1st Draft of Chapter 1 of 2nd Book 'Light of the Holy'

The Light Trilogy

Book Two

Chapter One

The Light of His Holiness

Rimmon did wait with fear and trembling. A personal audience with the Master was rare. An honour bestowed only to a select few. But Rimmon wondered if this summons to appear before Satan, was not an honour to be desired but one to be feared. It was only a short time since Rimmon, one of Lucifer’s great commanders on Earth, had suffered the shame and ignominy of a miserable encounter with Bezalel’s angels. A debacle which had led to the utter defeat of Rimmon’s forces at Penrhos Bay.

It was an audience which Rimmon could very well do without.

As he waited in the ante-chamber he wished that his trusted friend and confidante Ganymede was here with him to endure the ordeal of meeting face to face with the Lord of Evil in the dark heart of Hell. He should be here, thought Rimmon irritably. After all it was not his fault that the battle had been lost. He knew that much of the blame belonged to Ganymede and not to himself. It was Ganymede’s incompetence, and that oaf Gathan, that had finally lost them the battle. Perhaps he should explain this to Him? He pondered on this strategy. Could he save his own skin by incriminating his lieutenants. These thoughts diminished quickly and eventually evaporated into thin air. He knew he must face the inquisition alone. He was here and they were not. Ganymede was off sulking somewhere and Gathan? Well he wasn’t anywhere, since he had been annihilated by that rookie angel Samuel.

Rimmon trembled. His Master’s name was Satan, a name given him after the great schism. It meant ‘The Accuser’. He felt dreadful, sick and uneasy and was now concerned and maybe just a little worried that he was about to meet his judge and executioner.

Two giant, intimidating demons stood guard at the door to Lucifer’s private apartments began to fidget nervously. Every now and then they stole surreptitious glances at Rimmon. They could feel his fear and smell the apprehension. The great shining scimitars of the guards were crossed in front of the entrance doors so that none dare enter until bidden to do so. The great doors to Satan’s inner chamber were crafted from precious metals mined from the very depths of the earth. Brilliant jewels and priceless gems studded the framework in intricate designs masterfully worked in pearl and jet and lapis lazuli. At the top of each of the golden handles were huge, beautifully cut emeralds, shaped as apples likened unto those found in the Garden of Eden. The flaming torches of fire on either side of the door, held in black jet vases, fixed to the walls cast off bursts of brilliant light that was captured, reflected and scattered by the gold and silver surfaces and the numerous priceless jewels.

Rimmon strained hard to listen. From beyond the doors came sweet sounds of heavenly music, issuing he thought from flutes, pipes and reeds. Rimmon stressed his senses to the limit in order to hear the symphony of sound that emanated from the sanctuary. As he tried ever harder to discern the mood of the God of this World from the music within, the doors silently and slowly opened. The guards stepped aside, lowering their great curved swords, and bade him enter.

At the threshold Rimmon bowed low.

"Rimmon, you may approach." A voice called from within.

The music filled the vast room like an exquisite perfume subtly dominating the atmosphere, the melodies never remaining constant but somehow always capricious and fleeting yet completely intoxicating. As he stepped forward into the chamber his mind saw an image of a black and green sinuous serpent slithering and gliding effortlessly across a white marble floor. The snake was beautiful and yet its eyes shone with black perfidy. The image faded. He moved closer to the great figure seated upon the throne of power. Throwing himself upon the floor he genuflected in abject obeisance. His eardrums vibrated as the sound increased in energy. He realised with surprise that the music was emanating from the very body of Satan. The intricate complexity of flutes, pipes and reeds were actually part of Satan’s form. His muscles were sculptured so exquisitely to include the instruments of music. As the Lord of Darkness moved the sounds changed and grew in intensity. The pain inside Rimmon’s head throbbed and soon all of his body shook and convulsed under the immense pressure of Satan’s disharmonious music. He thought he was going to die an agonising death on the floor of the chamber. His hands instinctively went to protect his ears, he writhed in agony. And then, the music suddenly began to fade, the strange fluted muscles stopped vibrating and then ceased altogether and the excruciating discomfort that had begun to envelope his whole body ended.

The silence that followed was like a great oasis of calm. A beautiful emptiness. Rimmon suddenly felt a surging desire within himself. He had an overwhelming desire to sing, to chant praises in honor of his beautiful and wondrous Master. Rising he opened his mouth to sing. Satan watched him intently and then raised his hand and the feeling within Rimmon crashed like a wave upon the shore and scattered into nothingness. Satan rose from the seat of majesty and held out his hand to the demon.

"Come, my friend sit here beside me so that we may converse in private."

As Rimmon rose to his feet the doors behind Rimmon closed shut.

The sound of Lucifer’s voice was as harmonious as a pure-silver flute, the tone of his utterances sublimely sweet and clear, possessing a beautiful concordant quality that spoke of charisma and raw strength. Rimmon taking his master’s hand sat upon the marble stool beside the throne.

