Exile of Lucifer

by D. Brian Shafer

  beasts with the four faces..."

  "And Michael, you shall visit the beast with two!" Crispin

  remarked slyly as they laughed.

  ----------------

  Lucifer took his usual place at the head of the table. The mer-

  riment of the past few moments melted into a somber air as the

  angels focused upon their leader. Pellecus sat opposite Lucifer,

  glancing occasionally at the faces of the angels who shared these

  exciting, if not dangerous, moments with him. He liked to read the

  sympathies in the room as Lucifer spoke, making mental notes of

  those who seemed either hesitant or noncommittal on various

  aspects of the conversation.

  "And now we can discern the end of this present creative act,"

  Lucifer continued. "It is obvious that in every phase, or `day' as He

  calls it, the Most High is designing a more and more complex

  128 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  world. Having started with the simplest material, light, the Cre-

  ation has progressed to the point where the earth itself is budding

  with new life." Lucifer's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Have you

  seen the wonderful array of flowering plants and herbs He has cre-

  ated? Marvelous! What an amazing design! Each unique, each

  capable of reproducing itself."

  "Indeed," remarked Pellecus, assuming the role of instructor.

  "From a strictly academic point it is all quite interesting. Our Lord

  has devised a material world--a physical universe in which His

  will may be manifested in even the simplest structures. And as our

  dear brother Lucifer has pointed out, the Most High is issuing an

  ever-increasing complexity. Thus we are now poised for the next

  phase..."

  "Which by logical inference must take what form, good

  teacher?" asked Lucifer, who had already anticipated Pellecus'

  answer.

  "Why, animated life, of course," said Pellecus, sitting back.

  The angels sat back, stunned into complete silence. Pellecus

  enjoyed the rapt attention of a captivated audience. "But never fear,

  it cannot be superior to angels. If the Lord keeps to the design--and

  we all know that if the Lord is anything He is consistent..."

  "If not predictable," added Lucifer to general amusement.

  Pellecus continued, "Quite, my lord. He'll stay with the pat-

  tern and create animated life of an inferior material substance.

  Imagine! Living creatures who will walk the breadth of this

  world--drink from its waters...eat of its fruit...live in its seas...fill

  its air...endless possibilities!"

  "But where does it stop?" asked Tinius. "How complex of a

  creature will He design? Certainly He would never create along the

  order of angels to inhabit this world, would He?"

  "You weren't listening, Tinius," Lucifer responded. "If the

  Lord is going to entrust the world to an angel to govern it, He will

  most certainly not create angels to inhabit it. We have enough dis-

  order in Heaven without it spilling onto the earth!"

  The room exploded in laughter.

  "Angels governing angels!" said Sar. "What chaos!"

  "One day it will be the Son casting the shadow, not us!" 129

  "Exactly my point," said Lucifer. "The Most High is fixed on

  order. No, my friends, He will continue the pattern, as Pellecus

  said--you may be assured of that! He will not create spiritual

  beings to inhabit a material universe."

  Lucifer stood up, deep in thought, and began pacing around

  the table seemingly unaware of the angels who watched him.

  "They must somehow be a little lower than the angels, yet capable

  of understanding the mysteries of God...capable of responding to

  Him freely...capable of obeying and loving those things the Most

  High holds dear." He looked gravely at the faces staring back at

  him..."just as we are free to do so."

  "And how do you know this?" asked Tinius.

  Lucifer looked at Tinius and answered. "You are a wisdom

  angel, are you not, Tinius? I am surprised that you have not yet

  understood." He looked at the group. "The Lord desires to be wor-

  shiped above all else. We all know that. Therefore He will create an

  order of life that can worship Him from this material plane. But He

  must give this life the ability to choose freely, or else He has creat-

  ed nothing more than a beast of worship." Lucifer sat back down.

  "And suppose," said Tinius timidly, "that these creatures,

  whatever they are, decide that they will not be governed from on

  high--that they would rather choose their own course such as

  we..." Tinius looked awkwardly at his fellow angels. His words

  disappeared uncomfortably into the silence of the room.

  "You implicate us in something sordid with such words,

  Tinius," said Lucifer. "We are merely discussing the aspects of cre-

  ation here. I suggest you remember that."

  "Of course," responded a sheepish Tinius. He melted into his

  chair.

  "However," Lucifer continued, "I suspect there would be

  some recourse on the part of the governing authority on earth to

  handle such impertinence." He grunted a noise of disgust. "That is

  the critical flaw of this present Kingdom. We have a choice to obey

  the Most High. And so we choose to obey Him in a more enlight-

  ened manner that in the end will serve to further increase His

  authority in the universe. But what choices do we leave the Most

  130 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  High in dealing with the choices we make? He is left with no appar-

  ent recourse because He has never contemplated an angel behaving

  contrary to His wishes. But one day He will see that our way

  increased the virtue and power of this Kingdom."

