every interview I participate in.

The answer is yes … and no. It requires no stretch of the imagination to believe in evil. One has only to read the newspaper or watch the evening news. And, as goes the ancient principle of Yin and Yang (equal opposites, i.e., black and white; soft and hard; left and right, etc.), if evil exists, so must its polar opposite, “good.”

Now, having stated the above, please keep in mind I didn't write
Offspring
with the intent to make a moral statement.
Offspring
is a work of fiction with a decidedly supernatural theme. It's a tale constructed by playing the “what if” game, drawing from part and parcel of several religious belief systems, as well as various historical incidents.

For instance, I reference the Knights Templar in several scenes. The meteoric rise and fall of the Templars has been thoroughly chronicled by several prominent historians and scribes. Most historians agree that the first Templars, nine knights of noble birth, took up residence inside the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Most also agree that those knights embarked upon a massive excavation project beneath the temple. What they allegedly found in the catacombs (though it depends on which conspiracy theory you subscribe to) catapulted the group to a position of European prominence. Over the next couple of centuries, kings and popes alike found themselves financially indebted to the Templars, that once “poor band of brothers.”

Again, depending on which version you choose to accept, the root cause of the Templars' demise may be traced to a greedy king of France and a corrupt, and some say fearful, Church. The knights were tried and convicted of numerous charges of heresy and debauchery. Others “confessed” (under extreme duress) their crimes and were spared execution, while still others were burned at the stake while proclaiming their innocence. The Order was disbanded and forever outlawed.

Some scholars believe a few members of the Templars did survive the purge, and much speculation has been raised about the post–Templar era activities of those men and their families. Modern-day descendants of the Templars were a perfect fit for
Offspring.
There's an awful lot of “what if” material in there.

The more recent, and tragic, May 1998 incident involving the murder of a Swiss Guard commander and his wife upon Vatican grounds also receives mention in
Offspring
. The conspiracy theories surrounding the crime are too numerous to list in this limited space. Love triangles, office politics, brain tumors, and yes, demonic influence, are but a few of the conspiracies I've read to date. Another prime opportunity for the “what if” game. And I assure you, I do not write about such real-life incidents with a callous attitude. I truly believe that buried in the quagmire of supposition, rumor, and innuendo, the truth does exist. Until that truth makes its way to the surface, we're stuck with “what if.”

The Vatican, and more precisely, Pope Benedict XVI, also blended well into
Offspring
. In fact, I would have been hard-pressed to find a better papal fit for this story. The scene in
Offspring
that describes events at the Our Lady of Akita Church, is based on numerous factual accounts, including news reports, Church archives, and testimony provided by more than five hundred Christian and non-Christian witnesses. After a lengthy investigation of the alleged miracles and ominous prophecies that occurred at Our Lady of Akita in Japan over a period of nearly fifteen years, Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a definitive judgment: He declared “those events and messages as reliable and worthy of belief.”

Cardinal Ratzinger is now better known as Pope Benedict XVI. Benedict may also be forever known as the first pope ever to ordain a Vatican-operated educational institution that has only one mission: teaching the secret discipline of exorcisms. This is something of an odd turnabout from former papal attitudes in which exorcisms were considered a near-dead ritual. After all these many centuries, why would the arguably most influential and politically powerful religious institution on earth embark on such a course? Great material for playing the “what if” game, don't you agree?

Again, thank you for reading
Offspring
.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Angel.
A souless, celestial entity, created by God and capable of taking ethereal or corporeal form in Heaven and upon Earth.

Archangel.
One of three classes of angels found in the highest tier of Heaven. Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel are the most well known of the Archangels, while Anael, Metatron, Ragual, Raziel, Remiel, and Sariel are commonly believed to be the remaining archangels who surround and protect the Throne of the Creator. Often incorrectly referred to as Guardian Angels, though they sometimes fulfill that function.

Authority.
A class of angels found in the middle tier of Heaven, and occasionally upon Earth.

Brethren.
Another name for fallen angels and much preferred by Lucifer over other, less flattering titles.

Cherubim.
A class of angels found in the highest tier of Heaven. Very powerful.

Creator.
God

Demon (Lesser Demons).
The lowest form of sentient corruption, originating on the plane of Sitra Akhra. Lesser demons possess the ability to occasionally cross over into the world of men.

Demon Lord.
An extremely powerful demon with limited access to the world of men.

Domination.
A class of angel found in the middle tier of Heaven and occasionally, upon Earth.

