CHAPTER EIGHT - "AN UNLIKELY PARTNERSHIP"
A secret underground chamber hidden deep beneath the Lazarus mansion in the England countryside was barren except for one thing: the mummified corpse of Johnny Lazarus, son of Wilhelm Lycan Lazarus III.
The body of the ten year old boy was wrapped in bandages much like the ancient Egyptians did to their honored dead and covered in honey sap to preserve tissue from decaying and adorned with jewels, which was the ceremonious religious "fee" to be presented to the ancient gods as gifts for passage into the Underworld. And the boy lain on an alter with torch light dancing throughout this rather large square room, much like an ancient tomb, the light from the torches illuminating the room brightly.
The alter and the walls were made with white marble and carved on their surface were integrate Christian and other symbols of life.
Wilhelm believed in the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And he believed in angelic beings and demons, for you can not have a Heavenly Father and a Dark Lord without their minions. Wilhelm had never seen either one, but he knew they existed and knew that a demon had slaughtered his dead precious boy during a horrific ceremony of sacrifice by men of a sadistic and sinister nature.
When his son had been kidnapped by the now infamous child kidnapper of London, despite this man's identity still unknown, Wilhelm had begged that every resource at his deposal be utilized to find him. But when it was learned that a familiar, but secretive group of men who sought to undermine the Crown by methods of their own madness, had "purchased" his son from the kidnapper, and then learned of his demise by some "otherworldly" being that the Inner Circle had summoned from the dark reaches of Hell, he condemned them all to a fate worse than death!
Five members of the original group had survived because they were unable to attend the sacrificial ceremony that night, later called the Great Death.
Wilhelm then hired two notorious serial killers to murder the rest of the Inner Circle in their own amphitheatre, where the ceremony had taken place, through the services of an known, criminally-inclined, associate named Mathu Kelvin.
However, despite his well-profiled associations with many of the underground criminal affiliates in and around London, Mathu Kelvin, nephew of Bryon Kelvin, a recluse philanthropist, had not been seen in months, along with Sasha and Samuel Ironstadt, the two serial killers had had hired to murder the Inner Circle members. And his spies did not know where they had gone underground.
He was made aware of an incident at the Phantomhive mansion some months back involving the last remaining heirs to the Phantomhive name - Ciel and Lukas Phantomhive, and their very well-do-to butler - and ever since then, these three men had not been seen since. Feared dead. And involved in something far more sinister than anyone could have imagined.
Everyone except Wilhelm.
Wilhelm knew these men had attended the ceremony and somehow survived and were granted clemency if they would kill the remaining Inner Circle members. They agreed, although Wilhelm noticed they did not fear death - as if the concept of death was beyond them any longer. They were questioned about the Great Death, but neither could provide any concrete details of what really happened. Except that each of them feel the presence of evil when the slaughter began.
They did, however, notice one child missing in the carnage: Ciel Phantomhive. And he now presided with a mysterious butler at his side, and most recently, his fraternal brother, Lukas, reemerging after seven long years being somewhere. Although, he was very tight-lipped about the whole affair of being missing. He only said that he had amnesia of those years and was unable to identify the man who kidnapped him, and who may have murdered his parent's five years later, kidnapping his brother, and so on…
Wilhelm knew that Lukas Phantomhive was keeping secrets and Wilhelm wanted to know them all.
The Illuminati didn't know everything, but what they didn't know, they learned and dealt with accordingly, and that included the very entity that murdered his dear son Johnny - Sebastian Michaelis, the demon that came through the gateway, summoned by the Inner Circle, who also made a covenant with Ciel Phantomhive - one of vengeance and malice, to kill all those who did his family wrong!
How did he know all this? Someone close to the family had revealed everything to him.
Thann Von Strauss knew all this and more. As an intermediary for the Illuminati, he was charged with learning what the group needed to know.
But even he could be surprised with the information he sought - namely that a certain Scotland Yard inspector had been more active than originally thought. First-Inspector Frederick Abberline had been snooping into areas that were not his to enter. If it kept up, the man needed to be silenced. Yet that would be the decision of the Illuminati, not his.
This was not the reason why he had come to the Lazarus mansion this night, after "visiting" with Scotland Yard's police commission Sir Arthur Randall. He had come to the Lazarus mansion on an entirely separate matter that he felt Lazarus needed to be versed on, along with the Illuminati alumni. It was a matter of grave importance, and one that Strauss felt needed immediate addressing and discussion. But that, too, would be the for Illuminati to decide, whereas Lazarus would pass it on to the rest of the group, if it could not be handled by him alone.
