The Night Gods II- Chapter V: The King Maker
Google Images... Artist: Ian Joyner
Victor Lockhart is one of the most powerful men in America... The world, for that matter. He's President and CEO of one of the largest media conglomerates, on the board of directors of many of the world's biggest mega-corporations, be it in oil, media, pharmaceuticals...
Lockhart eschews the rough and tumble world of politics, viewing it as beneath him... he much prefers to own politicians. His favorite saying (his own) is that "a politician is only as good as the people who pay to get him elected." That was usually Lockhart and his cronies. Some say that he is owned by the big European banks and Wall St... others say he owns them.
His great-grandfather had been a carnival barker, snake oil salesman, gold miner (although it was said he did more claim-jumping than actual mining) and a jack-of-all trades and master of disreputable behavior that had amassed him a fortune by the time he was 50. The son of poor Scottish immigrants, Angus Lockhart had determined early in life that he would not suffer the same fate as his parents.
Today, Victor Lockhart had a meeting with an upstart presidential candidate who had just won his party's nomination. Lockhart was no fool when it came to politics and invariably supported both candidates, favoring one above the other. He had met with the other candidate a week or so earlier, an unimaginative man that Lockhart found personally distasteful. Today it was Denning...
I'm not going to waste your time or mine," he said, "so I'll come right to the point... How bad do you want to be president?"
"You do get right to the point," Denning answered back, "I like that. But, isn't that up to those people out there?" Denning waved his hand indicating the expanse of New York City outside the window on the top floor of a Manhattan skyscraper.
"No son," Lockhart laughed, "presidents aren't elected, they're chosen. Chosen by people like me and those I represent. I just asked you here to determine if you can do us any good- if you're the type that will play ball. So let's not bullshit each other... we can stand here and blow smoke up each other's ass all day long and get nowhere. Let's just say, I know you a lot better than you think and I got one question... Are you my friend?" He looked at Denning for a reaction- there was none. This guy's pretty good, he thought. He might be useful after all.
"While we're understanding one another... What if I get elected and decide not to play ball?" Denning looked hard at the older man.
"Oh, that's been tried before," Lockhart laughed dryily. "I'm sure you remember John Kennedy... and he was by no means the first. Look Denning, you're a dangerous man. You know it, I know it... But so am I- we. At this point, you're more of a danger to yourself than you are to us." Lockhart was serious... there was none of the joviality left. When he looked at Denning it was as though he was looking straight through him- it was a bit unnerving, but Denning didn't flinch. Another point in his favor.
"What do you mean?" Denning asked.
"You're evil," Lockhart said with a smirk. "You know it- I know it. But your evil is directed inward. It has no purpose other than self-fulfillment- selfishness. It serves no higher purpose... nothing can ever come of it."
"I'm doing alright so far," Denning said. "And who, or what do you serve?"
"I couldn't begin to explain," Lockhart went on, "The Ancient Ones will do if you need a name."
Denning laughed derisively... "You're Satan worshippers?"
"Why do you need a name- there are no names, only causes, sides, if you want. This is about what can be achieved... what is possible... about what ultimate good can come from it all."
"Good?" Denning was genuinely surprised. "You're trying to tell me you're the good guys? Good is evil and evil is good?"
What is evil and what is good? Look at all those people down there." Lockhart said waving his hand inclusively at the people below. "Who do they serve? They all think they're good, worshipping some God they can't see... Some imaginary guy sitting on a throne in the sky that loves them all... Loves them and all their misery."
"Who do you worship?" Lockhart could tell Denning was getting interested.
"We worship what is possible... the ones that have been pulling the strings all along. While all those 'good' people are busy destroying OUR planet with overpopulation, pollution, what have you... At least we're working toward a goal."
"Domination?" Denning asked.
"A better world... One we've been working to build for millennia- building, shaping, moulding," shouted Lockhart. "Look at the out there- niggers, wetbacks, kikes, wops, gooks, a genetic cesspool... all fighting- fighting for scraps from our table and destroying everything we've spent millennia to build. Semi-useful idiots," he went on. "Queers marching around in leather jockstraps demanding 'rights' when all they really want is little kids. Hiseous fat lesbians with purple hair screaming about their vaginas- as if anyone would want them in the first place... They serve a purpose, I suppose- they call the tune, we just provide the music. Sooner or later, they'll all destroy themselves and we'll be there to pick up the pieces."
