[ azrael turned to look at des, almost unable to speak. his voice comes almost as softly as he continues. ]

'And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray...' [ he pauses a moment ] 'And as men perished, they cried, and their cry went up to heaven.' [ he stops, smiling slowly and bitterly ] And what is the rest of it, Des, and what lies in between those lines we've spoken! Lies! I taught them civilization. I taught them knowledge of Heaven and Angels! That's all I taught them. There was no blood, no lawlessness, no monstrous giants in the earth. It's lies and lies, fragments and fragments, buried in lies!