Scorn of Angels (15 page)

The Angels flew off to do what they’d been told. Morrigan looked over the two thousand, bloodied, broken Angels who lay on the ground. “As you heal, join the crew. I want those fucking tunnels flooded so full that Persephone and Nyx float out.” She sighed. “I’m going to Lucifer. No sense in making him wait.”

“Hope you’re able to sit when you come back,” called Mazur, who was missing both legs and one of his wings.

Morrigan kicked him in the face, then flew off.
Given Lucifer’s tastes in torture,
Morrigan thought,
I won’t be counting on
it.

She opened her mind to Hell and found Lucifer. He was in Nyx’s palace, and she winged her way there as quickly as she could, knowing that nothing good was going to come of making him wait longer.

Lucifer was working his way through a line of souls as she came up. From the speed of his decisions and the brutality—even by Lucifer’s standards—of his responses to the souls he judged, Morrigan could tell that Lucifer was very, very angry.

Lying on the floor, twitching and covered in silver ichor were the stomped, slashed, and smashed bits of Morrigan’s messenger. Morrigan swallowed convulsively, then stepped forward into Lucifer’s line of sight.

“Well,” said Lucifer. “Did you suddenly recover your courage and find her?”

“We’re preparing to send one of the Hellfire rivers into the tunnels,” said Morrigan.

Lucifer’s blade came out so fast that Morrigan didn’t have time to move before it sliced through her neck and sent her head flying. She saw her body collapse as her skull hit the wall and bounced off.

“Eat that,” said Lucifer, pointing to Morrigan’s body. A swarm of small demons immediately descended on it, tearing away the flesh and feathers and devouring them with gusto.

“There is an entire world beneath the ground, you stupid bitch,” said Lucifer. “One river isn’t going to fill it. All the Hellfire in Hell won’t fill it.” He stomped over to her. “I’m sending in ten legions this time. And whichever one comes back with Nyx doesn’t get to spend a thousand years in the lake.” He raised his cloven-soled boot high. “Unlike you.”

Then Lucifer’s foot came down hard and everything vanished into darkness and pain.

Nyx, after hours of crawling on her face through tunnels lined with sharp stones and thousands of midge-sized, biting demons that loved the taste of her flesh, pulled herself up to her feet and into a small cavern. A demon—skinny with a dozen leather wings and a long sharp needle of a proboscis—flew at her. Nyx caught it and crushed it in her hand without thinking. Another flew the other way, heading deeper into the cavern. Nyx’s whip came out and chopped it in two before it could get out of range. Then she reached down and helped Persephone to her feet.

Persephone proceeded to slap every midge demon on her body and then send the tips of her whip flying down the tunnel a half-dozen times to kill as many others as she could reach. “I hate bugs! And those things really, really hurt!”

“I was there,” said Nyx. “We need to move fast now.”

“Because we weren’t before.”

“Listen, Persephone,” said Nyx. “We’re nearly at the end. There’s another gate to Earth on the other side of the cavern, but there’s something we have to get past before we get there.”

Persephone frowned. “How bad is it?”

“You know how nothing dies in Hell?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s only true for souls and Angels. Demons can die.”

Persephone thought about it. “Good.”

“Which means they can be born.”

“What?” Persephone looked down the length of the cavern. “We’re going to see a bunch of demons making babies?”

“No,” said Nyx. “There’s only one.”

“Oh.” Persephone wrinkled up her face in disgust. “Is this going to be as awful as I think?”

“Much, much worse,” said Nyx. “So stay close to me, kill anything that attacks you, and stand ready to be eaten at any given moment.”

Persephone sighed. “Always.”

Nyx drew her sword and whip and ran the length of the cavern, Persephone hot on her heels. A thousand creatures of different sizes slithered, crawled, stalked or flew around. A score or more demons attacked, from small, fast, nimble creature the size of dogs to long snake-like things with spiked bodies and jaws that unhinged large enough to swallow either of the Angels whole. Nyx and Persephone hacked, lashed, and stabbed their way through the attackers. As soon as one fell, its brethren descended to eat its flesh, whether it was still alive or not. Nyx and Persephone reached the far end of the cavern where a tall, thin hole in the wall allowed them to squeeze out one at a time and onto a narrow ledge overlooking a massive cavern.

