Premortal

by Damien Passmore

  ‘Rebel’ was too strong a word, as far as Lucifer was concerned, but he let it slide. Of course he was rebelling, and he knew it, but he was certain that it had to be termed more mildly than that if he was to secure a majority.

  Already he had learned that souls were much more open to making minor amendments to that which is right, rather than completely rebelling against it. Accordingly, he had already deduced that it was best to make successive minor amendments to that which was right, such that his victims did not realise that he had turned them 180 degrees from right to wrong.

  ‘Well Caleb, I cannot commend you highly enough. There is no doubt that there are extreme risks for Tara under the plan as it currently stands. She is a wonderfully strong and noble female but I have been studying the horrors of earth, so as to understand how I can best help my brothers and sisters be successful in their mortal journey, and I can tell you that there are some trials on earth that not even Mother could endure!’

  Lucifer hoped that this remark would have an impact, and it clearly did. Caleb’s face became clouded and fearful, and for a moment he was unable to reply.

  ‘What type of trials?’ he finally whispered, visibly shaken.

  ‘I’m not sure I could even describe them Caleb, suffice it to say though, that there are trials that I certainly wouldn’t want anyone I care for to have to endure,’ continued Lucifer.

  At that moment it occurred to Lucifer that he might be able to solidify Caleb’s conversion with a simple description of one particular earthly atrocity. It was an atrocity that he very much enjoyed to watch, and would have loved to participate in, but one that he knew would revolt Caleb, and would madden him completely at the thought of Tara having to endure it.

  ‘Perhaps Caleb, there is one danger on earth that I should try to describe to you as best I can.’

  Lucifer paused and placed a pained look upon his face before speaking.

  ‘No, no I’d better not,’ he feigned, placing his bait upon the hook.

  ‘What, Lucifer? You must tell me!’ Caleb said urgently, taking the bait.

  ‘No, it’s just too awful,’ said Lucifer, turning his face away as though he couldn’t cope.

  ‘Please, Lucifer, if I’m to support your plan I must understand just how grave the dangers are for our brothers and sisters.’

  This was persuasion enough, and Lucifer artfully impersonated one who was reluctant to share a heavy burden that he alone had had to carry for some time.

  ‘Caleb, on earth when one person harms another person in some way, it is called a crime. There are many different types of crimes on earth, but there is one that disturbs me more than any other.’

  Lucifer whispered this information then paused to build anticipation in his victim.

  ‘Please go on, Lucifer,’ said Caleb urgently.

  ‘Well, upon earth, when a man and a women love one another they are tender with each other in a certain way.’

  ‘Is there a problem with this, Lucifer?’ enquired Caleb, not seeing the point.

  ‘In that circumstance there is no problem, the problem arises where one party, usually a man, takes this intimacy from a women against her will.’

  As he said this, an image of such a scene flashed into his mind. He had to try hard to hide his enjoyment and was almost successful. Despite displaying some mild enjoyment, which was annoyingly dangerous, he still hit his mark. Caleb looked deeply disturbed, and Lucifer could tell that he was horrified at the thought of Tara having to endure such a thing. If only Caleb understood that there was no one in the Kingdom who would have delighted in performing such an act upon Tara more than the spirit that stood before him, he would have turned his back on him forever. Realising that if he could get Caleb to watch earthly material he could weaken him, Lucifer took the opportunity to press his advantage.

  ‘Caleb, I fear that you cannot fully comprehend evil on earth without watching some of it.’

  Lucifer knew that he couldn’t yet show him the scene of which he had just spoken, as Caleb was built of entirely different fibre to his group of fellow sadists. Nevertheless, he could still ease him into some lower grade evil. Caleb knew that he shouldn’t view that which occurred on an earth, but deep down he had also known that he shouldn’t come to the place where he was now to be found, location being so very important in determining destiny.

  ‘When can I see it?’ asked the victim.

  For a moment Lucifer was tempted to provide him with an immediate viewing, but he stopped himself just in time. How foolish! He thought. Why wouldn’t I ensure that Caleb was seen publicly watching the earthly material? That would be a wonderful selling point for those who are spreading my word.

  ‘We are having a viewing in two days just around the corner from here, at this very time of day in fact.’ No such viewing was arranged but it soon would be.

  ‘Thank you Lucifer, I’ll be there.’

  This was music to the tempter’s ears and after some small additional conversation, and a false farewell, they parted.

  39 torn

  While Caleb was away, Tara was torn inside. She could not fathom what was going on. They had appeared to have the perfect relationship but now it was less so. She was still treated well, and she loved Caleb with all of her heart, but to say that they were as close as they once were would not be accurate. That afternoon she was particularly restless. She sensed that Caleb was in some sort of danger and it was a feeling that was not familiar to her. Danger was not something that had been present within the Kingdom until very recently. It is amazing how two intertwined souls can sense things about one another.

