Interrogation - Part II

[GM]
The undead rolls its eyes, "And why should I tell you, I'm just another member of the 'flock' to you guys, I may as well have a number. Soul number 1023435795," he says sarcastically. "Why should you give a damn about me, I'm just the Enemy. And Hell does not strive to pervert all that is noble and beautiful. Have you ever enjoyed Mozart, marvelled at the work of Picasso or Dali? Hell stands for the individual against the blind, ignorant masses of sheep in this world. Hell is about ideals and personal achievement. Mozart was a drunkard and a womanizer and Picasso and Dali were both completely self-absorbed, all selfish men who produced brilliant works of art."

[Jezreel]
The young Seraph stands in stunned shock that he should say such a thing. The fact that he really believes all this makes it more horrifying to her, not less. The analytical part of her mind starts trying to work out what must have happened in his life to make him have such a twisted concept of Heaven, even as the emotional part spins in turmoil.

"Ideals? Personal achievement? Yes, these exist in Hell... but only for demons. Humans aren't even second class citizens, they're cattle.
"Mozart was brilliant, but could he have produced such works if he had been broken on the wheel of the War by Baal? Would Picasso's paintings be as lovely under the Fire of Belial? Are Dali's works better when stolen by Valefor? That these humans produced such things despite the interference of Hell is a testimate to their, and humanity's greatness. But how many lives were cut short to Gluttonous excesses like Alcoholism... a Word carefully cultivated by a demon. What songs, what paintings, what science, what wonders have you not seen?"

[GM]
"Humanity created religion, not Heaven. Heaven just exploited it for its own ends, to lure souls up to Heaven to do God's work; well I don't wanna do what your God or anyone else's God wants me to do, I do what's best for humanity, Freedom from Heaven and eventually Freedom from Hell. You struck the first blow when you threw Lucifer out of Heaven for disagreeing with God, God-forbid that anyone disagree with Him."

He spits on the floor.

Ross gets up to his feet, but Michnelion motions for him to sit down.

Kalamiel looks at him, ancient hurts rising to the fore. "You had not seen Heaven in the beginning, before the Fall. A place of peace, beauty, love... unmarred and glorious. Humanity was new then, a novelty. Made from the same dross as animals, but with a soul that yearned toward Heaven. So different were they, that they were not put under the Archangel of Animals, but instead were treated as something new and wonderful. It is believed that's when Lucifer begans the seeds of his great betrayal. Eventually his plans bore its bitter fruit.

"One third of the Host turned that day. Their souls became hideous parodies of their former selves and they turned against their siblings, their parents, their lovers and their friends. The initial attack was brutal, and the rebels slew many for the angels knew nothing of fighting, of kin-killing. Eventually, greater numbers prevailed and they were cast forth. Only after the attack, only after that terrible battle were they banished. Only after the deaths of their parents, their lovers, their friends, their brothers and their _sisters_. Only then." She grows muted and allows Jezreel to speak.

The hard, embittered face of the prisoner remains firm.

Jezreel takes a long, slow breath, trying to decide how best to respond to all of this. Finally, she says, "You have asked me several questions, sir, many of which I do not honestly know the answer to, but let me do the best that I can. First off, you ask me *why* you should tell me who you are. The answer to that one is simple. My mother has often told me that it is easier to treat someone fairly when you see them as a person, as an individual, rather than as some faceless part of a group. This is a failing that we Celestials share with Humanity. Now, I am trying very hard to see beyond the obvious, to see you as an individual rather than as simply an abomination against Creation, but I would find that much easier to do if I had a name to call you rather than thinking of you as 'the Undead thing'."

"Your statements about religion I cannot really address. Truthfully, I don't know whether religion was created by Humanity or Heaven. That's a question my mother suggested that I was not ready to ask. And the other Angels I have asked about it have told me that the Symphony is remarkably quiet on the subject. I don't know, sir, why it is that you hate religion so much or why you feel it is merely a tool for brainwashing, but I ask you, does religion really do more harm than the Demons you Serve? Can the Church really practice anything more loathsome than forcing you to kill merely to maintain the semblance of life as Hell has done do you? And do you really have the freedom you seem to hold above all if you must not only Serve Hell but give up both body and soul to their dark purpose? It would seem to me that you have merely traded your fear of one master for the certainty of another, and destroyed your soul in the process."

