Pancakes

Aradia: "But you must have a constant rich harvest as you put it without wars. Just look in this restaurant."

"Perhaps but just who would you say is a more likely victim?"

Aradia nodded over to a table of rather loud strippers who had come in earlier.

"You are young and too quick to judge" He then reached for his cell phone which had started to vibrate. He glanced at it and said to Carl, explain it to her will you I have to respond to this"

Carl who had heard this all many times before put down his fork: "Why the strippers? Because they are already engaging in you might consider sinful activity?"

Aradia and Anton nodded together. Elisabeth, Father Marcus and Vlad who were already familiar with this continued eating while Satan was busy texting.

Carl continued "Well because of the rough life that many of them lead you may think that like a junkie they may be more open to Satan suggestions but in truth it just the opposite. They still have hope and faith just as many who work in what many consider more respectable professions. Sure a drug user or a person with low self esteem is easy pickings but as a group not the easiest. " He paused on the waitress came with Liz's order and to check on their table and top off some cups of coffee. When she left he continued. "look around here again. There is one group that the evil guy a had more success with than any of the others"

Anton and Aradia looked around seeing beside the strippers, the shift workers, students and a couple of truckers.

Anton offered the guess: "Students?"

Carl: "Which ones?"

Anton: "What do you mean which ones"

Carl: "Well you have three groups there and if you look at the books they have with them I would say that one group has a bunch of science or engineering majors while the other two seem to be philosophy types."

Aradia offered her guess: "The geeks?"

Carl shook his head; " As a group as much as they might insist that they are atheist and attempt to explaining everything with mathematical formulas and experiments the fact remains that they cannot explain it all so that leaves doubt in their mind. There are others who upon seeing he beauty of their formulas and are unable to reconcile that as sort of random chance but see a grand design. So no matter what they say in public they are no more susceptible to him" pointing at Satan, who was still texting "than the average guy on the street"

Satan, who had finished his texting: "In fact it is the young pseudo-intellectual types are the types I have the most success with. They feel they are too smart and sophisticated to believe in Supreme Being or any of the religious philosophies or as they call them myths."

Aradia: "So how does lack of belief translate in a sudden belief in you?"

Just as Satan was about to respond his cell phone buzzed. Looking at Carl "Explain it to her for me will you this looks like it could take a bit"

Carl had finished eating a pushed away his plate. "Think about it. They believe themselves too sophisticated and intelligent to have faith. They don't believe in miracles. They believe that everything from the smallest single cell organism to the complexity of life is a rain forest is a product of chance. Child birth is not a miracle to them just some organic matter that happened to come together and despite the inability of their own science to duplicate it from raw materials. So it does not take real miracles to sway them just "favors" if you will"

Satan on cell phone: "Yes, same crowd as always" "No of course not" "No I don't know when"

Carl continuing: "Say one of them needs a grade adjusted, he ( pointing at Satan) has the followers in place so that a 2.0 GPA becomes a 3.5. Students are always short of money so next month rent is paid as if by magic. Or perhaps they are hoping for a grant to study cow manure odors. You do not really think an honest person would give them money for that do you? So these minor "miracles add up and the y start to believe in the power of those granting them. Not all of them become Satan worshippers per say but they become part of the network and in their own way they start granting favors. That philosophy student who needed the GPA raised is now a professor in a position to raise other GPAs, helping to recruit others. Out of this crowd the true believers are developed. They see Satan's favors as miracles and proof of his power while the miracle that is everyday life is ignored.' Others who do his favors rationalize by saying since there is no supreme being there is no devil and no harm in what they do. Sort of a moral relativism."

Satan still on cell phone: "No I don't know when, I still have a lot to do" "Of course I do, why would you say that" "Ok , I will ask tonight I promise" Yeah me too." Then he clicked his phone close.

"Trouble at home?" smirked Elisabeth

"Yeah it was Lilith, she was complaining how I never take her anywhere." He paused "she thinks I prefer spending time away from home"

Carl asked. "Well you do don't you?"

"You don't have a wife or wives so you would not understand" "Look guys what do you say we allow spouses to our attend our little get together occasionally?"

The question was greeted with a spontaneous and almost unanimous" NO!"

Anton and Aradia did not respond but looked around and with Satan asked why not?

Elisabeth spoke first. "the last thing we need to turn this into is a couples social gathering, the next time you know we will be discussing child care and gardening and I am not about to start exchange recipes with Lilith."

Vlad added, "This demilitarized gathering gives me a chance to take a break from things. I don't have to worry about somebody trying to shove a stake through me or douse me with holy water, I can relax. Having wives or husbands here would just screw things up"

"So if Anton and I were to get married one of us could not attend?" ask Aradia.

At that comment the normally quite Anton started to choke on his milk then he managed to clear his throat and gasped "Who said anything about marriage?"

Aradia's eyes narrowed "Are you saying you don't want to marry me?"

"We have never discussed it before..."

