He fixed his eyes on Michelle. “Yes. Exactly,” he said, raising his right index finger, happy at his insight. He walked toward Josephine’s desk. “I know just exactly what you need.” He sat and carefully sniffed each bag of Soma strain, made his decision, grabbed a bud and gave it a quick grind, efficiently making a cigarette that looked as if it had been crafted by a finely tuned machine.
She expected him to bring it over to her, but instead, he patted the seat next to him. This brought another skeptical smile to Michelle’s face. Still it was a cute gesture.
Michelle walked over, sat, and eyed him for a couple seconds. “Okay, I’ll sit, but don’t try to set me in your lap. I’m still on duty so I have to draw the line somewhere.”
Castor’s expression made Josephine melt. At one level there really was not that much change to his stoic face. But at a deeper level, he seemed just like a father telling a daughter, ‘I’m really happy to see you’.
To Salecia, the father-to-daughter gesture was unclear. It might be true Castor was really planning to kill the local Valkyrie commander this morning, even though it would constitute an instantaneous declaration of war. During their entire time with Doulmahel, Castor had been signaling several preliminary courses of action. She was quite confident they could still kill Doulmahel, even with Michelle here, but if that was Castor’s plan all along, why had he waited so long to do it?
Their extraction team would still be awaiting Reinhardt’s signal, but with the Valkyrie now on high alert, there would be many casualties. Quite likely, they would be very dead before the extraction team broke through the waters of the Mamsa.
Castor’s mind was amazingly devious. Kuko’s note had said nothing about any assassination attempt, only to deliver her letter. Their disguises had worked perfectly. They had been given unbelievable access to the theatre commander. It would have been trivial to slay Doulmahel while in her office, but then, to be invited up to her bedroom, alone?
Salecia was not able to see a single flicker that would give even the best camouflage away. It was hard to believe the Valkyrie’s abilities to bend the light-energy circuit had advanced to this level. Still, to Salecia’s old senses, she knew camouflaged bodyguards had climbed onto the balcony only minutes earlier and entered the room. Now there were many all around them. Salecia could feel their aggression.
Castor held a lit match as Michelle brought the Soma cigarette to her lips. She was also wondering what Castor had in mind. Without a formal declaration of war first, to insert any type of diplomatic team for the purpose of assassinating the Valkyrie theatre commander would instantly cancel many treaties between the Valkyrie and the Nazz. Was it possible Indra would risk an investigation by the Rabbis?
Michelle inhaled, blew out, and quickly handed it to Mayhew. “So, Castor. What am I to make of all this? Here I sit smoking Soma with you. I’m looking at Salecia and Josie talk like old pals. Indra’s best assassins are sent to deliver a message?” Castor blew out some smoke and handed the Soma back to Michelle. She took it, shaking her head as she inhaled. “If you had sent Pope Hukarknar to deliver Kuko’s message, and at least given us some warning, I could buy…”
Michelle saw Castor’s fingers flex to deliver some instructions. An instant later two razor sharp wings formed scissors at his throat. Castor continued to signal the attack sequence. He heard scuffling and looked to see if Salecia was successful. Josephine was sailing sideways. Salecia was inexplicably on the floor, flat on her back, her arms and legs pulled out straight. He could see indentations on her ankles, wrists, and throat. Very powerful hands had her trapped. With the help of more unseen hands, Josephine sailed out the door, across the deck, and over the balcony.
Steel hands held Castor Mayhew by the throat, wrists, and ankles. He saw a black bag yanked over Salecia’s head, and another one hanging over his own.
“You knew I had to be sure, didn’t you Castor? I had to wait until I saw you give Salecia the command to kill her,” Michelle said, completely calm.
More hands carefully felt around the edges of their clothes, searching for booby traps. “This planet is already lost,” Salecia screamed. “But you… the Rabbis… You’re all too fucking stupid to know it. Eden’s new Planetary Princess will sweep the Azakamani away as if they were nothing but dust.”
“Rahu? You think Rahu can defeat the Azakamani? Are you insane?” Michelle asked Castor skeptically. Then someone offered her a letter. She quickly took the letter and scanned it. Just like Josephine, Michelle froze.
