Unholy Empire: Chronicles of the Host, Vol 2: Chronicles of the Host, Book 2 (19 page)

Lucifer looked forlornly at the group.

“This is dangerous faith, my brethren. Faith such as this cannot be discouraged…but it can be distracted!”

“Distracted?” asked Kara. “In what way?”

“Kara, you should know as well as any about distracting humans,” said Lucifer. “You have done a remarkable job in Egypt setting up a complete cosmology of gods and goddesses for those deluded people to waste their faith upon.”

Kara beamed with pride.

“So it is with Abram,” continued Lucifer. “If we learned anything in Eden it was that women have a definite need for security…for family. Eve wanted wisdom for A’dam and herself and went to the greatest lengths to obtain it. Her simple-minded husband went right along with it in order to appease her.”

He laughed aloud, remembering the looks on A’dam’s and Eve’s faces after they realized what had happened.

“Do you remember how A’dam walked into that meadow where the trees stood and, rather than rebuke his wife for breaking the law, broke it with her?”

“Yes, lord,” said Pellecus. “That was a great day!”

“I suspect,” said Lucifer, “that in Sarai’s distress is great potential as well.

“Yes,” admitted Pellecus. “Unfortunately we have no serpent here.”

“Haven’t we?” asked Lucifer slyly.

Sarai stirred the pot that bubbled with the savory mutton Abram loved so well. As she hummed to herself, she thought about how far she had come in her life. Ur seemed like another world now. Her husband was a good man, but was lost in his devotion to a God who seemed at times distant to Sarai—especially in this matter of a son.

There it was again. She couldn’t make it more than a few minutes in any day without thinking of the promised son. How cruel was a God who made a promise so long ago and never made good on it. She watched her body getting older—sometimes she thought she was seeing herself age before her very eyes! It wasn’t that she blamed Abram—but what god or devil had enticed him to believe that he would have a child in his old age? She even would have settled for Eliezer, their chief servant, to become their heir. But Abram said the Lord had promised that they would indeed have a son of their own. And so they waited.

The voices of some of the women servants in the camp came to Sarai’s ears from the brook where they were washing. If only she were young again—like one of them. Like Hagar, her favorite. Yes, if she were young again, like Hagar, she would surely bear a son to Abram. She stared longingly in the direction of the women.

“
If only you had a second chance
,” came a voice into her mind. “
Look at all of those wonderful young women. Perhaps Abram no longer finds you desirable
…”

Sarai shook off the thought and tried to get back to her preparation of Abram’s dinner. She stirred the meat, then cast a glance once more in the direction of the chattering younger women.

Kara stood next to her, demonstrating to a group of demons the technique for suggesting to humans in order to elicit some sort of choice. Lucifer watched from a distance as well.

“Notice that the holy angels cannot interfere when a human is open to suggestion. Rules of the game,” he smirked.

Kara indicated several holy angels who stood by witnessing the spectacle, unable to intervene unless Sarai’s life was threatened. They would move in an instant should Sarai call upon the Lord in any way.

“
As you said to Abram, the Lord has abandoned your womb. If a son is not born to Abram there will be no heir…no heritage.
”

Sarai wiped away a tear from her eye. She stood up as the women came by on their way around the camp. One by one they filed by. Only Hagar came to her and bowed to her mistress.

Sarai looked at Hagar, who noticed her stares.

“Is something the matter, lady?” asked Hagar. “No,” said Sarai, “It is nothing. I was only noticing how beautiful you are. Egyptian women certainly are lovely.” “Thank you, lady,” said Hagar, a bit perplexed. She then continued on her way and entered Sarai’s tent to make it ready for the evening.

Of course! Hagar! Kara shot a glance at Lucifer, who nodded in agreement.

Sarai watched as Hagar disappeared in the tent.

“
Hagar would make a lovely mother
,” Kara began, speaking into Sarai’s mind. “
If only you were young again like she is. But you will never be young again. And the Lord has abandoned your dreams for a son of your own
.”

Sarai began to weep again as Kara continued. “
Why should your dreams be shattered by a God who plays games with your life? He may not give you a child, but does that mean one cannot be born to Abram? If you cannot have a child, why not let your favorite servant bear a child for you?
”

What was she thinking? Sarai shook herself and tried to imagine her husband and Hagar having a child together. Of course it would be of Abram’s house and therefore could become his legitimate heir. But Abram would never go for such an idea. He still was holding on to the promise of his God. She shook herself.

“I must give up such foolishness,” she said aloud, and tried to get back to the business of preparing food. But Kara was unrelenting.

“
And give up what might be your last hope to have a son?
” he purred.

She stared ahead in fixed thought, with a blank look on her face. Kara weighed in on her, steadily pouring forth words of desperation. She suddenly dropped the utensil in her hand and called out, “Abram! Abram!”

