The Demon Rolmar

by A. Griffin

  Itakir scratched his forehead. “The amulet is connected to Rolmar’s powers. I think it might. If he knows that it’s been broken he might think Linda’s in trouble. Hopefully, if he suspects that something is wrong then he’ll come to Linda’s house to investigate.”

  Zelia looked at Adam, “Who’s going to talk to him?”

  “I will. I’ll speak on the behalf of everyone,” Adam said.

  “I’ll talk to him first,” Linda said. “Like you said before, he has a soft spot for me.” And I have a soft spot for Ian. “He might listen to me. Is everyone in agreement?” They all nodded. “OK guys, here goes nothing,” Linda said. She raised the amulet above the table, and with all her strength, brought it down against the mahogany surface.

  CHAPTER 20

  The children walked gingerly down the cold, Manhattan streets. Rolmar took the form of a teenager wearing a T-shirt and jeans and walked ahead of them.

  “Where are we going?” the boy asked.

  “Nowhere in particular,” the demon replied.

  “What will our new lives be like?” Hailey inquired.

  “Anything you want it to be. We can be nomads of the universe if you like, wandering and exploring any place you wish. I have no intention of returning to Pentar so quickly. What do you think of my current form?”

  “It’s awesome! You look like a real, teenage boy,” Nat said.

  Rolmar stopped for a moment, readjusted his black hat, and proceeded on. “These garments are strange, but comfortable nonetheless.”

  “Look, the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Hailey said. She was practically beaming.

  “But we have no money,” Nat said.

  Rolmar stopped again, and the children almost collided into him. He reached into a pocket and retrieved two one hundred dollar bills and gave one to each of them.

  “He can make anything!” Nat said. “I guess we’ll never have to worry about money ever again.”

  Once they paid the entrance fee, Hailey and Nat went to look at a sarcophagus. “Wow, I’ve never seen one before,” Nat said. He was glued to the sarcophagus for a moment, but then wandered around to look at the other Egyptian artifacts in the room.

  Hailey turned to Rolmar. “Aren’t you impressed by all of this, Rolmar? This is the history of the Earth…it’s all around us,” she said. Rolmar nodded imperceptibly. Hailey and Nat found the armor exhibit. Nat was impressed by the craftsmanship of the suits. They’re beautiful, he thought to himself. Some of the pieces had intricate carvings, and others had ornate decorations. Even Rolmar was secretly interested in the suits but he didn’t let on to the children.

  After the children had finished admiring the suits of armor, Rolmar asked, “Would you like to see something truly unique?”

  Rolmar created a luminous, red portal in front of the children. They entered hesitantly, and the demon followed. On the other side of the portal was something truly spectacular. They landed on a plush, grass precipice. Hailey tried to make sense of what she was seeing. There’s the night sky—illuminated by too many stars—but the scene is beautiful nonetheless. These aren’t stars, though. They are something else entirely.

  “What is this, Rolmar?” Hailey asked.

  “It is meant to be a tutorial—it’s the best way that I can express the concept of reality to you. If you’re going to be traveling around the universe, there are a few things you’ll need to learn. This place is known as the Emestra and has existed for eons. All those who wish to learn about the universe come here.”

  The children sat down on the grass and marveled at the night sky. “I still don’t understand,” Hailey said.

  “Let’s see…reality is nothing more than an infinite set of possibilities. Like those glistening dots you see in the sky, they go on forever. If each dot represents a choice and makes a sound when it’s selected, the whole system could be likened to a piano. A lifetime, I suppose would be some kind of strange melody…a symphony perhaps, but with an infinite selection of notes to choose from.”

  Nat asked Rolmar, “But what are those dots exactly?”

  “They are comprised of the life essence of infinite beings. All the powers of the Pentarians stem from this place. Only the high demons can visit there, though.”

  “Will you go there when you die, Rolmar?” Nat asked.

  “No, I will never die. I’m immortal.”

  “How is it that you are immortal?” Nat asked.

