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August 26th 396 BC (Julian calendar), Olympia (Greece)
The loud voice of the herald announced the winner of the boy’s wrestling contest together with the father`s name and the city he’s from. Aziraphale tried to get through the masses of people. If he were to manage to get a few more steps to the right, he would be able to watch the ceremony rather well.
Luckily Aziraphale got to a place with a good enough view to see a judge, a hellanodikai, place an olive branch crown on the boy’s head. Together with the other people in the audience, Aziraphale applauded.
While the boy walked back to his countrymen and the applause continued, Aziraphale looked through the raised hall of Zeus’ temple. He really was a huge enthusiast of these contests. Even during war times people from all the different cities would gather here for this sports event.
His bright mood, though, got interrupted by surprise as he recognized a familiar face not far from him.
Aziraphale didn’t pay much attention to the announcement of the winner of the boy’s boxing, instead squeezing himself between people to get to his companion of the last thousand years.
‘Hello Crawly’, Aziraphale greeted him.
Said demon turned to him in surprise.
‘Oh, hello angel’, he answered, ‘surprised I haven’t seen you earlier. Thought you liked these events with all these truces going on and the whole love-thy-neighbor stuff actual working for once.’
‘I do’, Aziraphale exclaimed, ‘very much so. I was not able to come earlier this time, though. Were you able to watch the competitions?’
‘Oh, yes, I did’, Crawly said.
A bit of an unnerving feeling spread through Aziraphale. The tone of voice in which Crawly had said that… Aziraphale really hoped, Crawly hadn’t done anything to endanger future events like this. They were a tradition every four years! And even though everything seemed normal, and everyone was acting as they did at every winner ceremony, Aziraphale had to ask, just to be sure:
‘Did… did something special happen this time?’
Crawly just smirked and pointed towards the herald who was about to announce the winner of the chariot race.
Aziraphale, once again reminding himself that Crawly was a demon, prepared himself. He was ready to perform any miracle necessary to stop whatever evil from happening.
The herald announced ‘Cynisca from Sparta, daughter of King Archidamus II.’ As the winner.
Aziraphale was caught off guard. He expected many things, but not that. First, he couldn’t understand why Crawly was so exciting about this and second:
‘Did they change the rules, finally?’, Aziraphale asked happily, ‘Were women allowed to compete too?’
Still clapping, Crawly turned to him with a grimace.
‘No, ‘course not’, he said, ‘married women would’ve still been thrown off a cliff for attending.’
Now it was Aziraphale’s turn to grimace at the reminder of some human’s cruelty.
‘Cynisca just…’, Crawly shrugged, ‘found a loophole.’
‘A loophole?’, Aziraphale echoed.
‘Yeah’, Crawly said, ‘the owner of the winning horses is crowned victor. She just entered her horses with male charioteers.’
‘Ha’, Aziraphale said, not sure whether to be happy about the step in the right direction or disappointed it hadn’t been more.
Then he remembered Crawly’s excitement and asked: ‘Did you have something to do with this?’
‘Oh, no! That was her idea.’
By now neither of them paid any attention to the ceremony anymore and instead focused solemnly on their conversation.
‘Then why are you so happy about it?’, Aziraphale asked, feeling himself starting to smile, ‘Are you happy that she’s happy?’
‘What? No, ‘course not!’, Crawly exclaimed annoyed, ‘I’m a demon. I’m never happy, ‘specially not about someone’s happiness! But… maybe she will inspire other women to find loopholes. And when there’re no more loopholes left, they may start to rebel against the rules. Imagine! One sex against another. That’d cause some trouble.’
‘Oh’, Aziraphale said, a bit disappointed. But he reminded himself that Crawly always said he was evil. Even though he didn’t kill Job’s children. Not even his goats.
But before Aziraphale could voice his belief in Crawly’s goodness, said demon started talking again: ‘You would like that too, wouldn’t you, angel?’
‘What?’, Aziraphale asked confused.
‘You know, women trying to free themselves from society’s rules. Even if they must use force, I’m sure you would like it.’
‘Well’, Aziraphale said, turning back to the ceremony instead of looking at Crawly, ‘I believe humans will eventually live equally with each other. Without any violence needed.’
Crawly chuckled at that. ‘Come on, angel. Not even you can really believe that.’
‘Why not?’, Aziraphale asked, ‘It is not impossible!’
‘Humans love power’, Crawly said, ‘They love having power over each other. They won’t just… give it up. I don’t know why ‘power’ isn’t one of the deadly sins.’
Aziraphale didn’t know what to say to that. He couldn’t just agree with a demon (even if said demon had some very good points).
‘Power hunger can fall into some of the seven sins’, was the best answer Aziraphale could come up with.
Crawly looked at him and said: ‘Sure, angel. If you say so.’
Aziraphale fiddled with his hands. He defiantly was meddling too much with the demon. He couldn’t let Crawly plant doubt in his mind. Just accepting a discussion with a demon was already losing the discussion!
‘I don’t have to say anything!’, Aziraphale declared as confident as possible, ‘I believe! In Her plan. And that’s enough.’ Crawly rolled his eyes, but Aziraphale didn’t let him start talking: ‘There is no way for you to make me doubt! I am convinced that Her plan includes equality for all humans and living lovingly with each other.’
‘And why do I exist, then?’, Crawly asked.
‘Well, you fell. And now you’re the evil endangering humankind.’
Crawly turned away and said in a voice so low Aziraphale nearly didn’t hear him: ‘Yeah that I am.’
Aziraphale wavered a bit, worried he might have actual hurt Crawly, but still chose to continue: ‘And I am an angel stopping you from spreading evil.’
Crawly turned back to him and starred at him for a moment before saying: ‘There is no evil for you to stop here, is there?’
‘Well, I suppose there is none’, Aziraphale said, unsure as to where this is going.
People started to move around them and Aziraphale was irritated, before realizing that the ceremony concluded and everyone was exciting the temple.
Crawly smirked and too began walking towards the exit, saying: ‘Then I propose there is nothing better to do than to join the celebration.’ When Aziraphale hesitated, he continued: ‘You might want to come too, just in case there is going to be evil for you to stop.’
Aziraphale smiled slightly and said: ‘I suppose you are right, my dear. For the goodness of humans, I will join.’
Crawly grinned while the two followed the people outside.
Aziraphale was a bit worried about giving into Crawly’s temptations, but he reminded himself that he was just doing everything to protect humans from evil. That was the only reason he was going to join the celebration. Nothing to do with spending another pleasant day with Crawly.