CounterPoint

by Daniel Rafferty

  “And?”

  “What, and consider this greatly, darling, if it was the other way around.”

  ***

  “What is it Ariel?” snapped David, preparing himself for an attack.

  “I don’t know. It was foolish; I just expected something to befall us for lifting the most sacred item in creation.”

  “What is this candle?” asked David, gazing at its mesmerizing glow. Its flame burned unnaturally slow and glittered as if with the sparkles of diamonds.

  “We don’t have time, David. We must proceed with the mission. David, I have never been down here before in my existence. I have no idea what this candle signifies.”

  “You said no one has been down here in hundreds of years, yet this candle is burning brightly. Someone isn’t telling us something. I have a very bad feeling about this.”

  Ariel looked at him sincerely. For the first time since this had all began Ariel actually fully understood the human standing in front of him. This human was more than willing to question him and what he stood for. It was more than what could be said of his encounters with most other humans, no matter how few they had been. The candle burning did concern him.

  “I can detect from this candle that it is something not of this world,” replied Ariel, trying to muster his words together. Looking at it through his angelic eyes, he saw a dark energy emanating from it deep within. “That candle should not be here without any doubt. It might be a countdown to the apocalypse, a countdown to paradise on Earth. I can estimate it’s been burning since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.”

  A flash of light engulfed the room like a match setting light to a pool of gas. Pravuil stood in the corner, now clad in a tailored suit and matching shirt and tie, accented by the usual bright tie and cufflinks.

  “You’re absolutely right,” said Pravuil, “To put it simply, it’s a stop watch. When the candle is spent, life on this planet will cease to exist. This planet will cease to exist.”

  David stared at it in horror. “How long have we got?”

  “Well, before Michael decided to go to war against demon kind, it was projected at least another two thousand years before any momentous changes would come. That candle is burning a lot faster now than before, even faster than two weeks ago. I fear we have less time than I realised. It is surmised that when the candle burns out, then the experiment is over and Earth is no longer needed. The length left on the candle signifies how much longer humanity must wait, how much longer they must be trialled before they are allowed to reach paradise.” He knew the obvious question was coming and yet he had no answer for it, only God truly knew what happened to humanity when the candle burned out. Did they perish along with the Earth or ascend into Heaven. Would those humans already in Heaven be cast out when the world ended? A fatal expulsion as the summation of the Human Experiment.

  “You’re telling me this whole planet could soon come to an end?” said David. Ariel was also fascinated, but had a greater sense of foreboding. They were truly working against the clock now. The burning of the candle was an ominous sign of how little time they had until Michael unleashed all-out war.

  “Sir, if the experiment can no longer be continued, such as if Michael unleashes all-out war, will that cause the candle to extinguish?”

  “Yes, Ariel. The candle monitors all happenings here on Earth. If the experiment can no longer be continued it will extinguish itself and Earth will cease to exist. I know it sounds cruel but you need to consider this. Humankind is an experiment by God, like we were. And countless others before us. Dinosauria, or as you said dinosaurs, were also an experiment. God wanted to see if they could evolve and become self-aware, develop a society. They couldn’t and therefore they were exterminated. Sooner or later the human experiment will have to be evaluated. The consequences of that evaluation would depend on the results of said evaluation.”

  “We really are just an experiment in a large Petri dish, aren’t we?” asked David incredulously, ever aware of the candle flickering away.

  “Everything is always an experiment David. Do not take offence at it. We angels were an experiment. We were created to be the workhorses of God’s endeavours after multiple previous creations had failed. Hence we were created with no need to sleep or eat. No need for relaxation and only the very basic of emotions. The ultimate working machine.”

  Ariel nodded in agreement. The gift of eternal existence was marred by the requirement to work and obey for that eternal existence. Disobedience was countered with extermination. Angelic existence was a divine gift wrapped up in a blessed curse.

  “Then we have work to do,” said David. He refused to be an experiment that failed.

  “Time is running out gentlemen. The clock on this planet is ticking. Every single life form on this planet is at risk unless we act,” spoke Pravuil in a sound, authoritarian tone, “and act now.”

  ***

  “Blasphemy, of the purest I’ve heard!” spat Amber, readying herself to tear this character into a million pieces. What he was suggesting was in direct violation of everything she had ever believed. She agreed Michael certainly had some explaining to do, but Lucifer was incontestably the evil one. A direct contradiction to everything that was canon law, affirmed by Heaven itself. This toothless, pathetic creature was wasting her time and attempting to pollute her mind with absolute garbage. Lana was unusually quiet, simply standing there with a deep thoughtful look. She stared deeply at the storyteller.

  “Your reaction is to be expected. Imagine it. For one second imagine that everything you have ever believed since the War in Heaven has been a fraud. Think about it.” He ducked behind a chair as a well-aimed vase projectile hurled towards him. Amber flexed her shoulders and her eyes produced a deadly glare. “Think about it for one minute, or are you so deluded you can’t think for yourself anymore. The only beings to ever meet God, to ever even see him are the archangels. God left and didn’t leave any instruction. Michael used the powers of Heaven to banish Lucifer and what does that result in? Michael becoming the ruler of Heaven.”