  “My kind exists outside of time, and therefore we are immortal.”

  “Can we exist outside of time?” Nat inquired.

  “The longer you stay with me, the more Pentarian characteristics you’ll take on and vice versa. So perhaps one day you will exist outside of time if that is what you wish.”

  “We do wish it,” they both said.

  “Maybe, just maybe,” Rolmar replied.

  CHAPTER 21

  Hailey took a deep breath of crisp, cool air. She could taste the saltiness that the wind carried. The sand was frigid, and a cold mist was blowing. The children walked with some difficulty through the deep, white dunes.

  “Rolmar, why have we come here?” Hailey asked.

  “This is a good place for you to say your good-byes to this world.”

  “Oh,” Hailey said.

  Nat turned to look at the ocean. “The sea is so magnificent,” he said. There was remorse in his voice.

  Hailey stopped to look as well. “I guess we’ll never see it again,” she said.

  “Probably not, but you will see many beautiful parts of the universe,” Rolmar said. For a time they all watched the cold waves buffet the shore.

  Hailey picked up a handful of sand. “I think I’ll miss the sea most of all.”

  “Me too,” Nat chimed in. “Tell us more about yourself, Rolmar. We know so little about you. Can you feel emotions?” he asked.

  “Before I came to Earth, I felt mainly indifference. I also felt fascination, awe, and hatred.”

  “Do you feel love?” the boy ventured.

  “That emotion is foreign to me.”

  “But if you wanted to, you could try, couldn’t you?”

  Rolmar thought of how to explain how fundamentally different Pentarians are from humans. I respond to hate and my own whims. These children are creatures that cannot thrive without love. “One of your sea creatures might try to live on land, but nothing good would come of it.”

  “Oh,” Nat sounded disappointed.

  “What I mean is that just as a fish is incapable of living on land, I am incapable of this emotion you call love.” But the demon didn’t truly believe his own words. Being with these children had softened him in some way. When he first saw them he felt pity, something entirely new. In time, Rolmar suspected that he might feel love for these creatures as well.

  “Does it bother you to stay in your current human form?” Hailey asked.

  “Yes, it’s very different from my true form. I can feel the degradation of this body—the continuous cycle of cells being born and dying, the ebb and flow of this vessel. No matter how slight the degradation of this body may be—it is always with me—and its constant presence never ceases to sicken me to my very core.”

  “Then why stay in that body?” Nat asked.

  “It’s for your benefit alone. I thought this human form would be less menacing than my true form.”

  “Oh, I see,” Hailey said.

  They continued to walk for a while until the children became tired. Hailey and Nat sat down together on the cold sand.

  Nat shivered. “This sand is cold. I wish that I had a blanket to sit on,” he said. Rolmar conjured up a soft blanket with gray and white stripes on it for the children.

  “Here, take this blanket. I’m sure you’ll find it more accommodating than the sand,” he said.

  “Thank you, Rolmar.” Hailey said. She was truly grateful for the blanket, which was slightly warm.

  “I wish I could make things appear out of thin air,” Nat said.

  “Aft
er some practice I’m sure you will be able to make anything you want. Are you ready to say good-bye to this place?” the demon asked.

  “Not just yet,” Hailey answered.

  “Then perhaps you’d like a preview of some of the places we might visit.”

  “OK, let’s see.” Nat said. He was excited. Rolmar sat down and conjured his golden sphere. Look closely but do not touch the sphere. The children peered into its depths.

  “What are we looking for?” Hailey asked.

  “Look at the center of the sphere for a small, gray planet,” Rolmar said.

  “Oh, I can see it now!” Nat said. The view became closer and closer until they could see the surface of the planet.

  “Do people live on this planet?” Hailey asked.

  “No, they don’t,” Rolmar replied. “This is your planet, Nat.”

  “I don’t understand,” Nat said.

  “Your thoughts are connected to this planet,” Rolmar explained. “It appears desolate because that’s how you feel.”

