Joe sighed, and looked over at his wife of three years, and still his best friend. "It's dead, we're lucky to have gotten this far." "I can't understand why an elderly, disabled man like Uncle Joseph would live so far out in the woods, and up a mountainside in the bargain."
He hit the button for On Star." "Now we wait, I'm sorry."
Angie smiled, though rather nervously. Joe had never been reckless or foolish before but had rushed this trip the instant he'd learned that it was his uncle Joseph. She had never met the old man. Just knew that Joe had been named after him.
"Mr. Carson, this is Randall from On Star, we just got a signal from your car that you have a problem?"
"Yes, our motor just quit." "We were trying to reach the Joseph Carson farm, but have no idea where the place is. We are following a gas station attendant's information that he lives on this terrible old road."
"The map shows you within eighty feet of a driveway; it looks like there is just a turn ahead, then the driveway Sir."
"Your kidding, we are that close? Thank you, can we walk to the house, and have help sent in the morning. My Uncle Joseph was adamant I go see the place."
"Yes, sir, which is not a problem. Our people will meet you at the house in the morning." The unseen Randal answered. "Goodnight, Mr. and Mrs. Carson."
They walked to the house along the old dirt road, Joe's flashlight showing only the usual circle of dirt or foliage where ever it was pointed.
"Gate!" Angie cried out. She was not a wilting pansy, but the darkness was oppressing in this strange place.
It was just a house and a garage. The yard was weed grown, the bushes gone wild and the big oak in the yard unfriendly looking in the dark.
"Why does the mailbox say 'Smith' - if your uncle lived here?" Angie puzzled as they passed it.
Opened, it held Joe's last letter to his uncle, a Wild Bird magazine, and a letter to 'Joseph Smith' - from Kendrick Van Dyne of Toyne, West Virginia.
They went on to the house, eager to look at the letter. Perhaps it might explain the alias.
To their surprise, the door was not locked, in spite of Joe having the key his uncle had sent in his letter.
Here are the two letters:
1. Received from Joe's Uncle Joseph;
Joe, if you receive this, I have died of old age, or my stupid habit of snooping into things best left alone.
Please go to my house on TailbackMountain. It is yours. Look in the mailbox. It is important.
There may be a letter in the mailbox from my old war buddy Ken Van Dyne. If it is not signed - Kendrick Van Dyne, I beg you to burn it without reading it. He always signs his full first name in our letters. That's the only place he signs his name that way. It's a code we began long ago in the war.
God willing, there will be some letters, small trinkets and other items in a small box in the false wall in the basement. You will recognize the same piece of art I always put in front of my stashes.
They are for you. If Ken asks to meet with you, please meet him. He has saved my life on more occasions then I can name. You might be able to help me return the favor.
I beg you, please take anything you want from the house. There are no contenders. As you know, I have no children. You are my only heir. There is a key to a lock box in the Bolston City Bank. Bolston is north of where you are.
I love you. You have been more then like a son to me.
Joseph Carson
Letter 2. From Kendrick Van Dyne;
Dear Joe,
It knows I am here. I am certain of that. I will try to mail this letter in the morning. I sent off the shipment to you. Be careful, they might be keeping track of what I do.
If they get you, I pray you make it to Heaven as you certainly have earned Glory with all your years of fighting them.
If your nephew wishes to finish this job we have begun, have him meet me at Grand Central Station in New York on the 12th of March. I will be in front by the paper stand.
Please be careful.
Ken
........................................................
Joe and Angie stared at each other over the letter. He sighed, folding and putting it in his pocket with the other. "I have to do this, he has never asked anything from me before."
"I know, I am with you." She put her hand on his arm. "The cellar it is; what do we look for?
"A wooden horse in a circle of copper. He has had it forever."
They looked at the simple cabin. It had the front room they were in, a kitchen, a small cramped bathroom, a fairly large bedroom, and a door in the kitchen wall, plainly to the cellar.
I don't see anything I want here." He sighed. "Uncle Joe always lived simply. He never stayed in one place very long either, I've never known why."
"Perhaps we are about to find out." Angie looked at the cellar door. "Yes." Joe led the way down the stairs to a simple one room root cellar.
It held a library instead of root vegatables. A very strange library.
"What, I never knew Uncle Joe had any interest in the occult, or these strange old religions!" Joe didn't touch anything.
Angie moved to look at the books on the end table by the rooms only other furniture, a simple wooden table and chair. There were three of them.
"Tyrone's Alternate Worlds, Ghosts of Tailback, and the Necromicon." She read the titles. "Who is Abdul Alhazred?"
Joe shuddered. "A supposedly insane Arab occult writer, I thought him a fictional character."
"He wrote this." She had not touched it. He was glad. "It's supposed to have been written on human skin." "This just looks like paper." She answered.
He moved to the wall. "Here's the horse." He took it down, revealing a safe. "Ah, now we know what the key is for." The safe when opened, held just a box. Joe put it back and locked it on hunch. The key went back in his wallet.
Going back upstairs, Joe went and checked on the car, then returned, and locked the cabin door. They had not found any key, but it did lock and unlock with an old fashioned turn lock.
They spent the night peacefully.
The next morning, the tow truck was bright and early. Joe had them wait till he had searched the garage. There was nothing in it but an old lock box. He put it in a gunny sack from the kitchen, and took it with them. He was not sure if it had even belonged to his uncle. He wasn't sure that it did not belong to him.
