FIVE
"Cole, tell me something," Paige asked as they negotiated the caverns of
the underworld. "Just how the hell do you know where we're going? All these
chambers look alike to me. How do you know one place from another?"
"It's little things mostly," said Cole. "The color and texture of the
rocks. The amount of ambient light. Even the amount of light itself. Not to
mention the angles the caverns branch off from each other. There are a whole
slew of small differences that by themselves don't make much difference. But
when you put them together it tells you where you are and where you're going.
I've been negotiating them for over a hundred years. By now I could do it in my
sleep."
"I'm glad you know where we are," said Piper. "I've been lost for ten
minutes. I don't know why we couldn't just shimmer to the Émigré opening."
"You don't want to just appear at the entrance unannounced," said Cole.
"The guardians have a tendency to attack first and not worry about questions.
Although it's been millennia since it happened, there were some attempts at one
time to free some of the banished demons. Trust me. This is the best way. The
guardians know where we're headed and won't attack unless we prove a threat."
"Then let's not give them a reason," said Leo. "I don't want to find out
that the girls' powers don't work in the middle of combat."
"There won't be any if you don't do anything provocative," said Cole.
"The guardians' only responsibility is to make sure that no one leaves the
Émigré. And only those demons high enough in the hierarchy enter. Other than
that they don't care about much else."
If there's no Source," asked Paige, "why are these demons still guarding
the entrance? If they answer only to the Source, why don't they just go on to
something else since there's no Source?"
"This is their function," said Cole. "Think of them as soldiers. They've
been given specific orders. Until they receive orders to the contrary, they'll
continue to do what they've been assigned to do. Not all demons are interested
in advancing in the hierarchy. Some just want to do what they're supposed to
do."
"Doesn't seem very demonic to me," said Piper.
"Well," said Cole, "not all demons have the necessary power to remain in
the hierarchy once they achieve a high level. It doesn't do much good to rise
to a particular level if you get vanquished the next day by a more powerful
demon. Most demons know how high in the hierarchy they can ascend to and the
smart ones don't try to rise any higher. The guardians know they wouldn't stand
much of a chance against higher lever demons so they're more than content to
stay where they are and do their jobs efficiently."
"Well, I guess that kind of make sense," said Piper. "I guess I just
imagined that all demons want to be the Source."
"It's like winning the lottery," said Cole. "Everyone likes to imagine
what it would be like to win millions of dollars even if they know they have no
chance of actually doing it. Most demons may imagine what it would be like to
be the Source but they also have realistic expectations of how powerful they
actually are."
"I guess that explains why there isn't total civil war in the underworld,"
said Paige. "If every demon was trying to become the Source they'd be killing
each other left and right."
"There it is," said Cole, pointing ahead. "That's the only entrance to
the Émigré."
Everyone looked ahead to where he was pointing. The passage they were
traveling through opened into a larger chamber just several yards ahead. It
looked like any other chamber they had passed through in the past ten minutes.
From where they were standing the chamber looked totally deserted.
"I thought you said it was guarded," said Paige. "There's no one in
there. And I don't see any entrance."
"Things are rarely as they appear," said Cole, "especially in the
underworld. That chamber is one of the most closely guarded chambers in the
underworld. Just walk in slowly and don't do anything that might be construed
as provocative."
The four entered the chamber slowly. It appeared somewhat larger than
most of the other chambers they had been in. And it also appeared to be
completely empty. But they all knew that could be misleading. If Cole was
right, several demons were waiting just out of sight.
Suddenly a demon simply appeared before them. It stood over seven feet
tall and even Leo had to look up at it. Its skin was a dark gray color nearly
the same shade as the walls around them. Its eyes looked like cats eyes with
light blue pupils. Muscles rippled across its arms giving mute testimony to the
awesome strength it possessed.
"White Lighter," the demon hissed, looking at Leo. Then it looked at
Piper and Paige. "Witches. Your kind is not welcome here. This is a place for
demons."
"We want to enter the Émigré," said Piper. "We don't want any trouble
from you."
"No one enters the Émigré," said the demon. Suddenly, nearly a dozen more
demons virtually identical to this one appeared around the chamber. "My
brothers and I guard the entrance. You will leave this place. We have no
quarrel with you but we will not allow you to pass."
