by Tim Hawken
Remembering Zoroaster, I looked down again. His state was wretched but not without hope.
“Charlotte? Mary?” I asked the two women close by me to help. “You both have the power of blood. Lay your hands on him and project as much love outward as you can.”
“Thank you,” Zoroaster mumbled, his eyes clouding in and out of consciousness.
While The Pure Seven, Marlowe and Phineus looked on, the three of us gathered our strength and pushed in towards our friend. Atoms sang in my ears, hearing my call as they sprang forward, slowly building Zoroaster’s body again. A leg began to form out of his hip. It wasn’t the same as before, looking like a prosthetic limb. The corruption that Asmodeus had used to do this must have been stopping it fuse properly together, but at least it was something. We pressed on, reforming the wreckage of his body in the best way we could, attaching a reconstructed arm and sealing the wound in his neck. Zoroaster gasped and flickered back awake. He reached out and caught my hand.
“That is enough,” he said, groaning. Again, a smile flickered to his lips. “Go and tend to the rest of the people. We’re going to have to pull them together. We must get back to the city, to your Legions of Hell. The occasion for sitting on the fence is over. It’s high time we brought war to the doorstep of our maker.”
FIFTEEN
THE LIEUTENANTS OF THE NINE LEGIONS OF HELL all stood before me, ready to report. We were gathered in the top level of Satan’s Tower.
Our party had made it back in one piece after a few days. At first I had stayed with Charlotte, Zoroaster and Mary to heal the wounded of Purgatory, while The Pure Seven, Phineus and Marlowe went ahead to the city to alert the others of what had happened. By the time we came to the fringes of the desert Marax had sent out a small force to escort us back into the metropolis. The only person who remained missing was Clytemnestra.
During our time helping the people of Purgatory I had been able to get an explanation out of Mary about how she had been able to plant herself in Asmodeus’ circle. At my secret encouragement, she had summoned The Pure Seven to The Crypt before our departure to Earth and invited them to reenter her body. They formed the Zoroastrian knot inside her as they had done once before. Because they knew the process, the evil angels were able to do so with only minor difficultly, wrapping their spirits around the Jewels of Blood. Mary had kept one of the jewels for herself in case she needed to use it on Earth. The middle of the story was plain enough, having lived it painfully myself. Her betrayal had been so real that we had all believed it. It had been required. Even now, Lotte kept her distance from Mary, not having fully regained trust in her.
While in Heaven, Asmodeus had kept Mary close, under the pretense that they were now allies. He was delighted to hear that she had stabbed Lotte in the eye, right in front of me. He had asked her to retell the story over and over. Asmodeus had kept his part of the bargain, keeping Judas safe in his basilica, but unable to rouse him from sleep, as I had suspected. My father kept Mary in sight at all times, always watching her. He had been furious when I arrived and he accused her of deception, but was unable to read her mind to prove anything. He had stayed with her and Peter, away from the walls, but because of my constant goading he had no choice but to meet me or lose face. His pride had been his downfall. Asmodeus brought Mary and Peter to the wall with him, not willing to leave them alone together in case she tried something. That paranoia had cost him dearly. My plan had worked exactly as I had subconsciously hoped. If Mary hadn’t been in the right place we would have had no chance scaling the wall alone. When I released The Pure Seven they had been able to take out the Archangels in the confusion and give us the element of surprise we had so badly needed. Once they had been banished, however, they were easily ripped away in the filter. Having only light souls, The Pure Seven had been spirited all the way back to the city, where they were reunited with their bodies. Mary had taken them out of The Crypt and hidden them in a dungeon room, which she had rented under the disguise of a “rich socialite”. It was the dungeon we hadn’t been able to hire when we had gone to search for clues. Everything made sense in hindsight. The unraveling of the story made it feel as though it had been fate all along.
When Phineus had been deposited back in Hell after their descent, he had been able to find Mary with his power of foresight. He had seen that The Pure Seven would come for her and knew it was his best chance for a fast return. However, there had still been no word of where Clytemnestra had fallen. She could be on the other boundaries of Hell for all we knew. It didn’t sit well with me to leave her behind, but sending out a search party to trawl the depths of Hell was out of the question for the moment. We needed our strength centralized, ready to rise up and take Heaven. Someone could come back and look for her later, if she didn’t get back of her own accord.
Now in the tower, The Pure Seven stood at the backs of their allotted Lieutenants. Charlotte stood next to me. Phineus, Zoroaster, Mack, Smithy, Marlowe and Mary were seated to the side. My pilot friend had rejoiced when he found out Mary had not been a traitor. He said he knew it in his bones all along, but the true relief in his eyes said otherwise. I briefly informed them all of where things stood at this moment, not pausing to give them details on how or why, but keeping it simple: the barriers had been brought down. Asmodeus had cast the refugees of Purgatory out. We now had their allegiance as well as Zoroaster’s. I was adding them to the Legion of White, placing Zoroaster in total command of the unit. Smithy had been caretaking the position while I was away, but now he had to concentrate on his new role: Captain of the Air Force. Every pilot, or demon who had grown wings and had the ability to fly, was now under his command, no matter what sin they came from. The only exception was The Pure Seven. I needed them to hold their legions as one. It was as though they were one mind; in battle that kind of synergy would be invaluable.
