by Dan Farris
A woman entered the courtyard. She wore a golden robe. As she walked toward them, it turned into a modern golden dress.
“That’s the one thing I hate about assembling the war council: we always have to travel alone. Solomon, aren’t you going to introduce me to your new friend?”
Solomon turned around. “Come on, Hatshepsut, you know I hate sharing.”
“Is she one of Agrippa’s? I don’t recall seeing her the last time.” Hatshepsut walked up and caressed Marianna’s arms.
“Who’s this one?” Asked Hatshepsut.
“She’s a member of the war council,” said Solomon.
“Really? What’s your name? Stalin was the last member appointed to the council.” Said Hatshepsut.
“Kate.”
As Rebecca met Solomon and Hatshepsut, Agrippa emerged from inside the villa.
“Solomon, Hatshepsut, glad you made it here safely.”
“Do you know why there were so many demons patrolling the skies on the way here?” asked Hatshepsut.
“She’s right, and I was stopped several times on the way here,” said Solomon.
“Did they say why they stopped you?” Asked Agrippa.
“They would only say that it was the king’s orders.”
“We’ll talk about it when the king arrives,” said Agrippa.
“Why didn’t you tell us the king appointed someone new to the council?” said Solomon.
“What?” Asked Agrippa.
“Yes, me. Kate. I was just telling them that’s why I’m here.”
“Oh, yes, yes. This is Kate.” Said Agrippa.
“Well, Kate, welcome to the council,” said Hatshepsut.
“Show Solomon and Hatshepsut to their room,” said Agrippa.
“Can we have a little fun with Marianna?” Asked Hatshepsut.
“Of course, just be ready for when the king arrives.”
She’s a sex slave? No, it can’t be.
Solomon and Hatshepsut walked away with Marianna.
“Thank you, Agrippa. I wasn’t sure if I could trust them with my true identity.”
“You did the right thing. I’m sure we can trust them, but that’s for the king to decide.”
“Are those two who I think they are? King Solomon and Hatshepsut, the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh?”
“Yes, they both have served on the council long before me.”
“Who else serves on the council? Alexander the Great? Genghis Khan? How does Pursan decide?”
“The people you just named are two of the greatest conquerors in the history of the world. But they do not serve on the council. Conquest is not easy, but ruling, that requires a different set of gifts.”
“Does your old friend serve on the council?”
“Not anymore. The only people that serve on the king’s council are me, Hatshepsut, Solomon, and Stalin. He should arrive shortly.”
“The Stalin? He killed millions!”
“It requires a certain type of person to be an effective ruler. After all, this isn’t Heaven.”
“And Benjamin and Marianna, did they offend you when you were alive?”
“I died long before them.”
“But they serve as your servants?”
“Yes, the king grants me many servants.”
“In what way do they serve you?”
“In whatever way I see fit.”
Rebecca looked at Agrippa with disgust. “I think I understand what you mean. I’m going to wait outside until Stalin arrives.”
“So be it.” Agrippa returned inside the villa as Rebecca waited.
A short time later, a man headed toward the villa. He had on a short black robe and was about the same height as Rebecca. He appeared to be young and had a slight mustache and slight beard. Short, but handsome.
“I’m Kate. The king has appointed me to the council. You must be Stalin,” said Rebecca in Russian.
“Has the king arrived?”
“No, but the other members of the council have arrived. You’re the last one.” Stalin walked toward Rebecca, and his robe changed to a modern, elegant black coat, a nice shirt, and pants.
“I apologize for being tardy. Demons were looking for a woman named Rebecca.”
“How do you know who they were looking for? Did they tell you?”
“No, but my spies did. You’re American, aren’t you?” Asked Stalin in English.
“How did you know?”
“I can tell.”
“Did you travel far?”
“Not too far. The king doesn’t like to keep his council members too far apart.”
“What else did your spies tell you about this Rebecca?”
Stalin stared curiously at Rebecca. “Nothing.” He’s lying.
“Shall I get one of Agrippa’s servants to take you to your room?”
“Isn’t he interesting? Agrippa, I mean. All this time in Hell and he’s staying in the home that looks like the one he had on Earth. I’m no better, I suppose. I’d wager you’re the same.”
“You’d be right.”
“Lucky guess.”
Rebecca headed inside the villa, followed by Stalin.
He knows, thought Rebecca as she went back into her guest room and lay in the bed.
Rebecca was thinking in bed when someone approached her room. She sat up, it was Pursan.
“Rebecca!”
She ran to him and jumped into his arms. Pursan started crying.
“I thought I lost you forever.”
“It’s okay. I’m okay. I’m here now. I’m here.”
“I’m never leaving your side again.” They kissed each other, and Rebecca took him to bed, where they had sex.
After they had sex, Rebecca and Pursan lay in bed, naked.
“Dagon took me.”
“I know. Somehow he knows about you.”
“What are you going to do?”
Pursan sighed. “I don’t know yet. He’s extremely powerful.”
“Will other demons follow him?”
“Some already have joined him. I’m hoping the council will give me some good advice.”
“Do you love me?”
“With every fiber of my being.”
“Do you trust me?”