"Now, to the matter of Mozart, Picasso, and Dali," Jezreel gives a pleasant smile, "Here, I can answer with a little more experience. Have I ever enjoyed their work? The answer is a wholehearted yes. Of course I have. Even as I have sighed with pleasure to stand in the gentle caress of a spring rain, or laughed in wonder at the play of light and shadow in the woods, or sighed with awe at the marvel of a sunrise, I have touched the Symphony anew through their eyes, and I have found it invigorating, soul warming, and beautiful. I am a Servant of Creation, sir, and I know it's wonders intimately. And while I know little of the personal lives of the artists of whom you speak (I am not old enough to have had the pleasure of meeting them in person), I can tell you that the essence of their art comes from having touched the Symphony and reflected it back to the world. They were able to create such beauty in spite of, not because of, their failings." She shrugs. "Eli has never been terribly judgmental. He is happy to share Creation with any who can appreciate it. And these men cannot have been wholly selfish if they could reach outside themselves to see the Symphony so clearly."

Kalamiel nods, but remains mute. If the situation were not so dire, she would smile from remembering her infrequent encounters with Eli.

Jezreel stands tall and says, "I am Jezreel, Seraph of Creation, daughter of Dodai, Mercurian of Children, and Cosam Seraph of Lightening." And for a change, she does not cringe or look away when mentioning her Father. "Brought forth from the Symphony by Creation himself and placed in the Service of Revelation that I might show to humanity the joy of Creation. And I ask of you again, sir, that I might understand you better. Who are you, sir, and why do you hate religion so?"

[Charybdis]
OOC: Yeah, I know. A little long-winded... (Ok, okay, a *lot* long-winded...) And I fully expect Michnelion, Ross, or *someone* to ask her to please shut up and to remind her that they are supposed to be interrogating the prisoner, not the other way around, but... What can I say? She *does* Serve Revelation, after all, and besides, I was on a roll... Who knows, maybe she'll get lucky and prompt a response of some kind, so that she can pick up some answers from the Symphony if not from the Undead thing itself...

The prisoner smirks at the young Jezreel, "You really don't have a clue, do you? Haven't you ever read about the artists behond the music? Mozart didn't write music because he loved Heaven, he wrote it because he was cursed by a God who filled him with it, he drank to escape the curse. Oh, I'm sure that Heaven's party-line is something completely different, just like what they have to say about war."

Jezreel shudders at the undead thing's dark and twisted view of the world; she can't keep from pitying him and from wondering what has caused him to see things in such a distorted light. At his mention of the curse of music, Jezreel opens her mouth to protest, but she cuts herself off as he mentions Heaven's party line...

[Jezreel's resonance: He believes this to be true, Jezreel feels the force with with he believes this to roll off of him in waves (including the next paragraph). He believes that the War between Heaven and Hell is an attempt of God to keep the truth from humananity, to keep people from realizing that the only way to truly exercise their free will would be to end the presence of angels and devils on earth so that humanity might be allowed to make its own decisions. The great experiment of humanity cannot succeed or fail until God stops sticking his finger in it and fucking it up.]

War is the enforcing of political policy through use of miliary force, and for those who haven't figured it out yet, religion is a political force, a political force shaped and inspired by God. And humanity doesn't need your Holy Wars. People are born inherently selfless, and then your great religions warp us with guilt and sin, telling us to obey God and be good little humans. BULLSHIT, we have free will and no matter what you do, you cannot break humanity's desire to do what's best for humanity, not what's best for God. God wishes to manipulate His creation so that it might serve Him and His wants and desires. I say fuck that, I'm doing what's best for me and for humankind."

Jezreel shakes her head here, wishing for all the world that her mother were here to help her find the words to help this thing see the Truth. Thinking of Dodai, she can't help but flash on her mother fussing about her shoes this morning, and almost asks the thing if a parent's protecting his child is tyranny in his view. But the whispers of the Symphony let her know that he thinks humanity needs to grow up, and therefore, that might be a poor analogy.

