Thief

by Greg Curtis

  Violence in all its forms was also wrong. But that was something he’d always known, and something that deep within he knew he’d always had to fight. Anger, the rage that had lived for so long inside him was gone for now, although it could perhaps come back if he was stupid enough to let it. He had to make sure he didn’t. Sherial would have to help him.

  He wasn’t allowed to speak untruths. Even as she told him he knew it was so. He felt a terrible aversion to lying, and an awareness that it was inherently wrong. Lies kept people apart. Lies deceive and betray. Lies were sins, places where people fell short of the mark. More importantly, lies were not truth and truth was all that could ever be.

  Oddly it didn’t bother him. He welcomed the truth to him. The chance to put all those years of lying behind him was more than wonderful. The reality that he had no secrets - would never again have any secrets - was a pleasure he’d never even imagined. And the knowledge that that truthfulness was what allowed him to communicate with Sherial was all the reason he could ever have asked for in itself. But it was going to be a problem.

  He’d lied for years. Perhaps it was his greatest talent as a thief. Deception. But somehow he knew he’d find a way around it to carry out his work. And in his astonishment he realized the Lord hadn’t prevented him from his work. For it was as he suddenly realized, a form of gardening, albeit on a microscopic scale, and he was, despite his new found understanding, still a youngster and therefore permitted the freedom. In time as he grew up he guessed it might change, but not yet. He had some time, and oddly enough, so did Sherial. For her too this much was permitted, although it would have to be done very differently.

  Sherial had this vision of wandering up to the bad guys and simply asking them to hand over their money to the needy, turn themselves in and give their praise to the Lord, and while Mikel could see problems with her approach, he wouldn’t deny her its possibility. Besides he had an idea or two curling somewhere in the back of his mind as to how they could do almost exactly that. Sooner or later he knew those thoughts would work their way to the surface. For no sooner had the idea been raised then the thief began working on solutions to the problem of being a totally open and honest crook, and the challenge beckoned.

  He had to help Sherial in her duties. Mikel didn’t see that as a condition so much as a reward. He was more than willing to help her in everything he could, though exactly how he wasn’t sure. Give him time he’d think of something, or Sherial would. Sherial too he learned would be helping him in his, and that knowledge filled him with the greatest joy. It wasn’t just that Sherial would be with him, would know what he did. It was that no longer would he be alone in his life or his work. No longer would he have to hide what he did from everyone. No longer would he work in secret. Never alone again.

  The list went on, and he ignored it as trivial compare to being with Sherial. He had more than he could ever need or want in his arms, and he’d never let her go.

  Silently, he gave thanks for his wondrous gifts, and apologized for his actions and more importantly, his doubts. Though he heard no answer, he now knew that he was heard. He always had been.

  His mind finally released of fear, wandered freely, thinking of all the things he’d never considered, and which he suddenly realized he should have.

  “Married to an angel, huh?” For he suddenly understood that they were married, wedded in heaven no less, and he liked that thought. He’d liked kissing the bride even more as he recalled. Yet the word was woefully inaccurate. Marriage was a human concept, good but only went so far. It allowed for the possibility of divorce. That wasn’t a possibility for them. Nor could they even want that possibility.

  What they were was better described as united, their souls, minds and bodies somehow fused together irreversibly, their essences mingling and in time becoming closer, perhaps even becoming one. And that closeness was their very own piece of heaven.

  The logic of their wedding ceremony made itself known to him, and he couldn’t help but gasp in sudden wonder. So incredibly simple, so entirely logical and so perfectly right. In the garden they had been separated for one final time, though he, and he knew Sherial, had not understood that. Being apart they had not been able to understand, as he guessed, was expected. That was the point, neither was complete alone. They couldn’t think, they couldn’t function apart.

  Then they had been brought together, giving both the chance to choose whether they should be as one, or as two. Both had chosen to be together automatically, and neither had even realized they were choosing, nor that there even was a choice possible. They had simply done what they had to. But now, together, they finally could see it was not and never had been a choice. And that was the only point of the entire ceremony. Each had accepted at their most fundamental level that there was nothing for them apart, and everything together, though it took them a long time to understand that.

  Mikel and the thief both couldn’t help but admire the incredible simplicity of it. A creation of utter genius. Sherial worshipped the love behind it.

  “Are we the first?” Had mortals and angels done this before? The thought intrigued him. The smile in her mind told him they were far from that, that many others had trodden the path they were on before them, and that many more would follow. It was all part of the Lord’s will. Mikel found happiness knowing that others had gone before them, for that meant they would have a guide to follow. He also felt great joy for anybody else who could be this happy.

  The cold, hard, logical thief within him nudged him gently, pointing out that there were likely to be some problems with their passion. The main one being that neither of them could control it. Once one felt the hunger, the other had no choice but to respond, and from that point on, there was no turning back. Wherever, whenever, they would make love. That was likely to be embarrassing.