Father Marcus interjected "I think that you two should have this discussion in private. You are providing too much entertainment for everybody else." Indeed everybody else at the table seemed to enjoy the direction the conversation was taking. "I think we can grant an exception to the no spouse rule if a marriage occurs between members of our group"

"Easy for you to say since as a Priest you will never have to deal with having a spouse around" said Vlad.

"I still also think we should revisit the no spouse rule" spoke up Satan

"With five wives I would think you would enjoy the break. Taking too much heat on the home front?"

"What would you know about it you have never been married? You spend too much of your life alone, it would not hurt for you to have some steady companionship. You will end up a lonely old bitter man" he said to Carl

"I hate to agree with him but he is right" said Father Marcus. "You know what they say about all work and no play."

Elisabeth purred "If you need some companionship..."

"As much as I appreciate your offer I would like to survive the experience besides I thought you preferred the ladies" replied Carl to Elisabeth.

"I play for both teams. I think you will find being among the undead not all that bad, at least compared to your probably mortality"

"How did my social life and cholesterol become such a concern for everybody? Don't you people have lives or un-lives as the case may be, of your own to worry about?"

Satan spoke up "Calm down I think Marcus was just being a Priest and a friend and her highness," nodding at Elizabeth "is probably in heat. My reasons, as normal, are purely self serving. When I take you down I take you down I want you mentally and physically in top form. There is no reputation to be gained by taking you down when you are not at your best. Sure I could do with one less damn Paladin around but my image is considerable enhanced if you go down at your peak."

"Well I will do my best to accommodate you but I don't think that means me getting a steady girlfriend right now so let us drop it."

"Fine I want to discuss the no spouse rule" said Satan

"As do I" said Aradia

Vlad looked right at Satan, "If we let Lilith join then where does it stop? You have four other wives; will they all be joining us?"

So they argued back and forth stopping only when the waitress came by. When they voted on it they ended up with a 3-3 tie. Father Marcus abstained from voting because as he put it "without some heavy duty rule changes from he Vatican it is unlikely I will ever have a spouse so I don't think I should vote on this issue." Satan, Aradia and Anton (under heavy pressure from Aradia) all voted to allow spouses while Carl Elizabeth and Vlad voted against. The deadlock was broken when Carl offered a compromise exempting current attendees from the no spouse rule should they marry another member of the group. This convinced Aradia and Anton to change their votes.

Satan signed and said "This just hasn't been my night." At any rate I have to get going I have busy schedule and with that he vanished."

"Dam the skipped out on the check" said Carl

Those remaining sat there looking at him till he said "OK, I will get the check but you guys have to cover the tip and next time somebody else is buying, The group laid their money on the table and gathered their stuff up as Carl went up to the register to pay the tab, Father Marcus waited with him and they exited the restaurant together were Vlad stood scanning the darkness. There was slight breeze with heavy humidity but the skies had begun to clear.

"So did you buy the excuse Satan gave for his concern over your well being?" asked Father Marcus.

"Well I think he was telling the truth about wanting me healthy. Reputation is everything in his business. Taking out an enemy who is in unable to defend himself, like he did Jefta in Bosnia, does nothing for his street cred, so to speak. Why do you think there is more to it?"

"Don't laugh but I think he is lonely"

Carl raised his eyebrows "lonely, how so? He has fives wives, seven princess countless minions. Somehow I don't think he lacks for company."

"I don't think it is a matter of quantity but quality. Somebody once said something to the effect that great and powerful mean tread a lonely path lit along the way only by encounters with other great and powerful men such as themselves. Sometimes these men are their enemies. Now I cannot call Satan great but he is powerful. Perhaps he finds those who serve him not worthy company. He hates you and would not hesitate to feed you your own heart to be sure but I think he also respects you in his own weird way."

"That is an interesting theory Padre but I really don't believe Satan considers anybody his equal and to be honest I am not . If I were to meet him on his home ground, Hell, I would not stand a chance. Even here were he cannot act directly there is not much I can do to him."

"Well, I still think I am right but do what you will. It has been a long night and I need to get some rest, Take care and God Bless." Father Marcus then headed out to the parking lot.

"Back at you Padre"

Vlad spoke up "It pains me to say this but I think Van Helsing is right" Just then a Jeep Wrangler drove by Anton and Aradia waved as they went by.

"You think those two will make it?" asked Vlad

"Why not? They have as good a chance as anyone in this business"

"Anton is too young to be involved which such a headstrong woman. He should still be being mentored by an older wizard to develop his skills more." Vlad then walked to his car, an M5, got in and drove away.

The vampire biz must pay pretty good thought Carl walking toward his truck. As he got closer he noticed a figure standing in the darkness next to it. He did was not too worried about an attack by Vlad, The Countess or Satan as that would have been against the agreement. On the nights of their get together no side would attack the other on the restaurant premises or for two hours after their departure and there would be no following or stalking to their homes.

Of course evil would not be evil if they honored all their agreements but they seemed to value this one, still it did not hurt to be cautious. Of course it may only be a mugger which he could easily handle.

Carl approached his truck from the front and as he got out his keys the figure stepped from the darkness "give a damsel in distress a lift?" she asked.

It was then he noticed the motorcycled tied down in the truck bed.