The young Seraph glances at Michnelion and Ross, wishing they would step in any time. They're the ones with experience in interrogations after all, and she is obviously botching this one.

[Jezreel's resonance: He feels particularly certain about religious wars as clear evidence that God wishes only to hurt humanity, as well as concepts of sin and guilt as conveyed through the Church. God filled the world with pain and suffering and left his children blind and lost in a frightening and dark world. Religion could be a path home to God, except that all religion does is cause people to be even more wrapped up in doing God's will as directed by the church instead of allowing people to self-actualize by focusing on the divine within themselves. Religion blind people to the true faith, that of humankind in its own abilities. God/religion/angels prevents humanity from growing up and exercising its ability to make decisions on its own.]

Ross stands up angerly and leaves, slamming the door behind him.

As Ross unexpectedly storms out, Jezreel takes a deep shuddering breath, trying to push back the horror at his vision which threatens to overwhelm her and to fight her own anger at his words. Meeting its eyes, she tries for all the humility she can muster.

"Alright, sir," Jezreel says slowly. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I don't have a clue. I just can't seem to see things your way. Where you see music as a curse, I cannot image the touch of the Symphony to be anything other than the most joyous blessing. While you see Heaven's influence as interference, I see protection. While you see war as Heaven's torture of humanity, I see it as a force to fight the very tyranny you seem to fear. Obviously, I have much to learn. I've only been on Earth eleven years, after all. Why don't you try to make me understand?"

Waiting for its answer, Jezreel can't help but swallow hard, almost fearing what it might say.

The undead, sitting in the bare, wooden chair, looks at Michnelion, Fury, and Kalamiel in turn.

The Elohite merely regards him cooly, then glaces at his watch.

[OOGM: He/I'm pausing to see if anyone else says anything.]

[Kalamiel]
"You believe very strongly in what you say, and there is no shame in that, but have you ever considered the possibility you are wrong? History is riddled with great men who were wrong about things very dear to them. Can you not afford to consider, for even a short while, that you may have been deceived or have arrived at the wrong conclusion?"

"Would you be willing to reconsider your life if given evidence, if not absolute proof, that we are better than those you serve? That we are trying to _help_? Are you strong enough to admit that you might be mistaken?"

She kneels down near the chair so that her eyes are level, or slightly below his and says with quiet earnestness, "What you choose today, and you most definitely have a choice, may not make a difference in the final outcome of the War, but it will matter to you, it will matter to me, and it will matter to your sister."

[undead]
"I was mistaken once and I'm still atoning for my sins against humankind, and leave my sister out of this. There's no need to threaten her with your 'help'."

[Kalamiel]
She shakes her head, "You misunderstand me, sir. If you choose death over life, your sister will feel a loss; the loss of her brother. I wish you no harm and will do my best to ensure that you emerge unharmed . . . if you wish it so."

[undead]
"All that I wish is that my life be best used to help mankind free itself from the shackles of the church's blood-sucking lies. If God respected humanity, He would give us the chance to stand on our own two feet. Hell has given me that chance. When I die, Hell can't touch me and neither can God. I've given my life to humanity and purge the disease of Heaven from the world."

[Jezreel's resonance: Yes, he believes this to be true. He believes that the works of heaven through the church prevent people from making logical, clearly thought out decisions. Guilt and sin, while they can prevent people from harming fellow humans, is flawed as it can often backfire and result in people who retaliate against the constraints which the church has infected their mind with. He envisions a world of loving people, unmanipulated by celestial "aliens".]

[Jezreel]
"And what was your mistake, sir?" the young Seraph asks, genuinely curious in spite of her ill ease at his deep felt antipathy towards Heaven, "If allying yourself with Hell was not it?"

[undead]
"My mistake was believing that what God told His people was the Truth and the Light when nothing could be farther from the Truth. You wouldn't understand."

