The Lie (The Seekers Book 2)

by L R Clarke

  T he Apprentice was pleased. The warrior was following Jack, albeit slowly and at some distance, but she would know what to do, he was sure of it.

  Jack was almost there, the singing was getting louder all the time, it wouldn’t be long now. As they turned the final corner he could see all the young people gathered around the willow tree. It certainly made a focal point as it swayed gently in the late evening breeze. Scented candles were flickering in an assortment of jars and containers and there was a sweet smell in the air. Some of the young people had brought camping chairs and makeshift shelters, they were clearly settling in for an all night vigil. They chatted quietly, respectfully.

  It looked quite pretty really, there was really only one thing spoiling it. The Apprentice tried in vain to hide but Deceiver and the welcome committee had seen him. He was outnumbered by a hundred to one.

  T he blackness was suffocating; Oliver had no idea where he was. It didn’t feel like he was “travelling” as he had before, this was totally unpleasant; he was cocooned in the gloom. The only thing he could see as he floated in the absolute pitch-black was himself. The mantle Quark had given him was still shining but less so. He looked at his hands; the one not holding the cylinder was changing colour. His fingertips were disappearing and greyness was starting to spread towards his palm. A river of darkness was running up his arm!

  Oliver tried not to panic as he shook the cylinder; it was the only thing he could think of to do as it had moved him from one location to another before. But would it work here? In desperation he called Quark’s name and the small face appeared once more.

  “Destination?”

  Oliver was getting weaker; he felt as though his very soul was drifting away to nothing and with his final ounce of strength managed to speak, “Home...”

  “Affirmative.”

  C hristina watched the two professors at work as they scurried around deciding which bits of equipment to pack and which to leave. Each person would carry one clip-on. These backpacks were much larger than anything a human could carry, Christina could not even lift one, and she was amazed when one of the smallest children casually moved a full one to the storage area. They hadn’t got very far though because Dominik would get all excited about the theory behind everything and they inevitably went off at a tangent for hours. Not that she had any idea what time it was anyway. It had caused quite a stir when they had needed food but the energy drink they had consumed appeared to be more than adequate refreshment.

  She put down the recorder she had been given, the small hand held device had fascinated her initially but unlike Dominik she could see no reason to consume information for its own sake. What she had read was amazing and disturbing in equal measure. The history of their planet was strange and she had to keep reminding herself they were not human.

  She was worried about the twins and their poor parents; they had no idea what was going on, mind you she wasn’t sure what would worry them more – knowing or not knowing! Maybe it was just best to leave it all to that little Quark fellow, after all there was clearly a great deal she didn’t comprehend.

  One of the children approached her; she looked about nine years old with her hair in a silver bob and big green eyes. She didn’t say anything so Christina decided she had better go first. “Hello.”

  “What’s it like on Earth?” she asked.

  Christina considered her answer carefully, as a teacher she respected an enquiring mind, but she usually understood the questioner better. “It’s very beautiful. When our planet is seen from space it takes your breath away to see the land and the sea. We are the only known planet with life in our solar system and the Earth is in the exact position and correct orbit to sustain life. There is great variety on Earth and when you travel from country to country the geography and culture is fascinating. There are many different races and languages and there is much to learn and see. One could never be bored on Earth.”

  The child nodded, “What is it like to live in a family?”

  Christina laughed, “Well, that all depends on the family.”

  The child’s face was impassive. Christina reworked her answer, “A family unit is a very precious thing and life is given to be loved and nurtured and brought up in the traditions of that family and culture. When it works well each member of the family is allowed to grow and develop, each with their own unique set of gifts, talents and personalities. But human beings are flawed and when things go wrong much damage is caused.”

  The child frowned, “What sort of damage? We have to have regular maintenance to ensure optimum efficiency, do you mean servicing?”

  Christina paused as she thought of all the unhappy children she knew and the pressures they felt at home and school. How could she possibly explain? “It’s complicated – we are not just bodies that need repair and the correct conditions for growth. Our requirements are very complex; humans are emotional creatures and have psychological and spiritual needs too. If something goes wrong, especially in the early years, it requires a lot of healing to put it right.”

  The girl nodded, “Do you have a transnometer?”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s a fault finding and rectifying program – we are fixed very quickly.”

  If only, thought Christina.

  S amael thought he had recognised Lucifer’s visitor but when he had heard them talking about Oliver he knew for certain it was her. He was deeply troubled, however, because if the twins were here then Michael would surely be on his way too. How had the humans even got here?

  It had been a long time since his last trip to Earth, his punishment for failure he knew, but those two humans had actually dared to challenge him and it had not ended well.

  Would Michael really dare to come? After all this time, to have him here in the four quadrants was almost too delicious to contemplate. Their last meeting had ended in defeat for Samael and he was eager for revenge. He should probably report it, but after the way he had just been treated he was not inclined to do so. He decided to keep it to himself for now; he would watch the girl and let Michael come to him.

