Morgaine and Asmodeus

by Joe Vadalma

  He gazed down at her with pity in his eyes. “I'm sorry darling, but you must be sacrificed to Lilith.” He withdrew a ceremonial dagger from the corded white belt around his waist and held it aloft.

  Raven screamed in terror. And then through tears, asked, “Why Keith? Why are you doing this? I thought you loved me."

  "I belong to Lilith now. I must do as she wills.” He plunged the dagger into Raven's heart.

  She didn't die. Instead everything in her dream changed. Keith and all the robed figures had disappeared. She and Morgaine were alone. Her chains mysteriously fell away, and she sat up. Morgaine peered into her face and said, “Very beautiful. Yes, lovely."

  "What are you talking about? Where's Keith? How did you get him to betray me?” Morgaine handed her a hand mirror. “What's this for?” Raven asked.

  "Look.” Morgaine's smile was pure evil.

  Raven gazed into the mirror and screamed again. Instead of her face she viewed the countenance of Morgaine in her Claudia disguise.

  "Soon. Soon. You'll be mine,” Morgaine whispered throatily.

  Raven woke up sweating with the blankets twisted around her. The room was dark except for the door to the hallway where a crack of light showed. She became instantly alert. Someone had opened the door as much as the chain would allow. There was a metallic crunch and clink of a bolt-cutter snipping the chain. Raven reached over and grabbed her thirty-eight special lying on the carpet. As she fought her way out of the bedding, a shadow moved swiftly into the room. The door closed noiselessly, plunging the room into utter darkness. Raven rolled off the sofa, finally fought her way free of the blankets and crawled around to the back of the sofa so that it was between her and the door.

  She peeked over the bolster, straining to see who had entered the room. A shadow deeper than the others moved across her plane of view. She called out, “Claudia? Is that you? Turn on the light so that I can see you. I've got a gun. I don't want to shoot you, but I will if you don't do as I say or try anything funny."

  No answer, but someone banged into furniture. Raven fired her pistol in the direction of the sound but high. Several things happened simultaneously. A blunt object struck her arm, causing her to drop her weapon. Someone strong grabbed her from behind, and the bedroom door opened, pouring light into the room. Melody and Ellul were framed in the doorway gaping. Melody had her revolver in her hand.

  "Get away from the door, you two,” Raven cried. “You make perfect targets.” They heeded her advice and slammed the door shut.

  She tried Judo to throw the man holding her off her back, but he was big and strong with a grip of iron. He covered her mouth with a cloth saturated with chloroform. She struggled until everything went black.

  * * * *

  Raven woke up with a terrible headache from the chloroform. When she tried to move, she discovered that she was tied to a chair with ropes and sore and cramped. She had no idea whether it was night or day or how long she had been out. She opened her eyes a slit. The only light was from one dim lamp on a small table. Next to the table, a man sat reading a comic book with his chair tipped and braced against a wall. He was one of the goons who had been after the robot. The room was enormous with no ceiling and no interior walls. Cartons, barrels and crates were stacked in rows.

  "Hey George,” Raven called out.

  Startled, George almost lost his balance. The chair legs came down hard with a bang. He laid the comic on the table. “You awake?"

  "Duh!” she said. “Yeah, I'm awake. George—that is your name, isn't it?” He nodded. “I gotta piss—bad."

  "Gee, I don't know. I'd have to untie you."

  "C'mon, give me a break. You wouldn't want me to piddle on the floor. I really gotta go."

  "All right, but you'd better not try any funny stuff."

  He untied Raven's wrists and drew a revolver from his jacket pocket. After she removed the rest of the ropes, he pointed with the gun. “That way.” They walked down an aisle of stacked boxes to the rear of the building and crowded into a tiny filthy washroom that held an ancient cracked commode and a sink that hadn't been cleaned in years. George made no move to leave.

  "You gonna watch, you pervert,” Raven spat.

  "Sorry, I have to. It's my ass if you get away. You outta be glad I untied you. I could've let you piss right there in the chair. Don't worry, you ain't got nothing I ain't seen before.” He leaned against the wall with a shit-eating grin on his puss.

