“On the other hand, the war among the demons is fought in Hell, and on Earth, and it is a war of genocide.  The Lord may abide abominations like the Devils and Zombies to exist, but I will not.  Any more than they would willingly suffer the Succubae to exist.  We seek to exterminate the Devils and Zombies, as surely as they would exterminate the Succubae and the Vampires—and our allies, the Dragons—if they could.”

“This is a war of survival and preservation!  Dear Chas, dear Penny, we must win our war against the Devils and Zombies, or they will wipe us out.  They would eradicate all my sisters and brothers—and all our human operatives, including you both—in a heartbeat.  They would save me for last, and torture me at their leisure until they were ready to dispose of me.  It’s terribly unfair, but the Abominables—the Devils and Zombies—have made it clear in the past that they will attack and kill the youngest, the most-innocent, the most-vulnerable of my children just to spite me if they can!  Can you imagine?!  Children who will never be operatives, orphans, the unwanted, and the hunted—people I rescue!  Just out of loathing and hate.  They’re… they’re not even animals!  MY children!”  She shook her head, leaving no doubt in the girls’ minds that she was genuinely horrified and enraged by their conduct.  “But it’s even broader than us individually.  We fight for beauty… passion, and love!  Art!  The pleasures and lovely things in this world, and even those few we may find in hell.  The vampires, for the vibrancy of life itself!  And the dragons… well, honestly, they’re a little lazy.  But generally mild-mannered, if you leave them alone; and they really do tend to leave others alone, as long as they can get what they need to survive.”  She laughed, shaking her head.  “My husband—First-Husband to you—Húanglóng, King of the Dragons, the indolent sod, doesn’t have a spiteful bone in his body.”

“Compared to our real war, our unholy war, the contest against Heaven is a distant second front:  we need souls to fill our ranks, and to deprive our enemies.  But it’s less a war, more like… the Border Reivers:  English raiding into Scotland, Scots raiding into England, sometimes Reivers raiding without even bothering to cross the line.  But it’s all about pillaging the border lands—in our case, Earth.  Hell couldn’t breach Heaven if it tried.  And Heaven created the border itself, because it doesn’t want hell.  Or any of its denizens.  I’ve already asked you to puzzle on that.  I cannot possibly give you the answer, because I don’t understand Heaven.  My soul has been banished from it, and all knowledge and feelings of and from it.  When we were cut off—” she shook her head, her voice dropping to a whisper and breaking:  “When we separated…”  She pressed her lips together, actual tears springing into her eyes, unable to continue for a moment, her face tight and passionate.

“Oh, Domina!” her girls cried in unison and squeezed her tightly and warmly, holding her tightly as her lip quivered and, with a shake of her head, she gave up and allowed herself to cry, holding them right back, hearing them sob sympathetically for her.

Channah’s Confession

“I think you’re ready.  I think I’m ready.”  Her face became seriously thoughtful, and she squeezed them both, pulling their heads together on her breasts, each girl straddling one of her legs so she could see both of them easily, her eyes flicking back and forth without straying from them, so they both remained intimately enraptured by her gaze and her words, feeling an intimacy they may never have felt in their lives, and certainly not since their mothers’ presence.  In a second of shared semi-comedy, all the more intimate because it intervened in the midst of such intimacy, both girls winced and tugged up on their little cages so they rested on her thighs instead of pinching and pressing between them all.  Even with that adjustment, the girls were not quite comfortable—they were almost Channah’s size and the position they were put in was not only intimate with her, but cramped and awkward.  And somehow, that was right; a way for them to demonstrate their devotion and subservience, their lesserness and the slightly pathetic quality of the uneven yet affectionate relationship between them, even in her most-intimate moments and embrace.

“I want to tell you—I want to admit to you—who I am.  Something I have not even shared with all my wives.”  She snorted.  “Certainly not with Húanglóng, or any other creature of Hell.  It is—a vulnerability.  A weakness, I dare not show to anyone in hell, or almost anyone on Earth, only those completely loyal and devoted to me.  But it is so hard to carry alone, always alone… can I trust you with this?”

“Yes, Domina,” they gasped, confirming and therefore pledging their loyalty and devotion, lips as wide and relaxed as their eyes, practically hypnotized although she used no magic on them—no magic other than sincerity.  It was too important a matter for any illusion or artifice. 

“I would die before I would tell anyone else,” Penny promised, looking emotional.

“Oh, sweetie,” she kissed her forehead sweetly, then Chas’s as she assured her the same.

She pinkened slightly, and they saw something in her face they had never seen before; something embarrassed.  Something even ashamed.  She started in the faintest whisper, hardly willing to make the thoughts real by speaking them.  “It is essential for the trust between us to blossom and secure us to one another, for you to know the worst truths.  I have done terrible things.”

