Rahab spread his arms toward the winds surrounding him. Vero noticed Kane watched Rahab with keen interest.
“You didn’t become a demon?” Kane asked.
Rahab shook his head. “I’m stuck here making weather . . .” He lifted his foot, exposing the heavy chains. “I do whatever He asks of me, in the hopes that one day He’ll free me.”
Rahab’s contrite face suddenly turned irate once more, and he screamed, “I found the book for Him. I returned it. Did as I was told, but He didn’t free me!”
“How were you able to find the book at the bottom of the ocean?” Vero asked.
“Beginner’s luck.” Rahab laughed.
“No, there’s more,” Vero said. “Please. It’s my mission to find it . . .”
“We’ll tell them you helped us,” Ada said. “We’ll tell Michael.”
Rahab’s head whipped around to face Ada. “You’ll tell Michael?”
“Yes, and Uriel and Raziel, all of them.” Ada nodded.
“We swear,” Kane said.
Rahab looked Kane in the eyes. “You, I don’t trust.”
“I’m telling the truth,” Kane said, a pleading tone in his voice.
“I may only have one eye, but it sees more than a hundred eyes together.”
Kane looked uncomfortable.
“He’s telling the truth.” Vero nodded to Kane.
“You need to trust us,” Greer said.
“Why? Go away, all of you!” Rahab yelled.
“You’re right. You don’t know if we’re telling the truth or not,” Vero said. “But you have nothing to lose. If we don’t tell Michael, nothing here will change for you. But if we do tell Michael, you just might have everything to gain.”
Once again, anger rose like a geyser in Rahab. His face turned furious.
“Why you?” he screamed at Vero. Seaweed flew into Vero’s eyes. “Why not me? I found the book once for Him. I returned it as I was told! Why not me?!”
“This guy is totally nuts,” Greer said in a low voice to Ada.
“I don’t know why it’s me anymore than you know why it’s not you!” Vero roared, unable to hold back his own geyser of emotion. “But like you, I do as I am told!”
Rahab’s face seemed to soften. “Like I said, this one eye sees more than most. Despite all the coral reefs, rocks, as well as caves and plants and endless miles, I was able to find the book on the ocean’s floor because He gave me the vision to see things that no one else can.”
Vero looked at him, feeling a connection forming.
“You have it too, don’t you?” Rahab said softly.
Vero nodded, recalling how, near the beginning of his training, he was the only one able to read the mysterious writing on the golems’ parchments. No one else could even see a single letter.
“It’s not a book like you think. There are no pages or a bound cover.”
Kane looked to him, more curious than ever.
“It’s the most beautiful gem you’ve ever seen.”
“A gem? Not a . . .” Vero couldn’t finish his sentence. High-pitched, ear-splitting shrieks caused him to shudder. A shadow overhead clouded his vision, blotting out the clear blue sky above. Rahab began to beat his wings faster in an attempt to sustain the storm.
“Dreadful bird!” Rahab shouted, his wings beating furiously.
Ada linked hands with Greer to steady them both as the winds intensified around them. Everything went dark.
“What’s going on?” Kane yelled, his words echoing in the winds.
And then the winds died down as light broke through from above and the rains turned to sprinkles. Rahab looked defeated.
“They send that bird just to vex me,” Rahab said bitterly.
“Who sends it?” Vero asked.
“The Virtues,” Rahab said. “They can command the weather.”
Vero knew all about the Virtues. He had competed against them in the Angel Trials. They were invisible angels who were extremely smart and could see the future. He just hadn’t known that they also had power over the weather.
“Was that bird the Ziz?” Ada asked.
“Yes! The foul creature,” Rahab said.
“What’s the Ziz?” Kane asked, stuttering with fear.
“A bird as large as the Leviathan,” Ada said. “Its wingspan can block out entire storms.”
“Obviously,” Greer said, looking up at the now clear skies.
Vero turned to Rahab. “You said the book was a gem. What kind of gem? What does it look like? Do you have any idea where it could be?”
Rahab began shaking and his eyes darted around wildly. “I have to leave!”
Vero looked at the shackles around the angel’s ankles. Where is he going? Vero wondered. Rahab grabbed Vero by the front of his shirt and shook him. “It’s so dark down there! Tell Michael to release me! Tell him!”
“I will,” Vero yelled. “But you have to tell me everything about the book first!”
Rahab let go of Vero. The storm had mostly dissipated.
“It is blue . . . the most beautiful ocean-blue sapphire. About the size of a sand crab,” Rahab said, pinching his fingers as if imagining he was holding the precious stone.
“When I found it, I returned it to Adam. But it didn’t even belong to him. It needs to go back to where it came from. Others have tried. Others have gotten close, but no one has succeeded.”
“Solomon had it last,” Ada said.
“Is that what you think?” Rahab scoffed.
“Didn’t he?” Ada asked, twirling her hair nervously.
“Wise old Solomon was even wiser than you know . . .”
Vero moved closer, anxious to hear Rahab’s every word.
“Haven’t you ever heard of Solomon’s ring? Also known as the ‘Seal of Solomon’ . . .?”
