She opened her cloak and flowed about him. The intangible female nature of her encompa.s.sed him, and he felt as if he were floating. Why had he waited so many centuries before coming to her? She was all he could ever desire!

Then she withdrew, as she had before. "Not yet, Lord of Evil."

"But all I want is you!"

"Perhaps thou shallst have me, or I you. But not yet. Thou hast one more mortal woman to deal with, before me. Go first to thine Incarnation."

The disappointment of this final rejection surged in him. "No other Incarnation will touch me!"

"Thou must win her, Evil."

"Win whom?" he cried desperately as the presence withdrew. "How? I tell you, no other Incarnation will-"

"She has been given thee, Evil, but thou must win her from the others and from herself. Win her, and all is thine."

"Win whom!" he cried, but Nox was gone, leaving him with a greater emptiness than he had felt before.

He had come for relief, and had been turned away. What remained to him?

Then the significance of what Nox had sent penetrated. If he found this mysterious Incarnation and won her, all would be his. He knew from the context and significance of the thought that-this meant everything. That he would at last defeat G.o.d.

Nox had directed him correctly, if deviously, before. Perhaps this new challenge would be the most significant yet.

Parry moved on toward h.e.l.l, discovering his interest in the challenge being restored. Mars might have set him back, but the larger picture had not yet clarified.

The Lord of Evil might yet have his day.

Chapter 15.

GAEA.

First Parry spent some time thinking. He retreated to the edge of the Void, where no one would bother him, and reviewed what had pa.s.sed. Nox had said that the woman was mortal, and an Incarnation, and had been given to him, but that he had to win her from the others and from herself. There were only two major female Incarnations currently. Fate and Gaea, and neither one of them would touch him.

Then he remembered the prophecy he had discussed with Lilah. The business with Mars had blotted it from his attention. Two men, possessing the two most beautiful women, bearing each a daughter, one of whom might marry Death, the other Evil. One daughter to love an Incarnation, the other to be one.

There was only one conclusion to be drawn from those prophecies, a.s.suming they were true ones. One daughter was to a.s.sociate with Thanatos, as Luna was doing; the other was to a.s.sociate with Satan, and become an Incarnation herself. What a concatenation of threads!

Which Incarnation? While it was possible for a male or female mortal to a.s.sume any Incarnation office, the s.e.xes had been unchanged throughout Parry's tenure. So it seemed likely that she would become either an Aspect of Fate, perhaps joining her mother, Niobe, or Nature.

Nature. Gaea. The Green Mother. She had been in office since Parry had worked her over with the plague. She was still on the job, but might be getting tired.

If that other daughter-what was her name? Orb-if Orb became Gaea, and a.s.sociated with Parry- It burst upon him like an explosion from the fires of h.e.l.l. If he won that girl, and she was Gaea, her power would be joined to his! He could use that mergence to tip the balance against G.o.d!

No wonder Nox had elected to wait, foreseeing this! Why should she distract him from the biggest chance of his career in office! Nox preferred to see what he would do with it. If he lost, there were was time for Nox. If he won- The prospect awed him. All he had to do was- He quickly sobered. Orb was Niobe's daughter! She was protected by Fate. There was no way that girl would walk innocently into his embrace!

But Niobe had, in a fashion, turned Orb loose. She had agreed to divert her from politics. He had intended that to be Luna, and had been deceived. He had agreed never to harm her. But by the same token, Niobe had left her to him, because his agreement meant that she had no cause to fear what he might do to Orb. The logic was somewhat obscure, but the interpretation was viable.

But what was the girl like? He had never seen her. He knew only that in childhood she had been like a twin sister to Luna, with buckwheat-honey hair to match Luna's clover-honey hair. Luna had grown to be a beauty, talented artistically-and politically. Orb-her talent was music, for she had claimed a musical instrument from the Hall of the Mountain King. How did that qualify her to a.s.sume the office of the Incarnation of Nature?

