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

properly. It was through the arts of Lucifer and the devices of Asmodai that light had been brought to Heaven.
    Lilith was small and dark—lithe, yet full-bodied. Her eyes, as black as Mephistopheles’s, shone with energy and enthusiasm. Where Lucifer was indrawn and contemplative, she was outgoing and exu-
    berant. Lilith it was who had invented differentiation of genders, and then taught the angels why. It was because she was female that most of them chose to be male.
    After some little while of walking, Satan seated himself on a rock in the middle of a stream. He found a small stick and began tapping it on the stone.
    Beelzebub looked up at Lilith and whispered, “Certes, he’ll be at it, anon.” She nodded agreement.
    For a moment, the only sounds were the tapping of the stick, and the soft burbling of the stream. Then Satan gave a sigh.
    “I’m not sure how to begin this, friend Lucifer.”
    “Is it about the Plan?”
    “Yes.”
    Satan continued tapping the stick. Lucifer sat facing him in the middle of the stream, the clear water running over his crossed legs. Lilith sat behind Lucifer and rubbed her palm over his back. Beelzebub sat next to her, and occasionally leaned down to lap up water.
    Satan began again. “Actually, it’s about my own role in it.”
    Lucifer nodded. “Go on.”
    “I’ve been given the task—”
    “I know. It suits you.”
    “Eh? Explain that.”
    Lucifer shrugged. “You may not know it, but you’re the most respected of the Firstborn, excepting Yaweh himself. To have you leading them—”
    “Leading them? I’m not leading them. I’m—”
    “It amounts to the same thing. As I was told, you’re to keep account of the work and make sure each angel does his job. That means that they’ll be looking to you for guidance and inspiration—”
    “And a good kick, when needed.”
    “Yes, that too.”
    Satan was silent for a moment, tapping the stick against the rock. “I admit, you make it sound better than Yaweh did.”
    “That’s natural,” said Lucifer, somewhat amused.
    “To hear him describe it, I’m supposed to sniff around finding angelswho aren’t doing their job, and do whatever I have to do to make sure they perform.”
    “I’m sure there’s truth in that, also.”
    “But—I guess it bothers me that he, and you too, think we might need it. It never used to be like that. We fought when we had to, to survive. No one had to force us to do anything. You remember how it was.”
    “I remember,” said Lucifer softly.
    Once again, for a while, the only sound was the stick, tapping rhythmically against a rock.
     
     
    Twenty of the archangels fall in the Third Wave. Many others nearly do, as the Seven guide and rally the hosts. Yaweh is nearly overcome again, but is saved by Cherubiel, who is lost in the flux. Harut is pulled from the fray by Leviathan, but when he recovers, he finds that he cannot see or hear. Later, with great effort, Raphael restores his hearing.
    Far to the North, Belial and four archangels are overcome. He survives by forming mountains above him and taking a new shape. The four archangels perish. Enraged, Belial lashes out. In his hate, he preserves his Regency, but such is the power of his fires that those who are newly created near him are destroyed immediately. Later, alone, Belial will curl himself up under the mountain and remember Seraphiel, an archangel who fell by his side, who was one of few Belial had considered a friend.
    Ariel is fighting near Raphael when he is suddenly taken by the flux. Raphael sees this and grasps at his life thread. By main will, she holds him together. Only a small part of Ariel is left by the time he is safe, so he takes the form of a creature of the air and flies from the battle to the protection of Michael.
    Michael walks slowly forward, his great arms swinging, and each time his sword cuts through cacoastrum, his companions pull in the new ones thus created and nurture them to life.
    Abdiel is isolated