“I—I can be an evil bitch,” she admitted.  “I just feel such rage at things I know should not be, such desperation to protect my sisters and brothers—I’m a very passionate woman,” she concluded, looking down into both of their eyes in turn, searchingly, intensely, seeming to find the shred of understanding she was hoping for in their wide, open eyes.  “In the heat of the moment, especially under pressure—I try to act calm and stay in control—but I just see red.  It’s so hard.”  She bit her lip, shaking her head slowly and slightly as she stared into space, as far from the girls as they were rooted and locked to her in that moment, completely moved and honored by the vulnerability and mistakes she, who was so much more prominent and older than they, should share with them. “And sometimes the blackness of fear.  And they left me without limits.  I reacted to challenges with…” She considered, before settling on “extreme prejudice, towards all enemies, all challengers, even all obstacles.  I acted, then, as a youngling, the same way the devils act now.”  She waved a hand dismissively.  “The zombies are without limits, without restraint, but they aren’t intentional enough for comparison.  It’s almost like they just do, without thought.  Which doesn’t absolve them of anything, only makes them more despicable.  But the devils and their allies, like us, act with intentionality and awareness.  And there were times, long ago,” her voice becoming hushed, as if she could prevent heaven itself from overhearing her dark thoughts, “when I acted as they did.  I did kill—”  she bit her lip.  “I did kill humans simply for being in the possession of my enemies.”

The girls shuddered, and she felt it and softly wailed, squeezing them even harder, her face vulnerable and scared.  “Please—I’m sorry—I did it—Just for a human being in their consideration, because I viewed them as property.  I did it for the same reason you burn your enemy’s house down, not because you care about the house, or even think about the house, but because you want to take from its owner.”  She made an indignant sound.  “I don’t know!  Maybe it was more!  Because they were worse than property—something hateful, something hated.  Even if they were too young or too defiant to have chosen them.”

Literature Section “06-50 Hella Honeymoon VII”Part 50 of Chapter Six, “Le Saccage de la Sale Bête Rouge” (“Rampage of the Dirty Red Beast”)—Continued from 06-49—1362 words—Accompanying Images:  1555-1557.  Published 2025-04-03—©2025 The Remainderman.  This is a work of fiction, not a book of suggestions.  It’s filled with fantasies, idiots, and criminals. Don’t believe them or imitate them.

“The lesson I’m trying to impart today, is that humans fight organized religions, in the name of organized religions, every day, and have done so since the day the second religion—however you want to define it—arose.  I trust your educations were complete and accurate enough that you are aware of the Papal Schism a hundred years ago, where there were two Popes fighting one another, both in the name of the Lord against one another?!”

“Yes, Domina,” they agreed, concerned and disturbed at the idea.

“And even today—I know you are both English, and doubtless feel loyalty to England.”  She rolled her eyes at the idea of someone caring about something like that.  “Do you consider the French to be Catholics?” 

“Of course,” they agreed.

“Pious Catholics?”

Chas deferred to Penny, who cautiously declared “as pious as most others.” 

“A good answer.  I know you’re aware England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire, and, incidentally, the Pope, wearing his other hat as leader of the Papal States, were at war with France and Venice through most of this past decade.  And although not spoken publicly or made officially…”

“No!” Penny cried, in shock, guessing where she was going.  “No!”

“What?!”  Chas demanded, as Channah smiled. 

“It’s nice to see all those school fees and tithes aren’t going completely to waste on orgies and pederasty.”

“DOMINA!” Penny huffed.

“I’m sorry, honey,” she patted Penny’s shoulder.  “Please forgive me for shocking your sensibilities unnecessarily.  And to answer your question, Penny, yes:  Yes, yes, a resounding yes:   Of course the French and the Venetians have spoken with, and cooperated in practice with, the Ottoman Muslim Caliph against the Catholic Pope.  Exactly as the Crusaders themselves aligned with Venice, Pisa, and Genoa to sack Constantinople and dismember and cripple the Byzantine Empire—the most powerful Christian kingdom fighting Islam—in 1204.  Because, as they say in the East, my enemy’s enemy is my friend.”

She had so shocked the girls by connecting the dots that Latin authorities and clergymen allowed to be taught, with the obvious truths they tried to prevent people from seeing, that they were stunned into silence.

She allowed the pause to continue, and the girls to think, for a good minute or more that seemed even longer, before she continued:  “The Succubae are engaged in a contest with the Lord and the Angels.  But the battle between good and evil takes place within each human soul.  Not on Earth, or in Hell.  It is not a war between realms.  It’s a competition for recruits.  And at least Penny will have been formally presented with the question before, why does the Lord allow Hell to tempt humans?  I won’t answer that question for you, I’ll ask you to answer it yourselves.  Think on it a good long while, and discuss it with one another.  I will look forward to hearing what you have concluded when you’re confident.  Obviously I wouldn’t have let the priests have you and train you for so long, if my only preoccupation were human souls.  Or if I wanted to corrupt yours.  Or for you to corrupt others’ souls.  Would I?”  She enjoyed the silence she heard, even Penny too confused and thoughtful to argue.

