"And now what boss?"
Michael asked.
"Now, now we all need a break. Especially me, as I need to organize my thoughts for a while. If you would like to join us in the garden for a light lunch, you are more than welcome. If you think you need some air, a break from everyone that's okay too you know. This has been a tough morning, and it won't get any better soon I'm afraid. So do what you think is best for yourself."
Salome addressed Alex:
"We must return to our universe Alex the thrones have been empty for some time."
She raised her finger admonishingly:
"But you can rest assured that we will return, that we will make our preparations so that we can stay longer, much longer! Beware if our grandchildren must complain about you!"
Aisha was more or less in the same mood:
"Salome is absolutely right. Just because we can't stay anywhere for long doesn't mean we don't want to see our little ones regularly because we too will make our preparations. So, son dear you better be a good father to our little ones and the same applies to you Samantha, being parents comes with a lot of responsibility. Make sure I don't have to pull your ears."
Samantha and Alexander got a solid headache almost simultaneously. What had started that morning with one grandmother and one grandfather had suddenly doubled. Which meant there were now four who would want to spoil their children rotten at any cost! And that wasn't even counting Grandma El and Grandpa Lu who were neighbors and walked in and out of the suite as if it were a second home...
When the four gods had disappeared, the counsel stood up and everyone made their way toward the garden. Halfway to his office, Alexander noticed Raquel lagging behind at the conference table.
"Raquel? Are you staying behind because you want to be alone for a while? Or is it because you are still too nervous to be around us? As I said at the table, you are more than welcome."
Her face lit up and she joined the group like lightning. In the garden, he quickly manifested a table long enough for everyone to sit down. Samantha, meanwhile, provided lunch and drinks. In addition to the large table, a second smaller table appeared for the children with mostly finger food. Samantha and himself took their seats after which the rest sat down and that custom began to get on his nerves quite a bit.
"Come on people, please don't do this in a casual atmosphere. Yes, I am the new God and yes, Samantha is the new Goddess but come on now, treat us as equals in an informal atmosphere so we can treat you as equals and not feel fucking exalted. Please?"
At the table, the nods were slow and certainly hesitant by the Angels who still did not know him so well. This God who seemingly hated protocol was something to get used to. He continued to amaze them again and again. And their new Goddess, like their God, turned out to hate protocol as much as he did. Samantha asked Dan:
"I realize very well that all this must be quite a shock to you Daniel. Are you okay or is there anything we can do for you to make this transition easier?"
He thought for a moment and said:
"To be honest MyLady..."
"Samantha please."
She interrupted him briefly.
"Samantha, none of this has sunk in yet. I still can't comprehend that I died, was murdered. And yet here I sit at this table. I can talk, I can see, I have what appears to be a physical body. I can smell the food here on the table and I am in the presence of Angels named in the Bible and God suddenly appears to have a Goddess as well, not to mention those four other Gods I have met. I was met at the gates of Hell by a Demon who welcomed me kindly as if I were an old friend and reassured me that I would not notice anything about my stay in Hell. I imagined my existence in Heaven quite differently, everyone a piece of paradise that resembled something familiar. For example, the place where you were happiest on Earth. Not an impressive city like this one here. But again, not as physical as it feels here. The important thing however is that I can hold Trixie in my arms. From what I understand I have you to thank for that."
Alexander was listening to the conversation with half an ear because he was busy jotting down notes in his notebook.
"No thanks needed Dan. I promised Beatrice that I would take you to Heaven, so Sam and I made sure it happened."
"Nevertheless, thanks man but also for rescuing Trixie from the hands of Decker and taking her into your family."
"Ah, goddamn..."
Cursed Alexander:
"One more thing that slipped in. I urgently need to visit her in her cell. That problem needs to be off the table so it can't bother me later. I can't use any distractions, especially not now."
With that, the conversation around the table fell silent. Everyone knew, of course, that he had committed himself to only one sentence. Since the justice department was not yet active, this would be a decision for the council. Zadkiel as head of that new department therefore asked:
"What punishment were you thinking of Alex?"
He thought for a moment:
"Beatrice, would you come join your father for a moment? I want to decide about your mother's punishment."
The girl stood up and went to sit on her father's lap. To everyone's surprise, the other three children also stood up. Elise, of course, wanted to sit on Alexander's lap and Sarah on Samantha's. David had walked a little uncertainly to Michael who took him on his lap without hesitation and got a broad smile from David as a reward. Alexander was unsure if he wanted to expose the children to this. Beatrice was bad enough, but she was a victim and her mother the perpetrator. He heard Samantha's voice in his head:
"I think this could be a good lesson for the kids Alex. Bad behavior has consequences, very bad behavior has hefty consequences."
"I think you're right Sam."
He replied equally soundlessly. The rest had long since figured out through observation that the two could communicate silently with each other without praying.
He looked at Beatrice sternly:
"Beatrice you know I have to punish your mother. But I also want to hear your voice so I can consider what you say when I propose a punishment. Okay?"
She nodded hesitantly, and Alex continued:
"I was thinking of a punishment broadly similar to Amenadiel. I want to send her back to Earth. But I want Mazikeen to bring her into the station where she, Dan, Lucifer, and Ella worked together, to face her colleagues but also to face Human justice."