  “The ruler of Heaven and all things is God and he shall return.”

  “Oh I have no doubt about that, missus. He shall return and when he does,” laughed the creature once more, and then he began chuckling to himself, “he’s going to be majorly pissed off. You think what this planet has endured since he left. The millions that have perished through wars, natural disasters and the corruption of the human soul to a level beyond imagination. Do you honestly think God would have let any of this happen? Do you honestly think he would have left someone in charge who would let any of this happen? You yourself know that Earth was created as a paradise for humans but when God left Michael has overseen the greatest travesties in human history. Rape. Murder. Genocide. Incest. Adultery. But yet Michael let each and every travesty go ahead, without hindrance. Only when he was pressured into acting by the other Archangels did action occur during moments of evil in human history. The Earth has become the laughing stock of the galaxy and you know that. Once pronounced as the greatest achievement, the greatest evolution in creation has been reduced to one planet with everyone murdering each other. The seams of Hell are near bursting. Purgatory should never have even been created let alone over capacity and admissions to Heaven are at their lowest levels in history. Hell is not even under angelic control anymore. One disaster after another. The disobedient son is currently in charge of his father’s greatest experiment.” He let his words lay thick in the humid stuffy air before continuing. “God’s instructions were for all his creations to care and respect humanity more than anything, including him. Yet you repeatedly receive instructions to threaten, beat, murder and mutilate humans on a daily basis to carry out what is righteously called ‘the Will of Heaven’. How can that be the will of Heaven?”

  “We are ordered to employ tactics to get the job done. We have a planet to run.”

  “And to get the job done entails whipping your human slaves back into line whenever they dar
e cross it?” Amber’s reply was cold, steely silence. “Tell me Amber, the threatening, beating, murdering and mutilating of humans and other creatures of this world. Does that strike you as the actions of a commander and chief who is classed as the obedient son of God? Who follows God’s wishes to the letter and therefore loves humans more than his one true God. Or does it strike you as the son who hated the arrival of humanity from the very beginning and loathes being the caretaker of this planet. Maybe he loathes that position so much now that he’s preparing to rid himself of the responsibility once and for all.”

  He began to walk to the back of the room before turning round to face Amber once more.

  “The question you need to answer is whether the right son is down there below Hell. Behold the greatest cover-up in this planet’s history.”

  The question lingered heavily in the air for longer than Amber would care to admit. Such was the shocking, choking attributes of this question that she hadn’t even realised the creature she was talking to had vanished, leaving her alone with Lana and many more new unanswered questions.

  Chapter 30

  “Sir, can I ask you on your thoughts of what is happening in Heaven?” asked Ariel tentatively. They were back on another jet, UK-bound, thanks to Pravuil.

  “Yes, please do before I go insane,” said David immediately afterwards. Ariel shot him a deadly glance, but he was through caring. David wasn’t in the same hierarchy as Ariel. He didn’t have the same celebrity awe for Pravuil that Ariel had.

  “Gentlemen, we need to swing into action and stop a catastrophe occurring. And no Ariel, before you ask, I don’t know where God is. I don’t know when he’s coming home or if he ever will. All I know is there is something seriously wrong with what is happening on this planet and we have a duty of care to act. And, if he does return we will certainly experience a wrathful God beyond our wildest imaginations in Heaven.

  “Ariel, that candle was created by God. He personally gave it to me and instructed me to place it on this planet in the guardianship of a select bloodline. Now since deceased but the candle has maintained itself throughout the decades unattended. My understanding is that God will return when Judgement Day has arrived. When the experiment must be evaluated. It has been burning at different rates since its creation and from what I can see humanity has not been cared for well since he has left. The candle will burn quicker when it senses humanity is in a state of danger or chaos. When the candle burns out, then God shall arrive to evaluate, and if this judgement fails to pass then he will unleash an unimaginable, unprecedented wrath. Heaven would literally be flooded throughout, cleansing it pure. No one would be spared; there would be no ark for us.

  “Why would you perish?” asked David as they sat in large leather recliners on the private jet. It hummed quietly along despite the raging storm.

  “It’s simple. We are the guardians and the workhorses of God. Our primary task has been to ensure humankind is looked after and allowed to flourish. If the experiment fails, God will also deem us to be a cause of that failure and we shall therefore be removed. As for the fate of humans, that remains a mystery. Something never recorded in the books I’m afraid.”

