by M. R. Forbes
"You have a cell?" I asked.
He lifted it from his pocket and began searching for a nearby hotel. We were both distracted when a figure fell from the sky, landing silently beside us.
"There you are," Alfred said, looking at Obi. "I've been searching the city for you."
"Hey man," Obi said. "What happened to you back there?"
"Kira pushed me back to Heaven," he said. "To keep the diuscrucis from killing me."
"Pushed you?"
"She was of the Heavenly Host, a higher order than a warrior like me. She has... had the power to send me back against my will. She used it." He finally looked at me. "Who is your friend?"
I looked back at him, making eye contact. His face changed as he recognized me.
"This is not the first time we have met, is it?" he asked.
"No," I replied. "You won't remember me as part of your timeline. I was there."
"At the Mass?"
"Yes."
"You saw the battle?"
"I was in it."
"You couldn't stop the death of the Touched?"
"I tried. I almost died myself."
He looked concerned. "That is not a good sign for any of us."
"Landon was just talking to Archangel Raguel," Obi said. "He asked him for a ride to Heaven."
"And he said no," Alfred said. "It has never been done. Only seraphim and ascending souls go to Heaven."
"That isn't true," I said. "What about Dante?"
"The poet? He was an ascending soul at the time."
Interesting. I hadn't known that. "Still, it isn't against the rules."
"No. He likely denied you because you're a threat to his personal motivations."
"You're aware of it?"
"All of Heaven is aware of the growing rift between us. Now that the true diuscrucis has established herself, I'm afraid they will see it as an opportunity to create further strife, not to rally around a common cause. Raguel has always been tempestuous. I feared the worst when I saw he was leading the Mass. What do you need to go there to do?"
"I have the pieces of Uriel's sword. I want him to reforge it for me so that I can collect enough Divine power to take on Sarah."
"By killing angels?" he asked.
"I hope not. I don't like killing angels. The balance is in Hell's favor right now. If we hurry, I can come back and take out a few archfiends, steal their power, and get to Sarah before she launches another assault against Heaven."
"We?" Alfred said. "You're not suggesting-"
"Why not?" I asked. "You know what's going to happen if Raguel gets his way, or if Sarah gets her way, or if Gervais gets his way. Any one of them has the power to destroy everything, even if they think they're doing the right thing, Gervais excluded."
"I'm a warrior, Landon. A fighter. I have no jurisdiction to make a decision like this."
"But you have the power?"
"To transport you? It isn't much different than recalling my blade." His sword materialized into his hand for effect. "It isn't a matter of power. Bringing you to Heaven will cause more upheaval, more fracturing between the sides."
"Leaving me here will see both sides gone. It won't matter much then, will it?"
"Admittedly, no."
"So you'll do it?"
He was still hesitant. He looked at the ground, whispering to himself. It sounded like a prayer for guidance. Then he was silent for a moment, his eyes falling closed. Maybe he said the prayer again to himself. Maybe he was listening for an answer. Either way, when he opened his eyes and lifted his head again, he nodded.
"I may be forced to Confess for this, Diuscrucis," he said. "But Josette always believed in your heart, your inert goodness. My heart is telling me to believe the same. I will take you."
I felt my body relax. I hadn't realized how tense I was about his decision until that moment.
"Thank you," I said.
"Great," Obi said. "I guess I'll meet you back here?"
"That sounds like a plan," I said. "I'll get the sword, and then-"
"No," Alfred said. "If I'm bringing one, I might as well bring two. We may need the assistance."
"We?" I asked.
"I'm not going to let you run loose in Heaven without a guide. I'm coming with you."
"Great," Obi said. "When do we leave?"
Alfred dismissed his sword. Then he reached out and put a hand on each of our shoulders. I felt a whoosh of cold air across my face, and then we were standing in the middle of a garden.
Because of course we were.
Nineteen
Alfred arrived a second later. He looked different. Not a complete transformation, but there was an obvious change in him that set him apart from us.
"Is this Eden?" Obi asked.
"Yes," Alfred replied.
"For real? The place where Adam and Eve-"
"Yes," Alfred said.
"Can we see the tree?"
"This isn't a sightseeing tour," I said.
"Aw, come on, man. Chance of a lifetime."
I glanced over at him. He smiled. "Right. Where to?"
"This was the safest place to bring you," Alfred said. "We have to be cautious."
"Cautious in Heaven?" Obi said. "Why?"
"This isn't the part of Heaven you're thinking of," Alfred said. "The souls don't have access to the Garden of Eden."
"Too tempting?"
"I accept that you are compensating for your nervousness with joviality, but in this case, yes. The tree remains a temptation. For many years, such temptation was permitted to weed out certain souls. Those who tasted of the fruit were cast down to Purgatory. Then it was decided that it was an unfair temptation. That those who lived completely lives in service of Him should not have to prove themselves when they arrived here. The Garden was moved to this region of Heaven, off-limits to the rank and file."
"So, we're in the Members Only section?" I said.
"Yes. Technically, you aren't permitted here at all. Technically, I am breaking the rules to bring you here."