Jezreel just stands there staring out the Undead thing for a long several moments. She is having a really hard time reconciling his words, the knowledge that the Symphony is whispering to her, and what she knows of the world. She is really at a loss as to how to precede here and is not even sure if the current line of questioning is in the least bit useful. Once again shooting a desperate glance at Michnelion, she tries to focus her thoughts into something approaching coherent speech.

"You're right, sir," Jezreel says slowly. "I don't understand. But please try and help me to do so. Truth is my life, sir. My reason for being. And if I have missed it somehow then I earnestly wish to remedy that in any way that I can."

Not wishing the Hell-sworn to pique Jezreel's interest further, Michnelion intervenes. "Perhaps we can reach some sort of mutually beneficial agreement," he says to the undead.

"Like what?" asks the undead.

Jezreel breathes an audible sigh of release when Michnelion steps in. She listens politely to what he has to say and waits expectantly to see what sort of deal the Elohite is willing to offer the Undead thing. Jezreel herself doesn't trust herself to speak at all at this point as she is unsure of just what sort of deal she *can* offer an Undead Servant of Hell when there's a Malakim in the room...

Michnelion looks to Kalamiel for support here.

She shrugs eloquently, "A sufficiently strong vow not to do evil, witnessed and confirmed by a Seraph," she nods toward Jezreel, "would be sufficient."

"What, that's all you want from me?" states the undead.

"That's may be all you'll need to do to be spared extermination from the Malakite here," says Michnelion, "But I want to know what happened on that roof and I have no problems taking measures to find out."

"I won't betray my comrades."

"You will and you already have," states Michnelion. He gets up, walks over to a wall and hits a button, then says, "Detective Ross, would you please bring us my black bag?"

Jezreel swallows hard here and glances back and forth between Michnelion and the Undead thing.

[Kalamiel] "I cannot condone those . . . methods . . . until he is given a chance to voluntarily profer the information." She looks at the bound man and glances away.

Michnelion looks to the Malakite cooly, saying nothing.

Kalamiel turns back to the prisoner, giving him a chance to speak. When no response is forthcoming, she reluctantly nods her acquiescence to Michnelion.

Jezreel is feeling positively green at the thought of what might be in that black bag, and Kalamiel's protest only strengthens her suspicions. But keeping in mind Detective Ross's command that no one contradict one another and (more importantly) Michnelion backing him up on this, Jezreel reluctantly keeps silent on the matter of the methods about to be employed.

"It would be wiser to talk to us," Jezreel says; then she simply concentrates on her Resonance on the Undead thing for whatever information the Symphony might give her...

The interrogation room opens and Ross steps in, carring in his hand a small, black bag. He steps over to Michnelion and hands it to him.

"Thank you," says the Elohite.

The undead just laughs quietly to himself.

[Jezreel resonance: the undead's laughs is an honest nervous laugh mixed with some expressed feelings of triumph. It is clear that he believes that the group of Church Representatives that he faces are not unified, probably far from, and therefore cannot possibly succeed in breaking his Will. He does not fear torture, pain he can handle. He just fears the use of drugs.]

"Please, once this begins, my options to help you become very limited. Must you give up your life for a lie?"

[undead]
"Oh, you people don't frighten me."

[Jezreel's resonance: this is a lie, he does indeed fear them and the Church whom he believes they represent. Still, he is confident that he will be able to endure anything they do to him, to die for his cause if need be.]

Jezreel shakes her head slightly at this small bit of bravado. She wonders for a moment if she should tell Michnelion what the Undead thing does fear...

"Excellent, then there's no reason not to tell us what we want to know," says Michnelion. "What was going on up on the roof tonight?"

Listening to the question and waiting for the Undead thing's response, Jezreel decides to wait and see how it reacts to Michnelion's questions before saying anything. It might, she thinks, but better to save her knowledge as a hole card.

Listening to the question and waiting for the Undead thing's response, Jezreel decides to wait and see how it reacts to Michnelion's questions before saying anything. It might, she thinks, but better to save her knowledge as a hole card.

"None of your damn business," states the undead bluntly to Michnelion.

"On the contray, this city is devoted to Destiny and Creation, which means any and all supernatural activity is most certainly my business. And like I said, I'm sure that we can come to some sort of arrangement, you scratch our back, we'll scratch yours."

