Gods of the earth - Chapters 17 & 18

Chapter 17

They were in the throes of love making when Mary suddenly felt a strong urge to pee. Reluctantly Muyiwa let her go to the toilet and awaited her return. He could sense Janut’s restlessness within him.

It felt like someone was seeing through his eyes and suppressing his mind…Muyiwa couldn’t think clearly…his mind felt so sluggish as if it had been drugged…even his will seemed not to obey him any longer…he really didn’t want to do this, but his will said otherwise.

Where is she? whispered Janut in his ear.

She will be back soon, answered Muyiwa mentally; he had tried replying Janut mentally a long time ago and it had worked; so since then he had used it, wondering why it didn’t work with humans as well.

Your flesh serves as a barrier and will not allow spiritual or even mental things to find an outlet.

Janut had taught him many things that he had never read in the bible…and they all made perfect sense. It was why he trusted him to some extent…he had been truthful to some degree…or at least Muyiwa thought so.

“Why did you choose to rebel against God?” Muyiwa had once asked him.

We didn’t want to be servants throughout Eternity. Angels are merely  servants…ministering spirits, that’s what Majesty call us. When we heard that he was about to create a new race of beings on earth that would possess not just spirit, but also bodies, we knew he was creating beings that would rule over us. We came first and we didn’t like it…we are his First Born and he placed us under you in the hierarchy of Creation!

Janut had raised his voice so much by then that Muyiwa’s mind started to howl. He blocked his ears and started to scream, but just then Janut had stopped. For several days Muyiwa had had to live with the worst headache he had ever had, as a result of that experience.

Since then, he was more careful in his choice of questions, for he knew he had touched a sore spot when he had asked Janut that question. He had long since known Janut’s name too…Translucent Man was too long an appellation…it sounded like the name of some super hero from a comic book…so he had asked for his real name.

He had really begun to like Janut, and even to sympathize with him and the other fallen angels…if he were in his shoes, he too would do anything to get out of being a servant for Eternity…and eternity wasn’t just about the rest of his meagre seventy or eighty year life span…it was forever!

Mary had been sitting on the toilet seat for two minutes wondering why she no longer felt like ‘pee-ing’. Yet every time she stood up and made for the door, the urge to pee came back even stronger.

When it had happened twice, she knew it wasn’t a biological problem…the Spirit was trying to catch her attention.

She sat on the floor of the toilet and quietened herself down…long ago she had learnt that quietness was not the absence of thought or thinking…it was about keeping one’s mind stayed on the Lord…it was a revelation she had received through a scripture…

ISA 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

She had trusted in him through many dark years and in spite of the many dangers, she was still standing…He was keeping her in perfect peace because she had hooked her mind on Him…and she was grateful that he had taught her how…it wasn’t some mystical mumbo jumbo about clearing one’s mind of all strange thoughts…nor was it about getting into a mood of prayer or worship…those things merely served to encourage mysticism and witchcraft…for neither worship nor prayer were moods nor states of mind.

Janut the fallen angel resides in your husband. He it is that desires to give you a son…go back and let your husband know that you know!

Mary fell on her knees and bowed her head to the ground; “Thank you my Father!” she said repeatedly.

The door of the bedroom flew open as Mary strode inside, her eyes flashing with the fire of anger.

“In the name of Jesus, I command you to get out of my husband, Janut! Your plan has been exposed. You intended to use my husband’s body to make love to me and then somehow use your seed instead of his to give me a son. It will never happen!”

Janut felt like he had been hit by a thunderbolt that catapulted him forcefully out of his host’s body! He soared back into the Heavenlies unable to stop himself; humiliated by the glances of other beings that occupied the Heavenlies…for everyone knew that he had been ejected from some host body.

“I can explain,” began Muyiwa, but was stopped by a dirty slap from an enraged Mary.

“I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that!” apologised Mary, kneeling at once in front of her husband and holding his head in both hands.

“Muyiwa, this is the last time I will accept your apology on this account. If you want to keep dining with the devil, that’s your business; but I won’t have anything to do with it, nor will I allow our child to continue to live in a home where her father is possessed by an evil spirit! If the Spirit had given me express orders to leave, trust me I would go this very night.”

Muyiwa was the one now kneeling in front of her and begging her like his life depended on it.

Mary could see from his eyes that he was truly scared of what was happening to him…he didn’t look like he was faking the fear…she knew her husband well enough now to know when he was being real…he needed help now…and there was no one else he could turn to…neither was there anything one else she could turn to but her Father in Heaven.

It was well past 2 am in the morning when they finally ended their prayers. Mary had let her husband repent…this time it was genuine…for it was not long after they began praying for his deliverance in earnest that suddenly Muyiwa began to speak in tongues!

He had never done it before, even when they were still together at God’s Glory Church. He had said he would feel ‘embarrassed to be seen or heard speaking nonsensical words’. Mary hadn’t spoken to him for two days for those words he had said.

But here he was now, speaking almost at the top of his voice with his hands raised up in the air and a rapturous expression all over his face. Mary watched him for a few moments in awe and wonder at the sudden transformation…it didn’t take long before she found herself flat on her face before the God who makes all things beautiful in his own time!

Far above in the Heavenlies, Janut sought for a place to hide himself for a while…from the stares and winks of his colleagues who dwelt in the highest of the Heavenlies where he had sought refuge.

“It could have happened to any of you too!” shouted Janut, trying to defend himself.

“Yeah, but it had to happen to you,” retorted someone. From then on, Janut knew he had lost face and standing before his colleagues…he was an angel, howbeit a fallen one, how did he allow himself to be cast out like a mere demon, and by a mortal female too!

