Amber

by Dan-Dwayne Spencer

  There before me appeared a giant of a man wearing a robe of multicolored light. He hovered in the air reminiscent of an enormous dragonfly; his six wings moving in rapid succession, keeping him aloft. As the light dimmed, the wing feathers turned a brilliant gold, turquoise, and deep lapis blue. Seeing him clearly, the robed creature gently landed on the shadowy ground beside me. My breath caught in my throat—I froze, partially from fear and partially from awe.

  “Behold the glory of the Seraphim Reuwel, the giver of unity, harmony, and the one who bestows revelation to mortal man.” The angel gazed intently at me. “Arland Loveless, son of Norman, heed my words.”

  My encounter with Phoenix, as amazing as it had been, didn’t compare—this was spectacular. Excitement overcame my fear, and I answered, “I’m here.” I paused. “Are you a fallen angel like Phoenix?”

  “No, I find grace in the eyes of my Lord. I bring the seer secret knowledge.” With that, he spread the feathers of his wings, to reveal dozens of eyes hidden under the colorful plumage. “I see even into the hearts of men.”

  I still didn’t know why he had appeared because simply saying he brought revelation meant nothing to me. “Okay.” I braced myself. “Lay it on me.” I closed my eyes.

  Nothing happened. I opened them and scanned the field. The shadow we had been under had turned light and the rest of the world had gone back to night. I started to say something, but Reuwel lifted his index finger to his lips, bidding me to stay quiet. In a few seconds, Rose came running across the meadow toward the commune. She barely missed bowling me over, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “She almost ran over me. Couldn’t she see me?” I asked.

  “No. I have hidden our presence from man and spirit. None know we are here.” The angel reached into his robe and withdrew what looked like a pocket watch on a chain. “Seer, I brought you a gift made by my own hand. I call it an acrocrometer, it will aid you in foretelling the future.”

  He placed the device in my hand. For what it was worth, the thing looked to be a large round locket, the kind with a metal cover that pops open. Sure enough, I pressed on the stem, and the cover popped open. To my surprise, the gadget underneath only had one hand. The dial looked similar to a watch, but symbols lined the circumference. Upon seeing the clock-like face, the chimes of the Carnival tower resonated through my ears. I handed it back to the angel. I had enough of clocks for one evening, and I didn’t want anything to remind me of my miserable mistake.

  Reuwel pushed it back toward me, and with the thing still in my hand, he closed his large fingers over mine. His touch was stimulating, not tingly and passionate, but exciting and captivating. I nodded and gave him the best smile I could manage before stuffing the gadget in my pocket. He walked toward the van. I followed, careful to stay close to him.

  A black, late model Ford, Galaxy 500, maybe a 1968 or 69, with its lights turned off, pulled up behind the van. We silently stepped around to see behind it. There Jimmy was getting dressed, zipping up his jeans and tightening his belt. The sheriff got out of the black Ford and went to stand behind the van next to Jimmy.

  “What did you find out so far?” The Sheriff asked.

  “Not much. Flower is really old and Arland had a dream,” Jimmy said.

  Again I started to ask a question and this time the Angel touched my lips sealing them shut. I mean, like…Superglued shut. My eyes flew wide open, and the angel touched them again. They unsealed and opened as before. I wasn’t going to say anything else.

  I listened quietly while Jimmy told the Sheriff about my dream.

  “Fools! Not one of them gave a moment’s thought about the bodies being the people in the clinic.” The Sheriff barked.

  Jimmy asked, “And, what about the star?”

  “It is the talisman from The Book of Uriel.” The Sheriff jerked his neck in an awkward position and snapped it back into place. He lifted his head and spoke to the sky, “Regnum Dei est adest. Qui tenet, obtinebit. Et tactus a tactu est Deo simile. Quis loquetur potentias, quis est qui vincit exspectantes. Adolebitque alas suas ad futurum.”

  “Hey, Boss. What kind of shit are you talking? Speak English.”

  “That was not uttered to gratify your understanding. There is no reason you will ever need to remember those words. It is a prophecy, made by the angel Reuwel, the seer of secrets. It foretells an event for angelic kind.”