Adam stands up, removing himself from the dark corner where he'd been sitting quietly, listening. He quickly writes a note of a leaf of paper and passes the note to Kalamiel: How do you think we can turn him away from his demonic masters, if not to serve Heaven, then at least NOT serve Hell?

The vampire sees Adonikam and suddenly appears to get very, very nervous.

She scribbles back, "He's absolutely convinced that religion is the bane of mankind and angels are in charge of it. I thought we might recruit him, but he's quite strong-willed. He very much wishes to protect his mentally ill sister, but might even be willing to sacrifice her rather than give in to the 'angelic menace'. If we could cure her or prove to him that we aren't trying to simply limit humanity's freedoms, he might be willing to opt out of the War. Or, possibly, if we could show him how many people his demonic allies are killing... the man truly hates when people die."

"Sir, please," Jezreel says, "Answer our questions. I really don't want to see them," she glances quite deliberately at Adam, intentionally playing on the Undead's fear of Adam, "resort to using the drugs that I know you fear..." Despite her rather obvious playing on his fears, Jezreel's tone is more pleading than threatening.

"I know that you value your freedom," the young Seraph says, "Please give us something so that we can grant it to you..." There is a long pause as the wheels of Jezreel's mind turn. "Is that who you Serve, sir?" She asks, changing the subject rather abruptly. "Freedom?"

Adam writes back: I believe that curing his sister using a song may not be the beset thing, if he fears the powers that be. Perhaps helping her to get the funding for better medical treatment and medication, something more mundane, something refectling more humanity's power to heal itself?

Kalamiel nods and then writes, "That may work. He desires freedom for himself and humanity so strongly that it may be better to put it as an agreement between equals rather than him 'joining heaven'. He absolutely must stop opposing, but I think we can allow him to live as a neutral party."

Adam returns: I agree, so far as my Resonance informs me, he values the quality of the lives of his fellow humans to a great extent. I believe I could secretly arrage for some people to "meet" him and possibly influence his life. So, how do we convince him to give information about what happened tonight to "The Enemy?"

Kalamiel replies: Make a deal. Confirm his intentions with the Seraph. Ask him what he wants... that we can morally provide.

Adam nods his acknowledgement.

[undead]
"I serve humanity in its struggle against powers that would seek to subvert it. Just as God cast Lilith from the Garden for not serving Adam, I cast myself from the Church by refusing to submit myself to their wishes and goals. I have no Demonic Master, if that's what you mean. I'm a free agent and I will serve those who will aid me further humanity's cause."

[Jezreel's Resonance: He believes he speaks truth with all of this, almost. He knows that he's not *quite* a free agent, but the Symphony whispers to Jezreel that he wishes that he could be. He believes, truely, that he is an agent who serves a demon who is descended from Lilith, the first human to defy God's authority, and that this "Lilim" has allowed him much autonomy, but occassionally manages to twist his arm into doing things. So, while he wants to be a free agent and is beling told by his Lilim that he *is* a free agent and an agent of Freedom, he feels that he's not really because she keeps manipulating him into doing thing for her.]

Jezreel nods as if her suspicions have just been confirmed. She thinks for a long moment before speaking; then she asks, "You know, sir, don't you, that wishing something were true does not make it so? Just because the Lilim whom you Serve says that you are free and tells you that you are an agent of Freedom does not mean that you are really able to act independently. In your heart, sir, you know this. If she continually manipulates you into doing her will, are you really free? If she really wanted you to be free, sir, wouldn't she just ask and then let you make your own choice?"

Pausing again to give the Undead thing the chance to answer and to organize her own thoughts, the young Seraph considers addressing the matter of Lilith's nature, but decides to wait to mention her Demonic origins later, as she doesn't want to get off on a tangent when she is working on revealing the secret of just who he Serves.

"Has the Lilim who you Serve actually given you her name, sir?" Jezreel goes on finally, "Has she told you who she really is? Or in goading you to fight for Freedom has she left herself free to act without even giving you the dignity of knowing who you are working for?"

"I don't know her true name, if that's what you're after," says the vampire somewhat glumly.