They ate at a cafe in Ballston, and went to check at the bank, as Uncle Joe had asked. To Joe's surprise, he not only had the deed to the TailbackMountain farm, but $30,000 in cash, and the deeds to three other properties as well.
There was also a checking account with $300 in it, and a savings account that had nearly been emptied one week before his uncle died.
"How was he when he took the money?" He asked the clerk. "Cheerful, but he seemed tired, and maybe, unless it was my imagination; I think he was nervous." The woman replied.
"Can I have both accounts transferred to my own bank account, I live in California?" He asked.
"Certainly, what bank? She opened a drawer to pull out a bunch of paperwork. He filled them all out, and they were sent through.
Once done at the bank, they went back to the garage to check on their car. The place was in an uproar. "Oh Mr. and Mrs. Carson, I'm so glad you are all right!" The office girl gasped as they entered. "Some people tried to break into your car!"
"Fortunately, Ned was here getting his oil changed." She pointed to a police officer coming toward them.
"Might I see your ID's please." He asked the instant he got to them. They produced them. "Good, he kept shouting that that stuff was not yours."
"What, it's just some stuff from my uncle's cabin." Joe stared, bewildered.
"Yes, we need to see it." The officer looked strange. The garage workers came over. "Hey Ned, that's their car, and unless you have a crime to charge them with, no reason to bother them!" The manager exclaimed.
"Someone wanted it bad enough to try to get it in broad daylight in this full garage." The officer answered, but his eyes kept staring ahead.
Two other officers came over. "Ned, what is the matter with you, these people were not even here!?"
Ned actually attacked Joe, to his utter shock. It took 5 men to get him down, where he suddenly went limp and unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital. Everyone apologized profusely to the Carson's.
Once back in their hotel room with all the doors locked, Joe opened the box from the cellar. There were two letters, a simple ring in a strange reddish gold metal with a serpent head embossed in it, a small snake statue with wings, a golden cross, and some ordinary rings and a tie clasp. The ring had to be what was causing all the problems. It had some writing on the inside in a strange hieroglyphic language, and emeralds for eyes. The wings were redder then the body.
The cross had only the name Joseph on it, and looked well worn.
The letters were from Ken.
The lockbox from the garage just held old tools, and a strange red metal disk.
1. Dear Joe,
I received the black cat statue. It seems to be Bast, but has a pair of golden wings around it as though she is getting protection from someone bigger.
The guards at the museum both fell asleep last night. I find that strange. One maybe, but both at once? Yet nothing seems missing.
Ken
2. Dear Joe,
Mrs. Logan has the old house. She'll sell it for a song. Are you sure you want to live that far out in the sticks and halfway up a mountain?
I received a new code - cheap thread ties it. As usual, no other information. That gives us four codes -
Red water - blue houses - open air, and now cheap thread ties it. I have no idea who is leaving these notes, or what they mean.
Ken
.......................................
A month later, on March 12, they were at Grand Central Station's Newspaper Kiosk. A man came up. "Hello Joe, you look just like your uncle." He handed Joe a wallet with an FBI ID.
"Oh, Uncle Joe never mentioned the FBI." Joe was surprised.
"No, he wouldn't - I have the Bast Statue, have you Joe's Legacy?"
"Some Legacy, I think he died because of it!" Joe growled.
"I agree, do you have it?" "I don't have it with me, of course. I don't know you, you have shown me no proof that you are the Ken he wrote of, or what your purpose is!" Joe found himself instinctively NOT liking the man.
"I could just claim them as evidence you know, but I didn't even try to do that." The man who Joe was beginning to be sure was a fake Van Dyne answered pleasantly.
"Ha, you need evidence of wrongdoing, and a warrant!" Angie replied calmly. "I should warn you that I am a lawyer's daughter, Sir." "And the three large gentlemen headed over here are my brothers." You might even recognize Tim, he's a champion wrestler." She smiled sweetly. "You forgot that Joseph was a wrestling coach years ago." "He coached Tim."
Oh yeah." The man suddenly tried to run, but the trio grabbed him. Joe chuckled. "Good trick, Love, now we know he definitely is no friend of Uncle Joe's." "He hated sports."
He looked at the man now in handcuffs. "By the way, I"M in the FBI myself." "These guys are my co workers." "I may not be a field officer, but I can spot a phony ID - that's my field."
"Now, who are you, and what really killed my uncle?"
Suddenly, the man tried to reach his mouth. That was prevented, and the tiny pouch dropped into an evidence bag. "No way!" "Let's go." To the real agents. "We'll have to see what type of poison that is."
Joe and Angie let the trained agents take over. "We'll let you know what we learn." One called back over his shoulder as they got into the car.
"Thanks." Joe called back. "Now we wait to see if the real Ken will still be able to come."
They waited an hour, when an older, rather portly man came over. "Hello, you must be Joe; you look a bit like your uncle. Can you come with me, I don't dare talk here."
"Sorry, but how do you spell your name. We had an impostor. He was much too smooth, didn't know anything about Uncle Joseph that an old friend should, and even tried to poison himself." Joe smiled apologetically.
"Of course, it's Kendrick Van Dyne." He spelled it out. "Ken in person to friends, who I hope we can be, your uncle thought of you as the son he never had."
Joe held out his hand. "Hopefully, you are the right man. We'll be glad to go with you."