  He patted the leather bound black A4 writing pad he held against his chest with his right arm. “Gentlemen, something is wrong in Heaven. Trust me when I tell you that the evaluation is meant to happen, most definitely. But not now. We must stop Michael. So first of all…”

  Pravuil walked over to the chest sitting on a small table and took out the piece of the True Cross. “This item ensures we can bargain with Michael. A stronger Michael is a dangerous Michael. We must convince him to stand down and allow others to take up the mantle. Michael has built a base of immense power on this world and in Heaven. It must be dismantled. The human experiment is more important than any one archangel. No one person should have that much control unless you’re God.” The true cross vanished into thin air, transported, Pravuil explained, to a far-away time where no Heavenly creation could ever find it. Just in case Michael could detect their presence now and dispatch a team to get them. Speaking to David, he chose a subtler, gentler tone.

  “David. I know you are concerned for your family. Trust me when I say that securing them is as vital to me as completing our other objectives. We will succeed, or die trying.”

  “If you’re the book keeper, surely you know how this all plays out?” asked David, almost hoping for Pravuil to extend a glimmer of the future.

  “Alas. That is the primary problem here, David. I am the book keeper and that’s how I know there is a problem. What is happening now was never on the books. We need to get things back on the books to avert catastrophe. To do that, us three need to work together, and work fast.”

  “So you knew nothing of this, sir?” asked Ariel, straightening his cufflink shirt once more.

  “It was never in the books. Therefore it was unforeseen,” he replied, gazing out towards the multiple bolts of lightning effortlessly striking a distant landmass. Then, whispering, “But that doesn’t mean it wasn’t predictable.”

  Chapter 31

  “Where are they?” exclaimed Claire. She was beside herself with worry as they sat in the car park of the crazy packed out dock in Wales. Police were everywhere trying to maintain order before a riot broke out. It had been over an hour since David had left. Then, suddenly, a flash of bright light in front of the car signalled their arrival. Catherine and Claire jumped out of the car and hugged David tightly.

  “David, David thank God!” cried Catherine, running her hand over his clothes to make sure everything was still there and in the right place.

  “I’m fine, Mum, honestly,” he replied, holding her hand and Claire’s. He knew he had to protect them more than ever now, especially with Mary gone. David turned round to see the rest of their motley group, who made for an odd sight. The angels were dressed like business executives in their long coats and suits whilst the demons dressed in white and black robes. Lilith particularly stood out from the ever-growing crowds at the dock. Her pristine white clothes almost glistened in the darkness, especially when flanked by her two demon bodyguards. They were certainly attracting stares from everyone in the crowd.

  The dock itself was crowded with hundreds of people trying to get home. They had to abandon their cars and struggle to make it to the information desk. Despair and anger hung over the crowd. Tempers were high. The rain, wind and occasional lightning only exacerbated the sour atmosphere. Meanwhile, the ferries had been cancelled and flights were not scheduled to resume in the foreseeable future. The situation was getting direr by the minute. David felt alone in this situation. Obviously Claire was comforting Catherine but the angels and demons accompanying him knew as little about human transport as he did about their rather mystical ways of transport.

  “What’s the plan now?” asked David, trying to shield his eyes from the rain in the wind.

  “I could always attempt to apprehend a special weapon from Heaven,” replied Ariel flatly.

  “Such as?”

  “The Staff of Moses. It’s actually probably here on Earth now and in our headquarters. It would allow us to separate the ocean and create a land path between these two islands to travel across. Obtaining the staff may be difficult though and I may not survive. But if you wish I shall try,” said Ariel.

  David didn’t think he would ever comprehend how angels had the ability to over-simplify even the most confusing, illogical proposals.

  “Honestly. I expected it from you lot,” said Lilith, looking at Ariel and Amber, “but I thought humans were more game for a little mind tinkering. Don’t you think we might just attract a little attention by playing around with the oceans? Not only from every angel in creation but the local armies of this country. I’m strong, but I ain’t that strong. We need to find another way.” She suddenly appeared behind the information desk and smiled. Gently whispering no more than two or three words into an operator’s ear, he suddenly became a lot more pleasant and retur
ned the smile back at her. Computer screens around her flickered and the large LCD screen map on the wall now showed calm seas between Ireland and England.

  “What the...?” said David, before being interrupted as she appeared beside him again.

  “Now, now, David, show some decorum,” said Lilith jokingly.

  The idea of people vanishing and appearing in the blink of an eye still shocked him. He asked Lilith had she calmed the storm but apparently she had only tricked the staff and computer devices into believing it was calm seas ahead now. Apparently, they were now hedging their bets on this ship being able to survive the storm trip across.

  To David’s surprise and relief the speakers sounded that those sailing to Dublin could now board. They decided not to take the cars with them. They were badly damaged and some had weapons stashed in every nook and cranny. The last thing they needed was to be arrested. Or for Ariel or Lilith to blast someone to smithereens in front of the locals. They’d arrange more transport once they docked in Dublin. Or ‘if’, David reminded himself as they all clambered up the make shift boarding plank.

  “Oh Christ!” shouted Lilith loudly above the crowds, grabbing on to Amber for support as she took a tumble. Only Lilith’s quick acting bodyguard stopped them from falling into the rough port waters below.

  David couldn’t help but smirk; if nothing it would be an interesting ride.