  She tried to read, but could not concentrate. She attempted to memorise some of her studies but was unsuccessful. She sang but in that part of the Kingdom there was usually no need for the blues, so the song that she was singing didn’t fit her mood. She thought of sharing her pain with one of her friends, but she didn’t know precisely what the problem was. She was also concerned that she might betray Caleb in some way by revealing too much about their relationship. Finally, she resolved to suffer in silence and she prayed for comfort. Comfort came, but not before many tears were shed.

  So long were her pleadings and her tears that Caleb returned immediately after she had finished. They didn’t say a word to one another; they simply embraced, in a way that only spirits are able. Despite the troubles, their love was still strong.

  40 joy at last

  Ever since she had made the final decision about Ham, Ariel had been much happier and as she moved towards the amphitheatre to watch a musical performance, her heart was light. As soon as she had made that decision, the darkness that had begun to cloud over her had dispersed. Her discussions with her mother had also filled her with renewed patience.

  When reflecting upon her mother’s council, she had resolved that she must make the most of this time, so as to maximise her preparation for mortality. She now understood that there was absolutely no point wasting time waiting for love. Doing so just depressed her, partly because she wanted it so much, but mostly because she wasn’t making the most of her current opportunities. She was now going to work harder and prepare, and regardless of whether she found love prior to mortality, during mortality, or even afterward, she was not going to remain in a holding pattern until that happened. She had so much to be thankful for and so much to give. Now, with this revised state of mind, she was actually ready for love.

  As Ariel walked into the venue her step was lighter than it had been for some time. Her countenance smiled and her expression reinforced this. As she rounded a corner, she almost walked straight through a male spirit known as Nathan. As she apologised their eyes first met, and then locked, as each of them drank deeply of a vision that revealed the potential for a wonderful future together. Ariel was certainly not going to let this one get away, and having gathered herself, she took the initiative with an introduction. Nathan was less forthright as he was still recovering from what he had just seen. Male spirits tended to share the
se experiences with each other less frequently. Therefore, most were entirely shocked when it happened to them.

  Nathan was a wonderful fellow. He was kind, loving and without guile. He was devoted to his parents and had prepared well for the mortal journey. He was strong in all virtues and quick to learn. His greatest love was mathematics, at which he was truly brilliant. Ariel was ecstatic and all were happy for her, save one.

  41 lacking grace

  Three months later, in one of the dimmer areas of the Kingdom, Jezebel called her meeting to order. Over that three month period Lucifer, Ham and Troy had had great success, enlisting better than four million male spirits. Jezebel faced a far more difficult assignment than her peers in enlisting new recruits, as female spirits were generally less power-hungry and more difficult to deceive. Being naturally charitable, virtuous, tender-hearted and kind appeared to operate as a natural protection against evil. Despite these challenges, Jezebel had been anything but idle, initially focussing her efforts on finding those who possessed very few of these qualities. They were few in number.

  Realising that they would need much more female support than just a few thousand, she next began to focus on the partners of male spirits who had already been converted. Each female with a converted partner had a choice to make. She could either leave, returning to the purer parts of the Kingdom as Cindy had done, or she could remain, diminishing in virtue until ultimately Lucifer’s message became appealing. Not because the message made any more sense, but purely because her defence against evil had been broken down. Some were wise enough to leave, but unfortunately not as many as should have.

  This meeting of Jezebel’s was attended by two thousand female spirits, but describing them as feminine would be to use that term very loosely, as the very qualities that defined their femininity and beauty were either missing entirely, or at best, rapidly diminishing. This was not a gathering of female newcomers, that meeting would occur a few days hence, rather it was a gathering of the wholly converted.

  ‘Ladies, come to order!’ barked Jezebel.

  Silence came slowly, as obedience was a virtue to be found at the other end of the Kingdom, not here. Jezebel took this as a personal insult and let out a series of vile cursing that had the desired effect. All of those who had gathered were diligent students of earth and had expanded their vocabulary accordingly, so they were not shocked by the barrage of foul language.

  Having ‘graciously’ attracted the attention of the attendees Jezebel spoke.

  ‘Ladies, if we wish to expand our influence we need to focus our attention on how best to make new converts. As you well know, we will need a majority vote to be certain of securing our amendments to the plan. If we cannot enlist more females to our cause then there is no way that we will get the numbers.’

  ‘How are we meant to convince all of those virginal ass lickers to vote against Mother and Father’s plan?’ demanded one charming attendee, demonstrating in one sentence just how degraded Lucifer’s followers had become in a matter of only a few months.

  ‘That is precisely what we are here to consider, Joslyn,’ responded the chairperson.

  Joslyn loved earth. She delighted in the language, contention, violence, and any sexual act that was degrading in nature. She was indeed a find.

  ‘Do you have any ideas, Jez?’ asked Joslyn.

  ‘Yes, I've given it plenty of thought and in my opinion we should adopt a focused approach. As you know we are not many in number, at this stage, being just two thousand. That number is just a fraction of the ten billion female spirits in the Kingdom.

