by Bryan Davis
Billy wadded up the shirt and held it close to his chest. If Bonnie were imprisoned, he would stop at nothing to rescue her. It wasn’t right to do anything less for Shiloh. “Then I’ll take my father, and the two of us will check it out. With Legossi and Firedda here, you should have plenty of firepower.”
“Fair enough.” Elam gazed toward the north through the snowy air. “If Clefspeare can’t break through, no one can.”
Walter pointed at himself with his thumb. “And I’m going with Billy.”
“Over my dead body,” Ashley said. “You won’t be ready for dragon riding for at least a month.”
“But if Billy gets in trouble—”
“Don’t worry about me, Walter. My dad will—”
“Wait just a minute!” Elam waved for everyone to settle down. “Let’s plan this calmly. If we can agree on a course of action, and Valiant adds his vote, we can move ahead as a team. It’s important to be unified. That way, no one can say, ‘I told you so.’ We’re in this together.”
Billy nodded. The warrior chief was right, and he was showing his talent as a leader.
“You,” Elam said, pointing at Billy, “will try to find Shiloh. Get directions from Semiramis, and we’ll hold her in custody until you get back with a report.” He shifted his finger to Walter while looking at Ashley. “Is he well enough to oversee construction of shelters for the dragons so they can build regeneracy domes?”
Pressing her lips together, Ashley nodded. “I don’t see why not. As long as he uses his brain and not his brawn, I’m fine with that.”
Again Elam moved his finger, this time pointing at himself. “I’ll alert Cliffside and the dragons regarding the new plant. We’ll rotate armed guards to make sure it stays safe, and we’ll capture anything that comes out of it.”
“What about me?” Ashley set her hands on her hips. “With Dr. Conner here, I’ll be freed up to help. Everything’s in deep freeze mode, so we’re not likely to get attacked anytime soon.”
“Three projects,” Elam said, holding up a trio of fingers. “Keep working on the radio. We need to get in touch with Earth to get the other dragons here. And the second is to come up with a way to get back to Mount Elijah. That’s our only portal. Number three is to figure out how to survive in the cold. We’ll need greenhouses, more solar power cells, and a way to tap geothermal energy.”
“Sounds doable.” Ashley raised two fingers of her own. “And a couple more projects. I want to build a microscope for medical use. I learned a lot about glass grinding when I had to reconstruct my regeneration light at the visitor center back in Maryland. I’m also going to research my fireproof coating for the cloaks and make it stronger. If we can get someone into enemy territory, we can spy on what they’re doing and maybe figure out how to use the tunnel portal in the Shadow Lands.”
Walter let out a whistle. “You go, girl!”
Ashley drew her head back. “I’m not going to be a spy. I’m just cooking up the protectant.” She sidled up to him and rubbed his upper arm. “We need a strong, brave, chivalrous knight who would surely be healed by the time the cloak is ready.”
Walter scratched his head. “Can’t imagine who that would be.”
She gave him a hefty shove. “Oh, just knock it off!”
He faked a backwards stumble, then quickly regained his balance. “Well,” he said, holding out his arm for Ashley. “Shall we go back to the village and rustle up something hot to drink?”
“Sounds good.” Ashley hooked her arm around his and looked at Elam and Billy. “You two coming?”
Billy waved a hand. “In a minute.”
As Walter and Ashley exited the garden and high-stepped through the snow, Billy laid an arm over Elam’s shoulders and spoke in a low tone. “Whoever goes to Mount Elijah or the Shadow Lands in search of a portal will need Acacia to open it.”
“Sure.” Elam matched Billy’s tone, his face expressing mild curiosity. “Then we would need two protected cloaks.”
“That’s not my point. I’m worried about her. She seems to be getting weaker. Her fire-making power isn’t what it used to be. And her mind-set is … well …”
“Just say it, Billy. No use holding back.”
“She’s kind of down. Not really depressed. Just sort of … I don’t know how to describe it.”
“Wishing it were all over?” Elam offered.