Parry realized that it was time to take a look at Orb. He would not interfere with her in any way; he would simply observe her. After all, if she was destined to be his companion, he had a right to know!

First he had to locate her. That was simple enough; he went to Purgatory and used its computer. These new-fangled scientific devices did have their uses. He was after all an Incarnation, and this was neutral territory; the computer served him as well as the others.

She was in America, on a tour with a musical group called The Livin' Sludge. That made sense, because of her music. But that group jogged a memory; perhaps he had encountered it in his quest to evoke evil among mortals.

He returned to h.e.l.l and delved into its own records. Sure enough, the members of The Livin' Sludge were considered to be prime prospects for residence in h.e.l.l after they died, because all three males were hooked on Spelled H, one of the most addictive and degenerative of modern drugs.

But what was Niobe's daughter doing with such a group? She was surely a disgustingly good girl, and would be unlikely to a.s.sociate with evil in any form. This was becoming more interesting.

Then he discovered that in addition to the three male musicians, there were two young woman and a succubus in the group, besides...o...b..herself. More interesting yet.

The succubus was of course a d.a.m.ned creature, a female demon who seduced men in their sleep. Her name was Jezebel, and she was not a.s.sociated with h.e.l.l; she was an independent agent. The male musicians would enjoy her company, of course, but Niobe's daughter and the two other girls, who were innocent creatures, would hardly feel the same!

The group was conveyed from site to site by a huge magic fish known as Jonah. Most interesting of all!

Jonah he knew about already. He was the monstrous fish who had swallowed the Prophet Jonah some millennia back, and was being punished for it, now having a.s.sumed the name of the one he had wronged. He was forbidden to touch water, he had to swim instead through air or earth. Why would he do such a service for this motley a.s.semblage?

Parry located the site at which they were currently performing and went there to take in a show. He a.s.sumed the form of a somewhat seedy middle-aged man, and paid for his ticket with legitimate money. This was of course an anonymous visit, just for information.

The group looked every bit as disreputable as he had expected. The boys were somewhat s.h.a.ggy, and even from his distance in the rear of the audience he could sniff the aura of evil a.s.sociated with their addiction to H. Ordinary H was bad, but Spelled H was truly h.e.l.lish; it never let go until its victim was securely in h.e.l.l proper.

Then the girls came on. Two of them; evidently the others served other functions in the group. One of these was black and rather pretty, and she was a virgin with so little evil on her soul she seemed unreal. The other was...o...b.. conservatively garbed, buckwheat-honey tresses, and reminiscent of her real mother though not as beautiful. She had a little harp that seemed out of place among the more conventional instruments of the boys.

A harp? He remembered how Jolie had played a little harp. That jolted him, even after seven centuries.

They began to play, the organ, guitar and drums. There was really nothing special about it. The audience quickly became restless, and there were discontented murmurings. "You mean this is it?" a girl near Parry whispered to her companion. "I thought they were supposed to be hot!"

He smiled knowingly. "They are. Just wait."

After a moment, the black girl began to sing. Her voice was good, but not spectacular, and the fact that she sang an old folk song did not help.

"I didn't pay good money for this junk!" the girl in the audience muttered. All through the packed hall there were similar rumblings; it would not be long before b.a.l.l.s of paper were flying.

"You'll see," the companion said smugly.

Parry was more curious than bored. He knew that young folk had a low tolerance for boredom, and conventional values bored them. How had The Livin' Sludge managed to develop such popularity with such ordinary stuff?

Then Orb touched her harp and joined in, adding a slight additional theme hardly audible through the existing sound.

Something happened. It was as though color developed after an image had been established in limited black and white. The black girl's voice filled out, becoming beautiful, and the boys' instruments a.s.sumed authority they had lacked before. Suddenly the music had conviction. It spread out through the audience, an almost tangible wave, and replaced fidgeting with rapture. The mouth of the nearby complaining girl froze in mid-mutter; her eyes glazed. Her companion did not even say "I told you so"; he, too, was rapt.

Yet the music had hardly changed. It was still the old folk song, still the motley collection of instruments.

