Azael had won the latest bet so it was lunch on Mikey, and Az had chosen one of his favorite restaurants, The Tantalum at Long Beach. California was nice in December. The restaurant overlooked the marina and the weather was terrific, not to mention the food. "I'll have the Thai Coconut Chicken and Shrimp Posole," he announced to the waitress with a smile.  "And a bottle of that Napa, Diamond Creek Red Rock Terrace. Mikey?"

Mikey ordered and then handed the menu over.  "Nice place here Az.  I'm gonna have to remember it."

Az rolled his shoulders and sat back, enjoying the view. "Yeah. Great food, wonderful wine, good company, what more can a guy ask for.  So why are you frowning? The Boss on your case again?"

No, but he is pissed at the the Rev and I gotta tell him.  I'm tellin' ya dude, that guy is nuts, absolutely nuts."

"Yeah? What'd he do this time?  He was right about Stanhope, after all. He was bad news."

"True, but it's his whole attitude that's got the boss fuming.  So he's decided to make him take classes in exorcism and demonology at the university, which means he'll be on St. Michael's for the foreseeable future.  So he call tell the real demons from the fallen demons I guess.  As if I don't have enough problems," Mikey said with a sigh.  "I did suggest the boss find someone else rather than try to educate the rev, but you know how he gets.  Never stop trying, wantin' to save everyone."

Az shrugged. "He leaves me pretty much alone. Recognizes a lost cause here, I guess," he added with a laugh. "Or maybe He thinks you've got a better shot at rehabbing me."

"Yeah, we don't discuss you, fortunately," Mikey said with a grin.  "But I could ask if you wanted me to."

"Nope. I'm far happier undiscussed thanks. So when are you breaking the news to the Rev?" Az asked as he tasted the wine the server had brought and gave it a big thumbs up.

"Well I sent one of the host to tell him he needs to see me soonest.  So he might even show up here, unfortunately."

"Oh great, thanks for that. You know how he looks at me."

Mikey shrugged.  "Sorry, dude.  I'm just doing my job, ya know.  'Sides just give him the evil eye back and he'll chill."

"I'm practicing it now, cuz here he comes. And he looks a bit unhappy that you're enjoying lunch in such luxurious surroundings. I gather he thinks you should have taken a vow of poverty too."

"Naw, he just doesn't think I should be hobnobbing with the fallen."  Mikey grinned at Az and rolled his eyes.  Then he looked at the Rev.  "Morning, Father.  Thanks for coming."

The reverend nodded, ignoring Az.  "I am in the service of the Lord."

Az held up a hand to the server who hurried over. "We've got someone joining us for lunch. Another plate and glass and bring a menu, please."

"Sure!" the young girl replied, always happy to deal with big tippers. She hurried away.

"How you doin', Rev?  Always pleasant this time of the year to drop old grudges and wipe the slate clean, as it were," Azael said with a grin.

"Grudges are sinful," he replied as he took a seat and started reading the menu.

Mikey waited until after he ordered to break the good news.  "So, you'll need to get enrolled and find a place fairly soon since classes will start the day after New Years."

"I see," the Reverend said.  "May I ask why?"

Mikey, nothing loath, said, "Because you're a bit too quick on the trigger for Him and He's tired of it.  He also feels that you need to develop tolerance for others, even those you don't like."

"Tolerance is a virtue," Azael offered blinking angelically.

The Reverend flushed.  "You may tell him I am His servant in all things."

"I will," Mikey said and let it go at that.  "So, how's things otherwise?"

"Fine," The Reverend said indifferently.

"Where you living these days?" Azael asked, pouring the reverend some wine.

"At the monastery when I'm not in Rome or traveling.  I shall have to tell the abbot about this of course.  He is my superior."

"Obedience is a great thing," Mikey said.  "But I think you'll like St. Michael's."

"There's this really nice pub on the High Street. Tell 'em I sent you when you show up. They'll give you a good deal on your meals. And they brew their own beer. The lager is to die for," Az added.

"Thank you," he said.  "I shall do so.  So, uhm, how have you been?"

Az looked taken aback for a moment. "I'm cool. Been busy.  Just beat the crap out of Mikey at golf. That's always good.  Good job sussing out Stanhope by the way."