  Yet even as he understood that much, Sherial laughed happily in his soul, telling him it was exactly so, and that it was exactly as it should be.

  His mind rolled on down its track of absurd musings, seemingly with no one driving it.

  How he wondered, would he drive his E type with Sherial in it? Her wings would stick out like sails. And he so wanted to take her for a ride in it. The Lotus was good for work, the boat for practicality on the island, but the Jaguar was for passion. A work of art as much as a vehicle. If ever there had been a car inspired by heaven, it was his Jaguar.

  Yet even as he thought of taking her cruising in it, he realised it was wrong. The car was a great beauty, a human fantasy brought to reality, and he wanted her to enjoy it with him. But he didn’t want to own it any longer. Not only was ownership somehow wrong, but it was even more wrong to try and own beauty. Beauty is for everyone. Suddenly he knew he wanted to let so many others enjoy the car. It was a new thought, but one that he welcomed.

  He needed to heighten the doors of the house for her. For if she was to stay here with him for any length of time she’d not want to crouch at every door frame. And he wanted her to stay with him, forever. What about the garden? Many more days with her fan club in attendance and he wouldn’t have one at all. Then again would they be staying here at all? Sherial didn’t need a house, and wherever she wanted to go, he would go with her. Sherial was his home.

  Then he remembered the plane, the boat and his house, and how they had all seemed to change in her presence. Why, how, he still didn’t know, and neither he realised did Sherial, it was simply natural for her. But he did understand one thing. They had all changed to be with Sherial, adoring her, a bond she too had shared with them. A bond of family.

  Sherial he discovered, loved his home.

  Through her eyes he saw his home as something more than he had ever understood. It was a place where angels might sing and children play, where people might come together as friends, and where the birds and beasts of the field might find a refuge. All of them Sherial hoped, would come here, for a short time or a long one, and she looked forward to their arrival. He couldn’t wait to welcome the
m.

  Mikel promised to show her every little worn nook and cranny, every tree, every beautiful inch of their home, and share his love of them with her. Though he suspected she might be able to show him a few more.

  Then another thought stuck out in his mind like a sore thumb, as he considered what they’d just done, what they were going to do again, and again if either of them had any say in the matter. Or if they didn’t.

  “Do we need to use protection?” Even as the words left his mouth he cringed, knowing instantly that Sherial would never want that. Not that it was in any way sinful or wrong, simply unwanted. He wondered why he had asked the question at all when he knew the answer.

  Were children possible between them? He’d never considered it at all, lost as he had been in the power of the moment. But suddenly he had to. He quickly remembered Sherial had thought they were right from the first moment they had experienced their desire. Moreover, she had wanted children.

  In that instant he understood that at the same moment Sherial had known she wanted to make love to him, she had decided to marry with him and have children with him. All of them were for her the same decision, inseparable.

  If children were possible he wondered, what would they be, humans, angels or something else? And how long would they live? It was an important question given his suddenly extended lifespan. But ultimately it didn’t really matter because above all else they would be loved.

  Sherial told him not to worry about it. For children would come as and when it was their time. There was no protection possible nor desired. That was a human thing. Sherial told him not to even think about it for at least a few more months.

  “Why, what happens then?” Like an idiot he had to ask. He should have known.

  “Our first is born.”

  She was telling him the truth and it hit him like a bomb blast. Even if she could have lied, she couldn’t have lied to him. Sherial was pregnant with their child. Like any suddenly expectant father he found himself looking down at her belly wondering, but there was no sign. Or was there just the slightest hint of a bulge? He rubbed his hands gently down her belly, looking for any clue, and then when he found it there, found he couldn’t let go. That glorious thickness held his hands like glue.

  Filled with happiness and wanting him to know it too, Sherial moved up the bed, allowing him a closer look at what his hands held. Gingerly, knowing it was what she wanted him to do yet scared of what he might find, he put his ear to her belly and listened. Sure enough there was more than just one heartbeat there. He was going to be a father. He kissed her belly button and told his unborn child that he would love him or her with all his heart and soul.

  “Are you -?” But even as he tried to ask her how she felt, she told him not to worry. She felt fine, as was intended. And he knew it was true, for he too felt how she felt. Sherial felt fit enough to fly around the world like the concord. Even as he felt her wellness Sherial invited him into her body as she had before, and he learned first hand what it was like to be pregnant.

  It was as nothing he had ever imagined. Mikel was overcome with simple awe as he felt the beginnings of new life moving softly within him, felt the innocent love and incredible trust of their child, and returned it with everything he had. The baby was tired now, almost asleep as it would be for most of the rest of her pregnancy, but it knew him and smiled. It was inadequate as a description but there was no other word to describe what it did.

  The baby was so infinitely precious, its thoughts delicate and wonderful to feel. Sherial was surely the luckiest person in the universe to know such wonder, and through her, him too. Perhaps the moment only lasted a few seconds, but that memory would endure for his entire lifetime. Then again he would do this again and again.