Then it touched Parry, and he felt the magic.

Now Orb joined in singing, her voice added to that of the black girl. The magic intensified. The listeners nearest the stage seemed almost to float, and even way back here, where the effect was diminished, the sound became wondrous.

Orb had the same magic he did! But hers, enhanced by the harp from the Hall of the Mountain King, was magnified, so that its power touched thousands. It spread to the other members of the performing group, enhancing their otherwise ordinary skills. It hardly mattered what music they played; anything became marvelous.

Now Parry knew the secret of The Livin' Sludge. Magic talent enhanced by magic instrument. He understood it readily enough; after all, he himself had enraptured listeners with his voice alone on many occasions. He could depart; he hardly needed to sit through the entire performance.

But he did not move. He remained, as did all the others, silently taking it all in. At the end, he joined in the applause as ardently as the others.

As the folk departed, he remembered his mission. He wanted to know more of the situation of Orb and The Livin' Sludge. Much more!

He conjured himself to Jonah, the big fish floating invisibly in the air near the city. Jonah was aware of his coming, and shuddered, but could not protest; Parry was after all an Incarnation.

The girl Betsy was there, sitting at a desk in her office inside the fish, sorting through the voluminous correspondence the group received and dictating answers into a recorder. She was, he understood, the organist's girl. He ignored her and sought instead the succubus.

Jezebel was fixing an evening meal. Because night had fallen, she was in her exotic form, a supremely luscious young woman. But instead of seeking sleeping men to seduce, she was working patiently at this mundane ch.o.r.e, with seeming satisfaction.

"What are you doing here, demoness?" he inquired, materializing beside her.

She turned, annoyed-and did a humanlike double take. "Satan! You have no call on me!"

"I have no interest in you, demoness. All I want is information: why does a creature of your kind a.s.sociate in a menial capacity with a mixed bag of mortals?"

"I don't have to answer You!"

"Would you prefer that I inquire of one of the mortals? That fair girl in the other chamber, perhaps?"

"Leave her alone, Satan! She's innocent!"

"Then I think you will answer Me," he said grimly. It worked. The succubus knew his power, and feared for her companions. "If I do, will You go?"

"Not only that, I will erase any signs of My visit."

"It's the Llano," she said.

"The Llano!" he exclaimed. "What do you know of the Song of the Fundament?"

"Only that it will free me," she said. "And them. They all want it too. The boys to get off the H, and Jonah to be released from his curse, and Orb-"

He nodded. He knew of the Llano, having searched for parts of it for centuries. It was the ultimate melody of power, carrying magic that reached back into the nature of chaos itself. A minor aspect of it lent magic to his own singing.

Then he realized how this related to Orb. She, too, partook of an aspect of the Llano when she sang. Naturally she wanted more of it, for a person who could tap into the Llano had the potential to do much more.

His question was answered. The quest for the Llano was indeed what unified this motley group. They were on tour not for money or fame, but to search out the Llano.

That gave him the key to his approach to Orb. He could help her to achieve a portion of the Llano.

There was a noise outside. The others were returning to the fish-or perhaps Jonah had gone to their location to take them in.

Jezebel glanced up in alarm. "Satan, You promised-"

Parry nodded. "You answered, demoness. Now I depart, and you will carry no memory of this interview." He made a gesture, as of nipping something at her.

She jumped, alarmed. Then it hit her, and her expression straightened as he faded out. She had forgotten his visit.

Parry smiled. He had not been sure that a demon who was independent of h.e.l.l would react in the same way those within h.e.l.l did. Now he knew: he had the same power over outside demons as over inside demons. The power over their belief. He had not performed any magic; he had simply made a gesture, and Jezebel had erased the memory herself, obeying the power she believed he had.

He remained, invisible, just to make sure she was not trying to trick him. In a moment the party boarded. One of them came straight to the kitchen chamber. It was the guitarist. He swept the demoness into his embrace and kissed her ardently, and she responded with complete abandon.

