Chapter 17
"The wise man can see where he is going, but the fool walks in darkness. Yet I also realized that the same fate happens to them both."
― Ecclesiastes 2:14
Richard stared ahead at the endless path that toured Hell... at least what could be seen of this place he was in. Endless suffering ruled, with the only allure being places like the Lake Of Fire, which was a certain end to everything. If things got too bad, that was an option.
He had passed presidents, tyrants, psychopaths, sycophants, con men, military conquerors, abusers, and every type of human imaginable. He had passed people with great power and great followings. He had been invited and coerced into following demonic rulers who tried in vain to make something pleasing to them out of this place, but he had turned them down or used his wits to escape. The best they could do was intimidate people into serving them. But for what? He saw no advantage to organization, no matter how crude.
Even the women here simply wanted something for themselves, but they had no idea what would satisfy them. He longed to find something beautiful, or to make something beautiful. But nothing here satisfied. Not sex. Not the scant food that could be found. Not possessions that demons had somehow transported here, and which caused people to make war on each other to gain them. It was like the Hotel California. You could check out, but you couldn't leave.
He had a good voice, and he began to sing, "Welcome to the Hotel California..." As he sang, he began to get a following. People behind him began to sing and dance. They began to smile and laugh. For hours and hours, Richard led them like a pied piper, steadily gaining new people. They changed from song to song, and then some others raised their voices with opera, country and western, blues, jazz, and they walked on for days and days, steadily gaining a following.
When they finally stopped walking and singing, they all looked to Richard. But Vagabones arrived in a whirlwind. "Woooohooooooooo!" The dust settled, Vagabones coughed and waved away the ash. "You need to clean up this place!"
"Here to interfere?" Richard asked.
"On the contrary. It looked like a party. Very unusual in Hell."
"Nothing else to do." Richard shrugged.
"You seem to have started a movement."
"Is there a law against that? Does someone think we'll take over?"
"You never bend, do you Richard." It was a statement, not a question.
"I don't like authority, and I don't like rules."
"Well, let's see how that works out. How about I give you and your followers your own area?"
"Strings attached?"
"None. But it won't be something that requires order, like Asphedolus. It's Elysian Fields. No ash. Fertile ground and pleasant surroundings. Let's see what you do with it."
Richard shrugged indifferently again. "Okay. It's better than this."
Vagabones opened a curtain and the band walked through. Vagabones vanished in a whirlwind.
On the other side, Richard drew in a deep breath of fresh air and looked over the lush plain and absorbed the warm sunshine. He said more to himself than the others, "Give us time and we'll take over everything, including Asphedolus. I will be king."
Part 3: Liars Truth
In which the characters find their answers to "What is there to live for?"
Liars Truth Page 17