I looked at him rather stupidly for a second or two and said:
"First of all, John Wick is a fictional character, and secondly, I don't need someone to kill my dog to shoot in a temper tantrum like you called it..."
Lucifer nodded and said:
"We are well aware of that, Marcus, but please humor me."
I thought about his strange question for a few seconds and finally answered:
"No, not necessarily. The characters he kills are at least as damned as he is, if not more so. And he has a character trait that works in his favor, I think. He goes out of his way not to implicate or harm innocents."
"An assassin indeed, but one with morals. If he really existed, he would end up in hell, of course, but it wouldn't be a hopeless eternal stay like some souls who are far beyond the point of salvation. A bit like you, Marcus, but you yourself stare blindly at an old text that is a mistranslation of an even older text."
I shook my head for a moment. Whatever I was thinking when I got out of bed this morning, it certainly wasn't that I was going to have a philosophical discussion with the Devil and his little sister. Lucifer saw my confused look and continued:
"You're convinced you're going to hell because you killed people as a soldier."
He shook his head in disapproval:
"Catholics, it seems that you are born burdened with guilt."
He pointed a finger up to where the large cross with the sculpture of Jesus hung:
"You really didn't understand much of what my youngest brother tried to teach you. I warned Father that this was how it would end with J, but his faith in you and the goodness that can be hidden in people blinded him. I don't have that problem because I see the waste of the human race pass me by every day. The commandment, Marcus, is not thou shalt not kill. The true commandment of Father and Mother is, Thou shalt not murder! If it were otherwise, I would now have millions of soldiers and policemen as guests who only killed in the line of duty or to protect the innocent. Father may be strict at times, but he is not at all the God of the Old Testament. He truly loves humanity. So stop feeling guilty because you are not destined for hell, Marcus!"
I squeezed my eyes together and asked snidely:
"Then why did I end up there in the first place? I guess your demon Zelo didn't like it when I showed up when I didn't belong there. Well, not after I gave him a little run-around."
Suddenly, Lucifer roared with laughter and finally got out:
"Oh man, that was beautiful. Poor Zelo, but he had to be exposed to you, for he too is destined for an important task. When your heart stopped beating, Marcus, your soul should have gone to a no-man's-land for a while. Call it a dream world, a waiting room until they got your heart beating again. I was the one who made you come to hell for a while. Call it a test for you and Zelo. I wanted to see how you would react when you suddenly found yourself in Hell. I have to say, I wasn't disappointed in you. 99% of souls start crying and begging when they arrive. They are convinced that hell works the way it is described in ancient texts. Or even your modern literature and movies. Hotter than the Sahara, Demons who have nothing better to do than torment you from morning till night in the most horrible ways and who look like they came out of a horror movie. Hell is not Hollywood, Marcus, and well, you know what our Demons look like because you have met Zelo. The purpose of being in Hell is indeed punishment. Shortly after my arrival in Hell, I was able to convince Father that if possible, that punishment should end. That was something we had never thought of before. We are eternal, I am the first archangel, and I am older than this universe. A few millennia is not even a blip on our radar, so to speak. Humans are a completely different story. Your time on earth is very limited and you are fully aware of the concept of time. You have a limited supply of it on Earth, and as time becomes shorter, you begin to feel the presence of time more and more. This awareness is embedded in your soul. A soul going to hell and being assured that this is for the rest of eternity? Well, that does not go well. Psychologically, that is. A person has to have hope. Hope that tomorrow things can be different, better. If not, the human soul withers away completely and is lost. There is a piece of divinity in every soul. When the soul withers away, that divinity also disappears. Are there souls that are far beyond the point of salvation? Yes, as I said, there is that one percent who react very differently when they come. They all react differently, but the bottom line is that the humanity that they once had when they were alive is long gone before they arrive. Again, something that Father and the rest of us, to be honest, did not take into account when he planted the seed for your evolution. We never considered that a human being could become so thoroughly and pervasively flawed that the Divine is beyond salvation."
I pondered Lucifer's words for a moment and then said:
"You are referring to reincarnation as the end of punishment. A second chance to do better and eventually get to heaven."
He got a mischievous smile around his mouth, looked at Casiel, and said to her:
"Didn't I tell you he was smart?"
She laughed softly and nodded. The more that came at me, the more uncomfortable I seemed to feel. I squeezed my eyes together for a moment and asked:
"Okay, all fine and dandy. But why are you telling me all this? What does it have to do with me?"
It was Casiel who answered:
"What I said, Marcus. Father has big plans for Florence because there are people in this city who are very important to that plan. The problem is they need a leader. They need you. At least if you can get your head back on your shoulders, because otherwise you are worthless and they are lost."
I looked deep into her eyes. Before I answered, I took out my cigarettes and lit one:
"So much for the Watcher not intervening because otherwise, it nullifies free will. Why all of a sudden, why should they be lost, and why me?"
Lucifer replied:
"Because the Apocalypse is fast approaching, Marcus, and no, you should not look at me, because I have nothing to do with it. Neither does Father. This is entirely due to humanity itself. Nothing in the future is fixed, including the fact that it will happen, but the odds are extremely small that we are wrong and that it will not happen. There are two options, Marcus. Either we do nothing and all mankind goes to damnation. Or we intervene gently and give a small portion of humanity a chance to survive and form a new, better society. What is your preference?"
The angel said quickly:
"No Marcus, this is not meant as blackmail or manipulation. Father does not toy with people's free will. Everything that has happened in your history has simply happened because of people's free will. Of course, you have seen too many of the bad things. Murder, rape, abuse, wars, bombings. But that is only one side of the coin. Free will is also responsible for charity, true friendship, true love, the desire for progress, and peaceful coexistence. Unfortunately, the wrong side of the coin will prevail and the greed and power-hungry nature of certain individuals will bring this society to an end. No Antichrist is needed, humanity itself is the Antichrist that will destroy itself. What we have done is put certain markers in the lives of certain people. No coercion or manipulation. People were free to choose to follow the signposts or not."