“The Legion of Pride is ready,” Lieutenant Kahn said, stepping forward from the rest, their self-appointed leader.
He had retained his Asian features in the afterlife, looking almost human if not for the scars which ravaged his face. One side of his mouth had a tear that stretched right up his jaw, revealing barbed teeth on the interior. Blood oozed down that side of his neck, making him look fearsome. Behind him the other lieutenants stood with eyes forward. Gluttony was represented by a demon called Savela, his head and belly swollen and orange; his feet black webs, long and flipper-like. Bewley fronted Lust. Completely naked, matted hair flowed like dreadlocks from his pubic regions. He carried himself with an air of confidence and ogled the females in the room with open desire. To the left of them was Kabatoff, an envy demon, rakish and tall. His green cats’ eyes flitted to the others with hostility and suspicion. On the far right, the other three legions’ commanders hung at attention. All were female. Rangda, the Wrath demon, had hair braided in stripes of red, black and white. Her eyes extended out of her head in boiling rage. Tusks jutted from her mouth: two hooking up, two down. Belphegor of Sloth watched indifferently. She was surprisingly young and model-beautiful, her only deformity the rotting skin which covered her shapely torso. Avarice was represented by Kai Ah Jecks. She was dressed in the rags of an old business suit, like some kind of failed real estate agent who pined for better times. Still, the ferocity of her yellow gaze held a cunning that I knew would help our planning. Marax was at their far left, watching to make sure they didn’t embarrass him. This was his moment.
“Our warriors are superior on foot,” Kahn continued. “I expect us to be the first wave through to lead the charge on Heaven. If, that’s want the Lord wishes,” he added, almost as an afterthought.
“You desire is granted, Kahn,” I said to him. “I will lift your legion and two others through the void and into Heaven to begin the assault. Smithy’s air force will come in behind us. He’ll be able to match the angels in flight.”
Smithy nodded his approval as I met his eye. He stood to rigid attention, his military training coming to the surface of his usually genial exterior
.
“Marax, who else do you suggest for the initial attack?” I asked, turning back to the one who had formed this army into what it was.
The muscle-bound demon also took a step forward. His square jaw was clenched tightly, the sinews in his face flexed, even when he spoke.
“Wrath and Lust are the most aggressive,” he said. “But my Legion of Black is also strong and more dynamic in their abilities.”
Kahn grunted softly at the declaration, but I silenced him with a dark look.
“I think perhaps four units would be better to begin with,” Marax went on. “That would still leave Envy, Gluttony and Sloth as backup. The Legion of White can stay with Avarice to guard the city. We don’t want to be caught without a base to regroup to if need be. This is still our home after all. We are at our strongest here.”
It was clear he had thought this through even more than me, so I accepted his idea. We wanted to hold power over all the realms. Many demons would still want to remain settled down here, especially now that The Guilt had been stopped. With the barrier gone, that horrid device had been lifted from everyone’s mind and Hell seemed more inhabitable now, at least for those who had lived through the darker age.
The end goal for me now was to take down Asmodeus. With his armies engaged in battle I would stand a better chance of getting to him; with his power eliminated, the will of Heaven would fall and we could restore everlasting peace for all. It would be a bloody fight to make that a reality.
“Mack,” I asked the cabdriver, who leapt out of his seat at being addressed. “What about supply lines? We’ll need artillery and ammunition to refuel the front troops. We can’t fight with only our bare hands.”
“There is no shortage of weaponry in Hell,” Mack grinned. “The lords of war have been kind in their support: guns, rocket launchers, grenades, tanks. We have it all, laced with some hellish surprises for the enemy. What the legions can’t carry themselves, I can truck out to a take-off point. We’ve managed to cut roads through the jungle to the beginning of the desert already. You’ll need someone to lift them up, though. We don’t have an aircraft big enough to raise that kind of firepower.”
“I can do it,” Lotte said, next to me.
The demon lieutenants looked at her with raised eyebrows. Not everyone had seen what she was capable of. I hesitated for a moment, reluctant to commit her to the forefront of the battle. It wasn’t that I didn’t think she was up to the task; the vision of me destroying her was still lurking in the back of my mind.
“I can do it,” she repeated fiercely.
“I will come back to help you after I have seen the first wave strike the city,” I said, thinking of a compromise. “You will need help to bring the support legions up as well. Will you hold them steady in the desert until my return?”
A single nod of her head showed she would, but she wasn’t happy about it. Looking again at The Pure Seven, I knew we would be able to co-ordinate this with deadly precision. Phineus silently stood and walked over to the windows to stare out to Hell. I watched him for a moment, but continued addressing the others, keen to mobilize our efforts quickly.
“Zoroaster. Are you willing to hold the city for us? I want you personally on Mount Belial, so you can see both our metropolis and the desert.”
