Read In the Beginning (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book I) Online
Authors: John J. Higgins
In the Beginning (Archangel Jarahmael and the War to Conquer Heaven, Book I) (12 page)
SAMMUAEL'S RECONNOITER
Luciferael and Sammuael met up as they flew out of the Throne Room. Luciferael turned to Sammuael and spoke as they were ascending towards Luciferael's mansion.
"I need you to fly down and check out the Simians."
"Certainly my lord, I will check them out immediately," Sammuael responded as he looked back at Luciferael.
"We need to get a better understanding of these creatures and what they've been doing to my dinosaurs. I gather these are the creatures the Almighty placed on the Earth, even though I still don't quite understand why the Almighty would be placing these weak creatures there knowing that my dinosaurs and reptiles were going to control the planet. They sound ill matched. The Almighty could have at least found a way for them all to co-exist," Luciferael said as he looked down in the direction of the Earth.
"Yes my lord, I will look into it. Seems that the Almighty has his own plans and I will let you know later," Sammuael said as he turned and flew down towards the planet below.
At first, Sammuael could not find the Simians as he flew down through the clouds above the Earth. The dinosaurs though could be plainly seen in the swampy areas. Finally, as he flew towards the mountains he began to see these much smaller creatures that were similar in form to his own kind.
These new creatures were a violation of what Luciferael had told the Archangels to develop when all the Archangels went to the Earth to create life, the day that Luciferael was initially creating reptiles and dinosaurs. He did not allow any creatures to be formed that were similar to the Beings of Light! Yet here they were in the flesh. An ugly form of Angel without wings, from what Sammuael could determine.
Sammuael turned himself invisible before he landed near the one cave where he saw these Simians moving in and out. They did not seem very intelligent or organized as they moved back and forth haphazardly. He thought that they were not much of a threat to his own kind, but he was not sure that Luciferael would feel the same way.
He slipped inside the cave and noticed one of the Simians recovering from what appeared to be some wounds.
Clumsy creatures obviously
, he thought to himself.
No, these creatures will not be much of a threat. I don't know why the Almighty has this fascination with these creatures.
They certainly are not powerful nor anywhere near as attractive as the Angels. They are made out of mud and not pure energy like Light.
One of the females caught Sammuael's attention when she walked past him and blocked his view. He noticed that there was a magnetism about the female that made him feel a flutter of attraction. She created a feeling of excitement within him that no other creature had ever done. But he had no idea what to do about it and just pushed the feeling back into the recesses of his mind.
After he had seen all that he needed to see, he slipped back out the cave and began to ascend back into the Heavens.
Later that day he met up again with Luciferael and reported what he had seen.
"I have seen the Simians my lord. They look like the creatures that Michael was initially making on the day you created the dinosaurs and reptiles. They are similar to us, but without wings."
Luciferael turned and asked, "Do you think that Michael is behind these creatures?"
"It is certainly possible my lord. It seems that the Almighty has trusted him with dealing with these creatures in place of you. Remember he did attempt to create this sort of creature before."
Luciferael grew silent as he thought about this. He then smiled and said to Sammuael, "I am sure the Almighty has some reason for doing this. Do you think that these new creatures are a threat to us as the most loved of the Almighty?"
Sammuael responded immediately and said, "No, I don't think so my lord, they really are simple creatures and behave on the same level as the dinosaurs. I didn't see any indication that they created anything on their own. They seem disorganized and relied on what was provided to them. And they are weak, made out of the clay from the Earth. Nor do they have the radiant beauty that we all possess. They will most likely turn out to be just a passing fancy for the Almighty until he creates something superior."
"Do you really think so?" asked Luciferael.
"Most certainly my lord, although I must report to you that the females of the species have a certain attractiveness to them. But all in all, they are at best a very poor copy of what we are."
"Attractiveness? What does that mean?" asked Luciferael.
"I don't know how to explain the feeling my lord. But I experienced a sensation in my body, a form of additional excitement that I had never felt before. But it did pass quickly after I left the cave," Sammuael answered, although he was not sure if he should have even mentioned the feeling to Luciferael.
"Interesting. I wonder what that all means. But I don't know if it's very important at the moment. Have you ever felt that level of excitement when dealing with the dinosaurs?" Luciferael asked thoughtfully.
"No, my lord, other than the excitement of being able to create something significant," Sammuael responded.
"Perhaps we need to address this sense of excitement about the Simian females in the future. Any suggestions about a means to have the Simians co-exist safely with the dinosaurs and reptiles?" Luciferael asked.
