Sacred and Arcane

Clee had been a child of wandering nomad tribesmen. He had known the confines of a snowbound yurt in winter, but never the stifling darkness of a cell. He woke crying out, to have Danan holler, “Oh, shut up!” The sorcerer went back to snoring.

Clee could not return to sleep, and given his nightmare, did not want to try. “Danan,” he whispered.

“You might as well talk normally,” said the sorcerer irritably. “Nobody is going to open that door because we make noise in here.”

“What are we going to do?”

“Perform. A sorcerer’s life is all one big performance. I just have to stage this one properly. I have to two things…my memory, and you.”

“Me?”

“I bet you can summon in the dark, without a fire or a crystal.”

“I’ve never tried—“

“Don’t. Yet. I have to remember a riddle first. Now be quiet.”

Clee sat in the dark, realizing there was just a hint of starlight from one of the windows…or maybe he imagined it. He wished for a light to see by. Gradually he realized he could make out the outline of the narrow window, and its bars. Beyond the night was a queer dark blue, with a pale and frosty star visible beyond the window.

“Danan, is it getting near dawn?”

“Mmph? I very much doubt it. It isn’t chill enough. Now be quiet.”

“It’s lighter.”

“Where? In here? You’re seeing things.”

“Well, I can see that window. I can even see a smudge of you now.”

“Shut up please.”

Clee shut up. Danan breathed heavily, muttered “Ah!” and then rustled over to sit next to Clee. “You there boy?”

“Can’t you see me?”

“Not a thing. Hmm. No, now, I need you to summon and invoke Ahren, the demon of earth. Can you do that for me?”

“I think so. Let me concentrate.”

Taking his mind off seeing the cell, Clee found it dimming to darkness. He forgot about that, thinking on nothing. Concentrating on the darkness, he said aloud, “I, Clee, son of Adam, conjurer of Eden, summon thee, Ahren, demon of earth, to come to me, and coming, obey!”

A rumble came through the earth. A mound of dirt rose through the straw. The mound exploded in a spray of dust, and in the midst of the spray was the form of a demon.

“Is he here?” asked Danan. “I can’t see a thing.”

“I Clee, son of Adam, conjurer of Eden, invoke thee, Ahren,” intoned Clee.

“Is that Danan?” boomed the demon. “You like it dark in here for some reason?”

“Welcome, Ahren,” said Danan. “I have twenty four coins. One of them is a fake. How many weighings on a scale would it take you to find the false coin?”

“It wouldn’t,” said the demon. “As a demon of earth, I know the weight of coins by looking at them. But a human…four.”

“Three,” said Danan. “Eight against eight, and three against three, and one against one.”

“Hmmm….if you knew there was a false coin, yes. If you didn’t know the answer, then no.”

“True enough, O Ahren,” said Danan. “Does it still count for a favor?”

“I’ll allow it,” said the demon. “That is, if you’re both in this favor together. It was the boy who summoned me, after all."

“What shall I ask?” whispered Clee.

“Oh don’t be all formal,” said Ahren. “I’ll do you a favor. Do you want a tunnel out of this cell?”

“Not tonight, Ahren,” said Danan. “I just want the door opened.”

“And you escape that way?”

“No. I want to be found here with the door opened.”

“Ah,” said the demon. “Theatrics.”

“That’s right,” said Danan.

“Well, open says a me,” chortled the demon, and creaked the door open. “Sure you won’t escape now, Danan?”

“I’ll manage from here, thanks.”

“I feel I should tell you. There are mutterings on our side of the cosmos. Higher Authorities are taking an interest in Orvma.”

“And why should you want to tell me this, Ahren?”

“To warn you. And perhaps to remind you that it’s easy to guess the puzzle when you already know the coin is false, but impossible otherwise.”

“Well. Thank him, Clee.”

“Thanks to you, Ahren. Go in peace,” said Clee.

They were again alone in the cell. “Do we really sit here waiting for them to come back?” asked Clee.

“I would like it that way, that we appear unconcerned about the prison tower. Then the King will send for us. Try to let me do all the talking then.”