"Why do you say technically?" I asked.
"Because you are here, and I have not yet fallen."
"So God is okay with this?"
"It would appear that way, at least for now."
I don't know why, but it made me feel more comfortable to be in Heaven knowing I had the green light from the owner. Of course, I still couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that I was in Heaven. Hell had been so much different. It had been obvious from the moment I stepped through the rift that I was there. The Garden of Eden was like any other botanical garden, green and lush, but otherwise normal. Even the sky was a nice shade of pale blue. It was nothing other-worldly. Maybe the clouds were a little too perfect, but otherwise, I could believe I was still on Earth.
"So what's the difference between this part of Heaven and the other?" I asked.
"Have you ever been to a zoo?" Alfred asked.
"I grew up in the Bronx. We have a zoo there."
He smiled. "From the outside, everything looks perfect. The animals look content. The grounds are neat and clean. Behind the scenes? Things may not be quite what they seem."
"You're saying the seraphim are a mess?"
"I'm saying that like all families, we have our share of discord. Nothing like murder, of course, but plenty of arguing. We hide that from the general population. This is their bright eternity, after all. My bringing you here is a can of worms I should like to remain closed."
"I'm surprised you know that idiom," I said.
"I'm not completely out of touch with the modern world, even if I am a conservative old soul. The point is, let us be careful and quiet, and perhaps we can reach Uriel without causing a scene."
"Fair enough," I said. "Lead the way."
Alfred brought us from wherever we were in the Garden, out to a worn dirt path. It meandered through the vegetation to what I felt was the east. A spotless series of glass encased skyscrapers could be seen beyond it.
"Keeping
up with the times?" I asked.
"Like Purgatory, what you see will reflect your own understanding of the world," Alfred said. "For me, it is castles and villages."
"Even though you understand the modern world?"
"Yes. It is what I prefer."
"Okie Dokie."
We kept going, staying along the path. We had covered half the distance when Alfred pulled us aside, into the brush. I found myself surrounded by some large, leafy plant with big yellow flowers, peering through the cracks as an angel crossed our paths. I was surprised to see that she was naked.
"Uh," I said, once she had vanished down the path.
"Original sin is human," Alfred said. "The seraphim have no sense of indecency to the body that God has made for them. In fact, it is a matter of personal pride, regardless of shape or form."
"You're wearing clothes," Obi said.
"For your sake, as do all angels assigned to Earth. It is understandable if the sight of flesh causes you discomfort."
"What causes me discomfort is the idea of angels standing there arguing with one another in the buff," Obi said. "That is my definition of the bad naked."
"Mine too," I said.
Alfred laughed. "We don't notice one another for our bodies. It is the soul that is important. Purely physical attraction is a limitation of the human condition."
"I can believe that," I replied. "Since the world will bend to my vision of it, I suppose if I prefer the residents clothed, they'll be clothed?"
He nodded.
"What was she doing in here, anyway? Why do angels come to the Garden?"
"To pray. To meditate. To contemplate. Heaven may seem a simple place, but in reality, it is anything but. Especially if you are involved with Earth and the war."
"Are we going to have to duck into the weeds often?"
"Let us hope not."
We came out of hiding, continuing along the dirt path through the Garden. We reached the perimeter a few minutes later, crossing the dirt path to an ordinary city street. The main difference was that it was empty.
"It would seem pretty easy to be spotted out here," I said.
"Most of the seraphim are otherwise occupied at the moment," he replied. "Not loitering around the village. Recent events on Earth and up here have led to more than one emergency gathering."
We walked a couple of blocks when a thought came to me. "In Hell, time passes more slowly or more quickly, depending on how Lucifer wants it. Is it the same thing here?"
"Our sense of time here is more vague than even that, but while you are here, you will experience time as though you were still on Earth. It is easier that way."
"Hey, who works there?" Obi said. I turned to see him pointing in the distance. I followed his finger to the largest of the skyscrapers, a huge block of turning glass that looked like human DNA.
"That is the Council building," Alfred said. "It is where the Archangels reside and hold discourse."
"Archangel Michael is in there?" Obi said.
"Yes, as is Raguel if he has returned."
"What about Uriel?"
"Uriel refuses to sit on the Council. He chooses an eternity of hermitage to atone for his creation of the sword."
"Hang on," I said. "You're saying he's unhappy that he made the sword?"
"Of course. He created a very powerful and very deadly weapon. Why would he be happy about that?"
"I thought it was made during the war in Heaven when Lucifer was cast out?"
"It was. All the more reason to feel sorrow and lament its existence."
"But I need to ask him to remake what has been broken. To return its power to it. If he's that sorry he made it, why would he ever do that?"
"For the same reason he made it the first time, I suppose. To save good from evil."
Twenty
We didn't stay on the streets for long, wandering off the beaten path to a series of back alleys and smaller crossroads. It was a part of Heaven it seemed that even the angels had mostly forgotten. It wasn't as squeaky clean as the rest, with a layer of dust or something that seemed to be resting on every sidewalk, every lamp post, every nook, and cranny.
