by Stuart Slade
“I’m not surprised. We had to pump a lot of medication into you before you went under. We’ve got some iced water for you, that’s all you can have at the moment.” She finished taking down the readings and hoped somebody, somewhere could make sense of them. “Your operation went fine, you’re wingless now, just like us. There’s two small stumps where your wings were. Now, if the records from Memnon are correct, they should be even if they are from an Army hospital, those stumps will heal first. Then, they’ll start to grow back into a new set of wings. If this works with you, we’ll apply the same treatment to any of our other patients who elect to go through the procedure.”
Grace drummed her pencil on the chart, then obviously elected to make a hard decision. “Maion, your drug addiction, it’s taking longer to clear out than we thought. Just how many angels up in Heaven use drugs?”
Maion reached into her mind, a mind that was still clouded by the residual anaesthetic from her surgery. “Not many. They are very expensive. To work in Michael’s club was the only way I could afford them. He gave them to me as long as I worked for him.”
“As a whore.” Grace couldn’t keep the condemnation out of her voice, try as she did. She had once been an observant Catholic and the early indoctrination was still there. Maion started to cry and that made Grace feel even worse about her outburst. She put that feeling to one side and turned to Lemuel. “And now we come to you. How did you get hooked?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t know until I came here.”
“You never injected anything? Smoked anything?”
Lemuel shook his head. “I took Excedrin or Tylenol sometimes. And drank Gatorade. Reverencing Yahweh made my head hurt and my throat dry. The pills eased my head and the gatorade quenched my thirst.”
Grace nodded. There was a reason why nurses asked these questions, patients opened up to them in ways they wouldn’t to a doctor or a policeman. It sometimes amused her that patients thought they were just chatting to a nurse without realizing that there was no such thing as something unplanned happening in a hospital. “Did you feel bad at other times?”
Lemuel thought for a moment. “If I stayed away from the temple for too long, I would feel tired and irritable. But as soon as I went back, all would be well again.”
“A feeling of peace, tranquility and a sort of glow?”
“Exactly. How did you know?”
“You were mellow, stoned out of your mind my boy. And when you were away, you started suffering mild withdrawal symptoms. Was this any temple? “
“No, just the Temple of Everlasting Acquiescence. After a few visits, I enjoyed the tranquility so much I only went there.”
“Did you eat while you were there?”
“Not at first. But, later I started to eat hamburgers made there.”
“Well, that’s it. I would guess the drugs were in those burgers. It’s a common trick, usually used on women though. Put drugs into their food, get them hooked and put them out to work to pay for their habit.”
“Who could do such a thing to me?” Lemuel was appalled and outraged.
“Who did it to her?” Grace pointed at Maion and then departed with her records. Lemuel was left with a very thoughtful expression on his face.
Board Room, Montmartre Club, The Eternal City, Heaven
“Is everybody clear on where we go from here? Any questions at all, speak up now. The way the humans are moving had caught us before everything was ready so we have to move.”
“How will we know the coup has taken place?” Charmeine-Lan’s nervousness was apparent in her voice.
“You can count on thunder, lightning and sound effects. Multi-colored lightning for a certainty and really impressive thunder, probably covering most of the city. You people here, just ignore that and keep the bands playing. That’ll keep everybody’s mind in synch so I can draw on your power. Think of this place as a hose and me as the nozzle. When everything stops, it’ll all be over. Then, once Yahweh has lost that battle, I’ll put out a call and we’ll get the new government set up. Once it’s in place and running, there’ll be very little opposition. The Host is conditioned to accept absolute leadership from the Ultimate Temple. As long as Yahweh is dead, there will be no trouble, the Host will accept new leadership as an alternative to no leadership. We’ll have our people out there of course, making sure that line gets pushed hard. Then, once our power is solid, Gabby, you and Raffie get through to the humans and tell them we want to surrender.”
“Suppose … . you lose?” Leilah-Lan was uncertain and frightened at the prospect.