Ken led them over to a Ford Civic. They found an little old lady waiting in the front passenger seat. "This is my Aunt Mandy." Ken introduced her. "She has been in on it from the start. I take it for granted you didn't bring Joe's stuff with you?"
"No, it's in a bank lock box at the moment. Joe agreed. "And considering the impostor, it's lucky I decided it better kept safe."
"Yes, the cat is also locked away at the moment." Ken nodded, then turned around and began driving.
An hour later, Joe had gotten the stuff from his lock box in the bank vault, and they arrived at a large cement block fenced in estate. Ken pushed a button on the dash, the gates swung open and they drove through. Another push of the button closed the gates.
A guard checked to be sure who they were, then they drove up to a large house. Exiting the car, Joe and Angie watched in bemused silence as a woman came to drive the car away. Ken simply led them inside. "Welcome to the Van Dyne Estate. My great great grandfather built it in the mid eighteen hundreds."
The door swung open to reveal a tall imposing figure in a dark brown suit. "Welcome home Mr. Van Dyne, shall I have the cook began the meal placement?"
"Yes please, Danton, and some coffee in the library would be nice."
"Yes sir." The tall, husky butler exited the room they found themselves entering. It was just a short hallway. A closet was half open on the right side. Ken's aunt Mandy left her scarf and gloves in a drawer inside.
"I know this place is probably a surprise to you. Joe wouldn't mention it. I come from a long line of import - exporters. We make our money shipping other peoples belongings all over the world. It's what led me to the mystery you just got recruited for, and allows me to keep hunting. It's taken a fortune just to get what little I have. Have seats, and I'll try to bring you up to date."
They were now in a large, very well stocked library. Not only were the outer walls covered with completely filled bookcases, there were 6 free standing bookcases as well.
Sitting, they prepared to listen, as their box, and three others were set upon the long table. Ken sat a moment, brooding on the table and boxes. Joe simply opened theirs, and sat the ring, winged snake statue, red metal disk and cross on the table.
Ken's first box held a green jade plaque with an octopus embossed on it. The second held the Black Bast Statue with the golden wings enfolding her, and two photos. The third held a crystal skull with tentacles of pink granite enfolding it.
"The walker is Wendigo, my grandfather on mom's side warned us as kids that he walked above the world on the icy winds between the worlds. She said that those who froze when angry or bent on evil became wendigos." Angie exclaimed.
"Yes, I think the fiery face is Hastur, brother of Azathoth, the atomic blaster, supposedly blind and insane." Ken sighed.
"Uh, aren't those fictional characters from Lovecraft's writings?" Joe shook his head in bewildered desire to think it all a hoax of some type. But, his uncle had died in pursuit of this stuff, he himself had been attacked by a guy who had seemed possessed, and then the impostor who'd rather die then speak. Hardly indicative of hoax.
"I get the octopus, as Cthulu, but the Bast statue, and the skull don't fit, nor do the snake, ring or disk." Joe studied them.
Ken added 4 notes, each written on stiff, parchment like beige colored paper.
1. Red Water.
2. Blue Houses.
3. Open air.
4. Cheap thread ties it.
"I got these in the mail, one a month for the last four months." He shrugged.
Danton entered. "The wizard has arrived. He brought the seer and a stranger."
Ken looked at Joe, who'd looked up in surprise at the word wizard. "Don't be too skeptical, he is not a fake., nor is the woman with him."
The trio entered the room just then. A tall, dark, lean man dressed in a black sweat shirt and jeans led them. The tiny dark haired woman was next, and a slim blond brought up the rear. The leader halted to gaze at Joe and Angie a moment, nodded, and took a seat. "These are Sharle Dubois and Gabriel Blaze, seer and archaeologist."
The blond unwrapped a package and sat a new statue on the table. It was a black goat surrounded by about 20 dots. "Meet Shub Niggarath." "I believe he fits this family tree --- what's Bast doing here? Or Quetzalcoatl?"
"We don't know," Ken answered him.
"I got this in the mail." Sharle Dubois sat a note below the cheap thread note.
This one said. Hali waits past the gate.
"Now if someone could name the gate." Aaron cocked an eyebrow at her. She looked at the pictures and notes. "That's obvious, the Andes Hell Gate."
Ken sat a moment, brooding on the table and boxes. Joe simply opened theirs and sat the ring, winged snake statue, red metal disk and cross on the table.
Ken's first box held a green jade plaque with an octopus embossed on it. The second held the Black Bast Statue with the golden wings enfolding her, and two photos. The third held a crystal skull with tentacles of pink granite enfolding it.
"The walker is Wendigo, my grandfather on mom's side warned us as kids that he walked above the world on the icy winds between the worlds. She said that those who froze when angry or bent on evil became wendigos." Angie exclaimed.
"Yes, I think the fiery face is Hastur, brother of Azathoth, the atomic blaster, supposedly blind and insane." Ken sighed.
"Uh, aren't those fictional characters from Lovecraft's writings?" Joe shook his head in bewildered desire to think it all a hoax of some type. But, his uncle had died in pursuit of this stuff, he himself had been attacked by a guy who had seemed possessed, and then the impostor who'd rather die than speak. Hardly indicative of a hoax.
"I get the octopus, as Cthulu, but the Bast statue and the skull don't fit, nor do the snake, ring or disk." Joe studied them.
Ken added 4 notes, each written on stiff, parchment-like beige colored paper.
1. Red Water.
2. Blue Houses.
3. Open air.
4. Cheap thread ties it.
"I got these in the mail, one a month for the last four months." He shrugged.