"Thank you.  It is unfortunate though that he died before..."  The Reverend caught himself and tried again.  "Busy?  On God's work?"

Az cleared his throat. "Yeah, you could look at it like that."

"And have you been successful in winning souls for Him?" the Reverend asked.

"Dunno. No one's died yet," Azael replied digging happily into his meal.

The Reverend frowned and picked up his fork.  "But you're following up, then?  With prayer and penance for them?"

Az kicked Mikey under the table. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

"No need to get violent dude!" Mikey yelped.  "I didn't do nothing."

Azael silently swore revenge. "So, Mikey, why don't YOU tell the Reverend what you've been up to. And, why not give him some inside dope on the school."

Mikey grinned.  "I don't wanna spoil the surprise," he said.

The High Street in the main town on St Michael's was festive and welcoming, even if it wasn't particularly warm. Snow blanketed the streets and sidewalks, although both had been swept clean and looked tidy. Holiday lights glittered in shop windows, a huge Christmas tree adorned the village green in front of the old Court House. The village green, mostly a nice place for dragons to land, although it also had a duck pond (frozen over at this time of the year) lined with weeping willows and in the spring tricked out with massive beds of tulips, was now snow-covered and quiet, the benches unused except by an occasional pigeon or other silly bird who stayed in the cold over the winter.

There was a pleasant little English style Pub there that brewed their own beer and ale, an English style tea shoppe that served cream teas (with fresh baked scones), a comfortably tattered and dusty and ill-organized bookstore, and a McDonalds. Well, everything can't be perfect you know.

The university grounds were at the far end of the High Street from the village green, so the Reverend Daniel Dudley Day, Knight of Christ, was forced to hoof it up the High Street and look in all the shop windows. People nodded and smiled at him as he passed. Dragons occasionally flew overhead delivering or picking up passengers and sometimes dive-bombing pedestrians - one hoped they were playing with their friends and not targeting their enemies with smelly projectiles.

Although it was not yet the New Year, the Reverend had been summoned. It seemed there was an orientation, and a tea with the dean, and a get together with the upper classmen and women of the school for all the newly registered students. The Reverend had been informed he was expected to attend.

He looked longingly at the cathedral beyond the university. But it was not to be his destination quite yet. The dean's house was before him and the place was rocking already, the broad double doors thrown open and .. and creatures going in and out as if... as if they were welcome!

He straightened his collar and the cross that adorned his chest, then he straightened his spine and his shoulders, took a deep breath and said a prayer.  After, as ready he was likely to be, he joined the line of people entering the house.  He moved at a steady pace through the receiving line, meeting the Dean of the Ghosts, Ghouls and Demon's College...and his wife and five children, then the academic dean and the dean of students.  He got lucky there, since this was a graduate school there was only one dean of students.  When it came his turn he said to the Dean, "I'm the Reverend Daniel Dudley Day, Knight of Christ"  Then he added, just in case, "And a catholic priest."

"It's okay, dear," the Dean of Students murmured as she patted the back of his hand. "We don't mind. We're very tolerant here."  She smiled at him nearsightedly nodding her head benignly. She was probably someone's grandmother.

"Indeed," the Reverend replied.  "And which course is the one where you teach that?"

"Why all of them dear. There's no sense in hating anyone. So long as we all follow the rules and take our disputes to the proper court, we're all very happy together here."

The Reverend nodded politely and retrieved his hand from her clasp.  "I see," he said, though he obviously didn't and moved on to the Upperclassmen.  He'd done a stint at in boarding school as a boy and had a jaundiced view of Upperclassmen that showed when he introduced himself.  You could almost hear underneath the words the thought..."and unlike you I'm an adult."

"Ah, we've heard about you. Here by Special Request. Don't worry, we get a few problem children every year," the Head Resident commented. "I'm in charge of your dorm, by the way.  Aaron. Please to know you.  You're from Earth?  How quaint."

"I shall be residing," he enunciated clearly, "off campus."

Aaron stepped over to a desk and picked up a clip board. "Nope. It says right here you're in my dorm. Sharing with, uhm, Razer and Tonk. You'll like them. They'll show you all the best places to get wasted in town."

"They are wrong.  I am a priest and a religious and I feel certain that I shall not be suitable company for er...Razer and Tonk. They won't like it when I rise to chant the office eight times daily...aloud."

