A full moon glimmered on the placid waters of Lake Ponchartrain. The lights of the city of New Orleans rimmed the south shore. Transparent clouds, backlit by moon glow, floated in from the Gulf on blanket of cool, moist air. The ferries and fishing trawlers were all berthed for the night and the lake was still.
Five fallen angels stood in a circle on the surface of the waters, their eyes cast downward, humming as they awaited their Lord’s arrival. The hems of their white greatcoats stirred in the gentle breeze.
Devlin approached from out of the twinkling diffusion of city lights on the southern horizon. He stepped so lightly upon the water that his clothes and his black greatcoat remained dry. He could have been walking on wet pavement.
He took a final drag on his cigarette and flicked it away. It flared with a final burst of crimson light as it touched the water and was extinguished. A tiny stream of smoke rose from the sizzling spot on the lake. The cigarettes had become a daily habit, something that was as much a burden as a respite from his troubles. That in turn troubled him, compounding his displeasure, which prompted him to smoke even more.
He entered the circle and stood amongst them. His minions ceased their humming and bowed their heads in respect, but it was clear to him that they were displeased. He expected as much, and waited for them to state their case.
They lifted their heads to face him. They always spoke to him in unison, and would do so now. They were brothers in arms, united under his command since the Early Times, when they came under his spell. But that was when wars were fought in heaven, not down here on the earth. Now they were growing bold.
“Only one remains, Lord,” they said to him.
“Yes. And He’s well-hidden,” Devlin replied. “Who’s to say that He – ” Devlin glanced at the star-filled heavens, “ – didn’t pull a fast one?”
The angels were thrown by the very idea. They actually hadn’t considered the possibility. Devlin sneered at them, and as he did, clouds began to boil into existence over their heads, so dark that they threatened to hide the moon. The angels grew nervous, watching him. His features began to flash from ego to alter ego and back again as his anger surged and subsided. For immortal beings who had witnessed nearly everything, it was still unsettling for them to see.
“Would He do that?” the angels asked him, a cautious diffidence in their tone of voice.
“Of course!” Devlin shot back. They were starting to annoy him. He wanted another cigarette, and that annoyed him even more. His face changed yet again.
“The stakes are incredibly high!” He glowered at them to drive home his point, and they cast their eyes downward. The devil himself was confronting them now.
“Look at me!”
They reluctantly complied. It was difficult enough to face him when he was in good spirits. But now his eyes bored into each of them as he spoke, fixing them with a piercing glare.
“Don’t I make you nervous?”
His face was changing back and forth as he looked to each of them. The Prince of Darkness was angry, but they finally realized that he wasn’t angry with them. At least, not at this particular moment. Their Lord was simply making an important point, and taking great pains to ensure that they understood exactly what it was.
The angels smirked, finally catching his drift, and he shape-shifted back to Devlin again.
“When I win this bet,” he explained to them, “I take everything!”
The angels glanced across the circle at each other. They liked the sound of that; it buoyed their spirits. But something was still troubling them. They took a moment to properly phrase their concern.
“Time is fleeting, my Lord,” they finally said. “His thirty-third birthday has just passed. Good Friday comes in three months.”
Devlin nodded, his eyes narrowing. He didn’t need to be reminded. The clouds were roiling overhead; Darkness was forming in fits and starts.
“And between now and Crucifixion Day,” Devlin reminded them, “He must willingly sacrifice Himself for a complete stranger.” Devlin suddenly grinned. “I don’t think he’ll be having a Happy Easter.”
Moonlight danced on the waters around them, but the five angels weren’t completely persuaded by his confidence. The skies above began to grow agitated once again.
“Be of good cheer!” Devlin commanded them, but none of his fallen angels smiled. He pressed his case, reminding them of the advantages he held.
“The terms of the bet work both ways. Not only has He hidden The One, but He has hidden Himself from The One as well.”
He grinned again as he made his final point. “This time around, He’s walking the earth completely on His own.”
He paused to let that sink in, and scanned the circle of somber faces around him. The angels said nothing and slowly bowed their heads, accepting him at his word. They had no choice in the matter.
Devlin slowly disappeared from the circle, becoming a wisp of vapor that floated away on the cool water. Above the circle of angels, gathering clouds obscured the moon. Darkness came quietly.