The Centaur

by Brendan Carroll

  “I don’t think I like this smoke, Mr. Paddy.” Mark shook his head and handed the pipe back to the clurichaun. “I think I should go to sleep and wake up tomorrow. Then we can talk. You can sleep over there if you like.” He nodded to an over-stuffed leather chair.

  “Whattaver ye say, Andy.” Paddy agreed and then stood up as the Scot slipped down in the sofa and fell asleep almost instantly.

  Paddy adjusted the blanket to cover his bare feet and went to stoke up the fire. He banked the coals and put up the iron before returning to his sleeping friend.

  “Andy?” He leaned close over Mark’s face.

  “Aye?” came the immediate response though he did not open his eyes.

  “D’ ye know who I am?”

  “O’ carse I do.”

  “D’ ye know whair ye air?”

  “O’ carse I do.”

  “Then tell me whair ye air, Andy.”

  “I’m on me divan in me loibrary.”

  “And wot air ye doin’ ’ere?”

  “Thot I dunno. Can ye ’elp me out ’ere, Paddy? It seems I’m in a bit o’ tribble. I canna seem t’ get me feet under me.”

  “Weelll now, Andy. Ye need t’ settle down and listen t’ auld Paddy. I ’ave some gud news and some bad news.” Paddy wiped away a single tear on his cheek and sat back down on the hassock.

  ((((((((((((()))))))))))))

  “The messenger! The messenger returns, Your Grace!” The Colonel entered the purple and white command tent and went down on one knee.

  “Ahhh. Wonderful.” Omar muttered and then touched the elder man’s shoulder. “You do not have to bend your knee to me, sir.”

  “It is a habit, Your Grace.” Colonel McGuffy rose stiffly and rubbed his kneecap. “Arthritis. Just a touch. Nothing serious.”

  “I’ll have a look at it after supper.” Omar smiled at him. “Does he come with news from New Babylon?”

  “Strange and wonderful news, sir.” McGuffy frowned under his heavy gray brows. “But of course you must be the judge of that. I will send him right away.”

  Omar stood as if frozen near the flap of the tent. He did not want to hear news of Huber. His heart seemed to fail him even thinking of her and the hideous thing that used his beloved Ruth’s body. Even after the heartening talk with Luke Andrew, he still quailed at the thought of confronting her.

  “Strange and wonderful.” He muttered. Strange and wonderful could mean anything and most of the things that came to his mind were none too pleasant. His anger against his misbegotten son simmered in his mind like a hot coal every time he let his mind wander to Ruth. Twice he had forgiven Bari and twice Bari had rebuffed him. It was going to take time to heal this wound. A long, long time.

  “That sounds good.” Luke circled him and snapped his fingers in front of his face. “Don’t flake out on me, nephew.” Luke slapped him on the shoulder. “Snap out of it. It can’t be that bad, after all, unless he brought her back with him.”

  Omar nodded and then looked about the tent in panic.

  “Good grief.” Luke took his arm and escorted him to the folding canvas chair stationed near the folding table where they had just eaten supper. “Look sit down here and pretend to be absorbed in… in…” Luke grabbed a map from the floor and thrust it on the table. “In this. You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “I’m sorry.” Omar seemed to come round a bit and smoothed out the wrinkled map. “Where is my father?”

  “He said he had business elsewhere. Don’t you remember?”

  “Oh, yes, of course. Is there any wine yet left?”

  “Here.” Luke plunked a metal cup on the table and poured him a shot of lukewarm brandy.

  Omar drank it down without flinching as Luke took up a position behind him as if he were also studying the map. Someone outside the tent rapped on the frame of the flap.

  “Come!” Omar managed to put an authoritative tone in his voice.

  The young man, covered with dust, sporting the stripes of a corporal entered the tent, saluted sharply, kicking up a cloud of dust by his movements, and then fell on one knee.

  “My Lord, Emperor.” He bowed his head and Omar stared at the top of his head.

