The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle

by Len du Randt

  Ryan’s heart leapt into his throat. ‘My...my Lord?’

  From the shadows, Victor emerged. He was in his nightgown, but even still, his hair remained perfectly combed. Ryan noticed a whiskey glass in his hand as he approached.

  ‘Did I startle you?’

  ‘No,’ Ryan said, his mind racing. ‘Not at all, my Lord. I just couldn’t sleep, that’s all.’

  Victor just smiled. ‘It’s okay to be confused.’

  ‘I...I...’

  ‘It’s okay.’ He extended the glass toward Ryan. ‘Come,’ he said. ‘Have some.’

  ‘I couldn’t...’

  ‘Yes you could.’ He gave the glass a nudge in Ryan’s direction. ‘You know you want to.’

  Ryan extended his hand toward the glass, struggling hard to resist. He hesitated, pulled his hand back, and then reached for the glass again. Finally, he took it.

  ‘Atta boy,’ Victor said with a grin on his face. He watched Ryan wash down the whiskey in one big gulp. ‘There, now didn’t that feel great?’

  Ryan wiped his mouth. ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘it did.’ He felt a bit more relaxed now.

  ‘Good,’ Victor said. ‘Now get some sleep. I need you in tip-top condition tomorrow.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Ryan said and turned to leave.

  ‘Oh, and Ryan?’

  ‘Yes, sir?’

  ‘Good night.’

  ‘Good...good night, my Lord.’

  - - -* * *- - -

  The two men sat cross-legged under a tree. A wide radius around them remained unaffected by the blood. From the thick downpour of red rain, a figure stepped out into the clean radius.

  The blood-soaked teenager walked up to the two men who just observed his every move without saying anything. He sat down in front of them and just stared at them for a minute, silently studying their faces. One of the men was clearly older than the other, and boasted a wide beard. The other man, visibly younger, had a hard face and a relatively shorter beard. The teenager recognized him instantly. For a while, no one said a word. Finally, the teenager reached into his backpack and took out a flask.

  ‘In this flask,’ the teenager said, ‘is supposed to be water.’

  The men just looked at him with no display of emotion.

  ‘The problem is that there’s not water in it, but blood.’

  Still no emotion.

  ‘As a gesture of good faith,’ the teenager said, ‘I need you to turn the content of this flask back into water for me. I am thirsty, and would also like to wash my hands and face.’

  The men didn’t say a word, but the older man gave a slight nod.

  In an act of trust and faith, the teenager opened the flask, and without checking the content, placed his lips to the container and drank the liquid inside. The fresh water instantly quenched his aching thirst. He then poured some of the liquid over his hands and crystal clear water came out, with which he washed his hands and face until they were relatively clean.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said and reached into his backpack again. He pulled out a plastic bag, opened it and took out various fruits and placed them on a dry cloth in front of the men, ‘Here,’ he said, ‘I brought you something to eat.’

  The older man took an orange and started peeling it. ‘Thank you, Timothy.’

  Timothy was visibly shocked. ‘How did you know my name?’

  The man Timothy knew as Elijah smiled. ‘All we know is revealed to us from the Father.’

  ‘Then why are you doing all these bad things?’

  ‘Good or bad is in the eye of the beholder,’ the older man answered patiently. ‘Everything we do is instructed to us by the Father.’

  ‘It’s been raining blood since last night. I don’t think it would count as ‘good’ in any beholder’s eye.’

  ‘It is a discomfort, yes,’ the older man said, ‘but the short-term discomfort is well worth it, especially if it diverts you from eternal discomfort.’

  ‘Eternal discomfort?’

  ‘We are not here to condemn, but to convict the chosen of sin and righteousness. Our aim is to make the people see the error of their ways, and to repent of their sins. We are the father, punishing his rebellious son for his unlawful deeds. Though the son may not see the long-term benefits of the punishment, and he may even hate his father for it, it will still inevitably save his life in the end.’

  ‘Why do you think we need punishing?’

