Barlowe, Wayne - God's Demon

"Adramalik," the Prince buzzed, "I have given the order for General Moloch to begin amassing an army from the primary wards of Dis. It is my intention to rid Hell of Lord Sargatanas."

The words hung in the air, their implications powerful. This was not going to be any ordinary petty border contest for territory, thought Adramalik. No, this was revenge against a powerful Demon Major. This was to be a war of scope and breadth, a war not only to recover the Prince's Consort but also to send a message to the other Demons Major: the Crown of Hell would not tolerate disobedience.

It was a thrilling moment, Adramalik realized, one that he felt so privileged to witness that he could barely repress a savage grin. This simple order would herald a new reign of terror followed by a new era of stricter vassalage that would right some of the profound wrongs that had been steadily eroding Beelzebub's influence.

"All to the good and long overdue, my Prince," said Adramalik, believing every word.

"I knew that you would agree," the Prince said evenly. "Agaliarept has, over time, given me good reason to suspect that my Consort has fled to Adamantinarx. So far, I do not know how she managed this and with whose complicity, but I want your Knights to find her and bring her back to me. I do not care what condition she is in so long as she is still able to feel pain."

Adramalik nodded. His Knights would be grateful for the action and the opportunities, and he would personally supervise looking after Lilith when she was found.

"Chancellor General, what have your Knights uncovered in their ... tireless investigation?"

Adramalik noted Moloch's face crease with derision as he looked away.

How we despise each other! Adramalik thought. Just as it should be. He is not

one of us no matter how much he tries. Once he voluntarily left the Above he stopped being one of us. A god, indeed! He looked at the general, gauging him, and came, as he always did, to the same inevitable conclusion. With all of his upstart posturing Moloch was still so formidable that Adramalik was uncertain whether his Knights, together, could bring him down. The powers his worshipers had imbued him with were broad and potent. And even if Adramalik were to challenge the deposed god, Moloch was the Prince's champion and as such bore his unrelenting favor.

"My Knights managed to trace the Consort's movements to the Sixth Gate, but from there ... nothing. Of course, this is really Lord Nergar's area of expertise. ..."

Adramalik saw the Prince's head drop slightly. "Never mind, Adramalik. In truth, it does not matter. I have more than enough excuses to go to war with Sargatanas."

The general snorted with barely veiled contempt. Adramalik watched Moloch move away from the window and across the room, his surrogate legs carrying him in unnaturally long, gliding strides. He stopped before the twin troughs and without hesitating plunged his hands into them. The blood sizzled and steamed as he searched for and found two objects that he pulled out and held before him. Adramalik saw them and even he felt a ripple of fear; held aloft before him were two of the most feared weapons in Hell—Puime-pe-Molocha,

Moloch's Hooks. Each bore ten vicious hooks, and even dripping blood as they were, Adramalik could see the fused-diamond inner edges, glistening and razor sharp, that no armor in Hell could withstand.

Moloch turned and looked straight at Adramalik, a predatory gleam in his eyes. The threat was unambiguous. The Chancellor General met and held his gaze but, facing those Hooks, knew that his attempt to match the general's challenging mien was, at best, bravado. He was relieved when Beelzebub spoke.

"You are both to work together that we may be rid of him. Anything less and I will send you to give the Great Lord Abaddon my compliments personally."

ABADDON OF THE PIT - (Painter IX) - My book GOD'S DEMON is, in theory, the first of three novels addressing Hell. This image is a bit of a teaser, a glimpse of one the second book's main characters. For a variety of reasons I'd rather not elaborate upon here, I decided to separate this entity visually from all of the other demons in Hell and go with a somewhat more abstract form. Primitive masks and insects floated before my mind's eye as I created It.

This digital paint-sketch was created after I spent some serious time with the Painter program on PARADISE LOST. It represents another small step towards understanding that brilliant program but is, by no means, more than an exercise.

Both demons nodded.