"I'd like to differ with that opinion," said Cole, moving to the front of
the small group.
"Belthazor," hissed the first demon.
"The Source?" questioned another demon. "We were told he had been
vanquished."
"I got over it," said Cole. "Since you know me, you must also know that
it is my right to enter the Émigré if I wish."
"The Source has been vanquished as my brother has said," said the first
demon. "Vanquished demons do not enter the Émigré. They go to the Wasteland."
"Let's think this through," said Cole. "You obviously know I was
initiated as the Source. Which makes me the ruler of the underworld. Now I'm
standing here before you. And you serve the Source. So you tell me. Who makes
the rules here?"
The demon looked at Cole and then at his brother demons. It was obviously
thinking the matter over carefully. Leo, Piper, and Paige weren't sure if it
would accept Cole as the Source or turn them all away. Piper was prepared to
freeze the entire area if they should refuse.
"Forgive me," said the first demon finally. "As my brother has said, we
were informed the Source had been vanquished. We have been waiting for word of
the rise of a new Source."
"And now?" Cole asked.
"Your initiation as the Source is well known to us," said the demon. "As
such, we answer to you."
"Good," said Cole. "Do you know the demon Gastion?"
"A Carack demon," responded the demon. "Banished by the Source sixty
seven human years ago."
"Yes," said Cole. "Has he left the Émigré lately?"
"No demon leaves the Émigré unless its banishment is lifted," said the
demon. "I have not been told his banishment has been lifted."
"That doesn't answer my question," said Cole.
"No demon has left the Émigré in seventeen human years," said the demon.
"Well, that answers one question," said Cole. "Open the entrance. I wish
to enter the Émigré. And these three will be coming with me. If they return
without me, they are to be given safe passage back to the mortal realm."
"As you wish," said the demon.
Another of the demons moved to the back wall of the chamber. It passed
its hand over the wall and a door-shaped opening suddenly appeared. A vortex
seemed to swirl inside the doorway.
"Come on," said Cole to the others. "That's the only way into the
Émigré."
Apprehensive, Leo, Piper, and Paige followed Cole through the entrance
into the Émigré.
"Cole, tell me something," Paige asked as they negotiated the caverns of
the underworld. "Just how the hell do you know where we're going? All these
chambers look alike to me. How do you know one place from another?"
"It's little things mostly," said Cole. "The color and texture of the
rocks. The amount of ambient light. Even the amount of light itself. Not to
mention the angles the caverns branch off from each other. There are a whole
slew of small differences that by themselves don't make much difference. But
when you put them together it tells you where you are and where you're going.
I've been negotiating them for over a hundred years. By now I could do it in my
sleep."
"I'm glad you know where we are," said Piper. "I've been lost for ten
minutes. I don't know why we couldn't just shimmer to the Émigré opening."
"You don't want to just appear at the entrance unannounced," said Cole.
"The guardians have a tendency to attack first and not worry about questions.
Although it's been millennia since it happened, there were some attempts at one
time to free some of the banished demons. Trust me. This is the best way. The
guardians know where we're headed and won't attack unless we prove a threat."
"Then let's not give them a reason," said Leo. "I don't want to find out
that the girls' powers don't work in the middle of combat."
"There won't be any if you don't do anything provocative," said Cole.
"The guardians' only responsibility is to make sure that no one leaves the
Émigré. And only those demons high enough in the hierarchy enter. Other than
that they don't care about much else."
If there's no Source," asked Paige, "why are these demons still guarding
the entrance? If they answer only to the Source, why don't they just go on to
something else since there's no Source?"
"This is their function," said Cole. "Think of them as soldiers. They've
been given specific orders. Until they receive orders to the contrary, they'll
continue to do what they've been assigned to do. Not all demons are interested
in advancing in the hierarchy. Some just want to do what they're supposed to
do."
"Doesn't seem very demonic to me," said Piper.
"Well," said Cole, "not all demons have the necessary power to remain in
the hierarchy once they achieve a high level. It doesn't do much good to rise
to a particular level if you get vanquished the next day by a more powerful
demon. Most demons know how high in the hierarchy they can ascend to and the
smart ones don't try to rise any higher. The guardians know they wouldn't stand
much of a chance against higher lever demons so they're more than content to
stay where they are and do their jobs efficiently."