“What did he mean about Higher Authorities?”

“I hope I don’t know. It probably means we can’t summon Ahren for favors again…Do let’s go to sleep.”

They were awakened by the guard with their morning gruel. “Ah! They’ve escaped! Alarm! Escape!”

“We’re still here,” shouted Danan, “don’t spill our breakfast!”

“How came you to open this door?” demanded the head guard when he ran up to their cell.

“-We- didn’t.”

“I ought to chain you to the floor,” muttered the head guard.

“Did the King order it?”

“All right, you can stay loosed,” said the head guard. “But no more tricks!”

“It’s a risky proposition locking up a sorcerer. Tell the King we offer our services freely at his command.”

“Hmmph. Think I run messages to the Throne? I’m lucky they remember I’m alive,” muttered the head guard, locking the iron door.

“Well now what?”

“Enjoy the gruel. Then, we wait.”

“You’re not such a brilliant planner, Danan.”

“If we’d been free we’d be waiting all day in the market for a patron. Here we’re guaranteed a roof and eats. I’ll settle for that, for now.”

Clee threw himself impatiently on the straw.

“The life of a sorcerer is largely waiting to see what comes,” said Danan. “Except, you might be one of the more powerful ones, Clee. You might aspire to be a court magician someday.”

“Not in Orvma, it would seem.”

“War’s coming, boy. War breaks many rules.”

“Talk to me more about being a sorcerer. It will pass the time. Tell me some secrets.”

“I’d rather tell you not to drink in the company of clients. You already know what can happen then.”

“It’s strange, Danan. For a minute there I was sick with drink, and then, I wasn’t.”

“You tried to concentrate, I think. You have greater powers of concentration. You were concentrating on seeing further last night, weren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you saw in the dark. We should test your abilities a bit in this private place we’re given.”

************************************************************************************

King Jason was told that his wife had woken, and he rushed with unregal speed to her room. She was the focus of a crowd of handmaids and servants, who he sent scurrying away. He waited until he was sure they were alone, then spoke in a hushed but urgent voice.

“I’ve had the Temple sealed off as you’ve said. It’s beginning to draw discontent in the City. With the Guard around the Temple, and the Army in camp, we’re not deployed to prevent a riot storming the Palace.”

“Go wait with your Guard then,” she said. “No. Wait with the Army, they’ll need reassuring. Keep the Guard around the Temple but forbid them to enter the grounds. Are you sure that you’ve got every priest in the Temple?”

“No.”

“Idiot! None can be left outside the Temple! You’ll have to have the city searched.”

“That can’t be done quietly.”

“Do it openly! No, don’t. I’ll do it with my sources.”

“More sorcery! This last stunt left you dazed for a day.”

“It was worth it if I get powers to impress demons. Fetch my crystal ball and leave me for a time.”

“I have the other two sorcerers in the tower prison. I had thought to have them whipped from the city.”

“No, leave them there. I have use for the boy and the old man will be hostage to his good will. Now go, I have a headache from thinking too much.”

The King left the room. He asked a servant to bring the Queen her crystal ball, and cursed the man when he turned white. The other servants tried not to be noticed. No. One was running towards him. The King turned.

“Sire,” huffed the runner,” there is a lone priest in the Market preaching. He says – he says the King has turned against the LORD and must be defied!”

“Fetch him into the tower prison!” shouted the King. “And any who resist my Guard in arresting him!” Curse his wife for this muddle! No, curse those crazed priests. It was lucky the man had not given out that they were to evacuate from the Xee. At all costs, that story must be kept out of the city.

“Summon my squires,” said the King. “I go to the Army today. The Queen is awake and is to be obeyed in my absence.”

****************************************************************************************

Clee was lying with his ear to the flagstones, concentrating on hearing, so he heard the flurry of steps, the tread of a squad of guardsmen, and doors being slammed open and shut, long before the priest was thrust into their midst.

“Ah! Fellow prisoners, the LORD be with you,” said the priest.

They did not give the proper response, so the priest said, “I see you are strangers to Orvma. The blessings of the LORD be with you, as we endure the misrule of unbelievers.”

