In Exile (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book III)

by John J Higgins

  “Cain! Cain! Wait up!” a familiar voice called out to him. It was his brother Abel.

  Cain turned and saw Abel running towards him, the two Simian females continuing to head in the other direction towards their own home. Cain did not slow down, as he did not want to hear his brother gloat about having won the two Simian females.

  Abel just moved faster and caught up with him.

  “Cain, I want you to come home with me. I am not angry and have no hard feelings against you. I know that you only did what you did out of your love for Gaela. You can have her if you want, I don’t want to lose my brother!”

  Cain looked up with his head still pointed down, making his eyes look like a serpent’s for a moment. “You would give me Gaela? Is this some form of trick?”

  “No, no trick, my brother.”

  “Why? You don’t want her anymore?” Cain asked suspiciously.

  “That does not matter to me. You are still my brother. I will get over her, and I don’t want to be without you in my life, Cain.”

  Cain looked into Abel’s eyes, which were welling up with tears. Perhaps he really was sincere. But that couldn’t be true. Cain knew enough about himself to know that he would never give up something or someone he won. Abel must have been trying to trick him.

  “Come home, Cain!” Abel implored. “Gaela and Borea are coming over again. We can all have dinner and all make friends once again.”

  Cain was not looking forward to spending another night in that other cave all by himself. Besides, he would get to see Gaela again. He was sure that she must be missing him by now. She didn’t get to see him all day.

  The two brothers walked back home to Adam and Eve’s cave, Abel putting his arm through his brother’s in a sign of affection. Adam and Eve, Enoch and the baby Seth were all happy to see Cain come home again.

  Gaela and Borea arrived after everyone had begun eating, but both sat near Abel and not over by Cain. He could feel their coolness towards him, and they were even warmer to Abel. Abel tried to make Gaela move closer to Cain, but she was having none of it; it was clear that she was angry with him. As the evening went on it became more awkward and uncomfortable for Cain. When it came time for the two females to leave they did not want to be escorted home by Cain at all, so he was forced to remain in the cave while Abel walked them home.

  Cain kept thinking about what the old Simian had told him, that the best solution for him was to get rid of Abel. The two females would then have to like him as he was the only Human male their age. He knew that they only wanted a Human mate, they had told Cain and Abel repeatedly over the years that they wanted nothing to do with the Simian males, they would rather die alone than be mated to a Simian. As he waited for Abel to return, Cain dozed off and kept hearing Abel’s voice speaking to him earlier, “I don’t want to be without you in my life, Cain.”

  Cain became resolved that Abel would get his wish. If Abel was killed, he would not be without Cain in his life as Abel would have no life, and all would be better.

  When Cain awoke, the rest of the Humans were sound asleep in the cave. Getting up, he walked outside quietly and got upon his knees and called out “Morning Star” three times, as he had been instructed.

  Soon a bright luminescent Angel appeared, accompanied by another one standing a bit behind the first.

  “I am the Morning Star, Cain. I am delighted you have summoned me to help you with your problem. This Angel behind me is known as Beelzebael and he has come as a witness for our transaction. You do wish for me to assist you, do you not, my son?”

  “Yes, I do, my lord,” Cain answered, looking down from the brightness.

  “Good. You are having problems with your brother as I understand it, is that true?”

  “Yes, my lord, I am.”

  “And you want to be powerful in this world, I assume?”

  “Yes, I would like that very much, my lord.”

  “Good, my son. I can help you with all of those things. What are you willing to give me in exchange, Cain, for all my kindnesses that I intend to bestow upon you?”

  “I will give you all of my crops gladly, my lord.”

  “That is generous of you, Cain, but whether you know it or not I can grow whatever crops I want on my own. Remember I was the one who gave you those wonderful seeds the other day. What else do you have to offer me?”

  Cain thought quickly. The old Simian had mentioned that the Angel wanted his worship and loyalty. “I will worship you, my lord, and do anything you ask of me.”

  “Wonderful!” the Angel answered. “For how long?”

  “How long?” Cain asked in response.

  “Forever, Cain. I want that from you forever!”

  Cain stopped and thought about it for a moment, hesitating before he agreed.

  The Angel interjected. “If you worship me forever, Cain, you will never die. You will be with me in my Kingdom forever. I will allow you to come and go as you please. You can have any and all earthly pleasures from now until the end of time. You will not be like your brother or parents who will lose their lives and die and be at the mercy of what happens after death. Come look here, let me show you!”

  The Angel formed a crystal ball in his hands by scooping up some dirt form the ground between the two of them. In the crystal he showed Cain all of the pleasures of life on Earth that could be imagined. He also showed him a vision of a mighty palace that would be built for him in the Angels’ kingdom, masking any of the other trappings of Hell so it appeared warm and inviting.

  “Oh my lord, that is beautiful! Yes, I will do all of those things.”

  “Wonderful. There is just one other thing. Beelzebael will need some of your blood to seal the agreement. Beelzebael, take care of that please!”

  Beelzebael moved forward and using a mid-sized blade drew a small amount of Cain’s blood, dripping it upon the agreement as proof of his sealing it.