"Nah, they'll be okay with that. You wanna see your room? Tonk's over there, I'll have him take you over and show it to you."

"They may be alright with it but I am not," The Reverend said tightly.  "And my views on excessive drinking on a regular basis would not, I think, accord with theirs. Nor on premarital sex, contraception, abortion, divorce and the appropriate way to address ones elders and betters.  All in all until I have a bit more tolerance under my belt, I shall do better to live alone.  But thank you for your interest."  He nodded firmly and moved on.

"He's going to be a problem," the Dean of Students muttered to the Dean of the college, with a frown on her face, watching the Reverend walk off huffily from Aaron, who got along with everyone.

"Do you my dear?" he replied.  "I wonder if maybe he hasn't been sent to test us."

Melba cast a worried glance toward the reverend. "Do you think so?" she asked.  "Well, I will rise to the occasion then, Dean. Never fear."

He patted her arm.  "As shall I my dear.  As shall we all."

Happily for the Reverend he missed the exchange between the deans and moved serenely on into the reception rooms, his nose for free food leading him unerringly to where the only redeeming feature -as far as he was concerned anyway - of the event was located.  He wrinkled his nose at the insubstantial tea cakes, sighed over the crustless cucumber sandwiches and happily scarfed up some scones and jam to go with the weak and tepid tea - he could tell by looking - a student volunteer handed him.  "Thank you," he murmured politely.   Then he found a seat.

A little red demon, carefully balancing a tea cup and a plate containing a scone in one hand, the other hand being busy holding a thick book, took a seat beside him. The little demon smiled at him. "I'm so looking forward to this. I've dreamt all my life of studying here. Imagine it. We'll be famous one day."

The Reverend worked hard not to choke on his tea and succeeded.  "Famous?" he gasped, feeling that that perhaps would be safest.

"Why yes!  This is the most famous college in the unimensional worlds. All the great jurisprudents studied here. It is a great honour to be selected to come here. People fight to get accepted here."

The Reverend blinked.  "Oh.  And why is that?"

The little demon stared at him as if he were mentally deficient. "Because... because we serve the Law and hold the line between Good and Evil, of course!" Then with narrowed eyes, she added, "Are you testing me?"

"Testing you?" The Reverend echoed.  "Of course not.  I'm just trying to understand you.  I am here to develop tolerance," he added as if reminding himself.

Her eyes went wide. "Oh, I see," she said very quietly. She applied herself to her tea and scone.

"No I don't think you do," he muttered annoyed with himself.  "Tell me what you mean by holding the line between Good and Evil."

"We will be the ones to try the cases and make certain the bad ones are punished and the good ones are found innocent. Isn't that holding the line between Good and Evil?  Helping to make certain any judgments made against creatures are based on facts and evidence and not prejudice?"

The Reverend considered her words carefully. "Only," he said finally, surprised at himself, "If mercy is at the heart of the law and the distinction between the sin and the sinner is kept clear."

"Yes, exactly!" she agreed. "There are many aspects that must be considered when punishment is assigned, and we will be the ones who have a chance to not only implement the laws but perhaps to change it and enlighten it. Now, do you see why I am so honored to be here?"

"No, but I'm not sure that matters," he said frankly.  "It is enough that you do.  But explain to me please, how a demon," and he said the word carefully, "a demon comes to be here wanting to..." and then he hesitated before saying finally, "work within the law?"

She eyed him for a time and then said, "Tell me. Why would a human, a member of a species who kills indiscriminately, want to work within the law?"

"A remarkable question," he said finally.  "However, we have a history of trying to build a culture where that is not the case.  Demons, on the other hand, well I am not sure that is the case.   But perhaps I am wrong."

She sniffed at him and got up and walked away.

He watched her go and shrugged.  Then he set his teacup aside with a grimace and focused on the front of the room where the Dean was about to start.

"We are gathered here today to welcome among us a new class of bright and eager students who will one day change the world. They will help to forge a new reality, a better world, and a more responsive legal system. We will learn together and grow together and find the Good wherever it is, and find a way to nurture it and strengthen it."

The Reverend groaned silently and shut his eyes on a prayer for tolerance.  This couldn't be happening to him.