Janut knew he had to redeem his image and he had limited time to do it…he had seen the mortal who had summoned him…he wanted him to do battle with Ba’al and stop the Death he was spreading like a disease…well…he would show them all when he took up the challenge…they would see and know that he Janut was not to be disparaged! It would be a battle they would remember for a long time...the battle between Janut and Ba'al!

In the meantime, since this mortal Muyiwa was a ‘no go’ area now that the Spirit had taken up permanent residence in him; he would concentrate his full attention on the other mortal…all of the Heavenlies were waiting on him for his success…it was their gateway back to earth in bodies of flesh, to enjoy what mortals alone had been given the privilege to enjoy.

They would once again be able to take wives among the females and birth their own children and be treated like the gods they were among the mortals…he knew that his time was limited before the Lord of Darkness reassigned someone else to the task he was already failing in…many envied him…even hated that he was the one who had been given the privilege as a reward for his performance at the Great Battle…but now he had begun disappointing the Lord of Darkness…they were waiting for his downfall…

They would wait a long time…he was not done yet…Janut glared defiantly at them as they passed him by...of all of them, he alone had been granted permission to use the translucent body that looked like mortal flesh…no wonder they were all so envious!

Chapter 18

Ade sat across from Kola at the Press Conference/Dinner he had organised. Everything was going according to plan. He had introduced himself and given a Presentation that had wowed the scientific world at large. Now it was dinner time.

“So what are your thoughts on my presentation?” asked Ade, more out of the need to exchange pleasantries. He already knew that Kola had been wowed, his Familiar had told him…much more than that, he had been informed that Janut was here, but most certainly not in a good mood.

The Familiar made known his displeasure at the fact that Janut had kicked him around a bit that night.

Ade smiled as he digested this bit of information. He wondered why Janut would be in a foul mood when he had just been presented with the opportunity of meeting two mortals he had interests in, and both at the same time for the first time.

“To be honest, you have gone very far, I mean I thought I was the only one experimenting with brain chip technology in the country, but after watching your presentation, I feel that there is still a lot to learn,” finished Kola, unable to hide his admiration for Ade Odugbemi.

Ade knew stating that ‘there is still a lot to learn’ meant that Kola regarded him as being more knowledgeable…it was the diplomatic way of saying ‘you know more than me’.

“You are new here, how come I haven’t heard about you before?” asked Kola suddenly.

“I’ve been out of the country,” replied Ade without hesitation, he had anticipated the question all along, but it was just a matter of time before Kola would put two and two together and figure out that he had been incarcerated six years back…something or someone would eventually jog his memory…unless he could figure out a way to make Janut stop him.

“The world is to be ruled by gods, not by mortals,” began Ade tentatively.

“I beg your pardon?” said Kola, not understanding the meaning of Ade’s words.

“It’s just a phrase I remembered someone say to me some time ago. It means that some mortals are destined to be gods on earth.”

“How true!” nodded Kola sagely.

Ade hoped that Janut had been paying attention to their conversation because he had just dropped the first password.

“So if I understand you clearly Mr Odugbemi -"

“Please call me Ade,”

“Okay Ade; and by the way please call me Kola. If I understand you, you would like to collaborate with me in certain areas?” asked Kola, totally eager to begin discussions that might very well bring him to his next level. He was particularly curious to know if Ade had arrived at his knowledge without ‘spiritual’ help; and if so how.

“Oh yes,” began Ade, clearing his throat; “There is a saying, Man shall live by bread and his sweat alone.”

Janut smiled grimly…he was now convinced…this guy wanted to meet with him personally, and he would oblige him tonight…Janut only hoped he had something substantial to offer him for his trouble.

“I am thinking about what you told me earlier on, how you have discovered that the brain chip technology might not be limited to storing bank account information or other mundane things like the Americans seem to think; but that it could be used for far more advanced things.” Ade paused, to listen to his Familiar.

He will come to you tonight, but you had better have something substantial to offer him for his trouble.

“I’m listening,” prompted Kola.

“Yes, sorry I got distracted by a friend waving at me. As I was saying, I feel that we could do certain things together by pooling our experiences. I am currently working on brain chip implants that could transmit one’s thoughts.”

“Telepathy! My goodness, it would do away with phones altogether, it would be revolutionary!”

“More importantly it could give us a sort of ‘Bill Gates’ standing in the world, not to talk about eclipsing him in wealth and stature in the field of computer technology,” finished Ade.

“I would be honoured to collaborate on this project Ade, please count me in,” responded Kola enthusiastically.

Kola wondered whether it would be appropriate to chip in his discoveries in the area of strength and speed brain implants, but decided against it…at least not yet…he had to know if Ade was also receiving his knowledge from fallen angels or if he had simply stumbled on it…perhaps his IQ was extremely high.

“So it is settled then,” concluded Ade, eager to end the conversation and go home to prepare for the arrival of Janut.

“Give me a call,” said Kola, rising to his feet. They shook hands and Kola left. Ade strolled around exchanging pleasantries with his guests for a while. They all seemed to want to work with him in various areas. Ade exchanged phone numbers with them all…except one person.

“You are the fellow who was imprisoned six years ago, aren’t you? I remember your face from the newspaper photographs. What are you up to now, I wonder,” said the man nastily.

“I have served my time and my past is in the past. What are you doing here anyway?”

“Oh I didn’t know it would be you. But now that I know, I will need to inform my contacts to stay away from you,” said the man, laughing.

Ade left the huge auditorium in a hurry and in anger.

See to it that he never gets home. I want him dead!

Ade’s Familiar left him to do his bidding…the man would meet with a fatal accident…that was all.