  “I guess I feel pretty lonesome sometimes,” Nat said.

  “Not everyone in the world has their own planet, but you two do.” The children looked at each other and began to laugh.

  “Why us?” Hailey asked.

  “Because you have the potential for greatness.”

  “I can’t believe it,” Hailey said. “My very own planet.”

  “Yes. And what’s more, one day you’ll go there,” Rolmar added.

  “Really? That’s a dream come true,” Nat said. Nat looked at Rolmar. “Can I change my planet just by thinking different thoughts?”

  “Yes, you can. Try it.”

  Nat began to think of some things that made him happy: ice cream, candy, and Hailey’s friendship.

  “Now look into the sphere again,” the demon said.

  Nat looked into the sphere and was surprised to see that the sun had risen, and grass now decorated the diminutive planet. “I can’t believe I did this. It’s amazing!” he said. He began to jump up and down on the blanket. Hailey joined him.

  After a few minutes, Hailey said, “I’d like to see my planet.”

  The children looked into the sphere again, and this time a large, red planet came into view. Nat and Hailey held hands as they viewed the planet. The surface was strange—not quite solid, not quite liquid—it was almost gelatinous.

  “Rolmar, I’d like the ground to be solid,” Hailey said.

  “All you have to do is picture it being solid in your mind,” the demon replied.

  “It worked, it worked! Look Nat!” Hailey said, and started jumping up and down. What was once gelatinous now appeared solid.

  “Can we make more changes?” Nat asked.

  “All in good time,” Rolmar replied. “But for now it’s best to say good-bye.” The children looked around them and then touched the sand. Nat ran in the waves and splashed a bit. Hailey joined him. When they returned to the blanket, the corners of Rolmar’s mouth were tugging at a smile.

  “It’s time to go now,” Rolmar said.

  “OK, we’re ready,” they said.

  “I’m glad. We have business to attend to,” Rolmar said—this time, with a full smile.

  CHAPTER 22

  Just as Rolmar and the children were about to leave the beach, Rolmar stopped.

  “Something’s wrong,” the demon said.

  “What is it?” Nat said.

  “I think I should go see a friend.”

  Nat took Rolmar’s hand. “Hailey, it’s time to go,” Nat said. Hailey rushed to the other side of Rolmar and took his hand. Rolmar created a portal that would take them to Linda’s house. They walked through and were transported in a matter of seconds to Linda’s front lawn.

  They walked up to the front door and knocked. Linda came to the door promptly and opened it.

  “Is anything wrong, Linda?” Rolmar asked. He was still in the form of a teenage boy.

  “Is that you, Rolmar? It must be. You have the same eyes as Ian,” she said. “Please come in. There’s something important that we have to talk about.”

  “Yes, of course Linda. But is your pendant broken?”

  “Yes it is. I’m sorry about that.” Linda led them through the house and to the dining room table. Rolmar instructed the children to sit down.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” Rolmar asked, looking at Linda.

  “Rolmar, we would like to request an audience with you. We wish to make our case for the fate of the Earth,” Linda said. She looked a little nervous.

  Rolmar paused and thought for a moment. “How did you learn about this Pentarian tradition?”

  Itakir appeared and said, “It was I who told them about it.”

  Rolmar was incensed. “This will only prolong the inevitable,” he said.

  Itakir replied, “This is a good planet and I think that it deserves a fair hearing.”

  Instinctually, Rolmar wanted to say no to the lesser demon, but then he looked at all the faces in the room. He noticed a look of longing in all their eyes. I think this feeling of pity will be the end of me.

  “I will grant you the audience that you seek. But it is highly unlikely that you will convince me,” he said.

  Adam and his friends looked a little tense. Being in the presence of Rolmar had a way of doing that to a person, even though he appeared to be no more than a teenager at this point.

  Adam didn’t feel quite ready but he stood anyway. “With your permission, I will speak now,” he said. Rolmar nodded.

