CHAPTER 11

THE CHILD WAS relaxing in her chair, staring at the fire in the hearth. She had just spent the night conversing with several demons about her plans for the future — her future, and theirs, if they remained loyal to her. Now she was wondering when the apparition would return, not realizing Saira was about to appear at the precise moment she had left. Soon, Caelene would remember the past differently, and Saira would leave, not realizing she had directly altered the future one more time.

Although aware of the Child's ambitions, Saira had no interest in them. Instead, she wanted to know more about the past, and so she continued their conversation as if she had never left and listened to the demoness' thoughts closely.

Humans. Believers. Dreamers. Hypocrites, the Child thought. If only they knew what I know. My plan has been more successful than even I had imagined, but I'm jumping ahead of myself. I was telling of my involvement with humanity.She continued telling her story.

"The Twin was furious at Adam and Eve's betrayal. He had forbidden them to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and they had ignored his orders. Now they knew too much to be happy in Paradise. They would no longer be satisfied with their simple existence. The experiment had gone wrong, and he blamed himself for not monitoring the situation more closely.

"The presence of the small serpent should have raised his suspicions, but he had no reason to believe it anything more than one of the many insignificant by-products of his vast collection of creations. When he realized it was actually his own twin's child, he felt a profound sadness and perhaps a sense of failure. Already, too many lives had been lost in the Great Battle over my mother. Now Eve was displaying the same independent qualities as she, something he knew would happen eventually, just not so soon. I remember watching Adam and Eve from the Netherworld. I actually felt sorry for them as they knelt before their 'God,' fearing his wrath."

Saira listened to Caelene's narration as she searched for the thread that would give her the pathway to the answer she was seeking. Once she located the right one, she followed it to its beginning, unbeknownst to the Child, and watched as the past released its long-held secrets about the demoness' role in the evolution of mankind.

*  *  *"You have betrayed me," the Voice said with great sadness.

"Forgive us, Father," Adam replied, trembling in fear.

"Was it so wrong to want what you already have?" Eve asked, glancing upward at the dark cloud hanging over their head.

The Twin thought about her question for a few minutes. It was a fair question and deserved an answer.

"No. I knew there would come a day when you would question your existence. I had hoped it wouldn't be this soon."

"Then why are you angry?" she said.

Only his brother, Dis, had the audacity to challenge him. The habit was irritating, but on some level, he enjoyed the stimulating debates.

"I am not angry with you, my children, only saddened," he said. "I cannot allow you to remain in Paradise now that you know the things you do. You will no longer be happy here."

"Where will we go?" Adam looked up for the first time.

"I have prepared a place. Your lives will be hard, but you now have all you need to survive."

Before they could ask anything else, they found themselves standing on barren soil in a land devoid of animal or plant life as far as the eye could see. On the horizon were the dark shadows of objects unfamiliar to them. A small white bird suddenly appeared above the stunned couple. When Eve glanced up, it swooped down toward her and then flew away, only to return when they didn't follow. After a few unproductive attempts, it seemed to give up and moved toward the horizon.

"We have no choice but to follow," Eve said.

A slight nod of his head was the only indication Adam gave. Neither knew how long they had walked, but for the first time, they experienced thirst, hunger, and pain. Their feet became swollen and blistered. Had they not stumbled into a small oasis, they would have perished.

For several nights and days, they stayed by the small pool of water, waiting for their injuries to heal and discussing their situation. Unfamiliar with catching and cleaning fish, they subsisted on the fruits and berries growing on the small trees around them. Both knew, however, the limited sustenance wouldn't maintain them for long. By the fourth day, early in the evening, they left the small sanctuary. Shortly afterward, the oasis vanished, and nothing remained to show it ever existed.

*  *  *

"I needed to insure their survival if I was to succeed with my own plans," Caelene continued. "I guided them slowly to an imperfect paradise but one to which they could adapt. Over the years, they flourished and grew confident and competent in their ability to survive the hardships. In time, they bore many children. The first two were sons, Cain and Abel. Human theology says that Cain slew his brother out of hatred for having been rejected by his God... an absurdity. Even I knew the Twin loved his creations, although he refused to interfere in their lives.

"Once Adam and Eve were banished from Paradise, he gave them free will to do as they wished. In those times, he was not as patient as he is today. After several unsuccessful attempts to control and guide mankind to a specific conclusion, he realized his mistakes and decided to let humanity choose its own destiny.

"I, however, am not so inclined. I manipulated them in subtle ways to insure both their survival and their evolution.

"Cain was a farmer who took great joy in tilling the soil and growing food for his parents and siblings. Abel, on the other hand, enjoyed caring for animals, providing the meat necessary to sustain his family,” Caelene explained.

"In order to keep harmony between the two, Adam and Eve divided the land, giving half to Cain for cultivation and half to Abel for his livestock. One day, several animals wandered into Cain's field and devoured and destroyed much of what he had grown. In a fit of anger, he killed a bull and several cows. When Abel heard of his brother's actions, he confronted him, his own temper flaring.

"A battle ensued, and Cain gave Abel a mighty shove. Abel tripped over the loose soil and fell, striking his head on a stone, which instantly killed him. When Cain realized what he had done, he fell to his knees sobbing.

"Hours later, Adam and Eve found Cain bent over the still figure of his brother. When he tried to explain what happened, they didn't understand. Anger was not an emotion familiar to them. It was one I knew well. The Twin was furious at Cain but chose not to punish him.” Caelene paused for a moment, remembering the look on Adam and Eve’s faces — confusion and sadness.

"Realizing their children needed mates in order for the species to survive, Adam and Eve sent several of the oldest into the new world to see if there were others like them. Eventually, a few returned with wives or husbands chosen from a primitive race they had discovered near a huge body of water several days' journey away. No one could predict the effect their unions would have on humanity.

"For thousands of years they devolved, the dominant trait of the primitive gene proving too powerful for the Twin's creations. Tens of thousands of years passed before natural selection reversed the trend and allowed the recessive genes of Adam and Eve to regain their place in the evolution of humans."

"So you were responsible for their survival?" Saira asked. She had listened to the Child's words and seen her thoughts. Although she knew the answer, she still wanted to hear the demoness' response.

"I did as much as I could. They needed help. The Twin had given up on them, and since I was the cause of their banishment, I decided to intervene."

"Very altruistic."

The Child laughed. "I never said that, and I doubt you believe it. Of course I had motives. At the time it was also a way to get even with the Twin. If his little experiment continued successfully without his interference, he'd see that some things do just fine without him. It would be quite a blow to his ego, and so far, that's exactly what happened."

"You think he's done nothing to help the humans evolve?"

"He tinkers with them, but nothing major. Once in a while, he takes an interest and stirs things up. Eons back, he seemed more interested in them, but I think now he lets most of them do what they want. After all, he did give them free will. Perhaps he's decided to let them exercise it and hold them responsible for their own actions."

"Perhaps. And what about you?"

"Me? At the moment I'm more interested in my world. Is that one of the questions you needed answered?"

"No, but there will come a time when I'll seek that too."

"And when will that be?"

"When the tug is stronger. Now I must go. Another calls to me."

Saira disappeared, leaving a brooding Caelene alone with her thoughts. Her uninvited visitor had been an interesting distraction, but now the Child needed to move forward with her plans. She rose and left her abode to rendezvous with several lesser demons and minions of the Underworld. If her plans were to succeed, she would need their help, not that they had much choice. She knew too much about them for any to refuse her offer.