  O liver couldn’t understand it. When he opened his eyes the first thing he noticed was the brightness and beauty of his surroundings. It felt like waking up on holiday. The birdsong was majestic and the trees overhead were clearly full of life.

  Lying on his back in a small clearing, he could not see very far in either direction. His hands felt refreshed by the cool grass and it was very peaceful. He rested for a moment, but he could hear running water to his left and decided to head in that direction. As he stood he noticed an old parchment at his feet and he picked it up. Oliver looked around for his cylinder too, but it was nowhere to be seen. Great – now he was stuck here, wherever he was.

  He opened the rolled up parchment but the writing was unfamiliar to him, was it worth keeping? He guessed it was there for a reason, so as carefully as he could he rolled it back up and placed it in his pocket. Oliver was about to set off when he heard a rustle behind him. Turning quickly he came face to face with a young man of about the same age. He smiled at Oliver cheerfully, “Oh, hello. Have you brought us a message?”

  Oliver didn’t know what to say so he just shook his head. The young man appeared welcoming but he was naked apart from a small loin-cloth and he carried an impressive looking spear. Oliver stood his ground but watched him carefully.

  The young man was clearly disappointed, “Oh, it’s just that you are the first since...since... never mind. What are you doing here then? Are you sent to report on us?”

  Oliver shook his head again.

  “Oh, well come on then, you might as well see what we have done anyway. What’s your name?”

  “Oliver.”

  “Follow me then, Oliver.”

  It took only a short stroll to reach their destination. The settlement had a large log cabin, a variety of storehouses and was surrounded by well-tended crops and livestock. A beautiful waterfall cascaded into a small river and Oliver
could see some very ingenious irrigation taking place. Tending to the crops was a stunning young woman, long, golden hair shining in the sun. She stood up to meet them, her hazel eyes sparkling with mischief and pleasure, “Who is this Adam?” she asked.

  Oliver could not take his eyes off her.

  “This is Oliver, let’s leave that for now Eve, I think our guest has something to tell us.”

  Oliver looked from one to the other, Adam..? Eve...? Good grief... what could he possibly say? So this is what the cylinder meant by home.

  Just then a baby cried so Oliver was spared their expectation of a reply. He looked over in the direction of the wailing and saw a small basket made of reeds gently swinging from the lowest branch of a nearby tree. Eve rushed over. Adam watched her go, his expression a mixture of pride and astonishment. “She has such patience. I confess however much I love my son I can never handle the crying.”

  Oliver nodded; he still did not know what to say.

  “Forgive my manners, would you like some refreshment? I know you messengers don’t need to partake like we do but sometimes they used to join with us when we were in the Garden. They were being kind I know, but it was nice to have visitors, especially when He came ...” Adam’s sad voice drifted off as Eve returned with the baby.

  “Sorry about that, he always cries when he wakes up, if you will excuse me I must feed him, please do not leave yet.”

  Her eyes were imploring, Oliver wondered how long it had been since they had seen anyone else. He smiled and found his voice at last, “Of course I will stay.”

  I don’t have any choice he thought.

  Chapter 24

  L ucifer was furious. He had personally destroyed the escort unit but his anger was not assuaged, he was now dressing down the overlord. “You have lost me another human – a male human – do you realise how important he was?” He smashed his fist into the wall.

  The overlord wisely said nothing.

  “I don’t understand why they couldn’t retrieve him, what is so special about these two?” he kicked over a small table before turning back to the overlord.

  “Bring her back to me - now! I want to know how she got here and what she wants. She must be here for a reason; her presence here is no mistake. Are they using humans now to do their bidding? Surely He would not permit that? He watches over them so carefully on Earth, pitiful creatures, what would He gain by sending them here?”

  The overlord recognised a rhetorical question when he heard one and remained silent once again, eyes on the ground.

  “Get out you fool and bring me the girl.”

  How dare they come into his Domain! He would take what he wanted from the puny human; they were so pathetic, they gave away their inheritance so easily. He had deceived billions of them, he wasn’t going to let one young female trouble him.

  S arah stood as the consultant entered the room, it was late and he looked even more tired than she did. Jamie was finally asleep in the corner; he hadn’t slept at all the night before. The doctor smiled at her shyly; he looked so young in his crumpled white coat and his Harry Potter glasses, his unruly red hair flopping over his eyes as he read the notes. He finished reading and whispered quietly, “There’s no change but that is to be expected in a case like this. Oliver is comfortable and we are all ready to go in the morning, why don’t you get some rest too?”

  Sarah managed a weak smile, “I was just texting my daughter. She hasn’t been in touch all day, it’s not like her, especially with her brother being ... being...”

