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Exile of Lucifer

Page 30

by D. Brian Shafer


  for this and found himself thinking about it more and more. Per-

  haps he would ask the Father about it.

  He watched as two large animals with a brood of pups

  strolled up a garden path toward him and sat down in front of him.

  Without even giving it much thought A'dam called out their new

  name. The mother wolf came to A'dam and licked his hand and

  then trotted off into the woods, the pups bouncing behind her. The

  father wolf looked back at A'dam with his deep gray eyes, and then

  hurried off with his family. A'dam smiled at the family of wolves as

  they disappeared into the forest. He truly was learning much about

  his new world. But the greatest thing he understood was that he

  was quite alone.

  ----------------

  Michael was seated on a hillside in Eden, watching A'dam

  playfully wrestling a large black bear. He enjoyed A'dam's won-

  derful relationship to the rest of creation, and marveled at God's

  ability to design such a world. Everything seemed to function in a

  sort of perfection. The mist from the earth kept the ground moist

  and the animals watered. It was quite a world!

  The bear trotted off after a while and A'dam watched it dis-

  appear into the woods to join its family. He plucked a berry from

  a large bush and sat right next to Michael. A'dam looked Heaven-

  ward and sighed deeply, as if searching for something...waiting

  for someone. Michael, too, looked up and saw nothing but the

  great fountain of the deep--a vast canopy of water that stretched

  in a band around the earth. It amazed him that the man could not

  see him and yet was so close--and the Host was under strict

  "You must never eat of this tree." 239

  instruction not to appear or speak to A'dam unless commanded by

  the Lord.

  "Michael!" came a familiar voice. It was Sangius.

  "Greetings, brother!" answered Michael.

  "Observing our friend here I see," he said, gliding down and

  seating himself on the other side of A'dam opposite Michael.

  "Yes, and thinking of what a dreadful shame it would be if

  Lucifer was made governor over this beautiful creature," answered

  Michael. "I certainly hope Gabriel was correct about what the Zoa

  told him."

  "Gabriel is seldom wrong," said Sangius. "Lucifer, however,

  will be horribly disappointed once word reaches him!" He laughed.

  "I sometimes wish I was still on his Council simply to observe his

  reaction!"

  "Sangius, if Lucifer is turned down and this man is named

  steward, as the Zoa have suggested, will Lucifer be satisfied to let

  things go?"

  "I don't know really," said Sangius. "Lucifer is apt to do any-

  thing. I suspect he is clever enough to know when he is through

  and will drop the matter. But then again, we're discussing Lucifer."

  A'dam stood up and stretched, yawning as the midday sun

  struck his face through the tall trees. He picked up a stick and wan-

  dered off into the garden. The angels watched as he reached down

  and stroked a young deer, giving it a handful of lush green clover.

  He then continued on into the deeper parts of the garden.

  "He is such a beautiful creature," remarked Sangius. "He is

  regal--almost angelic. And yet so innocent. He seems so strong and

  yet so fragile at the same time."

  "Yes, Sangius," agreed Michael. "I have been studying the

  beasts of this world. Some of them could easily overcome A'dam.

  Yet peace prevails in Eden."

  "I would certainly not want to see an angel come against so

  weak a creature," said Sangius, who caught Michael's fierce glare.

  "Although I certainly don't anticipate such a conflict." Sangius

  indicated the spot where A'dam had disappeared into the woods a

  240 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  moment before. Sangius ventured further and added, "Do you

  anticipate that there will be conflict between angels and man?"

  "Any angel in particular?" Michael said, finally smiling weakly.

  "I can only speculate of course," said Sangius, "but when

  Lucifer discovers that the `mud-man,' as he calls him, will be made

  steward, he certainly will have no great love for him."

  "Lucifer will never touch A'dam," said Michael resolutely.

  "This I vow. Neither Lucifer, nor Rugio, nor any angel in Heaven

  will touch a man unless it is decreed by the Lord to happen. I am

  sworn to uphold the Lord's honor in this."

  "Well, Eden certainly suits A'dam," said Sangius, happy to

  move on to another subject. "He has all that he could possibly ever

  desire."

  "Does he?" asked Michael. As he spoke a pair of swans swam

  gracefully by. Michael pointed to the swans. "I have observed that

  every creature on this world has another just like it except for

  A'dam. The beasts of the field have companion beasts with which

  to share life and perpetuate it. The birds as well. Even the fish. But

  A'dam? What does A'dam have?"

  "A'dam has the Father," came the familiar voice of Crispin.

  "And what more could he possibly need than that?"

  "Good and well, dear teacher," said Michael, embracing his

  friend. "And I realize that the Most High has a special and won-

  drous relationship with A'dam. I don't question the wisdom or

  plans of God. I simply feel a sense of protection for A'dam is all.