  "How so?" asked Fineo, who seldom spoke up at these meet-

  ings. As Keeper of the Most Holy Incense he felt his role was not as

  significant as some of the others at the table. Yet he understood in

  such times that to remain completely silent invited being passed

  over in future appointments. Lucifer favored angels of quick mind

  and speech. "How can our independence from the Lord serve to

  magnify Him?"

  "By demonstrating that angels are capable of creating their

  own destinies, my dear Fineo," answered Lucifer. "Think of it! By

  perpetuating and broadening the Lord's influence over creation in

  ways that perhaps never even occurred to Him, we are taking His

  design to its ultimate conclusion. Just as your incense creeps slow-

  ly through the Temple and overtakes us before we are aware, Fineo,

  so will the Kingdom be spread abroad throughout creation through

  our own innovation."

  Rugio had been still long enough. The fighter in him was

  yearning for a contest; diplomacy and verbal jockeying were good

  to a point, but action was ultimately called for. "My lord, you say

  that we are nearing the end of this Creation and that is good and

  well. But nothing has been said about our...that is, your role in all

  of this. Where do we stand?" he asked. "When will you ascend?"

  "Ah, Rugio," purred Lucifer, who moved over to the large

  angel and put a hand on his shoulder. "A
lways the warrior."

  Lucifer walked over to a cabinet that housed many golden

  scrolls of worship he had created in times past. Opening the cabi-

  net he indicated its contents and pulled one scroll out at random.

  "This represents much work, Rugio. Creating praise worthy for so

  exalted a figure as the Most High is not simply done in haste. It

  requires inspiration, thought, analysis. One does not patch togeth-

  er something as magnificent as one of my choral works with little

  consideration. Neither does a Creation take place as a result of

  mere chance."

  "One day it will be the Son casting the shadow, not us!" 131

  He was speaking to all of them now, pointing the scroll

  towards them. "One must have patience when achieving greatness

  and one must be willing to attempt that which has never before

  been attempted. That is why the Lord is great. He performs that

  which has never before occurred. He creates His greatness out of

  His ability to do that which is unknown and spectacular. I put it to

  you that any creature who successfully breaches the unknown will

  become great."

  Lucifer's eyes glanced at the large oval window that faced the

  Great City. The light, ever present, poured into the room. Putting

  down the scroll he walked over to the window and gazed into the

  busy streets of Heaven. "Events are moving much more rapidly

  than you realize, brothers. Just because you see nothing happening

  does not mean that there is inactivity. I promise you that very soon

  all we have envisioned will be realized!" He stood in front of the

  emblazoned window so that only his dark silhouette could be seen.

  "One day it will be the Son casting the shadow, not us."

  Walking back to his place at the table Lucifer continued. "At

  this very moment Kara is introducing to the Elders a formal pro-

  posal to have me named governor of the earth. Sentiment in that

  body is sympathetic and increasing in our favor." He thought

  smugly of the secret agreements he had made with certain angels in

  the Council in exchange for their affirmation. "It seems some Elders

  are just as anxious to be set free as are we. At any rate, I cannot fore-

  see any scenario which we will be unable to handle."

  "What about Michael?" asked Rugio.

  "Michael! Always Michael!" said Lucifer, perturbed. "How

  long must I endure this Council's fear of Michael? He is only an

  angel after all!"

  "Well, lord," said a subdued Rugio, "he still commands the

  greater number of angels loyal to the Most High. They stand ready

  to enforce the Lord's will in any case."

  Even as Rugio was speaking Serus entered the room and whis-

  pered something to Lucifer, who nodded his head in understanding.

  "Serus, your timing could not have been better," Lucifer said.

  "To answer you, Rugio, Michael and I shall be meeting very soon."

  132 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  Many of the angels stood up, aghast at the prospect of a possible

  confrontation with this great angel. Lucifer held up his hands. "No,

  no, my friends. I have not lost my mind in this. True, he is getting

  uncomfortably close, and of course, Rugio, I respect his strength

  and authority.

  "But that is why I must meet with him. The best way to deal

  with one's adversary is to befriend him. I will assure him of my loy-

  alty. As will Kara. I know Michael too, Rugio. He is fierce in his

  service to the Most High, but he is also quite open to sincere sug-

  gestion. I have yet to see him turn away a friend--especially one

  who has been acting rather out of character of late." Lucifer smiled.