  “The Earth is our home and the home of billions. Have you no care for the lives of the innocent? How can you obliterate humanity? We have come so far in the short time that we have been here. Mankind has given birth to numerous innovations. Computers, electricity, the Internet, and countless other inventions have revolutionized the way we live. Humans are advancing as we speak and inventing new things all the time. We have evolved from being basically cave dwellers to the masters of this planet. We do suffer from prejudice and make war upon each other, but weren’t your people once like us? Weren’t they guilty of the same atrocities in their early stages? We are young compared with your civilization; we need time to fix the problems that are endemic to the human race. Give us this chance.” Adam sat down and felt somewhat satisfied with what he had said.

  Then Linda stood up and started to cry. “Rolmar, I know that you’re better than this. When you were Ian, I sensed something in you. Something that I don’t think you care to admit.”

  Rolmar’s face remained stern. He couldn’t imagine that a mortal could have any insight into his being.

  “Rolmar, you’re a compassionate being despite what you think about yourself” she said. “That day when I ran from the house in tears, you followed me and did your best to console me. You offered to erase my memories and you chose to spare me from the destruction of this world. If you are truly the emotionless demon that you claim to be, you never would have committed those acts of compassion. Rolmar—”

  “I believe that you have said quite enough.” Rolmar said. He sat quietly for a time and rubbed his chin. He looked from one face to another and finally said, “You will have my decision in the morning.”

  The children and Rolmar began to fade until they disappeared entirely. Adam looked around at everyone in the room. “Do you think we got through to him?” he asked.

  Zelia shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “You can all stay here tonight if you want,” Linda said. “There’s no sense in being apart at a time like this.”

  “Thank you for your hospitality,” John said.

  “You’re welcome,” Linda replied.

  They all camped out in the dining room in sleeping bags. Linda made sure each person was comfortable and gave everyone pillows. “There, that should do it,” she said as she fluffed a pillow for Adam.

  Adam was truly grateful. “Thank you so much. Although, I don’t think I’ll be sleeping much tonight.”

  “Join the cl
ub,” Linda replied. “Goodnight everyone,” Linda said before turning out the lights in the dining room.

  CHAPTER 23

  Rolmar and the children sat in a field as the sun began to set. Hailey wouldn’t speak to Rolmar, and Nat was pensive.

  Rolmar turned to Hailey. “You’ve never been this way before. Why won’t you speak to me?” he asked.

  “You know why. It’s because of what you plan to do.”

  “Hmm. You didn’t seem upset before.”

  “I’ve been thinking,” Hailey sighed. “It’s just wrong.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “Destruction on this scale is wrong.”

  “What if I told you that it was for a greater good? I’ve seen many civilizations rise and fall. More often than not, they fall because of their belligerent nature. War is usually the end result. I lost a friend in the Pentarian wars. I have not forgotten him and the friendship we had. We Pentarians strive to eliminate hostility in the universe by destroying warlike peoples.”

  “But killing is still wrong, even if in some far-off future it results in some measure of good. Although Earth is plagued by wars now, that doesn’t mean this won’t change. You decided to spare us, but what about everyone else on Earth?”

  “But that’s different. You two are very special to me.”

  “Do you think everyone else on Earth is worthless? Aren’t there others on Earth who also have their own planets? Will those planets be destroyed if those people die?”

  “Yes, they will. Hmm…I’ll consider what you’ve said. But for now it’s time for us to rest,” he said. Rolmar made a grove of trees and two hammocks appear.

  “Nat, it’s time to rest,” Hailey said. She walked over to Nat, who was pulling grass up in his small fists. Silent tears fell from his eyes. “Didn’t I tell you that I’d take care of you?” she asked. He nodded vigorously. Nat wiped his eyes as Hailey helped him to his feet. He hugged her tightly and then went over to a hammock. Hailey patted him on the head before going over to her own hammock. Rolmar conjured up a small cube that sat next to the hammocks. Then he dematerialized his body and went into the cube. After some restlessness, the two children drifted off to sleep.