SGB Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen: In the Distant Past and Future

On the embankment of the Thames, Arthur, dressed in a disheveled white shirt and holding a bottle of wine, stared blankly at the garbage-filled river and the setting sun.

Agareus floated beside him, the red demon pinching his nose in disgust as he complained to Arthur.

“Damn it! How long do you plan to sit in this place? The smell here is almost as bad as Baal’s feeding grounds!”

Arthur took a swig from the bottle and asked, “Who’s Baal?”

“You don’t know Baal? Maybe you’ll understand if I use another name. You’ve heard of Beelzebub, right? That’s one of Baal’s names.”

“You mean the guy who controls flies?”

“Oh, Arthur, that answer is just my style.”

Agareus laughed heartily, “Yes, the Lord of the Flies! Yet, despite being such a disreputable demon, he can rule Hell. And here I am, a refined, knowledgeable demon who understands music and speaks multiple languages, exiled to the human world. Isn’t it ridiculous?”

Arthur ran a hand through his messy hair. “No wonder you’re here, then, because you opposed Baal.”

Agareus put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. “That’s right. Just like Scotland Yard can’t tolerate a talent like you, Hell can’t tolerate a genius like me. We share the same fate, my little brother.”

He then pointed to the bottle in Arthur’s hand. “Give me a sip.”

Arthur looked around to make sure no one was watching before pushing the bottle toward Agareus.

“Be careful, don’t let anyone see you.”

Agareus lifted the bottle and downed it in one gulp, then let out a loud burp.

“This wine is terrible! Back when I followed King Solomon into Jerusalem…”

“Stop talking about King Solomon, I’m sick of hearing about him.”

Arthur asked, “You’ve lived so long, don’t you have any other stories to tell? You can’t have done nothing since Solomon’s time.”

Agareus responded angrily, “So what if I haven’t? When I followed Solomon into Jerusalem, I did enough work to last a lifetime.”

To prove his point, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of small colorful balls.

He pointed at the balls and said, “Arthur, do you know what these are? They’re souls, all saved up from back then. Otherwise, with your lazy work ethic, I’d have starved years ago.”

Arthur glanced at the emotionless faces on the surface of the balls and sighed. “So you have so much stock. Why do you still keep pushing me to find souls for you every day?”

“Arthur, I’m a demon! My pleasure comes from torment, not eating.

These souls have been tortured for thousands of years and are no longer afraid of anything. I’ve lost interest in playing with them.

Unless I’m starving, I don’t even bother taking them out.

Even when it comes to eating, I prefer fresh food. Would you eat rotten food?”

“A demon who’s so picky, no wonder you can’t find a suitable contractor.”

“Arthur, you can’t disrespect my profession. It’s a very ancient trade. We demons believe in ‘a millennium without business, but one deal lasts a thousand years.’ Even if I don’t find contractors often, I can’t just settle for anyone.”

“Then you might have chosen the wrong person this time. I have no interest in attacking Jerusalem.”

“Then what do you want to do?”

Arthur leaned on the railing, looking at the sunset. “I want to go home.”

“We can leave now! Yorkshire isn’t far from London.”

“No, Agareus, you don’t understand. I’m from the future.”

Agareus frowned and thought for a while before asking, “Is this today’s joke?”

Arthur shook his head. “No, the joke comes later.”

“Go ahead, I’m listening.”

Arthur looked at the barges on the Thames and said, “In the future, the Royal Navy will have only 97 ships in total.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.”

“But that’s not the worst part.”

“What’s worse?”

“The worst part is that the French have 98.”

Agareus burst into laughter, gasping for breath.

“Arthur, you must be crazy. Didn’t the Royal Navy destroy the French fleet in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805? How long would it take them to build so many ships? A hundred years?”

Arthur shook the bottle, draining the last bit of wine. “A hundred years? Two hundred years!”

Seeing Arthur still in a joking mood, Agareus finally relaxed.

“Arthur, you are really unpredictable. I thought you were about to jump into the river, but it turns out you’re fine.”

“Who said I’m fine? I desperately want to go to the future. I’m sick of this cesspool.”

“Is the future so good?”

“It can’t be worse than now!”

Arthur threw the empty bottle far into the Thames.

Splash!

The river surface churned with black waves, and a foul stench came with the ripples.

Agareus quickly pinched his nose and cursed, “Arthur! I must give you a piece of advice! If you know a cesspool stinks, don’t stir it with a bottle!”

Arthur dusted off his hands and stood up from the railing. “I like it.”

“You really don’t listen to advice.” Agareus floated around him. “Since you’ve resigned, what should we do tomorrow? Do you have a plan?”

Arthur responded casually, “Smoke, drink, and buy a rabbit at the market to keep at home.”

“Are you also going to randomly find a woman on the street to marry?”

“I’ll consider it.”

Agareus stopped Arthur, hands on hips. “Arthur, that’s not a plan. You’re just going against Scotland Yard’s internal regulations.”

Arthur paused, then pondered. “Agareus.”

“Yes?”

“Teach me to do something bad.”

“Oh, my dear Arthur.” Agareus chuckled, rubbing his hands together. “You misunderstand me. I never teach people to do bad things.”

“But aren’t you a demon?”

“Demon is just a nickname given by those of different faiths. They also call me Satan.

Do you know? In ancient Hebrew, Satan simply means ‘opposer,’ but people later personified it.

In ancient times, any foreign god could be called Satan.

Long ago, I was a supreme deity for some. Do you think I would teach my followers to do bad things? They treated me well, so I couldn’t harm them.”

Arthur, intrigued by this unknown domain, asked, “Then what did you teach them?”

Agareus smiled, “I didn’t teach them anything. I believed they were good people, so I just told them to follow their hearts and gave them what they wanted.

Whether it was wealth or power, I gave them what they wanted.

I trusted they would do good with these things.

But you know, they disappointed me.

So I took their souls as punishment for their misdeeds.

I never think I’m doing bad things. I’m always doing good.

I let beggars become rich overnight, live decent lives.

I made the homeless kings, giving them families and the joy of home.

What did I do wrong?

Arthur, it’s never me who’s bad; it’s those blinded by power and wealth.

Look at yourself. You also received help from me, but have you done anything evil?

You punished a professor who habitually raped female students, saved a child’s life, and did many good things with my help.

The same thing, in the hands of good people, is good. In the hands of bad people, it’s bad.

Think of the looks people in the courtroom gave you today. To them, you were a savior, their god.

Arthur, for society, they must have a god, or they have nothing.

And you, you already have what it takes to be that god.”

Arthur stared at Agareus’s smiling face for a long time before saying, “Agareus, you’re trying to hypnotize me again.”

“How could I, Arthur?” Agareus beamed sincerely. “I’m genuinely trying to help you!”

Arthur patted his shoulder. “But thank you for today. For Mrs. Peel, I owe you a soul. I’ll act when I find a suitable target.”

“Oh, my dear Arthur.”

Agareus’ half-meter-long tongue licked his parched lips, nearly soaking Arthur’s shoes with drool. “You already have a target, don’t you?”

(End of Chapter)

TL: So What do you guys think? is it a good novel? should I continue translating?