Ade lived alone. He had sworn never to get married…that way, he could keep his secrets secret…people like him never got married anyway…too much was at stake. He never brought anyone to his home…not even Toun his PA…he had other ‘homes’ to which he took visitors; but this was his private residence where he retired to alone…this was where he would receive only spirit entities.

Janut  suddenly emerged from the wall and startled Ade…he had not expected him to appear in physical form…indeed he had never seen a spirit appear in flesh before…he was used to seeing them as apparitions…scary apparitions, so he was rather startled to see a fleshly translucent being with huge black eyes suddenly emerge from the wall opposite him.

You wanted to see me. Janut wasted no time on pleasantries. His voice was deep and gruff.

“Yes, I need a couple of favours,” said Ade, rising to his feet. It was the way they honoured fallen angels, or rather fallen angels insisted that they honoured them that way.

What kind of favours?

“I want new knowledge that would make me the equivalent of a god on earth. I also want access to unlimited wealth,” responded Ade.

It amuses me when I see that mortals are no different than us. They want to be gods in their own right just as much as we do, but they know they can’t be gods, so they settle for rulership; but when they can’t get that either, they settle for being the boss as you call it; but it is all about being a god on earth.

Ade could sense the contempt and hatred for mortals in Janut’s tone of voice which he couldn’t mask seeing as it was transmitted directly to his mind.

And in return, what do you offer, asked Janut.

“I know you have been searching for a vessel through whom the first fruit of the fallen angels will come…I have such a vessel should in case the one you are after fails,” said Ade boldly.

And who gave you that information?

“In trying to arrange a meeting on my behalf with you, my Familiar did,” replied Ade, trying to protect his Familiar from Janut’s wrath.

It is not in his place to disclose my private affairs to mortals and for that he shall pay. But as to your offer, who is this vessel?

“She works with me in the office. She has been subjugated and I have used her regularly. She is mine to give.”

Janut considered his options…he knew he could not risk failing again…the Lord of Darkness would have much preferred that the child be born of the very mortal that had cost him the Great Battle…but in failing in that…the Plan would still work if the child was born through another mortal.

I accept. In three days you will have all the knowledge that you want, and in seven days; wealth beyond your imagining will begin to flow. Bring the mortal here by this time tomorrow. Prepare her for me. Hereafter the Consummation, you must no longer have sexual relations with her; she is mine and she will live here…is that clear?

“Very clear,” Ade swallowed hard. He had not factored the loss of his privacy into the deal…now not only would Toun be living with him, Janut would also come and go as he pleased and in his fleshly body too! He might have to find another place to call his home…

You will remain here where I can keep you under control if you wish for all you asked, Janut said; already reading his thoughts.

He would try one final time with the other mortal…if he failed at least he had a backup now…one that would not fail…but he didn’t like failure…so the son of Adam would have to die should his wife fail to accept him…he had done his part of the deal…if Kola failed to do his part….he must die.

Gods of the earth - chapters 15 & 16

Chapter 15

Muyiwa chatted with his wife as she washed dishes in the kitchen. He had made up with her and things were going on well…

 “These are some of the happiest days of my life”; she had said to him.

She hadn’t gone to work in two days because word had it that Christians were being persecuted around the area where her school was located.

How was she to know she was being fattened up for the slaughter…Muyiwa thought to himself as he watched her bustle around.

He and the Translucent Man had decided to wait patiently until Muyiwa could get intimate with her again and this sudden outbreak of violence by the Islamic militant group had helped…there had been no Midweek Services…everything was just fine and dandy…Muyiwa had given the Translucent Man the heads up…it would be tonight…she wouldn’t suspect a thing.

He loved his wife very much, but he loved fame and wealth much more, and it wasn’t as if his wife would be killed, in fact she wouldn’t know a thing when he was climaxing and the Translucent Man took over…he had said he would possess him in all but his body, so it would still be him…Muyiwa… to all intents and purposes making love to his wife…that was why he had agreed. He could have his cake and eat it!

“You didn’t answer my question Muyiwa!” said Mary, suddenly turning around to face her husband.

“Oh sorry, I guess my mind wandered a little bit,” said Muyiwa, bringing his mind back to the present.

“What was your question?”

“Will you come back and join me in God’s Glory Church?”

“Hmmm I don’t really want to do that,” replied Muyiwa trying not to commit himself.

“But you will for my sake right?” Mary came close to him and wrapped his hands around her waist and kissed him.

“God is against bribery,” Muyiwa began protesting.

“Hmmm, this is a thanksgiving offering to Him not bribery,” replied Mary as she closed in on him…

They hadn’t made love in weeks, ever since the Translucent Man had come into their livesT

Janut watched and waited in a corner of the room, quite bored and fidgety…Muyiwa had said he would give him a signal…this was a good a time as any as far as he was concerned.

“You haven’t finished doing the dishes, you know,” said Muyiwa.

“Oh they can wait, and thank God Mayowa is spending time with my pastor along with Wunmi’s kids.”

“Meaning…” Muyiwa was on his feet as Mary held him by the hand and pulled her along behind her.

“Meaning we can do whatever we want today,” Mary said softly as she turned to kiss her husband again. Muyiwa lifted her off her feet and carried her up the stairs…that was the signal.

Janut moved fast and entered Muyiwa’s body but lay low…it would take a while before it was time for his appearance.

Unfortunately Muyiwa would be shocked…he couldn’t have told him of course, because he would never have agreed to the deal…he couldn’t have told him that he would need the Translucent Man’s body to produce an authentic angel seed…but he would delay the appearance of the Translucent Man until the climax, for that was when his translucent body was needed.

She would suddenly open her eyes and find him staring at her from above…just for a few seconds, then he would fade away…all it would take was a few seconds…perhaps the man could convince his wife that she had been hallucinating…he chuckled at the thought.