“We are unbelievers,” said Danan. “But welcome to our cell. Food will be along in a few hours.”

“I shall not be here to enjoy it,” said the priest. “I’m sure I’ll be confined with my brothers in the Temple. Cursed are those who have heard but do not believe! Forgive me, I forgot myself.”

“I’ve never heard,” said Clee.

“He’s an Henren,” said Danan.

“Then this may be a happy day for you, young man. You have the opportunity to hear of the LORD.”

“I have heard,” said Danan,” that the LORD is creator of all things, and master of all magics.”

“You should not believe in magics,” said the priest. “The occult is a trick of the devils to lead you astray from the path of the LORD. You must acquaint yourself with Scripture. Can you read?”

“No,” said Clee.

“You must have it read to you. The Scriptures are the presence of the LORD Himself, miraculously passed down to us through space and time.”

“And the High Mysteries?” asked Danan suddenly.

The priest paused. “They are worthy records. But they are not Scripture. The Church is there partly to preserve the distinction. Who are you, educated sir?”

“I am Danan, the sorcerer. This is Clee, my apprentice.”

“A sorcerer! It is an ill vocation, sir. I am Ignatius, a servant of the LORD.”

“I had heard that priests were held in respect in Orvma. How come you to be in a cell?” asked Clee.

“Our King has been seduced by the infidel Queen! He has turned on the Temple itself!”

“You don’t say. I mean, tell us, reverend sir,” said Danan.

“It is the talk of the City. The King sought a march against the Xee, and the High Priest refused him. So the priests are confined to the Temple by the Royal Guard. It is a hideous scandal! It can only go one way.”

“What’s that?” asked Clee.

’The downfall of the King and Queen, of course,” said Ignatius calmly. “Orvma has had its temple a thousand years before it had any king. The people will hold faith.”

“You must be impressed by the LORD very much,” said Clee.

“Sir, will you permit me to discourse with your servant? Without dispute?” asked Ignatius.

“I’ll try to withhold comment,” said Danan.

“Thank you. I have some training in dispute with learned men, but it goes ill before a new convert.”

’Go ahead,” said Danan. “He ought to know something of the LORD, even as a sorcerer.”

“You are indeed wise,” said Ignatius. He began to recite,

I believe in One God, the Father, the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth,

And in Jesus Christ, his Only Son, Our Lord,

Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary,

suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended into Hell, and rose again on the third day,

He ascended into Heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father,

From whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

That is what we believe of the LORD, in essence. If you have Scripture in front of you it is all explained in detail by witnesses.”

“How can a man be born of a virgin? Magic?” asked Clee.

“Magic has nothing to do with the LORD. His power is above magic,” said Ignatius.

“So how can Clee summon the Others?” asked Danan sharply.

“Do you traffic with demons, boy? Avoid them. Never summon them again. They will warp your flesh into something inhuman,” said Ignatius sternly.

Danan laughed, but Clee did not.

“That’s a strange instruction to give to a sorcerer’s apprentice,” said Danan scornfully.

“It’s the best advice I can give. Stay away from demons, and study the Scriptures.”

The door banged, was opened. “Worthy reverend sir?” asked the head guard respectfully.

“Yes, my son?”

“Worthy reverend father, we are ordered to convey you to join your brethren on the Temple mount,” said the guard. “Before you go, bless us, so that we know you bear no anger against humble men.”

“The LORD bless you and keep you,” said the priest.

“Amen,” said the guards, and slammed the door behind them.

“So what are the High Mysteries?” asked Clee, after a silence.

“Hmm, the sacred mysteries, well why not now,” said Danan. “It is said, very long ago…”

***********************************************************************

The starship Venture spun and fired its drives to brake itself. The crew got out of their g-tanks and resumed patrol stations.

“Let’s have a look,” said Captain DeWitt.

“Drones out,” said Science Officer Orchard. “We’ll have some telemetry in a day.”

“Let’s have a direct shot,” said the captain. “I’m human enough to want a look at the thing.”

“Camera 6 is on,” said Computer Chief Wren.

