Sebastian Gloom

Empyrion

     The ground continued to rise as they approached Empyrean, as if they were climbing the steps to the doors of a great cathedral. The light was brighter here and everything was more beautiful. The most mundane blades of grass, the simplest flowers, seemed to hold wonders and mysteries forever beyond the comprehension of man. The damned souls fell silent as a sense of awe and fear fell over them and many began to drag their feet, visibly wishing they could just slink away before God noticed them.

     The mass of invaders now stretched all the way to the horizon to both sides and behind as all the armies joined up at last, forming a solid ring around the Throne itself. A throne that they were finally beginning to see in the dazzling brilliance ahead of them.

     All the blessed souls that had retreated before them were gathered before the Throne, trapped there with nowhere else to retreat to. They stared with horror and terror at the advancing massed ranks of the damned and glanced back at the Throne, wondering when God would rise to defend them and hurl back the invaders, but nothing happened. A few remaining demons not busy restraining angels soared overhead on widely spread black wings.

     Some of the blessed souls stepped forward to confront the invaders. Dozens of popes, Gloom saw, along with bishops, archbishops, cardinals and common priests, all dressed in the full finery of their vestments. There were also a great many men and women wearing poor quality clothes and even rags and Gloom guessed that they were saints from all over the world and all ages of history.

     “The greatest and holiest now stand against you,” said Father Anthony gleefully. “Do you dare look them in the face, Gloom? Do you dare even breathe the same air as these great men?”

     “Great men?” replied Gloom. “Did you ever study the lives of the popes, Anthony? Pope John the twelfth murdered quite a few people and was killed by a man who caught him in bed with his wife. Is he one of those fine people standing against us?”

     “Just because one pope went bad...”

     “Pope Urban is said to have tortured the Cardinals who conspired against him. It's said that he complained when they didn't scream loudly enough. Alexander the sixth was guilty of nepotism. Leo the tenth spent money like it was going out of fashion. He’s estimated to have spent a seventh of the entire fortune of the papacy on one ceremony. Sergius the third ordered the murder of another pope and had an illegitimate son who went on to become yet another. John the twelfth raped female pilgrims, drank toasts to the devil and invoked the aid of pagan gods. And what about Innocent the fourth, an ironic name for the man who started the inquisition. He had quite an imagination when it came to devising new instruments of torture. He said again and again that the end justifies the means.”

     “The end does justify the means,” said Anthony. “As for the others, I fully accept that bad men occasionally rise to power. No doubt those you mentioned went to Hell for their crimes and are now members of your army. Most popes were good men, though. Holy men, and it is they who now stand against you.”

     “Good, holy men who have no problem with healers being tortured forever for not being Christian. There is not one man ahead of us with the moral authority to denounce my friend here.” He indicated Nacoma, standing beside him.

     “Your friend had every opportunity to embrace the true faith. He has no-one to blame but himself. Had he done so, he might very well be standing among the saints ahead of you right now.”

     “You think the saints are all wonderful people? Do you know how many saints had anti Semitic views? Denounced the Jews in the vilest terms, called for them to be tortured and killed...”