"With a little help from you," Denning grinned.
"Us, my boy, Us." Lockhart was smiling too. This self-absorbed asshole was beginning to catch on. he might prove useful after all.
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-prologue
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-let-the-games-begin
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-melissa
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-ii-chapter-iii-melissa-s-revenge
https://steemit.com/fiction/@richq11/the-night-gods-chapter-iv-a-tearful-farewell
GIF by @papa-pepper
Yesss the next chapter of the Night Gods - been waiting for this! Just when I thought we wouldn't see anyone as sinister and evil as Denning, we meet Lockhart - who makes Gilderoy Lockhart from Harry Potter seem like a saint! Very interested to see how this alliance works and who snaps first!
This is only the beginning! I've never read Harry Potter... it seems silly to me! I picked the name out of the phone book (Lockhart) Victor I chose because it sounds powerful and manly. And it goes downhill after this... (Hint) In the next chap will introduce Lockhart's henchman. Also, If you didn't read The Night Gods (part 1) you may want to, to understand a couple of things.
Of course, every powerful villain needs his army of henchmen - can't wait to meet them! Now whenever I read Harry Potter, I don't feel as excited but these were the books that essentially introduced me to the idea of writing fiction as a past time.
But now one of my most favorite hobbies is reading the great fiction writing we have on Steemit - starting with your series Rich! :)
The people that got me interested in writing fiction were Faulkner, Mika Waltari, H.P. Lovecraft, Orwell, Salinger et. al.
Thanks for your kind words... I'm off to work on today's Night Gods.
Ooooo Faulkner, Orwell and Salinger are some of my all-time favs! Just read your latest installment of the Night Gods - it was awesome and got me even more excited to read the next chapter!
The next one is going to be a pip! Did you read the Night Gods (The first story)?
Yup I read the prologue and the first chapter. You really did an excellent job explaining the concept behind the Night Gods - they are known by several names across different cultures but essentially it's just the devil within each of us. Especially within Denning and Lockhart!
I have to admit though.....while I was reading the prologue and the first chapter, I did get a little freaked out! Horror is a tricky genre to tackle but if you do manage to scare your readers, you know you're doing an excellent job! ;)
I'm talking about The Night Gods, not the Night Gods II... There's no Denning or Lockhart in the original.
It's your best so far !!!
Love these guys! This is the music my grandkids danced to growing up! Thanks... There's a surprise coming in the next couple of chapters!
I am not Crazy about them but I think that they are for sure unique!
Keep me updated when the next chapter is out.
Check these guys out... I bet you will love them (from 1968)
I love the humor...
Dear friend, I just opened your profile and I saw what I was looking for: the new chapter! Thanks soooooo much ^_^
Thank you my dear Silvia... I'm really happy with this one. I was looking for a way to tie the Night Gods to the humans and I think I found it... No more fumbling around lol!
They are humans after all !? Arnt they ??
Nope. They're gods... They live within us all and without. Being gods, they're not constrained by the same laws as we are... the laws of physics (can't be in two places at once, matter cannot be created or destroyed, etc.). God creates (using the laws of physics) the Night Gods try to undo, God's creations.
We all have the capacity for good and evil... we choose on a daily basis who to serve- Light or Darkness. Don't be confused by religion!!! It has nothing to do with God! People created religion based on the set of instructions given us by God (God explained to primitive uneducated people how He created the universe). People found that not only could they use this to control others, they could get rich doing it... That's religion!
Don't worry about it... Just be good and choose well every day and God will take care of the rest ;-}
nice post ,,, you have good blog , Good luck. Comrade
I will follow you because you have a lot of writing tallent. I love what you do. Bravo
Thank you! This is the chapter I was waiting for... it came to me yesterday morning. I was looking for a link to tie the demons to the humans.