He saw Dan nod, but Trixie remained impassive. He asked her:
"What do you think Sunflower?"
Not really enthusiastic she said:
"I know that mom deserves punishment but really don't want her to have to go to jail among very bad people. I have heard that police officers in jail get hurt a lot."
Dan added:
"I have to agree with Trixie Alex. Although I totally despise her at the moment and not only me, Lucifer no doubt too, but she is and always will be Trixie's mother. As a cop, I can state that a supermax may be equivalent to a death sentence."
Alex remained silent for a moment, he had expected something like this from Beatrice, but Dan pleasantly surprised him. With his next words, he proved to everyone at the table that not only did he know Beatrice would react this way but that he, as usual, was already three moves ahead in his thinking.
"I don't want to hurt Beatrice any more than she has already had to deal with. In my opinion, however, there is another mitigating circumstance. She is and remains a plaything of Godfry. That, of course, does not absolve her. She has free will and she chose to do what she did. Still, I think we should give her some respite, a small one. Especially when we also consider her state of mind. Her whole worldview was turned upside down and eventually collapsed completely. She came to know that Heaven and Hell exist. But also, that she had no chance of avoiding Hell from the beginning. If she succeeded in killing Lucifer, then she would go to Hell. If she refused to go after Lucifer, then she would be sent to Hell. And as an absolute climax, she learned that her actions would potentially cause over eight billion people to die on Earth if we failed."
He looked around the table for a moment and turned again to Dan and Beatrice:
"I propose the following compromise; Yes Mazikeen is going to bring her in but I will make sure three of our people, maybe four if needed, are involved in her case. Which people those are and how I will involve them I want to explain this afternoon. Decker tells the history as it actually happened. Lucifer is literally the Devil. The Vatican knows of his existence but lets the Devil have his way. She has seen Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and a bunch more Angels and Demons sitting around drinking whiskey, rum, and tequila together. I am the Antichrist who has removed God from the throne and is now the new God. Her attorney is going to plead insanity, an appointed psychiatrist will diagnose her, and the prosecutor is going to accept that after which she will be placed in a mental institution instead of a maximum-security prison in record time. Those three people belong to my organization on Earth and will get that done with ease. There she will remain until the universe implodes after which her soul will go to the new Hell. Because of the new rules in the new Hell, she has a chance of being allowed to go to Heaven one day but access to the city will be forbidden to her forever."
He took a sip and noticed that his plate was getting emptier and emptier without him eating himself. From three sides, food was stolen from his plate. On the left Samantha and Sarah, on the right Jasmine and from his lap Elise. When he looked at them, he saw only sneering smiles. Michael also seemingly had a little food thief on his lap. Deciding to ignore this, he manifested more food on his plate and shook his head before speaking further:
"I must honestly say that I was furious with her and would have preferred to dump her in level nine immediately. But that was a knee-jerk reaction. Afterwards, the feeling began to gnaw at me that by doing so I would be giving Godfry another small victory and that just doesn't sit well with me. Yes, she is a perpetrator, but I think she is also a victim. If we want to change Heaven and the rules to be more merciful, then we need to apply that to everyone. So, the compromise I suggested seems an appropriate punishment. What do you think Beatrice, Dan, Lucifer? You are her main victims."
His father snorted and said rather bitterly:
"For all I care, she can go to level nine! And that immediately makes me unqualified to pronounce a punishment. So, I'm going to abstain from a vote as well."
"Wow..."
Thought Alexander:
"No knee-jerk reaction from dad. He's making progress by leaps and bounds. Ella's influence?"
He knew very well that until a few days ago, Lucifer would have immediately been in favor of severe punishment. Now he found it in himself to distance himself. Alex looked at Dan and nodded to hear his answer.
"I would agree with Lucifer but I also must think of Trixie so I can agree with your compromise. As long as she stays very far away from me."
"And you Beatrice, what do you think?"
"If she has to go to Hell, then she has to prove herself that she can come to Heaven?"
"Indeed Beatrice."
"And if she never gets to Heaven then it is her own fault?"
"Yes we give her a chance but if she doesn't use it then it's her fault. Then no one can help her, she really must do it alone."
" If she gets a chance then I think it's fair."
"Thank you Beatrice."
He looked around the table:
"We have heard the three victims, I would like to vote now. Those who agree to the compromise please raise your hand."
All but three members, Celine, Michael, and Ella, voted in favor. He had already expected those three to vote against because of their personal connection not only to Lucifer but also to Dan in the case of Lucifer and Ella.
"Okay, I want to end this working day at 5 pm. No later because I want to be able to cook again and I want to give you guys time to think about what we are going to discuss later. I am going to talk to Decker after the meeting and make it clear to her what awaits her and what she needs to do to stay out of jail. Beatrice, if you want to say goodbye you can but Celine and Michael will stay with you at all times! Lucifer, Ella, I think you would also like to have a word with her. But I order you to stay away from her no matter how strong the urge is. You know perfectly well why. Michael will deliver her to Mazikeen afterwards. Gabe, would you send a message to her and tell her to expect Decker and deliver her to the bureau? But not a shred of physical violence!"
"Yes MyLord."