Then into the silence, Castor’s calm voice came. “Michelle. It’s important you listen to me very carefully.”
Chapter 80
The Wrong Goddess
Requirements vary according to the realm in which you live. We are now within the System of Satania, home of Smigyl, Satan, Lakshmi, and many other lethal little nasties. Therefore, if you sign up on my team to protect a Goddess, I will expect excellence. Otherwise, I am very much like my own dear ol’ dad. I’ll sting you in a way you won’t soon forget.
—Captain Michelle Israfel, Primary Bodyguard of the Eden Theater Commander
Oceania
"Enter,” Michelle barked as she leaned against the wall behind her desk in her private office in the SAS quadrant. Her arms were crossed as she glared at the letter lying on her desk.
Master Sergeant Ruth Sardiniel entered and spoke softly. “Excuse me, Ma’am. You better read this before you start your meeting.”
“Sure, Ruth. What is it?”
Ruth was relieved she would not bear the brunt of Michelle’s wrath.
Michelle quickly scanned the document and then looked at Ruth. “Is this some sort of joke? Cause if it is…”
Ruth shook her head. “Florence, Brigettie, and I have extensively interviewed everyone involved. This report is accurate, and it is complete.”
Michelle dropped the document to her desk. She sat, glanced at Ruth, picked up the report, and started from the beginning, this time reading quite slowly.
“I’ll tell everyone the meeting is delayed,” Ruth said as she started to leave the room.”
“Na. Don’t bother. None of them seem to have any idea what the fuck’s going on anyway. Telling them the meeting’s delayed will only confuse them. Have a seat and join me.”
An hour later, Michelle threw open her door. “Ladies and gentlemen. We will have our little meeting in the hospital wing of the jail. Ruth, if you would, please lead the way.”
In one of the jail’s viewing areas in the hospital, Michelle stared through a two-way mirror. Parvarti’s green stench continued to fill the room, but the mirror had been tuned to compensate. Karolita and Eros lay in fetal positions at opposite ends of the room. Their guts periodically contracted with dry heaves. Most of the fifty-seven Valkyrie standing with Michelle were already composing letters of apology. None knew where they should send the letters.
Michelle turned around and eyed them. “I really do understand, you know. There have been plenty of times I wanted to kill Josie myself. And Parvarti, well, I get so frustrated around her, I avoid her whenever I can. I’ll tell you honestly, right now, as far as Parvarti is concerned, I want to send her severed head to King Joshua and Queen Magdalene and respectfully ask them to try again.”
She glared from one set of eyes to the next. “But she is their precious little daughter and is too young and stupid to know any better. What’s your fucking excuse?” She screamed so loudly it made Karolita and Eros jump.
Michelle saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and looked back at them. “Karolita and Eros? You allow Karolita, Lakshmi’s oldest daughter, a snake like Eros and their two bodyguards to just walk around wherever the fuck they wanted to go?”
Michelle stared at Rachmiel. “And you…” Michelle said quietly as she approached her. “You actually recognized Karolita? You not only allowed her to get within a hundred meters of Josie, but you allowed Karolita to get within striking distance of Eden’s theatre commander and just stood
there with your fingers up your ass.”
Michelle leaned toward Rachmiel and whispered, “I have no jurisdiction over you. Not yet, at least. But in the mean time, make sure you’re never alone, because if I ever find you alone, just me and you, I’ll hack you to pieces and feed your Ratna to Indra.”
Michelle stood back. “Now get the fuck out of my sight.”
Michelle watched Rachmiel’s back quickly disappear out the door. She slowly turned back to the two-way mirror, blankly staring as Karolita and Eros fell back to the floor. “I really don’t know where to start. Somebody help me. Where do we start?”
An elderly, tired looking Melchizedek walked forward holding out a letter. “I was the one who didn’t realize who landed. They said they were on a diplomatic mission and had a letter for Josephine from Kuko. I believed them and just sent the standard guard detail.” He hung his head. “I’m sorry.”
A glowing yellow blade appeared from nowhere and sliced the letter in two. The Melchizedek was too shocked to comprehend what happened next. His hands were pinned behind his back, and his large body was slammed to the wall with Michelle’s left hand holding him off the floor by his throat.