“Me? I’ll be dead. Very did and probably crushed out of this and any other existence. You lot, you’ll be safe here for a little bit. Yah-yah has no idea this places exists or that he has any reason to find it. You’ll have a few minutes before that idea sinks in. That’s why I don’t want you in the temple with me. Use that few minutes to run like hell. To Hell, or better still to Earth. Try and get the staff here out as well. It’ll be a real panic so do the best you can. Then get out. Trust me you don’t want to be in this city when Yah-yah goes berserk and especially not when the humans blast their way in.”
The other members of Michael’s inner circle exchanged glances. Nothing that had been said before drove the dangers of what they were about to try home so clearly. Michael looked around the room and nodded. “If there is nothing else, I’m off to the Ultimate Temple. If you do nothing else, keep the music playing right?”
Michael-Lan left the room and started wandering through his club. He had conceived it the day he had realized that human development would eventually lead into direct conflict with Yahweh and that the rapid escalation of human abilities meant that conflict would be immensely destructive. The Montmartre club had been modelled first on a Paris night club but had grown to include features from American speakeasies and Las Vegas casinos. At some point during its growth, the club had ceased to be a tool that Michael intended to use and had become something he loved. Now, he was very well aware that he might well be seeing it for the last time.
He left through the front entrance, winding his way out of the maze into the open air. Then, he inflated his flight sacs to the full and took off, climbing high above the city. Stay clear of the cloud he reminded himself. It might be hotter than you like. Underneath him, the shadowed Eternal City lay in its splendor. Splendor? Michael looked down again and once more saw the shabbiness and ill-repair that lay underneath the superficial gloss. Poor city, your problem is that nobody really loves you. We’ll have to fix that. If I survive of course..
Ahead of him was the great Lake of Placid Contemplation that formed the centerpiece of the city. Fed from a river that started in The Ultimate Temple itself, the vast expanse of water was Yahweh’s own private park, one where others were only allowed as an extreme sign of favor. Michael had plans for that lake, ones in which the words “Yachting Marina” figured prominently. Of course, he would still have to win the impending battle first.
He circled above the great square of the city. 1,500 kilometers on each side, the walls pierced by 12 gates. Michael knew well that some humans believed that the gates were named after the tribes of Israel but that was just a human legend. Their names were older than that. In fact they pre-dated humanity completely. They pre-dated humans but they would not post-date them, not unless Michael’s plans worked. He had a brief vivid mental picture of the city below screaming as the great mushroom-shaped clouds rose over it. The humans would not even try to take the Eternal City by storm, they would destroy it utterly. Michael knew that as surely as he knew his own name.
He paused for a second. Did he know his own name? Was he still Michael-Lan-Yahweh or had he in truth become Michael-Lan-Michael? He mused over the point for a few seconds while his eyes took in the sights that he may never get the chance to see again.
Michael sighed and backwinged, dropping through the air towards the forecourt of The Ultimate Temple. There had been a time when this place had filled him with superstitio
us awe. Now, he viewed it with little more than contempt. Yet, it was still an impressive enough building, one that would make an excellent tourist attraction. Briefly, Michael contemplated installing a ‘What the angel saw’ machine in the forecourt and the idea made him chuckle. That, at least, broke the mood of apprehension that had been gathering within him.
“Welcome Mighty General.” The gatekeeper genuflected in front of him. Michael acknowledged the obeisance with a curt nod and entered the forecourt itself. Once again, he looked around, gathering in the sights that might soon be eternally denied to him. Then, he squared his shoulders, tucked his wings into place and started the climb up the alabaster steps towards the throne room where Yahweh awaited him.
Chapter Seventy Three
The Ultimate Temple, Heaven
Michael-Lan strode forward into the Temple. All about him, the people sang; he could feel the artificial ecstasy of the choirs of angels, of those few, fortunate saved humans. As he entered the Holiest of Holies, the thick marble of the temple walls drowned out the beautiful music outside; reduced to a dim glow, he focused his attention on the sight before him.