Odugbemi knew that it was only a matter of time before the others started aligning themselves with either Oduyela or Adebajo. One didn’t need a diviner to know that Prince Adebajo was gunning for the leadership of the cult. There was going to be a showdown between the two of them and Oduyela would soon try to find out where his loyalties lay.

Now that Adebajo had done what they all together could not do, it showed clearly who was the most powerful among them, but the truth was that the Queen Mother had handed over power to Oduyela in the event of her death…she had not foreseen the coming of Adebajo, neither had Oduyela foreseen that Adebajo would be more powerful than he was; and he Oduyela, was powerful!

While Oduyela concerned himself with negotiating with the Powers that be to regain the wealth and power once wielded by the cult, Adebajo who was immensely wealthy was busy aligning those same Powers to himself…he knew there would be a showdown sooner or later.

“Who else is with us?” Oduyela asked Akande, the only loyalist he was sure of.

He had brought Akande into the cult at a time when Akande had financial troubles and was ready to do anything.

It had taken time to persuade the Queen Mother, so in the meantime Oduyela footed all Akande’s bills, especially the school fees of his four children two of whom were grown up and in university. He had done this till both children had graduated. Akande had never forgotten this.

“I know that Adeola is with us because for some reason he dislikes Odugbemi. I don’t foresee them joining forces,” replied Akande confidently.

“That leaves the two of us against Adebajo and Odugbemi, but I know for a fact that Odugbemi’s son Ade has turned down the offer to be initiated as an elder, which means you are next in line to bring in your eldest son,” Oduyela turned to face Akande.

“As you know sir, he is now a graduate thanks to you, but at the moment he is in the Youth Corp, serving in Enugu. It will be difficult to recall him back home right now. I haven’t even had time to discuss this with him as I didn’t even know that Odugbemi would not bring his son. This is all so sudden for me,” finished Akande, squirming uncomfortably in his seat.

“I see,” replied Oduyela, he hadn’t seen this coming…was Akande trying to keep his son out of the eldership of the cult or was it just a convergence of circumstances that had put him in this difficult position?

He would have to watch him ‘spiritually’ in order to ascertain his loyalties, for he was not quite happy with his response.

In the meantime he would have to visit the Ancient Mothers once again and get their support against the coming battle with Oduyela.

Thankfully he would no longer require the services of that insolent Familiar, for the Mothers had given him direct access to them…they had given him a piece of soap and a potion to use…it would take seven days for him to prepare himself for the journey, but it would be worth it.

If the Ancient Mothers couldn’t help him, then his position as cult leader would be forfeit…perhaps his life would be too, because a former leader never stepped down except compelled to do so by the Queen Mother who in this case was deceased.

 It would mean a battle for survival and the strongest Elder would take the mantle of leadership.

In the meantime he had to find a way to bring back Akande’s son in order to even the playing field in his favour…for if there were four Elders against two, the Ancient Mothers might decide to use democratic means in order to forestall a battle that might very well disintegrate the cult.

“What if I get him redeployed to Lagos?” asked Oduyela suddenly.

“That will be fine by me,” answered Akande.

“I will talk to my son and persuade him to become an Elder in the cult. He is very ambitious and would want to quickly rise in the world to a position of wealth and power. That is the bait that I will throw to him, especially if he knows that upon his acceptance, there would be something automatically given to him,” concluded Akande.

“Very well, I will get him redeployed,” said Oduyela, much relieved that all Akande wanted was reassurance that his son would be given some money or a business of his own to run.

It was settled, there would be four Elders against two, but he had to work swiftly and bring the boy back so that he could be initiated as soon as possible.

In the meantime, Adebajo was not the only one that could call on fallen angels to do his bidding…Adebajo had called upon Ba’al one of the mightiest Principalities…he did it merely to demonstrate to the cult the extent of his power...in doing so, he had slighted Oduyela the legal leader of the cult, for he had not been instructed to act independently.

Oduyela had thought his next line of action through…he needed to stop the bloodshed before things spiralled out of control. Adebajo had not taken into consideration the Plan that they were trying to formulate as a cult…he had acted on his own.

He recalled that there was a Principality that the Queen Mother had summoned several times to do his bidding…all the ‘older’ Elders were familiar with him…he would summon him to stop the blood bath…it might mean an open confrontation between him and Ba’al but at the very least it would draw the attention of the Lord of Darkness who would then be forced to step in and do something…Oduyela had made up his mind…he would summon Janut!

He who was also known as Sango   in the mother tongue…both Principalities were warlike…let them battle it out.

Chapter 16
Kola wasn’t surprised that Pastor Adewusi had been unable to deliver him from anything…what surprised him was his wife’s faith in him. He supposed it was because he was her pastor, and pastors were the ones who did that sort of thing in church.

He had tried to explain to his wife all the way back home why the Translucent Man would not leave, but she didn’t believe.

“He isn’t a demon; he must be a fallen angel or something! Look, even angels appeared to Man throughout the ages,” he had said, beginning to get exasperated.

“And who told you they had the power to put on flesh?” Wunmi had countered.

“Okay, remember the story of the two angels that came to the gate of Sodom whom Lot invited to his house for a meal?” asked Kola.

“Yeah I remember the story in Genesis 19 I think, but God must have given them the power to put on mortal flesh, not that they had the power in themselves,” said Wunmi, gripping the steering wheel more firmly.

She was determined not to give in because it seemed to her that he just didn’t want to be delivered. It was his lack of faith that had prevented him from being delivered; not Pastor Adewusi’s failure or lack of faith.

“Then how did those fallen angels that the bible said ‘left their first estate’; how did they put on mortal flesh, did God give them the ability, the ones who came down to earth and mated with mortal women?”