  Raven pulled up her nightgown, sat on her hands and sighed with relief as she let go. When they returned to where she had been bound before, George retied her to the chair, took out his cell phone and dialed. “Major, you told me to call when she came to. She's awake. Okay.” He leaned back until the chair rested against the wall again.

  "Why'd you kidnap me?” Raven asked. “I thought you guys were after the robot."

  "I don't know. I just follow orders. Bob and The Major are coming down. Maybe they'll tell you. My guess is that they think you know too much.” He gave her a nasty grin.

  "Who's The Major?"

  "You'll find out."

  She chatted with George, trying to pry information out of him. He kept up the dumb act. Finally, Bob and an older man with a gray mustache and a straight-backed military way of walking showed up. The older man apologized to Raven, “I'm sorry that we had to kidnap you, Miss Lenore, but we need to get the robot back. We want you to tell us where Ellul has hidden it."

  "I see. Well, before I say anything about that, how about untying me? I'm terribly uncomfortable."

  "Certainly. George."

  While George loosened the knots, Robert pointed an AK-47 at Raven.

  "Anything else we can do for you?” The Major asked.

  "Yeah, how about something to drink and a cig. I'm thirsty as hell and dying for a smoke."

  "Of course, we want you to be as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. George, get a Coke out of the machine for the lady.” He pulled out a fancy gold-plated combination cigarette case and lighter with the initials A. B. on it and handed it to Raven. She put the cigarette to her lips and handed back the case. He snapped it shut and lit her cigarette. Then he brought out a cigar from his inside pocket, bit off the tip, spewed it on the floor and lit up the stogie. George returned with a soda, and Raven took a few sips.

  "Before I tell you what I know, how about you telling me a few things. Who are you really? And why are you so anxious to get your hands on the robot? And don't give me any of that working for the government crap."

  The Major frowned. “Why should I tell you that? You're in no position to bargain with us, I'm afraid."

  "Tit for tat. I have information about what you're after. You should reciprocate. A fair exchange."

  He grinned. “You're a brazen one. We have you completely under our power, and yet you demand information from us. We could simply beat what we want out of you."

  Raven took a deep puff from the cigarette, blew smoke at him and grinned back. “That wouldn't be nice. Besides, if you're good to me, maybe I could help you get your property back. I assume you consider the robot your property."

  The Major and Robert exchanged looks.

  After a few moments of mulling it over, The Major said, “We'll think about your offer. I guess it won't do any harm to tell you some things. My name is Major Alfred Bachman. Before I retired from the service, I was liaison officer to the people who built the robot. By the way, we prefer to call it an android."

  "The TURC Corporation,” Raven interrupted.

  "Yes. Well, after they designed the android, they lost the government contract because that son-of-a-bitch Westcott wouldn't change certain parameters in its brain. He was the only one who knew how they were coded into its read-only memory. With Ellul's help, he and Elizabeth Wolfgang stole the robot and destroyed his notes and blueprints. After TURC went belly-up, all the original design people scattered to the four winds. There was a suspicious fire at the plant which destroyed everything associated with t
he robot's design. Since I was a stockholder in TURC and lost plenty, I feel I'm owed a share of whatever assets the corporation has left. Their only valuable asset now is the robot."

  Bachman took deep puffs of cigar smoke and blew out rings. “The thing is, the idea of an android that obeys its master's every command is worth billions. I found people who can reverse engineer the robot. I also know people in a Japanese multinational high-tech firm who had already put a bid into TURC after TURC lost their government contract and were in deep straits.” He gave Raven a knowing look. “So you see, there's big money involved. If you cooperate, I could allow you and your partner to share in our good fortune—cash and stock options."

  "Could I get that in writing?” Raven quipped.

  "Hell no. At least not until we find the robot. Then we'll deal."

  "Okay, I'll tell you what I know.” Raven told them that Ellul had hidden the robot in a ruined castle in Switzerland and that Claudia (Morgaine) had shown up and almost trapped her and Keith. She left out any references to possible occult events that may or may not have occurred. She related how they went to the Orkland Islands where Ellul showed up, and Claudia had absconded with Keith and the robot. “Then we came back to London."