“More than I trust myself.”
“Then make me a member of your council.”
Pursan kissed Rebecca. “Anything for you.” Rebecca smiled.
“How you know you can trust the council members?”
“They owe me everything. I saved them from eternal torment. I’ve given them power, souls to serve them, territory. Larger territory than they oversaw on Earth. Take Stalin: he now oversees a territory that’s the size of modern Russia and the United States combined. Agrippa, on the other hand, he just wants this little plot.”
“You also gave them the power to change their attire at will.”
“And other things.”
“Give me such power.”
“Done.” Pursan snapped his fingers.
“That’s it? I don’t feel different.”
“Did you expect a tingling?” Said Pursan with a grin.
“Thank you. And I know how much you’ve given them, but these aren’t normal circumstances. Samael has upset the balance of power. Would any of your soldiers betray you under normal circumstances? How long has Dagon served you?”
“You make some good points.”
“Going forward, any advice the council gives you must be tempered with the possibility that they’re looking out for their own benefit, not yours.” Rebecca got up from the bed and snapped her fingers, and a mirror appeared. She transformed her attire to a black blouse, a short black skirt, and heels. I can get used to this.
“Two of the servants that serve Agrippa, they’re his sex slaves. Did you know about this? That’s the same as rape! It’s wrong.”
“How the council members use the souls that serve them is their business. Remember, not all humans that reside in my kingdom are favored.”
&
nbsp; “I understand that, but...sex slaves.”
“I’m sorry you had to come to this realization. I know your time on Earth… but you’ve seen the fields. How many of them would choose being a servant, in any capacity, than that torment?”
“I know, but…”
“Rebecca, I can’t save all the humans in my territory from pain. How would I reward my soldiers? How would I keep their loyalty?”
“But how do you decide who gets saved and who gets tormented?”
“You’ve never asked me that question before.”
“I never cared about it before. All my time here, I just thought about myself.”
“I hate to disappoint you. I promise once this whole matter with Dagon and Samael is over, we’ll sit down and reevaluate how humans I decide to save are chosen.”
“You would do such a thing for me?”
“I’d do anything for you. I’d give you the whole universe, if I had the power.”
“I love you, Pursan.”
“I love you, Rebecca.” The two embraced and kissed.
“Get up, let’s go,” said Rebecca.
“Where are we going?”
“To hear what advice the council has to give you. Oh, and call me Kate in their presence.”
Rebecca, Pursan and members of his council all sat in an open foyer in Agrippa’s villa. Rebecca and Pursan sat the farthest from each other. “I’ve assembled this council because one of my soldiers is planning to overthrow me,” Pursan said.
“Who, my king?” Asked Solomon.
“Dagon. He thought I had finally gotten a companion, someone named Rebecca.” As Pursan said this, Rebecca noticed that Stalin quickly glanced at her.
“He was going to use her to bargain with me. This woman escaped, and in fear of retaliation, Dagon has been recruiting other soldiers to his side.”
“Do we know how many have joined him?” Asked Hatshepsut.
“My spies tell me that so far, close to five percent of the king’s soldiers have joined him, but his numbers are growing steadily,” said Stalin.
“Are you confident in your information?” Asked Agrippa.
“Always.”
“Could we have Samael deal with him? He’s planning for a war on Heaven. He wouldn’t want any internal divisions to take away from this,” said Solomon.
“We can’t do that,” said Rebecca. “If Samael thinks that Pursan can’t control his own territory, he might replace him. In fact, we must make sure that the other kings don’t find out about Dagon’s little coup attempt.”
“She’s right. They all would love to see you fall, my king,” said Stalin.
“What are my other options then?”
“Could you feign forgiveness, and punish Dagon later?” Asked Solomon.
“Dagon is no fool. He’s too smart for that,” said Hatshepsut.
“Send your army and attack his territory at once. They’re already ready for battle,” said Agrippa.
“That would work, but it would bring too much attention. Attention to the other kings, or even Samael. We’re trying to avoid that, remember? Dagon must be dealt with discreetly,” said Stalin.
“How about we take a lesson from Samael? We take the thing that he values the most, and then he’ll come crawling to you,” said Rebecca.
“And what is that?” Asked Pursan.
“Soolweawa, his companion.”
Pursan smiled with pride.
“Excellent idea…Kate, but Dagon’s lands will be heavily guarded,” said Agrippa.
“My king, you can send a cohort of demons to sneak in and recover her,” said Stalin.
“No, we don’t know if we can trust them. One of them may tip Dagon off,” said Rebecca.
“That’s the only way such a thing can be done. No human could enter Dagon’s territory, capture his companion, and return undetected,” said Hatshepsut.
They all were temporarily silent until Rebecca spoke up.
“I know someone who could do such a thing, and I have a feeling he’s not that far. Agrippa, send a message to the people in your city. Tell them that his plan worked, and he should come to the villa to serve his new king.”
“What does that mean?” Asked Solomon.
“You’ll see,” replied Rebecca.
A short time later, Benjamin, who had left, walked back inside the villa with Achcauthilli. He escorted him to the foyer, where Rebecca, Pursan, and Agrippa was waiting for him. Pursan had sent the rest of his council to return to their own territory. As soon as Achcauthilli entered the foyer, Pursan rushed at him and lifted him off the ground.