  ‘By my estimates we probably have around two million more females who are aware of our cause and may well convert with a little more work. Nevertheless, even with those converts, we are still a fraction of the total populace. As such, I suggest that we begin attending classes and activities together en mass. As classes generally don't have more than ten thousand students, if a few thousand of us attend the same class we can create the illusion that our plan is gaining significant traction among females, as well as among the male population.

  ‘The greater the success that we have in attracting new recruits, the more of us there will be to attend the various classes being held all over the Kingdom to secure even more converts.’

  ‘What type of classes do we have to attend?’ asked one of the more slothful spirits in a concerned tone.

  ‘We will start with the simplest and least virtuous classes and gradually work our way up to the more difficult subjects,’ replied Jezebel, who had developed her plan in detail prior to the meeting.

  ‘Ladies, many of those with whom we are likely to have the greatest success will also have partners who are considering accepting our plan. Therefore it is absolutely crucial that you speak of the additional virtues that your partners have developed, as a result of their accepting Lucifer’s plan,’ continued Jezebel.

  ‘What, we have to lie?’ yelled a crass spirit from the back of the hall.

  This brought a roar of laughter from all present, Jezebel included.

  ‘Don’t think of it as a lie my dear sister, just think of it as massaging the truth. Despite the short term pain that we must endure, we all know that the long term gain of receiving, with our partners, positions of great authority will be worth any sacrifice made, or lie told, to get there,’ Jezebel reassured her followers.

  ‘Yes, but we can’t all be in authority,’ yelled another particularly power-thirsty wench.

  Jezebel understood that her role was to manage the insatiable thirst for power that would exist among some of her female converts, and particularly within this group.

  ‘My dear sister, there are twenty billion spirits in the Kingdom and we are a mere two thousand. Do you not think that you will be richly rewarded for the wisdom that you have shown by being one of the very first to understand the majesty of Lucifer’s plan?’ she asked.

  This was enough to silence the objector, for now.

  Having espoused her vision to the faithful, and in the absence of any material objections, Jezebel thought it wise to quit while she was ahead as leading an unruly mob is not an easy task. The meeting was adjourned for a day, at which time it was agreed that they would consider which classes to attend.

  42 the finer details

  The following day, Jezebel called the subsequent meeting to order. Again her manner of gaining attention and requiring focus was loud and obscene in nature. Having captured the mind of her audience she began.

  ‘Ladies,’ again the term was used extremely loosely as this was a meeting of the two thousand most faithful and least feminine. ‘We have gathered, as you know, to make a roster to put into effect the strategy upon which we agreed yesterday. I suggest that we initially take suggestions on those classes that should be attended first. We can then vote on the precise order to be adopted.’

  To this there was a general murmur of approval.

  Suitably encouraged, Jezebel continued: ‘I would remind you, before suggestions are made, that initially we should focus on those classes with a lower element of virtue. If we were to focus on classes of virtue first, we may immediately be confronted with a whole host of opponents, and our chances of success will be much smaller.’

  ‘Jezebel, we are still bound to come upon a few of those dogs, even in the non-virtue specific classes. Those crawlers spend their entire time developing multiple talents just to get into Mother and Father’s good books,’ hissed Joslyn spitefully.

  ‘You are correct, Joslyn, and I have a strategy in that regard. We have discussed previously that there is a painful group of spirits who are seeking to oppose our work. The last thing we want is for word of our strategy to get back to them. For that reason I put it to you that we need to be a little subtle. My suggestion is that we attend each new class a couple of times without trying to make any converts. This will give us time to observe each attendee and make a judgment as to whether it is likely that they can be swayed or not.

  ‘In the instance w
here we find that the class is attended by one who is likely to strongly oppose us, we can reconsider whether we should target that class at all.

  ‘One further point ladies, before I take your suggestions,’ continued Jezebel. ‘I’m sure that I don’t need to remind you that our principal assignment is to secure female converts as Lucifer, Ham and Troy are having great success amongst the male population. Accordingly, those classes that are likely to have a healthy proportion of females are preferable for our purposes.’

  Again there were murmurs of general approval and agreement, so Jezebel requested that the various classes be nominated. At the end of this process the formulated list consisted of drama, dance, art, music and singing. They were adopted in that same order and accordingly, drama was to be the first discipline that would be targeted.

  Throughout the Kingdom there were numerous classes in each discipline, so it was decided that they would attend the drama classes closest to their region first. There was wisdom in this approach, as the drama classes undertaken in the dimmer parts of the Kingdom would be attended by the weaker, more slothful spirits. Therefore, they would gain access to those who could be most easily influenced. It was also much less likely that they would come upon any valiant spirits until they had worked their way towards the lighter areas.

  Each subject selected was ideal in that, while it had the potential to attract the virtuous, it also could attract those who were less so.

  In each of the selected classes there would be some male spirits, however it was quite likely that the larger proportion would be females.