“I will do whatever is needed,” he said. Normally jumping from subject to subject, Zoroaster had been single-minded since he had been cast down from above, in keeping his flock safe and supporting our cause in any way asked.
“Bewley, Rangda,” I said to the lieutenants of Lust and Wrath. “Are you prepared to join the front line and storm Heaven with us?”
“We will gut those pious fools,” Rangda spat between her tusks.
“And sodomize their dead bodies,” Bewley laughed horridly.
The others gave a shout of support. The stage was set for us to take on Asmodeus and his angels above.
“Stop,” Phineus said, still looking out the window.
Every eye in the room turned to the prophet, who gathered his robes around him as if a chill had just passed through his body.
“Your planning is for nothing. They will be here in a matter of hours. Heaven is bringing the war to us.”
SIXTEEN
CONFUSION ENGULFED THE ROOM. The lieutenants all began shouting at each other at once. Kahn was yelling that we should go now and meet them head on. Kai Ah Jecks screamed back that we should fortify the city instead. The rest of their arguments were lost in an incomprehensible din of panic.
“Silence!” I boomed over the top of them, making them all stop and stare back at me. “This is what Asmodeus is trying for, to put us off balance. He won’t succeed.”
Only Marax and The Pure Seven held my eye. The rest looked at their feet like chastened teenagers. Phineus remained at the window, looking outward.
“Where will they come from?” I asked the prophet. “How many?”
He reached out and pressed a palm on the window, as if to give himself extra support. Bowing his head, his next words rang around the room, even though he spoke in a hushed tone. “There will be millions: angels of every kind. They will come from the same black hole as the refugees of Purgatory. Hell’s desert sands will be awash with pure souls.”
I stared outward to my city. Millions. We had the numbers to match them. I would not fail my people. The others were watching for my direction. Their stares helped my mind click into gear.
“Most of our plan will remain, with some changes,” I said slowly at first, before gathering a sense of urgency. “We will march out to the desert to meet them in open battle. The Legions of Wrath, Pride and Lust will make our left flank. Marax and his Black will take the middle. Envy, Gluttony and Sloth will take the right. Smithy, you’ll cover the skies.”
“Aye, aye,” he said, looking out of the window with a glint in his eye. He was ready.
“Zoroaster,” I said, feeding off the confidence of Smithy. “You’ll hold the city with the Legion of White and the Legion of Avarice. Mack?” I whirled around to the burly cabbie, who stood with his arms folded across his chest. “How soon can you have our army in position?”
“We have enough trucks to take maybe three legions out to the desert. That in itself will take just over an hour if I leave right now,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“Fine, go.” I nodded towards the elevator, urging them on. “Take Rangda, Marax, and Savela with you. Charlotte and I will carry the rest with the elements. I’d like to save as much energy as I can, so doing what you can will help. The Pure Seven can fly out to meet you.”
The group left hurriedly while I spun to face the rest. Phineus was still at the window. Zoroaster, Smithy, Mary, Marlowe and Charlotte all stood in a row. The Pure Seven were grouped with the remaining lieutenants, awaiting commands.
“I want you to all go down and assemble your legions as quickly as possible on the rooftops of the city,” I explained to them. “We will lift you from there and take you to the front lines. Zoroaster and Avarice, secure the city while we move.”
“I can help ferry the troops as well, sir,” Smithy said with a military tone. “I have an idea. My planes will carry some out to the desert. The Pure Seven can help, but I’ll need to leave immediately to get it ready.”
“Go,” I said with a grim smile, trusting him completely.
He rounded up Zoroaster, the evil angels and their demon offsiders, herding them out the door in a rush. Only Mary, Charlotte, Marlowe, Phineus and I remained. My heart was drumming in my chest in the flurry of activity. Now I had time to take a breath, a whisper of anxiety filled my lungs.
“What else can you see, Phineus?” I asked the prophet, as I moved instinctively to Charlotte’s side for comfort. Just a touch of her arm was enough to calm me.
“You won’t be able to stay on the battlefield,” he said, finally turning back to face me. His cloudy eyes had turned completely white with his power.
“But he’s our greatest weapon!” Marlowe almost sho
uted.
“Four will be needed at Casa Diablo to face the Seraphim who will try to steal the waters of sleep from the Fount of Mercy,” he said, in a trance of visions.
“Seraphim?” Charlotte asked.
“Monster angels,” Mary said, looking concerned. “It sounds like Asmodeus is going to unleash all he has on us. The Seraphim are his secret pets that he keeps in his basilica. There are other ranks of angels as well: Principalities, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues and Cherubim. You already know the Archangels. Make no mistake, their army will equal ours in might.”
I let out a long exhalation, gathering my thoughts. I had no choice but to take our legions out to fight. But we couldn’t risk losing the Fount of Mercy to the enemy. With that on their side, they could spray a millennial coma upon much of our army. I should never have made the damned thing in the first place. Pausing for a few moments, a solution came to me.