No Escape (From Hell)

In Poul Anderson's Operation Chaos, Steve Matuchek prepares to rescue his daughter, Valeria, from Hell but, at this time of night, I turn from prose narrative to a visual medium. However, by coincidence, I open Mike Carey' Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned (New York, 2002) at the point where Elaine Belloc, British schoolgirl, daughter of the Archangel Michael and thus granddaughter of God, leaves her body (see image) and enters Hell in search of her dead friend, Mona.

Flying, with angelic wings, above Hell, Elaine comments:

"It's like a proper place down there, with fields and houses. But no cities, and not many roads.
"It reminds me of when we were doing the feudal system.
"I suppose that makes sense. You can't imagine the House of Commons in Hell.
"And elections. And Tony Blair." (p. 40)

"...doing..." means studying in school. Mike Carey was a schoolteacher before becoming a full time writer.

The rescue of Valeria Matuchek from Hell will be covered in future posts on this blog. (Elaine has more powerful protectors.)