  ‘The rod of love keeps the strong headed child from destruction.’

  Timothy sighed. ‘What destruction?’

  ‘You may not see it now, but soon you will.’

  ‘And you?’ Timothy asked, addressing the younger man. ‘You were in our house before the alien attacks. What did you mean what you said, he is coming? Who were you talking about, and are you Elijah or not?’

  ‘Your young mind seeks the truth. That is good, for you shall find it. You are seeking Elijah, yet you missed him over two thousand years ago.’

  ‘Elijah didn’t live two thousand years ago, and neither did I.’

  The younger man was impressed with the teenager’s determination and boldness. ‘And so still you miss him today. But soon, you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.’

  ‘Oh brother,’ Timothy said and rolled his eyes. ‘Are you a bunch of Jesus freaks?’

  A sudden clap of lightning nearby caused Timothy to cry out in fear. The men didn’t flinch.

  ‘Do not mock things that you know nothing about,’ the older man warned sternly.

  ‘I’m sorry. I...I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.’

  ‘Yes, you did,’ the younger man said. ‘This generation lacks the fear of the Lord; but you are beginning to understand. Soon, your own will turn against you, but you must remain strong in your beliefs to the bitter end.’

  ‘Who is going to turn against me?’ Timothy asked confused.

  ‘The two men suddenly looked up, and then at one another and stood up. ‘You must leave,’ the older man said; his voice lowered to a hush. ‘We will talk later.’

  Timothy looked over his shoulder. He couldn’t see anything through the curtain of blood. ‘Who is going to turn against me?’ he repeated. He felt a presence of pure evil approach and his stomach churned. He looked over his shoulder again, but still couldn’t see anything.

  ‘Who is going to—?’

  ‘Leave,’ the younger man said; his voice mingled with urgency and fear. ‘Now!’

  ‘No!’ Timothy protested. ‘First tell me who is—’

  He didn’t finish his sentence, for he suddenly found himself in his bedroom; alone.

  - - -* * *- - -

  The two men waited; their eyes fixated at a specific area of the red sheet of rain. A man walked through it from the outside, his clothes still dry and unaffected by the harsh downpour. There was no trace of blood on either his hands or face, and even his hair was dry and perfectly combed. A hint of recognition crossed the two men’s faces as Victor approached them. He walked up to an arm’s length of them and stopped.

  ‘Nice show,’ he said and waved his hand through the air. ‘It’s a tad bit dramatic, but impressive nonetheless.’

  ‘We do not seek your companionship, Son of Perdition,’ Elijah said. ‘Leave!’

  ‘Oh come now fellas,’ Victor said, the corners of his lips tweaking upward. ‘Play nice.’

  The men didn’t reply. They had no intention of ‘playing’ his game.

  ‘I’m here because I received a ton of complaints from the locals about you two. It appears that you have been quite a thorn in the peaceful, local community’s side. Would you be so kind as to comment?’

  The men just stood there, staring at Victor.

  ‘Fine. Don’t speak, but by my own authority I command you to make this bloody rain stop.’ He smirked at the double meaning hidden in his words.

  The older man raised his hand, and the rain stopped instantly. The red sheet was gone, and in its place were buildings, cars, trees, and grass; all covere
d in blood.

  ‘Thank you, boys,’ Victor said. ‘Much obliged.’

  ‘Now leave,’ Elijah said.

  ‘I’ll see you soon,’ Victor said and walked away. The men didn’t take their eyes off him until he disappeared around the corner of a building.

  - - -* * *- - -

  Trevor had an incoming email:

  GMN Update Report: Bali Blast kills many.

  The heading caught him by surprise. There were no acts of terrorism since the alien attacks, except for those two reported guys in Jerusalem who toasted people for no apparent reason. Trevor double clicked on the mail and it opened on his screen:

  Community Shelter:

  An explosion rocked the town of Bali last night as a community shelter exploded unexpectedly. 47 people were killed instantly, and hundreds wounded in what appears to be a terrorist attack. Since the initial blast, hundreds of other bombs have detonated around the world; killing thousands more. The attacks have all been linked to one terrorist organization.