The air was thick with flying demons; the walls crawled with them; and on the floor of the cavern, hundreds of thousands of them milled about. And in the midst of them, quivering and roiling, sat the oversized, oozing, slimy mass of flesh that was the Mother of All Demons.

It had no defined shape, save that it was enormous, rising as high as the cavern itself, and easily a quarter-mile to a side. It was continuously giving birth, and with each birth a part of its body shifted to accommodate. Hundreds of small creatures erupted from its skin every second in little pustules that burst with spurts of viscous liquid before pushing out their contents. Larger creatures came slower, tearing and gouging their way out of their mother’s flesh with teeth and claws, leaving black-bloody rents in her body that healed slowly into a mass of pus-covered scars, only to be ripped open again and again as more of them escaped.

And from below, the greatest of creatures—the tunnelers and other monstrosities—were pushed slowly out of its body like infected, diseased infants rejected by their mother’s flesh.

“That,” said Persephone, “is disgusting. Now what do we do?”

Nyx raised her voice loud enough to shake the entire cavern and shouted, “Mother of All! The Queen of Hell will speak with you!”

Every demon in the place was instantly facing them, some looking with bright, angry eyes, others twisting back and forth, trying to sense her location despite their blindness.

“We’re going to die,” whispered Persephone.

“Probably,” said Nyx. Then she shouted. “Mother of All, do you hear me?!”

“I HEAR YOU.” The voice was loud enough to shake the very walls of the cavern, and sent a shiver through Nyx and Persephone that threatened to knock them both from their narrow perch.

“Fuck. It talks?” Persephone’s mouth fell open with surprise.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT, QUEEN OF EVIL?”

“Passage from this world to the next one, Mother of All.”

The creature made a noise that could have been a laugh or a cry of pain. At its base, the Mother of All disgorged a six-legged thing twice the size of an elephant, with a mouth full of teeth, each as long as a man. “YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE, QUEEN OF EVIL.”

“I know,” said Nyx.

“YOU SAID YOU WOULD NOT RETURN.”

“My need is great.”

“I COULD KILL YOU HERE AND NOW.”

“That’s what your predecessor thought,” said Nyx, her voice grim. “Do you remember what happened to her, or has so much time passed that you’ve forgotten?”

There was silence for a time, then, “I REMEMBER.”

“Then you’ll remember that when that happened, I didn’t have anyone with me,” said Nyx. “It was me, alone, and I killed the Mother of All that was here before you. And this time, I have a companion.”

“I HAVE MY CHILDREN HERE.”

“So did she,” said Nyx.

“I CAN DESTROY YOU.”

“I have fought the armies of Heaven and stood unflinching before the face of God, who created us all. Do you really think that you stand a chance?”

The monstrosity was silent, save for the continuous sounds of ripping, pulsing, popping and oozing as it gave birth to more and more creatures. Nyx waited. Yes, she had defeated the previous Mother of All, but it had been sheer luck as much as anything else. And the moment she had killed it, the other demons had descended en masse to feast on its flesh, which had allowed Nyx to escape. While it was likely that the same thing would happen this time, she couldn’t be sure.

“How do we fight this?”
asked Persephone in Nyx’s mind.
“Assuming it comes to
that.”

“We fly down its throat and cut our way into its
heart.”

“Ah. Well, as long as it isn’t anything
disgusting.”

Nyx flashed a grin in Persephone’s direction, then turned her attention back to the Mother of All and waited.

After an interminable time had passed, the thing said, “YOU MAY PASS.”

“Thank you, Mother of All.”

“BUT KNOW THAT OUR AGREEMENT IS BROKEN AS OF NOW. I AND MINE SHALL HUNT AND KILL YOU WHEREVER WE OUTNUMBER YOU.”

