by Daniel Caet
“Why are you laughing?” asked the old man without understanding my reaction.
“I laugh because we are doomed,” I said, barely able to control my laughter. “My sword was stolen from me centuries ago, it is lost forever, old man!”
“No, it isn't,” he said with all the calm in the world making my laugh cut dry. “Your sword is in Rome, in the hands of a young boy, nephew and adopted son of Emperor Tiberius. Gaius Julius Caesar Germanicus.”
“What? The sword in the hands of a human? But how is it possible? Who has…?”
I could not finish the sentence. The sound of war trumpets that I knew very well filled the room and the walls of the cave began to shake.
“They are already here! I thought we would have more time! You must leave, Helel, right now!” he yelled at me as he rose from his seat.
“Why? What happens?” I asked although I knew what the answer was.
“I knew that sooner or later they would realise that a being who can see everything is a risk to them and they would come to kill me,” he said with resignation. “No doubt they have sent their murderers to enforce the order. You must leave, Helel! No matter how, you must recover that sword and save our father, for the sake of all creation. I beg you, go away!”
“Come with me!” I said. “I can protect you, hide you. They will never find you.”
“It can't be, Helel,” he said, smiling tenderly. “If they don't find me here, they will start a search all over the world, and it will be the men who will suffer while they sweep everything in their path to find me. It must be like this, boy. Do not suffer for me, I have lived much more than I had to,” And his smile made me understand that I wouldn't convince him otherwise. “Leave now!”
And while I was transporting myself out of the cave with what could be left of my heart full of gratitude for that man, the trumpets echoed again in a deafening roar.
Lust
That was the last time I saw Enoch. As soon as I left the cave I transported myself back to the underworld wondering if I could have done anything else for the old man and feeling the weight of the injustice of his death. That man had shown much more courage than any other human I had ever met, and he had decided to sacrifice himself in exchange for giving me the necessary information to save our father. The idea that God almighty could be a prisoner in the hands of the children created out of his immense love was something that my mind still refused to accept, but all Enoch's arguments matched my own story, what I myself had lived. A part of me, what remained of my heart, knew that all that was true. If there was someone in the angelic court with an inordinate love for power –other than myself, of course–, they were the archangels and specifically, Miguel, the head of the snake, an angel whom I knew well because he had been my instructor in the heavenly hosts. Rafael himself had admitted before I finished him that what had unleashed my disgrace had been the opposition to his mandate. And, suddenly, I found that I, the outcast, the son who thought he was abandoned and forgotten, was actually my father’s only hope and the world’s at that. But for that, I needed to go back to heaven, and once again, in a treacherous twist of fate, the only thing that could bring me back there had long since been taken away. I knew that there was only one way out for me, whether I wanted to or not, I should do what was in my hand to recover my sword and with it, end the lives of those who had dared to challenge the divine order, even if those creatures had once been my brothers and teachers.
That same night and without any prepared plan I appeared on the outskirts of the city of Rome, ready to go into what was known in the underworld as the new Babylon. The city was a huge place with a population density much higher than recommended, and consequently it was a real nest of depravity and perversion where all the worst of the human world had a place, hidden among the folds of the supposedly perfect order of the Roman society. Hence, it was not surprising that the population of demons settled in it was equally enormous, something that undoubtedly played on my side.
My intention was to enter the city as a traveller, without attracting the attention of my own subjects or my potential enemies. I approached the city through one of the west side entrances that was obviously closed at that time, but that was no problem. The soldiers at the door continued to sleep soundly without knowing that someone had broken through the door that they should faithfully keep. I began my ascent through the area that the Romans called Argiletum in the direction of the Suburra, the nest of Roman perdition. The booksellers and goldsmith shops that filled the Argiletum were closed and there was no soul in the street. Anyone who has lived in a large city like Rome knew that it is not smart to venture into its streets at night, much less alone. I knew it too. Unfortunately for the men who tried to rob me and kill me by believing me alone and vulnerable, they ignored it, and after our meeting, there was nothing left of them but heaps of ashes on the stone pavers. That, however, broke up with my plans to go unnoticed. If there is anything that can attract demons, it is the smell of death, and I had only been there a few moments when I could feel his presence.
