Between Two Fires
by Christopher Buehlman
Contents
Forty: Of the Coming of the Host
Overview
A corpse-forged abomination invades the courtyard, but touching Delphine’s holy body unravels it. Her body becomes a conduit birthing angels, culminating in Michael’s arrival and the celestial host pushing back the devils. Michael’s assault topples the chapel, burying survivors, while de Chauliac shelters Clement and witnesses even a devil redeemed.
Summary
In the panicked courtyard, Robert Hanicotte flees as a massed abomination of stacked corpses surges in and hunts survivors. When the creature seizes Delphine’s body, her holiness unravels it, its animating light extinguishes, and the dead collapse into stillness.
Light then pours from Delphine. Wings break through as angels are born into the world: Zephon, Uriel, and many others. Their radiance calms and heartens the survivors. A greater brilliance arrives as the Archangel Michael flies in on vast white wings and sings from the tower’s chapel, rallying hope while refusing to strike vindictively.
Though the host steadily pushes back the darkness, danger persists. Michael dives at a lion-faced devil, whose panicked evasions crash the top of the great chapel, its collapsing stones crushing those at the doors, including Robert beneath the rubble.
Elsewhere, Maître de Chauliac keeps the raving, guilt-stricken Pope Clement in the Tower of Angels, convinced its roof will hold. From the window he witnesses not a battle of equals but an inexorable return of light, as more devils plunge down only to be driven back by serene, implacable angels.
De Chauliac observes a final, searing vision of mercy: two angels seize a winged devil and drive it into the Rhône; three angels rise from the waters, revealing that even in this calamity forgiveness—and transformation—remain possible.
Who Appears
- Robert HanicotteCourtier who flees the carnage, witnesses the angels’ arrival, and is crushed under the fallen chapel.
- DelphineHer slain body unravels the corpse abomination and becomes a conduit birthing angels into the world.
- Archangel MichaelLeads the celestial host, sings from the tower, and forces a lion-faced devil into disastrous retreat.
- Maître de ChauliacPhysician who shelters Clement, witnesses the host’s triumph, and sees a devil redeemed in the Rhône.
- Pope ClementTrue pontiff, racked by guilt and ravings, kept safe in the Tower of Angels during the onslaught.
- ZephonNewly manifested angel, powerful and radiant, among the first born through Delphine.
- UrielAngel whose arrival redoubles the courtyard’s light and steadies the terrified survivors.
- Lion-faced devilTitanic demon confronted by Michael; its panicked flight collapses the chapel onto fleeing people.
- Corpse abominationShambling mass of fused dead that hunts survivors; dissolves upon touching Delphine’s sanctity.