  “Great. Whatever.” Jimmy appeared less than impressed. “So, am I supposed to get this male-tally thing for Calypso?”

  “Yes, mortal.” The sheriff lit a cigarette and blew smoke into Jimmy’s face. “Calypso desires it. She demands you get it for her.” He leaned closer to Jimmy, looking deep into his eyes—maybe even into his soul.

  “Okay,” Jimmy answered, “but how will I know what it looks like?”

  “You will know by the inscription it bears, Angelus Vero Benedicam. Repeat it after me.” The Sheriff sounded anxious and put his hand on Jimmy’s shoulder.

  The boy rolled his neck. “I got it, Angelus Vero Benedicam. Geeze like that’s hard.”

  “Do not fail me, mortal.”

  “Okay, but where do I start?” Jimmy asked.

  “The legend says the healer’s name will lead a child of Zerachiel to it.”

  “Who the hell is Zerachiel?”

  “She is one born of angel kind. An heir of Raphael—the Archangel of healing.” The Sheriff gave him a cockeyed glance, and an open-mouthed smiled. I could have sworn I saw a mouth full of needle-sharp teeth like Phoenix had. He leaned back on the car; pulled the last drag from his cigarette; and mashed it out on the fender of the Ford.

  “Damn, what does a blessed angel have to do with anything? They are prevented from interfering.”

  “It is for you to find out, slave.”

  Jimmy gave a shudder and his voice became an octave higher, “This unwilling servant is my puppet, but don’t forget you’re talking to Calypso, the Mage of Ishtar.”

  “I know exactly who I’m talking to.” He reached out to Jimmy and without stepping closer his arm elongated until he grabbed Dugan by the throat.

  Jimmy flailed, pulling at the massive hand clutching his neck—cutting off his breath. He gasped for air, helpless against the deformed demon.

  The Sheriff growled, “Find it before they do.” He released his grip and his arm shrank to normal size.

  Catching his breath, rubbing his throat, and coughing, Jimmy nodded.

  The Sheriff got back into the Ford and pulled the light switch on. The sudden blazing glare made Jimmy stagger backward and shield his eyes with his hands. In awkward silence, the demon-sheriff turned the car around and drove away.

  The angel reached over his head and made a fist. Supernatural energy electrified the air. It flowed in waves out of the Seraphim, sparking and cracking over the meadow, and Jimmy stood still—frozen. On the road out, the Ford Galaxy’s tail lights also stopped dead still. I exhaled and to my surprise, I could see my breath in a cloud of fog. Whatever the angel did dropped the temperature about fifty-five degrees.

  “I will now answer your questions, young Loveless. Be quick. This charm will not last long.” The angel’s voice resonated in harmony like a dozen people speaking at once.

  Based on my limited knowledge of the supernatural, there could be only one probable reason for Jimmy’s treacherous actions. I asked, “Has Jimmy been possessed?”

  “He is oppressed, not possessed. The boy is being held helpless under Calypso’s charm. Ishtar, the herald, has given her a portion of angelic magic. He will do her bidding until the charm is broken.”

  I scratched my head. “How do I break the spell?”

  “You cannot. The charm can only be broken by the virtue of the one who wishes to be free of it. Time is growing short—speak quickly.” Reuwel fluttered his beautiful wings, making them glimmer just as Phoenix had done. A powerful whiff of lavender followed a tinkling bell before another wave of power emanated from his fist.

  Great, I don’t
see Jimmy wanting to break free of his lusty new persona anytime soon. The gravelly voice of Mr. Dark added his lighthearted encouragement to the mix.

  I ignored his contemptuousness “Can you hear what my doppelganger is saying?”

  “I am aware of your familiar’s presence. What you must remember is that he is an extension of you, and in turn, you are a part of him. You will never be separated; you are bound together. I hear one voice from you. His doubts are your doubts.”

  Not knowing how to reply to his statement, I continued with any question popping into my head. “What did it mean when I saw Jimmy wearing armor?”

  “These words are for your ears alone, ponder them. Jimmy is marked as surely as you are. His growth and size are not by chance. He has the gift of Samson. He is called to judge with strength, however, he will come into his own only if he can overcome the evil one—and then, only if he survives.”