“Yeah. Maybe that’s it.”
Elam patted Billy on the back, and the two walked slowly out of the garden. “I know the feeling. She and Sapphira and I are thousands of years old, and living in a corrupt world gets kind of old after a while. Sometimes I just want to quit fighting and go to Heaven.”
When they reached the snow, they shifted to walking single file, Billy in front. “I think I understand,” Billy said. “I can’t relate, of course, but it makes sense.”
Elam heaved a sigh. “Acacia just wants to go home. With her firepower decreasing, she probably feels kind of useless.”
“Then maybe a new mission to the Shadow Lands will recharge her spirit. I get stoked just thinking about opening the tunnel portal. I’m going to ask Ashley to get three cloaks, so I can go, too.”
Elam laughed. “We’ll see about that.”
Billy stopped and turned around. “Let me take Acacia to find Shiloh. Maybe her fire would do something to the shield that my father’s wouldn’t. If not, just keeping her busy might help.”
“Sure,” Elam said, shrugging. “I don’t see why not.”
“Super! I’ll get Semiramis to give us good directions.”
“And while you’re flying around, could you check on the guards at the wall of fire? With all the snow, we haven’t been able to see if they need more supplies, and I’d like a report on how the wall is faring, especially at the river entry and exit.”
“You bet. We’ll pack some extra food and supplies for them and leave first thing in the morning.”
With a hint of dawn lighting the horizon, Semiramis stood at the entrance to the alley in the sixth circle’s rundown village. It had taken all night to make the journey, but time was of the essence. Now that Billy knew where to go, he would likely arrive soon, so she had to prepare the bait.
Since Mardon was free, escaping from Elam’s guards had been easy enough. A little sleeping powder worked wonders. Of course, it would be impossible to convince Elam that her escape was for a noble cause. She would have to stay away from him and Billy, at least for now, and Mardon would never be able to go back to the village, since “Hunter’s” companion didn’t return. For now, she would stay scarce until the next step in her plan was complete.
She searched the sky. Arramos would be there soon, flying down from the Bridgelands and demanding a report. So many times she had been tempted to laugh, point at the barrier to Second Eden, and say, “If you are so powerful, then get your own report. Of course, you would have to die to penetrate the shield, so be my guest.”
Yet, Satan dwelling in a dragon’s skin would not be pleased with her lack of outward obeisance. Since all her plans danced on such a thin thread, now was not a good time to show him her true feelings.
With light now filtering into the alley, a haphazard collection of crates became clear, including Shiloh’s legs protruding from the pile. She had slept fitfully for the past half hour, but the powder Semiramis had sprinkled in the air would keep her asleep long enough.
Soon, Arramos flew down and alighted next to her. With a shudder of wings, he settled and growled his question. “Shall I assume our plans are on course?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Have I ever failed you?”
“You answer a question with a question. This is the pattern of a deceiver.”
“As well you should know.”
Arramos let out a throaty laugh. “This I cannot deny. Nor can you. Your deception prowess far exceeds Morgan’s. She was clever, but she was too straightforward. Her inability to avoid direct confrontation proved to be her downfall.” He set his eye
s near hers. “That is why I must always watch you closely.”
For a moment, she froze, but she couldn’t let this foul dragon intimidate her. She drilled her stare directly into his and spoke with a confident air. “To answer your question, our plans are coming along better than I ever thought possible.”
“How so?”
“Mardon’s reprogramming is working, and Acacia is weakening. If she dies, we will be able to safely collect her blood and perhaps her ova. Also, I kept Shiloh’s bandage, and Mardon analyzed her blood. Her exposure to the plant she eats created a high amount of antitoxins, making her immune to Morgan’s poison. We believe the blood Billy poured on the plant will surely transmit a similar yet even more substantial invulnerability to the fruit.”
“Of course,” he growled. “I planned this long ago.”
Semiramis forced herself to keep her face calm, but deceiving a deceiver wouldn’t be easy. “As I suspected. You would not be fooled by Shiloh’s pathetic disguise.”
