Heaven and Hell (57 page)

It was several hours later when Serena put the finishing touch on her letter to Chris. She was very excited as she placed it in Aaron’s hand.

“In a very short time this letter will be in your husband’s hands,” promised Aaron, a smile on his face. “I will endeavor to bring new correspondence to you as often as I am able, or at least as often as my schedule of duties permits. I am certain that your husband will write to you often, such is his love for you.”

There was a pause as Aaron gathered his thoughts. “The task of bringing the condemned into this place is a very unpleasant one for me. It might seem hard to believe, but bringing you here was one of the most difficult things I ever had to do. I am indeed thankful that your path has crossed that of Abaddon, my friend. I know not what the future holds for you, but I pray that you shall find some measure of peace.”

“Thank you,” replied Serena. “Thank you for bringing me such a precious gift.”

Aaron smiled but slightly. “Would that I could have done more.”

Abaddon and Serena saw Aaron to the cave’s entrance. Before them the bow of blue glimmered brightly along the horizon. Aaron bid his friends a last goodbye and bolted into the dark sky. He was momentarily a diminishing silhouette against the blue along the horizon; then he vanished from sight.

“I envy him his freedom,” said Abaddon as they made their way back into the deep recesses of the island. “Yet for us, I fear that the dream of escape from this realm is just that, a dream, a vision without substance.”

Serena nodded. They had almost reached the great room when she spoke up. “I know that the two of you were speaking of the old days when I walked into the cavern below. I got the feeling that there was something between you, something that was separating you. May I ask what it was?”

“You may,” said Abaddon, motioning to their favorite chairs. “You might find it strange, but Aaron and I were the best of friends many centuries ago. As you know, I had been directed by God to watch over a primitive tribe in the land that you now call Greece. Aaron and several others were there with me. We were to protect them, even inspire them from time to time, but under no circumstances were we to interfere with their lives, with their free will.

“From time to time, we even took on a human form in order to mingle with them. I told you of it before, how I erred and took a woman, my wife, onto myself. Aaron also did as I did. He became the father of several human angel hybrids. Yet it turned out that he did not share our vision of a greater humanity. To him it was a carnal game—a fling. Yet he became fearful when our sin passed into a new phase and we proclaimed ourselves to be the sons of God, even gods in our own right. It was then when he left our presence. When God finally intervened and we were brought before His throne to be judged for our crimes, Aaron stood with us.”

“But he wasn’t sentenced here,” deduced Serena.

“No, he wasn’t. I remember that day quite vividly. He knelt before the Father, weeping and pleading, seeking His mercy. In the end, he was granted some measure of it, but he did not escape judgment altogether. He was demoted to become the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. He was sentenced to conduct the souls of the damned to Hell, the most terrible task that an angel may be given. While you labored on your letter, he told me much of his ordeal. It is not as terrible as ours, yet it is not so much better. For many years there was great enmity between us, but no more. We have been reconciled at last.”

“I’m really glad to hear that,” replied Serena. “Aaron is important to me. What he did for Chris and I, uniting us, is a precious gift, as precious as the gift you have offered me here.” Serena hesitated, searching for the words to express a thought that had been on her mind for some time. “Abaddon, I really believe that we have all been drawn together for a purpose.”

“By whom?”

“By God,” Serena said.

Abaddon looked at Serena. It was a ridiculous concept. Surely God had abandoned them long ago. Yet he said nothing to his young companion. Perhaps it was the knowledge that this thought, no matter how misguided, brought her some measure of peace. Or did it go deeper than that? Perhaps, in the deep recesses of his soul, he too wanted to believe as she did.

Three demonic sentries gazed upward at lord Moloch, as he descended from the pitch black sky toward the threshold of the great demonic city fortress of Sheol, accompanied by his customary escort. They bowed low before him as he alighted upon the ground just beyond the outer columns and folded his powerful wings.

“Hail, lord Moloch!” cried the three in perfect unison.

Moloch didn’t immediately respond. He carefully scanned the dark and dismal surroundings before turning toward his eager followers. “This is where it happened?”

“Yes, my lord,” said the demon in the middle, stepping forward. “One of the sentries under my command encountered two dark warrior angels in this very spot. They seemed to be spying on us, so he went to investigate.”

Moloch nodded slowly. “This was three days ago?

“Yes, my lord.”

Again Moloch scanned the surroundings. “So, what was their business here? Did your sentry determine their identities?”

“No, my lord, but he said that there was something strange about one of them. He didn’t speak, and his spirit was strange, not at all like one of the dark angels. Then there was the smell.”

That comment caught Moloch by surprise. “The smell?”

“Yes, sir, the sentry had served for many years as a task master, before being assigned here. He said that one of the two had the smell of a human, a female human. He was certain of it.”

“Why didn’t he detain them?” roared Moloch.

“He was but one,” replied the demon, “he was no match for two warriors. By the time he could summon reinforcements, he had been cast to the ground and the two had taken flight. Yet here is another odd thing; the one angel carried the other, as if he were the only one capable of flight. We took up pursuit, but lost them in a dark canyon. They vanished somewhere into the interior. We are still searching for them, and we will not give up the hunt until we find them.”