Unholy War

“No, I trained you to fight our war, our true and unholy war, the war of the Succubae, against our sworn enemies.”

“Who?”  The girls asked breathlessly.

“The Devils,” she practically spat, unable to keep her voice even when she spoke of them.  “Above all others, the vile, disgusting, contemptible Devils. And their allies.  The Zombies—fucking disgusting” she shook her head with an expression of revulsion.  “You can’t imagine how disgusting, and if you’re lucky, you’ll never need to find out.  The exact opposite of Succubaean beauty and love of the erotic.  Nobody likes either of them, or wants to be around them, although the Genies and the Spirits are so unprincipled and vile they usually cooperate with the unbearable ones, against us.”

There was another silence, both girls looking up at their Domina in awe and consternation at what she was saying, trying to make sense of it.  And perhaps even more, trying to reckon with the fact anything could upset Channah enough to interrupt her normal, utterly unflappable and practical demeanor.

Finally, she wrenched herself back to the present, and to them, looking down, almost surprised to see how intently they were looking back at her.  She smiled faintly, touched.  “You’re both so darling.  But that is the war I raised you two to fight.  A war that benefits Heaven, not because I have any affection for Heaven, but purely instrumentally, because it diverts our attention and energies from Heaven.  This the war that matters the most to me, and to the Succubae, and our operatives—to every one of us.”

“How can a war among Demons, possibly matter more than the war between Heaven and Hell?!”  Chas asked with uncalculated candor and genuine curiosity.

“Penny, was that the right question?”

“Not if—” she blushed and corrected what she meant to say.  “Domina, you said it was not a war between heaven and hell, but a contest for human souls.”

“Do you see armies of angels battling devils?  Or saved souls fighting the damned?  No.  Now your turn, Chas.  Matter to who?” she asked.

“What?” they both asked. “The Lord does not consult me, but doubtless you are right, the contest for souls means more to the Lord, and to some humans, than the war among the Seven Hells.  But it is our war with one another that matters the most to the demons.  This will bring you back to the question I already posed you:  Why does the Lord, suffer Hell to exist?  What purpose do we serve to Heaven, that we were banished instead of annihilated, when we rebelled?  Whatever answer you come to, I suspect it will persuade you of what you really need to understand:  That no matter what the reason is, the Lord does suffer Hell to exist, and the only ‘battleground’ between Heaven and Hell is inside humanity.  I am where the Lord put me, doing what the Lord allows me.  My fortunes are subject to the Lord, and the number of servants I have depends in part on what the Lord allows, but my life, and my existence, are not threatened.”

Literature Section “06-49 Hella Honeymoon VI”Part 49 of Chapter Six, “Le Saccage de la Sale Bête Rouge” (“Rampage of the Dirty Red Beast”)—Continued from 06-48—1064 words—Accompanying Images:  1552-1554.  Published 2025-04-02—©2025 The Remainderman.  This is a work of fiction, not a book of suggestions.  It’s filled with fantasies, idiots, and criminals. Don’t believe them or imitate them.

The girls complied with her command to hold hands with one another, making it all the better by their embarrassed expressions as they held hands.  “For all the world, one would think you were perfect strangers asked to hold hands, rather than girls who grew up on the same estates.”  Still squeezing her girls tightly, she turned and kissed each one on top of the head.  “Or is your awkwardness because of past… familiarity?”  She chuckled softly as they blushed and nearly pulled their hands apart. 

“Whatever you have or have not been to one another, you’re sister-wives now—my sisterwives—and you will need to work and play as a team to please me.  Practice makes perfect, and this is your chance to practice in security and safety.  It will be just the three of us, for seven days and nights.  As a Queen, my duties cannot be ignored for a week so I will have to hold Court and meet with my nobles and ministers each day, while you attend to me and take care of the chores.  We will be alone, which means no servants.  Sindonie has raised you properly, to remember your place is in service to me, and therefore, you now know, in service to my Court, and not to expect human servants dedicated to you, whatever the roles we play here at Fensmere Manor in front of outsiders.  In addition to being a chance to spend quality time together and define our own relationship, it will be a chance to test yourselves and show me your joy in service of me, just as I take pleasure in serving the Realm.  As always, you serve the Realm by serving me.

“To take an entire week with you girls, when I have two worlds’ full of operatives and servants to manage while fighting our war, should tell you how much you mean to me, and to the Realm.”  She squeezed and kissed the tops of their heads again, more slowly and thoughtfully, as they shivered with pleasure.