Danton entered. "The wizard has arrived. He brought the seer and a stranger."
Ken looked at Joe, who'd looked up in surprise at the word wizard. "Don't be too skeptical, he is not a fake., nor is the woman with him."
The trio entered the room just then. A tall, dark, lean man dressed in a black sweatshirt and jeans led them. The tiny dark-haired woman was next, and a slim blond brought up the rear. The leader halted to gaze at Joe and Angie a moment, nodded, and took a seat. "These are Sharle Dubois ad Gabriel Blaze, seer, and archaeologist."
The blond unwrapped a package and sat a new statue on the table. It was a black goat surrounded by about 20 dots. "Meet Shub Niggarath." "I believe he fits this family tree --- what's Bast doing here? Or Quetzalcoatl?"
"We don't know," Ken answered him.
"I got this in the mail." Sharle Dubois sat a note below the cheap thread note.
this one said. Hali waits past the gate.
"Now if someone could name the gate." Aaron cocked an eyebrow at her. She looked at the pictures and notes. "That's obvious, the Andes Hell Gate."
"Hellgate?" Angie almost squeaked in her shock.
Sharle nodded. "Afraid so, but I kind of wander at will there." "My father is one of the lower echelons, I kind of have immunity." She gazed at the table's contents." He'll be interested in this stuff Aaron."
"True." The man that Ken had introduced as a wizard answered. "Where in the Andes?
" Ken asked. "A cave above Lima, we'll need to fly, then hire a helicopter when we get to the cave, and go through a Star Terminal to do a well drop to the Gates."
Sharle shrugged. "Luce isn't known .n for making it easy for the living to get there."
"Supper is ready, I took the liberty of assuming our guests would eat with us" Danton spoke quietly from the doorway.
"Thanks, Danton, they will be staying the night as well. Would you collect Joe and Angie's car from the Grand Central Station parking lot, please? Of course sir." The butler turned to Joe who haded him his keys. "Slot 212."
They followed Ken to the dining room.
Supper was quiet. There were a light leek and potato soup, a green salad with ranch dressing, wild rice stuffed in a chicken breast with spinach, peaches covered with coconut and shaved almonds, and a British style raspberry trifle.
Then Joe and Angie were shown to a large bedroom with a huge bed, where they sat to discuss the day's astounding events.
"We sure aren't in California life anymore." Angie laughed nervously.
"No, we sure aren't." Joe shook his head. "The Lovecraft Mythos stuff, Egyptian cat goddess, and Wendigo from the northern forest?" "Just plain weird."
Angie took off her shoes. "And we start with a trip to Hell? Unbelievable."
He shrugged, having no more to say, they were soon asleep. It had been a very long, full day.
Morning.
They rose, bathed, and did their morning routine, albeit with borrowed toothbrushes and toothpaste, then headed downstairs.
Gabe waited at the bottom. "Good morning, we're eating breakfast outside. It's such a nice day; Ken wanted to see some of it before we headed into the Chaos beyond Hell Gate.
The slim blond shook his head. We will be flying to Peru first, I hope." Then led the way down a hall, through a different lounge then they'd been in the night before, and out a door.
The rest were settling around a table, so the Carson's followed Gabe in to join them.
Once all were settled. Sharle looked over at them and smiled. "Good morning, I should warn you that Aaron and Gabe will change quite a bit once we enter the Hell Gate. Neither are Earth normal humans. Aaron is from a world called Glamouria, and I'll let Gabe surprise you."
Breakfast was Danish pastries, fruit, choice of juice or milk, and coffee.
"Danton will be flying us down in our corporate jet." Ken led the way out to a large SUV. The trip to the airport was silent. Everyone was wrapped up in their own thoughts.
Once there, they went through a short inspection of themselves and the plane, then took off, headed south. Next stop, Lima, Peru.
Angie surprised herself by falling asleep on the flight. She woke as they were landing at the Lima international airport. A helicopter was revving up nearby. No one spoke as they were led to board it. After all were aboard and strapped in, they lifted and headed east into the Andes mountains.
It took four hours before Sharle pointed to a pass. "Follow that to the cave.'
"Yes Miss." Danton quickly the chopper downward to follow what looked like an old goat path if anything. It did lead to a cave. He let them off, then flew back the way they'd come.
Sharle led them into the cave, then went back and placed the palm of her hand on a spiral etched into the rock. It slid aside revealing a room. "Once this was full of Ankloi junk. I had my computer, Computron sent it elsewhere. Mankind is not ready for Ankloi toys." She sighed and looked at Gabe. "Shall we?"
He nodded, and she led the way to a side wall. Another palm toa spiral etching and sliding stone door revealed a tunnel. the door slid shut behind them, and Sharle led the way down the tunnel, and around the corner to face a swirling whirlpool of shimmering blue and green. "This is a Whirlpool Gate. It will take us to the Star Terminal. Don't be too shocked at Gabe when we exit this drop." She simply walked into the whirling colors.
Seconds later, Joe and Angie found themselves in a large lounge whose walls were lined with doors. Both automatically looked at Gabe and Aaron and halted to stare in shock.
Aaron was now taller, and even leaner, with long, flowing red-brown hair. His dark blue eyes were now intensely penetrating. He wore an orange jumpsuit and held a tall staff capped by a sullenly glowing red stone that flickered.
Gabriel now glowed with golden light, with a pair of wings to match. His blue eyes were filled with laughter. "I was introduced to you as Gabrial." A teasing note.