Vero shook his head.
“Of course,” Ada said. “It was also called the Seal of Solomon. What about it?”
“Why am I wasting my time with such ignorant creatures?” Rahab spat.
“Because we have access to Michael,” Vero said forcefully.
Rahab’s face twitched with anger, but then he took a deep breath. “Everyone knows that Solomon was wise, and God did give him the gift of wisdom, which served him better than you know in the end,” Rahab said. “But in addition to wisdom, Solomon had great knowledge that came from the book, which he wore on his finger. Solomon’s ring held the Book of Raziel.”
“Did Solomon know?” Kane asked.
“Of course,” Rahab said. “In addition to God’s great gift of wisdom, the book would have provided him with immense worldly knowledge.”
“Besides being able to design and build his temple, it was said that Solomon was able to control demons and speak with animals,” Ada added.
“Correct, fledgling,” Rahab said, scowling at Ada. “This fledgling is not as stupid as the rest of you . . .” His gaze extended to the others. “I might have even liked her, if she were not such a cold-blooded killer!”
“I said I was sorry. He was going to kill Greer . . . It was self-defense. Now please, tell us about the ring if you want us to speak for you,” Ada said.
Rahab considered her words, and composed himself again. “Over time, Solomon began to feel superior to all those he ruled . . . He felt he was practically a god himself, and he fell into sin. There has always been a saying about the ring he wore—that it could make a sad man happy and a happy man sad. But it was through the wisdom God gave him that Solomon finally understood the saying. For when he looked into the book upon his finger, he read the words, ‘This too shall pass.’ ”
“I’ve heard that before,” Vero said.
�
��At that moment, King Solomon knew that all his riches, his temple, and his kingdom would not last forever—that Israel would be divided into two. That only God was everlasting. So Solomon repented. And in his wisdom, he realized that the book was too powerful for men and it had to be returned. He sent his oldest and most trusted captain, Benaiah, to return the book.”
“So it didn’t perish in the temple fire . . .” Vero said, thinking out loud.
“He understood that the book’s power was too much for any man to handle. Once man had settled in the world outside the garden, it needed to be returned to its origin.”
“Where, Rahab?” Vero asked. “Where does it need to be returned to?”
“To the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, of course,” Rahab said. “In the middle.”
“In the garden of Eden?” Kane asked.
“Yes, and Solomon would have known the location of the garden, and directed Benaiah where to voyage in order to find it. Of course, Solomon—with his wisdom and knowledge—helped Benaiah plan the trip, and take every precaution to ensure the secrecy of the mission. Benaiah traveled by land and by boat. Even back then, there were trade routes from the Middle East to the Orient.”
“The entrance to the garden is in the Orient?” Vero asked, feeling his pulse quicken. “You mean somewhere in Asia?”
“Well, that is where Benaiah traveled, yes. But even though old Benaiah followed Solomon’s directions to the letter, ultimately he was not able to find the entrance to the garden. Instead, he hid it as best he could . . . and to his credit, he must have done a very good job. My guess is that Solomon may have told Benaiah of another place to hide it, were he unable to find the garden. Somewhere very close to the entrance of Eden.”
“Where?” Vero asked, his breathing becoming faster.
“The answer to that died with Benaiah. Not even the angels know where, not even Michael.” He grimaced.
“But how do you know all this?” Greer asked Rahab.
“Remember, I found the book once myself . . . My fish tell me all sorts of things.” He snorted. “And crabs are the best sorts of gossips. That was my ‘gift.’ ”
Suddenly, right before their eyes, the chain yanked Rahab straight down. As his body hit the water’s surface, Vero and the others watched as his wings morphed into scaly fins. The chain tugged him under the surface and he disappeared from sight.
“What a complicated guy,” Ada said.
“No kidding. I’d hate to be his therapist,” Greer said.
11
SRI PADA
With the storm gone, Vero, Ada, Greer, and Kane flew back to the rock cave, where Pax and X waited for their return.
“Thank God you’re all okay! So tell us what happened!” Pax called.
“Did you find Rahab?” X asked anxiously.
“Yeah, we found him. And he’s stinkin’ crazy!” Greer volunteered.
“What do you mean?” said Pax.
“We’ll tell you all about it on the flight back,” Vero said, eager to leave the cave. “X, we’re going to have to take turns carrying you.”
As the fledglings flew back to C.A.N.D.L.E., they regularly shuffled X between them while filling X and Pax in on what Rahab had said. As they landed on the steps of the school, Greer and Kane let go of X.
“Thanks for the lift,” X said to them as he stumbled onto the stairs.
“What’s next?” Greer asked Vero.
“I don’t know.” Vero stared into the wall.
Pax chimed in. “I think it’s obvious. The entrance to the garden and the location of the book are near one another, so we search for both and see which one turns up first.”
The fledglings heard the sound of a massive door closing shut. They turned and saw Uriel walking down the stairs with Raziel.
“What’s the latest?” Uriel asked them.
“We found Rahab,” Kane said.
“Charming, isn’t he?” Uriel said.