"We are not all equally along the path to enlightenment. Indeed, some of us believe we already have all the answers and close their hearts and minds to wisdom. We hope we can open their minds, their hearts and their eyes. Now, all put your hands, or other appendages, together in a sign of warm welcome to our new brethren."

The Reverend stifled the urge to flee and went through the motions.  He wondered, as he did, if God had made a mistake and then frowned.  A sin and he'd have to confess it.  Hell and damnation, he swore silently.  And then he brightened.  He would consider this penance and a time of testing and that's how he'd get through it.

There was polite applause when the dean ended the ordeal, then the party broke up into small groups and a more friendly atmosphere sprang up. Demons, several ghosts the reverend hadn't noticed before, and other creatures all mingled, speaking or thinking with regard to their hopes and dreams of their futures. He watched feeling like a true alien.

"Well Reverend," a voice came from behind him, "I heard you would be here.  I'm Lang Constidine.  We have some friends in common."

The Reverend turned, a polite smile on his face.  "Ah yes, Stephen mentioned you.  It's a pleasure to meet you.  I"m told your assistance was invaluable in resolving the problem of d'Vegha."

Lang declaimed.  "So, what do you think of our exclusive little bunch here?"

"Most interesting.  And most confusing."  The Reverend sighed.  "I don't think," he said frankly, "that I'm going to fit in here at all."

Lang laughed.  "It's all in the acting skills, I find.  Just project tolerance and unending support for multi-cultural inclusiveness and you'll do fine.  Two thirds of these folks haven't a clue and won't make it through.  Most have a rosy eyed vision of themselves on a white charger changing the world.  We tend to try to weed them out, but the first few months are hard on the rest of us."

The Reverend blinked.  "I don't know that I follow you."

Lang laughed.  "What I'm saying...Daniel is it?  May I call you that?  What I'm saying is that the university of funded with public dollars and hence must take a certain stance...publicly.  You'll find, though, that while we as a body have no tolerance for true bigotry we also gag at political correctness, but we're not supposed to say that aloud."

The Reverend brightened.

"Don't believe a word he says," Azael said as he appeared near them. "Lang is a lawyer, after all."

"So I understand," he said.

"But I'm not," Langton interjected.  "I'm just a flat footed private dick who rents him head space.  I keep him from lying too outrageously."

Azael pounded the multi-souled body enthusiastically on the shoulder. "You'll figure it all out eventually, the both of you. So, Danny. Whatcha think so far?"

"It's going to be a long two years," the Reverend sighed.  "God must be really mad at me."

"Oh, I don't know about that. If he were really mad at you he'd have ordered you to attend Harvard."

Paimon, a King of Hell and commander of two hundred legions of demons closed the door to the boss's office and walked back to his own, his face thoughtful.  He wasn't surprised that the boss wanted Byleth out of jail.  Certain key aspects of the near term strategy of the war depended upon him and his legions and his legions wouldn't fight as effectively without their commander.  Not to mention the fact that the boss liked Byleth and missed him or the other fact that Byleth was one of the architects of the current strategy.  But trying to free a demon held in the demon penitentiary...in the maximum security wing of the penitentiary...he whistled softly through his teeth.  Now that was going to require some planning.

He settled behind his desk with a cup of coffee, his feet up on an open drawer and gave himself over to the problem.  The unimensional worlds had cracked down over the last decade and getting unfallen demons onto St. Michael's was more than difficult now that the demon registry was up and running. And to get Byleth out he'd need to get some of his own people onto St. Michael's.

Still fallen and unfallen demons were fairly common on St. Michael's for a number of reasons, the biggest being the E&D or more properly the School of Exorcists and Demonology.  The other big reason was the Ghosts, Ghouls and Demons Law Center, known as the GGD and the associated judiciary and penitentiary.   Demons from across the worlds were brought there for trial and then, if convicted, were sent to the penitentiary.  After they'd served their sentences, depending on their crimes and history, some were exiled back to hell and forbidden on pain of permanent incarceration in conditions beyond hellish to ever return.  The demon registry tracked all the demons in the worlds and those who'd been expelled, using DNA.  Expelled demons had a strand of DNA added to their helices that set off alarms should they ever try to return to any place known to the unimensional worlds, which included all the dimensions and universes inhabited by sentient life where the main war was being fought.