“Wrong,” said Nyx. “We have no agreement. I said I would leave you alone below the ground as long as your demons obeyed my Angels on the surface. And you will continue to do so until I tell you otherwise. Or else I will come back, and I will kill you.”

“UNFAIR!”

“Sucks to be you,” said Nyx. She jumped off the ledge, spread her wings and flew. Persephone followed right behind, and the two winged across the cavern. The flying demons got out of the way. The ones on the walls and floors and ceilings followed her with their eyes or their senses, but not one attempted to attack them. The Mother of All continued erupting with births and quivered as they came near, but said and did nothing.

Directly above the Mother of All was a great hole in the cavern roof. Unlike the Pit, this one did not lead to the surface, only to darkness. Nyx flew up into it and drew her whip. Persephone let her go ahead so she would have enough room. Nyx’s whip leapt up and, with a CRACK louder than the Mother of All’s voice, tore open the gate between Hell and Earth.

“Come,” said Nyx. “Time we saw some sunlight.”

“Damn right,” said Persephone.

Together, the two of them winged up out of the cavern and into the darkness of the portal.

Chapter 7

M
ost of the
time, Michael didn’t think of the Earth, except in passing, or while listening to the stories of the Angels who went there. He had a job to do, and he did it well. He led God’s army, trained them to be the most powerful and dangerous force in God’s universe, and when required, led them into battle. There had been five so far. The first had been against Nyx and her rebel Angels. The next three were against powerful beings that had found the plane where Heaven existed and attempted to enter it. All three had the misfortune to not be God’s immortal and divine creations, and in short order were sent packing with orders not to try it again on pain of extinction. They had all complied. The fifth had not been a species, but a single entity that was nearly as large as the galaxy in which Earth resided. It ate energy, and when it crossed through the planes to Heaven, it had gone straight for God’s mountain. That had taken a bit of work, and the cleanup afterward had been rather impressive.

It had been quiet since then, save for the time one thousand years before, when he’d been sent down to tell Nyx that God was being born of a woman. That had been fun. And thirty-six years later, Tribunal had returned from his journey through the world of men and joined the ranks of Angels. Then God had closed the Gates between Heaven and Earth to the Angels, and Michael had not thought of the Earth since.

Except that he should have.

Three Angels were allowed to be on Earth: Caelum, Orion and Arcana. Caelum and Orion were nice enough, though not too bright and rather full of themselves. But Arcana was Michael’s friend. She had been his lover many times throughout the eons, and they were bound closely together by a love of battle. He had faced her a dozen times in contest and in training, and though she had never bested him, she came closer than any other had, save Nyx.

So while he was not likely to think of Earth, he should have thought about Arcana and wondered how she was doing, how far Caelum and Orion had tested her patience.

One day he found himself thinking of Earth and Arcana and wondering why he hadn’t done so for a thousand years. Then he stopped. He
wanted
to think of Arcana, of her flowing hair and muscular physique, of her gentle yet fierce nature. But every time he tried to bring her to mind, something stopped him from continuing the thought.

And
that
disturbed him.

Michael took himself away from the places in Heaven where Angels and souls congregated to a place he favored more than any other.

The mountain was high, though not high at all compared to the mount on which GOD dwelled. It was flat-topped and covered in a lush green forest so thick one couldn’t fly into it. Instead, one had to land on a small clearing near the edge of the mountainside. From there one could see a great portion of Heaven, spread out like a velvety blanket of luscious living green and shining precious metals. There were no castles here, no places where beings declared themselves lords, or considered themselves better than others who lived there—though to be fair, there was a certain amount of amused, benign condescension from the Angels to the souls. The souls were so happy!
They
never thought of Earth, not after the first year or two, although they seemed genuinely pleased when family and friends arrived. The larger buildings were for community gatherings—concerts, theatre, sporting events, or simple gathering places where people could talk about the pleasures of their days, whatever those pleasures were. Humans, even in soul form, had a gift for pointless chatter.