“That’s damn peculiar,” said DeWitt. “That blob of light in front…what is that?”

“Drones alert, captain. The object is outside the orbit of Regulus Terce. It’s visible to radar and infrared.”

The captain frowned. “I thought Regulus Terce had no satellites. Damn way to run a –“

“Drones alert, captain. The object is closing towards Venture.”

“Shields up,” snapped the captain. “Full power to lasers.”

“Captain,” said Wren. “It’s…visibly closer now.”

The glowing object was indeed larger in the camera screen.

“That’s impossible. At this distance…how big is that thing?”

“Drones alert. The object is a thousand klicks by two hundred klicks…moving a million klicks a minute…”

“Get radar going!”

“Captain, if we go active, Venture can be tracked—“

“I’m aware of the risks. Activate radar.”

“Yes maam. Radar active.”

“Is it slowing?”

The navigator, Heck, swiveled. “We won’t collide, it seems.”

HUMAN CREW.

The voice seemed to come from inside DeWitt’s head. She looked around, and everyone on the bridge had the same puzzled look. Had they heard it too?

HUMAN CREW OF THE VENTURE. BEWARE.

“Captain, I hear a voice--”

“I hear it too.”

THE PLANET EDEN IS GIVEN BY THE LORD TO THE XEE. TURN BACK.

’We’re under some kind of psychic attack,” said the Captain. “Prepare to fire the lasers.”

“Maam, we don’t know what it is,” stuttered Wren.

“We know it can read and project thoughts,” said DeWitt. “That’s danger enough for me.”

“Yes maam.”

YOUR LASERS AVAIL YOU NOT.

“Fire.”

“Maam…what if—“

“Wren! Fire!”

Wren bit his lips, stabbed the controls. Beams of invisible, coherent xray radiation shot into the heart of the glowing object, and…had no effect.

DeWitt said shakily, “Prepare the missiles.”

I AM THE ARCHANGEL LILITH. YOUR WEAPONS AVAIL YOU NOT. TURN BACK.

“Captain,” said Orchard, “we must not kill this creature.”

“Orchard, we have been contaminated! It has us seeing the impossible, hearing the impossible! We can’t afford—I was specifically ordered, in the event of a dangerous alien contact, to destroy Venture rather than risk the Earth!”

“It has done nothing but warn us off Regulus Terce.”

TURN BACK.

Wren said shakily, “Captain, if we launch a nuclear missile and that thing still is out there, what do you want us to do?”

DeWitt said, “We’d have to self-destruct,”

“No,” said Heck.

“Those are my orders, Heck, and this is a Navy ship.”

“We haven’t tried directly defying it,” said Heck. “Use the lander.”

“Huh,” said DeWitt. “You’re right. How many days to Regulus Terce at 1 gee?”

“Three days, Captain.”

TURN BACK.

“Think you can stand that thing for three days, Heck?”

Heck said, “Beats self-destructing.”

“Then get us in orbit, Mr. Heck. And, thanks.”

TURN BACK.

“All hands, prepare for acceleration.”

“Engage the drive.”

The Venture fired its main drive and thrusters, swinging into a gentle arc that bore it around the object and towards a rendezvous with the planet.

“We’ll find out what that thing’s so eager to hide,” said DeWitt.

An alarm flashed. “Engineering to Bridge,” shouted Chief Voss over the intercom. “The drive! It’s gone!”

****************************************************************************************

Or something like that,” said Danan.

“And that’s where the Moon comes from? A ship?”

“Oh, stuff and nonsense, boy! Logic says a thing so complicated ain’t so! Anybody trained to reason knows you can’t believe everything the priests tell you! I tell you now so you understand them, by what they believe, not so you believe it too!

“Logic tells us that man is here because he began here, that’s all there is to it. Any fanciful theories about “earth” and “moon” and you get bogged down in all sorts of complexities! Priests love complexities, Clee. They’ll invent some where none exist. Seen it a thousand times, boy. You have a planet with human life, why then, it must come from some other planet by way of the moon! Why not a dozen moons? Why not imagine a million planets? You see how silly it gets? But 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 x 1 remains 1, boy.”