They could and had done their own DNA modifications to get around that using a corrupted member of one of the Trading Houses, but for reasons they didn't yet understand the modifications simply recreated themselves after a period of time.  And even worse was the demon registry and its scanners that were all over the official buildings on St. Michael's reviewing the DNA of everyone who tried to gain access to them.  The technology behind it was closely held and they'd been trying to get access to it and hadn't yet succeeded, a fact that had the boss furious whenever he thought of it.  He'd made it plain this morning that he wanted that problem solved as well since it was hamstringing them in so many ways.

Paimon sipped his coffee and decided that the best way would be to solve both problems together and that meant finding a way to get access to the registry itself.  He leaned forward and pressed the intercom, telling his minion, Emily of the Dolly Parton boobs, to summon Drinioc.  Then he finished his coffee and moved on to the next item on his agenda.  The ways and means of getting into the registry he could leave up to Drinioc.  That's what he was paid for.

He cleared a mountain of paperwork and rewarded himself with a leisurely lunch.  When he got back to the office he expected to find Drinioc waiting and wasn't disappointed.  The blue demon with Elvis hairdo was flipping through the Hell Times when walked in.  Paimon picked up his messages and then acknowledged the demon.  "Good to see you Dino.  It's been how long?  Since the hellions ball?  Come on in, I've got a job for you that the boss is hot about."

Dino tossed the paper back onto the coffee table and followed his boss into the office. He sank into a comfortable chair, crossed one foot on his knee, looking down and admiring his new hightops, and waited expectantly.

"Our petition regarding the unfair incarceration of Byleth was rejected.  The boss got word this morning.  So he wants him freed by whatever means necessary.  He also wants the registry problem solved once and for all."

"And this has to do with me how?" Dino asked, raising an eyebrow. "It isn't like I'm not already busy, you know."

"I'm assigning the task to you.  What else have you got pending?" Paimon asked, leaning back in his chair.  "You wrapped up the Merthisen job a few days ago.  I was just reading your report.  Nice work, by the way."

"Yeah, well,  thanks for that. But you wanted me to infiltrate Weru'Ster. Man those kids. Worse than their daddy.  Is that on hold for this job? Not to mention, I've no where near enough resources to take on the bloody angel's home world."

"You can handle both," he said, clearly unsympathetic.  "As for resources, let me know what you need and I'll see what I can do, within reason of course.  The boss is going to be monitoring this personally, Dino.  I don't have to tell you what that means."

"A raise?  A promotion?" Dino obviously was being droll. "Okay, give me a few days to come up with a plan, then I'll get back to you with a list of resources and personnel I'll need."

"Right.  I think your best approach will be manipulating the registry, but let me know what you come up with," Paimon said.  "And Dino?," he added, his tone signaling danger.  "As soon as possible."

Dino groaned. "Yeah, well give me a few nights at least. I can't work miracles."

"Tell it to the boss," Paimon said.

Dino stood, frowning, "Don't think I won't.  Either he wants it done right, or he wants it done quick. His choice."

Paimon reached for the phone, saying, "I'll set it up.  Let me know how it goes...if you're sure that's what you wanna do."

Dino frowned. "Okay, okay, but you need to give me some cover here. It's not like I'm just stealing a soul or something. Byleth is a big deal, and therefore has a lot of security. And you've been trying to hack the database for how many years now?  And I'm supposed to do all this in a couple of days?"

Paimon set the phone down and sighed.  "I know.  Look, I suggest you get a hold of what's his name, that kid who hacked the CIA and then NASA and DoD ...did time for it as I recall.  Just died a couple of days ago and is through processing."

"Yeah, now him I can use. Called himself the Bishop, as I recall. Markos Riley that's his name. Yeah, get me him."

"Just let Emily know on your way out and she'll take care of it.  And stay in touch.  I want know what's going on the whole way through."

"Sure, no problem. Talk to you later. I got a bunch of shit to do."  Dino sauntered out of the office, stopped to chat up Emily and inform her he needed the Bishop which made her eyes go wide, you can bet your ass, then found his way to his own office. It wasn't neat like Paimon's. It was, to put it kindly, a shit hole of an office, with stuff piled all over the place. Of course Dino threatened anyone who dared to touch one thing in there but him, so he had only himself to blame. He went straight to one pile, tossed some moldy pizza crust and a coffee cup that was growing some entirely new type of bacteria aside, and pulled out a dog-eared and stained folder.