Michael could also see the many gardens, large and small, that dotted the landscape of Heaven. Angels and souls worked side by side there, nurturing plants taken from Earth, following the cycle of the seasons that existed in the Gardens, if nowhere else in Heaven. It was a place where those whose joy was to grow gardens would supply those whose joy was to cook and those who loved to eat—which was pretty much everyone, including Michael himself. In Heaven, it was the taste of the food, the savoring of the flavors, and the sharing of those flavors in company that brought joy, rather than filling oneself beyond satiation into gluttony as happened on Earth. There were taverns, restaurants, and many other gathering spots just for enjoying food. It was a commonplace to find a few Angels relaxing over bowls of ice cream in pastel colors as others roasted meat that required no slaughter. Child souls played in the grass while their parents relaxed, in the bloom of their youth, the days of vigilance forever over. There was music of all kinds, Angelic and human. Voices and instruments were always in tune, but not all the same. New songs and dances satisfied the need for change. Heaven was as much filled with sensuous pleasure as it was with the greatest pleasure of all—GOD’s presence.

Michael turned his back on the vista and walked deep into the forest. The path was narrow—just wide enough to let one person through at a time. The green canopy closed in above almost at once. The light that came through dappled the forest floor and shimmered as the leaves moved in the gentle, cool breeze that slipped its way between the trees. Michael followed the narrow path to a quiet clearing with a single rock, perfectly shaped for sitting on, in the center. He sat, closed his eyes, and basked in the presence of God.

No matter where one was in Heaven, God was there. Whether one was standing before him on the mountain, or sitting in the farthest reaches of Heaven from that holy place, God was omnipresent, all encompassing, and sending out love and compassion beyond any that one could find anywhere else in God’s very large universe.

Usually it calmed Michael and centered him, bringing whatever was troubling his mind under control. On this day, though, not even that worked.

He had not thought of the Earth in a thousand years.

Then he had thought about it.

Then he hadn’t anymore.

And what was worse, Michael had the sneaking suspicion that, had he not latched onto the idea that he should be thinking more about Arcana, he wouldn’t even have noticed that he wasn’t thinking about Earth again, almost as if something was deliberately driving the thought of that place out of his mind. In fact, even while he was deliberately thinking of Earth, he could feel his mind trying to wander away from it.

Michael’s mind never wandered.

Why?
wondered Michael.
Why would anyone do that? And
who?

There were very few beings powerful enough to control Michael’s thoughts. God could do it, certainly. But this didn’t feel like God. Michael had felt the divine will before. When God directly told you to do or not do something, you had neither doubts nor questions. You just went along.

Nyx might have been able to do it, if she distracted him long enough to sneak inside his head. But Nyx was not allowed into Heaven anymore, and she certainly couldn’t affect Michael from another plane.

But who cares if I’m thinking about the Earth or
not?

Unless it’s not just
me.

Michael sent out a trio of thoughts and waited.

Azrael, Angel of Death and Release from Suffering, was the first to arrive. He was as tall as Michael, but his opposite in almost every other way save for the thin circle of gold light that floated around his head as around Michael’s; the sign of an Archangel. Where Michael was broad and wide and covered with muscles, Azrael was whipcord thin. Michael’s hair was black, his skin a deep brown; Azrael was pale with hair so white it was nearly translucent. When Michael stepped into a room, everyone, divine or mortal, noticed. Azrael could walk beside you for a day and you wouldn’t notice him, even if you were in the midst of battle. As always, he was in a dark gray robe without armor.

Michael rose and embraced Azrael. “My friend, thank you for coming.”

Azrael embraced him back and smiled. “It’s always good to see you, my friend. And I have to admit, your summons was curious. And vague.”

“Deliberately so,” said Michael. “Can you wait until the others arrive so we may all discuss at once?”

“I have all the time in Heaven,” said Azrael.

“Share the rock?”

They sat side by side, not speaking, until Raphael arrived. He was neither thin nor large, but right in the middle and shorter than the other two. His skin and hair were the deepest black, his eyes brown and lively. Like Azrael, he wore no armor, but his robes were pure white. He was God’s healer and giver of health, and he shone with a vitality that either of the others might have envied, if the idea of envy had ever crossed their minds. Michael and Azrael both embraced and welcomed Raphael, and while they were doing so, Gabriel arrived.