“You’re sorry,” she screamed, and then threw him to the floor. “Castor Mayhew comes within a hair’s breadth of slaughtering Josephine, and you’re sorry.”
Michelle motioned for Ruth Sardiniel. Ruth was unsure which folder she wanted — the one on Mayhew’s assassination attempt or the one on Karolita and her gang. She held both in front of her. Michelle took the folder on Mayhew, pulled out Kuko’s letter, and handed the folder back to Ruth. Michelle held it up just high enough for everyone to see the rich parchment in her hand.
“Here,” she said quietly to a nervous female first lieutenant, the lieutenant really not liking that she had somehow ended up at the front of the room, closest to Michelle. “This is a letter from Madame General Kuko Kiena. The one Mayhew delivered to Josie. I want every single individual here to read it.”
Everyone started gathering around the lieutenant. “No. Everyone just back up.” Michelle held up her palm as she casually walked over to the wall, leaned back, and slid down, sticking her legs out straight and crossing them.
“There’s plenty of time,” she said calmly. “Salecia and Mayhew are under anesthetic as their bodies are examined for weapons. I doubt those two would ever consider this sort of suicide mission unless they were delivering bombs hidden in their body cavities. And, you’ll be happy to know the Nazz extraction force was discovered a few hundred kilometers away in the Mamsa and have now been politely asked to get their asses back to Mansion World I space before we obliterate them. So just sit down and relax. None of us has anywhere else to go and nothing else to do.”
A short while later, after each individual had finished the letter, Michelle stood, her arms hanging loosely at her side. No one talked. No one met her eyes. “Our own Intel has yet to verify this, but it seems to me, Madame General Kuko Kiena wanted this to be the last thing the Eden Theatre Valkyrie commander read before General Castor Mayhew murdered her.” Michelle scratched her cheek, as if trying to think. “Any guesses? Anyone?”
A tough, stocky warrior stepped forward. Michelle gave him the floor with a gesture. “Commander Vegu-Aniel Odinero.”
“Based on what we first saw when we got up to Colonel Doulmahel’s room, I immediately came to believe they were going to assassinate her. I’ll give you some tech stuff later.” Michelle nodded.
Aniel continued. “And since by then, we had positively ID them, it seemed they intended this as a declaration of war. So I would say that, indeed, Madame General Kuko Kiena is the new Planetary Princess instead of Rahu.” He looked at her seriously. “Michelle. This is really bad news. I hope you don’t mind, but right after you gave us the signal for positive confirmation of intent, I dispatched a message to Kahmael and David.”
“Sure, Aniel. Good thinking. You and your team get some rest. Let’s put our heads together sometime after lunch.” Odinero, Metcalf, and their teams headed to the exit.
“And Aniel,” Michelle called. “How ‘bout locking the door behind you.”
As they walked away, they could hear Michelle screaming so loudly, the door began rattling, punctuated by slaps, smashes, and crashes. “Gonna be a long, ‘ard night fur dose pur screw-ups,” one of Metcalf’s men said.
“Nope,” Metcalf replied flatly as he headed for the outside door. “Considerin what could ‘ave ‘appen ‘ad Michelle not showed up when she did, Michelle will make sure da remainder of dar lives be ‘ard.”
Oceania
A savage hand grabbed Josephine by her hair, yanked her off the bed, and slammed her to the floor before she was halfway awake. A vise grabbed her by the throat and a board slapped her across the face.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Josie?” Michelle’s face was glowing so brightly, Josephine had to squint. Michelle’s eyes burst into flames as she grabbed handfuls of bright red hair on each side of Josephine’s head.
“Do You Think This Is Some Kind Of Fucking Joke?” Josephine’s exasperated bodyguard screamed at her, pounding the back of her head harder and harder with each word, desperate to pound some sense into the colonel’s pretty head. Tears streamed from her eyes. Josephine could feel the heat from Michelle’s tears every time one of them dropped on her face.
Josephine did not fight. She just stared at Michelle, and then, for the first time in a very long time, felt deep fear in the pit of her stomach. It was not because she was getting beat up. There was something horrific in Michelle’s eyes — real fear.