He knew the sight was supposed to awe him, every time without fail: the great white throne, with its flashing lightning and pealing thunder surrounding the giant figure who sat on it, the One Above All Others. Before the throne were the seven great, gold lamps, burning their ceaseless incense so that the clouds of scented smoke hung thick and hazy, the smell clinging to everything. Once, Michael loved it, for it appealed to his sense of the ridiculous. Now he’d just about had enough of it and of the pretensions of that throne’s occupant. There was one consolation to his chosen course, one way or another he would not have to visit this place after today.
At the four corners of the room stood the four living creatures, chanting their ceaseless cry: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come;” and the twenty-four members of the Private Choir. They were ancient even by the angels’ standards, and were constantly on their faces before the throne, murmuring, “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Time was, their voices had outstripped even the living creatures in volume, but even here they were not free from time’s ravages. An astute observer might look closely into their eyes and see the misery and despair there. Singing the same praises for untold millennia was not as heavenly as it sounded. Soon, their misery would be ended, one way or another.
In the back of the hall, Archangels were gathered around the Master Mason but watching Michael. They gauged his mood, was it good? Or bad? Was there going to be a thunderstorm and flying rock chips or a quiet and peaceful meeting. Did they need to buy tickets for the mason’s bunker? Or could they save the gold? With more and more humans pouring into Heaven and occupying the land around the City, the prices of food and other supplies were already beginning to rise. Rise enough to make even angels careful with their money. They held their breaths as Michael-Lan made his entrance. What to do?
All right, here we go. The only thing left is to hope he gives me the one opening I need. Michael stopped in the middle of the lamps and knelt down on both knees, prostrating himself. He pressed his lips, still scarred from the times he had been exposed to human weaponry, against the cold, dark jade floor. As though sensing intentions, the four living creatures quieted, and the twenty-four elders’ murmurs died to whispers. From the white throne, the voice of Yahweh thundered: “Michael, my good general, what news do you bring me?”
“Oh nameless one, Lord and God of all, I prostrate myself to your presence. I have to tell you that The Incomparable Legion Of Light has been utterly destroyed. It was wiped out within the blink of an eye. Your son is dead with hundreds of thousand of human levies and tens of thousands of angels beside him. Few survive the human firepower that destroyed them. Those that did are maimed and sick. A circle twenty miles across burns with the fires the humans created and the clouds of smoke darken the city and chills its air. All this they did with one weapon, with one blow of their fist. The warmaking ability of the humans has proved far beyond the capability of the fallen ones and beyond ours.
Yahweh was silent for a moment, then spoke. “They failed me. It was my irresistible will that they defeat the humans. How dare they not do so.”
You bastard. They died for you and that is all you can say about them? Not one word of regret for their deaths or gratitude for their service? Through his outrage at the casual dismissal of the Incomparable Legion’s destruction, Michael-Lan felt his heart skip a beat. Yahweh hadn’t failed him, he had the opening he was hoping for. All the maneuvering, all the scheming, all the corruption was about to pay off. That knowledge filled him with a strange, wild joy. It was all over, there was no more waiting, no more doubts. The final showdown was on its way. For good or for bad, it would end the way it would end. One way or another, the End Days had started. Michael looked up at the figure towering over him with nothing but contempt, then climbed to his feet.
“Oh, shut up.”
There was a complete, awed silence from the crowd of spectators. Nothing moved, there was not the slightest whisper of sound. For the first time in countless millennia, the constant chanting from the Private Choir of 24 Elders was stilled. Their copper-colored skins, green eyes and silver hair were completely motionless as the unimaginable silence continued. The silence, so intense that it seemed to have a gentle hiss all of its own expanded and enveloped the hall. It wasn’t just the three words that had stilled the echoes of millennia, it was the withering loathing and contempt with which they had been spoken. Nothing, not even the legendary final confrontation between The One Above All and the Morningstar, had ever come close to the undiluted malignancy of Michael-Lan’s words.