  Where that comes from I don't know, because the Lord has forbid-

  den contact with him--yet I believe that the Most High would have

  it this way."

  "Those feelings are quite simple to explain," said Crispin,

  who settled down next to Sangius and Michael on the bank of the

  pond. "Such grace," he said pointing to the swans who were mak-

  ing their rounds once more near the angels. "Ah, the imagination of

  such a creative Lord!" He looked at his former student with com-

  passion. "Michael, the reason you have feelings of protection for

  the man is because of your loyalty and love for the Lord. He holds

  A'dam quite dear and therefore so do you. It is nothing more.

  "You must never eat of this tree." 241

  Angels and men will never relate to one another as do God and

  man. But in the Most High we share with man a common bond of

  loyalty and love."

  "So then what is our position in regard to A'dam?" asked

  Sangius.

  "I believe that Michael is already realizing our position," said

  Crispin. "We continue to serve the Most High as always, but with

  the added honor of serving him on earth as He sees necessary."

  "But the Zoa said earth is for man, not angels," said Michael.

  "Earth is for man to dominate and to steward," Crispin

  answered, "as Lucifer will soon find out. That is what the Zoa said.

  But we angels will have a role on this planet in serving the Lord by

  seeing His will for man ultimately carried forward--whatever

  course that might take us on."

  "We serve God by serving man?" said Sangius.

  "No, Sangius," said Crispin. "We serve God by serving God.

  And if in serving God we find ourselves also involved with man--

  then so be it!"

  ----------------

  "A
'dam!"

  "A'dam! Where are you?"

  A'dam knew well the voice of his Father. Everytime he heard

  it his heart leapt in him like one of the gracefully leaping bucks in

  the forest. A'dam looked around him and answered aloud, "Here I

  am, Father!"

  A'dam stood, awaiting the arrival of the Most High God, his

  Father. He felt a gentle breeze blowing against his face, and sud-

  denly the garden became pale, as a glorious light appeared before

  him. The robed figure in the light was a head larger than A'dam

  and not completely unlike him in features--although His face

  could never be seen clearly. The figure walked out of the light and

  extended His hand. A'dam could barely see to take the hand

  because the light was so bright. He finally shut his eyes and

  reached out blindly, feeling the Father's loving hands taking his

  own--the blinded A'dam guided by the all-seeing Father.

  242 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  When A'dam opened his eyes an instant later, he found him-

  self standing in front of the two trees that were planted in the cen-

  ter of the garden. He was completely perplexed as to how he had

  moved from the extreme edge of Eden to its center so quickly! A lit-

  tle dazed by it all, A'dam looked to his Father with a bewildered

  expression. The Father merely indicated the two trees and A'dam

  looked at them as he had done many times before. He had never

  before ventured this close to the trees, however, as there was a

  sacred presence here which seemed to forbid him access until now.

  "What is it, Father?" he finally asked.

  "My dear son," came the voice of God. "I love you more than

  you can possibly know. This you understand?"

  "Of course, Father," replied A'dam. "I have always known

  You loved me."

  "Know this then," the Father continued. "All of Eden is yours

  to enjoy. I have provided for your every want. There will never be

  hunger known to you, nor thirst, nor toil, nor fear, nor even death.

  Do you understand this, A'dam?"

  A'dam was still puzzled by it all but spoke up. "Yes, Father. I

  know all of this. You have been so good to me." A'dam was not entire-

  ly sure what death meant, but he knew that he need not fear it.

  "Know then that you may eat of every tree of the garden;

  every fruit-bearing bush, every melon and berry--all of that which

  grows freely in the garden--of all of these you may eat..."

  A'dam instinctively looked at the two trees which stood

  before him. "And what of these, Father?" he asked. "Did You bring

  me here that I may now eat of these as well?"

  "Hear me, A'dam," said the Father, in a grave tone which

  A'dam had never before heard. "You may eat freely of all that I

  have said. But of these two trees you must never eat. They are for-

  bidden to you."

  A'dam looked at the trees and the fruit upon them. They didn't

  look much different from many of the other trees in Eden. "But

  why, Father?" he finally asked. "I have always felt this was a spe-

  cial place. Are these trees set apart for You alone?"

  "You must never eat of this tree." 243

  "No, A'dam," said God. "They are set apart for you--and they

  are set apart from you. You must never eat of these trees."

  "I don't understand," said A'dam, looking at the trees. "If I am

  not to eat of them, then why are they here?"

  "The reason is not as important as the command. You must

  never eat of these trees. For on the day that you do you will die."

  A'dam looked at the trees and back at his Father. "You would

  kill me for eating of these trees, Father?" he asked.