Strauss knew his place, even if his father was one of the alumni, and even if he knew the Illuminati's English branch leader on a personal level - the very person he was visiting now.
The horse and carriage with its driver took him up and through the winding gravel roadway to the mansion and it stopped at the front entrance. Here, Strauss stepped out of the carriage and walked to the door, knocking twice. Moments later, an elderly man dressed in a butler uniform, welcomed him inside. Strauss didn't need to introduce himself, for Victor, Lazarus's butler, knew him well.
"May I take you coat, Herr Thann?" Strauss did so, as he stood in the main vestibule. The term "Herr" was German for "Mister" and Victor had always used it to pay homage to Strauss's German heritage, and he liked it. "The Master is awaiting you in the chamber, but he was been expecting you much sooner."
"There was a delay, I had to pick up something," Strauss said, patting a black satchel that hung on his right hip with a strap across his chest.
Victor sniffed, there was the smell of meat in the air. "Ah, of course. Playtime as usual."
Strauss smirked amused.
Strauss was escorted to the library, then left alone. He stood in the middle of a large library.
He took a moment to gaze around at the vast volumes of reference books on dozens of shelves that reached from floor to ceiling within the room. A rolling ladder was needed to reach the higher books. It was rumored that Lazarus had the largest collection of first editions and scarce works known in the world, including items of great scientific and religious importance, even some one-of-a-kind Hebrew scrolls, found bordering Israeli and the shores of Jordan, that had not been dated yet.
An archaeologist had found these scrolls somewhere in the west bank of the Dead Sea. The archaeologist was only able to acquire a few from a cave before a rockslide covered the entrance, killing him and hiding the cave, although rumors had it that a large explosion was heard just before the rockslide. As if to hide the find. Strauss knew the truth. Wilhelm had indeed done so when he find out what was on the scrolls.
Wilhelm figuratively referred to the scrolls he possessed as the Dead Sea Scrolls, and they included Psalms of text written in Hebrew, for which he could speak fluently, raised with a Jewish heritage, but like Strauss, was raised in England, immigrating to England when Wilhelm was only five - and then changed his name to "blend" in, and only the Illuminati knew his true heritage.
Foreigners were often chided upon, often blamed for England's financial and sociological woes, as if the implementation of inferior blood poisons their culture. What a load of bollocks.
In these particular scrolls read secrets that Wilhelm planned to use to resurrect his son.
Strauss stepped to a book shelf and began to search for something, the book he needed to pull back to activate a hidden door behind a book shelf wall. He found the book - and with one yank of Dante's Inferno, the shelving unit slid back and then sideways to reveal an open metal lift. He opened an thin, iron protective gate and stepped in. He closed the gate, grabbed hold of a metal lever on a half-moon rotation on the left inside of the lift, pulled it all the way, and the lift began to descend slowly, as the book shelf automatically returned to its basic position.
As the lift descended down to the chamber below the mansion, Strauss momentarily in total darkness, he smiled to himself, for his descend in total darkness was of a symbolic nature of his life. He had dedicated himself to the "darkness" long ago and to the practices of the Illuminati, even before he had raped his sister and watched her be sacrificed by the Illuminati.
But he had concerns about his younger brother, Spencer, who had once been a member of the Illuminati, but now, most recently, had decided denouncing its practices.
He, too, had been at this same ceremony where his sister had been raped and sacrificed. He had not participated in raping his sister, but Spencer had engaged in organism sessions on prior occasions. Thann had figured that by the death of his sister, Spencer found the Illuminati reprehensible and this is what caused him to leave. This had displeased their father immensely. And their father had secretly told Thann, if it was ever revealed that Spencer had began to tell others of the secrets of the Illuminati…
Thann had said he would take care of it.
When the lift stopped, Strauss open the iron gate at the bottom and stepped out into a large circular vestibule with a marble statue of young Johnny Lazarus at age ten years old, before he was killed. It was specially chiseled to Wilhelm's specifications and presented the boy in a shining brilliance, giving him the ascension to that of a Greek warrior, soldier or god, who had performed a glorious deed for his nation.
Lazarus had loved the boy. Johnny was a miracle baby. Doctors had said that he could not have children, and he and his wife Linda, had tried, tried, tried. Until one day, Linda became pregnant, and nine months later, a beautiful, healthy boy was born. This is where Lazarus began exceptionally religious. Where nature and genetics had made him sterile, God had given him the precious gift of a son. And he was so proud of Johnny, who grew to sprout an angelic head of whitish-blonde hair, which Lazarus took as another sign of God's grace upon him - and Lazarus belief that Johnny was an angel.
