This Present Darkness

Frank E. Peretti

54 pages 1-hour read

Frank E. Peretti

This Present Darkness

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1986

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Hank is the newly installed pastor of the Ashton Community Church. He faces immediate opposition from sections of his congregation regarding his strict implementation of church discipline. Despite the hostility, he relies heavily on prayer and his religious convictions to guide his actions in the community. His spiritual devotion makes him a specific target for the dark forces gathering in the town.

Key Relationships

Husband of Mary Busche

Rival of Oliver Young

Target of Alf Brummel

Mentee of Edith Duster

Counselor to Carmen

Marshall operates as the new owner and editor of the Ashton Clarion newspaper. Having relocated from New York to spend more time with his family, he instead throws himself into investigating the strange occurrences in town. His obsession with uncovering a local conspiracy strains his marriage and alienates his college-aged daughter. He relies on his aggressive journalism instincts to push for answers.

Key Relationships

Husband of Kate Hogan

Father of Sandy Hogan

Employer of Bernice Kreuger

Ally of Hank Busche

Investigator of Alf Brummel

Adversary of Oliver Young

Successor to Ted Harmel

Bernice works as the top reporter for the Ashton Clarion. She takes her job in the small town primarily to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding her sister's death. She frequently puts herself in dangerous situations to gather information on local real estate purchases and corporate takeovers. She maintains a secular perspective, struggling to process the supernatural elements surrounding her case.

Key Relationships

Employee of Marshall Hogan

Sister of Patricia Kreuger

Investigator of Susan Jacobson

Associate of Kevin Weed

Juleen teaches psychology at Whitmore College. She uses her academic position to identify vulnerable students and introduce them to meditation practices and spirit guides. She coordinates with other prominent town figures to advance the goals of the Universal Consciousness Society. Her charismatic personality allows her to manipulate powerful men to protect her operations.

Key Relationships

Counselor to Sandy Hogan

Manipulator of Alf Brummel

Co-conspirator with Oliver Young

Subordinate to Alexander Kaseph

Channeler of Madeline

Lucius serves as the incumbent demon prince assigned to Ashton. He relies on wrath and violence to control his subordinates while directing spiritual attacks against the townspeople. He deeply resents the arrival of higher-ranking demons who usurp his authority over the town. His volatile temper often leads to strategic errors.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Ba'al Rafar

Subordinate to The Strongman

Tal commands the angelic forces deployed to protect Ashton. He receives orders from higher spiritual authorities and coordinates defensive strategies against the gathering demons. He emphasizes patience and prudence, holding his warriors back until the optimal moment to strike. His strength ebbs and flows in direct correlation to the prayers offered by the local human population.

Key Relationships

Commander of Guilo

Commander of Triskal

Rival of Ba'al Rafar

Enemy of The Strongman

Protector of Hank Busche

Rafar operates as the demon prince of Babylon, arriving in Ashton to accelerate the demonic agenda. He wears gold jewelry and relies on immense physical strength to dominate lesser spirits. He prepares the town for the arrival of even darker forces, establishing absolute control over the local demonic hierarchy. He holds an ancient grudge against the angelic captain deployed to the area.

Key Relationships

Commander of Lucius

Subordinate to The Strongman

Enemy of Tal

Overseer of Juleen Langstrat

Alexander acts as the CEO of the Omni Corporation and a powerful leader within the Universal Consciousness Society. He orchestrates a massive real estate and corporate buyout of Ashton properties using bribery, threats, and tax fraud. He demands absolute loyalty from his followers and routinely utilizes intimidation to silence opposition. He serves as a willing vessel for the darkest spiritual forces attempting to claim the town.

Key Relationships

Employer of Susan Jacobson

Superior to Juleen Langstrat

Vessel for The Strongman

The Strongman exists as an ancient, highly ranked demon with direct ties to Lucifer. He remains largely unseen, requiring extensive preparations by lesser spirits before he can manifest his power fully. He targets high-level human leaders to enact large-scale corruption. His sheer presence terrifies both his enemies and his demonic subordinates.

Key Relationships

Superior to Ba'al Rafar

Influencer of Alexander Kaseph

Superior to Lucius

Supporting Characters

Alf is the chief of police in Ashton. He uses his law enforcement authority to harass local Christians and protect the secret meetings of the town's elite. He takes directions primarily from the psychology professor, allowing his personal desires to dictate his professional conduct. He gradually recognizes the extreme danger posed by the people he assists.

