Sunday’s Serving – Lilith

 

 

            They relaxed — a little.  Colwyn flicked wary eyes at his surroundings.  “Interesting decor.  It looks like a shrine to every god ever thought up.”

            “This stuff is my idea of a home insurance policy.”

            Jacob stood frozen except for his eyes which rolled around taking everything in.  “This won’t harm us then?  I mean, I feel okay, just nervous.”

            “It can’t hurt you because I’m not using anything as a weapon.  Faith invokes their properties.  You should be able to touch most of them without injury.”

            They moved further into the room, their steps cautious.  Jacob touched a tentative forefinger to a small statuette of a goddess.  When nothing happened to him, his tension eased.  He picked up the plaster figurine to examine it closely.  “You’re right; it doesn’t bother me at all.  How about that?”

            Colwyn walked to the center of the den and turned around in a circle, looking at everything.  “Am I to understand that belief is your greatest weapon?”

            Alex nodded.  “Both mine and any demon’s I face.  Holy water would have no more effect on you than tap water if we didn’t both believe it could hurt you.”

            “What if I believe and you don’t?”  Colwyn watched Jacob handle the statuette.  A muscle twitched in his jaw.

            “Then it would depend on which of us has the greatest faith.  What religion do you fear the most?”

            He glanced at the crucifix over her computer and quickly looked away.  “Christianity, of course.”

            Alex motioned to his brother.  “That piece Jacob is holding is an image of Isis, an Egyptian goddess.  I use it as part of my protection against demonkind.  Because I decided it wouldn’t hurt him and he didn’t perceive it to be a Christian threat, he can touch it without injury.  If he touched a crucifix, it might hurt even against my wishes simply because he thinks it’s harmful.”

            Fascination helped Colwyn relax a little more.  “Is that why the Segreto uses so little physical force against demonkind?”

            Alex gave him a wry grin.  “You withstand physical injury too well for them to defeat you that way.  I’d guess you two gorillas in particular can handle more pain than most.  Since we can’t shoot, stab, or beat demonkind to death easily, we’re left with using metaphysical weapons.  That expression ‘faith can move mountains’ is very apt.” 

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