  "And as for us?" asked Rugio, who still believed that a violent

  confrontation was inevitable but was content to continue the game

  for now.

  "Continue as always," said Lucifer. "Be cautious but not sus-

  pect. Visit the earth and learn of it. Divine its nature and your abil-

  ity to manipulate its contents. We will one day rule there so become

  acquainted with it. Above all, build sympathy among the angels

  who are more ambitious than others. And be prepared to move.

  Creation will not last forever and events will soon overtake us."

  Lucifer walked to the table where his book of prophecies lay

  open. "A new entry in this august book, my brothers, which I share

  with you now to inspire our effort. Sacred will be these writings

  one day as we rule a new world." The room was completely silent

  as Lucifer began reading:

  And once was the time to see;

  And once was the time to understand;

  And then was the time to build;

  And then was the time to command;

  And now is the time to act;

  And now is the time to demand.

  And so He gave way to the Host;

  And allowed them their freedom at last;

  Father, Son and Ghost;

  Henceforth from the past.

  "One day it will be the Son casting the shadow, not us!" 133

  Thus are these writings fulfilled,

  For all of the Kingdom to see;

  And so it is I am like Him,

  And so it is He is like me."

  He took the book and slammed it shut dramatically, startling

  many of the angels, and then spoke in a quiet, almost reverent tone:

  "We are henceforth bonded together in destinies, you and I. What-

  ever the outcome, we shall be brothers to the end--whether in

  glory or in despair. We have transgressed the line of discretion and

  prudence. We now rise as one to a new height that no angel has

  ever seen...or plunge into an unknown and disgraceful abyss."

  As Lucifer spoke a reddish aura began glimmering around the

  outline of his person. He held his hand down in the center of the

  table and the other angels followed suit, placing their hands on top

  of his. "Let this be a sacred oath and pledge together to be either

  creators or devastators of the new order. May we be forever revered

  or forever damned in this effort; eternally free or eternally cursed."

  The angels stood back as Lucifer walked to his seat and stood

  behind his chair, the reddish glow still outlining him. He bored into

  each of the angels with his blue-gray eyes. "So be it," he whispered,

  picking up his glass and holding it up. The others held up their

  glasses and repeated in hushed tones, "So be it."

  135

  Chapter 10

  "I fear you are making a grave mistake

  placing yourself in Lucifer's hands."

  Kara's impassioned argument for naming Lucifer as earth's

  future steward was going well. He had presented a marvelous and

  scholarly argument as to the sensibility of such an action. An angel

  was the only choice for the Lord, he said. Who else could the Lord

  trust with so important a task? And with Lucifer's ability in wor-

  ship the entire world would be a tribute to the glory of the Most

  High. It seemed only fitting after such a distinguished record of

  unselfish service in the presence of God that such service should be

  rewarded. It was along this line of reasoning that Kara skillfully

  made his argument that was now being deliberated in the Council
r />   of Elders.

  As he sat in the proceedings Kara counted heads. The Council

  seemed divided into three distinct factions. The vocal oppositon

  was led by Dabran, who was suspicious of Lucifer's ambitions. He

  continually tried to sway the undecided that Lucifer was unfit to

  take on such a task because it was not an angel's role to promote

  himself. Another group was undecided, but leaning toward a deci-

  sion for Lucifer simply to keep the peace in the Council. These

  angels were Kara's target as the decision could be rendered with a

  136 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  simple majority of Elders. Finally, there were the dedicated Lucife-

  rians who viewed his speech as a mere formality to a conclusion

  already attained. Kara nodded to this and that angel and thought

  about his role in this endeavor as he excused himself from the

  gallery to allow a freer debate.

  In other circumstances Kara might question the use of one's

  position to maneuver so important an issue. In this case, however,

  he felt justified. As an Elder, he was furthering the cause of the

  Kingdom, was he not? By helping Lucifer become the earth's stew-

  ard he was removing a future threat to the peace of Heaven and

  placing a highly competent angel in a place of service to the Most

  High. Lucifer would make a magnificent governor. He was a bit

  overbearing, perhaps, but over time he felt he could handle him,

  especially since he would be working closely with Lucifer in

  administering the earth. He pondered a heady future...

  "Kara! Kara!" came a voice. It was Plinus, an angel very sym-

  pathetic to Lucifer. "You made a wonderful presentation!"

  "How do you view the outcome?" asked Kara, who accompa-

  nied Plinus down the long hallway to the gallery where the Elders

  convened.

  "Splendid! There were a few who felt that angels have no prece-

  dent for making recommendations to the Most High on such a mat-