Good or Evil by Lorenzo Polonio Translated by Fabia Scali-Warner Copyright Delirium Ed.It 2011 Published by Delirium Ed.It Publishing at Smashwords <> (Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy, Hell, XXI, 139) <> (Stefano Benni, Elianto) I need someone I can rely on, the asshole said, I need someone out of the ordinary for this mission, the horned one said. And I was thinking to myself it smelled fishy, and as a matter of fact, to whom did he assign this disgusting affair? To me, Farfarello the devil, who else? And now I have to stay for a while in Rome, the pope's city by the way, where in the summer it's hot as hell. I can't even stand the heat. And moreover that guy, the pope, it looks like he has more friends than me both up above and down low, it's dangerous to hang around here for those like me, so who has been sent in full enemy territory? Who cares if I die, anyway? No one does, that's who cares, no one. Hey I mean, I do have friends both above and down low! And here's one of them, one of the friends I have above, that good for nothing of Ariel. The story of asexual angels is all his fault, he asked to be created without a willy because he didn't know what to make of it. And now he's here, hanging around St. Peter's square. If I got it right, his boss has assigned him the same mission I have. Actually, it's more likely that the devil made me come up here only because he wanted to bother the other one for a while. Shit, here he comes. He's camouflaging with the tourists according to him... Just what is he wearing? Sandals, socks with his sandals, shorts that seem to have come out of the 1950s, sunglasses with a flourescent green frame, an electric blue hawaiian shirt with white flowers and a 1920 photographic camera. Good thing he was trying to keep a low profile... If I had the habit of praying, I'd pray not to be seen with him. -Farfarelle, amice mihi!- He must have discovered Latin is the official language around here. -Hello Ariel, I hadn't recognized you, nice disguise, what are you doing here? -Laboro!- He must have lost his mind during the centuries. -Here for work? I'm on holiday instead. By the way, you're disguised as a tourist, you shouldn't speak Latin... -You also think it's unappropriate? -Kind of! -But let's hear of you- he says smiling -You look good... So you have holidays? We don't... -Yes we do. But you know how the boss is, always offbeat. -I know, I know, he's a troublemaker. -Shall we talk about the damage yours did? Crusades, holy wars, stakes... -You rebels, always rebuking us for our mistakes... -Because if you did something right we would be too astonished to applaud. -What about you then?- When he get angry like this he loses feathers bacause of the stress -Lucifer could have kept calm instead he wanted free will, free elections in heaven, rights for all, of course they kicked him out, he caused a revolt!- I would gladly swear at him but G... his boss, better not even think it, has made so that angels can't hear certain things. -The supreme, like all bosses, just wanted deaf and blind servants. When we grew tired of being slaves, what did he do? He repaid us with war- Useless, he isn't listening. And with centuries of censorship on their behalf, we are the evil ones now. But I'm going to show him -There's a rumour that our boss wants the sword you're after, you're here for that, aren't you? -The sword of the apocalypse? What use do you have for it? How do you know? -I know because I'm here to prevent you from retrieving it. You know, the Earth gives us a lot of souls every year, we wouldn't even care much, but you guys have written the rules. -So you and I are to be adversaries once again? I don't want to fight to the death with a friend... But I don't know, maybe we should, if upstairs they complain that I didn't... but perhaps we should hurry, I don't know. What do you think? -I don't know. Rather, what are you going to do once the world is over? -I haven't thought about it- Here's the problem, they don't think, that's why HE has kept them. -Because I was thinking, I you think well about it no humans means there's no need for you, nor of us. Only peace and bliss and those things you do in heaven on Sunday afternoons. -Isn't that beautiful? -If you like it... -What about you then? What will you guys do? -Some of us will return upstairs, some others will stay down, you know what the Book says... -Why did you want to stop me then? -Because it's a mistake, the rules, as I told you, were made by you guys. Hell would be of no use anymore, punishment doesn't make sense if you can't aspire to heaven, you invented it on purpose to keep people quiet. HE would suddenly become... how can I say it? -C... Cruel? -Cruel, that's it, he would become cruel, there would be another revolt in no time. You don't want another blood bath do you? -You're right, I have to tell the boss, I can't let him committ this unforgivable mistake, I have to run and warn him. I have to stop him. I have to prevent him from...- He realizes too late what he's saying. He's considering HIM wrong, he's rebelling. Hypotheses of revolt are always punished in the same way and Ariel falls. Simply, like I fell so long ago. It comes like a pain, something he has never felt before. He collapses to the ground for a moment. I help him get up, his purity is quickly gone. With the same speed of his collapsing. I feel pity for this poor devil that is after all my friend. He says -So, you've won!- I nod -Just answer my question- he continues with a tear sliding down his cheek. -Where is the sword?- I show him. -I would never have found it. Do you think He knew? -Who knows... do you want to come down already? -No, not yet, first a flight together, like in the old days. Shall we? It's sunset, the city rapidly drifts away from our feet while we take off, from above the city seems even larger and grander. I have to admit that the Eternal has done one good thing: His creature. Man knows how to do great things when not busy in considering himself greater than Him. We fly towards the sun, the sky seems very distant to both of us. In hell life is hell. And if the devil assigns me tasks like this one, it's even more of an hell, but at least know I know there's a friend with me. Eternity will seem a little less sad.