Escape From Hell Read online

  Escape From Hell

  by

  Larry Niven

  THROUGH ME THE ROAD TO THE CITY OF DESOLATION

  THROUGH ME THE ROAD TO THE CITY OF SORROWS DIUTERNAL

  THROUGH ME THE ROAD AMONG THE LOST CREATION

  JUSTICE MOVED MY GREAT MAKER; GOD ETERNAL

  WROUGHT ME: THE POWER, AND THE UNSEARCHABLY

  HIGH WISDOM, AND THE PRIMAL LOVE SUPERNAL

  NOTHING ERE I WAS MADE WAS MADE TO BE

  SAVE THINGS ETERNE, AND I ETERNE ABIDE;

  ALL HOPE ABANDON, YOU THAT GO IN BY ME.

  Table Of Contents

  * * *

  Dramatis Personae

  Preface

  Chapter 1

  Seventh Circle, Second Round

  The Wood Of The Suicides

  Chapter 2

  The Tenth Circle

  Ice

  Chapter 3

  The Vestibule

  Opportunists

  Chapter 4

  Charon And The Acheron

  Chapter 5

  First Circle

  Virtuous Pagans

  Chapter 6

  First Circle

  The Palace Of Minos

  Chapter 7

  Second Circle

  The Winds

  Chapter 8

  Third Circle

  The Gluttonous

  Chapter 9

  Fourth Circle

  The Hoarders And The Wasters

  Chapter 10

  Fifth Circle

  The Wrathful And The Sullen

  Chapter 11

  Fifth Circle

  The City Of Dis

  Chapter 12

  Sixth Circle

  The Heretics

  Chapter 13

  Sixth Circle

  More Heretics

  Chapter 14

  Seventh Circle, First Round

  The Violent

  Chapter 15

  Seventh Circle, Third Round

  The Violent Against God, Nature, And Art

  Chapter 16

  Seventh Circle, Second Round

  The Violent Wasters

  Chapter 17

  Seventh Circle, Third Round

  The Violent Against God, Nature, And Art

  Chapter 18

  Seventh Circle, Third Round

  The Violent Against God, Nature, And Art

  Part Two

  The Valley Of Desolation

  Chapter 19

  Seventh Circle, Third Round

  The Violent Against God, Nature, And Art

  Part Three

  The River

  Chapter 20

  Seventh Circle, Third Round

  The Violent Against God, Nature, And Art

  Part Four

  Geryon And The Cliff

  Chapter 21

  Eighth Circle, First Bolgia

  Panderers And Seducers

  Chapter 22

  Eighth Circle, Second Bolgia

  Flatterers

  Chapter 23

  Eighth Circle, Third Bolgia

  Simoniacs

  Chapter 24

  Eighth Circle, Fourth Bolgia

  Fortune–Tellers And Diviners

  Chapter 25

  Eighth Circle, Fifth Bolgia

  Barrators And Grafters

  Chapter 26

  Eighth Circle, Sixth Bolgia

  Hypocrites

  Chapter 27

  Eighth Circle, Seventh Bolgia

  Thieves

  Chapter 28

  Eighth Circle, Seventh Bolgia

  Part Two

  Deputy Prosecutor

  Chapter 29

  Eighth Circle, Eighth Bolgia

  Evil Counselors

  Part One

  Escape

  Chapter 30

  Eighth Circle, Ninth Bolgia

  Sowers Of Discord

  Chapter 31

  Eighth Circle, Tenth Bolgia

  Falsifiers And Counterfeiters

  Chapter 32

  Eighth Circle

  Beyond The Tenth Bolgia

  Chapter 33

  Seventh Circle

  The Cliff Edge

  Notes

  Acknowledgments

  Dramatis Personae

  * * *

  In Order Of Appearance

  ALLEN CARPENTER

  Successful science fiction writer who generally used the pen name Allen Carpentier. Died in 1975.

  SYLVIA PLATH

  Poet, novelist, and educator. Married British poet Ted Hughes (who later became poet laureate of England). Committed suicide in 1963.