[Jezreel's resonance: He doesn't believe he knows her true name, but knows her as Laura Haverly.]

Kalamiel speaks up, "What does she call herself?"

[Jezreel]
I nod at that question. "And, for that matter," I ask again, "What is your name?"

[Charybdis]
OOC: I know I'm nagging again, but what does Jezreel's Resonance tell her? Does he really not know? Or is he trying to cover for her?

[GM]
Jezreel's Resonance tells her that (1) he really doesn't believe he knows her true name and (2) that the name he knows her by is . . . I don't have it with me (I'm in the school computer lab) but I sent it to you, I'm sure. Laura Haverly I believe, something like that, it's in my notes at home.

"Why should I tell you?" relies the undead.

[Jezreel's resonance: yeah, he doesn't believe that you have any business knowing his name and he also believes that since you're angels you probably already know.]

Jezreel looks somewhat perplexed at the Undead's tendency to answer every question with a question, especially since she had already answered this one... Luckily, she is saved from having to answer him by Michnelion's question.

"Because I could run your prints and find out in about five minutes," says Michnelion, "Assuming you have a criminal record."

"Fine, my name is Jonathon Henderson, son of James Henderson and Elizabeth O'Connor, born in 1923, died and reborn 1953. You might have my prints, you might not, I have no idea."

[Jezreel's resonance: He believes it all to be true, also he was born and raised in the state of Virginia, USA.]

"Thank you, Mr. Henderson," Jezreel says. "It is much easier, sir, to have a name to call you..."

She gives him a polite smile. "And since you really don't know the Lilim's real name, Laura Haverly will do for now." Jezreel hesitates a moment, not really sure where to go next, but then decides to go ahead and push on with what Michnelion and the others seem to want to know. "So, was it Ms. Haverly who suggested that you go to Science World tonight, or are there other players we should know about, Mr. Henderson?"

The undead looks like he's going to be difficult again, before he glances over at Michnelion who's still holding the black bag. That and Adam standing next to him.

"No, he says," swallowing heavily, "Haverly had nothing to do with it, it was a freelance job."

[J's resonance: believes this to be true, he also believes that it furthered his crusade against heaven/the church.]

"What kind of job?" asks Michnelion.

"A . . ." he hesitates. Adam clears his throat. "It was an acquition mission."

[J.'s resonance: believes this, also he believes that it was for some sort torture device that's also an artifact of some sort]

Kalamiel nods, "Who gave you the mission and what was the target?"

"In exchange for Essence," says the Vampire. "A handful for the name, a handful for a description of the device."

[J's resonance: He believes that in exchange for Essence he will be able to not only rat out the demon who treated him so poorly (and who also gave him the job/mission), but if he sacrifices the description of the device, but the extra Essence might be enough to earn him a favor from a friend of Laura Haverly who might be able to heal his sister's mental illness permanently without him having to turn to the Church/Heaven/Angels for aid.]

Jezreel remains quiet, waiting to see how Michnelion and Adonikam react to the deal.

Michnelion looks to the two Malakim. Adam looks at Kalamiel and arches an eyebrow in query. (in query? can you say that?)

"Agreed, but," she glances at the other interrogators, "the answers must be accurate, complete and unstinting. The Seraph can confirm your honesty. Also, you must agree not to use any Essence while in our presence tonight. An escape attempt or the use of other powers would be . . . regrettable. Do you agree?"

Jezreel turns questioningly to Michnelion, unsure of whether this sort of deal is permitted, let alone wise.

Michnelion clears his throat and says, "I believe that this sort of decision would normally fall to the individual of highest rank or Seraph of equal rank. In this case, that decision is mine to make."

"I assume that there will no attempt to escape on your part . . ." He sets the bag down, unsheathes his pistol and trains it on the undead. Detective Ross follows suit.

[Michnelion]
". . . and so I agree to this deal."

[Fury]
Xery clears her throat. "I've got a question too, and I'm willing to pay for it. Can I get an addendum tacked on?"

Michnelon says over his shoulder, his gun still causually trained on the vampire, "What sort of addendum Fury?"