From: aaron@space.ualberta.ca (Aaron Humphrey)
Subject: The Damned Second
Reply-To: aaron@space.ualberta.ca
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 1992 15:36:48 GMT


[ This one is for Abner J. Mintz, who gave me

4 words: angel  centurion  prismatic  intrigue

and the optional condition of featuring Callahan's characters.  But I didn't
feel up to doing that, especially not in talk.bizarre.  Maybe here I'll try it,
with appropriate permissions, of course.]


Dariel looked out into the mists surrounding the Firmament.  It was still
there.  Good.  He would hate to think that he had disturbed the Centurion for a
mere trick of the eye.  But he was sure that it was more than that.

The grey mists were normally everchanging but essentially featureless--chaos,
in other words.  But today Dariel had seen something different--a prismatic
form of disturbing regularity.

He felt Arafel's aura before he saw her.  "Centurion," he said.

"Dariel," she said.  Her voice was musical, but he well knew the harshness it
could take at need.

He indicated the strange prismatic form in the mists.  "There it is."  And then
felt foolish, for surely the Centurion Arafel had eyes to see.  But she took no
offense.

"Indeed," she said.  "It is well that you came to me, then.  Have you told 
thers of this?"  He shook his head.  "Good--no need to spread panic."

"What could it be?" he asked.  "Is the Creator intent on something new, of
which he has not told us?  Or--"

"Or is there some new malevolent force present?  My thoughts exactly.  I know
nothing of the Creator's plans, but I doubt it is his--it resembles not his
handiwork.  If it is some unknown force, then it need not necessarily be
malevolent, but it would be safest to assume so in case it is--adopt a
defensive stance, as it were.  Let us hope that, if it is neutral it will not
be turned against us by such a scheme."

Dariel thought for a moment.  "There is another possibility, Centurion."

Arafel grew quiet.  "Yes, Dariel?"

"It could have been created by something known to us that is not the Creator."

"Are you mad, Dariel?  The Creator's first edict was that none other than
himself would create.  The Damned First was destroyed because he dared to
create other than the Creator wished--and his creations wrought naught but
evil.  Are you suggesting that we have a Damned Second among us, in our very
midst?"

Dariel hung his head.  "It must be considered, Centurion."

Arafel nodded.  "Indeed it must.  Or it would."  She drew her sword.

"Centurion, what--"  Dariel gurgled as Arafel's sword sliced his body in two.
She sighed at the waste.  If she'd only had a bit longer to cultivate him, to
make him realize the tyranny the Creator had over them all.  But she hadn't.
And he would have given them away, warned the Creator.

She felt sorry for the waste of innocent blood.  She had spent long enough
fighting the Damned First's creations that she could kill dispassionately
enough, but was somewhat disturbed to discover that she could use her skill
against one of her own kind.

But the followers of the Damned Second had a hard road before them.  Who was
she to complain?  She tossed the halves of Dariel's lifeless form out into the
mists.  It was long since the Creator had monitored all his creations.  Dariel
would not be missed until it was too late.

Then she sprang off the edge of the Firmament and winged her way through the
mists to the prismatic world awaiting her.

--
---Alfvaen(Canadian SF Quasi-Activist)
"It's not my fault.  The orchestra has disappeared."
   ---Hector Berlioz
Current Album--Kate Bush:The Dreaming
Current Read--Jack McDevitt:The Hercules Text