The Contest for Souls

“Thank you, Domina,” Penny spoke from her heart, as she always did, the same reason she couldn’t stop herself there:  “‘Our war…’”

Channah shook her head, knowing already what was coming.  “Did you think I wouldn’t know what’s on your minds?  What—I presume—has been on your mind since you first saw and felt the satanikoklus, Penny?  Finish asking your question, sugarbear.”

“Are we?  ‘At war?’” she asked quietly, uncomfortably.

“We are.  Always and perpetually.  It can be quite draining sometimes, especially to remain on top of our enemies as long as I have.”

“Domina…” Penny sounded like she was on the verge of crying.  “Domina, who are we at war with?”  Penny barely whispered, scared to death but asking it anyway.  In her other arm, Chas remained silent, but her body tightened and coiled up as tightly as a spring, as tightly as Penny’s, telling her the question mattered deeply to both girls.

“Who do you think?”  She asked, amused when Penny—who normally couldn’t keep her mouth shut to save her life, hesitated.

Finally, it gushed out:  “Domina, as my guardian, you sent me to the Bishop of London’s grammar school for six years—”

“Me too!” Chas squeaked.  “For seven!”

“And—and you let me—take vows at Cambridge—I know I should—I must—be defrocked now, but for the Lord not for me!  I was studying canon law at Jesus College, Domina!  How could you let me—how could you want me—?”

She burst out laughing.  “Didn’t I just tell you these seven days are a special and safe time?  Answer.  My.  Question.”

“Our Lord!” they both burst out, sounding agonized.

“What utter poppycock!” she chortled.  “Certainly not!  I sent your jawari sisters to grammar school as well.  And your mamluk brothers as long as they could manage not to get kicked out, although a fat lot of good it did for them!” she rolled her eyes.  “Do you have any idea how many girls and boys I’ve provided with religious training over the years?”

“No.”  Penny whispered again.

“I was going to say, more than the Pope, but obviously that’s not true,” she conceded.

“I’m not saying I don’t have antipathy towards the Lord.  The Lord banished us to hell.  Do you think we find the climate there any more pleasurable than the human damned?  We do not.  It’s bloody awful.  It’s one of the reasons I spend my time here!  And we do fight organized religions whenever they get in our way, just like the human princes who battle with and try to control the church, and the human clergy who fight one another, and secular states.  Because I paid for your educations, I know you both are well familiar with the war between the Ummah and the Body of Christ that has been raging for, literally, centuries?  Going considerably better for Christianity in the West than the East these past decades.” 

Both girls understood her reference to the West as the Reconquista, which had defeated the Emirate of Grenada, the last Muslim state in the Iberian peninsula, and restored Christianity throughout the Iberian peninsula thirty years earlier; and to the East as the Ottoman Empire’s seemingly inexorable advance, defeating the nearly 1,500-year-old Byzantine Empire seventy years ago,  repeatedly defeating Habsburg, Venetian, Genoese, and Pisan interests in the years since, and occupying Rhodes only seven years before, ejecting the last of the Catholic military orders involved in the Crusades from the last of their territories in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“The Mahommedans?!” Penny and Chas burst out.  “But they’re infidels!”

She snickered thoughtfully.  “I have no interest in persuading you Muslims believe in the Lord, and that’s something I suppose theologians can reasonably argue.  I’m all for human religions battling with one another.  It’s most helpful.”

“But as your guardian, your education—good or bad—reflects on me personally, so I must explain to you, although there’s no perfect analogy, calling Muslims ‘Mahommedans’ is, to a Muslim, something close to a Catholic hearing themselves described as a ‘Peterite’ or a ‘Paulinite.’  Muslims consider Mohammad—and Jesus—to be prophets, not deities.  Implying otherwise is simply inaccurate, so I won’t abide you speaking it out of ignorance.  If you’re going to lie, do it on purpose, to deceive.  If you’re going to speak the truth, trouble yourself to know what it is.”

“Yes, Domina,” they both reacted almost physically to the rebuke, as confused and anxious as they were ashamed. 

Especially Penny, who was easy to sting by challenging the intelligence and education he treasured as a fundamental part of his identity; and who added, “I’m sorry, Domina.”

“It’s all right, dear,” she reassured her, leaning her cheek on Penny’s hair for a minute.  “Humans make mistakes, and if they’re clever, they try to learn from them.”

Literature Section “06-48 Hella Honeymoon V”Part 48 of Chapter Six, “Le Saccage de la Sale Bête Rouge” (“Rampage of the Dirty Red Beast”)—Continued from 06-47[X]—1149 words—Accompanying Images:  1549-1551.  Published 2025-04-01—©2025 The Remainderman.  This is a work of fiction, not a book of suggestions.  It’s filled with fantasies, idiots, and criminals. Don’t believe them or imitate them.