FOR THE HONOR OF GOD

“We’re after the same thing,” the demon grinned. “So, let’s play a game of chess. The winner gets the Archbishop’s soul.”

And thus begins the most interesting assignment undertaken by Beniel, a guardian angel in the Heavenly Force. His task: to protect Thomas Becket, a self-absorbed, ambitious man who in the twelfth century rises to become the confidante of King Henry II and one day becomes Yahweh’s brightest beacon in Europe. From the start, it is a match of strategy. Each move having consequences, and more than a few triggering bloodletting battles between the forces of heaven and hell.

When Henry appoints Thomas Becket the Archbishop of Canterbury to solidify his power over both church and state, Becket is at first willing to engage in this ploy, but subsequently he is touched by God and realizes his allegiance can only be to Christ. As each move in the chess match gains importance, the off board battles intensify. Beniel is barely able to keep his head above water and his warriors from defeat.

The match demands intense strategic finesse. Beniel and his nemesis, Tamor, never seem to be more than two or three moves away from defeat.