  European Empire President, Victor Yoshe, was quick on the scene to give his condolences to the families of those lost and hurt. He has vowed to resolve this matter in the utmost urgent sense, and will hold a detailed press conference later this week to discuss the matter in full.

  Bloody Rain in Jerusalem:

  Jerusalem came to a horrible standstill as all the water in the city turned to blood. Shortly after, it rained blood, drenching some citizens who found that they had no means of cleaning themselves. There were no immediate explanations for the phenomenon, but it soon became apparent that the two men who were the cause of recent disruptions in Jerusalem might have been involved. Mr. Yoshe made his appearance in Jerusalem to confront the two men, and ordered them to stop their spiteful acts of terror. They promptly obeyed, and the rain stopped. A spokesperson for the Israeli government said that it would take the city weeks, if not months, to clean the mess. He also confirmed that even though the rain had stopped, the blood still keeps flowing from their taps.

  New Pope to be selected soon:

  With no sign of the Pope, the Vatican has started making the necessary preparations of electing a successor for the leadership position. A secret conclave will be held in which a select few Cardinals will decide the Pope’s official successor. The decision will be declared during a public ceremony. More on this as events unfold.

  Trevor finished the rest of the mail, and then saved it in his private folder. He got up to get himself some coffee. The office appeared eerily empty without the constant rambling of the Eckard brothers and their little cult following. He glanced at their empty cubicles, and then thought about Norman.

  Damn you, Norman! Why you? A single tear rolled down his cheek as he made his way to the kitchen.

  .VIII.

  Law & Order

  ‘The European Union on Monday took its first major step to turn itself into a military power, as its defence ministers pledged troops and equipment to create a 60,000 member force by 2003...The force could be sent into the field within 60 days and could stay as long as a year, under the European Union’s plans.’

  - Tampa Tribune, November 21, 2000

  Cameras flashed and reporters almost trampled one another to death as Victor walked onto a little platform that had been erected specifically for the purpose of the press conference. They were all anxious to hear his views on the terrorist massacres, and wondered if he would pin it on aliens again. But the main reason for their excitement was his mere presence. It overwhelmed them completely. Victor stepped up to the podium, sternly scanning his eyes over everyone in the crowd.

  Everyone fell silent.

  ‘Ladies and Gentlemen of the press,’ he said and then paused. ‘Citizens of a world united. It is with great grief and sorrow that I have to address you all here today.’

  Cameras flashed, but the people were silent.

  ‘Last week, in the city of Bali, an unknown terrorist group attacked a local community shelter, instantly killing forty seven people, and injuring hundreds more. Since the initial attack, they have detonated hundreds of subsequent bombs, killing thousands of people.’

  He paused, allowing the people to notice his utter disgust from his facial expression.

  ‘These were innocent people,’ he finally said, ‘good people.’ He raised the tempo of his speech slightly. ‘We cannot stand for this. We cannot on one side demand peace and safety, and on the other declare war against one another.’ He raised the tone and tempo a little more. ‘We cannot fight against aliens and ourselves.’ His voice finally broke through the climatic level. ‘For a house divided against itself will fall!’

  Yeah! The reporters voiced their agreements, as their cameras flashed in unison.

  Victor allowed them to finish off naturally before continuing. ‘It is for this purpose that I have decided to create a force that will protect us from the forces of evil, alien or domestic. Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, I give you: N-Force!’

  A hush fell over the crowd as a soldier marched onto the platform toward the podium. His uniform consisted mainly of black and grey, and there was a white arm band wrapped tightly around his right arm. There was a purple circle on the arm band, and a purple letter Y blended neatly into the centre of the circle. The soldier stopped short of Victor and then stomped his boot into the ground and saluted. Victor returned the salute, and the soldier then turned to face the crowd, stomping his boot into the ground again.