  Luke nudged him sharply when he did not respond.

  “Ahhh. Yes, please. Would you care for something to drink, corporal?” Omar spoke softly and the young man looked up at him cautiously. Years of habit and training could not be undone in a few short days.

  “No, sir, I’m fine, thank you.” The corporal rose, but stood stiffly at attention.

  “Very good, then.” Omar frowned. The man stared straight ahead. “Luke… would you mind?”

  “Oh, sure.” Luke walked around the table and pulled up the small stool on which he had been sitting earlier. “Please, have a seat, my man.”

  The corporal wavered and his eyes flickered. He sat down and looked as uncomfortable sitting as he had standing.

  “What news of the city?” Luke crossed his arms over his chest and tried to sound casual.

  “My Lords, the city… New Babylon is under siege.” The corporal told them briefly and could not keep the emotion out of his voice. He had managed to survive every harrowing misadventure on this godforsaken campaign and returned home only to find his beloved city at war. “They are in trouble,” he added.

  Luke was flabbergasted and Omar was on his feet in an instance. The corporal leapt to his feet, unsure whether to stay or run.

  “What did you say, young man?” Omar blinked at him in consternation.

  “The City is under siege, sir. It is just as the Scriptures predicted. Revelations, Chapter 14, Verse 8: And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

  Luke and Omar both stared the young man, speechless. Emboldened by their reaction, he continued “And again in Revelations, Chapter 17, Verses 6 through 8 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.. The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.”

  “Where…” Omar said the one word and faltered.

  “You seem to know a lot of scriptures for such a young man.” Luke commented when he found his voice again.

  “We have much time spent in idleness at post, sir.” The man seemed to blush. “I study the scriptures. I have memorized all of the Revelation of St. John. My friend learns the Psalms. I have a small wager with him that he will not memorize the entire Book of Psalms. It is a formidable endeavor.”

  “And yet a worthy one. Time well spent… ah, what is your name?”

  “John Burris.” The young man smiled.

  “Well, then Corporal Burris, congratulations on a job well done. However, I… I mean the Prophet and I have some questions. One moment please.” Luke held up his hand and went to whisper in Omar’s ear. The Prophet nodded and Luke offered the man a seat again. Omar resumed his and the questions began.

  No, the corporal did not know what forces surrounded the city.

  No, he had not ventured near enough to speak with them, but had observed the sight from the ruins of an abandoned watchtower from some distance.

  No, he had not actually seen the seven headed beast with the ten horns, but he had seen some terrible beasts in the desert. Horrible and, thankfully, dead.

  But yes, he had seen angels. The very same creatures that had beset them on the field at Armageddon.

  Omar was shocked again to here the word Armageddon. Every time he thought of what had just occurred i
n the barren wastelands, he could not believe what had happened. Armageddon. The great war to end all wars had been barely a whisper on the scale of things. The mystical Armageddon had cast fear and doubt into the hearts of men for ages had come and gone and most of the world did not even know.

  So this was it? It was over and now the angels would wreak havoc on New Babylon. Would he miss that battle as well? Was it true what Luke had told him? That the world of men was not their world, was not their concern? He was neither angel, nor demon, nor Prophet. He was something else. Something between man and God. New Babylon was not his. He was not an Emperor. No more so than had been his son.

  “We must hurry or we will miss the battle.” He said softly. “Would that I could perish in it. I am responsible for all that has befallen the people of New Babylon.”

  “The angels and the forces camped around the city are great, Your Grace. There will be no battle.” The corporal told him. “The supply routes are cut. The fields around the city walls are laid waste. The water supply has been diverted. I could see the water running out over the plain. It is only a matter of time and the people will be starved out or driven out by thirst.”

  “If Lucifer is there, then they may be waiting for us. Who else would be with Lucifer?” Luke mused.

  “Lucifer?!” The corporal’s eyes grew wide. “The devil?”