The silence was broken by the panic-stricken whimpering of terror from the Archangels at the back of the hall. A whimpering of mind-numbed fear that swelled into a wave of utter, uncontrollable hysteria. The Archangels were screaming in horror as they tried to crowd into the bunker, pausing only to thrust all the gold they had into the hands of the Master Mason. Inside the walls, those who had decided discretion was the better part of valor complimented themselves on their foresight. They didn’t really care what was happening as long as they weren’t part of it. They were content to learn the truth as soon as the survivors decided what it was.
Michael-Lan watched Yahweh staring down at him. The great face was motionless, the eyes without expression or feeling. Suddenly, a flash of insight told him the truth. He can’t believe it. He’s had nothing but fawning adulation for so long, he literally doesn’t know how to handle opposition. Or even to recognize it for what it is. He’s completely lost.
“Michael, my Great General… . .”
“I’m not your anything. What I am is sick of your posturing and your self-importance. I’m sick of clearing up the messes you make and covering up for your blunders. You’re a brainless, arrogant dolt who is drunk with unwarranted power and stoned on unearned adulation. You’ve caused millennia of grief and misery with your insatiable demands for worship. Now, you’ve pushed too far and the creatures you play your little games with have decided to hit back. Their worship of you is over, Yahweh. They’ve got a saying down there now, worship is not owed, it is earned. You’ve done nothing to earn their worship and you’ve done nothing to earn mine. So shut up and let me try and fix this mess as well.”
“Michael, you go too far… . .”
“Oh no, no I don’t. If I wanted to go too far I would call you a apogenous, bovaristic, coprolalial, dasypygal, excerebrose, facinorous, gnathonic, hircine, ithyphallic, jumentous, kyphotic, labrose, mephitic, napiform, oligophrenial, papuliferous, quisquilian, rebarbative, saponaceous, thersitical, unguinous, ventripotent, wlatsome, xylocephalous, yirning zoophyte.” Thank you humans, I’ve been wanting to use that for years. That would be going too far. But I’m not going to call you that Yah-yah. I’m just go
ing to point out that even Fluffy and Wuffles couldn’t stand the sight of you.” Oh, that felt good. Millenia of repressed frustration bursting out at last. It suddenly occurred to Michael that he was enjoying this confrontation far too much.
It was the mention of Fluffy and Wuffles that did it. The suggestion that his beloved pets might have actually hated him combined with the uneasy recognition that the suggestion might be true caused Yahweh to snap out of his stupor. The rolling thunderclouds swirled the thick smoke that filled the Holiest of Holies and caused strange, exotic patterns to appear within them. Sheet lightning flickered across them as Yahweh started to lose his temper. In the earpiece that Michael was wearing, he could hear the bands in the Montmartre Club playing. He couldn’t place the tune for a second then it clicked into place. The theme from the film “Dambusters”. The bouncing march was just what Michael needed. Clever little humans. A good choice to start the game. Good film too, even if they didn’t get the name of the dog right in the History Channel version.
“Michael, you forget yourself. Your impertinence is intolerable. I strip you of your rank, authority and titles and order you to your estate, never again to enter the Eternal City.”
“Drop dead.” Michael-Lan’s voice slashed across the Holiest of Holies, ricocheting off the walls and ringing in the ears of all present. “I have to put this mess right and I can’t do it with you around. So get out of my way. But first, take your decree and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.” Will he even understand that? It just sounded so good, I couldn’t resist using it.
There was an appalled silence. The Archangels watching finally understood that this was more, much more, than just a dispute between The Most High and the Great General. This was confrontation. A battle for supremacy, just as the one between The Morningstar and The Most High had been. The last time this had happened, the result had been The Great Celestial War and the great schism between Heaven and Hell. It slowly dawned on them that they were watching the most significant historical event imaginable. The Eternal Enemy had died under the lash of human weapons. Now, Michael-Lan was moving to take his place.