Constantine - The Novelization - Whoa is (Not)

to the brink of death.At last he had to stop, winded, gasping for air, sweat dripping.Balthazar himself seemed to strain for his final breaths... or so at least it seemed in the materialinterpretation of what was happening."I... will see you very soon," the demon rasped."Not really, no," Constantine said, sitting up. Feeling in his pocket for another kind ofweapon."You can't cheat it this time," Balthazar growled. "You're going back to Hell, Constantine.""True. But you're not."The demon's eyes widened. What did Constantine mean by that?Constantine took the small black box from his coat - the box that he'd kept on that special shelfin his apartment - and Balthazar watched, glaring through the wreckage of his face, gathering hisstrength for whatever Constantine planned. He tried to look unconcerned as Constantineunlatched the box and removed the one weapon he rarely used: the Bible."What are you doing?" Balthazar said, trying to get to his feet. Constantine thrust him backdown.''I'm reading you your last rites."Balthazar licked his battered lips. "Your remedial incantations have no relevance to my kind!""Aren't you half human?" Constantine asked, mildly, as if politely inquiring of someone'sethnicity.Balthazar just glared. They both knew. He was spiritually demon, physically partly human."You see," Constantine went on, as if in Sunday school, explaining to a child, "that makes youeligible to be forgiven. You do know what it is to truly be forgiven? To be welcomed into theKingdom of God?"Balthazar gulped: Constantine had just blithely articulated EveryDemon's worst nightmare.Constantine chuckled."A demon in Heaven," he said musingly. Enjoying the thought. Real malice creeping into hisvoice now. "Love to be a fly on that wall.""You're not a priest," Balthazar protested, his voice showing a very human terror. "You haveno power!""No?" Constantine's smile was razor-thin. "I escaped Hell - who else do you know has thepower to do that?"Balthazar - stunned by Constantine's attack and on unsteady metaphysical ground - seemed todoubt his understanding of reality. Demons were hell things and nothing else... weren't they?Constantine hunkered by him, knuckle-duster at the ready, and looked him in his reptilianeyes. "Just tell me how Mammon is crossing over and you can go back to your shithole...."Balthazar's face hardened. Defy the son of Satan to please this ephemeral magician? Hesnorted.Constantine shrugged, stood up, and opened the Bible to the place he'd marked ahead of time."May God have mercy on you and grant you the pardon of all your sins...."He placed a hand on Balthazar's forehead. The demon glared as Constantine's voice rose withcommanding authority."Whosoever sins you remit on Earth, they are remitted unto them in Heaven. I absolve youfrom-""It may not even work!" Balthazar interrupted, frantic to break Constantine's assured,incantatory rhythm - the demon was already undergoing a sickening spiritual disorientation.Constantine paused. Smiled grimly. Looked a warning at Balthazar. "How's he doing it?"Balthazar's eyes rolled wildly as he looked for escape. But he was too battered to get away,too diminished in force.Constantine nodded and went on reading:"Grant your child entry into Thy Kingdom...."