  “Excellent, Cain! Welcome now to my Kingdom! I must go now attend to other things.” He turned to Beelzebael. “If all goes according to plan, our friend Thantos will have his first customer before nightfall tomorrow and he needs to be told and prepared. And you, Beelzebael, will you demonstrate to our colleague here, Cain, how to dispose of his brother Abel. I would suggest teaching him some skills with that blade you have in your hands.”

  The Angel Morning Star began to rise back up into the blackened sky, illuminating the area around him. “I shall see you soon, Cain. Best of luck with your adventure tomorrow!”

  Chapter 56

  REVENGE

  Cain woke up early the next morning and sat near Abel while they ate breakfast with Adam and Eve and the rest of the family. The four grown male Humans left the cave for the fields. Adam was going to go into the village to see what was available at the local bazaar, while Enoch wanted to come along with Cain and Abel to the fields. Cain did not want any distractions, so he convinced Enoch that he should join Adam and go to the bazaar, asking him to see if he could find more baskets to harvest his crops.

  As Cain and Abel walked to the fields, Cain ran his fingers across the hilt of the short sword he had concealed on the inside of his tunic. He was at first self-conscious about the blade, but soon became used to it being on his body. He did not say much to Abel as they went into the fields. Cain was still thinking about what the Morning Star and Beelzebael had told and taught him last night.

  As the day progressed, Cain was beginning to lose his commitment to kill his brother Abel. What was the hurry, he thought to himself. Perhaps he could find another female Simian who was more beautiful than Gaela or Borea somewhere on the Earth. Or, he could always think about killing his brother, but wait for another day to carry out his plan.

  Around noon time, the old Simian with the raven hood showed up again. He was in a great mood, excited about seeing Cain again.

  “How are you today, young man? I heard you met with the Morning Star last night, as well as the Archangel Beelzebael.”

  “I am fine, th
anks. My meeting with the two Angels was a bit strange. The Morning Star seemed to be able to see right into my heart and feelings.”

  “Yes, he has a great ability in that regard. Did you make any decisions? Agree to worship him?”

  “I did make some decisions and yes, I am committed to worshipping him and being loyal to him. I have been having some second thoughts about killing my brother though.”

  “Not to worry, I would expect for you to have those thoughts. I find it best when I have trouble making a decision, I weigh each of the reasons to do and the reasons to not do something. What is the hardest decision for you to make?”

  “I am just not sure about killing Abel.”

  “Of course you are, and as you should be. The Almighty and the Universe hate a waste of life. But this is different, Cain. Your parents and brother were sentenced to die when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. It is only a matter of time before they die, even if it is of natural causes. But remember the Almighty allowed Luciferael and other Angels under their charge to tempt your father and mother into betraying the Almighty’s trust. And don’t lose sight that you and I will die someday.”

  “What do you think would happen if I do not kill my brother?”

  “The world will continue along this same path. Your other brothers, parents and the Humans you meet after this will continue to grow crops. The two Simian females will move in with your brother Abel and they will start families with him. From now on the females will deal with you as a brother. You will not be able to find a female that is as attractive as Gaela and you will get resentful that she is with your brother. As you grow older, you will wish that you could come back to this stage at your life and take your destiny in your own hands. Your parents Adam and Eve will die and you will become dependent on your brother and his new family for support. They will feel sorry for you and maybe be kind enough to take care of you in your old age.”

  “What if I take my destiny in my own hands?” Cain asked, depressed at his prospects.

  “From what I heard, you will live forever in the service of the Angel, the Morning Star. You can have anything you want on this Earth. You will not be confined after you die but you will be able to continue to visit the Earth. With your brother gone and out of the way, you will have a better chance of winning the heart of Gaela of the Simian females. And I hear that the Angel Morning Star intends for you to be a leader of a group of Humans as time goes by. You shall be exalted in this world and in his kingdom.”

  Cain began to smile as he heard that he could obtain his desires and would be exalted as a leader, both on the Earth and this kingdom of a powerful Angel. All he had to do was end the life of his brother. His brother was already sentenced to die by the Almighty, not for things that Abel had done but for things that their parents, Adam and Eve, had done. It was their fault that Abel was even at risk of dying. If he was going to die anyway, why not get rid of him sooner when it would do Cain the most good? And then there were all the other benefits.

  Cain spoke out and said, “I am going to just go do it, kill that brother of mine. I have way too much to lose to let him live.”

  “Wonderful news, Cain. When are you going to do it?

  “Right now! Go tell your master the Angel that the deed will be done shortly!”

  “Are you sure you know how to do it properly?”

  “Yes, the Angel named Beelzebael showed me exactly how to kill him, using this blade,” Cain said as he pulled out the bright blade from his tunic.

  “It’s time to save my destiny!” Cain said as he began to walk towards the field where Abel was tending his flock.

  The sun was hot as it was a little past midday. Abel may be taking a nap along with his flock. The hottest part of the day was a good time to rest in the shade, and Cain decided to walk through the woods that went along the edge of the field. If Abel was taking a nap it would be along the edge of the woods.