"Lunchtime, then the Hell Well." Ken led the way across the lounge to a restaurant. The Carson's could only follow, still reeling from the knowledge they were with angels.
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The restaurant was quite large. They chose a window table that gazed out over a multiple road complex. The waitress took their orders.
Angie just had soup. Joe just had a hamburger.
Once fed, they paid and followed Aaron over to a large kiosk. "We need the Hell Well." He told the woman running it.
"Yes, Lord Wintersette, Compus says you want door eight in ten minutes." She answered. Thanks. He led the way across the room to a door marked eight.
"When the door opens, we'll enter to face a platform. When we step onto it, Compus, who is the computer running all the star terminals, will tell us to step forward off the platform. It's quite safe. We will seem to fall, the landing is very gentle and smooth. Of course, none of us will like the place." Aaron's shrug said it all.
Sharle sighed. "I roam fairly freely through Hell. Even have some friends there. But it is still Hell, and was never meant to be a pleasant place. We might as well try to learn what we can while here, so Aaron will lead us under my Father's Mark of Authority."
She held out her left hand. It bore a pentagram tattoo now. "This only shows up when needed."
Ten minutes later, they entered the door and walked onto a platform. A low, pleasant voice spoke. "Welcome back to Star Terminal, Dubois Party. Your father says for the 'brat of his old age' not to cause trouble on her way through, and that Asmo insists on joining you."
"Thanks, Compus, thought Pop didn't want trouble? Asmo loves to cause it." Sharle laughed.
I agree." The voice chuckled. "Please step forward, and good luck."
They obeyed, Angie, trying to look nonchalant and failing miserably. Joe held her hand as they stepped off to fall like lead weights.
They landed in a small room as softly as feathers. Aaron smiled at them reassuringly. It turned his rather taciturn face into a totally different persona. Warm and caring. Then he turned to lead them out the door.
A slender reddish blond waited outside. He looked like a younger and more volatile version of Gabe except for the red in his hair and the sullen expression. "Why do you need to be in on this?" He demanded of Sharle.
"One, none of your business, you invited yourself - 2 - any more of this noise, and your out of the party, got it Cat?!"
He snarled instead of answering, looking at Ken Van Dyne. "If anything happens, you answer to me!"
Aaron thumped the staff on the ground, and he vanished. "Behave!" Just the one word. The staff's great Ruby blazed to life.
Sharle pointed down the stairs. "Sorry, Asmodeus can be a damn nuisance."
Aaron shrugged. "He'll behave, or I'll demand his absence of your darlin father." A slight brogue accompanied the 'darlin".
"Won't be the first time, will it, Asmo?" The ruby pulsed once as they headed down the stairs. It took an hour to reach the bottom.
They paused, gazing out at an enormous cavern. There were endless looking lines headed to where an old style barge bobbed on the river. To their left, they could see the great gates. It really did have the logo above it. 'Abandon Hope, All Who Pass Through.'
"Ignore that stupid sign, The Lord forgets no one," Gabe told them quietly. "Humans believe that nonsense, so it appeared there."
Aaron simply angled toward the river, ignoring the lines. When they arrived, Chiron halted the ones about to get in the boat, eliciting a bunch of complaints. "Why do they go first, I have my pennies? They're cutting in!"
The tall, hooded figure halted to stare at the complainers. "So what, one's an angel, and another is the daughter of the LowMost One!"
Joe and Angie stared at Sharle as that LowMost bit sank in; Lucifer's own daughter! Yet Gabriel seemed to trust her. Aaron simply lifted her into the boat. The souls there looked at her in awe, yet showed neither distrust nor fear.
Once all were aboard, Chiron let six more people aboard, then poled them to the other side.
"We don't use the big gate." Aaron led the way to a small door over to the side of the great gates.
Once through, they faced a small anteroom. The official in it took one look and backed up to the wall. "Lord Baal, Lady Sharle, Lord Asmodeus; welcome home."
Aaron ignored him as though he were not there and led the way through a small door. "Obsequious toad."
Sharle grunted as they exited the room. "He was so thrilled when I was originally sent to Earth!"
Gabe just rested a hand on her arm and she calmed. "Sorry, Sprathe just upsets me." He's so oily you could lube a car with him."
"He looks like a toad," Angie observed.
"Yes, it's not wise to anger Jove by insulting his granddaughter." The voice of Asmodeus spoke from the ruby on Aaron's staff.
They now faced a swamp. A murky fog swirled through sharp looking rocks and stunted bushes. Aaron led the way to the right, walking around what at first looked like small round boulders every now and then. The Carson's soon realized that they were human heads.
He halted before one. "Darias Cominus, rise and be questioned." A man rose from the mud to hover before them. "I hear."
"Explain these." A wave of his hand drew a hologram of what had been on Ken's table the day before. The spirit wavered. "Be steady and speak!" Aaron ordered.
"I know not the meaning of the notes, but Cthulu has vanished from the PurpleOcean, the serpents are with you, Lady Bast left Hell long ago. That is all I know."
"Rest." Aaron waved his hand, and the spirit sank back into the mud.
Sharle smiled faintly. "Only Cthulu running off is new."
"Agreed." Aaron led them farther to the right. "They made up their minds to follow Jesus's teachings, then fell into just talking about it."
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Once again through the gate, they flew over Nifelheim and across the desert to a portal. "It might be a good idea to see what Asmo's prisoners can add." Aaron mused as the disk landed.