  BENITO MUSSOLINI (alluded)

  Former Duce of Italy. Executed by partisans, 1945.

  CLIVE STAPLES (JACK) LEWIS (alluded)

  Professor of linguistics, literary critic, and Christian apologist. Often called “The Apostle to the Skeptics.”

  The Vestibule

  Lawyers And Legalists

  AUGUSTO CRINATELLI

  Member of the Grand Council of Fasces, Kingdom of Italy. Executed by German occupation forces, 1944.

  ROSEMARY BENNETT

  Assistant deputy prosecutor, New Orleans. Died early twenty–first century.

  GANTEIL

  An angel who refused to take sides during the War in Heaven.

  THOMAS STEARNS ELIOT (alluded)

  American poet and literary critic who emigrated to England. Nobel Prize in literature, 1948. Died 1965.

  First Circle

  BERTRAND RUSSELL (alluded)

  English philosopher, mathematician, essayist, and gadfly. Died 1970.

  LESTER DEL REY

  American science fiction author and raconteur. Senior editor of Del Rey Books, imprint of Ballantine Books. Died 1993.

  ASPASIA

  Life companion and mistress of Pericles of Athens.

  MINOS

  Legendary king of Crete. Despite conflicting stories, Minos was considered a fountain of justice and became one of the judges of the dead. Died second millennium B.C.

  ARMAND LETROIS

  LEROY THOMPKINS

  BEN REYNOLDS

  HARRY PASSIONS

  New Orleans politicians. Died early twenty–first century.

  ELOISE WATSON

  Washington, D.C., medium and fortune–teller. Died early twenty–first century.

  ROGER HASTINGS, supervisory deputy prosecutor, New Orleans. Died early twenty–first century.

  Second Circle

  CLEOPATRA (alluded)

  Historical queen of Egypt, mother of Caesarion, who was son of Julius Caesar; consort of Marcus Antonius, Triumvar of Rome. Died 30 B.C.

  DIDO (alluded)

  Founding queen of Carthage, also called Elissa. Lover of Aeneas of Troy. Died second millennium B.C.

  JEROME LEIGH CORBETT (alluded)

  U.S. astronaut. Died late twentieth century.

  ELENA ROBINSON

  One–time friend and lover of Allen Carpenter. Died early twenty–first century.

  FRANK HARRIS

  Rogue, raconteur, cad, lover, and bon vivant. Died 1931.

  OSCAR WILDE

  Irish playwright and poet, rake and raconteur. Died 1900.

  SIMON RAVEN

  English playwright, novelist, and rogue. Died early twenty–first century.

  HUGH HEFNER (alluded)

  Founder and publisher of Playboy magazine. Still living at the time of the story.

  Third Circle

  CATHERINE WOZNAK, Ph.D.

  Former assistant secretary of Agriculture. Died late twentieth century.

  JAN PETRI

  American health enthusiast and personal trainer. Died prior to Carpenter.

  Fourth Circle

  PLUTUS

  Legen
dary god of wealth.

  VICKIE LYNN MARSHALL AKA ANNA NICOLE SMITH

  American Texan model, Playmate of the Year 1993. Died 2007.

  AUGUSTUS BATEMAN

  New York City construction supervisor. Died twenty–first century.

  Fifth Circle

  ELSE FRENKEL–BRUNSWICK

  Austrian–born American psychoanalyst and author. Died twentieth century.

  GEORGE LINCOLN ROCKWELL

  Commander, USNR. Leader of the American Nazi Party. Died 1967.

  PHLEGYAS

  Legendary king of the Lapiths, grandfather of Asclepius. Died second millennium B.C.

  KAREN BLIXEN AKA ISAK DINESEN (alluded)

  Danish author who wrote primarily in English. Her works include Out of Africa and “Babette’s Feast.” Died 1962.

  The City of Dis

  JAMES GIRARD

  One–time deputy district attorney of New Orleans, now an official in the Prosecutor’s Office in Hell. Died twenty–first century.

  HENRI LEBEAU

  Professor of civil and canon law, Tulane University, assigned to the Prosecutor’s Office in Hell. Died twenty–first century.