Wunmi didn’t have an answer to that one…for the moment, but she would go and search the scriptures, she was pretty sure that the answer would be there somewhere.

“My point is that if you had been far less sceptical and indifferent to the whole thing, you might have been delivered. You didn’t show any sign of earnestness, let alone remorse or repentance. You looked bored and at one point you looked even amused, I saw you smiling faintly,” said Wunmi who was now really frustrated with her husband.

“I mean this demon or whatever, almost made you kill yourself and you still want ties with him? I don’t understand you Kola,” she finished, almost at the top of her voice.

Kola sat back and let her words sink in. They had almost arrived at home…he too wasn’t sure what he wanted anymore…if the Translucent Man wanted him dead, did that not mean the deal was cancelled?

 Yet he had made no attempt to remove the brain chip from inside Kola’s head…he still had fantastic strength and fantastic speed…it made him a god on earth!

If only he could be allowed to demonstrate his powers in front of a TV camera, the whole world would fall at his feet and worship him…wasn’t that worth the deal?

 After all it wasn’t as if his wife Wunmi would die, the guy just wanted to birth a son through her that was all, then they could continue with their lives.

He had to find a way to appeal to the Translucent Man…maybe they could figure out another way, even if it meant drugging his wife…drugging his wife! Why hadn’t he thought of that before?

Janut smiled when he read his thoughts…mortals were a lot smarter than he had thought, he had to give them credit!

Wunmi carried her sleeping daughter into her room and her son followed her, holding on to her dress. She felt for them both, they had had a difficult time, staying first with the music director and then being transferred to the pastor’s home…she hadn’t been very available to them…she promised herself that she would stick to them closer than a shadow from now on.

She had second thoughts as she closed the door of their room quietly…she would spend the night with them in their room…as long as this Translucent Man was still at large, none of them were safe…but she wasn’t afraid of him either…she knew she could deal with him if he tried anything…she had seen enough of the Spirit’s power moving through her to ever doubt it again.

Kola lay on his bed not daring to sleep…the guy might show up and he didn’t want to be caught unawares…he left the light on and propped himself up with a pillow, then he began to plan…it should be fairly easy to drug his wife with something…a cold drink perhaps…it would have to be whenever she was in a good mood, which meant that he would have to mend fences with her first.

He recalled the ‘Deliverance’ session he had had with the pastor…he could sense the Translucent Man hovering around him invisibly…if he wasn’t within him, how could he be cast out?

He smiled to himself as he remembered the fervency with which the pastor and his wife had prayed for his deliverance…it had really amused him…perhaps his conscience was truly dead after all…he even remembered the drive back home…where did those scriptures come from that he kept spewing out?

He hadn’t read his bible in years!

Yet they all made perfect sense! The Translucent Man was a fallen angel or how else could he appear and disappear in a tangible body at will? He had since ruled out the possibility of him being an alien…aliens would need some form of mobility…they would have landed in a space ship or something…they didn’t just show up on earth without any visible signs.

You are smart! So now you know exactly what I am…and no, you didn’t remember those scriptures…I gave them to you, you moron! Janut whispered to himself as he faded from the scene.

So now he knew that Kola still wanted his ‘powers’ and was still willing to give him his wife…he had even figured out a new way to do it…Janut would wait.

The other Familiar had returned from reporting to the mortal who sent him…his orders were to remain with Kola until he had something new to report…so let him stay.

He Janut had other matters to attend to…like the Summoning he had received from the mortal known as Oduyela…the dead Queen Mother’s right hand man…he knew he would never be summoned except there was some emergency…the Lord of Darkness himself had assigned him to this cult because they had a special purpose in his Plan…he would do well to honour the Summons…

Ade leaned back and planned the meeting he would have with Kola Adeleke who appeared to be his only real competition in the country. The man had spread his tentacles all the way to the US…he had several offices and research labs scattered all over the country…obviously he was on to something big that required so many bases of operation, and he intended to find out what he was up to.

He had been trained thoroughly by the expensive training outfit he had hired, but much more…his Familiar had expedited the learning process by imparting skills he had never known before in the sphere of Bio-engineering and the entire microchip technology, duplicated and transferred from his many instructors to him.

He probably knew more now than Kola did…for that was the command he had given to his Familiar…to teach him more than Kola knew, so his Familiar had paid a visit to Kola to ascertain what he knew…in doing this he had discovered that Kola was linked to a fallen angel known as Janut!

Ade had been informed by his Familiar that Janut had been at the Great Battle fought six years ago, (of which battle is spoken of in the novel ‘Enemy of Darkness’) which meant that he was associated with the cult of the Queen Mother.

“Interesting,” Ade had said out loud as he received the information in his mind through his Familiar.
He knew he had to be careful because he was being watched.

When the son of an Elder in the cult refused a vacant position of an Elder, it might mean he had plans to leave the cult and a Watcher was assigned to him…the slightest sign of betrayal would mean instant death.

So Ade had played safe…attended the usual monthly General Meetings of the cult…paid his dues in blood sacrifices and whatever else they required of him…but now he was beginning to think of a possible alliance by one who was also a son of a late Elder of the cult, but had never been initiated…maybe this fallen angel could be useful in helping him realize his dreams…so Ade had gone ahead to find out everything he could about Kola and finally met him in person at a highbrow restaurant that Kola frequently visited.

He had introduced himself and after only a few minutes, had gotten Kola very interested in him and what he was doing…he had even hinted on being on the verge of discovering a technology that could anticipate and reverse the effects of an imminent heart failure…the possibilities were endless!