Gabriel was no taller than Raphael, and certainly not as muscular as Michael, but had a barrel chest under his white robes, the better to blow the horn that hung eternally by his side. His hair was blond and his skin light brown, as if recently kissed by the sun. He was God’s messenger.

The four of them were God’s Archangels. It was they to whom God spoke first on all things, and it was they who would be summoned first to carry out his business.

After more embraces and greetings, the four spread out in the clearing so they could see one another. The glow of their halos added a pleasant warmth to the air and light to the grove. “Thank you for coming,” said Michael. “I know I was vague, but I didn’t want to say anything untoward.”

“You really didn’t say anything at all,” said Gabriel. “‘Come, I am troubled’ is hardly a message.”

“But it is interesting,” said Raphael. “So what troubles you?”

“Earth,” said Michael.

“Earth?” Azrael frowned. “Why would Earth be troubling you?”

“Because I haven’t thought about it in a thousand years.”

Raphael opened his mouth to speak, then closed it and looked thoughtful. A moment later he said, “Strange, neither have I.”

“Nor I,” said Gabriel. “Not since the mortal death of God’s Son.”

“Nor I,” said Azrael. “Which is strange. Most of my work was there.”

The four stood in silence, and before long, three of them were frowning.

“I don’t want to think about it,” said Azrael. “And I don’t know why.”

“My mind can’t keep focused on it,” said Raphael.

“Nor mine,” said Gabriel.

Michael nodded. “So it isn’t just me.”

“It doesn’t feel like God’s handiwork,” said Raphael. “More like… someone playing with our minds.”

“And the questions are ‘who?’ and ‘why?’” said Michael. “Thoughts?”

Azrael frowned. “We have been forbidden from going to Earth for a thousand years,” he said. “Could this be part of that?”

“Perhaps,” said Michael. “But by my calculations, the thousand years is over.”

Raphael nodded. “At least twenty years ago, I should think.”

“
Should
think,” said Azrael sharply. “Why don’t we know?”

“And why has no one asked to go to Earth?” said Gabriel. “It used to be one of the favorite play spots of the Angels.”

“From both sides,” said Gabriel. “You’d think some would be curious what has been happening there.” He reached out his thoughts to the door. “The way is still blocked.”

“Interesting,” said Azrael. “Why?”

“God would have his reasons,” said Raphael, “and we should not question him. If it is God.”

“This doesn’t feel like God,” said Michael. “It feels underhanded.”

The other three Angels nodded.

“A mystery in Heaven,” said Azrael. “Now that is a rare thing, indeed.”

“It is,” said Michael.

“And you have a plan for solving it, of course,” said Gabriel, smiling. Michael always had plans. That was what made him Heaven’s greatest general.

“I do,” said Michael. “Gabriel, would you go speak to God and tell him what we have noticed? If it is his will, then that’s fine and we leave it alone. If not…”

“Then he should know about it,” said Gabriel. “I will.”

“Azrael, would you come with me to the Gates? I want to see if they are truly closed, or just blocked from our minds the way Earth was.” Michael turned to Raphael. “Could you talk to some of the other Angels and see if they have experienced the same?”

“I will.”

“And we will meet here again?”

“After sunset,” said Michael. “When the great music begins.”

Sunset was an event in Heaven, even though there was no sun. The radiant light of God filled and lit Heaven brighter than the sun, but every day it would dim to near darkness. Then, everyone could see the entire universe that God had created. They could hear the music of the spheres as they moved in their orbits. The moons, planets, suns—even the galaxies—all moved with a stately and beautiful music, as much beyond the songs of the Angels as those were beyond the songs of men. This divine music filled Heaven for the duration of the night and whether one chose to sleep or not, utter peace reigned in God’s paradise.

“Until then,” said Gabriel, and he and Raphael went on their way.

“Come,” said Michael to Azrael. “Let’s visit the Gates and look upon the Earth.”