I just wanted to know if they were being totally open with me and asked a question that would answer that:
"And how many have chosen not to follow your signs?"
The Devil sighed, and I heard melancholy in his voice as he answered. For a moment, the look in his eyes resembled that of someone who has invested an enormous amount in a project and is disappointed to find that only a small part of it has succeeded.
"Far too many, Marcus. I would have preferred it otherwise. I would have preferred to drag them all by the hair to the places where we would have liked to see them. But Father is right. If we take away free will, even if it is to save you, then what is humanity? Farm animals herded into their pens? Slaves? What lesson does that teach humanity? That no matter how badly they screw up when it comes down to it, Daddy will come to their rescue every time? Why should anyone take responsibility from that point on? It's much easier to point at God and say, he should have prevented it."
I threw my cigarette on the floor and kicked it out with the heel of my cowboy boot. I looked at him sternly and said:
"Suppose... Suppose I say yes and play my part in whatever it is that is coming, then I predict to you right now that your neat little plan is not going to work."
The Devil tilted his head slightly and squeezed his eyes. Gently he asked:
"Why not?"
I asked a counter-question:
"How many people live in Florence, and how many of them followed your signs?"
Lucifer looked at Casiel, who replied:
"There are about five thousand people in the entire county. A little over a thousand have come here in the last twenty years, following our signs. Why?"
I replied:
"Now it's up to you to humor me."
They both nodded and I continued:
"Stop me if I'm wrong. You choose X number of people who have certain characteristics that you think can start building a new society in a different and better way. You want them in a certain place, here in Florence. In order for them to want to come here, you have made sure that they can land softly, and that there is an economic soil fertile enough for them to want to follow your signposts. The people you have chosen have something else in common besides certain character traits and physical characteristics. Somehow they are more empathetic than others and therefore more sensitive to your signs. You are not stopping me, so I assume I am correct so far?"
They both nodded and I continued my argument:
"It is this empathy that will make them feel like they are following signs, and because the goal of their journey is a pleasant life, they will perceive this as positive. Once here, these people do not live in isolation from others. They blend into local life, business, politics, community life, and church. People who have a lot of empathy will also sense if others have the same, so they will be drawn to each other and will exchange stories. I bet there is already a kind of legend among this group that they are here for a purpose. That they know they've been sent, shall we say, with a gentle hand. If this group survives the apocalypse in this very place, then you will achieve what you want to avoid. Namely, that they will know that they were saved by a higher entity. The first few generations will undoubtedly be grateful, even if you never reveal yourself to them. However, there will come a time when this apocalypse is so far in the past that it is history. The generations after that will be assured of your help because you have done it before. So the worry of not fucking it up again will disappear because they will be assured that they will always be saved even if they cause another apocalypse."
I lit another cigarette and said:
"I have absolutely no desire to be a part of such a plan. Absolutely no desire to be at the cradle of a vicious circle."
The Devil also manifested a cigarette and, thinking deeply, took a few long, deep puffs, after which he asked quietly:
"If you were God, what would you do, Marcus?"
"If I were God, I would be assured of two choices. One, you have just confirmed that reincarnation is real. Souls go somewhere before they are reborn. Let the apocalypse happen, let all souls go where they belong. Give the Earth time to restore itself, wipe every trace of current humanity from the planet, and start again. As God, I swallow my loss. Second, if I am truly the God who sees humanity as His children, then I will act as a true father. Mankind, in my eyes, in your eyes, must be so damn young. Compare it to a toddler, before you know it they are ramming a fork into a socket. If I, as God, want this Florence plan to succeed and humanity to continue to exist with the knowledge of its history, I have only one option. That is to gently guide them into their future. Not only to make sure there is no new apocalypse, but also to make them focus on their future."
My eyes met Lucifer's and I asked:
"Does alien life exist or is man the only fully sentient being in the universe, is the rest of the universe our next step in our evolution?"
The Devil let his cigarette disappear into thin air and rubbed his eyes for a moment. He looked at me and took a deep breath before he said:
"I can't answer that, Marcus."
Those few words told me much more than that and he knew exactly that he was giving me that information. He stood up with a jerk and said:
"I need to talk to Father now! Cas, you stay close by. Marcus, you don't have to make a decision right now, but will you please stay in Florence for twenty-four hours until I talk to you again?"
I chuckled and shook my head gently, after which I said:
"Wow, for creatures that are eternal, you can be damn naive, and that's only because I don't want to use the word stupid. What did you expect me to do when you told me there was a group of civilians who needed my help to stay alive? That I would say, Too bad for them, I'm going to Vegas to buy a pound of Peruvian blow and hire a dozen Brazilian strippers to throw a party?"
That statement brought his mischievous smile back:
"If you ever want to throw that party, Marcus, I'm in."
He held out his hand and I shook it, sealing my fate for the foreseeable future.
"Thank you!"
"Don't thank me too soon, Lightbringer. No matter what decision you are about to make, this can still be absolutely fucked up in so many ways, so unbelievably."
The Devil disappeared, leaving me alone with the young Angel, who was looking at me with a broad smile. I said:
"Oh no, girl, the fat lady did not sing yet, so put your happy pills back in their bottle. Okay, now what?"
"Now we wait for Luci to come back. I suggest you eat something, Marcus, and get some real sleep. You've been neglecting yourself for too long. Follow the road for a mile and a half and you will end up in the center of Florence, on the other side of town there is a motel and a diner."
I nodded and turned around. As I walked toward the exit, I said without turning around:
"No doubt I'll see you later, little watcher.