That was when Kola had taken the bait and said he would be happy to associate with him; so Ade had arranged a lavish Press Conference/Dinner at a very expensive hotel to highlight the ‘Advances in Microchip Technology’; and had sent out invitations to people whom he knew would be interested.

Kola had already responded; in fact they were already on first name terms and had each made a couple of personal phone calls to each other.

 The die was cast, but Ade had other motives besides meeting Kola…he knew that if Kola came to a meeting of such public magnitude, it was likely this fallen angel would be in attendance also; and if he was there, Ade’s Familiar would let him know.

Then Ade could leave hints for the fallen angel indicating he would like a meeting…there were passwords and codes that he could drop and Kola not being in the cult, wouldn’t even know…the fallen angel would know though…because the codes were certain words of power used to open lines of communication to the Other World…yes he would know that Ade wanted to communicate with him.

There were things Ade wanted, and wanted to do in this world…things that went beyond wealth and fame and power.

Ade wanted a body that was immortal…he knew that all mortal bodies were subject to death…but he also knew that fallen angels might have the technology to fashion an immortal body for him…one to which he could transfer his spirit and soul…after all, it was the easiest thing in the world for him to travel out of his body with his spirit…it was the first thing he had learnt as the son of an Elder…a potential Elder himself.

Weren’t these fallen angels the same ones that came down to earth and mated with mortal women? How did they acquire fleshly bodies to indulge their lust? If there was a way to do this, then Kola’s fallen angel would know…it was just a matter of finding out what the fallen angel would like in return…things of the spirit were always exchanged by way of trade by barter…

Gods of the earth -Chapters 13 & 14

Chapter 13

Pastor Adewusi had known he had derailed a long time ago…it had started with a seemingly innocuous invitation to come and preach in a friend’s church. He had allowed himself to be caught up in the glamour of the honour accorded to him as a ‘Man of God’…the lavish hotel he had been lodged…the complicated protocol detailed to serve and meet his every need…and finally the huge check he had been given…since then he had never looked back. His friend and former classmate Pastor Essien had introduced him to his circle of friends as a ‘very dynamic pastor’ and that had resulted in several invitations to ‘minister’ which he had not turned down.

His entire status had changed…his once small church had enlarged and now he received invitations from the US and the UK. The life of luxury and comfort had overwhelmed both himself and his wife till even their sermons had changed…once, their sermons where mostly about Self Denial…the Crucified Life…Keeping one’s self unspotted from the world…but now all that had changed…now they were more concerned about ‘How to be fulfilled in life’ and ‘How to be successful in life’.

It was merely out of a guilty conscience that he had preached that sermon last Sunday on ‘Preparing for the Rapture’. He himself was badly in need of that message…perhaps it was no coincidence that he had almost died. He shouldn’t have preached a sermon that he himself had not been practising; it was very dangerous to do so…he had narrowly escaped death and certain judgement.

It was the reason why he and his wife had decided to go on a Retreat for seven days even though they had only recently returned from a trip abroad…there was a need for deep repentance.

They were in the third day of their fast when a scripture had hit him like a thunderbolt, out of the blue…book, chapter and verse...

Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

He had seen himself clearly in that Scripture…for he had not denied him-SELF, instead he had indulged himself…he had not taken up his cross DAILY – the instrument of his sacrifice; rather he had taken up instruments that revived his Self…clearly he had not therefore been following Christ his Saviour, rather he had been following the god of this world…he had not been serving God, he had been serving Mammon.

This revelation threw him into depths of anguish as he found himself constrained to the floor in godly sorrow for the wasted weeks and months.

It was in the fifth day of their retreat that Pastor Adewusi received some hope…

2Cor 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

It was his wife who had woken up with that scripture on her lips…it was meant for them both, she said.

Pastor Adewusi knew its implications…he was to come out of this new circle of friends and remain on his own…he was never to preach their messages again, and only then would he be received back into the beloved…in other words he was on probation!

God could not be mocked or deceived…he tried the hearts of men…this was the trying of his heart…it was easy to ask for forgiveness and one would be forgiven…but it was quite another thing to repent.

God had indeed forgiven them…but they had to play their own part too and repent, otherwise they would begin to slide inexorably back into the world from which they had been saved…their consciences would begin to be seared, causing them to lose their sensitivity to the Spirit…perhaps forever.

Pastor Adewusi processed all that in his mind as the import of the scripture sank in. He had lost the fear of the Lord! He had had to be rescued by one of the sheep placed in his care…the sheep rescuing the under shepherd, how he had fallen! 

As they drove back home in sober silence, Pastor Adewusi reflected on how to repair the damage he had done to the flock of Christ…how to make restitution…he cast his mind back to the spiritual attacks that had been going on for a while in the homes of Wunmi and Mary and how powerless he had been to stop any of it.

He had been too caught up in the pleasures of this world that they had choked the Word almost completely out of his life.

EPH 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; 

It had floated subtly into his mind as he drove, thinking about restitution…but he knew exactly what the scripture was saying to him…he had filled himself with exotic meals and fruit wines and juices as a guest minister in so many churches…now it was time to stop and begin to fill himself with the Spirit of God.

He was very familiar with that Scripture…its literal translation in Greek was ‘and be BEING filled with the Spirit of God’; meaning that it was a continuous process this infilling.

He should have known better…but it was a mistake he would never make again…he had not been there for Wunmi and Mary when they needed help with their children, but now…it was time to wrestle against Principalites and Powers and Wicked Spirits in Heavenly Places…as he turned into the driveway of his home, he uttered a silent prayer to the Lord…he was ready!

Muyiwa had been very busy and had wanted no distractions, so he had switched off his phone. The Translucent Man had returned to him and given me something he never dreamt he could have in his lifetime.