"Hellverse 5 it is if Asmo is willing." Sharle looked at the ruby on top of the Flame Staff in Aaron's hand.
"Fine with me, some are telepaths, and Cthulu does have friends here," Asmo replied from the jewel.
They walked into a lounge. Portals circled it. They could see into the pocket universes it connected. A great flaming lion stood in the portal opposite theirs. Aaron led the way over there.
Once they were at the entrance, the lion simply turned to lead them toward the great flaming red lake. "Logos and I are one. It is my true body." He stopped facing it." If anyone knows of Cthulu or the things portrayed in Aaron's hologram, come to speak of it."
Five people came to the surface to swim over to them. Two human women, a huge ape-like creature, a man, and a reptilian creature.
"Cthulu was attacked by shadow demons. He tried for Court of Chaos, but could not pass the desert, thus headed down to Lucifer. He is at Hell Court now." The reptilian told them.
"I heard a thought from somewhere, that Schmall, the Lord of the Desert Wind wished to steal something from Cthulu." The woman added.
"The Red Disk. He claims it to be his." The ape-man spoke.
"Shub Niggarath is making a power play; he thinks the ring will help. It once belonged to Lucifer. Shub thinks it will give him an advantage." The smaller woman sank after speaking.
The human male laughed. "He has allied himself with the Wendigo, and that's never wise either."
"Shub allied himself with Wendigo?" Aaron snorted. "Unwise indeed, that one always turns on his partners. He trusts no one, being so untrustworthy himself, he thinks everyone is treacherous."
The speakers sank back into the fire. Aaron turned to Asmodeus. "Thank you that was the best we've gotten, and for once, can be trusted."
"Why?" Angie could not help asking almost automatically.
"The Logos prisoners cannot lie to him," Sharle replied.
Asmo led the way over to the glutton area, then let out a roar. An enormous crowd gathered at the windows.
"If any know of Cthulu and his problems, speak!" He ordered.
"He has Bast with him, they wait for you" One called. That was all.
"Well????" Ken spoke for all. "That is unexpected."
Asmo led them over to the miser - spender war of build by misers, tear down by spenders and roared again.
All halted and turned to face them. When he asked if any knew anything, no one answered.
"That's all then." He turned to Aaron.
"Thank you for the help." Aaron bowed formally and then turned to lead out the portal.
They had no sooner stepped out of the great doorway, and then a group of demons rushed them, a great Shadowy Demonic form in the lead. It tried to wrest the box away from Ken, who clung with unexpected strength, as Asmodeus's great Lion form leaped on it, and enveloped it in flames.
Several huge lizards like monsters went after Sharle, who blasted them with lightning!
A ghost trailing her shroud came for Joe and Angie, but met Aaron's leaping form instead. His great staff's ruby spat flames that incinerated them.
"Halt and speak why you do this!" Sharle commanded. An amoeboid tried to engulf her but was electrocuted instead by a lightning strike.
"Our master wants the box." The Shadow Demon growled, straining toward Ken. It had been stopped by her command.
"Huh, Shub, 10 to 1." She snorted. "He knows I'm here, the idiot. Go tell Lucifer how dumb it's getting around here."
The demon party vanished.
"Not exactly news to us." Gabe, who'd just watched the fight, commented.
"No, thanks to Asmo's prisoners, it wasn't. Now we need the down stairs." He led the way to a small door by the snack bar. "Believe me, you don't want to eat here.'
"Ahasha serves good food!" A troll woman retorted. "No she does not." Aaron led the way through the doorway.
They faced a very long flight of stairs.
Aaron murmured a spell, and all were floating.
They floated down at least forty 0r fifty flights of stairs to a small door that opened on an ice field. Another spell and the blast of cold air vanished.
"Thanks, that was lots more then cold!" Angie was still shivering uncontrollably.
"Sorry, pop doesn't feel it any more." Sharle sighed, turning to gaze over the contorted giant figures on the plains.
There was no huge hairy goat legged figure frozen in the ice. Just the enormous forms of the frozen titans. Most seemed to be asleep.
Instead, they floated higher over to where a large office like area filled the center of the plain.
Minos was obvious, thanks to that unbelievable tail. A Roman soldier was glued by the ice to a computer monitor. His butt to his chair, and wrists to the wrist roll in front of the computer.
A tall, dark haired man filled the center seat. When he turned to face them, they learned where Sharle's incredibly blue eyes had come from.
Lucifer could have walked down any city street, and only his height would have been noticed. He was as tall as his daughter was short.
"Did Cthulu make t down here?" Gabe asked softly.
Lucifer nodded. "Yes. He waits in my living quarters. I gave him a large pool, and warmed the place for him. He'd love to know what Shub Niggarath wants from him. Bast is also there. She has not said why.
"Why does her statue have golden wings covering it?" Angie dared to ask. The tall man DID exude power beyond any she'd ever met before.
"She has the protection of the Archangels. Even mine." Lucifer smiled at her. "Relax, Angeline, you've done nothing to gain my attention."
He looked at the soldier. "Keep track of that stupid goat, and make no errors of your own Tacticus. Minos can call me, you know."
He led the way to an ordinary looking wooden door. It was starting to crack from the cold. "Need to replace it soon, or you'll be griping it's cold again, brat of my old age." He gave Sharle a hug as they entered a large vestibule.