And afterwards, his utter hatred of Sebastian Michaelis, the demon bastard who murdered him!
But Lazarus had apparently been busy in Strauss's month absence in visiting this underground chamber. Apart from the lift, and apart from a second antechamber that housed the alter with Johnny's mummified body that looked straight upon the lift on the other side of the statue, there were six additional doors spread at equal intervals within the vestibule.
There was also something else new, that only now Strauss noticed on the platform of the statue, and it was written in Hebrew sand-script writing. It translated to: "The Seventh Circle of Hell", referring to Dante's Inferno, and for which was indicative of Lazarus's hatred of the murder of his son towards his wanting of revenge against the demon who killed Johnny with malignant malice and forthright.
The Seventh Circle of Hell
was where the worse of humanity resided in Hell. The seventh circle detailed Violence; and in the tale, it is told that this is where Alexander the Great is immersed up to his neck, for all the blood he shed over his reign, conquering the known world.
In Dante's story, there are nine circles. The last two being Fraud and Treachery. But there were only seven doors present, including the one leading to the antechamber. The other four included a basic, but detailed retelling of the first four of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Choose a door, my friend," a voice echoed the vestibule.
Strauss followed the voice and looked directly at a small sleuth shaft in the upper part of a wall. In ancient Egypt, this not only worked as air ventilation into the lower chambers of pyramids, but also as a way of communication to those in other chambers or to the outside, as a voice can be carried a long way without inhabitation. But he knew Lazarus was behind the door that housed his son.
Yet all the doors looked alike, iron in construction, with a vertical iron handle.
"I hate playing games, Lazarus." Strauss cupped his hands on his hips, not moving.
"Humor me."
Strauss rolled his eyes with frustration and then gazed around and chose a door at random.
He took hold of the handle and opened it.
Inside was an empty chamber illuminated by torch light. A small air shaft inside brought in oxygen for the fire to remain lit; however, on the wall was something carved: an emblem or symbol raised within a square. He stepped inside and examined it closely. A winged angel. Recalling the story of Dante's Inferno, he recollected the Fifth Circle of Hell was guarded by Fallen Angels. And the fifth level was Wrath.
"Why are you angry, my friend?"
Strauss snapped his attention to the air shaft.
"How do you know which door I chose?"
"I am aware of a great many things, Thann. Often our subconscious reflects out inner most feelings outward even when we try to bury them deep inside. This is also referred to body language."
"You're one to talk about that, Lazarus," Strauss said. But all he received a laugh. Strauss stepped out back into the vestibule. "Now, which room are you in! Everything looks the same." He thought he knew before, but now he wasn't sure. And something was missing, that now he just took notice of. Where was -
Suddenly the platform of Johnny Lazarus's statue began to scrap along the floor, opening up a chamber beneath. From its depths, jumped out a fully grown white and black-striped tiger - and it looked hungry. It was said the Seventh Circle for Hell was guarded by the Minotaur, a mythological creature half man/half bull - but a vicious, imposing tiger was good enough.
It growled and roared at him, and Strauss backed away, watching it circle him, exposing its sharp fangs. But Strauss had expected this and the reason why he had been delayed when coming here. He reached into the satchel he had brought with him and took out a large piece of meat, throwing it at the tiger. In reality, the tiger knew him quite well and this was its way of welcoming him.
He was Lazarus's pet, named Cerberus, and the animal was always with his master.
It devoured the meat in quick form and then purred.
Strauss petted the animal on the head, and the click sounded, indicating a door had been unlocked. Strauss ventured to this door and opened it, stepping inside, with Cerberus walking in ahead of him, going to his master, and then sitting proper.
Inside, Lazarus was standing on the other side of the alter with Johnny's body in its mummified state, within the square antechamber, in his hands was one, aged-faded scroll. On a shelving unit next to a wall were three more. The walls themselves harbored Christian symbols of death and rebirth, including a sizable crucifix on the centre wall. Also, on one wall, which was new was, was an Egyptian symbol called "the Eye of Horus" which meant "the risen one" (an open eye, highlighted in bold black), but for which Lazarus admired this civilization with its culture and monumental structures, all built with man's strength and faith.
As legend went the symbol represents sacrifice, healing, restoration and protection.
Horus had a brother named Seth who was jealous of his power and attempted to kill him. He did so, cutting him up into many pieces and tossing them throughout the Egyptian landscape. The pieces were found by a follower of Horus and reassembled, including Horus left eye - Seth had first tried to blind him. Horus then became the guardian of the underworld when he could no longer return to the land of the living. The Eye of Horus is set to ward off evil. Or this is how the story went as far as Strauss had been told.
