The Unforgiven Sin

by R. Twine

  ‘Do you mean to say nobody will ever succeed in doing this?’ I asked her.

  ‘Why should anyone want to try and do what cannot be done? The three Books can only be destroyed simultaneously and with the consent of their owners, this is why it will be simply impossible to carry out this act. Suppose someone succeeds in destroying them anyway, then the connection between Michael and the Kingdom of Darkness will be broken, if only temporarily,’ said Natalie. ‘But later on another generation will emerge and it will follow the same path because nothing can be destroyed completely. You must have forgotten that the original Book, just like The Book of Lives, cannot be destroyed in principle. This means that you’ll have to obtain the original of the Book, whose owner is Satanail himself. Only by getting your hands on this original will you be able to reprogram Michael’s fate, and to do this you’ll have to go back several centuries. But this is very unlikely, too…’

  ‘But Satanail will never part with his creation that he values so much!’ I exclaimed.

  ‘Well, then Michael will have to find the owners of the duplicates and obtain their consent for the destruction of the tomes,’ Natalie said. ‘This is a very dangerous game, and nobody will know the outcome of this reckless undertaking in advance.’

  ‘I guess, in order to find out who the owners of the duplicates are, I’ll definitely have to give my consent to becoming the Master of the satanic society,’ Michael jumped in. ‘But this is precisely what I don’t want to do! I was already approached about doing this. Those were not father’s friends whom I had known before, those were complete strangers. I knew neither what their names were nor what they were engaged in… My answer was a polite refusal,’ Michael said. ‘Can it be that they are precisely the people who have been organizing all these murders – and who still are?

  We went silent again. I was mulling over what I’d heard while Natalie was shimmering weakly by my side. Michael was sitting, his head lowered on his chest.

  ‘We have to find out what they are planning to do with you in the future and what the consequences will be of your refusal to head the satanic society. Also, we have to find out what they can undertake to make you face the impossible choice again. What role does this organization play? Which shadowy world is it in control of? What is the change that’s likely to take place if you have a son? If we don’t find answers to these questions, we’ll make no progress,’ I said. ‘There’s one more thing to it: we’ll have to find out the location of the castle where these people gather to carry out their rites. Perhaps, our findings will help us make some progress in our quest,’ I surmised.

  ‘You should be very careful and make sure your body is intact,’ Natalie warned me.

  ‘Descending into the Kingdom of Darkness is a risky business; getting our hands on the Books is out of the question… I don’t even know what else we can undertake,’ I said.

  ‘Finding the right decision takes time,’ Natalie said thoughtfully.

  ‘I’m sure this satanic society was involved in all those murders. They must have hired professional killers engaged in taking out the people standing in the way of their plans as well as those capable of helping us in the future or just playing an important role in our lives. But I strongly doubt we’ll ever know the names of these assassins,’ I said, thoughtfully.

  ‘They kill to intimidate us so that we, in fear of a new loss, do their bidding,’ Natalie explained. ‘This is nothing more than a game for them to play, and soon you’ll have the opportunity to learn that this is just the case. The cards were dealt long ago, and the stakes are high. The only way out is to find the right solution. In this game, we’ll have to only rely upon our own resources; we’ve been given a choice.’

  ‘But what will I do?’ Michael asked. ‘What can I do to protect my children?’

  Chapter 38

  The Paris airport was abuzz like a busy beehive. People were coming and going: some were departing, some were arriving; some were waiting to meet someone. A familiar silhouette materialized in the crowd and trotted quickly towards me.

  ‘Hello, Miriam. I missed you very much,’ Samuel said and attempted to kiss me.

  ‘Hello, I missed you, too,’ I said dryly and backed off, slightly.

  ‘My condolences… Is there anything I can do for you?’ he asked guiltily.

  ‘No. There’s no way of getting Natalie back, and nobody in this world will ever be able to take her place. She was the only person whom I could trust completely and who sincerely loved me. She never betrayed me.’

  Samuel looked away and said with a heavy sigh.

