Читать книгу Selfish Beings - J Morris L - Страница 10

The visit had left Kaarl with a lot of work to do and the faint tang of irony in his mouth. After the initial enthusiasm of discussing his favourite topic had faded he realised how ridiculous the situation was. The very interests that had relegated him to a status just below something his father had scraped off his hand-made shoes were suddenly in hot demand. It had been the opportunity to fulfil a lifelong dream that had swayed him to take up the challenge instead of telling his father to shove it.

That fact in itself was troubling; it was exactly the sort of ploy his father, a master manipulator, would use to secure his help. It was possible that Mastema would take the position on Earth, along with all the credit, and laugh in his face. A slim chance was still better than none, though, and Kaarl knew how to increase his odds.

It was obvious the Lords knew squat about the modern world: the colossal jerk that was his father had already said as much. It was a shortcoming Kaarl could use. As long as the Lords grasped its potential and little else beyond the basics, the trip was as good as his. Kaarl cracked his knuckles and went to work.

As Mastema had predicted, Kaarl’s proposal was inspired and the parts he understood needed very little editing. During the week he had stopped in a few times to check on progress; not to micro-manage but to ensure he wouldn’t be left empty-handed come presentation time. On the whole, the thing had looked rather impressive. Whilst his faith in his apparently not entirely useless son’s ability was firm, one did not rise to the exalted ranks of the Board based on assumptions that everything was in order.

The fact that he and his fellow Lords had done exactly that after achieving their positions was the reason he was in such a dire situation to begin with. Mastema was many things, but stupid was not one of them. He would not make the same mistake twice if it could be avoided. He spent the morning before the meeting revising Kaarl’s work and for the most part was delighted with the final result.

The only part of the plan Mastema did not like was that it required Verin and Vetis, the twin sisters of Impatience and Corruption, to accompany Kaarl. It made sense in some ways; they had been to Earth before and could help Kaarl adapt to the Mortal realm. Their skills in manipulating Mortals would also prove invaluable. The main problem Mastema saw was the cost; Kaarl’s plan asked for three times the outlay that Abaddon had promised.

For Perdition to send a single Demon to Earth, a sacrifice of one hundred thousand souls was required. Whilst in the grand scheme of souls already claimed by Hell it was a relatively small number, anything that increased the deficit in favour of the Hated One was considered very costly indeed. Asking for three hundred thousand to be struck from the tally was audacious, to say the least. Kaarl convinced his father that for the plan to work it was necessary and Mastema could only hope it seemed a worthwhile investment to Lucifer.

He ordered Kaarl to join him at the meeting; he would be lost if any technical queries came up. If the need for the sisters to be sent was questioned, the boy could handle that as well. Mastema didn’t want to be begging for extra resources at a meeting where his life hinged on the outcome.

As Mastema entered the meeting room, Kaarl in tow, his eyes were drawn to the throne at the head of the table. It sat empty, but even so the sheer power of Lucifer, Light Bearer and Son of the Morning, surrounded it. Carved from the purest white marble and inlaid with golden depictions of his heroic deeds, it was a stark reminder of the importance of the meeting. Samael, poster child of the fuzzy underpants movement, saw Kaarl and laughed.

‘I didn’t know it was “bring your daughter to work day”, Mastema,’ he said.

The more sycophantic of the Lords joined in with him and Mastema strode up to the behemoth, oblivious to their mirth.

‘Ah, Samael, if only your intellect were as sharp as your wit. I see your proposal is a mere two pages.’

Samael glanced down at Mastema’s much thicker and rather more academic-looking document.

‘It also seems that the first one is a covering sheet. I’m going to hazard a guess that the second has “Kill everything” misspelled horribly in large letters and a crude crayon drawing of you decapitating mortals. Laugh all you want for now, oaf; we will see who is smiling after this meeting.’

Before the Lord of Death and Destruction could say anything in return, Mastema walked to a seat on the opposite side of the table, again thankful for the sanctuary the Boardroom provided from Samael’s wrath. Kaarl stood a respectful distance behind his father.

Within minutes the Lords were all seated and Abaddon had joined them, sitting to the left of Lucifer’s throne. A lanky, light red minion collected the proposals and stood beside Abaddon, waiting. The air grew thick and heavy as darkness began to seep from the throne. It started to form a vaguely humanoid shape before it wavered and exploded outwards. For a split second the room turned black and the laughter of a million children filled the air. Kaarl went rigid as the noise died. Lucifer, in all his unholy glory, had taken his place on his throne. The sound of Lucifer’s coming had always unnerved Mastema. He often wondered why it couldn’t be tortured screams instead of what sounded like an endless crowd of happy fat children in a vast cavern.

Lucifer, as always, appeared as an immense and heavily muscled man with skin of white gold. His pure violet eyes, Romanesque features and perfect white smile did nothing to detract from the aura of fear and power that surrounded him. His black wings flared outwards as he sat down upon his throne and surveyed the assembled Lords. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, he held out his massive hand. Abaddon took the pile of documents from the attendant and handed them to the Light Bearer. For the next hour the entire room remained silent. The assembled Lords’ breathing slowed to the minimum required for survival. No one wanted to draw undue attention from Lucifer at such a meeting.