Michelle rolled off Josephine and lay on her back for a moment. Sighing, she pushed up against the wall, resting her forehead on her knees. When she finally composed herself, Michelle looked up to see Josephine leaning against her bedpost, trying to recover from having her head bashed in.
“It’s true, Josie. I just met with my inside source. A week ago, Madame General Kuko Kiena was crowned Eden’s Planetary Princess. Lord Smigyl gave her the name ‘Lilith’.”
“Well, Michelle, it does make it all the more difficult. But still, do you think she could actually put together a coalition that could seriously challenge the Azakamani?” Josephine spoke carefully, uncertain whether Michelle would attack her again. She tried to control the shiver that ran through her at hearing the name ‘Lilith’.
Michelle bit her lip, nodding her head. She actually expected such a comment from the naïve Josephine. Josephine smiled at her, a smile from her heart. Josephine just sat there accepting everything Michelle said. Josephine just sat there loving her. No one had bestowed more love upon Michelle than her dearest Josie.
“I know why you did it, Josie. Couldn’t help yourself, could you? Just Goddess Persephone being Persephone. You knew you were their target so you isolated yourself with them and put on your charms. If you were to die today, then well, you die. But what about me Persephone? What about my broken heart?”
Michelle shook her head. “At least maybe the lives of Angels would be spared. Right?”
Michelle smiled at the sheepish look that came over Josephine’s face. Michelle stood and offered her a hand up.
“Come on PerfPe. While it’s still dark, there’s something you need to see. Something happening on Elysium. Get your combat flying gear and meet me at the base.”
Chapter 81
The Return of Raphael
Having to arrest Eve was heartbreaking. But I am SAS. I was ordered to arrest Eve, bind her in chains, and drag her away, and that’s exactly what I did. I guess, when Eve finally comprehended the ramifications of her false trust in Guru Patanjali, had I done anything less, she would have later looked back and decided she had not been sufficiently humiliated. Those orders did not come from the Royal Court of Salvington. Rather, they came from within the Halls of Havona, at the Throne of The Infinite Mother Herself. I swore I’d never return to Eden. So much for my resolve.
Recently, I received an invitation to a pleasant
event on Uversa — a wedding. Once again, I was asked to come to Eden. This time the request did not originate from within Havona; rather, it came from a Michael Son — King Ayasia of Ninveth. That he was my best friend and the father of some of my children, made the request impossible to refuse. I was not asked to assassinate anyone; I was asked to deliver a package — a package that contained King Ayasia’s revenge against those who had violated his youngest sister, Queen Magdalene of Nebadon. Coincidentally, these same individuals had deceived Eve.
Once again, I found myself stepping upon Eden’s tortured soil. However, I had no idea what sneaky little trap one of our daughters, Josephine had set for me. She lined up all my buttons and pushed them in a sequence so quickly I had no idea what she was doing until it was too late. What a little bitch. I wonder where she got that from?
—Raphael, Mighty Messenger of Havona
Lampung Isle
A Mansion World II Sphere in low orthogonal orbit around Eden’s Solar Orb
Eden year of 9,054,587.348
Friday, the 13th Day of Augustine
Raphael hid within the Mamsa, floating just below the surface about 300 meters off the shore of Lampung Isle. She tired of waiting for a signal that was due hours ago and decided to stretch her wings and explore.
When she had arrived on Eden’s Mansion World I, she was surprised to see it was Qing Melchizedek who greeted her again, just as she had on Edentia. At least it appeared to be Qing. How Qing managed to arrive before her was a mystery. Since, to an Angel some Melchizedeks appear indistinguishable, and since they could not talk aloud, there was no way to verify her ID. But this female Melchizedek easily read the coded bracelet again, all 262,144 sapphires.
Raphael and Qing wasted no time. One by one, they went from city to town to province all over Eden’s Material surface, with Qing pointing out the wombs in the ‘horses’ who volunteered for special missions. Once all the wombs were identified, Qing left so Raphael could make her final decision in private. This way, only Qing and Raphael knew all the potential wombs, and only Raphael knew which specific one would give birth to Uncle Karl.
Lilith: Eden's Planetary Princess (The Michael Archives Book 1) Page 68
