To Reign in Hell: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page A

and asked said page to announce him to Uriel, who dwelt within. The page scurried off, pagelike; Mephistopheles placed his hands behind his back and studied the huge entry-way of the palace.
    The archangel Mephistopheles wore only black. After Bethor had invented whiskers he had adopted the custom. He sported a thin mustache that curled just a little around his lips. His face was high and angular; his eyes slanted upward a bit beneath thick black brows that nearly met over his nose. As he waited, he began whistling tunelessly between his teeth.
    Uriel appeared behind the page, saw the dark angel in his usual carefree attitude, and didn’t quite gnash his teeth. Mephistopheles saw big, somber Uriel in his purple and silver, and didn’t quite laugh. Nor did he quite hide his desire to do so.
    Uriel dismissed the page with a nod, and led the way to a small sitting room with a pair of comfortably padded beige chairs against walls of mushroom. He offered wine because it was expected; Mephistopheles accepted to be difficult.
    “Cool,” he announced, as he tasted the wine, “and yet it warms the heart. Sweet, and yet an almost bitter aftertaste.”
    Uriel was stubbornly silent.
    “It reminds one of Heaven, nearly.”
    Uriel opened his mouth a couple of times, but didn’t say anything. Mephistopheles decided that he was trying to find a way to say, “What do you want?” that didn’t sound quite so rude. He took another drink, closing his eyes to further enjoy the coolness and the sweetness.
    “This place is a bit degenerate, you know,” he remarked. “I mean, not to cast aspersions on anyone in particular, but one would think that a few things worth doing would get done from time to time, rather than this continuous revelry—”
    “You don’t consider our studies worthwhile?” interrupted Uriel.
    “Ah! So you can speak after all! I’d started to wonder.”
    Uriel’s lips compressed. Mephistopheles continued. “As to studies, I don’t know. It depends. What are you studying? For what purpose? To satisfy idle curiosity?”
    Uriel scowled. “Who are you to belittle the efforts of anyone? So far as I know, you haven’t done anything of any benefit to anyone since the Third Wave.”
    “As opposed to whom?”
    Uriel shrugged and looked away. “I doubt any of this was what brought you here.”
    “Why shouldn’t it be? I just thought I’d stop by and find out how you and my other friends are.” Uriel opened his mouth as if to say,
“What
other friends?” but didn’t. “I thought,” continued Mephistopheles, “that I might give you news from other parts of Heaven.Did you know, for example, that Lilith had been seeing Lucifer since—”
    “Enough!” cried Uriel, the shadow of pain crossing his features. “If all you came to do is distribute and collect petty gossip, you may leave again. I have no wish to hear such things.”
    Mephistopheles’s face softened, and he bit his lip. His voice was lower as he said, “I’m sorry, Uriel. I’d forgotten that perhaps you wouldn’t wish to know how Lilith fares just now; after all—”
    “Please!”
    “Certainly, my friend. I have no wish to torment you.”
    Uriel scowled.
    “No, I mean it. I enjoy bantering, but I don’t want to hurt anyone.” He stood and crossed to Uriel. The big angel looked up at him, suspiciously. Mephistopheles sat in a chair next to him and touched his shoulder.
    “I know I joke too much,” he said. “Maybe I do hurt people, but I’m not malicious—at least, I don’t think I am. I’d forgotten about— things—or I wouldn’t have brought up what I did. I hope you can believe that.”
    Uriel’s eyes softened, but he still said nothing.
    “Perhaps,” Mephistopheles continued, dropping his voice still further, “I’m a bit jealous of you. I try not to be, but here you are, always next to Yaweh, seeing Michael and Raphael every day, getting in on their plans, speaking to them all, while I always seem to be on the outside