Memnoch the Devil (The Vampire Chronicles 5)

"Why?'

"Lord, there are millions lost to you for every million saved. '

"You know that I know this, do you not?'

"Lord, have mercy on them! Have mercy on the humans of the Earth who seek through countless rituals to reach you, know you, and appease you. '

"Why?'

"I didn't answer. I was dumbstruck. I thought. And then I said, 'Lord, do you not care for these souls who are drifting in confusion? Who suffer so in darkness?'

"'Why should I?' He asked.

"Again, I took my time. It was imperative that this answer count.

But in the interval he spoke:

"Memnoch, can you count for me all of the stars? Do you know their names, their orbits, their destinies in Nature? Can you give me a rough calculation, Memnoch, of the number of grains of sand in the sea?'

"No, Lord, I can't. '

"Throughout my Creation, there are creatures whose spawn numbers in the thousands, of which only a tiny portion survive¡ªfishes of the sea, turtles of the sea, winged insects of the air. A hundred, a million even, of one species may be born under the arc of one day's sun, with only a handful to survive and reproduce. Don't you know this?'

"Yes, Lord, I know. I knew in ages past. I knew when the animals were evolved. I knew. '

"So what is it to me that only a handful of souls come to the Gates of Heaven? Maybe I will send you to Sheol again, in Time. I will not say. '

"Lord, humankind is sentient and suffering!'

"Must we argue again about Nature? Humankind is my creation, Memnoch, and its development whether you know it or not follows my Laws. '

"But, Lord, everything under the sun dies eventually, and these souls have the potential to live forever! They are outside the cycle! They are made of invisible will and knowledge. Lord, surely they were meant within the Laws to come to Heaven, how could it not be? I am asking you, Lord, I am asking you to tell me, because as much as I love you, I don't understand. '

"Memnoch, the invisible and the willful are embodied in my angels and they obey my laws. '

"Yes, Lord, but they don't die. And you talk to us, and you reveal yourself to us, and you love us, and you let us see things. '

"You don't think the beauty of Creation reveals my light to Humankind? You don't think these souls, which you yourself have brought here, have not developed out of a perception of the glory of all that has been made?'

"Many more could come, Lord, with just a little help. The number here now is so small. Lord, the lower animals, what can they conceive of that they cannot have? I mean, the lion conceives of the meat of the gazelle and he gets it, does he not? Human souls have conceived of Almighty God and are longing for Him. '

"You've proved that to me already,' he said. 'You've proved it to all of Heaven. '

"But these were a few! Lord, if you were only flesh and blood, if you had only gone down as I did¡ª'

"'Memnocn. '

"No, Lord, forgive me, but I can't deny you my finest efforts, and my finest efforts at logic tell me that if you went down and became flesh and blood as I did, you would better know these Creatures whom you think you know but you don't!'

"No answer.

"Lord, your light doesn't penetrate human flesh. It mistakes it for animal flesh and always has! Lord, you may know all but you don't know every tiny thing! You can't, or you couldn't leave these souls languishing in Sheol in agony. And you could not allow the suffering of men and women on Earth to go without context. I don't believe it! I don't believe you would do it! I don't believe it. '

"Memnoch, for me it is only necessary to say something once. '

"I didn't answer.

"I'm being gentle with you,' He said.