History also told of Christianity's rise - and how followers of the faith finally eliminated the last of the old Egyptian faith practices believing they were blasphemy to a belief in the God, instead of several gods, and murdered the six priests praying in their temple, said to be the last of their line. This then ended the reign of the Egyptian faith, and the followers of God burned the temple and other vestiges to this faith.
With death comes rebirth, Strauss knew. Out with old and in with the new, like many cultures and civilizations throughout the ages.
It was said that Jesus Christ rose after three days after he was crucified on a cross by Romans, and later, a devote follower of Christ's wrote down how his resurrection was achieved. This secret, Strauss waged, was in these scrolls Lazarus had, and why he felt it had been important to destroy the cavern that had been found in and kill the archaeologist who had found them. Only Lazarus wanted this secret.
Wilhelm Lycan Lazarus was an average-size man of middle-age, but with full head of white hair. And he always dressed completely in black, contracting his hair. The light and dark. Life and death. And ever since the death of Johnny, Lazarus had been in mourning for him.
His wife, Linda, had left him, when, according to her, he began to act with obsessive behavior, preaching one day Johnny will live again after the archaeologist found the scrolls.
The Illuminati catered to his whims, albeit fearing he was emotionally unstable.
But he never shirked from his duties as head of the English branch of the Illuminati chapter, so they endured him. It was only lately that when Lazarus's extra activities were becoming a concern for the rest and Strauss had been sent to evaluate him, which was the matter of great importance.
On the floor was make-shift bedding. Lazarus had taken to sleeping in the room with his dead son. The entire room was brightly lit with torch light. With the advent of electricity to the public, Strauss wondered why Lazarus had not build in underground lights.
"Welcome back, Thann," Lazarus greeted him. "What decision greets me from your lips from the Illuminati? Have they decided to oust me?"
"And why would you say that? That you say you can do the impossible?"
Lazarus chuckled, and rolled up the scroll and placed it on the shelf with the others.
"I am close, Thann. The power to resurrect my son will soon be in my hands. All the pieces are falling into place, every one." Lazarus passed a hand across the length of his son's body. "Johnny will live again. And I will have my vengeance upon that damn demon!"
"So the butler is - "
But before Strauss could finish, a ghostly mist came through the wall, and quickly formed into the a translucent blue figure of a young boy. The ghost stood between the pair, but Strauss was unafraid of it. He had met Renfrew Phantomhive on a number of occasions. And if he was here, then he had successfully accomplished the task he had set out to do.
"Ah, if it isn't my favorite ghost," Lazarus said.
"The demon is subdued, you can collect him at any time," Renfrew said curtly. Lazarus knew Renfrew had no liking of him. "And the staff will be of no bother, they are weak humans."
"Very good, Renfrew. You have done me well."
"But remember our deal, Lazarus!"
Lazarus smiled broadly, but it had a hint of sadistic nature to it. "Of course. You deliver the demon, I resurrect my son, and you are redeemed in the eyes of God. The slate of your sin absolved."
Renfrew scowled. "How you learned of me and of my sin, I do not know, but when I learned of what you claimed can be done, our partnership was formed. But do not test my good nature, Lazarus. I detest you and all that your group of people stand for."
"How we carry ourselves is of no concern to you. Do you job and you will be set free."
Renfrew nodded. "But heed my warning. Do not harm Lukas Phantomhive when you go after the demon. I took a vow to protect him long before I met you, and if you choose to fault on our deal, I will have no choice but to intervene. This vow stands absolute!"
Lazarus laughed. "I assure you, ghost, your vow does not conflict with my goals. All I want is the demon, nothing more. With the power of the demon and the words found these scrolls, both our goals will be obtained in short order. I will carry out great vengeance upon them and punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am He, when I take vengeance on them. Ezekiel 25:17."
"Spare me your religious hectic," Renfrew said.
Lazarus chuckled. "Had do you plan on handling Ciel Phantomhive?"
"He will be mine to deal with. You just have your people at the mansion to collect the demon."
And Renfrew vanished.
"Well, not a very happy soul, is he?" Strauss remarked.
"I trust not," Lazarus said with some amusement. "For those who commit the ultimate sin, they can never truly rest in death or in any fashion unless their sin is absolved in the eyes of God. And in helping me take revenge against that demon who murdered by son in cold-blood, he believes his sin will be forgiven."
"Does he know you're using him?"
But Lazarus didn't reply. He only gave Strauss a sideways glance with a sinister smirk.
To be continued...