  ANTHONY GLICKA

  Experimental medicine coordinator, UCLA. Died twenty–first century.

  LEONARD DOWL

  Associate chair of the Department of English, University High School, Los Angeles. Died twenty–first century.

  Sixth Circle

  MONSIGNOR ANTONIO BRUNO

  Dominican, Catholic priest and intellectual. Died twentieth century.

  CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS

  American statesman and diplomat. Died 1886.

  ALBERT CAMUS

  Algerian–born French author, Nobel Prize winner. Died 1960.

  FRANCIS THOMPSON (alluded)

  English poet and opium addict. Died 1907.

  Seventh Circle

  WILLIAM BONNEY

  American cowboy and outlaw. Died 1881.

  CARLOS MONTARA

  Sexual predator and serial killer. Died late twentieth century.

  CHO SEUNG–HUI

  Serial killer. Died 2007.

  TED HUGHES

  Poet laureate of England. Husband of Sylvia Plath. Died 1998.

  ASSIA GUTMAN WEVILL (alluded)

  Mistress of Ted Hughes. Suicide, 1969.

  SHURA WEVILL (alluded)

  Daughter of Assia Wevill and Ted Hughes. Victim of murder/suicide, 1969.

  CARLOTTA BENTON BATEMAN

  Literary critic and English teacher. Died early twenty–first century.

  THE REVEREND CANON DON CAMILLUS

  Vicar general of the archdiocese of Rome. Died A.D. 1013.

  CHARLES MACGRUDER

  Hydraulic miner. Died 1891.

  ANGELO CORVANTIS

  Of John Marshal Middle School, Los Angeles. Died 2002.

  FATHER STEVE

  FATHER DANNY

  Child abusers. Died late twentieth century.

  FRANK CAPUTO

  Outlaw Motorcycle Club leader.

  TED BRADLEY

  Head of Friends of Man and the Earth, an environmental movement that pressured the EPA to ban DDT.

  RACHEL CARSON

  Marine biologist and author. Died 1964 of breast cancer.

  GERYON

  Mythical Titan warrior king of the tenth labor of Heracles.

  The Eighth Circle

  First Through Fourth Bolgias

  FR. ERNESTO FIANCIANO

  Of Florence, godson of Dante Alighieri. Died fourteenth century.

  OSCAR T.J. WHITE

  NASCAR champion. Died 1970.

  PETER LAWFORD

  British–born American actor, member of the Rat Pack. Died 1984.

  PHYLLIS WELSH AKA DOREEN LANCER

  Go–go dancer, Outlaw Motorcycle Club consort. Died 1972.

  SAMMY MENDOZA

  Assistant producer, MGM Studios. Died at the Kasserine Pass, 1943.

  HAL BERTHAM

  PROPHET HERBERT JACKSON

  HENDRIX

  Radio personalities. Died twenty–first century.

  SISTER AIMEE SEMPLE MCPHERSON

  Lighthouse Mission, Salvation Navy; evangelist. Died 1944.

  CARL SAGAN, Ph.D.

  Planetary scientist and philosopher of science. Died 1996.

  GIACOMO CASANOVA

  Venetian diplomat and rake. Died 1798.

  The Eighth Circle

  Fifth Bolgia

  BLACK TALON

  Demon. Senior captain in the Fifth Bolgia.

  J. EDGAR HOOVER

  Director, FBI. Died 1972.

  MELVIN BELLI

  Trial lawyer known as King of Torts. Died twentieth century.

  ASA KEYES

  District attorney of Los Angeles. Died twentieth century.

  DAVID TALBOT RUNMERE

  City attorney of Philadelphia. Died twentieth century.

  LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON

  President of the United States. Died 1973.

  The Eighth Circle

  Sixth Through Tenth Bolgias

  JEZEBETH

  SYBACCA

  Demons assigned to guard Rosemary.

  KENNETH LAY

  CEO of Enron. Died 2007.

  JOACHIM MÜLLER

  Gestapo official. Hanged, Nuremberg, 1946.