  ‘I’m sorry, Miriam. I really regret getting involved in your life and entangling you in all my problems at such a sad moment. I don’t deserve a woman like you. I’ve been thinking a lot about the two of us; I don’t want to lose you… We need to have a serious talk.’

  ‘I hope you don’t mean we need to talk right now?’ I asked, making for the exit.

  Samuel trailed behind me like a kicked dog. I was glad there were no reporters around.

  ‘Here we are,’ I said pulling up to my Paris home.

  We got out of the car; Samuel took his luggage while I swung the front door open. When we were inside, Samuel embraced me and whispered reproachfully.

  ‘You didn’t even kiss me. Miriam…’

  ‘Sam, you should have been the first to tell me about what had happened,’ I said freeing myself from his embrace. ‘I’d prefer to hear this story from you, not from someone else.’

  ‘I see, Miriam,’ he said. ‘But I was afraid you’d get me wrong. Believe me, I had a hard time hiding this connection from you. I feel really guilty.’

  ‘Tea or coffee?’ I enquired matter-of-factly.

  ‘I’d rather coffee,’ Sam said, depressed.

  ‘I understand perfectly well that there are some things which are very hard to talk about and still harder to admit,’ I said over the clatter of dishes in the kitchen. ‘But having done this to me, you downgraded me in the eyes of those who know us. Though, I don’t care what people will be thinking about us and about me in particular, for that matter. I’m more concerned about the fact that I was the last to hear the news. It was very small of you with regards to me,’ I said, slamming the tray with steaming cups against the table.

  ‘I want you to understand me, Miriam,’ Samuel jabbered. ‘I was keeping this story under wraps because I wasn’t sure what your reaction would be. I was afraid of losing you, and I still am. I’ll tell you how it all happened and it’ll be up to you to decide what to do…I met Luisa at a party several years ago; there had been nothing serious between us. She was married then, and we both agreed to date in secret. But one day she called and told me she and her husband had gotten a divorce and that we should meet. I didn’t mind. That night she made it clear to me that since she was now free she wanted to go public with our relationship. I told her that I was not ready to give up my bachelor’s life and settle down, becoming a family man. I was really happy about the life I was leading back then and didn’t have the slightest intention of changing anything. Luisa got very upset, she started crying and telling me how much she loved me. I felt sorry for her and tried to console her. We spent that night together… And several months later she called me again and told me she was expecting a baby and that I was the father. I tried to bring Luisa to her senses; I told her she’d better not have the baby because I wasn’t going to marry her anyway, but she was stubborn. Luisa said she was already thirty; she wanted this baby very much because it was probably her last chance of becoming a mother. She said I should come over to talk everything over but I refused and then she began blackmailing me. Luisa threatened to spill everything to the media and paint me in a bad light. I can’t say she scared me with her threats; the truth was that I didn’t want to be the bad guy. True, I didn’t love her but she was expecting my child so we had to come up with a solution that was good for both of us. I began paying her regular visits; I tried to take care of her, and promised to help her br
ing up the baby. And then I met you and fell in love with you. Luisa found out about it and made a terrible scene. She even threatened to commit suicide. I don’t feel like going into the details of that terrible nightmare… In short, when I found out that, according to the prenuptial agreement she signed with her ex-husband, she wasn’t going to get anything at all, I decided to pay her off with a lot of money. She eventually calmed down and left me alone; I only called her from time to time to find out how her pregnancy was going. But this story has come to light all the same.’

  ‘Samuel, this is a very complicated situation. You did the right thing by paying her the compensation.’

  ‘Money can solve a lot of problems, Miriam,’ he said.

  ‘You’re the father of this child, Samuel. And you are responsible for his future. The baby cannot be blamed for coming into this world against your will,’ I said.

  ‘This was why I didn’t want to tell you about this problem without first trying to solve it. I didn’t want it to cause any misunderstandings between us, Miriam. There’s only one woman who I would ever have wanted to be the mother of my children – and that woman is you, Miriam.’