  Luke laughed softly. “Some would say that I am the devil. Do not worry yourself, sir. This Lucifer is on our side.”

  The corporal swallowed hard, but said nothing. He knew what he had seen. Great walls of fire scorching the horizon. Hot winds blowing across the plain, sand piling up against the walls of the city. And upon the piles of sand, hundreds of soldiers and terrible creatures, black and shining, looking like an army of ants from where he had crouched in the crumbling old tower. And more, flying horses, bombs bursting above the city, hot shards and streamers pouring down inside the walls, fires springing up everywhere and no water to put them out. And yet a tremendous black cloud hung over the city with lightening shooting out of it in all directions, striking the ground amidst the attacking forces. The Revered Mother’s powers were not inconsiderable. If anyone needed the devil on their side, it was this ragged band of disheartened Fox soldiers.

  ((((((((((((()))))))))))))

  “We must go in now, sir!” Meredith stomped one booted foot in frustration.

  “Must we?” Lucifer narrowed his eyes at the woman clad in the white mantel and red cross of the Temple.

  “If we continue to bombard the city, more innocent victims will die.” Aurora added her own opinion of the deplorable situation. Omar’s daughter sat at the right hand of Queen Semiramis. Both of them clad in white and silver. On the Queen’s left was her granddaughter, Dunya. The diminutive sister of the Prophet Omar wore purple and white in honor of her father and brother. Her dark hair was swept high on her head and held under a shining silver helmet with a long purple plume.

  “No one is innocent, my lady.” Lucifer inclined his head to the dark-haired daughter of the Prophet. “I can see that there is more heart here than I had first estimated. Why is that you all have such feelings for these little creatures? There are millions of them. Even after the great devastations, they are more numberless than even the stars. And do not concern yourselves with their deaths. They are immortal. Perhaps not in exactly the same manner as this lovely circle, but immortal none-the-less. They will be back.”

  “You exaggerate.” Semiramis laughed and patted her foot impatiently. “They were once more numerous than the stars, numbering in the billions, but those were only the stars visible from earth. We all know the vastness of the Creator’s Universe. You quibble details, Lucifer. How long do we wait?”

  “You voted me as leader of this campaign. I do not think that entitles you to question my every move.” The crimson clad warrior chieftain swept his mantel aside and sat down on a chair made of an empty gas can covered with a purple cloth. His lovely face clearly showed his aggravation.

  “Your every move?” Ereshkigal stalked across the clearing. Her yellow gown had been replaced by brass and iron armor over a tight yellow tunic and leggings made of black fur and leather. “I would like to know what you are waiting for! These unnatural bolts of fire and lightning are playing havoc with my boggans. I did not come here to sacrifice my entire army for nothing. Lord Nergal will be most distempered when he learns what I have done. I expected the ends to justify the means. Now I am not so sure. I would like very much to know what has happened to my treasure? Have you no word of who might have raided my treasure house? Exactly what is that you have in mind?”

  Semiramis shifted in her seat and Aurora glanced at her grandmother and aunt. It had been they who had taken the ‘treasure’ the dark Queen spoke of. King Ramsay’s head. A disturbing treasure to say the least. Semiramis had consulted secretly with Il Dolce Mio after the battle in the desert and learned that no one had found the relic. She assumed that it might be found in the Emperor’s palace.

  “I agree with Ereshkigal. I would like to hear your plans,” Menaka said as she slid off her horse and pushed back her hood. “I am no master of military tactics, but my father taught me many things. One of the things he taught me was to never take things at face value. We elected you to lead this little foray, but we did not relinquish our rights to question your actions. It would seem logical you would want us to know the plan so that we can be prepared to carry through with our parts when the time comes. And Meredith is right. There is no need to make these people suffer any more than necessary. We came here to drive out Huber. We did not come to destroy this city.”

  A chorus of feminine voices raised in unison conveyed the assembly’s agreement.

