The Prophecy - 18. Chapter 18

Brother Gregory leaned in more and whispered to the young monk.

"Lucifer was a prominent archangel in heaven before he disregarded god’s wishes and rebelled against him. When the rebellion failed, Lucifer was cast out of heaven with the third of the heavenly host and he came to reside in this world. It is said he was motivated by pride. He was the most gorgeous of angels, before god threw him to hell. And now anything which tempts, lures and prompts a man to sin and causes contempt in the eyes of their god is said to be caused by the devil. Lucifer is considered the embodiment of evil and everything wicked."

Brother Gregory paused for a moment, and then carried on. The young man hung on his lips.

"The church has gotten it all wrong. Let me explain. Lucifer means ‘Morning Star’ or ‘Light Bearer’. We have difficulties with foreign names, but this is no excuse to cast a shadow on Lucifer. The morning star is associated with Venus, the goddess of shining beauty. Can you see now, Brother Lucas? Lucifer sheds light on the darkness. Venus is the goddess of love, beauty, and sex. She turns the hearts of men and women from sexual vice to virtue, but the Catholic Church shuns the goddess of love, beauty, and sex. The Catholic Church shuns the Morning Star. The Catholic Church shuns Lucifer. Can you see, Brother Lucas? You must change your belief. Your must change your overall view."

Brother Lucas’ lips opened slightly. Brother Gregory nodded seriously and carried on.

"Lucifer fell from grace like Adam and Eve did some time later. It was god’s original plan and it is said that god moves in mysterious ways. But, like he said in the very beginning: Let there be light. And there was light. God saw the light, and it was good and god divided the light from the darkness. Lucifer is the light bearer, the morning star. The Catholic Church banned love, beauty, and sex from the world. But Lucifer is the world’s righteous ruler. We must give up our wrong beliefs. All falsehood must come to an end."

Brother Gregory placed his hand lightly on Brother Lucas’ arm. He gave the young man an encouraging look, and then rose to his feet and walked away slowly. He joined Brother Nicholas and Brother Thomas.

"Brother Lucas is still confused, but his mind is slowly opening up to the true belief," he said.

His companions nodded contentedly. The three monks had started to subtly influence the young monks who had joined the cloister. Brother Lucas, for instance, was a sensitive young man. His father, a wealthy nobleman, had, following the tradition, sent his third son to the cloister. Brother Lucas had joined Buckfast Abbey in 1019 at the age of thirteen.

The three monks made progress. Their activities, however, were unconvered in the year 1020 when a young man wrote a letter to his father and at some length explained to him his new understanding of the Book of Revelations and his changed view on Lucifer and his role in the world. Brother Nicholas and his companions were questioned and put under pressure to give up on their twisted beliefs. The three monks fled Buckfast Abbey in 1020 and founded their own community in the area. The abbot of Buckfast Abbey, however, did not tolerate the heretics who he considered were worshippers of the devil. The three monks were driven from the place. They fled east with a few followers. In 1021 the group returned to France and settled in the ruins of a cloister far in the west of the country.

The group and their successors lived in seclusion, in hiding, and in secrecy throughout the centuries. The secret order, however, did not dissolve. The inner circle was small, sometimes only five or six men, but they managed to maintain their community. New members were mainly acquired from rural areas. Poor peasant families sent their sons to the monks. The young boys were subtly influenced and formed by the masters of the order.

The secret order underwent many changes over the years, mainly structural changes and reformations, but the belief system was also reshaped to some degree. Cathar elements, like the self-understanding of the brethren as perfecti, were dropped entirely. While the brethren were all considered equal in the beginning, a hierarchy was established in later years. On top was the grandmaster, followed by the masters, the adepts and the novices. In the 19th century, the order didn’t differ much from other black orders that had become popular then. The group gave up their place in the west of France and resettled in Paris. The group’s activities changed in the 19th century. The secret order started to acquire men from all social classes. A powerful and far-reaching network was established over the years. The order got prepared for the time when the prophecy would fulfil.

From around 1980 on, the group was acting globally. The order had become a modern and effectively working union. Target compliance and target analysis were their main concerns. The grandmaster and masters were not only initiated into the secret, they were also well-educated and highly qualified men. The order opened to women in the beginning of the 21th century.

The group had increased its efforts to find the man who, according to the old prophecy, was a potential danger to their plans. His name was Jason, but until May 2012 the group had failed to find the man. This changed when Antoine Lambert received Jason Bolding’s email. The brethren were in an almost state of shock. Their archenemy had personally contacted them.

Jason Bolding had made no secret of his intention to uncover the prophecy and stop its fulfilment. Jason Bolding had chosen to not operate undercover. He had openly challenged the order and had thrown down the gauntlet to them.

The brethren had reacted to his challenge, but their initial responses had been rash and little effective. Jason Bolding had meanwhile left France and returned to London. However, the secret order had understood Jason Bolding’s challenge of war and the black order had started to counteract.