It was weird that there were lamp posts in Heaven. It was weird that it was modern. It wasn't my first time experiencing such a thing. Purgatory was the same, and the Box had been controlled by the stronger mind. The Beast's at first, and then mine. I knew how to reshape what I saw to my will, but nothing I did removed the dust.
"What is this stuff?" I asked.
"The remains of angels who have been killed in Heaven," Alfred replied. "Most of it is from the war." He paused, shaking his head. "Most. Not all."
"What happens if an angel is killed in Heaven?" I asked. "I see they turn to dust like on Earth, but where does the soul go?"
"Nowhere. It ceases to be."
"As in nothing?" Obi asked.
"Yes. It is the worst fate imaginable. That is why God reacted so strongly to the war. That is why Hell had to be created. A crime such as ending a soul completely is unforgivable."
"What about setting it free?" I asked. "To be part of the Universe?"
"Only God can do that if He chooses."
I didn't tell him that I knew that trick, too. I was glad to hear it wasn't the worst thing.
"How much further to Uriel?" Obi asked.
"Not much," Alfred said. "We're near the edge of the city now. His home is only a mile or so past it."
"Let me guess, a light blue house with a white picket fence?" I said.
"Not quite," Alfred replied.
"I have to say; Hell was a lot more interesting than this."
"Debauchery usually is. The overload of the senses causes both mortal and seraph to give in to temptation. A life of prayerful meditation may not be as acutely exciting, but I would argue that it is infinitely more fulfilling."
I couldn't counter the point. Not when I had never experienced the meditative state he was referring to. Not that I hadn't tried. It was a hard place to get to, and a hard place to stay. The souls in Heaven probably spent their eternity trying to master it.
We finally reached the end of the city, which fell away abruptly into a series of verdant hills that undulated across the landscape. We walked a single-lane street that was lined with trees, all of them in a state of bloom that left an explosion of color everywhere I looked. Heaven was more boring than Hell, but it was also a lot more beautiful.
"Is there anything I should know about Uriel before I meet him?" I asked.
"Be strong in your conviction. Be confident in your desire. Be pure of heart and conscience. If you believe the sword is truly the only way to save us, Uriel will sense it in your heart. That will earn you his trust."
I could do that. I knew without question this was the only way. Sarah had made that painfully obvious with the wounds she had inflicted on me already.
Uriel's home didn't have a white picket fence. It did have a wrought iron fence, twelve feet high and spiked on top, each one of the bars etched with more runes that I would have believed could fit in such a small space. I could see his house behind it, a large stone building that looked dim and heavy compared to the brightness of the surrounding countryside, as if a cloud was always hanging over it, dumping rain and sadness and depression down on the angel. And maybe it was.
"Why does he need runes up here?" I asked.
"The fence was made right before the war began. It was to protect us from the usurper. From Lucifer and his army. As the legend goes, Archangel Raphael stood guard for three years while Uriel made the sword, and upon its completion he carried it to the front lines, to Michael. There, Michael began to fell his enemies with the blade, taking their power until he was strong enough to confront Lucifer directly. Only the sword became lodged in Lucifer's chest, and when God cast him down into Hell, the sword went down with him, shattering before it reached the dark plane and spreading across the Earth."
"It seems impossible that someone found all of the pieces," I said. I didn't
know who had done that bit of work. Right now, I was grateful for it.
"I imagine it took thousands of years," Alfred said.
"Can we get inside?" Obi asked.
"The gate is open," Alfred replied, pointing ahead to the front of the property.
The gate was hanging open. It seemed like it had been that way for a long, long time.
"Remember, Diuscrucis," Alfred said as we reached the front door. "Be confident."
"Confident. Right."
I put up my hand to knock on the door. Then I noticed it was open a little. I glanced over at Alfred. It didn't seem to me that a self-imposed hermit would make it this easy for people to come and visit.
"Something feels wrong about this," I said.
"I agree," Alfred said. "Let me go in first. I will make sure it is safe for you."
"Okay. Holler if you need backup."
He didn't call for his blade. Instead, he stepped forward to push on the door.
Before he did, a robed figure appeared in it, small and slight. The form was immediately recognizable to me, despite the hood that covered her face.
"Landon," Josette said, lowering her cowl and looking up at me. "Uriel isn't here. Raguel has ordered him to stand with the Council. We need to get you out of sight before he knows you are here."
Twenty-One
I didn't respond. How could I? I was too busy staring at her, suddenly unable to breathe. Josette. I had never thought I would see her again. Even being here, I had never imagined I would have the chance.
She wasn't the child I had known on Earth. Not anymore. She was older now, an adult, but still as naturally beautiful as she had always been. More so. The wisdom of her age was written on her flesh in a way that suited her much better than the immaturity of youth.
I moved toward her, leaning over and wrapping her in a tight hug. I felt her hands tighten around my back. I had missed her more than she would ever know.
"How?" I said, letting go. I couldn't get any of the other words out.
"We are bonded, you and I. I knew you had come the moment you arrived. In my heart, I knew I had to come to you, to warn you. It isn't safe for you here. It may not be safe for any of us."