  ‘I sensed that something was wrong with you, that there were many things you weren’t telling me about. But I’d never, ever would have started rooting around in your life.’

  ‘Thank you, Miriam,’ Sam said sadly and quickly looked away.

  ‘Is there anything else that’s troubling you, Sam?’ I asked, sensing that there was an unbearable burden still weighing heavily on his shoulders.

  ‘No. Why are you asking? Don’t worry, it’s only your imagination,’ he assured me hastily. Samuel was clearly not in the mood to be frank with me any further.

  I stopped being frustrated about the baby and Luisa’s story. Strange as it might seem, my anger evaporated without a trace and, looking into Samuel’s eyes, I was absolutely sure that he really loved me. There was only one thing left for me to do: I had to decide how on earth I should carry on.

  ‘You look very tired, Miriam,’ Samuel said, putting his arms around me. ‘What do you say we go to my place for a couple of weeks?’ he offered.

  ‘Don’t worry about me,’ I said quietly, and gave him a long stare. ‘I was told you've started hitting the bottle. Please, don’t get addicted to alcohol, it’s a very hard habit to break. Besides, you smoke weed sometimes, don’t you? Are you getting high on some stronger substances?’

  Samuel gaped at me and then asked.

  ‘Who told you this? Was it Jessie who’s been blabbing to you about everything I do? Is she snooping on me? No gossip and no secrets pass by her!’

  ‘Jessie has nothing to do with it,’ I replied.

  Samuel wouldn’t go into the subject any further; he drew me to him and embraced me. I felt how much he’d been really missing me.

  Sleep wouldn't come. I slipped quietly out of the bed, put a robe over my shoulders, went out into the garden and lay down on the sofa, making myself comfortable on its soft bolsters. I was thinking about Michael and Samuel to whom I had strong but different feelings, and to whom my soul, so it seemed, was being attracted.

  ‘Don’t torment yourself, Miriam,’ said Natalie, suddenly appearing out of thin air and sitting down by my side.

  ‘Oh, Nat, I’m so happy to see you!’ I exclaimed. ‘As for Samuel, everything’s been already clear to me for quite a while, in fact. Perhaps, we two would be better off if he disappeared from my life forever,’ I said bitterly.

  ‘So far, you have to let things go as they’ve been going up until now; you’re on the right course, but parting with Samuel may change your path abruptly, and not only your path, Miriam. I’m worried about Michael,’ she said. ‘He’s always denied his involvement in his father’s affairs and in this sect, but this is far from being true…’

  I stared at Natalie in bewilderment.

  ‘Michael’s acquainted with almost all the members of the “Baphomet Star” – that is the precise name of this clandestine organization. He’s been in regular contact with some of them for many years. The members of this secret society – they are all very wealthy people, by the way – are scattered across the entire globe; I don’t know their exact number but I think they know each other very well,’ Natalie said.

  ‘There’s nothing unusual about it, because Michael might have gotten acquainted with many of them through his father.’

  ‘I’ve got a suspicion that Michael’s been leading a double life. Can it be a case of split personality?’

  ‘Phil had had the same suspicion, too; I guess he wasn’t happy with the fact that his only heir had been living his own life and hadn’t shared his views,’ I replied.

  ‘And if this is so, did he know about Michael’s dark side then? Phil must have had strong suspicions about it; after all, he might have known for sure that his son wasn’t quite the person he seemed to be. It’s highly likely that at first Phil had been keeping this under wraps for the best of reasons, but when he finally brought himself to unmask Michael the latter hastily left the country. In Paris, Michael started living a new life; he’s been in the know all along that you’re the reincarnated first-ever woman living in France, too. When you were twelve, Satanail motivated him to take out your relatives to make you more vulnerable. That was why he’d gone to Paris: his moving to Paris wasn’t incidental - it was necessitated by his need to be near you. Then Satanail started visiting you and became your almost-friend. The Archangel warned you, but he couldn’t prevent these visits from happening, because there was the pact in force according to which each side to the treaty was entitled to influence you. Besides, the Archangel couldn’t waste his time and energy – just like Satanail, after all – therefore they had to take everything into account down to the smallest detail. It means – Natalie went on developing the idea – that Phil might have been murdered on an order of Michael’s, who wanted to meet you halfway before Phil had time to tell or show you anything of great importance. But even after he met you Phil couldn’t do it right away because he’d been at the crossroads himself. He’d been plagued by complicated feelings; he had no way of knowing whether he could put his trust in you or not,’ Natalie deliberated. ‘These are only my conjectures, though. But there’s something rational about it, anyway.’