  The Father looked down at A'dam with love so overwhelming

  that A'dam could scarcely stand before Him. "No, A'dam," He said.

  "I would never kill you. But by your own choice you would bring

  death to yourself. Therefore I say to you again, you may not eat of

  these trees, for on that day you shall surely die."

  A'dam started to answer but suddenly the Father was gone.

  A'dam blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. The garden once

  more took on its usual beautiful colors as the glory of the Lord

  faded. He looked around and all seemed normal. Slowly his eyes

  looked in the direction of the trees, which were swaying gently in

  the breeze. As he watched a solitary piece of fruit fell from one of

  the limbs and rolled a few paces in front of his feet. A'dam looked

  at the fruit.

  At first he smiled. But then a terror began to grip his heart as

  the words of the Lord played back in his mind. He began to step

  away from the area, walking backwards. A screeching hawk star-

  tled him, and he turned and bolted, vowing never again to set foot

  in that part of Eden!

  ----------------

  Chronicles of the Host

  Eve

  It was never the will of the Most High that A'dam should be

  alone. God the Father, in complete agreement with the Son and

  the Spirit, had determined that a suitable helpmate must be

  provided for A'dam. One who would complement him; one

  244 CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile of Lucifer

  with whom he would share his life and his love; one with whom

  he would build a new world. So the Lord set A'dam upon the

  task of naming the animals, and in doing so, allowed A'dam to

  realize that he was incomplete by seeing that all of nature was

  accompanied by one of its own kind. And as A'dam named the

  beasts of earth there was not found for him a suitable mate.

  Now for the Host this longing that A'dam was experiencing;

  this sense of loneliness; this need for another was incompre-

  hensible. The angels were responsible to the Lord of all, and

  though they enjoyed a fellowship among the Host, they had no

  sense of such intimate need. Therefore they watched A'dam

  from afar, some feeling compassion for his despair, others feel-

  ing contempt for what was an apparent weakness among

  man--the need for others...

  So it was that the Most High, upon A'dam's recognition that

  he needed another suitable to himself, He brought forth anoth-

  er human--one with whom A'dam would share the glorious

  life God had given him...

  And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon A'dam,

  And he slept; and He took one of his ribs,

  And closed up the flesh instead thereof;

  And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,

  Made He a woman...

  ----------------

  "A woman?" asked Tinius. "What is a woman?"

  "Haven't you heard?" said Pellecus. "The Lord has given

  A'dam a mate!"

  "It's quite delicious really!" said Kara, who was standing in

  front of the window in Lucifer's council room. "Ties A'dam even

  more closely to the other beasts on earth."

  "Does that suit you, Kara?" asked Lucifer, who appeared from

  the other side of the room where he had been discussing some

  "You must never eat of this tree." 245

  details with Rugio in private. Kara could see the hulking Rugio

  standing just off Lucifer's right shoulder.

  "Why yes," said Kara, surprised at the questio
n. "It suits me

  quite well. This A'dam is beginning to think himself an angel--

  hmph! Prideful creature! This places him firmly back in his element--

  and reminds him that he is a beast, nothing more."

  The angels laughed.

  "Perhaps," said Pellecus, "in so doing the Lord ties him even

  closely to Himself."

  "Ah, Pellecus," sneered Kara, "always an opposing view-

  point. Why is it that whenever you and I discuss something we are

  on opposing sides of the issue? Is it your academic need for argu-

  ment?" He smiled as a few angels snickered.

  "No, Kara," replied Pellecus calmly, "it is my need to be correct!"

  "Enough!" interrupted Lucifer. "We have much to discuss."

  "No, Lucifer!" said Kara. "I am weary of Pellecus and his arro-

  gance! I am an Elder to the Most High God! I have position and

  authority in this present Kingdom! And I will not be spoken to in

  such condescending terms!" Kara's purple aura was beginning to

  manifest. "I will be respected here!"

  "You speak of arrogance?" replied Pellecus calmly. "You who

  would wave your credentials as an Elder with one hand while

  manipulating that same Council for your own gain with the other?"

  "Enough, I said!" Lucifer said loudly. "There is too much at

  stake for your colossal self-posturing to interfere! Kara, Pellecus, sit

  down." Lucifer glared at the two angels. Kara's purple aura imme-

  diately dissipated and he took his seat. Pellecus sat down as well,

  trying to maintain an outward dignity. Rugio smiled at the entire

  affair, amused by it all.

  "It seems, lord, your brightest stars are tarnished," Rugio

  finally said.

  "Excellent point, Rugio, my warrior," said Lucifer, who took

  his seat at the head of the table. He looked at the members of the

  Council, his chin resting on his left hand. "I want to tell you a story.

  I saw a star fall once. It was very soon after Day Four when I was

 

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