The King's Collie

Part VI, Chapter 3: Domini Inferni

"Saint Peter," Iago immediately recognized the senior rooster that had suddenly appeared before him in the void.

"Ah, you do know me," the older bird said, reverting to his glowing, natural spiritual form. "I know at least that you are not just a cardinal, but a most hallowed Cardinal, if you do know the difference.

Iago knelt. "I have been anticipating meeting you, but not so soon," he explained. "And I am still baffled by the presence of the first Pope. Do you see how your office is defiled, now? By a scraggled cat?" he asked.

Peter frowned. "He is the Pope," he clarified. "He is worthy, I would have done something if he wasn't."

"Ah. Very well, then. But enough talk of that. I am devout, I am faithful, and I do believe I am a martyr," Iago chuckled, "with the circumstances I was so mercilessly executed in!"

The rooster smiled. "I don't doubt that, but let me read my reckoning of your deeds to try and see for certain what you do mean," he nodded. He pulled, from thin air, a short scroll, but detailed enough to contain every single action of Iago's, with the most concerning ones highlighted in large, red ink.

And, rest assured, there was a lot of red ink. Peter frowned slightly as he read.

Greed. Gluttony. Lust. Terror. Regicide. All highlighted, and grievously detailed.

"Do forgive me," Peter said, "but perhaps there was some sort of printing error. Let me see."

"Take your time, your Absolute Holiness," Iago chuckled, and sat down, patiently. "But there was something I was to ask you. Can you disclose the status of other souls, or is that private?"

"It is usually of utmost privacy," Peter said, temporarily rolling the scroll, "but I do believe you are holy enough to hear. Who are you concerned with?"

"Felix, King Felix of Valentia, firstly," Iago smiled. "Is he in heaven? I read Dante's description of how souls from deaths like his go to the Seventh Circle, to be turned to trees and ripped all apart by harpies," he too enthusiastically described, casting doubt on the seriousness of his initial question.

"That may be true for some, but only of the ones of spite and hate apply, or ones who came there to avoid punishment or justice," Peter very much assured. "Felix saw it as his only escape, and however right or wrong it might have been, God is the right and moral judge that decides that, and I do believe he chose justly. Felix is in Heaven, yes."

"But there is someone else. Cameron. His attendant," Iago smirked.

"You wish him to be in Paradise?" the Apostle asked, remembering the name of this weeping young collie.

"Not in the slightest. I wish he burns," Iago chuckled. "He should be crawling with the other sodomites in the eternal, fiery desert!" he now crazedly laughed.

"For a holy man, my, do you ever like your Inferno," Peter noted, then found that he could unwrap the scroll, finding much more sin than he could at first see. He had to take a closer look. "And I assume you know of the lowermost circle?"

"The one with all the traitors and treacheries? Where the high demons make home? Of ice and fire and, most of all, eternal suffering! Of course," Iago nodded, smiling wide. "He's there, isn't he! Cameron is there, with the lowest of the low! I knew it, thank you, thank you."

Peter smiled, and sighed, turning around the parchment, and showing the deep, rotten-green ink. TREACHERY. "You're wrong about Cameron, but it is good to know about a place before you go there, so that Dante of yours will come in handy, as much as it may. Say hello to those you see," he instructed. "It's been a long time since one in particular has heard from me."