  The consultant put his hand on her shoulder, “Oh, young people find it hard to be around stuff like this, believe me I know, she will be off with her friends somewhere. Try not to worry, if there was anything wrong somebody would have let you know. Her phone is probably charging as we speak. Try and rest, tomorrow is a big day for all of us.”

  Sarah gulped, she knew the odds all right, this type of operation was the most complex of its kind and it had never been completed successfully before. But he seemed confident and Sarah had done her homework, the young man was called Houdini by the staff because he had worked his magic on so many occasions. So young and yet so brave. How do people get like that? Sarah thought she was strong, her job required her to be, but real strength was something you drew on when everything else was gone. The monitors blipped steadily, Sarah knew what they measured and found no comfort in them; she returned to her book and continued reading.

  The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want, He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul, He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil, For you are with me ...

  M illie was actually sleeping when Robocop reappeared and dragged her roughly to her feet. Her arm hurt and the blood had finally congealed but Millie was fairly sure her mum would go mad if she could see the dressing. Poor mum, she’s got more to worry about than my tiny wound. As Millie was shoved out of the door, she was grateful she wasn’t put in an arm lock this time. Perhaps they were learning about her frailty? She didn’t have too much time to ponder this however, as soon the carved door loomed in front of her again. She studied it as she waited; it looked like it told a story. The carvings depicted creatures moving from a place of beauty to a place of desolation. It was haunting, but magnificently done. It swung open again. Millie gulped; she had a bad feeling about this.

  He was definitely brooding and made no pretence of small talk this time; he flew towards her and stood so close she felt sick with fear. “How did you get here human?”

  Millie gasped, “I told you I came from K ... Kalos.” She stuttered.

  He struck her across the face and Millie fell to the floor, “And how did you get there?”

  Millie knew there was no point in lying, “My Companion sent me there, I was looking for help for my brother.”

  Some of the anger left him, “What is the name of your Companion?” he asked.

  “Quark.”

  A knowing look entered his eyes and he walked away and sat down. “Why does your brother need help?”

  A small sob emanated from Millie before she could stop it, “He’s, he’s... dying.”

  Lucifer smiled, “Ah, the sorrows of humanity. You fool. Have you done a deal? What did He promise you? A life for a life?”

  Millie shook her head to try and clear it, “I don’t know what you are talking about, Quark said if we found the correct loop we could help him. That’s all I was trying to do. He said I would know it when I saw it.”

  Lucifer narrowed his eyes, she was telling the truth he was sure, but what did it mean? Were they coming for him or not? Surely it was too soon? Some of the prophecies had yet to be fulfilled ... not many left now he knew... and time was running out, for everybody. He decided to try another approach, “Get up and sit over there.” He pointed to a high table. Millie was confused. “NOW” he barked. Millie did as she was told, perching on the edge. He glared at her, “We can do this the easy way or the hard way Millie. You must know by now there is no escape from here. You are my guest...to do with as I please.”

  Millie waited.

  “You have something I want and I will have it. I always get what I want, but the price is up to you. Shall I harvest it the easy way or the hard way?” He licked his lips.

  Millie felt sick.

  “You see I have some amazing technicians, we are the best at what we do and I have created many forms. Some you have already met, but I have less experience with your framework. Still it could be fun trying...”

  “What is it you want?”

  Millie regretted saying it as soon as the words came out of her mouth. He stood quickly and his eyes flashed with annoyance, “What do I want? That which is rightfully mine, of course, I want the seed of life that was granted to your kind. You are made in His likeness and I shall take it.”

  Millie sighed with relief, babbling irrationally, “Oh, you mean my DNA? Yo
u can take that from any cell – we did an experiment in science once. We gargled with salt water then added some washing up liquid and isopropyl alcohol; it was amazing you could actually see the strings of DNA forming.”

  Lucifer sneered at her, “You would lecture me human? Hah! I was by His side when your puny planet was formed and the first mortal received his life. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...pathetic. I know all about your DNA and the amazing gifts you waste all the time. I know all about your precious inheritance. Do you?”

  Millie shook her head.

  “Of course not, we have taken most of it from you over the years, I was amazed how easy it was really, there are very few who know the truth now and we harass them constantly. They will soon fall away too. Only two- hundred generations and you have all but forgotten Him already. I knew it was stupid trusting you feeble things with such a precious resource. And he wanted me to serve you? Hah!”

  He paced up and down, “I have manipulated you all for centuries. Millions of you now worship me at your ridiculous Christmas festivals and you don’t even know it. Easter is forgotten except for bunnies and chocolate and you actually believe you originate from pond scum and monkeys – hilarious! I’ve lost track of all the lies you gullible humans have swallowed, but it was so easy – you so desperately want to believe you are self-determining you will fall for anything. Evolution, seed dispersal from outer space, I particularly like the alien invasions, the demons enjoy those little forays.”