  ‘N-Force is a global effort to ensure peace and safety. It is the merger of all military, police, hospital and fire fighting forces on the planet. We have created one force that will deal with evil in a strict and swift manner.’

  Cameras flashed, but the soldier didn’t blink.

  ‘We defeated the alien threat because we stood united together as one force of justice; and just like we overcame the alien invaders, so too shall we overcome the evil within humankind. To achieve this goal, we will impose a gun ban on all non-N-Force civilians.’

  The reporters buzzed.

  ‘This means that no one except N-Force soldiers would be allowed to own or carry a firearm or any calibre, even if you have a licence to own it. All citizens across the world have a three month window period, in which they should hand in all firearms they have in their possession at the nearest N-Force office; which would be any police station, fire department, hospital, or government office.’

  Everyone’s hands shot up immediately and all the reporters shouted their questions simultaneously. Victor merely lifted his hand, and the crowd calmed down.

  ‘This law will go hand-in-hand with a disarmament law that will force all countries to destroy their missiles and other weapons of mass destruction. As long as there are weapons, there can be no trust. And without trust, there can be no peace. I am confident that you will relay this information accurately to the rest of the population.’

  ‘Do we know who was responsible for the bombings yet?’ A reporter shouted from within the crowd.

  ‘Although no one has claimed responsibility yet, rest assured that N-Force is looking into the matter and those responsible will be brought to justice.’

  More questions were asked, and Victor answered each one. When he was done, he saluted the crowd and the N-Force officer, and then left the stage in perfect stride.

  - - -* * *- - -

  Andrew frowned. The book that he borrowed from Trevor was more confusing than he had originally anticipated. The lingo threw him off, and it felt like he was reading instructions for building guided missiles. His head pounded, and although he felt like giving up on more than one occasion; something drove him. He felt it in his gut. The book had something important to say, and he wanted to know what it was.

  How could this be so hard? He thought. It’s only plain English!

  He scanned his eyes across the content again and slowly became aware of the background noise coming from the television. He banged his fist down hard against the table and flung the book across the room. It crashed into
his wall unit at the opposite end of the room and bumped a framed picture off the shelf, which shattered on the floor.

  ‘Leave me alone!’ he shouted.

  He covered his face in his hands and breathed deeply. Why was it so hard to understand a simple book? He couldn’t understand it. It almost felt as if he couldn’t read at all. Victor’s voice from the television made him look up.

  ‘Yes,’ he answered a reporter. ‘Those who do not hand in their firearms within the three month window period will be regarded as terrorists, and will be treated as such in the harshest sense.’

  ‘And how would the other world leaders react to your disarmament plan?’

  Victor smiled. ‘We had a meeting, and the “world leaders” are all in favour of the disarmament plan, as well as the creation of N-Force. Finally, true peace is within our grasp.’

  A shiver went down Andrew’s spine, and he switched off the television. He looked at the book lying on the floor at the opposite end of the room. He sighed deeply and walked over to it. Against his better judgement, he picked up the book and flipped through it again, letting his eyes glide over the content in hope that he would find something, anything that he could relate to. He then opened the book at the first chapter, and read the heading. It read like computer programming code. The words stood out bold, but still he couldn’t figure out what it meant. Frustrated, he scanned his eyes over the heading again and read it aloud: ‘The-One-World-Empire-And-The-Rise-of-The-Antichrist.’

  - - -* * *- - -

  Before the overwhelming stench, there were the fish. Tiny black blots in a river filled with blood. They drifted slowly downstream, spreading the odour of decay as they went. It was only a matter of time before it filled the whole of Jerusalem, and spread to other regions of Israel, as far as Ramallah, Jericho, and Hebron. The GMN Jerusalem Post was the first newspaper to cover the fish-phenomenon. The fish was only the beginning of the problem. Attracted by the horrible stench were the flies and gnats. They started out as a few random swarms, but it soon turned to a full scale plague, swiftly spreading deadly diseases across Jerusalem.