Chapter 283
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With so many people dissapeared, the governments were able to unite. It was clear that these were indeed the end times, old differences had to be set aside. If their old feuds ever really made sense, they no longer made sense. At least one advantage of the recent dissapearences was that those who clung to ancient feuds and rejected the ideas of peace and compromise, most of them were dragged to Hell. Those who remained seemed much more willing to work with former enemies against what was clearly a mutual threat. That was the good news. The bad news was that it was clear that Evil had greater numbers. Between the dissapearences and the plague, the world had at most a billion people ready to fight. Their best estimates of Hell, between countless rescue efforts and diplomatic visits, suggested that there were countless billions in Hell. Even if only a fraction of them agreed to fight for Evil in the final battle, they would greatly outnumber Good. President Odonnell spoke with father Lucci one day, Lucci had some well needed good news.
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Lucci: It seems the battle is near.
Odonnell: I figured as much. Our best estimates put our nummers at the square root of their numbers.
Lucci: That would only be if they all fight for Evil. Some will refuse to fight, either because they want redemption, or they're just gambling that Good will win and they'll be free.
Odonnell: There's always that hope, but there's no question that they greatly outnumber us.
Lucci: There is something I've learned recently. Both Good and Evil will take forms for the final battle. Each force will bond with someone, someone worthy. If Good wins, and destroy's Evil's form, then it's army will be destroyed.
Odonnell: At which point the world begins again, with Evil at least temporarily banished.
Lucci: Exactly.
Odonnell: So what forms are they taking?
Lucci: From what I've heard, Evil has bonded with, and has taken the form of, Adolf Hitler.
Odonnell: Makes sense, I'm hard pressed to think of anyone more evil in my lifetime. And what form will Good take?
Lucci: I don't know, but it will make itself known soon.
Odonnell: Or so you've been told by your superiors.
Lucci: Yes.
Odonnell: Did you ever read "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift?
Lucci: Ofcourse, a few times.
Odonnell: Do you remember when Gulliver encounters these tiny races of people?
Lucci: The Lilliput, who were at war with the Blefuscu. Swift meant that as a satire of England and France's perpetual wars.
Odonnell: I'm not sure that two civilizations, perpetually at war, is limited to England and France.
Lucci: But it was the one Swift was most familiar with. And given England's use of irish conscripts in these wars, he definitely had an interest in both sides realizing how stupid their feud was.
Odonnell; Fair point. And later, Gulliver encounters these giants, who view him as a tiny curiousity.
Lucci: Glundalglitch, and her father.
Odonnell: So Gulliver was a giant to some and an insect to others.
Lucci: What's your point?
Odonnell: This "Good" that you serve, I have no doubt that it, and "Evil" are far more powerful than either of us could possibly imagine. But how do we know there isn't some much more powerful being out there? One who makes these two look like ants by comparison?
Lucci: I have considered that possibility. As far as I can tell, there is no way for us to know.
Odonnell: Thanks for being honest.
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It was during this conversation that "Good" made itself known. It had taken the form of Superman. The original one, the one Jerry Siegel had dreamed of all those years ago. Everyone knew it would be a brutal battle, they would not all survive. But now, the heroes had hope that they could actually win the final battle.