“She was the one I wanted in the first place. What do I care about capturing the winged girl? That is Devin’s obsession, not mine. As long as she comes to Second Eden with your rope intact, her purpose will be complete, and our greatest enemy will see to that.”
“So, you were already acquainted with Shiloh?”
“Of course. I saw Shiloh’s invincibility, so I wanted to harvest it. I knew she would act as Bonnie’s substitute. She has fooled Morgan with that act before.” His scarlet beams flashed into her eyes. “I recognize liars quickly.”
“And since I am a liar, it would be foolish to try to hide lies from you.”
His growl sharpened. “Do not patronize me. I know you hate me because of what I did to your son, but your loyalty, if you still have any, will be rewarded. We must remain on the alert. During the time we wait for Bonnie Silver to arrive, the boys you have deceived will grow into men. They will not be so easily blinded by your wiles.”
“I know. Elam is older and wiser than Billy. He sees through me already, but he suffers from a wound that hinders him. When he forced Angel to tell the lie she had concocted, the results were disastrous, and since the lack of trust among the villagers grows, he will not be quick to pass judgment on me.”
“Excellent. All is well. My only concern is the ropes that bind the realms together. When the final piece of our interdimensional puzzle is set in place, the Bridgelands will crumble, and our ropes will be exposed. Anyone who comes upon them will be able to cut them.”
“Not without a staurolite blade,” Semiramis said.
“The winged boy Gabriel had one. Do you know what became of it?”
She shook her head. “That is a concern, but if we kill them all, even that worry will be eliminated.”
“When the army I am assembling is able to enter Second Eden, killing them all will be an easy task.”
Arramos lifted into the air and flew straight up. Soon, he disappeared from view.
Semiramis tiptoed into the alley and moved the crates that protected Shiloh’s body. Giving her arm a gentle shake, she called out, “Shiloh. I have news for you.”
After stretching her arms, Shiloh blinked. “Oh. You’re back.” She pushed up to her feet, wincing as she laid a hand on her head. “I have a terrible headache.”
Semiramis steadied her. “I apologize. You are suffering from a side effect of a sleeping powder I gave you. You seemed so fitful, I wanted you to sleep more deeply, but now that dawn has come, I was sure you would want to hear my news. I told Billy that you’re here. He will be coming for you as soon as possible.”
She smiled through her grimace. “That’s really cool! Thank you!”
“There is another reason I made sure you were asleep.” Semiramis looked up again. Arramos was now long gone. “Arramos, the foulest creature in all the cosmos, visited here, and if he thought you were awake, he might have done you harm. He does not want anyone to know his plans. The only reason he keeps you alive is to make sure Billy protects a certain plant, but that would take too long to explain right now. When Billy comes to rescue you, I am sure he will tell you all about it.”
Shiloh nodded. “Thank you again. I’ll be watching for him.”
“Excellent.” Semiramis stepped back and pulled her hood up over her head. “For now, it is important that Arramos never know that I am working against his plans. I am a double agent, of sorts, and I hope to destroy him for what he did to my son.”
Enoch stepped out of the anteroom, the small library that welcomed anyone who entered Heaven’s Gate. Now walking in the great altar chamber, he listened to the buzz—prayers whispered and shouted from the lips of thousands of petitioners. With high and low voices rising and falling, it sounded like a choir warming up for a performance.
He strode along the side aisle and looked down the rows of praying stations. With each person kneeling on pillows, their hands folded on chest-high, wooden shelves, surely it would be easy to spot the two females. Both were shorter than most, and the distinctive red hair of one of them would be obvious even under a prayer shawl.
As he searched, he took in the sweet aroma. Of course, he had smelled it thousands of times. The prayers of the saints always carried this rich fragrance, but for some reason it seemed especially vibrant today, as if something unusually important stirred the hearts of the white-robed prayer warriors.
He stopped at row forty-one and scanned the heads and faces. The two he was looking for sometimes used this row because of its proximity to the painting of Stephen’s stoning at the far end.