Key Relationships

Manipulated by Juleen Langstrat

Adversary of Marshall Hogan

Persecutor of Hank Busche

Associate of Oliver Young

Oliver preaches as the pastor of the Ashton United Christian Church, the town's largest congregation. He subtly integrates New Age philosophy and Universal Consciousness ideology into his sermons, denying traditional tenets of his faith. He works closely with other community leaders to discredit his professional rivals and consolidate spiritual authority in the town.

Key Relationships

Rival of Hank Busche

Associate of Juleen Langstrat

Adversary of Marshall Hogan

Associate of Alf Brummel

Mary is Hank's supportive and devout wife. She stands by him as he attempts to lead a fractured congregation and navigate the strange hostility of their new town. She actively participates in prayer and provides emotional stability when their family faces direct harassment.

Key Relationships

Wife of Hank Busche

Friend of Edith Duster

Protected by Triskal

Kate is Marshall's wife and Sandy's mother. She feels increasingly alienated by her husband's obsessive commitment to his newspaper and his failure to maintain family bonds. Her anxiety over her daughter's erratic behavior pushes her to demand accountability from Marshall.

Key Relationships

Mother of Sandy Hogan

Sandy is Marshall and Kate's college-aged daughter. Feeling neglected by her father, she seeks belonging and purpose through her psychology professor's private counseling. She slowly learns meditation techniques that open her up to dangerous spiritual influences.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Marshall Hogan

Daughter of Kate Hogan

Student of Juleen Langstrat

Friend of Shawn

Channeler of Madeline

Also known as the Maidservant or Handmaid, Susan operates as an aide within the Universal Consciousness Society. She handles sensitive documents for the organization's leaders but begins to question their motives. She holds critical information regarding the death of her former college roommate.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Alexander Kaseph

Former Friend of Patricia Kreuger

Contact of Kevin Weed

Informant for Bernice Kreuger

Edith is an elderly, dedicated member of the Ashton Community Church. She acts as a spiritual anchor for the congregation, utilizing intense prayer to support the new pastor. She receives spiritual intuition through dreams that guide the community's intercession.

Key Relationships

Supporter of Hank Busche

Friend of Mary Busche

Ted is the former editor of the Ashton Clarion. He lost his position, his reputation, and his family after investigating the financial dealings of Whitmore College. He lives in fear of a secret society that watches the town's residents.

Key Relationships

Predecessor to Marshall Hogan

Friend of Eldon Strachan

Eldon serves as a former college dean at Whitmore. He was pushed out of his position by an inner circle of faculty members after raising concerns regarding the college's finances. He helps point the journalists toward other exiled figures.

Key Relationships

Friend of Ted Harmel

Former Colleague of Juleen Langstrat

Kevin is an old acquaintance of Bernice's who possesses information about the Omni Corporation. He acts as a middleman, attempting to deliver messages from frightened insiders to the journalists investigating the town.

Key Relationships

Informant for Bernice Kreuger

Contact of Susan Jacobson

Shawn is a young student who befriends Sandy Hogan. He actively encourages her to adopt New Age perspectives and abandon traditional religious views. He introduces students to the inner circle operating at the college.

Key Relationships

Friend of Sandy Hogan

Former Associate of Patricia Kreuger

Patricia, often called Pat, is Bernice's deceased sister. Her mysterious and tragic death in Ashton prompts the ongoing journalistic investigation that drives much of the plot. During her time at college, she became heavily involved with spiritual guides.

Key Relationships

Sister of Bernice Kreuger

Former Roommate of Susan Jacobson

Carmen is a local woman who approaches the church under the pretense of needing help. She is heavily influenced by demonic forces and attempts to infiltrate both the church and the local newspaper office to sabotage the protagonists' efforts.

Key Relationships

Saboteur of Hank Busche

Employee of Marshall Hogan

Madeline is a demonic entity that masquerades as a benevolent spirit guide. She interacts with vulnerable students seeking enlightenment, slowly gaining control over their thoughts and actions through psychic phenomena.

Key Relationships

Spirit Guide to Sandy Hogan

Connected to Juleen Langstrat

Guilo is a large, bearded angel serving in the battle for Ashton. He is eager for combat but submits to his captain's orders to wait. He executes tactical maneuvers to distract the enemy when directed.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Tal

Companion of Triskal

Triskal is a smaller angelic warrior who serves under Tal's command. He guards specific human targets in the town and suffers injuries while attempting to defend them from overwhelming demonic attacks.

Key Relationships

Subordinate to Tal

Protector of Mary Busche

Companion of Guilo