  Lucifer sighed in disgust and then relented.

  “As you wish, my ladies.” He pursed his lips and looked pained. The gesture was lost on his audience. At first he had thought it amusing that this delegation made of females had sought him out to help them with their little plan to cast the evil Huber back into the beyond. He was fascinated by women and females in general, but these creatures were wearing on his nerves. A slight blonde woman caught his attention. He’d not seen her before. “But who is this?” He frowned at the young woman in question. She had deep brown eyes and curling blonde hair. “Someone else to criticize my work?”

  “Her name is Meredith Michele von Hetz. She is the wife of Apolonio von Hetz,” Aurora answered him. “My daughter. Her father is John Paul Sinclair-Ramsay.”

  “Ahhh. Another member of the Ramsay clan. Hmmm.” Lucifer smiled condescendingly. “All right then. Here is the plan. We will wait until this mighty Prophet shows up with what’s left of his army. We must go in and cast Huber into the beyond. We could level this city to the sand and still, she would remain. All of this display is simply to keep her occupied here. We must keep her in place until we have mustered enough power to confront her.”

  “Do you not think us a considerable force?” Meredith was appalled.

  “Oh, I think you ladies are a formidable force, but you do not know the Great Huber.” Lucifer stood up. “If Abaddon has returned to her side, we could all find ourselves encased in pretty crystals. I, for one, do not wish to spend another eon dressed in stone.”

  “And where is the Prophet?” Dunya asked. She’d not seen her brother in years, ages.

  “His forces are less than a day away.” Lucifer told her. “Does that answer all your questions?”

  “It does,” Semiramis nodded “but I believe that we should cut back our tactical assaults on the city and concentrate our efforts on the palace. I do not want any more innocent blood on my hands than necessary.”

  “It is like I said, my lady,” Lucifer bowed to her “there are no innocents in this world at this time.”

  Chapter Two of Seventeen

  Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city!

  for in one hour is thy judgment come.

  “Sophia?” The blonde woman in dark shades stuck out her
hand and Sophia took it cautiously. The two men standing behind the early morning visitor also wore dark sunshades and were dressed in identical dark suits.

  “Yes?” Sophia asked and stepped back and glanced nervously into the library where she assumed Mark would still be sleeping off the wine and whiskey from the night before. The thought of it made her cheeks flush pink again. She was going to have to lock up all the wine and all the… “I’m sorry. Can I help you?”

  “Is Sir Ramsay at home?” The woman’s elegant brows knit into a frown above the frames of the glasses.

  “I’m sorry, he’s… he’s indisposed.” Sophia caught hold of the edge of the heavy door and eased it to just a bit. “Perhaps I can help you. You have me at a disadvantage.” Sophia ran one hand through her tousled hair. She’d only just come down to put on a pot of coffee when the door bell had startled her. She was dressed in a floor-length flannel gown and beginning to feel very uncomfortable. She’d assumed the visitor to be one of the soldiers or perhaps one of the neighbors come to borrow something else. A black car sat in the abandoned drive between two military vehicles with the Royal Coat of Arms on the doors in gold.

  “You must forgive me, Sophia.” The blonde removed the sunglasses and smiled. “I thought you would recognize me.”

  “Oh! I’m sorry, Your Highness.” Sophia’s mouth fell open and she clutched the neck of her gown in total embarrassment.

  “Please, don’t call me that.” Merry Ramsay said as she walked past her into the foyer and the two men made a move to follow her. Merry held up one hand, stopping them in their tracks. “Wait outside for me, please, Rupert, Jake. I’ll be fine.” Without further ado, the Queen of the Britons closed the door in their disgruntled faces and took Sophia’s hand in hers. “I’m sorry about that, but what with the phone lines being down all over Scotland and the unreliable state of the post, I didn’t bother to send a message ahead. Besides this is my home, too. When I heard that Sir Ramsay had come home… well, I had to come. You understand, I’m sure.”