The Translucent Man had said he preferred working with Muyiwa than with Kola because Muyiwa was more reasonable. Kola had been scared off because the Translucent Man had gotten a little angry with him…but friends always got angry with each other right? At least that was what the Translucent Man had told Muyiwa.

Anyway the Translucent Man had sat beside him and discussed several propositions…it was the reason why Muyiwa had switched off his phone.

“You wanted badly to be a surgeon…I cannot give you a degree or other certifications, but I can give you the skills of a world class surgeon. Furthermore I can take those experiments that you have in your basement to a whole new level. You want to create talking animals? I can help you do that. If you don’t believe me, take me to your labs downstairs.”

“What if you want to kill me there?” asked Muyiwa uncertainly, he still remembered quite clearly the attempt on his life by the Translucent Man.

“If I wanted to kill you, I would do it right here and now. Why would I go all the way to your basement?” said the Translucent Man reassuringly.

“Now take me down to your basement and let me show you a thing or two.”

The monkey stared at Muyiwa belligerently, but when he saw the Translucent Man behind him, it started howling and hopping around its cage, violently pulling on the reinforced iron bars as it sought for a way of escape.

“It is afraid of me,” said the Translucent Man by way of explanation.

“You will need these instruments if you would like to make it talk,” the Translucent Man reached into his midsection and pulled out two strange instruments that obviously did not exist on earth; at least not that Muyiwa knew of.

“You will need an artificial human voice box or Adam’s apple as you call it here, but you don’t have in your world yet, so I created several for you.” He opened the first instrument and Muyiwa saw what looked like scores of various 'voice boxes'.

“Some are male and some are female, depending on what kind of voice you would want your talking animal to have. I will give you not only all these voice boxes, but also authenticate your invention of them by teaching you right now how to make them by yourself.”

“How will you do that?” asked Muyiwa, not daring to breath…his hands trembled with excitement at the possibilities that were boggling his mind.

“I can simply give you the required skills. All I have to do is transfer them to your mind through means that are not known in your world. I can do it now if you want?”

Muyiwa licked his dry lips and nodded his head. The monkey was still howling until the Translucent Man gave him a deliberate long stare. Suddenly the monkey sat down docilely.

The Translucent Man laid his hand on Muyiwa’s head and Muyiwa felt himself falling…he thought he was falling to the ground, but the falling did not stop…instead it began to accelerate in speed…he felt like he had fallen through the ground and was still falling…his eyes were closed but he felt a palpable darkness all around him.

When he opened his eyes he found himself on a long and circular table and there were several Translucent Men all around him. They were inserting their fingers into his head and chest and curiously he felt no pain…not even numbness.

Muyiwa woke up to find himself on the floor under the stare of the Translucent Man. He felt like a thousand pins were pricking him right in the centre of his brain…he felt his mind expanding with new ideas…but best of all, he remembered skills and knowledge he knew he had never learnt! Indeed he couldn’t have learnt them because they didn’t even exist in his own world!

“You remember skills that you never learnt, do you not?” asked the Translucent Man, staring down at him.

Muyiwa nodded…he was speechless…he turned his head and looked at the monkey…it stared back at him…suddenly Muyiwa knew exactly how to give it a human voice. He stood up slowly and reached out for the second instrument in the Translucent Man’s hand.

“Not so fast,” said the Translucent Man, closing has hand.

“I have given you something and now you have to give me something back in return.”

“I know, and I have tried but she is too powerful, it isn’t my fault that she resists you. I gave her to you already in the ceremony you asked me to perform,” protested Muyiwa mildly.

“Which is why we have to find another way,” persisted the Translucent Man.

“She will return from Church and you will act like you are repentant.  She will forgive you and then you will make love to her, except that I will be in you at that time but I will not surface until you are ready to climax. That is when I will surface in you…I will possess you; and your seed will become my seed. She will bear me a son. If you agree to this, I promise you greatness, fame and power beyond your wildest imaginations. The entire world will fall at your feet and worship you because of this and other breakthroughs that I will give you.”

Muyiwa didn’t hesitate; “I accept.”

The Translucent Man opened the palm of his hand and gave Muyiwa the second instrument.

Chapter 14

Janut stared contemptuously at the Familiar spirit that had been sent to spy on Kola. Wicked Spirits were the lowest level of spirits dwelling in the Heavenlies…they weren’t even fallen angels…they were the spirits of the giants of old…the seed of fallen angels birthed by mortal women…they were the children of fallen angels so to speak.

“Well at least you can be of some use,” said Janut at length. “You will monitor him, especially his thoughts…I want to know everything he thinks.”

The Familiar spirit nodded unhappily; “I am bound with strong ties to a wizard who asked me to report back to him in three days.”

“And who is this wizard, does he have a name?” asked Janut, beginning to feel anger boiling up in him.

“He goes by the name Adebajo,” replied the Familiar spirit.

“Oh, he is well known to me…indeed he is quite a favourite with the Lord of Darkness. Very well then, do whatever he asks, but within those three days I also will require a report.”

“Yes my lord,” said the Familiar spirit, bowing out of Janut’s presence.

Janut watched him disappear before he too faded into his true self…he spread his wings painfully as far as they could go and folded them back…they had been scarred and broken in the battle against Michael and his angels. 

Michael had commanded fire to fall and his angels had obliged him and bombarded the Enemy Hosts with arrows of fire and brimstone…a foretaste of the eternal judgment that would later await them. He batted away the unpleasant memory, remembering how he and many others had been deceived by the Lord of Darkness with grandiose visions and plans of power and freedom from subservience. 