  “How backward can it get? It should have been the other way around. He should get his gift and help you overcome the evil Ishtar.” Mr. Dark was in rare form and as cheery as usual. “Maybe this angel doesn’t want you to make things right. Maybe he’s lying. Maybe he too is a fallen Angel.”

  The unnatural cold chilled me, and goosebumps rose on my skin. I shoved my hands deep into my pockets. Then I remembered, the Sheriff had repeated some prophecy in a strange language, and I asked, “Was the Sheriff speaking Latin?”

  “Yes.” All six wings made a slight flutter and the angel’s hair glowed. The temperature dropped another five degrees.

  “Okay then, what did the Sheriff say in Latin?” Hands in pockets I rocked my weight from one foot to the other trying to warm myself while awaiting my answer.

  “The reign of the winged children of God is at hand. He who holds the talisman shall prevail. The touch of it is like the touch of God. Praise to the victor. Burning wings fly into the future.”

  “That was as clear as mud. Ask him if he could please make his answers more mysterious.”

  Without heeding Dark’s cynicism, I asked, “Where can I find this talisman?”

  “The talisman is hidden with the Book of Uriel in a place named after a gifted healer. Young Loveless, my time here draws to an end. Before I leave, I have been charged with a task. A blessing has been bequeathed unto you. What is it you wish for?”

  “This is your chance to get anything you ever wanted—riches, or a life without having to listen to your mother’s condemnation. Maybe you could win the lottery.”

  As usual, I acted as if old man Dark had said nothing. After what Phoenix said about him, how could I trust anything he would ever say?

  “If I asked for Jimmy to be released from his oppression, would you do it?”

  “The charm placed on the boy must be broken by the boy himself. I am powerless to change his plight.”

  “If I can’t set Dugan free, then help my friends in a different way. They are having a hard time accepting the fact, I have a gift and I have no control over it. They don’t understand. They think I’m doing all this to be better than they are. They don’t see, I have no choice in my calling. Sometimes I feel like I’ve lost who I am, but I don’t want to lose either of them. Could you do something for my friends to make them understand?”

  “It shall be done. My Creator is impressed that you didn’t ask for riches, fame, or selfish desires.” The angel took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “My mastery of this charm taxes me. I must end it. Now hurry to the Roundhouse before Jimmy Dugan sees you in this field and suspects you now have secret knowledge.”

  In the next moment, Reuwel pulled his six wings over his body; with a flash of light and the tinkling of the bells, he was gone. When my eyes recovered from the brilliant glare, the heat of the August night flooded back onto me. I gasped as the hot air filled my chilled lungs. I stood alone in the meadow with Jimmy just on the far side of Flower’s van.

  “Breathe, kid—breathe,” Mr. Dark Commanded.

  “Don’t call me a kid. I’m not a kid,” I blustered back.

  “Whatever!” Mr. Dark paused, then said, “I think if the angel wanted you to find the talisman, he would have told you outright where it was hidden. But no, he had to give you a riddle. He wants you to fail. I think he lied.”

  “Hey Dark,” I called out as I ran along the path to the Roundhouse. “Shut up, no one asked you.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Wisdom of Solomon

  Inside the Roundhouse, Flower, Rose, and Roger sat at a long table. Crying, Rose had her face cradled in her hands. “He is horrid. I never want to see him again,” she blubbered through her tears.

  I hurriedly sat next to Flower and said, “I have to tell y—”

  Flower interrupted me, “If he is going to be like that, I can ask the elders to remove him.”

  “No,” I tried to explain. “Listen, I need—”

  “He’s a Jerk,” Roger butted in. “He bullies everyone in school back home. I know how he can be.”

  “Really, he has an excuse—”

  “He’s a beast. Just a rude beast,” Rose blubbered back at them.

  “SHUT UP,” I finally yelled loud enough to be heard. “Everyone—shut it.”

  Flower appeared shocked. “This is unaccept—”

  “Jimmy is under a spell,” I bellowed, finally getting it out. “Calypso has control of him.” I brought my voice down. “We can’t let on, or God knows what they will do to him. Now, Dugan should come through the door at any moment.”

