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The ubiquitous buzzing was barely audible above the sighing of the hanging skins.
Beelzebub, distant atop his carrion throne, was feeding as Lucifuge approached, and
Adramalik thought, only briefly, to dissuade Lucifuge from interrupting him, but the part
of him that delighted in seeing his fellow demons in discomfort was curious about the
Prince's reaction. And so as Lucifuge strode stiffly toward the throne, Adramalik held his
breath, the unpredictability of his master both terrifying and exhilarating.
As always, Husk Faraii sat at his Prince's feet and the Prime Minister took little notice of
him; he neither spoke nor moved in all of his past audiences, and there was no reason to
expect more of him. He looked more emaciated than ever, and the bluish gray of his face
had visibly blackened around its flaking plates' edges. Not surprisingly, the Baron was
not faring well on his newfound diet of leavings from the throne.
When he and Lucifuge drew near, Adramalik noticed that what had appeared to be the
Prince's fully round torso was, in fact, only half-finished, its shoulder and left arm
completely missing. The other half had dissolved into a thick layer of flies that
contentedly rasped at the large, unidentifiable chunk of offal that lay in its lap. The partial
body of Beelzebub turned disconcertingly toward them.
"Prince-in-Exile Lucifuge," he buzzed, the trace of mockery unmistakable, "how was
your journey?"
"My journey was long and tiresome, Beelzebub. And," he added, "disturbingly
necessary."
"It has been a long time since you retreated to your frozen wards, an equally long time
since you visited us here in Dis."
"Retreated? No, 'distanced myself' would be more accurate. It is no secret between us that
when Lucifer handed his scepter over to you I felt ... slighted. What he was thinking I
cannot guess, but we are now bearing witness to the consequences of that ill-chosen act."
Adramalik could not believe Lucifuge's brevity. No one spoke to the Prince with such
candor, and suddenly Adramalik could feel the swirling of some momentous event about
to take place. Lucifuge would be an invaluable ally; few so far had answered Beelzebub's
call. But, even so, there were limits to his tolerance.
"Perhaps if I had stayed by your side as Lucifer had wanted ... ," Lucifuge continued.
"Ah, but that was never really a possibility, was it?"
The flies stirred for a moment and then settled back onto the glistening meat.
"So, what is it I hear about our old friend Sargatanas? I understand he is no longer happy
here in Hell. Why not simply let him see if he can find a way to go?"
"Because free will has no place in Hell. Not for him or anyone else who might be
inspired by him."
"You never questioned Lucifer's free will."
"Sargatanas is not Lucifer."
"Nor are you. Do we have Lucifer's Seal on this? According to the First Infernal Bull, 'no
Demon Major may set out against another with the express goal of destroying that
Demon Major himself.' "
"We do not need it. The Heretic Sargatanas is coming here."
"Then, if you succeed in fending him off, he can be taken prisoner and exiled. Not
destroyed. Only Lucifer's Seal can mandate that. As I just said, no Demon "
"I am not a Demon Major."
"But I am."
"You, Rofocale, are out of touch with the pulse of Hell. And, simply put. I need your
legions. If you agree, you may have half of the Heretic's wards when this is over."
"You may have the twenty Ice Legions that I brought with me and no more," Lucifuge
said plainly. "And I will remain in command. I will not have any of your generals
determining the fate of my legions."
The flies took wing with an agitated whirring and began to stream down toward
Adramalik and Lucifuge. The Prime Minister swallowed hard.
"You will have your command," said Beelzebub quietly. "Or so it will seem."
Without a word and with incredible speed, Husk Faraii leaped up and, oblivious to the
myriad horns that covered Lucifuge's glowing body, grasped him around the arms and
torso so tightly that for a moment the shocked demon did not even struggle. Lucifuge's
stunned immobility instantly turned to anger and then desperation as he realized that he
could not move even if he chose to. The flies formed an ominous circle over his head and
dropped down, creating a black, roiling collar around his neck.
Adramalik's eyes widened as a protective series of glyphs rose above the demon only to
be easily dissipated by Beelzebub's own glyphs. Lucifuge's head began to transform
involuntarily, his rage the only visible constant etched in every incarnation. But that
anger was short-lived when it was suddenly replaced by an expression of agony as the
yoke of flies began to gnaw down into his shoulders, rasping apart the layered plates of
bones to burrow deep into the underlying flesh. An instant later the life went out of his
eyes and something twisted inside the demon's torso.
Adramalik watched the head slowly cant to one side, mouth still writhing, and then
tumble to the floor with a loud splash. And with the Husk still holding the shaking torso
upright, a new head began to appear, forming quickly up from the ragged neck and made
of nulling dies. When, with a glyph cast by Beelzebub, its thousand parts had changed
texture and color and was completed, it was indistinguishable from the original. The head
blinked spasmodically and then turned to look at its master. To anyone who might have
seen him, Lucifuge had entered the Rotunda and exited it a short while later.
"Prime Minister," Beelzebub said. He had re-formed, but now his left forearm, already
minus its hand, was somewhat shorter. "Go with him back to his legions and see to it that
his field marshal understands the need to have all of the remaining Ice Legions
dispatched to Dis immediately. It would arouse less suspicion if he sends his own
courier."
Husk Faraii let go of his captive and resumed his place squatting at the foot of the throne.
Jerkily he reached for the head of Lucifuge, which lay facedown in a puddle of blood.
Adramalik bowed, fear making his legs stiff. "Yes, my Prince."
Head still bowed, Adramalik began to move away, but from the corner of his eye he saw
Husk Faraii pull a stubborn piece of flesh from inside the demon's skull, put it in his
mouth, and begin to slowly chew.
Revolted, Adramalik turned away and, followed by what had once been Lucifuge
Rofocale, exited the Rotunda to begin the long descent through the Keep to the legions
waiting outside. As much as Adramalik had enjoyed the predicament that Lucifuge had
found himself in, as much as he felt the demon had as much as precipitated his own
demise, the episode had begun a cascade of thoughts that had only one conclusion: [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]