  "What's with all this wandering around Europe?"

  "At first we were looking for Ellul. Our information indicated that he was searching for Frankenstein's secret journal. Isn't that a laugh? After Ellul showed up, he hired me to help him search for another secret journal, this time of the famous mystic, alchemist and astrologer, Doctor Dee."

  Bachman puffed on his cigar and mulled what Raven had told him over. “The way I've got this figured is that Ellul and this Van Best woman are in cahoots. It's too much of a coincidence that he shows up while she's in another room making off with your partner and the robot. Maybe your partner is in on the scam too."

  "I can't believe that about Keith, but I agree that Ellul and Claudia are working together. The robot as much as told me that. According to it, those two stole him away from you right under the noses of your hoods.” She nodded toward the two men holding guns on her. They got sour looks on their faces. No doubt they had been chastised for the event. “But I haven't figured out what their game is. That is why I went along with Ellul. Besides, he pays well."

  "It must have something to do with the robot. These mad scientist journals must be a red herring."

  Raven shrugged. “You could be right. Tomorrow—today, I guess, depending how long I've been out cold—Ellul and I were going to the cemetery where Dee is buried and have a look around. My hope was that Claudia would show up. She seems to be after something besides the robot. In fact, my feeling is that she's using the robot as a bargaining chip to get what she's really after."

  "You have a point. Tell you what, for a share of the profits, will you agree to help us?"

  "Sure, why not. I've got no reason to be loyal to this Ellul character."

  "Okay, we ought to go to the cemetery as soon as possible, wait by Dee's grave and surprise whoever shows up."

  "Good plan—new boss.” Raven put out her hand for him to shake. “One thing, I'll need clothes. I can't be wandering around in my nightgown."

  "Hmm, George's English girl friend is about your size. Her flat's only a couple of blocks from here."

  "Okay. Does she have jeans? I don't want to wear a dress if I don't have to.” George nodded. “And don't forget clean panties and a jacket or coat. It's chilly out. I'm freezing as it is."

  George left on his errand, and Bachman handed Raven his overcoat. They sat in silence until the gofer returned. Raven eyed Robert up and down a few times. He was cold fish who didn't talk much and had the nasty look of a professional killer, maybe even a sadist.

  After Raven changed into George's girl friend's clothes, Bachman drove to the cemetery in Bachman's sports vehicle. It was four in the morning. The streets were deserted and murky with the usual London fog. Because the cemetery gates were chained shut, Bachman, George and Raven climbed over the stone wall that surrounded it. Robert stayed in the car. Once they were over the wall, Bachman asked Raven, “This is a big cemetery. Where is this Dee buried?"

  "Damned if I know. Probably in one of the older sections. Look for gravestones with dates around fifteen hundred and something."

  The ground was damp and sucked in their feet at each step. All around, looming out of the vapor like gray demons were carved angels and virgin mothers. One monument had a likeness of the grim reaper, a cloaked figure with a skeletal face peering out of the folds of a cowl and carrying a scythe. Raven shivered from the dampness. In her imagination, the dead moaned and were restless as they walked over the graves.

  Bachman played his flashlight on the crumbling markers. In the older section of the cemetery, they were dark and worn away so that the names were all but impossible to read. Finally they came upon a mausoleum blocked by a locked iron gate. Carved in the archway above the entrance was “Dee."

  "This must be it,” Raven said. She pointed toward a couple of large monuments. “Let's hide over there and see if Van Best or Ellul show up."

  "I've got a better idea,” Bachman said. “You and I will hide inside. It's less likely that we'd be spotted. If someone goes in, we'll have them trapped. If they run back out, George will be waiting for them."

  Raven shrugged. “You're the boss."

  George picked the simple lock on the iron gate which Bachman locked again after he and Raven entered. There was another door on the mausoleum that screeched as it scraped against the floor. Once Bachman closed it, all sound was shut away. The interior was pitch black, cramped and loaded with dust and cobwebs. Raven choked and gagged in the thick musty atmosphere.

  "Are you all right?” Bachman asked solicitously.

