To Reign in Hell: A Novel by Steven Brust Read Free Book Online Page B

This is serious.”
    “Aye, milord.”
    “All right. We have to make sure Yaweh hears about this.”
    “Aye, milord.”
     
    Michael was not the most brilliant angel in Heaven. He was one of the biggest, one of the strongest, one of the most constant and dependable, but he was not one of the brightest.
    He had thick, curly brown hair to his shoulders and a broad, clean-shaven face with a well-formed nose. His eyes were brown and
    widely spaced. His shoulders were broad. He dressed in light grey, with brown boots, and on his shoulders was the gold cloak of the Firstborn.
    The lights from the fires cast strange reflections on his face as he turned toward the doorway. Next to him, standing over the long, low table, Asmodai also looked up at the door.
    “Enter,” he called.
    The door opened outward, and two figures were silhouetted against the night. They squinted down as Michael and Asmodai squinted up.
    A voice called out, “Asmodai?”
    “Lucifer! Come on down!”
    The two figures walked down to the room where the lights were from fires from the forge, and the heat was unpleasant to everyone except Asmodai, who had gotten used to it.
    “Good evening, Lucifer,” said Michael as they approached.
    “Michael! This is a surprise.” They embraced each other, Michael being careful not to hurt the other.
    “Yes, it is,” he said, as they broke off, held each other at arms’ length and smiled. “A pleasant one.”
    “Yes. You know Lilith, do you not?”
    “Of course,” said Michael, and smiled broadly at her. “Good evening, Lilith.”
    “Good evening, Lord Michael.”
    Asmodai coughed. “Let’s go to the other room,” he suggested, “where you’ll be more comfortable.”
    “Yes, let’s.”
    Asmodai lived a little to the north of the center, in the foothills of the mountains where Belial made his home. He had only two rooms. One was his workshop, with five forges scattered throughout, and the other held a bed, a small kitchen, and a few chairs around a fireplace. It was lit with naked torches and colored dark brown.
    The three visitors followed Asmodai into this second room and found seats.
    “What brings you here this evening, Michael?” began Lucifer, before anyone else could ask questions.
    Michael grunted. “Asmodai was showing me where the work would begin on the globe, and how it would expand, so I can arrange the defenses.”
    “I see.”
    “And you, Lucifer?”
    The Regent of the East bit his lip. Apparently liking the flavor, he chewed it for a while.
    “I spoke with Satan several days ago,” he said at last. “His talk disturbed me. I wanted your opinion of it.”
    “What did he say?”
    “He was worried about our need for the cooperation of the hosts, and if we had the ‘right’ to force them to help us.”
    Asmodai shrugged. “Do we need to force them? And can we if we do? If we have the need, and the ability, then it seems that we have the right. I don’t see the question.”
    “Odd,” said Michael.
    “What?” asked Lucifer.
    “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
    Lucifer and Lilith exchanged glances that Asmodai found unreadable. He looked from one to the other.
    “Yes?”
    Lucifer was silent. “We thought as you do,” said Lilith. “But speaking with Satan—well—we aren’t as sure now.”
    “I see. Well, maybe we’d better all hie off to see Lord Satan right now and find out about this.”
    “Now?” asked Lilith.
    “An excellent idea,” boomed Michael.
    “And say what to him?” asked Lucifer. “The last time we spoke—”
    “I wasn’t there,” said Asmodai. “True.”
    “Well?”
    “Let us wait a few days, anyway,” said Michael. “Now that I think of it, I must turn these plans over to Yaweh.”
    “Very well,” said Asmodai. “Four days from now? In the evening? Meet here?”
    “Agreed.”
    “Agreed.”
    “Agreed.”
     
    Yaweh studied Michael for a moment before saying anything. Michael broke the silence himself: “Is something wrong,