  REINHARD HEYDRICH

  Protector of Bohemia. Killed by Czech partisans, 1942.

  FREDERICK LINDEMANN

  First Viscount Cherwell, physicist. Scientific advisor to Winston Churchill. Died 1957.

  AIR CHIEF MARSHAL SIR ARTHUR HARRIS

  AKA Bomber Harris. Died 1984.

  JESSE UNRUH

  Speaker of the California Assembly. Died twentieth century.

  LEV DAVIDOVICH BRONSTEIN AKA LEON TROTSKY

  Commander of the Red Army under Lenin. Opponent of Stalin. Assassinated 1940.

  SWORD

  Demon captain in the Ninth Bolgia.

  HENRY VIII

  King of England. Died 1547.

  MADELYN MURRAY O’HAIR

  Public atheist. Died 1995.

  KENNETH OMISTON (alluded)

  Radio broadcast engineer for Aimee Semple McPherson. Died twentieth century.

  GIANNI SCHICCHI

  Florentine forger. Died thirteenth century.

  PONTIUS PILATUS

  Governor of Judea. Died first century A.D.

  TROFIM LYSENKO

  Soviet agricultural science official. Director of biology studies under Stalin. Died 1976.

  The Ninth Circle And Beyond

  NIMROD

  ANTAEUS

  Legendary Titans.

  J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER

  Father of the atomic bomb. Director of Manhattan Project, Los Alamos. Died 1967.

  REGINA GOLBINDER (alluded)

  Later Mrs. Stefan T. Possony. Daughter of Berlin Communist Party leader.

  ADOLF HITLER

  Führer of the Third Reich. Died 1945.

  IOSIF VISSARIONOVICH DZHUGASHVILI AKA JOSEF STALIN

  General Secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR. Died 1953.

  LUCIFER

  His Satanic Majesty, ruler of Hell, Prince of Darkness, etc.

  Preface

  * * *

  This is a sequel to our first Inferno published in 1976. That book went through ten editions and was published in seven languages, including Italian. Friends who read Italian tell us the translators did a creditable job with the work. Inferno won us considerable academic acclaim and is said to have sparked a revival of interest in Dante among undergraduates in America.

  We wrote Inferno as an adventure novel, with the main character being a reasonably well–known American science fiction writer named Allen Carpenter who wrote under the name Allen Carpentier. A number of friends believe they recognized themselves in parts of that novel. We don’t have to say.

  Any rational and inquisitive person finding himself in Hell will want to know why he is there. In the Age of Fa
ith that might not have been so, but a modern science fiction writer from the rationalist tradition would certainly remain skeptical about anything supernatural. He would also have imbibed enough of the humanistic tradition to demand that God’s Rules and Laws be reasonable; that even if this is the biblical Hell, there be some purpose to Hell beyond mere cruelty.

  Allen Carpenter is no exception, and since on first look he found nothing he believed to be just, he framed a number of rationalist hypotheses built on the assumption that he was in a physical place with physical laws built by physical beings. They had high technology beyond his imagining, but there was nothing of the supernatural about this place. His odyssey through what he thought was Infernoland and the process by which he changed his mind are documented in the first book, Inferno, by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. By its end, Carpenter is convinced that he is in the literal Hell taught by Christian churches and especially the Roman Catholic Church. He has not yet determined why he is there or why Hell would exist.

  This book chronicles his continued adventures, including his efforts to discover the purpose of Hell.

  Chapter 1

  Seventh Circle, Second Round

  The Wood Of The Suicides

  * * *

  When we had put ourselves within a wood,

  That was not marked by any path whatever.

  Not foliage green, but of a dusky color,

  Not branches smooth but gnarly and intertangled.

  I sprawled with my back against a thick–boled tree, my ass settled comfortably between two thick roots, my legs and arms splayed out at random, palms to the sky. Hell’s hideous charcoal sky showed in tiny chinks through a dense maze of branches and dry twigs. The leaves were black on all the trees. They looked alien, or dead. The dark forest stretched in all directions, as far as I could see.