  "Yeah. It's the dust. Allergies."

  Raven took a deep breath of the choking air, wiped the sweat from her brow and leaned against the wall to keep from sinking to the floor on her watery legs.

  Meanwhile, Bachman wandered around reading inscriptions. “Here it is,” he cried after a while.

  "What?"

  "The last resting place of that Doctor Jonathan Dee you were talking about. Should we peek inside?"

  Raven wrinkled her nose. “What the hell for?"

  "Maybe we'll find the journal that Ellul was searching for. Dee might've had it interned with himself."

  "I doubt that. But go ahead. It's worth a try. If you find it, maybe you can use it as a negotiating coin to trade for the robot. That Van Best woman seemed interested in it too."

  Bachman opened the bag he had brought along and removed a wrecking bar. With it, he pried open the vault and slid a rotting pine coffin out. Curious and repulsed at the same time, Raven hung on to his arm and peered over his shoulder as he lifted the lid. Inside was a crumbling skeleton and a lot of mold. Nothing else. Raven turned her head away. “Put it back. Let the dead rest in peace."

  "You know, Raven, there's something strange about this crypt."

  "What do you mean?"

  "It's smaller inside than outside."

  Raven took his flashlight and used it to gaze around. “I think you're right. Could there be a secret room?” Above the vault that held Dee's remains, stone blocks with alchemical symbols carved on them stood out from the others. She reached up and pressed one of them. It slid in and then slid out again as though spring loaded. Nothing else happened. “If those open a secret door, you probably need to press more than one and in some order, like a combination lock."

  "There's ten of them. It'd take all night to figure out the secret."

  "Maybe not.” Raven reached up and pressed in the blocks with the symbols for the four alchemical elements, water, air, fire and earth.

  There was a teeth-wrenching screech of stone rubbing against stone and a section of the wall opened.

  CHAPTER 14

  THE VAULT'S SECRET ROOM

  When Bachman stepped into the secret room, Raven stayed close behind him. It was dustier and mustie
r than the outer section of the mausoleum. Time had taken its toll on its contents. It had become a mess of broken shelves, rotted furniture and broken bric-a-brac. Raven shuddered. Bachman asked, “What's the matter, allergies acting up again?"

  "Don't you feel it? We're being watched by an invisible presence."

  He laughed. “What do you think? That the ghost of Doctor Dee is haunting this place?"

  "You think that's funny, but I'm somewhat of a medium."

  He scoffed, “What hogwash. I see you as one of those gullible new age people who scares themselves with their fantasies."

  "And you're obviously an unbeliever, so there's no sense arguing about it."

  After that exchange, they explored the room in silence. It had been used as a combination office, laboratory and shrine. In one corner two brass candleholders and a thurible lay on a small altar covered with a rotting cloth. The broken shelves held boxes, jars and other containers some of which had long ago fallen, their spilled contents intermingling with the thick layer of dust on the floor. Ancient books crumbled to bits when Bachman or Raven picked them up. A high desk had seen better days. Although it still held a quill pen and a jar of dried-up ink, its drawers were gone. Raven examined closely a crack that seemed too straight to be natural. Three other cracks joined with the first to make an eight inch by four inch rectangle. On one end was an indentation. Raven pushed with her fingers until the square moved a short distance. She shifted it in different directions. Finally she discovered that if she could pushed the end with the indentation down, she could slide her other hand into the opening. She slowly worked out a leather-bound journal somehow preserved through the centuries with vellum pages filled with scrawled notes and hand-rendered drawings in faded ink. Raven could not read the words but recognized many symbols that belonged to the alchemical and occult traditions.

  She gazed into Bachman's eyes in wonder. “This must be it."

  "What? What's that?"

  "Doctor Dee's secret journal."

  "Let me see that."

  As Raven was about to hand it to him to examine, scratching noises came from the tomb's entrance. Someone was picking the lock on the iron gate. Raven slipped the journal inside the front of her jeans and zipped her jacket over it. Bachman drew his gun and signaled Raven with a wave of his hand to return to the front of the building. He flattened against the wall near the entrance of the secret room.