Satan once the day-star of the heavens, the light-bearer, appeared to Rimmon as a colossus, a great deity, someone to be feared, yet held in awe. Here he was sat beside the Supreme-one as if he was a close companion sharing the delights of the inner sanctum. His earlier thoughts of punishment and even personal destruction now seemed foolish. He detected no anger in his Lord that bode him ill. Yet he knew full well that Satan was the king of mendacity, the deceiver of all deceivers. Satan relaxed against the back of the throne. He turned to face his guest. Rimmon could not resist the urge to look right into His eyes. They were of the deepest ice blue and shone with a brightness that sparkled like gleaming diamonds. His form was utterly, utterly wonderful. Rimmon beheld in Satan’s eyes a magnificence that was beyond compare, an inner loveliness and grace. His features were of the utmost perfection, created by the Lord of Lords to be wondrous in the entire universe. And yet... there was a glimpse of something other, a fleeting thing, a dark thing, a flash of black lightning against the brilliance, a state of iniquity moving and living deep within His being and it could not be hidden or disguised. The splendour of his unique symmetry could not mask the evil lurking there.

"Tell me now about your successes and also of your failures in my service and do not prevaricate with me. I wish to know you, as you know yourself and remember Rimmon" The voice was a soft as velvet. "I am your Lord but also your servant."

Rimmon felt a wave of obsequious pleasure encompass him. My Lord Satan says he is my servant.

"My Lord I am overwhelmed by your kindness."

He slipped off the stool and knelt keeping his head low to the floor in complete subservience. He waited until Satan bade him speak.

"I can only lay myself at your mercy." He thought of mentioning Ganymede but chose to be honest instead.

"It was entirely my fault. I underestimated my foe. I believed I had won the battle but even as I rose to celebrate my victory Bezalel and his angels seized the upper hand."

Satan listened quietly then bending low thrust out a hand to lift Rimmon to his feet.

"Do not bow so low. I want you to stand tall again. It is true is it not my general, that a battle lost can still lead to a consummate victory of the entire war. We shall learn from our mistakes. But does He, Yahweh learn from his meagre successes? I think not."

Satan stepped down from the throne and stood beside Rimmon. He was more than four feet taller.

"Come sit here upon my throne."

Rimmon perplexed blurted out "Nay Sire that is reserved for you alone."

"It is reserved for whomever I choose, I command you sit."

Lucifer motioned to Rimmon to do as he was bid. The throne was large and he felt like a child sitting in the father’s seat. Quite unexpectedly Satan knelt down before the throne and drew his mouth close to Rimmon’s ear. He recoiled back against the chair. Satan grabbed both arms of the throne and edged closer.

"I have never confided this to anyone but I feel the need to speak on this matter. It churns my insides like a violent storm at sea."

Rimmon began to tremble.

"He above, is so ‘super’ this and ‘super’ that but I really don’t give a damn about Him being omniscient and omnipotent. It’s His arrogance. His supercilious attitude and indifference when we walk together that offends me. He is so unafraid. He often turns His back on me to sniff at a flower. I could so easily strike him."

Rimmon could feel the heat and smell the noxious breath of Satan on his face. His lips brushed Rimmon’s ear as he whispered these innermost thoughts.

Rimmon did not want to be party to this confession. He knew it could so easily mean death at some later date when Satan had a change of mind. But he was trapped.

"He knows that I have unimaginable power. Such power if summoned could destroy the Earth in its entirety. But here is the paradox. I know I could if I chose to, annihilate all of humanity. But If I decided to do that, would He stop me? He would know even before I thought the deed I suppose... and He could prevent me. Yes, He allows me to perform minor acts of destruction, pure evil even, but that’s because it fits into His plan. Do you see my problem, my friend?"

Rimmon dared not turn his head to face his master but simply nodded twice.

"So what is left for me to do? He has said that there will be reckoning, when? Only He knows. Is that a fair fight? Of course not. He leaves me one option only to strike first."

Satan took his hands off the chair and gripped Rimmon’s arms tight.

"I don’t want anyone else to hear this. What I am about to share with you is to remain secret, hidden from all. You will not speak of this nor will you even mouth the words even in solitude lest the wind carry my plans abroad."

Satan eyes now looked into Rimmon’s eyes.

"One day when He invites me to a genial discourse in the garden I shall wait for the right moment and deliver an almighty blow to the Creator and destroy him utterly."

Satan leapt back from the throne and held his hands aloft.

Rimmon surveyed the spectacle before. His Master, Lucifer dreaming of victory of vanquishing the age old foe.

He could not help himself and blurted out "But Master...!"

Satan turned.

"What is it? Do you see a flaw in my plan? My great General who gives away battles to the enemy without so much as a by your leave. Speak up I say."