Standing on tiptoes, he spied the redhead and her dark-haired counterpart. Each wore sheer lacy veils that draped their heads and fell past their ears.
Sidestepping between the two rows, he hurried toward them. Of course, calling their names was allowed, but there was no use distracting people from their fervent prayers.
As he passed, he eyed each hologram in front of the prayer stations. One scene, floating in front of a male teenager, showed an elderly lady lying in a hospital bed. The boy prayed out loud, asking for healing for this missionary, the lady who had led him to faith only days before he was killed for converting from Islam.
The next scene showed a man, bound and gagged. A hooded man stood next to him with a machine gun barrel pushed against his prisoner’s head. A lady knelt at the altar, praying for her son, her only son, a victim of terrorism.
Enoch hurried on. Listening to this lovely chorus of prayers could captivate him for hours, but there was too much work to do, and he would have many more years to bask in this rich flood of love.
When he arrived at the end of the row, he stooped between the two females and whispered. “Karen. Naamah. I must ask you to come with me.”
Karen raised a finger. “Can you wait one second?”
“Yes. Yes, of course.”
Naamah glanced up and smiled. “And I will be only a moment, as well.”
Enoch looked at their holograms. In front of Karen, Ashley sat at a table with a collection of beakers containing liquids of various colors. Holding an eyedropper, she let a few drops of blue syrup fall into one of the beakers.
“Father,” Karen whispered. “Please help Ashley find the best formula for protecting the cloaks.” Breathing a sigh, she added, “And let her know that I love her.”
In the hologram, Ashley looked up, as if listening. She gave the ceiling of her work area a curious glance before smiling and going back to work.
In front of Naamah, Elam and Walter stood next to a different table. With a lantern at one side, Walter pointed at something that looked like plans for constructing a building. The words at the top of the oversized page read, “Dragon Shelter.”
Naamah sang her prayer, her voice lilting sweetly.
Grant them wisdom to increase;
Grant them vision to find peace;
Help them build a dragon’s lair;
Gracious Father, hear my prayer.
When the song ended, Karen and Naamah stood and followed Eno
ch to the closer aisle. He marched toward the first row, turned in front of it, and passed a giant altar—a high table covered with a white cloth. As he walked swiftly by, the cloth’s purple tassels swayed, so low, they nearly swept the floor.
Upon reaching the anteroom door, Enoch raised his voice above the choir’s din. “You may take off your coverings now.”
“Yes, sir.” Karen pulled off her veil and helped Naamah remove a pin that held hers in place.
Enoch lifted the latch and led them inside. As he closed the door, the song died away.
“It is time to plan,” he said, gesturing toward an old table and the benches that sat on either side.
Karen and Naamah sat on one side, while Enoch sat on the other. “I’ve been wondering when you’d pull the trigger,” Karen said. “It’s been in the prayer wind for quite a while.”
Smiling, Naamah gave Karen a nudge with her elbow. “I think you have been putting most of it in the wind yourself.”
“Well, that’s true, but Prof was talking about it before he left. I didn’t plant the idea in his mind.”
Enoch lifted his brow. “Did Charles say when he would return?”
“Not to me.” Karen shrugged. “When he got the news, he was like a man on a mission. He almost danced down the aisle.”
Enoch laughed. “Well, it’s no wonder.”
Karen laid her palms on the table. “So, what are we supposed to do? Call the Seraphim and ask them to go to war? They could beat Flint’s army in a heartbeat.”
“No one in this realm will be allowed to participate directly in the battle, though I have heard that a temporary visit may be allowed later. In any case, God delights in using weaker vessels, so . . .” He forked two fingers at them. “So your request to be in charge of planning has been granted.”
Naamah enfolded her hand in Karen’s. “We are weak in body, Father Enoch, but we are strong in spirit.”
“Yes,” he said, laughing again, “I know that quite well. You are the two copper coins, the widow’s mites that toppled Mardon’s tower. No one will ever doubt your courage.”