“Yeah, and his pets,” X groaned, putting a hand to his shoulder.
“It will heal when you return to earth,” Uriel told X.
“What did he tell you?” Raziel asked eagerly. “What did Rahab say?”
“That the book isn’t a book. It’s a blue gemstone, a sapphire.” Vero said. “Is that true?”
Raziel looked at Vero, as if trying to recall. After a few moments, he shook his head. “I don’t remember,” he said with sadness in his voice.
“Anything else?” Uriel asked.
“That it is somewhat near the entrance to the garden of Eden, which is where it needs to be returned,” Vero said.
“The garden?” Uriel mused.
“Raziel said Solomon’s trusted captain, Benaiah, tried to return it, but fell short. He hid it somewhere near the entrance,” Ada said. “Uriel, you were in the garden—do you have any idea where it is?”
Uriel shook his head. “Like Raziel, the memory of it was taken from me when I failed and gave the serpent access to the garden.”
“Oh, sorry,” Ada said.
“But I do know there is an entrance, a portal to the garden, from the earth,” Uriel told the group. “When Adam and Eve were expelled, they traveled through it.”
“So the garden isn’t on earth?” Greer asked.
“The garden is partitioned off in the Ether.”
“But the only way to get access is from earth?” Vero asked, wanting to be sure he understood.
Uriel nodded. “Yes. There is an entrance somewhere, that much I know.”
Vero and the others mulled that over for a moment.
“This is just like in the Trials, when we had to find the portal to Jacob’s Ladder!” X suggested.
“Yes,” Uriel said, smiling at the connection.
“Might the library have a scroll on the garden?” Ada asked.
Uriel shook his head.
“No scrolls at all?” Vero asked.
“Not on the garden.”
“I’m starting to get real discouraged here. In the whole entire world, I’m supposed to find a small gemstone—oh, and a portal to the garden of Eden?” Vero said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh yeah, while fighting off maltures at the same time.”
“You were attacked again?” Uriel asked with keen interest.
“In a hospital elevator with my friend, Tack.”
Uriel looked to Raziel with concern.
“And Tack saw them too.”
“Them?” Uriel asked, seemingly more surprised that there had been two than the fact that Tack had seen them.
“It was weird. One rushed us in the elevator, and while I was fighting with her another one showed up,” Vero said. “I thought they would both be going after me, but instead the second one actually took out the first malture. It basically saved me.”
Uriel looked to Raziel. They were communicating mind to mind.
“The first one must have acted too soon. That’s why the second one was sent,” Raziel said.
“I don’t get it,” Vero said.
“At this point, they don’t want to harm you. They’ve figured out that you are the key to finding the book,” Uriel said. “So they need you, but Vero, you’re not safe.”
“Because the moment you discover the book’s location, they will come after you. They are watching you more closely than ever,” Raziel said in an almost threatening tone. “Trust no one . . .”
Vero locked eyes with his fellow fledglings. Only Kane dropped his gaze.
“Even yourself,” Raziel said with utmost seriousness.
“What do you mean?” Vero looked panicked.
“I remember nothing about the book except for the feeling it gave me. With access to that much know
ledge, you become in danger of feeling like God.”
Vero lay on the ground of his front yard. He felt something heavy pressing on his chest. He opened his eyes—the ladder pinned him to the ground. As his senses returned to him, he looked around. No one had seen him fall. He lifted the ladder and squirmed out from underneath it, then lay on the ground next to it. He stared up into the sky, taking a moment to readjust. Everything was going too fast. The pressure was on, and he had no clue where the garden could be. Because the entrance to the garden lay on earth, Uriel had suggested he must return, as the answers would have to be found on earth rather than in the Ether. But Vero wasn’t so sure.
“Taking a break?”
Vero heard his father’s voice. He looked over and saw his dad standing over him. Dennis got down on the ground.
“Not a bad idea,” Dennis said.
He lay on his back next to Vero, looking up to the sky.
“I miss being up there in the clouds,” Dennis said.
“What?” Vero said, alarmed.
“When I flew for the Navy.”
“Oh.” Vero sighed, relieved his dad wasn’t about to reveal that he, too, was an angel.
“When you’re up there, everything else down below no longer seems so important. You know, we get so caught up in our little lives down here that sometimes we can’t see beyond that. Up there, everything just sort of feels right, quiet.”
“Yeah, the best feeling is when you’re just about to break through the clouds and you can almost feel the wind blowing right through your body . . .”
Vero realized his dad was staring at him.
“Oh, well, you know, I can imagine,” Vero backpedaled.
“I never told anyone, but on one of my flights, I saw a ‘pilot’s halo.’ Do you know what that is?”
“No.”
“When you fly over a cloud deck, and you see a rainbow halo around the shadow of the plane. Some people also call it a ‘glory.’ There’s an old story that says when you see it, it means an angel is flying with you.”
“Really?” Vero asked, intrigued.
“Yeah,” Dennis said. “Of course scientists will tell you the halos are formed by water vapors in the air refracting the light that bounces off the clouds. But no one has ever been able to replicate the phenomena in a lab.”
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