Reforming Hell. Marilyn "Mattie" Brahen

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СКАЧАТЬ in other languages, depending on context. Ohah means normal size, average, medium.”

      Leianna shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t remember my Eliomese.”

      He squeezed her hand. “It may come back to you eventually. For now, it doesn’t matter. For now, I will say that the exiled folk wandered on and found that the terrain rose steadily upward into an immense circular plateau with another steadily rising set of hills leading to a vast mountain range at its center. That second rise led to a new, vast circular plateau with an extensive range of connecting mountains at its center that led upward to another seemingly endless circular plateau. These vast plateaus have centered mountain ranges rising ever upward, totaling seven in all, which took us over a millennium to explore and civilize. They are known in lore as the Seven Circles of Hell. Domain, of which Tandour, as you now know, is the capitol, is the ruling country of the Netherworld and is part of the first level of Hell.”

      “We don’t call them circles,” Ashtoreth said, speaking softly, almost to himself, “although Dante found that description worked for him, and many mortals have decided that his description, which has nine circles and sinks downward into pits instead of rising upward, is the only one.”

      “And that Lucifer,” Lucifer said, “stands in a frozen lake in the ninth circle, ruling Hell from there, while he lunches on traitors.”

      “I think you’re interpreting Dante’s Inferno a bit loosely, Father.”

      Leianna shook her head. “I’ve never read Dante; perhaps I should.”

      Lucifer shrugged expansively, his expression comical and dismissive.

      “From your description, Bael, it sounds like six of those circles each sit atop another like the rings of a tree, except three-dimensionally, each ring developing a new center hub or base upon which to build the next ring of land. And the bottom or seventh circle serves as the foundation for all the upper circles. Or maybe a tree isn’t such a good example. It sort of also sounds like a world shaped like a Chinese pagoda with seven stories from bottom to top.”

      “We call them levels,” Bael corrected her. “The first level of Hell, the fifth level of Hell, etc. We don’t call them circles, rings or stories.” He rubbed his chin, amazed that she had pictured his world as well as she did. “But your description hits somewhat close to the mark. A better way to envision Hell is to imagine each level as a vast, round terrace rising to a new and slightly less vast terrace and that leads to another until you reach this first level, and, yes, the seventh level is the foundation of Hell.”

      “Just how vast are these circles—I mean, levels?”

      “The first level, which is topmost and the smallest, contains five principalities or countries. There is a lake between three of them, called Lei Lello or Star Lake, for it reflects the only natural light in Hell. Bordering it is Keth, Allonia and Domain. The edge of Gollame marks the eastern border of the first level, neighbored by Keth and Allonia, and Absaliom borders the western border of the first level and Domain is its inland neighbor.”

      “I must admit that your description of the levels as “terraces” sounded incongruously pretty.”

      Bael snorted, sipped his wine and stared at the half-full glass. “Most of it is not, I assure you.”

      “I’m sure it’s not. Tell me more of these seven levels. I’m assuming that some of the levels are livable, as this first one seems to be, but that others, as you imply, aren’t pleasant.”

      Bael gave her a slightly condescending grin and raised his brows. “Very well, I’ll attempt a quick nutshell description for now. Below this level is the second. The expansive waters of Lei Lello, through connecting rivers, flow downward to it, so intensely from Keth and Domain, that they create the second level’s Great Lakes. We were so amazed when we discovered truly fertile land and sources of water from the third level up, that we named these lakes reverently: Lake Hope, Endurance Lake, Hidden Lake, and Lake Blessing. The second level also holds forests, farms and livestock ranches that now feed Hell.

      “The lakes are bordered by a mountain range that climbs down­ward and covers nearly a quarter of the third level. We call that territory the Cahnohiom, the Great Hill Land, and Hell mines precious metals and jewels from it. The mountains are flanked on one side by Ajan Helvert or the Dark Green Wood and on the other side by Ajan Morvert or the Gray Green Wood. On the far side is a territory called Talith which means wonder in Eliomese. We named it after discovering it held a wealth of wild but edible vegetation and fruit, growing with barely any daylight, hence, our wonder.

      “Below that, on the fourth level you’d be quite uncomfortable. The horrific aspects of Hell begin here: the dwellings of the damned, the demons and Hellspawn creatures; Sin City, where demons and fallen mortals who are serving us are permitted to entertain themselves; and our military barracks and prisons for souls incarcerated behind sturdy, psychic bars.

      “After that it steadily gets worse. The fifth level is a punishment plane with burning deserts, suffocating quicksand, immense barren stretches of land with volcanoes, and vast facilities filled with torments and horrors to terrorize fallen sinners in need of intensive correction. The sixth level of Hell is where my father and our people landed when the Creator flung us here, a primordial world with more volcanoes, swamps, salt marshes and sparse vegetation that was barely edible. Had we been mortal, we would have starved in that world, but our angelic bodies allowed us to survive.

      “And lastly, we descend to the final, seventh level, the foundation of Hell, a world of frozen waste with ice glaciers and steppes and tundra, and also a curiously cold, nearly endless stretch of beach that we call the Barren Sands. Surrounding the seventh level is an ocean the likes of which you have never experienced, not made of water, but of mist. When we finally explored all of Hell, those who ventured into the Sea of Mist soon became lost and were never seen again. We could hear them calling to us, but those who went in after them were also swallowed by the mist. At one point, only a century or so ago, we had an expedition venture into this sea with ropes tied around their bodies and one end of those ropes held firmly by others on the shore. We were able to bring those explorers back from the Sea of Mist this way, but they never found any of those who had previously been lost. Those who entered the mist had been horrified by it. They said it felt as if it were a plane of nonexistence, and once within it, as if they, too, didn’t exist. We sometimes sent the irretrievably damned into the Sea of Mist. There’s very little maintenance; it’s an excellent garbage disposal for souls too evil for even Hell to bear, sucked away and never again seen on our unsacred shores.”

      “That’s horrible, Bael!”

      “This is Hell, Leianna.”

      “Yes, Bael, it is, but we’re supposed to be working for a possible alliance, through which reforms and improvements can be made in Hell.”

      Across the table, Azmodeus spat out his wine in a rude spray, laughing hysterically. Red splatters dotted the white table cloth. “Excuse me?! Did you say you want to improve Hell?! For whose benefit and by what authority have you embarked upon your lofty enterprise? Bael! Ashtoreth! Are you planning to mutiny against dear old Dad?”

      Ashtoreth’s fingers tapped against the stem of his wine glass. “No, Az. We’re simply here to discuss a possible reconciliation, pending Father’s approval, to mutually benefit both Heaven and Hell.”

      “What could we possibly offer Heaven?”

      Leianna cut in. “The redemption of lost souls.”

      Az studied her incredulously, no longer СКАЧАТЬ