“You! You threatened her. You will suffer more pain than any soul that ever came to Hell.”
“I saved her!”
“Put him down, please,” pleaded Rebecca. Pursan released Achcauthilli.
“Don’t be blinded by your emotions. We need him; he’s the one who freed me from Dagon. Do you think you can go into his territory again?”
“It will be much harder this time. Crawling with guards. Will be nearly impossible.”
“You told me that you wanted to serve Pursan. Can you do it?”
Achcauthilli looked intensely at Rebecca, then Pursan.
“I can do it.”
“Can we trust this animal?” Asked Pursan.
“We can trust him. His king has already abandoned him. If he betrays you, he’ll have nowhere else to go. Isn’t that right?”
“What exactly am I looking for when I get there?”
“Dagon’s most prized possession. We want you to bring back Soolweawa.”
“You want me to kidnap his companion? She has power, and my power is all used up, remember? And she won’t come willingly like you.”
“We’ll give you some power, and I know how persuasive you can be,” said Rebecca.
“You, leave at once. If you fail me, or betray me, none of the horrors you’ve seen in Hell will compare to what I’ll do to you,” said Pursan. Pursan snapped his fingers, giving Achcauthilli some power. “Now go.” Achcauthilli quickly left Agrippa’s villa.
“My king, I’ve never seen you so upset before. I hate to question Rebecca, but I don’t think he can be trusted. What if he joins Dagon? What if he tells others about Rebecca? What if he tells his old king?”
“Rebecca trusts him; that’s enough for me. Now leave us.” Agrippa left his foyer, leaving only Rebecca and Pursan.
“Has Rahab returned yet?”
“No, and I badly need him. At the council meeting, you were great. I should have put you on the council.”
“Yes, you should have.” Rebecca kissed Pursan.
“There is something else,” said Rebecca. “Someone betrayed you. How else did Dagon know about us?”
“I know, but who?”
“I know who did it.”
“One of my humans betrayed me? In all my years of being king, that has never happened. Everything that I have given them. We must retrieve this traitor before they tell anyone else. Who was it?”
“I should have known she would do it. It was someone jealous of our relationship. An old friend.”
Chapter 29-Samael
Gabriel emerged through a portal, and stood next to Samael, who was perched by the lake of fire like a beautiful, timeless statute.
“Did you find him?”
“I searched everywhere. But, in the entire space, he is nowhere to be found.”
“This is disappointing.”
“It doesn’t matter. Our brothers are getting restless. We should attack now. When or if Michael returns, it will be too late. Heaven will be ours.”
“It’s too much of an unknown. If he’s missing because Father knows about our plans, then we may be inching toward a trap. I won’t allow it.”
Gabriel nodded in agreement. Lucifer appeared before them, with a sly look on his face.
“Well, look at this, us three together again, just like old times.”
“Lucifer, Samael tells me that before he took over, you didn�
��t rule Hell anymore?”
“One must adjust to changing circumstances.”
“Did you find him?” Asked Samael.
“I looked for him everywhere on Earth, but no, I did not find him.”
“Did you look in The Darkness?”
“He wasn’t there.”
“Are you sure he hasn’t returned to Heaven, Gabriel?”
“I’m sure.”
“Then where is he?”
“Maybe he went to another space,” said Lucifer.
“Nonsense. Father wouldn’t allow it. You can thank your foolish rebellion for that,” replied Gabriel.
“Maybe Father knows about dissent in Heaven. Maybe he has known the entire time,” said Lucifer.
“Or maybe you’re lying to me,” replied Samael.
“What?”
“You found Michael, made a deal, and are trying to betray me. Is that what you’re doing?”
“Brother, I don’t think--”
Samael interrupted Gabriel before he could finish. “Silence, Gabriel! It wouldn’t be the first time he betrayed us.”
“I did not find Michael. I told you.”
“All that we lost, because of your greed. Your pride, vanity, ignorance. I’m going to do what Father should have done.” Lucifer had a look of panic on his face, his eyes were bulging.
“Wait, don’t you have his companion? She’s still safe, right? He’s not lying, then,” said Gabriel.
“Fine.” Lucifer gave out a relieved sigh.
“Well, if Michael has left this space, we must from now on assume that Father knows about our plans,” said Samael.
“Why hasn’t he attacked any of us?” Asked Lucifer.
“The only explanation is that he doesn’t think he would win. Our numbers are too great. We have no choice now; we must attack before Michael returns.”
“Lucifer, return to Earth and look for him again. Gabriel, search the space again. Make sure he’s not in Heaven. If you two can’t find him this attempt, then we attack.”
“Brother, we’re wasting time. We’re giving Father the opportunity to plan. We must attack now.”
“Gabriel is right,” said Lucifer.
“Both of you, do as I say!”
Lucifer disappeared back through a portal.
“I hope you know you know what you’re doing.” Gabriel left Samael, leaving him once again.
Sometime soon thereafter, A’isha appeared before Samael. “You sent for me? Has your temper subsided?”
