This Present Darkness (73 page)

TAL LEAPED FROM
the earth. He exploded in a burst of wings and light. The ground dropped away and the town became a map below him as he shot over Ashton like a comet, piercing the spiritual darkness like a fiery arrow, illuminating the whole valley like a prolonged lightning bolt. He climbed, he circled; his wings were a blurred flurry of jewels.

The trumpet went to his lips, and the call went forth like a shock wave to shake the heavens. It echoed across the valley and back again, and back again, and back again. With wave after wave it washed over the ground, it deafened the demons, it soared down the streets and rumbled through the alleys, it rang in every ear with volley after volley of notes, building higher and sounding longer, and the still, thick air was shattered with the sound. Tal blew and blew as he soared over the town, his wings flashing, his garments glowing.

The moment had come.

THE STRONGMAN WAS
suddenly silent. His big eyes rolled back and forth.

“What was that?” he hissed.

The demons all around him were shaken and looking at him for answers, but he had none.

The eight heavenly warriors drew their swords. That was answer enough.

RAFAR SCREAMED THROUGH
Langstrat, “
I
am speaking here! Let nothing else draw your attention!”

The demons in the room tried to pay attention again, as did the psychics they controlled.

For a fraction of a moment, Madeline’s grip weakened. But only for a moment.

But they all knew they had heard something.

THE EVIL WARRIORS
in the cloud steadily settled downward upon the town; but now their eyes were dazzled by the sudden appearance of one lone angel tracing brilliant streaks of light across the sky below them. And what was this horribly loud trumpet all about? Were not the heavenly forces already defeated? Did they dare to think they could possibly defend this town?

Suddenly tiny bursts of light appeared all over the town far below, flashes that did not dissipate but remained and grew brighter. They thickened and grew in numbers and density. The town was on fire; it was disappearing under myriads of tiny lights, as numerous as grains of sand. It was blinding!

The eerie screams began at the center of the cloud and rippled outward across the layers upon layers of demons: “The Host of Heaven!”

Thunderous shouts began the moment Tal touched down on his hill and raised his blazing sword high above his head.

“For the saints of God and for the Lamb!”

Tal shouted it, Guilo shouted it, myriads of heavenly warriors shouted it, and the entire landscape from one end of the valley to the other, the entire town, and even the forested hills surrounding Ashton erupted in brilliant stars.

From the buildings, streets, alleys, sewers, lakes, ponds, vehicles, rooms, closets, nooks, crannies, trees, thickets, and every other imaginable hiding place, flaming stars shot into the air.

The Host of Heaven!

SANDY WAS TUMBLING,
struggling. The thing called Madeline had both her arms; the other spirits held her legs, her neck, her torso. They were biting her. From somewhere the mocking voice of the Ascended Master, Rafar, said, “Take her, Madeline! We have her! We cannot fail now.”

Sandy tried to get out of the trance, out of the altered state, out of the nightmare, but she couldn’t remember how. She heard the metallic clinking of chains. No! NOOOOO. …

“YOU CANNOT DEFEAT
me!” the Strongman screamed, and his demons hoped, or rather wished it were true.

“Be quiet and come out of him!” Hank ordered.

His words threw the demons against the walls and hit the Strongman like a left hook.

Kaseph hissed and spat curses and obscenities at the young minister. The regents around the table were all speechless; some ducked under the table. The lawyers were trying to calm Kaseph down.

“I want my daughter!” Marshall said. “Where is she?”

“It’s all over,” said Susan. “I’ve given them all the right documents! The feds are coming to hang you, and I’m going to tell them everything!”

From behind the other three Kevin shouted, “Kaseph, you think you’re so tough, let’s step outside and settle this man to man!”

THE DESCENDING CLOUD
of demons and the rising fireball of angels began to collide in the skies over Ashton. Thunder began to rip the sky in response to the terrific clash of the spiritual forces. Swords flashed, and a hail of screams and shouts echoed across the sky. The heavenly warriors mowed through the ranks of demons like blurring scythes. Demons began to fall out of the sky like meteors, spinning, smoking, dissolving.

TAL, GUILO, AND
the General streaked toward the college, swords ready, the town a blur beneath them. A very strong regiment of angelic
hosts had pushed its way through the demonic offensive and began cordoning off the college campus. Soon there would be an angelic canopy over the college within the demonic canopy over the town. The breaking of the enemy’s strength would begin there.

“They have nearly contained the Strongman!” Guilo shouted over the roar of the wind and their wings.

“Find Sandy!” Tal ordered. “There is no time to spare!”

“I’ll take the Strongman,” said the General.

“And Rafar will soon get his wish,” Tal said.

They fanned out, shot forward with a new burst of speed, and began cutting their way through the demons who were still trying to blockade the college. The demon warriors fell upon them like an avalanche, but for Guilo this was good sport. Tal and the General could hear his uproarious laughter through the thudding sounds of his blade going through demon after demon.

Tal was busy himself, being such a valuable prize for the demon lucky enough to vanquish him. The most horrible warriors were singling him out, and they didn’t fall easily. He skidded through the air sideways, slammed one spirit with his sword, went into a blurred spin and split the next warrior with the force of a saw-blade. Two more dove down at him; he shot toward them, impaled the first as he passed it, grabbed its wingtip and whipped around in a tight circle, coming up behind the other, his blade like a bullet. They vanished in a cloud of red smoke. He slipped through the clutches of several more, then dove and zigzagged toward the college, cutting demons down as he went. He could hear Guilo still roaring and laughing somewhere over his left shoulder.