Earthbound Host.
The collective body of angelic entities, comprised of many classes, and assigned to various tasks upon Earth by the Creator. May take either corporeal or ethereal form. Often referred to as Guardian Angels.

Eye of God.
A juxtaposition or joining of all the planes of existence at a single point. It is possible to travel among planes by entering the Eye of God.

Fallen.
A name given to Lucifer and his followers. Angels cast out of Heaven during the First Great War.

Fury.
A powerful demon charged with war and violence. May manifest in either ethereal or corporeal form.

Greater Demons.
Demons of the Third Order. Very powerful and most often manifesting upon the plane of Man in ethereal form.

Herald.
Angels from the lowest tier in Heaven.

Host.
The collective body of angelic entities, comprised of all classes, and responsible for a multitude of tasks including the protection of Mankind and Heaven.

Kiv.
An ancient weapon of tremendous elemental power, favored by angelic warriors.

Legion.
The name given to the collective inhabitants of Sitra Akhra, or any group of demons.

Multiverse.
Infinite planes of existence, also theorized in quantum physics as being comprised of as many as eleven dimensions.

Nephilim.
Judeo-Christian Old Testament name given to angels who took human wives.

Offspring.
The descendants of angels and humans. The only beings in all of Creation within whom flows the blood of both Divinity (angels) and Divine Creation (humans).

Power.
A class of angel found upon the middle tier of Heaven and, occasionally, upon Earth.

Principality.
A class of angel found upon the lowest tier of Heaven and, occasionally, upon Earth.

Reach/Reaching.
An ability to mentally communicate over great distances. Sometimes
reaching
is a subconscious act, occurring during periods of great physical or mental stress.

Runner.
The Runner is the leader of the fallen angels that reside on Earth. Many scholars believe he is of the Seraphim or Cherubim class, although some scholars maintain he is a fallen archangel. Regardless, it is an accepted notion by all parties that the Runner is one of the most powerful entities in all of Creation. Other names for the Runner are Satan, Lucifer, and Shaitan.

Seraphim.
A class of angel found upon the highest tier of Heaven and, very rarely, upon Earth.

Seventh Law.
The Seventh Law was instituted by the Creator. The intent was to prevent other, potentially dangerous entities from crossing over into the Plane of Man by restricting travel through the Eye of God (the Veils). According to this law, the more powerful the entity, the more difficult it is to navigate the Eye of God.

Sitra Akhra.
The dwelling place of Legion. A foul plane of existence so far removed from Heaven, its inhabitants refuse to acknowledge the existence of God.

Soldier (demon).
A lesser demon charged with protecting greater demons, or demon lords. Vicious and cruel in the extreme. Most commonly manifest in physical form upon Earth, but possess the ability to escape human notice.

Throne.
A class of angel found upon the middle tier of Heaven and often, upon Earth. One of the classes commonly referred to as Guardian Angels.

Usurper.
A new challenger has emerged to challenge God for the Throne of Heaven, much as Lucifer did in the early days of Creation. It is believed he commands between a third and half of all heavenly angels. His name and class is currently unknown.

Veils.
The common name for the Eye of God.

Virtue.
A class of angel found upon the lowest tier of Heaven and often upon Earth.

Void.
An empty expanse, without any reference to time or space, and existing outside any known natural law. Some angels believe this place is the final resting place for their deceased kin.

Watchers.
A modern-day militarist religious order with ancient roots, traced directly to the original Order of the Knights Templar. Oddly enough, these righteous warrior-priests took for themselves the name Watchers, as a reference to the Nephilim, a group of angels who had taken human wives in the early days of humanity, and thus fell out of favor with the Creator. The reason is unclear. The church outlawed the Order and demanded they disband in the fifteenth century. Modern descendants still carry on the highly secretive mission of the Order. The Watchers are believed to possess powerful religious artifacts taken from eleventh- and twelfth-century Jerusalem, and the latter-day French government, as well as the Vatican, is rumored to have a serious interest in recovering these artifacts.

Word of Power.
Words spoken in the “tongue of angels” that allow these celestial beings to command vast elemental power.

St. Martin's Paperbacks Titles
by Liam Jackson

Offspring

The Keys of Solomon

More praise for Liam Jackson and

OFFSPRING

“An awesome tale … an adrenaline-pumping story line.”

—
Alternative-Worlds.com

“A meticulously crafted chess game of supernatural suspense, a page-turner of the highest order.”

—Jay Bonansinga, author of
Shattered

“An engrossing plot … nightmarish, gory, and riveting.”