"It is cold." She answered, hugging him back. "We could use a meal, Ahura's food was as yuck looking as ever."
"We can eat by the pool, Gabe's lucky, Cu is calm today. Yesterday, he was very upset, though I can't blame him. The goat's gang hounded them constantly, and he was pretty dried out."
A halt in a small kitchen nook and flashing long fingers to a computer keyboard, then he led them through a door, and into a large room with a pool at one end, and a living room ensemble at the other.
They could have been in any well appointed house on Earth, had it not been for the view.
A golden octopus was submerged to huge blue eyes in the pool. A woman, two frog like people, who could have been either gender, and a plump black cat sat on the couches at the other.
Lucifer made a slight gesture, and the furniture somehow was closer to the pool.
Joe and Angie sat between Sharle and Ken. The strange woman was at the other end of their couch. The two Deep Ones were closer to the pool.
Aaron stood by Ken's end of the couch looking thoughtful. A holder appeared, and he stuck the end of The Flame Staff in it.
The ordinary looking black cat came down to sit on Sharle's lap. "Shub Niggarath has a large group of mixed non conformers with him." She had a surprisingly deep, velvety voice.
Aaron looked at her. "Did you recognize any of them?"
"Oh yes, Azazel, Put Satanacha, Morgth the Zombie, Rupee, Cthugha, Ormuz, Hastur, and Greegth, son of Garmyilch.The cat replied.
"What, Lucifuge wasn't with them?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "No." The cat licked her paw.
Cthulu's bubbly, octopi form drifted to the edge of the pool. "Strangely enough, non of my trouble makers were either. What does Shub want anyway?""
"This." Ken held up the jade plaque.
"Huh, that's crazy, it's similar to a pager, I don't even have to answer it's ping." Cthulu seemed to ripple a shrug, snorting tiny bubbles.
"He seems to think that you have to obey the holder." Lucifer sat on the arm of the couch by Sharle.
"Ha, he can try.' Cthulu submerged, then rose.
Ken said. "One way to find out - by this plaque, I command you to swim the length of the pool and back."
Cthulu laughed. "No thanks." Bubbles frothed around him.
"So much for that, he doesn't even obey me." Gabe laughed.
"What type of power play would he be making?" Ken asked suddenly, putting the plaque away.
"Is that what this is about? I control the center of the TartarusOcean area, am allied with Garth of the PoisonGardens to one side and the Hag of the Rocks on the other." Cthulu somehow managed to look thoughtful.
"Ah, yes, the Hag controls a Whirlpool Gate to the Limbo area." Gabe nodded.
"That does make sense, Shub has always felt that if he could escape my control, he could play around on the surface, and find a way to overthrow me." Lucifer agreed. "If you would join them, Lady Bast, it would bring much more strength to the group, and I will send a couple of my spy imps with you."
The cat dropped to the floor, then swelled up into a huge, sleek black panther. "Yes." "Some of MY trouble makers just joined them."
Sharle laughed. "Their mistake I think."
"Yes." Bast agreed amiably, her brilliant green eyes amused.
"Cthugha will just whine and leave in any confrontation." Aaron sounded amused.
"I'll growl at him, and he'll run." Asmo grated from the great staff's ruby.
"Hastur is a lot more powerful, but will obey Gabe. Why recruit those two?" Ken shook his head absently.
"No idea. Perhaps he does not think we know he's playing around, he's not really all that smart without Garmyilch." Lucifer mused.
"Might be why he has Greegth with him." Sharle stood up to stretch.
"True, but Garmyilch is always angry at him and Greenth." Aaron shrugged.
"Yes, your food is coming; I suggest you sleep here before leaving. The Court of Chaos is probably where they will head next." Lucifer sighed. "I will watch through the imps, there is no reason for you to return here." He strode out the door.
They were led to a table over to the side, where servants brought them roast venison, with jacket potatoes, a mixed vegetable platter, rolls with butter and coffee.
They relaxed at the table for a while after the meal, letting Gabe go over to spend time with Cthulu, then let the servants lead them to bedrooms down a side hall.
Morning? Brought a meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast with more coffee. During the meal, two small, monkey like red imps came to join them.
When they left the dining room like nook, the imps led them down a short hall to a small room with a whirlpool gate swirling dark blues.
As they entered, Aaron warned. "When we exit, do not fight the wind. It takes us straight to the Court of Chaos."
"With a fight at the other end as our reward." Bast added dryly.
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Once again they walked into the whirlpool gate, and this time were literally blown out and forward.
Joe and Angie resisted the urge to fight the wind. Ken reached out and grasped Angie's hand. She could see that Sharle had Joes.
Ahead and to the sides people, souls - or spirits were blown along in the same direction they were.
After a while, they could see a large swirl of indistinct, but bright colors ahead.
The wind seemed to be aiming them toward it.
"That's the Court. We may land hard." Aaron warned. They could barely hear him over the now howling wind.
Only moments later, they were slammed onto a crushed white rock path. Aaron counted heads. "All here, now for the courtyard. Thats where they'll most likely be."
He turned to lead the way.
It didn't take long to get to the large, pale green plant strewn courtyard, and yes, it was full.
Shub Niggarath plainly expected them. The huge black goat stood waiting, surrounded by demons. Some glowed redly. One seemed to have a misty black oily smoke crawling all over him.
"Hastur, you do not belong here; leave!" Gabe ordered quietly. He did not even raise his voice. The larger red flame form vanished instantly.