  Back in his own flesh he knew a chaos of joy. Wonder of wonders, Sherial was pregnant, and overjoyed about it. So was he, if slightly shell shocked and more than a little apprehensive. What would it be like? Would they need a doctor? A hospital? A vet? And then what would it be?

  Sherial grabbed his head and kissed him firmly, deliberately breaking his concentration, and he knew she was also thanking him for giving her this wonderful new life inside her. Immediately he kissed her back, thanking her in turn. He could not ever give her enough praise for being the mother of their child, but he promised he’d try. She told him not to worry, and he finally gave in utterly to their joy at her news.

  Only four or five more months huh. She must have gotten pregnant at that brook. Good. At least he had something to show for the pain he’d endured after that. Sherial’s laughter echoed his own, and then she told him that their very first day had been the one, as she had hoped it would be. She had felt the conception and praised the Lord for his blessing then and there.

  Their first huh. How many did she want? It didn’t matter. He would gladly give her all she could desire. He dearly wanted children. He dearly wanted her children. He loved this child.

  He would have asked more, but a sudden sound caught his attention. A sort of furtive sliding that instantly aroused his danger sense. But then the sound of a vacuum cleaner told him what it was. It was Tuesday and Mrs. Pool was here.

  Mikel relaxed back into the pillows, and then realized he’d better get up and ask her to leave anyway. Being caught with an angel in his bed might be difficult to explain away, and he didn’t want to have to leave his home. Their home.

  Letting go of Sherial, even for a few minutes was a nightmare. The sudden breaking of contact, the fear of isolation, the sense of loss. Separation was a physical pain. Yet even when he’d finally managed to tear himself away, he found Sherial was still with him, and that alone gave him the strength to do what he had to.

  “You’d better not go out there like that.” While he caught the intent of her thoughts, there was something else behind them that he missed. Something secret, something she wouldn’t tell him, but something that she was delighted about. Something that was causing her to bubble over with happiness and laughter.

  Sherial was right he realized, going out stark naked might not help things along at all. Besides, he suddenly realized looking down, he was covered in mud from head to foot, no doubt from their pond. He reached for the gym shorts he kept in the dresser beside his bed, wondering why Sherial was still laughing so much. He wasn’t that funny, was he? But as he dressed he felt her amusement, growing if anything, and suspicions began wandering freely.

  Checking, just in case the shorts had some holes in embarrassing places, he pulled them on quickly and stood up. The room started spinning again and he felt a little unbalanced. It took a few seconds to stop himself from falling backwards. Must have been dizzier than he realized. Being burnt and then killed, married, beaten up and then loved by an angel, as well as finding out he was soon to be a father could really take it out of a guy. But Sherial was still laughing like a flock of drunken pigeons. On impulse he walked over to the wall mirror, and then stopped in complete shock.

  “What the - !” He very nearly found himself breaking one of his new rules almost immediately, and only just stopped himself in time. Old habits die hard.

  In the mirror staring back at him he saw wings. Gigantic white and cream coloured wings. Spinning quickly he looked behind him to see nothing, no wings. But turning back they were there again. Not only that, there was a sensation of weight in his shoulder blades, and he had the damnedest feeling he could feel them, almost like he could feel his arms. His mouth hung open in shock as he stared, and he couldn’t think of a thing to say or do.

  He shrugged his shoulders, and the wings shrugged with them. And then as if by themselves, they flexed. He could feel other muscles coming into play, muscles he’d never had before, moving, rippling like nothing he’d ever known. And in the mirror he could see them, rippling among his pectorals, among his abdominals. Yet while he could feel them and he could even see them, he couldn’t really control them. Yet.

  A hand circled his waist and Sherial came back into his arms, still laughin
g and yet serious.

  “I knew there was something else I had to tell you.” He stared at her, finally understanding her laughter, and yet not understanding a single thing. His mouth opened a closed a few times, but not a sound emerged.

  “You see, our Father takes a very dim view of people attacking him. And an even dimmer one of people doubting him. Consider this his way of saying never doubt him again.” But she was smiling as she said it, and he knew he had nothing to fear. Much to be ashamed of, but nothing to fear. The Lord had punished him with blessings, shaming him for his mistrust, while still managing to tell Mikel he too was loved. He was both humbled and awed by the lesson.

  “For my part, I get the duty of teaching you to use them.” Sherial too, he realized, had erred with their Lord, thinking he would accept her self-mutilation, and been punished in exactly the same way - blessed. For if he was the one who had been changed, he had been changed for her. The Lord he realized, above all else is a father. He does not disfigure his own children.

  “Ohh no.” Light dawned anew and Mikel held his head in his hands in sudden shame. This then he finally understood, was his new life that he should have accepted from the Lord. Not as he had thought an afterlife, but rather his life as Sherial’s husband. Of course he couldn’t have returned to Earth as he had asked. It wasn’t good enough. Instead he was now exactly as the Lord had always intended, regardless of all his theatrics. All he had done was embarrass himself.