Now he knew exactly what he had to do…he had to recruit an army of Familiar spirits, like the army that had inhabited the man named Legion in the earthly days of the Nazarene…except that this time, he would put them to good use…for even if Kola intended to break oath with him, it would be impossible with such an army dwelling in him…then he Janut could then concentrate solely on Muyiwa who appeared to be more malleable…after all, he had accepted the deal...Familiars would power the supposed ‘voice boxes’…then when he had completed his task of bringing in the son of a fallen angel into the world, he could dismiss them and then kill the man.

“This must stop now and this is the only way Kola, you need to be delivered,” said Wunmi firmly as she linked her hand in his as they walked out of the eatery.

Kola watched her as she drove off into the thick traffic…he wondered if she really believed that some sort of deliverance would deliver him out of the hands of the Translucent Man, especially after he Kola had what belonged to the Translucent Man in his head; and furthermore had actually been using his gifts.

“Is it Pastor Adewusi who will conduct the deliverance for me?” he asked, barely suppressing a giggle of hopelessness.

“Yes, why?” asked Wunmi, glancing briefly at her husband.

“Nothing, it seems to me that he was powerless to do anything at the hospital to help me when I was compelled to poison myself; neither was he able to save himself from certain death if you hadn’t been there to save him, from the story you told me. So how come you suddenly think he will be able to deliver me?” asked Kola sceptically.

Wunmi slowed down and switched over to the slow lane…”Kola, I didn’t save you or him, it was the Holy Spirit working through me. I did nothing. The Holy Spirit merely used me that day. It could have been Pastor Adewusi too,” she said, a little heatedly. It bothered her that her husband still appeared to be sceptical about his deliverance even after he had had a close encounter with death!

“Whatever, but I would have more faith if it were you conducting my deliverance,” said Kola.

“I don’t get it Kola, do you want me to turn back? Would you rather go back and face this Translucent Man again? What exactly do you want?” Wunmi had allowed her emotions to get the better of her.

Janut cackled to himself…he was in his true form…he preferred to inhabit Kola in his true form…the Translucent Man’s body even though it was non-material, yet it was tangible, it limited his functions. The Familiar that had recently arrived joined in the laughter until he encountered Janut’s stern look.

“You should watch and learn, not amuse yourself. I am trying to teach you how to use their thoughts and emotions against them!” said Janut, feigning annoyance.

“Yes my lord,” said the Familiar, immediately preoccupying himself with watching husband and wife…he could see that the wife had lost her temper…he could see that Janut had caused it by using her husband’s indifference against her as a weapon…all Janut seemed to be doing was whispering words into Kola’s mind, and they became his thoughts…which in turn became his words.

Adebajo watched the Sigidi (for that was the traditional name given to an effigy animated by a spirit or Familiar); walk away into the deadness of the night…except that it was no ordinary Familiar…it was the Principality known as Ogun the Yoruba god of war!

He was to be the big diversion in the ultimate plan of the Lord of Darkness…the ‘men of God’ thought they knew all the prophecies and how they would come to pass…they didn’t think that the Lord of Darkness knew them all even much better…it didn’t occur to them that he too had plans of his own…

Lucifer cackled through the lips of Adebajo…it had been necessary for him to possess him briefly for the Plan to work, for Ba’al (that was his rightful name), would never allow a mere mortal to command him, let alone send him on errands. He was a fallen angel...a high ranking Principality.

Adebajo had created the Sigidi…but it had been Lucifer that had sent it forth on its deadly errand, animated by Ba’al lord of death.

 

Once the lord of death had done his work, the Gateway would be open…at first it would be a small Gateway, but like all spiritual things…it was bound to grow in leaps and bounds…it was going to be totally unforeseen…a catastrophe that would draw back the Majesty’s plans.

For as it was in the days of Noah when fallen angels freely walked the earth and mated with mortal women of their choice…so it would be once again…only much sooner than mortals think…for a disruption in the plan of the Majesty would bring about a delay in his plans…this would in turn give him more freedom.

He soared out of Adebajo, leaving him to drop to the ground like a pile of wet clothes…till he was able to regain his senses again.

When Prince Adebajo was finally able to stand up, he stared blankly into space…he knew what was coming next…already the war had begun…a small spark can cause a mighty fire…it was a small spark that had ignited the fire…a fire that would not likely be put out soon.

They had sang songs often that boasted in the power of their God…forgetting their weaknesses, they had come to Services in buildings that had Air Conditioning that they could no longer live without. Weak over pampered spoilt little brats that would run at the sign of the smallest hardship or persecution…they had no endurance whatever!

So let them go through it if they can, muttered Adebajo to himself.

“Let us see how many of them can stand face to face with torture and death”.

It had been all over the news the following day, how an extremist Islamic cult had gone to three churches and razed them down to the ground, killing scores of people and maiming even more.

No one had thought it could happen in the West of the country…they had thought things like that only happened in the Northern parts…now they were face to face with reality.

Within the week, most churches stopped holding any Services…Christians stayed at home, frightened and very fearful…some even went to work wearing turbans! They said 'God had given them that wisdom'.

The streets were full of the Extremists, battling the combined forces of the army and the police…but no one knew where next they would attack.

All members of God’s Glory Church had been contacted, as many as were on the database of the church…there would be no Services until further notice. The Church had been locked up, but it was not just God's Glory Church...most churches had been locked up.

Ogun…or should we say Ba’al, had done his work well…there had been a blood bath, and now the spirit of fear and  intimidation would do the rest of the work. Christians loved their SELVES too much…it was the way they had been brought up and trained…how to be SELF-fulfilled…how to be SELF-confident…how to be successful in this material world.

So now it was time to test their faith…or lack of it…Adebajo smiled and walked back to his car. He had come alone to his shrine where he usually spent at least two nights a week.

Now all they had to do was wait…the smoke would soon flush them all out…all in good time…