“Manifest yourself, Baal, I can smell your pestilence from miles away!”
“My lord Helel, what a great honour to find you in my kingdom!” replied the demon, highlighting the possession he considered to have over the city.
“Your kingdom?” I replied. “I think we should see what the other half dozen lords of the underworld who claim this city as their own say about that, don’t you think?”
“Unfaithful usurpers, my lord, not like me!” The creature answered smoothly.
“Leave flattery for another time and come to the light!” I ordered. The creature moved slowly into the moonlight and before me appeared a small man, hunched over and dressed in rags. “Your appearance is very different from what you are used to, Baal, you even look handsome.”
“You know, my lord, I find myself in need of going unnoticed, otherwise ...”
“Otherwise you could not continue to fool the band of unfortunates who undoubtedly make up most of your diet,” I said, finishing the sentence for him.
“That too,” he replied, laughing and showing his rotten teeth, “but while we both know what brings me to this city, your presence is a surprise. May I ask what we owe your visit to?”
“Since when do I need a reason to visit what rightfully belongs to me?” I said menacingly.
“Of course, my lord!” Replied the creature clearly annoyed by my response. “All that is mine is yours. I was just wondering how I can help you in whatever your goal is in this humble abode of mine.”
“For the moment I need a place to rest, it must be a discreet place where no one is going to ask impertinent questions. I would rather not continue calling the attention of demons by decimating the population of the city.”
“Sure sire, I have the ideal place, the golden whore, the most famous brothel in the Suburra. One of my most profitable and almost clean businesses. No one will bother you there.”
“Sounds lovely,” I said sardonically. “Don't waste my time and tell me where it is!”
“If you want to follow me, my lord ...” And he immediately disappeared into a kind of vibration in the air. I followed him in a movement whose consequences I could not foresee in any way.
Baal took me to the infamous brothel that turned out to be the den I expected. Located in a secondary alley, it was a five-story adobe construction that threatened to collapse at any moment and that matched those around it. The entrance on the ground floor opened immediately to a space that looked like a tavern, with several tables and stools of red wood distributed throughout the premises. The smell of sour wine hit my nose as soon as we entered. Some half-empty clay jugs, arranged on some of the tables suggested that there had been people in that space at some time during the day, even if it was now completely empty. The noises that came from the upper floors helped me to understand that customers and their companies were already dedicated to their playful or, rather, lustful, tasks.
Baal told me that
I could use the room on the lower floor that was normally used by the matron of the brothel, but that night she had gone out to attend a little job in a private house and she wouldn't need it. The room was the safest in the building in case of fire, something that for me had no relevance, but I understood that it should be the reason why it was considered the best in the house.
I ordered Baal to leave me alone and to come to me the next morning for instructions. When he left, I looked around, assessing the depressive nature of my new abode. The room had a half-rotten wood squalid door, but from what I had seen in other rooms on the way to mine, that was a real luxury since the rest were just tiny cubicles hidden behind a curtain. I removed the blankets on the bed without wanting to think what I could find in them and lay on the cot. My body was tired, but I knew it was not due to any physical effort, but to the time I had spent outside hell. As if it were a drug, finding myself away from the energy of the underworld made my body pay the price and exhausted me sooner than normal. A side effect derived from the past centuries exposed to that energy, but one that I could cope with. It was difficult for me to fall asleep, and when I achieved it, nightmares filled my head. Nightmares in which I could hear Enoch's voice screaming in pain and asking for help. A voice that sounded too much like my father’s.
The next morning and with the condemnation of a terrible migraine, I went down to the tavern to meet Baal who was waiting for me in the same disgusting old disguise as last night, sitting at one of the tables, eating something greasy and that looked as it had been dead for too long.
“Good morning, my lord! Would you like some?” he said offering me the plate.
“Your diet is not to my liking, Baal,” I said with disgust.
“Don't worry, my lord, it's not human, just goat,” he said, smiling and showing me a jagged mouth.
“I do not have time for this. Have you found what I asked for?”