Parry was amazed. Demonesses seldom gave their love, particularly this species, but this one had. He could tell when they were deceiving and when they were true; he had centuries of experience. Certainly Jezebel did not want Satan interfering; she just wanted to be left alone with her lover.

He would leave her alone. He remembered Lilah, who had been true to each of her lovers until they tired of her. He had lost Lilah because he had lost respect for her; he had brought it on himself.

Then Orb entered the kitchen. The two broke their kiss, remaining embraced. "Food's ready," Jezebel said. "I'll get on it."

"Finish what you're doing," Orb said with a smile.

They returned to their kiss. Orb watched indulgently, but also with a trace of envy. She had no lover of her own.

Parry gazed at her, remaining invisible. This was the woman who might marry Evil. He had been contemptuous of that prophecy, remembering beautiful Niobe, not really able to appreciate how the baby she had after departing the office could ever interest him. But then he had heard Orb sing, in the way that he himself sang, and a dimension had been added to the prospects. Now he saw her in her natural state, and she was a beautiful woman in her own right, and a feeling one. In fact, she reminded him of her mother-and, oddly, of Jolie. Her hair was the same color, and so were her eyes. Also, there was her little harp.

Of Jolie! He was abruptly aware of his chain of thought. A woman almost as lovely as Niobe, cast in the image of Parry's long-dead wife. Had Gabriel known it would be this way?

Parry conjured himself away from there, dismayed. Now he appreciated the potential treachery of the situation. There were two ways he could join with Orb, the potential Gaea. One was to seduce her into loving him, and adding her power to his, giving him victory over G.o.d. The other was for her to seduce him into loving her, and that would destroy all his prospects. Plus, she was allied with G.o.d, and would not betray G.o.d unless her heart went first.

His smartest move might be to drop any consideration of any a.s.sociation with this young woman. To stay well away from her, and go to Nox...

He shook his head. He knew he could not do that. He had to settle matters with Orb, one way or the other. It was apt to be the most significant challenge of his career as an Incarnation.

Parry watched Orb for some time, attending a number of the concerts on the tour and observing her as she went out shopping or visiting. He was avoiding the issue, he knew; but he was uncertain how to approach her. Certainly he could not walk up and introduce himself as Satan; she would refuse to have anything to do with him. But if he fashioned himself into some other semblance, she would be furious when she learned the truth, and that would end the a.s.sociation. Either way, her mother would be trouble. Niobe knew of the prophecy, and would surely labor diligently to void it. As an Aspect of Fate, she had extraordinary power to do just that.

Yet she had, he reminded himself, in her fashion given him leave. She knew that the issue would not be settled until the prophecy had been expended. That critical word may had to be settled; it had to be determined whether Orb would or would not marry Evil. Perhaps she wanted the issue settled as much as he did.

Why not start with Niobe, then? Settle with her about the manner he would settle with her daughter. Whatever she acceded to, the other Incarnations would.

He mulled it over, but found no better approach. There had to be some way to do it that would not have him at odds with the other Incarnations.

He went to the Abode of Fate. Niobe expected him, for there was a tangle in her threads at this stage. She met him in her own form; the other two Aspects were of course with her, but not evident. She was somewhat dumpy in her middle age, yet the echo of her former beauty remained. He knew that she could have changed her form to be beautiful again, but her pride prevented her. She had let her body decline, and would live with it. He respected that, though he himself had chosen to adopt a younger perpetual form when he had become an Incarnation.

"How may I approach your daughter without your malice?" he asked directly. "To settle the prophecy."

"Simply tell her the truth," she said. "That you are the Incarnation of Evil, and you have come to fulfill the prophecy. Ask her to marry you. I'm sure she will give you an answer."

"Indubitably," he agreed wryly. "The same answer you gave me. I fear I would not be quite satisfied with that."

"You must either speak the truth to her, or a lie," she said. "I'm sure the lie comes easier to you."

"But the resolution of the prophecy cannot be a lie!" he reminded her.