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into the light.
And because you re damn close to figuring it out on your own anyway.
Figuring out what? Daniel asked.
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Who and what we really are, of course. None of us can remember how it all
began, just as none of you can remember being born. We have existed at least
as long as human civilization, over one hundred thousand years, living among
you and guiding your way.
For ages, we were united in our goal of protecting and guiding mankind. We
have a need, you see, to do what s best for you. We don t understand it
ourselves. This unity was broken roughly five thousand years ago, at the
time of the Fall.
Daniel s mind was reeling. The Fall? As in the biblical Fall?
The real event upon which your myths are based, yes. One of our
most powerful and influential was Satan. Over time he began to question our
purpose, to think himself better than the humans he served. He eventually gave
up even the pretense of helping humans and said our proper place was
dominating humanity, our inferiors. So great was his influence that
roughly half our number defected to his cause. They decided to prey on
humanity, to torture and subjugate you. Thus began a war that continues to
today, a war in which you got caught in the middle.
So what are you going to do? Susan asked.
Me? Uriel replied. I ve done what I m going to do. The question is, he
said as he got up and headed for the door, what are you going to do? He
left.
Wait! Daniel shouted as he ran after Uriel, but it was no use.
The angel was gone.
So what the hell do we do now? Daniel asked.
They had all left the motel room and fanned out, looking for
Uriel, but the angel was nowhere to be found. Dejected, they returned
to the room and tried to assess what had just happened.
This is heavy, Jeff said. I mean, if we believe what just
happened, that was Uriel, the
angel that stood at the gates of Eden with the flaming sword.
If that myth has any basis in truth, Daniel added.
Susan got up to pace. So since the dawn of human history there
has been this race of immortals living alongside us, guiding us,
protecting us
Preying on us, manipulating us, Daniel added.
We don t know that, Susan said.
Whether they have or not, Jeff said, the demons are the threat. Now that we
know what they are, how can we force them into the open?
We ve got the tape, Daniel suggested.
A good start, but we need more than that, Susan said. Video and
photographic evidence is too easy to fake these days. We need hard proof.
Documentation.
Daniel perked up. I have an idea.
You re developing a penchant for this sort of thing, aren t you? Susan
whispered.
Shhh. After stopping to rent a car on Jeff s credit card, they were again
down the street from Zagam s house. They watched as a spotless gunmetal
Mercedes came up the street and pulled into the driveway. Zagam, still
clutching and rubbing his chest, got out of the car and walked into the
house. Susan watched him with binoculars, and scribbled down the code
to his door alarm.
Okay, he s in. Do it, Daniel said.
Susan picked up her cellular phone, dialed Zagam s number and handed
the phone to
Daniel.
The demon answered the phone after two rings. Yes? he hissed.
You put on quite a show tonight, Birchmere, Daniel said, or should I
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call you Zagam?
You really put your heart into it.
Who is this? the demon demanded.
My name is Daniel Cho. We ve never been properly introduced, but I m the
guy Batarel was after.
I don t know what you re talking about, Zagam sputtered.
Man, Beelzebub was right, Daniel chided, smiling at Susan. You don t catch
on very fast to a change in conditions, do you?
Zagam made exasperated noises.
In case you haven t caught on yet, I was there tonight, at your little
shindig. So was my video camera. The camera loves you, by the way. I got
the whole thing, including Beelzebub s rather inventive discipline, in living
color.
Daniel s voice hardened. You and your kind are finished, Zagam.
Once you can t hide among us any more, we ll hunt you down and destroy you.
My, look at the time. It s getting late. I have to go now, but I just
figured I d call and let you know that your kind s free lunch is
officially over.
See you soon. Daniel hung up.
Little rough with him, weren t you? Susan asked. He s had a rough day.
Ah, kids? Jeff spoke up. Aren t you getting a little carried
away? You guys already forgotten what we re up against?
Susan and Daniel sobered immediately. Daniel started to answer, but
Susan cut him off.
He s moving, she said.
I m gone, Daniel said, and he rushed out the door. Susan watched him run to
the rental car, and then turned to watch Zagam back out of his driveway. As
the demon drove down the street and out of sight, Daniel followed at a
discrete distance. Their taillights faded out and they were gone.
Turning to Jeff, she picked up one of the walkie-talkies. Keep an eye out,
she said, then she too left the Winnebago, running across the street to
Zagam s house.
Warily, Susan edged up to Zagam s front door. Consulting the number
she d hastily scribbled down minutes before, she keyed in the combination to
the home security system and held her breath as she watched the light change
from red to green.
She opened the door and cautiously stepped inside. The house was dark and
cavernous. A
living room or den was directly ahead of her, filled with bookshelves, and a
staircase led up to her left. She climbed the stairs to find another
den, lined wall to wall with bookshelves.
Adjoining were a kitchen and dining room (empty, like Daniel said) and another
short flight of stairs.
At the top of the stairs was a short hallway with doors on either side. In the
second door to the right, Susan found what she was looking for.
Zagam s office was what should have been the master bedroom. While one
wall held the seemingly requisite bookshelves, the other three housed
a massive U-shaped computer and video surveillance console. She sat down
and turned the computer on.
While she waited for it to boot up, she turned on the
walkie-talkie. Susan to Jeff, she whispered. You there?
Read you loud and clear, Susan, Jeff drawled from the speaker.
I found the computer room. I m trying for access now. Let me know the second
you see anything.
Gotcha.
Susan turned her attention back to the PC and found it asking for a password.
Damn! she thought. She should have known that with all the other
security Zagam wouldn t leave his computer unprotected, but she had
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allowed herself to hope anyway. She already lucked out by
guessing Steve s password, and she could only do that because she knew so much
about him that she could guess his likely choices. This demon she knew
practically nothing about except that he was an unimaginative career
bureaucrat, went by the human identity of Richard
Birchmere and his true demonic name was
Susan s hands flew to the keyboard and she typed the name Zagam .
The login screen disappeared and Zagam s desktop lay before her, ripe for
plundering.
She was in.
The Burden of Proof
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