Chapter 15

 

From the Heavenly City's public announcement system came the urgent words: "Son calling Daddy! Son calling Daddy!"

The three fathers looked at each other in shock and dismay.

"I believe it's for you," said Nicholas to Yahweh as he hastily rose from the table.

"I know it's for you," agreed Adam as he arose and left, calling back over his shoulder, "Put lunch on my tab."

"Right," said Yahweh to himself. "And who pays your tab?" he   thought. "Who pays everyone's tab? Who's the one they all come running to in need and desperation? Moi. That's who. And who do I run to? Aye, there's the rub."

"Son to Daddy!" squawked the loudspeaker system again.

"All right; I'm coming!" he shouted petulantly. Then, again to himself, "I'm coming." He vanished, knowing what to expect but, surprisingly, not how it would end.

 

Satan stood in the doorway of the stable, looking out across the barnyard to the road and fields beyond.

"Father!" he screamed again.

"You don't have to shout," said Yahweh from inside the stable. "I'm here."

Satan turned around in fury, not even deterred by noticing his mother, Gaia, had also appeared.

"You love the grand entrance, don't you?"

"This is my world! My garden!" shouted Yahweh. "My laws rule here."

"You pathetic creature," replied Satan. "You rule nothing. Only death rules here." And he pointed to the dead calf. Its mother was standing now, and licking her dead baby's wet hide to clean and dry it. She made her soft mothering sounds that only come after the moment of birth. Her living child was still trying to stand but by now it could get up on its hind legs and was trying to push up its weight with its front legs.

Satan knelt beside the dead calf, then picked it up in his arms. Its mother mooed in concern and stayed beside her child. Satan held out the calf to Yahweh.

"This is your child. Your child is dead. Do you know why?"

"You mean physically?" asked Yahweh. "I can explain how the calf died. If you want me to confess to murder, then ask the right question."

"Then confess to murder, damn you!" shouted Satan, still holding the calf out to Yahweh, who took the dead body from Satan's arms and disappeared.

"Where did he go?" asked Satan.

"He needs to be alone," explained Gaia. "You asked The Big Question."