  ‘But you cannot be absolutely sure about it, can you?’ I countered, having heard her point.

  ‘Samuel may have been playing his role in all this, too,’ she went on. ‘All those who surround you are connected with each other in a certain manner, Miriam. But there’s one thing I know for sure: we’re moving in the right direction. And I’m quite positive that proof of it is round the corner. I guess, there’s a close connection between Satanail and Michael and it’s imperative that you should check it. But I’m still hesitant as to how you should do it…’

  ‘Nat, I feel as if I’d been chained to these two men! How can I possibly break this vicious circle? I don’t know… In a day or two I’m going to Switzerland with Michael, this is why I’m slightly jittery,’ I continued after a short pause. ‘Ever since his wife died, Michael has really changed, he often loses his self-control. Despite all of your allegations, I’m sure he’s been skillfully manipulated, Nat. It’s unlikely that he was complicit in his wife’s murder. Someone’s been playing a dirty game both with him and with me; I’m keen on finding out precisely who this someone is. We shouldn’t forget that behind all this stands a handful of people, not the devil.’

  ‘But what if you’re mistaken, Miriam? What if this is the plan well devised and well thought-out by Michael himself?’

  ‘But what if this is not the case? What if there’s someone who deliberately wants to lead us astray so that I begin to suspect Michael?’

  ‘Could it be that Phil revealed something of great importance to you and paid with his life for doing this?’ Natalie continued. ‘He did tell you he’d seen our foremother Eve in you, therefore he could have known something and wanted to forewarn you but didn’t have time
to do it. He might have been killed because by telling you what he’d wanted to tell you he could have succeeded in frustrating somebody’s plans,’ Natalie said.

  ‘It might have been someone else, not Michael, after all…’

  ‘Michael’s definitely involved in all this whether you want to admit it or not,’ insisted Natalie. ‘You love Michael so you refuse to accept this idea. Miriam, this situation somehow gives me a vague suspicion that Michael and Samuel are one. They are like two sides of the same face.’

  “I’m sure that Michael belongs to Dark Forces,” Phil wrote in his diary, but there is no solid proof of his possible involvement. But what if Phil’s diary hadn’t been written by him? I thought, losing myself in conjectures.

  ‘Phil stated in his diary that the knowledge he possessed made him utterly desperate. He went astray from his right path. Was this the price he’d paid for the secrets revealed to him in the Book of Shadows? But whom had he paid this price to? Did he know his murderer? By subjugating himself to the devil and serving him he was no longer able to turn to the Creator and this must have been something he regretted very much.’

  ‘Even the fact that he didn’t turn to the Father doesn’t mean Phil had been left completely to his own devices,’ interrupted Natalie. ‘It’s highly likely that he’d been under surveillance, and those who’d been carrying out the surveillance wouldn’t interfere in the course of events.’

  ‘He wrote that man is a very cruel being, and sooner or later mankind would be doomed to full extinction. Phil asked himself the question of how exactly this process would be going. In his final years, he became an ultimate pessimist who saw only the dark side in all things,’ I said.

  ‘Michael might have known about this diary, Miriam,’ Natalie ventured cautiously. ‘And about many other things, too. His ultimate goal is to possess you. He succeeded in persuading you that he has nothing to do with Phil and his activities. He presented himself to you in the image of a victim so that you could become closer to him as a kindred spirit.’