He sank down into the chair behind his desk, put his feet up and let himself express what he thought of this great assignment. "Fucking shit," he muttered. "It's damn impossible number one, and frankly we're better off with that bastard in jail...."  He didn't say it aloud though. Never knew who was listening in.

Then he rang for his secretary.

"Yeah?" she said from the doorway, blowing a huge bubble and popping it.  "Whaddya want now?"

"Janie sweetheart. I love the new do, and that dress ain't half bad either. I need you to get me the latest list of students at the GDD, and I need you to contact, what's his name, that grad student we got there. Also, I need to talk to that groundskeeper who can smuggle us onto St Michael's."

"Right," she said, snapping her gum.  "And Emily just called.  Some guy named Bishop's on his way over.  She said he's real pissed.  He was busy with something."

"Yeah, I bet he was. Good. Send him in when he gets here."

The Bishop, Markos Riley, looked to be 12. He was, in reality about 25. He wore black faded to grey, his hair was punked up, and he wore lots of metal stuck in various bodily orifices, not all of which Dino wanted to know about. He had enough trouble just considering the tongue ring.

"Have a seat. I'm Drinioc and I've got a puzzle for you to solve. It's gonna make your hack of the DOD and CIA seem like child's play."

"Look, I just got here!  I ain't got time for..."  the Bishop retorted.

"Son, let me set you straight on a few things."  Suddenly the Bishop was hanging in the air above where he'd been sitting. Dino grinned. "Torture?  Misery?  We can just send you downstairs and leave you there. You could try standing on Hitler's shoulders or something to keep your mouth out of the muck, but he tends to get annoyed by that. So I suggest you make yourself useful.  But if you need a quick course on obedience I'll be delighted to arrange it for you."

"Okay, okay," I didn't know you were, you know..."  Markos was relieved when he sank down into this chair.

"Well, you better know. Now. You tell me what hardware you need to hack into this database. I'll see if I can't get you at least a foot in the door."

The Bishop nodded.  "First I need...."

"I'm listening," Dino said, writing down the specs on several computer systems, as well as some additional equipment, some of which made Dino's eyebrows work heavenward.  "I'll see what I can do. I'm thinking we got pretty much carte blanche on this. Of course we'll probably end up deader and all, but what the Hell, as they say."

Janie minced in her high heels, her hips swaying and her cleavage jiggling and said, "List of GGD students, check" and dropped a couple of stapled pages on Dino's lap.  The name you wanted is highlighted.  The other guy?  He dropped dead a week ago, heart attack they say."  And then she sashayed out, winking at Bishop as she went by.

The Bishop was licking his lips. "Don't touch," he suggested. "She tends to lash out if you do. She's all about driving us crazy and not delivering. Well, not to some of us anyway, meaning you.  Wow...."

"What?"  Bishop asked, looking around at Dino rather than at the enticing butt end of Janie.

"There's the perfect guy we can use to get a password into the system. He's crazy as a loon. We can use that!"  Dino grinned, and sat back in his chair, his gaze going inward.

"Who?"  Bishop asked.

"The Reverend Daniel Dudley Day, Knight of Christ."

"Who's he?"

"He goes around trying to exorcise us. He's so busy hunting for demon sign, he'll be easy to reel in. I'm betting they've already written him off as plum looney."

"And he has an account on the database?" Bishop asked.

"Well, he's got an account into the system. You should be able to hack the rest of the way yourself, don't you think? I'll send you back down to the muck and order up some better hacker if you can't handle that."

"No worries," He said.  "there isn't a system made I can't get into."

"All righty then. You go do whatever it is you need to do to get ready. I'll yell when I need you."

Dino watched the kid leave and sighed.  He stood and walked over to the window that looked out on the swirling liquid that comprised the Sun. Everyone thinks Hell is under their feet. Hah. Just look at the Sun, homies...  He didn't like this job. Hated it. Hated the idea of getting that bastard out of Jail. But what's a demon to do?  He'd think of something.  He always did.