“Yes and no, my lord,” said the demon, withdrawing slightly as if waiting for me to hit him. “You see, it hasn't been simple and it's not exactly what you wanted, but I think I've found a way to help you. Placia!” he shouted at a fat woman who was on the other side of the room with her back to us. “Come here, you fucking bitch!”
The woman, far from being offended, turned smiling and came to us. Her tits stood out in such a way that she could as well have been naked. It was evident that the woman was proud of her attributes, and she took the opportunity to touch her breasts every two steps like confirming that they were still in place. The woman came to us and sat on one of the wooden stools that literally disappeared between her thighs.
“Well, well, Baal, you didn't tell me you had such handsome friends,” she said, stroking my hand with his big toes. “Do you want Mommy Placia to teach you the best of Rome?”
“Let me be the one to teach you something!” I said whispering as I grabbed the hand with which she had been stroking me. Immediately some black marks began to rise up her arm spreading throughout her body accompanied by intense pain, the pain of death. Her throat closed to her screams, it did not let her express what she was suffering, and her eyes were filled with terror, the terror that can only be imposed on a human being by the certainty of death. Suddenly, I raised my hand and the pain stopped. The woman withdrew hers as if she had placed it on some embers, but her eyes full of tears kept looking at me with the same fear.
“Who do you think you talk to, stupid?” Baal yelled. “If it weren't because I need you to manage this dump, I would rip your heart out right now!”
“Enough!” I ordered. “Placia already knows who she is dealing with. Now let's get to the point.”
“Sure, my lord! As you wish! As I told you, what you asked of me is not easy. The boy you are looking for is not a nobody. He is the grandson of the emperor and belongs to a family of the highest rank. If you allow me the question, why this interest?”
“The boy has something that belongs to me.”
“Perfect. I will pay him a visit, I will get rid of him and recover what is yours.”
“You will not. The boy must not suffer harm, do you understand me? It is essential that he returns what is mine out of free will.”
“But why?”
“Because that's how I order it!” I screamed, and my voice echoed throughout the room causing our fat friend to jump on her stool.
“Of course, my lord!” The demon answered, bowing his head, although it was clear that he had not liked my answer at all. “Placia, tell our lord what you told me before!”
The woman looked at me with real fear, but she began to speak in a trembling voice.
“I already told Baal that approaching the boy less than a milia away is practically impossible. His crazy mother has the whole family surrounded by guards. Bad tongues say that, since the death of the father, the woman is obsessed with protecting her offspring. Not even lice approach them if it is not with the approval of that witch and ...”
“I get the idea,” I interrupted, “but there must be some way to get to him.”
“Well, there might be one, sir,” said Baal.
“The mother, Agrippina, is constantly fighting with the emperor, they hate each other to death. They say that the father’s death, Germanicus, is not clear. Be that as it may, the case is that any attempt on the part of the old man to approach the boy is avoided by the mother who is afraid of having her children removed from her like her husband. To make everything more complicated, it turns out that Agrippina tried to marry again and was forced to ask permission from the emperor as head of her family, and he responded that it would not happen while he was still alive and accused her of libertine and I do not know how many other things. The fact is that the woman is mad as a bitch and has declared a public war on Tiberius, and now she is dedicated to set up parties, day in and day out, as if to show the old man that she does not give a damn what he thinks of her.”
“What this parrot is trying to say, my lord,” Baal interrupted, “is that if you could attend one of those parties, you might have a choice of approaching the boy.”
“I see. And what do I need to get me to go to that party without having to force my entry and leave the road full of corpses?”
“What you need, my lord, are these two,” the woman said, grabbing her breasts and recovering her joviality after the shock I had given her. “As it happens, one of my regular clients, who doesn't know how to live without my beloved udders, is one of the freedmen who works at Agrippina's house. His name is Prusas, and he was born in the house of that witch's husband’s father. He was the son of slaves. Germanicus released him after being at his service for forty years, but he continued to work for his house as a freedman. The fact is that Prusas' tongue is released when he gets pleasure, so he has told me many things about Agrippina and what happens at her home. Apparently, among all the children, one called Nero is his mother's favourite and the two share a taste for the exotic, so Agrippina tries to invite to her parties the most striking and extravagant of Roman society to entertain the boy.”