"It looks to me that the dinosaurs are clearly in charge on the planet. They do as they please: wander about, eat, and reproduce, my lord. I don't see how the Simians can survive living amongst them. What would you like me to say at the discussions in the Hall of the Virtues about the dinosaurs?" Sammuael inquired.
"All right, for now it seems then this is settled. I will not object to these creatures and we will do whatever the Almighty wants done with them and about them."
"Your position then, in terms of what I should say at the Hall of the Virtues about the dinosaurs, is that you don't particularly care what happens?" Sammuael asked.
"Yes, that is correct. We shall see what the Virtues determine, and for the time being, we shall all continue to give the Almighty our love and support in this matter, as we should. Let the situation on the Earth develop and let Michael work to convince the Virtues that the dinosaurs need to be destroyed. He caused this problem when he tried to create Beings that were too similar to us. One more thing. See if you can find out anything more from Michael about these new creatures of the Almighty and his future plans for them," Luciferael responded.
"As you wish my lord. I will see what I can find out from the debate that will occur in the Fifth Heaven," Sammuael said as he walked down the hall in Luciferael's palace and then left.
HALL
OF THE VIRTUES
Michael entered the great Hall of the Virtues. The Fifth Heaven was similar to the other Heavens, containing many mansions, with a great hall as a gathering place for the Angels who resided there. The Virtues were deep thinkers, engaged each day in developing and articulating rules for how the Universe functioned, and especially the rules of behavior for the life forms in the Creation. The Great Hall of the Virtues was a long rectangular structure, without the circular amphitheater that surrounded the Throne Room in the Seventh Heaven. In the beginning, the Virtues would gather here after the morning ceremony to sing, a lesser form of the Heavenly Choir. But as the Creation expanded on a daily basis, there was more and more of a need for these Angels to have an understanding of what the Almighty was doing and how everything should function. It was the reason they had been created in the first place.
As Michael entered the Hall, his eyes took in the Virtue Angels that were there already. They were all seated in orderly rows and they grew quiet when they saw him. The Order of the Virtues sat in opposing bleacher type benches vertically stacked on either side of the Hall separated by a main floor level, where the main presenter could address either side. Michael was enthralled with their sweet sounding voices and was very happy to be back among them. Sammuael and he had usually come to the Hall together, but over time they had been arriving separately, mainly due to their different assignments. Michael knew that it was better that way, Luciferael and the Auxilium were not going to be happy when they discovered what the Almighty was doing with His latest creatures and the new place, the Garden of Eden.
The Simians were softer and gentler than was Luciferael's style. Those large reptiles he had created, the dinosaurs, were a tough and brutal lot and did not get along well with one another. Protection from these beasts was the major reason the Almighty had placed the Garden of Eden between the First Heaven on the upper end and a small entrance from the Earth on the lower end, with a wall of celestial fire that protected the Garden from the rest of the planet.
What to do about the dinosaurs would be the latest topic for the Virtues. The interactions between the Simians and the dinosaurs would be a lesson about fairness and love. Luciferael's creatures, though magnificent in their own right, did not leave much room for the form of love that the Angels possessed. Luciferael had caused a predator-prey relationship on the Earth inadvertently due to the dinosaurs' size and aggressive dispositions, at least Michael wanted to believe that it was not by design. He felt that the Creation was not to be harmful or destructive but loving and constructive.
The Virtues on the right hand side of the Hall had become advocates for Michael and for his reasoning. While on the left side, the Virtues had been siding with Sammuael. Michael's side was to foster love, cooperation, and unity among the Angels and the rest of Creation, while Sammuael's side advocated for more freedom, taking more risks, developing the individual being even if it was at the cost of another's rights or privileges.
Michael's main ally among the Order of the Virtues was Valetorious. He was a strong Angel with a deep sounding voice, who stood out among the other Virtues as a hard-minded individual. Because of that independent quality, Michael had initially misjudged him, assuming he would side with Sammuael particularly when the problem called for a solution stressing love and cooperation rather than individual effort, such as was the case to determine the fate of Luciferael's dinosaurs.
Michael could see that Valetorious had already chosen sides because he was positioned in the second row immediately behind where Michael's seat was located. Michael nodded to Valetorious as he approached and looked over at Sammuael's empty seat directly across the floor. Sammuael was late again, but no matter. He turned to speak to Valetorious. While he was exchanging pleasantries with the Angel behind him, he heard Sammuael finally arrive.
Sammuael was a powerful Archangel and his presence demanded one's attention. He was the right hand to Luciferael, the most loved of all the Archangels. It was difficult to dispute him when he cast his opinion, and Michael knew that he would have to be sharp when discussing the fate of Luciferael's beloved dinosaurs.