  Rose’s tears instantly dried up. “That cow has control of my Jimmy, making him be rude to me?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “She’s probably jealous of you, but we can’t let on we know. I saw him tell the Sheriff some private information about what we discussed on the way here.”

  Roger exclaimed, “Jimmy’s a snitch.”

  Flower’s eyes flew wide open. “The demon version of Sheriff Briggs was here?”

  “Yes, on the dirt road where the cars are parked. He was driving a dark-colored ford and came in with his lights off.”

  “Paul’s alarm system didn’t go off. The demon must be under the protection of his angel.” She scowled. “This is not good.”

  “And, there’s more. The Book of Uriel is in a town named after a healer.”

  No one had time to reply or quiz me as to how I got my information because Jimmy threw open the makeshift door of the Roundhouse and yelled, “Is slop on the table? I’m hungry.”

  “Rose,” I said, “why don’t you get Jimmy a sandwich? While Roger and I sit with good old Jimbo.”

  Jimmy grinned like the Cheshire cat, “That’s right Rosie, get good old Jimbo a sandwich. That’s me, good old Jimbo.”

  Roger rolled his eyes and whispered, “I should have seen it earlier. This is not our Jimmy.” Then a look of shock blazed across his face. “Oh, shit. Am I affected too? I bet Calypso got under my skin and is turning me into a sex-crazed marionette?”

  “I don’t think so. If she had, I’m pretty sure you would be all buddy-buddy with Jimmy and acting like Erick Von Zipper in an Annette Funicello beach movie.”

  Roger shivered. “Not a pleasant thought. He’s the biggest jerk in Hollywood.”

  Jimmy yelled, “What are you two whispering about. Loveless, you got something cooked up for Roger to do. That’s it. Right? You got a plan on how to get even with the Sheriff.” He gave us a big-toothed smile. How was Calypso to know Jimmy only smiled so gregariously at Rose? The big lug only gave the rest of us a hardy grin; it passed for a Dugan smile.

  Flower went with Rose to the kitchen. They returned with a soda and a sandwich.

  I called out, “Look, Jimmy, It’s your favorite.”

  He glared at Rose and took the plate. “Thanks. My favorite, you know.”

  “Yes. What is it, Jimmy?” Rose asked.

  Jimmy answered, “It’s my favorite. Like I said.”

  “I know, but what’s your favorite? Tell me,” she pressed for an answer.

  He opened i
t and looked under the bread. “Round green things, sandwich.” He took a big bite, swallowed, and said, “That’s what it is.”

  “Yep. Cucumber sandwiches are your favorite,” Roger added.

  Jimmy almost choked, “Cucumber? Who the hell makes a sandwich out of cucumbers? I mean…yeah. It’s my most fave kind.” He swallowed again. “So, Loveless, what plans do you have for the Sheriff?”

  I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t thought of anything, and Jimmy caught me off guard by putting me on the spot about it. The best I could do was give him a shoulder shrug.

  Roger got a strange look on his face—one I’d never seen before. It was like he had all the answers to a math quiz handed to him. He leaned down and whispered to me, “Whatever I say, just go with it.”

  “What?” I whispered back.

  Roger started pacing back and forth across the front of the Roundhouse. “From what I can figure from Arland’s latest vision,” Roger announced, “and what Flower said about their visit with Phoenix, we have only one choice. We’ve gotta find The Book of Uriel and it should lead us to the talisman Phoenix mentioned in his poem. According to the information we have, I would say it’s hidden right here in the commune.”

  He sounded convincing, so I thought he knew what he was talking about.

  Roger lied, “This hippy haven was named ‘Happy Hollow’ because of Flower’s beaming smile and how her gaze makes people feel happy.”

  I glanced over at Flower. She looked more confused than I did.

  “Go on…this is getting good,” Jimmy responded.

  Letting what Jimmy said soak in, Roger paused. “Tomorrow is Sunday. Flower and the rest of the Commune will look for the talisman while me, Arland, and you, Jimmy… go to town to buy asbestos to cover the photovoltaic collectors. Flower can’t leave anytime soon because her patients took a turn for the worse while we were away. It seems, being away from the healer today has compounded their problem.” He gave Jimmy a sideways glance. “I’m sure the hippies will find the book while we’re gone.”