Asmo roared. "And you can leave, or stay and be tossed back into Logos, Cthugha. It sure does not matter which to me."
The smaller red flame form snarled, then vanished.
"Why are you here, Acristus?" Aaron sounded curious. "Shub is nothing to you."
"Felt like it might be fun, haven't crossed swords with your usual partner in some time, but since Shub did his favorite thing, lying-----" He swiped a huge suddenly clawed hand out, slashing the goat, and then vanished.
"Boy, great allies you have." Sharle laughed out loud.
The goat shook himself, blood spurting from the rip in his shoulder, then the whole mob surged forward.
Angie and Joe were held in the center of the ring of fighters. Ken seemed able to fight, using a large quarterstaff to knock his attackers around.
It wasn't a long battle. Several of the demons just vanished whenever Aaron or Sharle's weapons touched him. The Flame Staff's gouts of flame seemed to cause the most damage.
Sharle had a silvery epee type sword. Whatever she jabbed, got covered in ice and vanished.
It ended with the goat wrapped in a silvery net.
"Bring us back Lucifer." Gabe leaned on his long slender tube that had shot golden flame at his foes.
"Usual partner?" Ken asked Aaron.
"Probably told the fool A'Clusk would be here. He loves fighting him, though he always loses.' A shrug. "What is behind it, I have no idea."
"Who is A'Clusk?" Joe wondered.
"Um, he's called Satan in this time and place, but will be redeemed far in the future, and fight for The Light ----------- but, that's a very long time from the here and now." Sharle sighed.
Suddenly, their surroundings flickered, and they were back before the great office board, Lucifer waiting calmly.
"We brought you a gift." Aaron tossed the black goat at him.
"Not a very useful one, what did you think you were going to achieve, Shub?" Lucifer asked the goat. His tone held amusement.
"To get rid of you, of course!" The goat tried to get him with a side swiping horn.
Lucifer snorted, slapping him flat. "You are a fool. A child could have figured out those silly clues, and dumped the red herrings. Bast would not of done anything for you. Go back where you belong."
The huge black goat vanished. Not even a puff of smoke.
"Can anyone read the writing in the ring?" Joe wondered.
"Yes. It just says that Asmo loves Sharle. One of the red herrings." Lucifer answered.
"I'd say the plasmoid statues of Gabe and Asmo were his attempts to get Asmo to fight Gabe again."
"I have no reason for that anymore, and now know that I never did." Asmo added.
Lucifer turned to Ken, Joe and Angie. "You have been most helpful in bringing us your share of the clues. Yours seem to have been more useful then some of the others Ken. Thank you."
Aaron smiled. "I will take you back to Ken's house. There will be a reward. I think your captive has talked. We shall go learn what he had to offer."
Another of that stomach turning flicker, and they stood in Ken's dining room. "I'm hungry, where's the food." Aaron demanded.
Ken just gave him a look, then went out the door as the rest found seats.
Angie and Joe were glad to sit and rest.
Ken returned two servants at his heels. They went to a side cupboard and began setting up the table.
The clock over the sideboard said it was 1:00, so they ate a lunch of clam chowder, salad and fruit.
"We will rest for today, then Joe can contact his agency, and learn if fake Joseph spoke." Ken sighed.
Angie woke to hear water splashing in their bathroom. She sat up to look around. Sure better surroundings then Lucifer's rather spare almost barracks like bedroom.
Joe came out of the bathroom, mostly dressed, but needing his shirt and shoes. "Your turn today should be interesting, but at least, not in Hell."
"YES!" She agreed fervently. "Hope that phony Joe type can tell us what happened to your uncle."
Yeah, that is what I want to know the most." Joe sighed.
Angie took her turn in the bathroom, and then they went to the dining room.
Sharle, Aaron and Ken were there.
"Gabe will drag in eventually; he's not a morning person." Sharle sat by Aaron.
"Do I wait for him before I call the Bureau?" Joe asked Ken.
No, we can tell him." Ken put down the pen he was writing in a notebook with. "Just notes on my latest trip to Hell. It seems different each time.'
"Different?" Angie asked.
"Yes, last time, we were taken to Tartarus, barren plains around a wild sea. Lucifuge's part was Lavender - literally, all lavender."
Joe called in, reported what they'd been through, and listened for about 10 minutes. Then thanked the person on the other end and hung up.
"He was sent by someone called Put Satanacha. Seems Shub Niggarath was just a front for his takeover bid. The guy died, and melted like wax after speaking."
"Put Satanacha is the Sabbath Goat, a real power in Hell, unlike the Black Goat." Sharle folded her hands. "I'll have to have Gabe tell Pop. Our Golden One is a telepath."
"Tell Lucifer what? The slender blond asked.
The servants began setting the table.
"That Put Satanacha was the real power - whom we did not see among the attackers." Aaron answered.
"Ah - yes, he's told, has the whole mob now in the Trazz Run Prison Disk. Should cool them off." He turned to Joe and Angie. "Trazz is an ice world that Emmanuelle, our Multiverse uses as a Prison Planet.'
"Luce also found your Uncle Joe. His spirit was being kept in a time space stasis bottle. He knew nothing of what was going on after he was shot. He said to tell you it was swift, and he will now watch over you from the other side. He rests in The Light, in peace and love now."
"We all owe him a large vote of gratitude for the early warning he sent us through Ken." Aaron added to Gabe's report.
Thus ended the case of Uncle Joe's Strange Legacy.