<span style="font-style: italic">“Always a pleasure to see you as well, Lieutenant Köhler. Berlin was… is as magnificent as ever, if a bit quiet.” </span>Udo said.<br/><br/>The Archdevil holding the champagne glass chuckled and nodded his head.<span style="font-style: italic">“I cannot agree more, Officer Udo.”</span>His eyes shone with glints of amusement mixed with a lot of confusion.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Oh, but enough about me. How have you been since our last mission together? And you…”</span>Udo asked Erlind and turned his full attention to Kai,<span style="font-style: italic">“I’ve not caught your name.”</span><br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“As always Officer, better than I have ever been. Same routine for the most part. Our victory in Poland was so far an exquisite entrée. This is but the beginning for our Germany, my friend.”</span>He responded and turned his attention to Kai as well.<br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">This man, Asmodeus. He feels like someone who'd enjoy the sick stuff with us, am I not right? -  Can I play a game with him? Can I make him my toy?</span></span>Kai communicated to Erlind. Only he could hear. The tone though was almost mocking. Erlind hid his uncontrollable grin behind his champagne glass, emptying it at a gulp.<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">I like him. It is rare that I like humans and their stench , you know that. But this one, he's special. His bravery and dignity are rare. Feel free to toy with him. He's all yours, but if I was you, I would want to make a treaty between him and I...If you see what I mean, Kai.</span></span>Erlind responded and listened carefully, as Kai proceeded to bewitch Udo with his words. The Demon had that affect on both men and women, children and elders. Kai had a  talent in the effective use of words. It really depended on how strong mentally Udo was, and how much longer he could resist the urge to take that hand and shake it.<br/><br/>Erlind  looked away from the two men and studied his surroundings.<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Tomorrow, I shall introduce Isolde to Adolph Hitler.</span></span>The Demon thought to himself. Once introduced, he planned to get her a position as the Leader's secretary and then it would be very easy for the both to conduct a successful assassination. It had to be one that would make the world believe that Hitler took his own life. Just as he smiled at the idea, Erlind felt a blast of heat on his back and neck. He raised an eyebrow and rubbed his forehead, glancing around to see a cloaked shadow peeking out at him from behind a white ceramic pillar. The face was hooded so he could not recognize the person. The dark brown figure moved from one pillar to another in a surreal speed that it would appear as no more than a blur to the eyes of a mortal. He heard a strangled cry but he was not very sure where the sound could have come from. It could have been anything. The evening had made him a mess to the point where he could simply not think clearly and the fact that Adolph Hitler was still in the possession of his Seal was not making the situation any better.<br/><br/>Suddenly, his body began to tighten and sweat formed on his forehead.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Excuse me please, Lieutenant Colonel Köhler. My name is Gestapo Inspector Rafael Halsz. I have something urgent to discuss with you, if you please.“</span><br/><br/>Startled by the voice, Erlind turned around and his face turned into this sickly pale complexion. His eyes widened and the breath he inhaled caught in his throat. The holy light emitting from the aura of the Angel was too blinding. It made certain blood vessels in the whites of his eyes break, forming tiny red spots everywhere.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Inspector... <span style="font-weight: bold">Rafael</span> Halsz“</span>Erlind tipped his head sideways, struggling to sound confident when he was really quite nervous. That Holy presence was suffocating, and not in a good way.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Please trust me. I have terrific news“ </span>The Inspector in disguise added.<br/><br/>Erlind forced his gaze on the Archangel and remained quite for exactly twenty seconds. He was not pondering the sincerity in the Archangel’s tone – that he trusted. If Raphael wanted him dead, he would not have needed to ask him for permission to follow him, nor would he seek to trick him into going with him somewhere. The Angels did not play mind games, only the unholy ones found constant pleasure in exercising such filthy tasks. It was their way of wasting time. During that twenty seconds, Erlind remembered just how much he hated him, forever blaming him for his misery. The Demon took in a deep breath and attempted to regain a rigid control of himself. He raised his chin in defiance and looked straight into the Archangel’s eyes.<br/><br/>For a short, short moment, It felt as if God himself was staring back at him straight through those frighteningly  yet undeniably beautiful blue eyes.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“Sure. Please, follow me, Inspector.“</span>Erlind responded calmly. He glanced at Kai and excused himself from Officer Udo.<br/><br/>Jaw clenched, the Demon began to make a way towards a side exit. He was totally unaware that the Witch he despised the most – Darcy – was the one clouding his mind. He did not think of Isolde once since the moment she left the auditorium, nor did he feel like he should worry about her whereabouts. If Raphael’s kick in the nuts awoken the people from their trance, it surely did not help Erlind’s case. The reality itself, of losing complete control was like that of a sharp backhanded slap across the face.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and open to reason. It is full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.“</span>The Demon repeated James 3:17 and paused a few meters away from the main building. He used a large tree as a cover against the falling snow. He pulled out a cigar with two fingers and gently blew on the end of its tip, lighting it.<span style="font-style: italic"> ’’Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God, Mathiew 5:9... Ah! He should have spoken of <span style="font-weight: bold">the</span> exception, isn't it, Raphael?’’</span>Erlind chuckled weakly and rubbed at his left temple. He looked at the Holy One and took a puff of the cigar, he then looked away and exhaled the smoke. Standing that close to his nemesis was that one last thing he sincerely believed would never happen -- ever again, yet there he was.<span style="font-style: italic">’’I am listening, Raphael. What terrific news do you have for me?’’</span>Erlind breathed cocking a concerned eyebrow. The Demon's normally sparkling and troublesome eyes were now tainted with blood and vacant.