“That is,” Baal interrupted again, “if we get you to become someone new and exotic enough, it is very likely that you can approach Agrippina and reach the son you are interested in through the mother.”
The idea was not entirely crazy. It would be extremely easy for me to take control of that woman's mind to invite me to one of her parties, but without the exotic component that the family seemed to like so much, my approach would attract too much attention and could raise the boy’s suspicions making it impossible for me to gain his trust. It was necessary to create a character and everything that would surround it so that Agrippina could introduce me to her family without anyone thinking there was anything strange about it. Once I managed to win over the boy, I could convince him to give me the sword voluntarily. Prusas had confessed in his moments of solace that there was no day that his domina did not go for a walk in the Forum Holitorium, next to the Capitoline Hill, where she bought herbs to prepare infusions to help her with her chron
ic headaches. So, I prepared my pantomime, and the next day I went to the same forum willing to force an encounter with Agrippina.
Placia brought me a tight tunic in a striking green colour with the edges in gold and kohl to paint my eyes. My fingers were filled with gold rings and precious stones, my feet were covered with sandals made of lamb skin so thin that it seemed as it was going to break to the touch, and my chest was covered with a magnificent pectoral of gold and lapis lazuli that reminded me slightly of those I had seen Rameses wearing in Egypt at the time. A small whip made of gazelle hair and two demons sent by Kashna conveniently disguised as lush half-naked women who followed me with two large fans of peacock feathers wherever I went, completed my disguise. I was no longer Helel but Kashir, the merchant of exotic animals from Egypt, and disguised like that I went to the market to meet Agrippina.
I had hoped that in a large city like Rome its citizens would be accustomed to seeing all kinds of extravagances and that my presence, although designed to attract attention, would not create the stir that was generated as soon as I set foot in the street. Probably the fact that this figure adorned to the ridiculous and with an obvious air of ostentation came out of the Suburra was what was most striking, but that was a detail that I had not considered in my preparation and that I could no longer remedy. When our parade through the streets of the city finally took us to the Forum Holitorium market, we already had a court of about twenty people who were following us only moved by curiosity, but even that, was a magnificent addition to my disguise. As soon as we entered the marketplace, people began to move away to let us through. I started touring the stalls pretending to be interested in a specific and hard to find herb, but in reality, all my attention was on the people we met along the way. Since I didn't know how Agrippina looked like, it was unlikely that I could identify her, but I knew that I had another tool I could trust; although, at least for a moment, it would leave me in a vulnerable position. I went to one of the corners of the forum and pretended to lean on one of the columns as if I had suffered a heat stroke. An absurd thing in an Egyptian, but no one seemed to pay attention. While pretending to be resting with my eyes closed, I threw my mind around the forum listening to the thoughts of everyone present. At first the noise was deafening, hundreds of voices speaking at the same time without being able to clearly perceive any of them; but my power had increased enormously since my rise as lord of the underworld and in an instant the voices began to acquire a defined entity and became clear and crisp. I could hear the sellers thinking about how to trick the customer in front of them to pay more, and the customer thinking about how to trick that daft seller to get a better deal. I could hear a woman on a walk accompanied by her husband who could only think of her lover's cock and how much she wanted her husband to go on a trip again. A little further on, a young woman went through the stalls looking for herbs to get rid of the son she had inside, and who was conceived with her sister's husband. The same emotions mixed again and again, ambition, lust, hatred, despair. Was it possible that no one in that city had the slightest hope for living? Suddenly, a name came to my mind clear and loud. Agrippina. I immediately opened my eyes, turned around and saw her in front of me at one of the herbs stands just as Placia had told me. She was not too tall, in her forties, although her jovial gaze and the way she delivered herself made her look younger. The hair gathered in a high bun stylised her figure and gave her a bearing that definitely called attention. The merchant she was talking to seemed to know her well and talked to her closely, but Agrippina seemed all but impressed with the conversation.