Crispin had just completed a lecture at the Academy. How he loved his role as a teacher to the Host. He watched as the final student left the large hall where he held sway as one of the greatest instructors in Heaven. As he made his way back through the room he noticed a group of angels just outside, chattering animatedly about something.

“What’s this?” asked Crispin. “What is all the jabbering about?”

“The woman is with child,” said one of the angels. “Sarai has finally conceived!”

“No, no, you have it wrong,” said another. “It is not Sarai who carries the child of Abram. It is her handmaid, Hagar.”

“Hagar?” repeated an astonished Crispin. “Incredible!”

“Even more than incredible, Crispin,” said Gabriel, whose entrance into the conversation broke up the little impromptu meeting in the hallway. The angels quickly dispersed. Gabriel watched as they headed off in different directions and then continued.

“To produce the child of promise,” said Gabriel, with an exasperated look. “When will these humans ever learn to trust in the Lord?”

“When will we ever learn not to underestimate the cleverness of our opponent?” said Crispin. “A very subtle ploy on the part of Lucifer. I must admit it makes sense—at least from his vantage.”

“How so, teacher?” asked Gabriel.

Crispin motioned Gabriel to follow him. They continued down the hallway toward Crispin’s office, speaking as they walked through the many passages that made up the bowels of the Academy. Arriving in Crispin’s quarters, they sat down together.

“What is it that Lucifer fears more than anything else?” Crispin began.

“Michael perhaps,” Gabriel smiled. “His own angels turning on him…”

“You miss the point, archangel,” Crispin responded. “More than Michael, more than his own wretched devils, Lucifer fears the fulfillment of the prophecy pronounced at Eden. He fears the one who will avenge the Most High for A’dam’s transgression.” He leaned back in his large chair. “And he will do anything to prevent it from happening.”

“So how does Abram’s having a child by Hagar prevent this?” Gabriel asked. “Is it not an issue of Abram and therefore a legitimate contender for the prophecy?”

“An issue of Abram, yes,” agreed Crispin. “A legitimate heir, no. Like I said, it is a masterful stroke on Lucifer’s part.”

“So what is his game?” asked Gabriel.

“I’m not altogether sure,” said Crispin. “But something tells me he is playing it quite well.”

Hagar had never been happier. Not only was she the favorite female servant in the great house of Abram, but she was carrying the future heir of Abram’s possessions. She felt her importance for the first time in her life. Many of the other servants related differently to her, addressing her now in terms more appropriate for a mistress of a household rather than a handmaiden. Not that it bothered Hagar. She had never been respected as a person of any worth. Now she was second only to Sarai—and in some ways she felt even more significant.

Several devils who had been assigned to Hagar watched as she walked through the camp near Hebron. Amused at her newfound pride, they enjoyed watching the sniping and gossip that was beginning to tear apart the community underneath the surface. She had even begun ordering some of the other servants about as if she were a great lady herself.

“What a pitiful display of human pride,” said one of the devils, a spirit of discord, whose specialty was inciting bitter feelings among humans. “She actually thinks that she has a reason to be haughty among her peers.”

“It amazes me how quickly humans, given the proper motivation, will turn on each other” agreed the other, who was a gossipy spirit. They had been working to divide the camp and cause a rift in fellowship between Sarai and Hagar. Their poison had in fact been working, and Sarai had begun recently to develop hard feelings toward Hagar. As they spoke Kara and Tinius came into the camp, gliding in from the east.

“All these holy angels,” Tinius said with disdain. “Have they nothing better to do than stand about all grim-faced and serious?”

“Well, there
is
a war, Tinius,” said Kara. “Hadn’t you heard? And these stalwart holy angels of the Lord are preventing you and me from…” He turned and addressed the angels of God who remained stationed at the main tent entrance. “Exactly what
are
you preventing us from? Killing Abram? I promise you that won’t happen. That would spoil everything.” He walked over to the sentries. “You see, I want to see the finish of this little drama when Hagar gives birth to the creature who will become heir. That will be delicious, won’t it?”

The angels didn’t even flinch, but remained silently at their posts.

“Bah! Is it any wonder that we sought refuge from the Host? Heaven is filled with such dull spirits!”

He walked back to Tinius, who was quite amused at Kara’s taunting of the angels. Kara ordered the spirits of discord and gossip to continue their work, and promised that he was sending more devils to create tension within the community. He and Tinius then continued on to their pre-arranged meeting with Lucifer’s recently established inner circle of leadership.

“I think we will be able to report something quite satisfactory,” said Tinius, as they reached the edge of the camp. “Lucifer should be pleased with the progress here.”

Kara smiled at Tinius’s naïve take on things. “Lucifer will never be satisfied until he can rest.” He looked back and saw Sarai speaking to Abram and Hagar. “And he shall never rest as long as the prophecy hangs over him.”