The Devil's Apprentice by Kenneth B. Andersen

Author:Kenneth B. Andersen [Andersen, Kenneth B.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy
Publisher: Høst & Søn
Published: 2018-10-07T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 26

“… deliver us from evil…”

A little disappointed, Philip dropped the ball and followed Lucifer through the gap. Behind him the ball was still hanging in mid-air, as if suspended on an invisible string.

He sat in the electric chair. His entire body was exhausted from the hard running, and yet he’d never felt so energized.

Lucifer sat opposite him, his dark eyes radiating such power that it almost hurt to look into them.

“Tell me, Philip,” he said, folding his hands under his chin. “Wasn’t it amazing? Wasn’t it amazing putting them in their place? Didn’t it feel great to be applauded? Hearing your own name being called out first? They were crazy about you, Philip. You were their hero!”

It was hard not to burst into a heartfelt laughter, shouting that, yeah, it’d felt great! It’d felt unbelievably wonderful! But Philip contained himself and said nothing. Something told him that was the smartest thing to do.

“Did you hear them, Philip?” the Devil went on, and, just like before Philip had gone through the curtain, it seemed as though his black eyes grew larger. “Philip, Philip, Philip! Wasn’t that what they were shouting?”

Yes, it was. His name. They had cheered him. And said that it was their turn to be on his side.

“They all wanted to be on your team, Philip,” Lucifer said in a silky-smooth voice, though his lips hadn’t seemed to move. “They all wanted to be your friend. Just imagine so many new friends. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

He nodded silently, lovely, yes.

“We can make it happen, Philip. Right here and now.” Satan’s voice was a whisper in his ear. He could almost feel the snake-tongue tickling him. “All you have to do is say yes.”

Just say yes. The words seemed to cast an echo in his head. Say yes… yes… yes.

“I can hear it in your thoughts, Philip,” whispered Lucifer. “But you need to say it out loud. Out loud, and I can make it happen. I can give you the friends you’ve always wanted. What do you say, Philip?”

The swelling pride, the joy in his heart, the heat from the admiring glances, the touch of hands patting him on the shoulder. It was going away. He could feel it sliding through his fingers like sand. Soon it would only be a memory, just snatches of a dream. But one single word could bring it all back.

“What do you say, Philip?”

And the echo continued in Philip’s thoughts, became voices shouting in unison: Philip! Philip! Philip!

“What do you say?”

Philip opened his mouth. Opened his mouth to say yes, yes, make it happen! Give it back to me! Give it all back to me!

Lucifer’s dark gaze quivered in anticipation. “Yes?”

But then—somewhere behind the cheering throng of whispered voices—Philip suddenly heard another voice. His own. But he almost couldn’t recognize it, because…

(Come on, wussies! You’d think I was playing against a bunch of babies!)

… it didn’t sound like him at all.

“Say it, Philip,” the Devil whispered. “You need to say it out loud. Let me hear your answer.

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