Rimmon wetted his lips with his tongue before saying "But what about the other ones...if you strike the Father does that mean the Son and the Spirit are defeated too?"

"Have you not studied the Scriptures?" in a mocking tone he said "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me and the Holy Spirit is one in three and three in one and that mysterious claptrap."

Satan stood tall and suddenly a great shining sword was in his hand. He brought it down from on high and struck the base of the throne. Rimmon pulled back his legs to avoid the blow. The sound of metal hitting marble rang throughout the chamber.,

"Strike one and all three will die." Lucifer roared.

Rimmon cowered on the throne.

"Is this not a masterful plan my friend?"

Rimmon knew he had to speak and not hesitate for to pause was to invite censure.

"Yes, yes my Lord it is masterful indeed and could only be conceived by you" He drew breath then continued "only you are powerful enough to strike the living god...but Master how will create the moment and you said He sees all knows all even before it happens."

I know nevertheless I have been scrutinising Him at every opportunity.."

Rimmon interrupted. "You actually meet with Him?" said Rimmon a little too incredulously

Satan scoffed "Why of course. I wandered in the gardens of Eden just awhile ago and He and I debated the fate of humanity."

"You walked and talked with Yehovah?" Rimmon said utterly surprised.

"Yes, why should that not be? Who else can he talk to who is his equal."

Satan stood before the throne once more and glowered down at Rimmon.

"Humanity! It is his creation, but I am his equal in everything. I sometimes wonder if He ever regrets what he has done. He in his eternal wisdom has made it so and cannot undo what time and space and the Word have wrought."

"And Sire do you converse with the Word made flesh, him I mean?" said Rimmon nervously not wanting to mention that accursed name.

Satan guffawed "What! Of course not. Why should I talk to the monkey when the Organ Grinder of the Heavens desires my presence? I despise the Son.He is always prancing about showing off his earthly resurrected body. Does he know what he is? Is he a God or a man? The whole thing is absurd. Putting Godliness into brutish man. Its like putting the best wine into a goblet made of obdure.

The thing called Jesus the Christ is repugnant to me, as I am sure I am to him. He will go to the end of time to reconcile Man to himself? Yehovah tried once to explain to me that this operation of the spirit was the heart and soul of his great plan for the cosmos. A new heaven and a new earth. What’s wrong with current one I asked."

"What did He say?" Rimmon ventured.

"Nothing. He hid behind that beatific smile of His. I hate it!"

Satan continued.

"My question was this, why does His plan have to include these sub-natural creatures, why can’t it be just God, the angels and us? I concede it will have to include the Son and his Spirit. But humans, O come on! Having to agree that men must be the heart of the plan is a mighty flaw, and one I believe that His Almighty Godhead is struggling to solve. How long does it have to take? Another two thousand years? Longer? I know that aeons to us is a blink of the eye to Him but its pushing the limits of patience don’t you think? Without men in the picture the whole damned mess could be settled in one night."

Rimmon was captivated. He never guessed that his master walked with the Creator.

"I told him he was deluding himself, told him he was a fool."

"You called the Almighty God a fool?"

Satan hesitated and turning his back to Rimmon muttered in a low voice "Well not exactly ...I probably said it under my breath."

He turned to face Rimmon.

"Oh he heard me alright but it’s in His nature not to complain. He’s so perfect, so benign and when He manifests blessed benevolence His glory can blind you. I always take my darkened spectacles with me for fear of irreparable injury."

Rimmon laughed because he thought Satan was joking.

"I’m not joking! If He blinded me, would He restore my sight like His miserable wretch of a son did in Palestine for innumerable outcasts and beggars? Oh no. It’s okay for his blessed mortals to be made to see, to walk, to speak and hear after being born deaf and dumb, but no miracles for me." Lucifer scoffed.

Rimmon was beginning to feel uneasy. There was a cruel tone in his master’s voice.

"I concur with you Sire but your plan...?"

"Yes my plan. Now you see for yourself I have no option but murder God. I have given him a way out but he won’t take it. These mortals must live and we ...we must either bow before His throne unconditionally or suffer in the age to come as it is recorded in the blasted book of Revelations."

"How will you make the strike without Him knowing? And what about his guardian angels, and Gabriel what of he?

"Gabriel? Why Yahweh sends his cohorts of angels to protect men and as for Gabriel he discourses with his generals to secure the holy plan of redemption."

Then the Lord of Lords is unprotected?"

"Of sorts my friend, of sorts. I must think on these things."

Rimmon slowly slipped down off the throne and drew aside. He sensed his Master’s mood was changing.

Sure enough Lucifer sat upon the throne and the music began once more but softly this time, subdued and slow.

Rimmon backed towards the door his head low on his breast. Reaching the door which was now opening to allow him to exit he glanced up and his great Master, the God of this age, Satan had covered his face in a golden cloak.

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1st Draft of Chapter 1 of 2nd Book 'Light of the Holy'

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