  As he approached where Abel was sleeping, he was filled with anger and jealousy over his younger brother. He also saw in his mind’s eye how great things would be for him after he was killed, and presented no more of an obstacle to Cain and his ambitions.

  Cain stood for a few minutes watching his brother sleep and tried to think of reasons not to kill him. But he knew he was committed to getting rid of Abel, and if it would not be today it would in the near future. Best to get it done and over with!

  Cain would never remember clearly what happened after he made the final decision. It all became hazy in his mind as he approached quickly, his blade out and at the ready. Once he was close upon Abel, he took the blade and slashed him right across the throat, deeply enough so that he could make no sound. Blood spurted out from his brother’s neck, spraying out on the ground near where he had been sleeping. Cain looked into Abel’s eyes and saw the look of surprise and shock as he grabbed for his neck and gurgled rather than calling out. His eyes asked Cain why and at the same time pleaded silently for help. But Cain had no mercy this afternoon. In fact, he found the experience exhilarating as he watched Abel’s body bleed out on the ground and his spirit leave his body.

  Cain could have sworn he saw a black-robed shadowy creature come out of nowhere and take the soul of Abel as it floated out of his dead body. This killing thing may have its advantages, Cain thought to himself.

  But throughout the Universe something had shifted again: the first murder had been committed.

  Chapter 57

  SHOCKWAVE

  The shock wave from Cain’s murder of his brother Abel was so profound that even Jarahmael felt the shift, secured upon that rock in Hell, beyond the torture that was already being inflicted on him. As the shock wave passed through the rest of Hell, the rebel Angels let out a roar of excitement. It was exactly what Luciferael wanted.

  Luciferael saw this as a great opportunity to convince Jarahmael to reveal the location of the Almighty’s Books. Sammuael always wanted to go and have the opportunity to torture Jarahmael. It gave him immense pleasure watching his former nemesis suffering on that large rock. But that was not the approach Luciferael wanted under these circumstances.

  After some thought, Luciferael decided to send Mephistophael. He might have better luck with this stubborn loyal Archangel. After a brief discussion with Mephistophael, he was sent over to speak with Jarahmael, dismissing the carnabus as he landed beside the Archangel. He walked over to Jarahmael, changing his demeanor to one of compassion as he moved even closer and reached down to touch Jarahmael’s forehead, removing any pain Jarahmael felt from the injuries inflicted on his body.

  “I am here to help you, my former brother Archangel,” Mephistophael said as he looked into the impaled loyal Archangel’s blue eyes. “Still haven’t told us anything, I see, stubborn, oh so stubborn!”

  Jarahmael felt some relief from the physical pain, for the first time in many years.

  “I want to offer you the chance to reveal what we want to know about the Almighty’s Books. I am not sure you could feel the shock wave that came across this universe before, or the screams of delight that came from my colleagues.”

  Jarahmael just stared back at Mephistophael, refusing to let him see any of his emotions or feelings.

  “I know you cared about the Humans, Lord knows you sacrificed yourself for these worthless creations of the Almighty. Do you remember the brothers that were the offspring of Adam and Eve, who have also become the brothers to your son Enoch? That ‘free will’ creation of the Almighty has backfired once again. The older boy now grown into a man became jealous of his younger brother Abel, over a woman. To make a long story short, the older one, Cain, I believe is his name, made a deal with Luciferael for the woman and some power on that dustbowl known as Earth. As part of that deal, Cain killed Abel earlier today, murdered him with a weapon that Beelzebael gave him and trained him in using. Thanks be to Luciferael, finally the Humans are being destroyed, not by the Almighty but by themselves. How ironic is that, my former brothe
r?” Mephistophael smiled as he told Jarahmael all the details.

  “Don’t you see, Jarahmael, these creatures are not worth your suffering? They don’t even care about themselves?” Mephistophael paused again and waited. “Still no reaction?”

  Mephistophael was growing impatient once again with a lack of response by Jarahmael despite the pain they had been inflicting upon him. Perhaps a different approach would be more effective. Maybe Jarahmael would try to protect Lillith once again.

  “The time is coming that we will begin to torture Lillith, my friend. It will not be pretty either. You need to speak to me, tell me what you know about those Books. Again, I am sure if you provide us with the Books Luciferael will forgive everything and you can go on with your life with Lillith if you so desire. But if you don’t help us we will convince Lillith that it is best for her to stay here with us. She is here of her own free will and we will convince her to create more hybrid offspring, and this time it will be with us, the rebel Angels. As you know, if she does all of this with her own free will there is nothing the Almighty or the loyal Angels can do to save her. They, like you, will be powerless to save her from this wonderful but torturous paradise. The choice, once again Jarahmael, is yours and yours alone.”

  Tears were rolling down Jarahmael’s eyes despite all his efforts to stop them. Why the Almighty had allowed the Humans to be exposed to the powers of these evil and destructive Angels, he had no idea. He wished he could move throughout the Universe with his full powers restored by the Almighty. But he knew that the Almighty had deserted him, and there was no use in even trying to communicate or ask for help from the Almighty. He would struggle on, and just hope that at some point there would be the right opportunity for him to extricate himself from this place and get the tools he needed to take on the evil ones.