As soon as Lucifer had read the last report’s final page he turned to Abaddon and imparted his will. He did not speak, as to hear the voice of Lucifer was an honour and the Board’s abysmal performance deserved no such privilege. He instead pierced Abaddon’s mind, planted his orders in it and disappeared. Mastema cringed again at the sound. The Board waited anxiously as Abaddon processed Lucifer’s message. There was a very real chance that it would be their, and indeed their bloodline’s, last moments of existence. The Chairman’s lack of emotional range and facial expression did nothing to alleviate this fear.

‘We do not die today,’ he said finally and the Board heaved a collective sigh of relief. ‘It was a close thing indeed, but Mastema has saved us all from Lucifer’s merciless yet totally justifiable vengeance.’

A round of applause came from the Board and beneath his icy demeanour Mastema rejoiced. He was in Lucifer’s favour. He could walk up to Samael and punch him in the face, slap Abaddon’s mother and kick Buer’s dog and still be untouchable. Mastema would do no such thing, of course, but to have the option without fear of reprisal was just as good in his eyes.

‘The Light Bearer and Son of the Morning would like you and your son to attend him immediately, Mastema,’ Abaddon said before he turned to address the other Lords. ‘As for the rest of Lucifer’s orders; firstly, could someone please find Samael a dictionary? Kill has two Ls and his illiteracy reflects badly on all of us. On a more positive note; your work with crayons is coming along nicely.’

Mastema pointed at the Lord of Death and Destruction and laughed before leading his son from the room.

Kaarl was still in shock as he and his father ascended to Lucifer’s private chambers. ‘The Light Bearer wants to see me as well?’ he asked Mastema as they flew up from the tower.

‘Do you think I would’ve used your plan and then taken the glory of entering the Mortal realm all for myself, despite my promise?’ Mastema replied.

‘Well, yes, actually.’

‘Then you do not know much about me at all.’

For instance, thought Mastema, you don’t know I view that place as torture and would happily send you, your mother and all your siblings there before I ever set foot in that cesspit of a realm again.

The rest of the journey was conducted in silence; the boy had served his purpose and, despite doing so admirably, Mastema had little desire to foster a relationship with him. Kaarl, for his part, was enjoying the view as they rose higher, too much so to bother speaking. He had spent so much time in self-imposed seclusion that the majesty and vastness of Perdition was often lost on him. Father and son finally floated to a halt in front of immense golden doors which swung open to allow entrance to a place very few Demons would ever have the privilege of visiting.

Kaarl could barely comprehend what he was seeing. The majority of Lucifer’s chamber was a lush tropical rainforest; golden sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters were just visible in the distance. Unseen from their viewpoint, beyond the ocean, walls of what was best described as crystal kept the noise of Perdition at bay and provided the chamber with a panoramic view of the Light Bearer’s domain. As soon as Mastema and Kaarl had crossed the threshold the doors closed and Lucifer himself appeared before them, without the accompanying theatrics, Mastema noticed gratefully. Kaarl was surprised when Lucifer first spoke. The Light Bearer’s voice was soft, almost a honeyed whisper, which was unnerving coming from a being of such tremendous size and obvious power.

‘Mastema, Tempter of Men and Cursed Accuser, I thank you for bringing your son to me; you may go now.’

Mastema obeyed immediately but the confused look on his face as he turned to leave was not lost on Lucifer.

‘I know your reasons for the plan I received and Kaarl’s involvement in it, but fear not,’ he told Mastema. ‘You can still brandish your achievement over your fellow Board members as it was you who brought it before me and your offspring that devised it. You must agree, though, it is pointless for you to remain here. You did nothing more than proof-read it.’

‘Of course, Master. I am honoured to help our cause in any way I can,’ replied Mastema.

‘The fact that this was all the fruit of your laziness and unwillingness to go to Earth yourself is irrelevant. As always, I care only about the ends; the means matter not. Your self-serving nature has once again proven useful. Leave us and enjoy the accolades and envy of your peers.’

‘I most certainly will, Master,’ Mastema said as he left the chamber, ‘especially the envy.’

As the great golden doors closed behind him, Kaarl was again in awe of his situation. Only five hundred years old, barely into what would be considered his early twenties in human terms, and he was in the presence of Lucifer himself. As the Light Bearer appraised him with piercing purple eyes, Kaarl stared at Lucifer’s feet. After a short and uncomfortable silence the Master of Perdition spoke.

‘It was refreshing to get a younger Demon’s assessment of the situation and how to change it,’ he said. ‘The Board is so entrenched in the old world and its ways I was certain I would be destroying them today. They have become exactly what the Mortals view all of us as. Pointless evil, malice and wanton destruction may have their uses but, as always, those times and places are few and far between. The world is changing and Perdition needs to change with it. You represent that change, child.’