“Don’t bother, they are long gone by now,” replied Moloch, turning from the sentry. One of his escorts turned with him.

“My lord Moloch, I am convinced that this silent dark angel was none other than Serena Farnsworth. It could have been none other. In all of Hell, there are no other female humans unaccounted for. Then, there are the footprints.” He turned to the muted footprints before them. “This one, so much smaller than the other, was made by no dark angel; it was made by one slight of form and weight. The sentries were deceived by a dark angel skilled in the art of illusion. He might have clouded the mind of the sentry, so as to make him believe that he saw an angel, but no illusion could alter this human’s footprint.”

“Continue Rathspith; you have my complete attention,” said Moloch, who was impressed by this one’s perceptiveness.

“My lord, this can mean but one thing, Serena Farnsworth has been befriended by one of the dark angels. After all, they have no allegiance to the master. This dark angel is shielding her, protecting her, for reasons that only he understands.”

Moloch nodded. “Yes, Rathspith, I am fully in agreement.” He turned to his perceptive lieutenant. “So, what would you do now?”

There was not a moment of hesitation in Rathspith’s response. “We must go forth, seek out all of the dark warrior angels. In all of Hell, there are but a few hundred. We must question them. We must determine who has done this thing. When the guilty one is found, we must present him, and this human female, to lord satan, to await his pleasure.”

A slight smile appeared upon the face of Moloch. “I like you, Rathspith. With you, the solution is always so simple, so direct.”

Rathspith returned the master’s smile. “I did not imply that the execution of the plan would be simple, but I believe that you will be pleased with the results.”

“Very well,” replied Moloch. “Take what forces and resources you require. Find her, Rathspith. I shall reward your service well if you are successful, but do not fail me.”

Rathspith was all too quick to pick up the thinly veiled threat. He realized the personal risks that this task carried, but his eye was more upon the potential personal benefits his success would bring. He’d bring this missing wench back to the master and have some fun along the way. He was looking forward to the hunt.

I
T was a joyous morning when Aaron arrived at the front door of the mansion with his precious cargo, a letter from the heart of outer darkness. Chris and Jennifer sat side by side at the dining room table as Chris read what might have been the first letter to have made the trip between these two realms of alternate reality. All the while, Aaron stood by, his soul reveling in the joy he had brought into two heavenly hearts. When the reading was finished, it was Jennifer who spoke up first.

“Aaron, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for what you have done for my son. Believe me, it is no small thing. I only wish there was something I could do to repay your kindness. Perhaps you could stay and have lunch with us?” Jennifer smiled. “You know, its funny, I don’t even know if angels eat. I’m sorry that I’ve never gotten to know angels like I should have.”

Aaron smiled and bowed slightly. “To answer your question, yes, we do eat. Like you, we don’t have to, but we can. However, I regret that I will not be able to join you this day. Perhaps I shall another time. At present, I have other duties that require my attention. As for repaying my kindness, you already have. For many centuries I have brought terrible pain and sorrow to human hearts. It has been a burden that weighed greatly upon me. Seeing the joy that this correspondence has brought to you and Serena has lightened my spirit. It is a sort of joy that I had almost forgotten. I shall return in another four days, if you wish, to carry still more correspondence to Serena.”

“That would be wonderful!” Chris said.

“It is my hope that I will be able to call upon you on a regular basis, ferrying still more correspondence to your wife. It is a thing that I do, not just for you, but for myself. You see, I have as much reason to thank you as you have to thank me.” Aaron paused. “But I must be about my other duties. I bid the two of you a pleasant day.”

Jennifer and Chris saw Aaron to the front door, and after a last goodbye, watched as he bolted skyward, vanishing into the sky a moment later. Jennifer paused to reflect; everything had worked to the good, as incredible as it all seemed. There was but one thing left to do.

“Now, Chris, will you finally go to Zion and speak to the Father?” she asked, turning toward her son. The expression she was greeted with was not encouraging.

“I’m going to do it…really I am, but not just yet.”

That response was quite near Jennifer’s worst nightmare. “Chris, you promised, remember?”

“Mom, I’ll keep my promise, but not just yet. I need some time.”

Jennifer’s growing frustration was obvious. “Time to do what? What are you afraid of, Chris?”

For a moment, Chris looked away. “Mom, I’m not afraid of anything, it just isn’t the time. Please, Mom, just let it go for now.”

Chris walked back into the mansion, leaving Jennifer alone on the porch with her thoughts, and a black cat. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected him to listen; God told me that he wouldn’t. I just didn’t expect things to work out quite this way. I don’t know what to do, Ebbie.”

Ebbie sat quietly and attentively. Just the trace of a smile appeared on Jennifer’s face as she gazed at her endearing furry friend. It was usually her son who talked to the cat. Now she too had picked up the habit. She walked into the mansion and Ebbie tagged along close behind.

Jennifer had come to a decision. There would be no point in continuing to convince her son to go to the Father. He wasn’t going to do it until he was ready, and nothing she would say could change that. God himself had told her that much. She would have to bide her time, be there when her son was finally ready to listen. Until then, she would be as supportive as she possibly could. Right now her son was happy, and she didn’t want to change that. Still, she sensed trouble on the horizon, trouble he didn’t see. She would need to remain vigilant.