"What is on the agenda today?" Sammuael asked Michael, his eyes somewhat distracted. Michael knew that Sammuael would have met with Luciferael about the dinosaurs. Sammuael and Michael had a great deal of love and respect for one another as brothers, but both were fiercely loyal to their own positions, leaders in their own right among the Archangels and certainly here among the lesser Angels.
Michael responded, "We need to discuss the dinosaurs who have been roaming the Earth. They have been wreaking havoc and it is time to remove them to make way for less destructive creatures." While he spoke, Michael watched Sammuael's reaction for any clues of his feelings on the subject. After all, Luciferael was in charge of the Earth, and he considered the dinosaurs and reptiles his greatest achievement in that realm.
Sammuael jumped right in and began to speak. "The Earth itself is pretty destructive in its own right, isn't it Michael? The formation of the land and volcanic action were much more destructive than Luciferael's offspring ever were. Don't you agree?"
Michael knew that the planet, while beautiful in its current form, did have a violent birth and early development.
"Yes, that's true Sammuael. Actually, the Almighty was thinking of allowing that process to take care of disposing of the creatures," Michael continued, "The only concern has been about the new inhabitants. The dinosaurs are too large and their temperament too violent for them to live peacefully among any other creatures on the planet. Especially living along with the Simians."
"Simians?" Sammuael asked. "What exactly are they? New creatures for the Almighty, made of the Earth itself, but without the essence of the Almighty which he has given to us. Are they as intelligent and can they create on their own? Aren't we the greatest of the Almighty's creations?"
Michael reassured Sammuael. "The Almighty just believes them to be another form of life. The Angels have always been the First Born of life. These new creatures do not have all of our powers and have shown that they are not particularly creative. They are certainly less powerful than the Beings of Light, they do not inherently possess the ability as we do, to change forms, or to travel wherever needed in the Universe."
"What do you mean?" interjected Sammuael, his eyes deeply inquisitive and focused on Michael.
"Since they are made of the Earth, they must be given some sustenance to live. Otherwise the chemicals that make them up from the Earth would get used up and they would be unable to survive. They must eat food, the fruits of the plants and trees contained on the Earth, in order to flourish."
Sammuael then said, "So they need food just as the dinosaurs do? Luciferael will be pleased to hear that, too. That they are not as powerful as the Beings of Light."
Michael saw an opportunity to convince the Virtues that the dinosaurs would have to be destroyed. He looked around at the Virtues and said. "The dinosaurs were not created with immortality. Some stopped living because of accidents where they had harmed themselves, and others devoured one another for their own food. Magnificent as these creatures are, it is one of the main problems in Luciferael's creation scheme."
"Yes, they are some of the greatest creations on the Earth!" Sammuael added, ignoring the problems just mentioned. Looking around the room, some of the Virtues agreed with him, nodding their heads in approval.
Michael continued, "But the dinosaurs are now interfering with the Almighty's future plans of developing creatures on the Earth who can build and create."
"The Simians?" said Sammuael. "I have seen these creatures and they do not seem capable of building anything on their own either. Why should they be allowed to survive when the dinosaurs cannot?"
"Because they are just prototypes for the next set of Beings that the Almighty intends to occupy the Earth after they have grown in the Garden of Eden," Michael blurted out and then realized he may have said more than he should have.
"And where is this Garden of Eden? And what are these creatures?" demanded Sammuael, throwing his head backwards and showing his displeasure that Michael was discussing a project that the Almighty had not told Luciferael or his Auxilium about, while clearly Michael knew all the details.
"That is something I am not free to discuss. You will have to wait for the Almighty to speak about that experiment."
"Too many secrets Michael, you and the Almighty should just tell all of us what the plan is."
"You will find out when the Almighty announces the next phase of the Creation. For now we need to simply come to some agreement about the fate of the dinosaurs." Michael said, unperturbed.
"I don't see much point in discussing this then, Michael. It appears that the Almighty already knows what He wants to do about the dinosaurs."
Then to Michael's absolute shock Sammuael continued:
"On behalf of Luciferael, I will withdraw any objection to protect the dinosaurs, but in exchange, he would like for the smaller reptiles to be protected and not destroyed. They do not have the same ability to destroy the Simians and whatever other smaller creatures the Almighty has in mind."
"That sounds fair," Michael said, looking around the Hall and watching the majority of Virtue Angels nod in agreement with the compromise.
"One other thing, though. Would you request that the Almighty then address the issue of the Simians and His future plans regarding the new creatures?" Sammuael added.
"Yes, I will tell the Almighty about your concerns, concerns I am sure that Luciferael will also have," Michael said, pleased that he would have great news for the Almighty!