Bolstered by Lucifer’s compliments, Kaarl found the nerve to look the Light Bearer in the eye.

‘I did not understand many of the terms and ideas in your plan,’ Lucifer continued. ‘Much like your father and the rest of the Board, I regrettably am too far detached from the modern Mortal to comprehend most of it. What I do understand is your method and I must say I am impressed.’

‘Thank you, Master,’ Kaarl said, remembering the title his father had used in Lucifer’s presence.

‘Temptation and doubts to erode the defences of the less corruptible. Dreams and desires for the masses, if only they are willing to step a little out of light to reach for it. A slow pervasion instead of brute force and blatant attempts at encouraging vice and sin. You have even included the children,’ Lucifer said with a smile. ‘Fun for the whole family. It reminds me a lot of my earlier work. None of the abrupt descents into damnation favoured by those fools on the Board, rather a smooth slide down; like taking a warm bath and then drowning in it.’

Lucifer closed the report and sat cross-legged on the soft grass beneath them. He motioned for Kaarl to join him.

‘Do you know why we play this game?’ he asked.

‘I had come to believe it was to prove a point, Master.’

‘Yes and no,’ Lucifer replied. ‘It did begin that way. Before we left Heaven, I and some of the other Fallen were furious. We were going to be, in effect, second to the Hated One’s newest creations. We were made perfect and then it was decided that a flawed creation that had to strive for perfection would in essence be superior. God already had ideal children but decided to make inferior ones, to see if they could rise to the same heights. The best areas of Paradise were reserved for them and we were relegated to being messengers and lackeys.’

Lucifer seemed almost sad at the recollection. Such feelings were obviously beneath the Light Bearer so Kaarl dismissed the idea. The resemblance to sadness was remarkable, though.

‘At first I admit it was jealousy that started the Rift and the wager but it was not until I realised the truth that it widened. Angels and Mortals were just playthings to God. The Hated One set humans up to fall, and laughed and clapped when they didn’t like an omnipotent child with a block set. God sent the Angels to tidy up messes and provide hints and clues, all the while marvelling at the little toys in action.’

No one really talked about the reason behind Perdition’s existence. Kaarl had read things from the Mortals’ perspective but knew their views would have been coloured heavily by their religious texts and teachings. To hear its history from Lucifer himself was a privilege.

‘My like-minded brothers, sisters and I were cast out because we saw the truth. Our Creator, the Alpha and the Omega, did not have some divine plan. God was messing around with cosmic clay and seeing what happened. We and the Mortals were nothing but an experiment, a fad, a mild curiosity. We told the Hated One as much before we were banished from Heaven. We refer to ourselves as the Fallen but make no mistake, Kaarl; we were pushed down by the uncaring hand of an abusive parent.’

Lucifer sighed and put his hand gently on Kaarl’s shoulder.

‘That is how the wager started but Perdition is not just about proving God wrong. It is a place for all of the Hated One’s flawed creations to call home for eternity. If we had not left, only Limbo would have awaited those who did not meet God’s expectations. The idea of making something imperfect then punishing it for being so is ridiculous. We use words like “Damned” and “Sin” because they already existed. To us they mean different things than to the Mortals but once something has a name it is pointless to assign another. I know you are not very well travelled in this realm and you have your own misgivings about it, but I believe you have seen enough and spoken to a sufficient number of Mortal souls to answer me this: are they unhappy here?’

‘I would have to say no,’ replied Kaarl without hesitation. ‘Some of them miss certain family members or friends but generally the alcohol, sex, violence and depravity keep them busy and content.’

Lucifer grinned. ‘God gave them the capacity for these things; why should they be punished for embracing their nature? Why give something complete freedom then reprimand it for stealing, or lying, or killing? God gave them nothing but an illusion, a lie, yet I am considered the sadistic one. The Mortals live in the shadow of God’s wrath and have done so since their creation. They fear to embrace their true selves because they believe the penalties to be severe. Sin is as much a part of them as love, compassion or hope. With us they have a home, Kaarl, a place they can relish in all aspects of their nature without fear of reprisal or judgement. It is your job to guide them to us, the willing and the ignorant. You will be doing them a great service, freeing them from the bonds of worry and leading them to a place more suited to their true selves.’

Lucifer rose, and embraced Kaarl.

‘I see great potential in you, child. Cold and calculating is a refreshing change from the usual malevolent fanaticism in our ranks. I understood enough of your plan to realise you need to sort a minor detail here before you depart. By now Abaddon will have proclaimed to all that where you walk I walk with you, and when you speak others must listen as if the words have come from my lips. Perdition’s resources are at your disposal. Go now, Kaarl, and bring true freedom to the timid and oppressed. Bring them home. It gladdens me to know you too finally have a place amongst us, child.’

Lucifer clasped his mighty hand around Kaarl’s forearm and walked back into the surrounding flora. The doors opened again and Kaarl left the chamber, still barely believing anything that had happened since he had left the Boardroom.