"Well, I guess that kind of make sense," said Piper. "I guess I just
imagined that all demons want to be the Source."
"It's like winning the lottery," said Cole. "Everyone likes to imagine
what it would be like to win millions of dollars even if they know they have no
chance of actually doing it. Most demons may imagine what it would be like to
be the Source but they also have realistic expectations of how powerful they
actually are."
"I guess that explains why there isn't total civil war in the underworld,"
said Paige. "If every demon was trying to become the Source they'd be killing
each other left and right."
"There it is," said Cole, pointing ahead. "That's the only entrance to
the Émigré."
Everyone looked ahead to where he was pointing. The passage they were
traveling through opened into a larger chamber just several yards ahead. It
looked like any other chamber they had passed through in the past ten minutes.
From where they were standing the chamber looked totally deserted.
"I thought you said it was guarded," said Paige. "There's no one in
there. And I don't see any entrance."
"Things are rarely as they appear," said Cole, "especially in the
underworld. That chamber is one of the most closely guarded chambers in the
underworld. Just walk in slowly and don't do anything that might be construed
as provocative."
The four entered the chamber slowly. It appeared somewhat larger than
most of the other chambers they had been in. And it also appeared to be
completely empty. But they all knew that could be misleading. If Cole was
right, several demons were waiting just out of sight.
Suddenly a demon simply appeared before them. It stood over seven feet
tall and even Leo had to look up at it. Its skin was a dark gray color nearly
the same shade as the walls around them. Its eyes looked like cats eyes with
light blue pupils. Muscles rippled across its arms giving mute testimony to the
awesome strength it possessed.
"White Lighter," the demon hissed, looking at Leo. Then it looked at
Piper and Paige. "Witches. Your kind is not welcome here. This is a place for
demons."
"We want to enter the Émigré," said Piper. "We don't want any trouble
from you."
"No one enters the Émigré," said the demon. Suddenly, nearly a dozen more
demons virtually identical to this one appeared around the chamber. "My
brothers and I guard the entrance. You will leave this place. We have no
quarrel with you but we will not allow you to pass."
"I'd like to differ with that opinion," said Cole, moving to the front of
the small group.
"Belthazor," hissed the first demon.
"The Source?" questioned another demon. "We were told he had been
vanquished."
"I got over it," said Cole. "Since you know me, you must also know that
it is my right to enter the Émigré if I wish."
"The Source has been vanquished as my brother has said," said the first
demon. "Vanquished demons do not enter the Émigré. They go to the Wasteland."
"Let's think this through," said Cole. "You obviously know I was
initiated as the Source. Which makes me the ruler of the underworld. Now I'm
standing here before you. And you serve the Source. So you tell me. Who makes
the rules here?"
The demon looked at Cole and then at his brother demons. It was obviously
thinking the matter over carefully. Leo, Piper, and Paige weren't sure if it
would accept Cole as the Source or turn them all away. Piper was prepared to
freeze the entire area if they should refuse.
"Forgive me," said the first demon finally. "As my brother has said, we
were informed the Source had been vanquished. We have been waiting for word of
the rise of a new Source."
"And now?" Cole asked.
"Your initiation as the Source is well known to us," said the demon. "As
such, we answer to you."
"Good," said Cole. "Do you know the demon Gastion?"
"A Carack demon," responded the demon. "Banished by the Source sixty
seven human years ago."
"Yes," said Cole. "Has he left the Émigré lately?"
"No demon leaves the Émigré unless its banishment is lifted," said the
demon. "I have not been told his banishment has been lifted."
"That doesn't answer my question," said Cole.
"No demon has left the Émigré in seventeen human years," said the demon.
"Well, that answers one question," said Cole. "Open the entrance. I wish
to enter the Émigré. And these three will be coming with me. If they return
without me, they are to be given safe passage back to the mortal realm."
"As you wish," said the demon.
Another of the demons moved to the back wall of the chamber. It passed
its hand over the wall and a door-shaped opening suddenly appeared. A vortex
seemed to swirl inside the doorway.
"Come on," said Cole to the others. "That's the only way into the
Émigré."
Apprehensive, Leo, Piper, and Paige followed Cole through the entrance
into the Émigré.