“But the Xee are here, and they’re nothing like humans. Perhaps--”

“Ah well, just because I can’t explain everything doesn’t prove anything! Listen, the best sign that the Sacred Mysteries are garbage comes from the Church itself! You know what that is?”

“The difference between Holy Scripture and the Mysteries?”

“Exactly! Clearly the Mysteries came into being sometime –after- the Scriptures, that’s why they’re not venerated as holy writ! Doesn’t that show that the story’s a fabrication?”

“But, what if the Mysteries started when the moon got here, and they had brought the Scripture with them—“

“Nonsense! Is that the simplest explanation? I ask you, are you being deliberately stubborn?”

“Not I, master!”

“Good. And let me deliver the final proof to you, since you seem to need it. The Sacred Mysteries make no mention of magic.”

“They don’t?”

“None. It’s as if the Others didn’t exist at all. There’s no record, by the Sacred Mysteries, of any contacts between humans and the Others, except for the Archangel Lilith. So that proves they can’t be true. No rational mind ignores the Others.”

“But—“

“But what Clee?”

“What if the Mysteries were a record of human exploration of Eden from the arrival to the time before contact with the Others…”

Clee trailed off, seeing the anger in Danan’s face. “Sorry, sir,” he said.

“That’s better. You’d do better to memorize the names of the 32 demons than muddle your head with the Mysteries, anyhow. I can see you’re not the type to know a thing because it isn’t true.”

“Sir?”

“Ha!” the old man ruffled Clee’s hair affectionately. “You’ll understand someday…or you won’t. Come, let’s get dinner.”

As they ate their porridge, Clee asked, “Sir? I know there are 32 demons, and 16 djinn, and 8 dragons, and 4 titans, and 2 devils, and 1 archangel, but why do we only summon demons?”

“Demons are all I know, Clee. If you want to get beyond summoning demons, you have to find another master. Maybe you will, someday. And its not just a matter of summoning anything you like.

“The Others are divided, you see. The archangel Lilith has the loyalty of the titans and the djinni, but not the devils and dragons. Demons are free to serve whomever they please. So even if I were to summon a djinn, it wouldn’t serve me, because I’m a profane summoner. I don’t follow the Church.”

“But I thought no Churchman summoned the Others.”

“They don’t. It’s against the will of the LORD, so they say. Complexities, I told you! There’s powerful magic the Church might do, except its drummed into their heads that humanity has no future on Eden and is predestined to be expelled into space. –Back- into space, if you believe the Mysteries.”

Clee pondered this. “Then why not summon a dragon?”

“Dragons are powerful creatures, more powerful than djinn or demons. A demon, you see, controls one aspect of Nature. A djinn controls two. A dragon, three. And all dragons serve one of the two devils. Devils control five aspects.

“There are two devils, Clee. One is Baal, and the other is Omto. Don’t ever serve them. Don’t mingle with those who serve them. They’re bad news.”

“Worse than the Church?”

“Decidedly. The Church is predictable and human. Devils are, well, inhuman.”

************************************************************************************

Queen Pelena said, “You’re sure then?”

“Sure I’m sure,” boomed Argomath. “I flew through the city and there’s no other priests. They’re all in the Temple.”

“They are now that we’ve thrown that last one up there. You’re sure it happens today?”

“Your plan has been approved by Higher Authorities. They’ll implement it before sundown.”

“I must meet these so-called Authorities.”

“You’ll meet the ones appointed to meet you.”

Pelena frowned. “I don’t see why you won’t tell me their names in advance so I can summon them, if they’re coming anyhow.”

“Daughter of Eve,” said the demon, “you will have your questions answered by Higher Authority directly. Or you won’t. It’s my experience, I tell you freely and in a friendly way, that those mortals who learn of Higher Authority generally wish they were innocent again.”

Screams filled the rooms outside. A servant dashed into the room, did not even notice the demon, fell screaming at Pelena’s feet.

“Save us, save us, send for the King! Two dragons just flew onto the Temple mount! Save us!”

Pelena frowned. “Did you say, TWO dragons?"