First Estate

I was content to just hold them; and we talked for a long time.

"Mariha, is it possible for you to get pregnant?" Sagan asked her.

"It's possible, but I won't. I would have to will that to happen. I think I'll just stay out of Tartarus, thanks."

"What do you mean?" Sagan asked.

"Honey, that's how this whole mess got started. Not with me, but to angels, humans are beautiful and fascinating; especially ones that look like you two. Two hundred male angels made a pact to impregnate human females. They bred thousands before the orders came down to round them up. The women that were pregnant became the first Sirens and the babies were Nephilim. The angels were all imprisoned for 70 generations. We had no orders about the Sirens or the Nephilim. Then the Nephilim ran amuck. They ran the gamut of about Parker's size to huge beings, ten feet tall or more."

"So Parker isn't huge by their standards?" Sagan asked.

"Not as far as being tall. He's very well endowed though," she reached down and fondled me. Still nothing.

Mariha continued, "When the Nephilim started coming into their Presence abilities, they seem to manifest just after puberty, they started going mad. They bred like flies and controlled nations so powerful that the wars between them left geographical features that are still around today. Some of them became powerful enough to control any Watcher unfortunate to fall into their clutches. They made us train them. It took thousands of us, working as teams to overcome the old ones. It took three archangels to take down the ruler of Egypt. We killed the weaker ones and put the ones we couldn't kill in Tartarus with their fathers."

"What happened to them? Why were they so evil?" I asked her. "Why didn't they just use their power to help people they loved or protect people like you do?"

"Parker, you're an unusual person. So are Boston and Sagan. I'm a Watcher. You have to understand that most people are evil. I don't mean that they are all evil all the time, but think about those men and women from the CIA that you and Lilith encountered. If they had your powers, what would they do with them?"

"I guess the same evil and disgusting things they do with the power they have now. I see what you mean. I'm not as cynical as you are though. I think there are plenty of people that have absolutely no desire to have power over other people. We just want to live our lives, be happy and we want to be left alone to do that."

"Yes, you're right; there are lots of humans like that. The majority will use whatever advantage they have over their fellows to aggrandize themselves. Now imagine that they are ten times smarter than everyone else, they're ten times as strong and they can control other's minds. What do you think they'd become?"

"I guess what you've described. Surely they weren't all like that?"

This was depressing. The whole thing upset me. I hated to think people were like that, but I knew better.

"They weren't. There were some, like Lilith, that just wanted what you said. They just wanted to live their lives and be left alone. We had orders to leave them alone. Things got out of hand. There were so many of the Nephilim and they became so smart and hard to take out that the archangels sort of nuked the place. They cut off access from this world to other places so that they couldn't get away. They took eight humans and kept them safe for a new start and they tried to kill every living thing on earth. This happened three times. The humans were in stasis and every time the Nephilim popped up again. After the worlds were divided there was one more incident. Some of the Nephilim survived but their offspring were mutated. They weren't very powerful, at least on an angelic scale and we could control them. They slowly died off. Your mother is one of the old types. I thought she was the last one."

We digested that information. "So Parker is one of the old types, too," Sagan said.

"Yes he is. I haven't felt anything like him since the world changed. I would guess that when he's mature he would rival the strongest of the old ones. His mother is very powerful with the presence and his father was one of the originals."

The rubbing of the angel curls became more pronounced.

"Jesus, Mariha, are you always this horny?" I asked her.

"No, just when I'm around someone like you two." She reached over and fondled Sagan's boobs. They slid toward each other and met on top of me. Their hands were all over each other and their lips locked together. That was enough to get me interested again and Sagan gasped as Mariha guided us together. I blacked out at some point and when I woke up I was still inside her and Mariha was gone. The afternoon sun was shining through the window and Boston came in.

She squealed when she saw us and ran and jumped on the bed. I hurriedly pulled the covers up and she lay beside us with her arms around us.

"You did seduce Mariha, didn't you?" she asked triumphantly. "You're in her bed and she doesn't use it to sleep. I'm so glad. She's been wanting you to for weeks. She has lunch ready and she sent me to get you guys."

Sagan couldn't find her clothes and she forbade me from putting any on until she had some. I remembered we had left her bra and t-shirt on the kitchen floor. We walked through the kitchen looking for them and Mariha was cooking in the buff. Mom was reclining on the sofa and she raised an eyebrow when she saw us.

"I guess clothing is optional this morning? Am I the only one that didn't get laid last night?"

"No, somehow I was left out, too," Boston told her. "It's very unfair."

Mom laughed. "Well," she looked at me, "are you going to put some clothes on or shall I take mine off?"

I know I turned beet red and I hurried away to our bedroom, followed my Mom's laughter.

Chapter Ten

We got dressed and ate lunch. I had some questions I wanted to ask Mariha that I didn't get around to the night before.

"Mariha, you said that the Watchers divided the world. What did that mean, exactly."

She looked at Mom. "I'm not sure I should tell you."

"Why not? Why did you look at Mom?"

"Your mother has been to a couple of places. There used to be direct paths to other places. Heaven is one of them. I'm not going to tell you anything about that. I hope you all come there, but it's about faith. There were other places. Eden, Paradise, Sheol, places like that. Places that humans could never go but those able to manifest the Presence could. God took those away. Even Watchers need a special dispensation to go there. We can go to heaven any time, but the Way is closed for such as you. The physical can't use the Ways anymore."

"What about demons?" Sagan asked.

"No, they can't either. They are mutated forms of the original Nephilim. They have a purpose just like the Watchers. We don't usually interfere with them."

"Can we see a demon?" Sagan asked.

"What's with you and the demons?" I asked her.

"Everyone is curious about something," she said. "I just wonder about them."

"I think you could all handle a demon," Mariha said.

"I thought demons were angels that made war against God," Boston said. "Isn't Lucifer a fallen angel?"

"I hear that all the time," Mariha told her. "It's a myth. There is no Lucifer devil. Lucifer isn't even a name. It means 'light bringer' and it's one of the attributes of God. God is the creator and the destroyer. Evil is the test God set up for humans. The idea of angels making war on God is ridiculous. He would just erase us. You have no idea what you're talking about, Boston. War on God is impossible. Nothing happens in heaven that isn't his will. Earth is a different story. He has pretty much a hands off attitude towards humans. You get to chose good or evil and live with the consequences. The idea of fighting against God is really just humorous."

"Well, I think everyone who believes in God also believes in the devil," Boston said.

"You are the devil," Mariha told her. "I don't mean you personally, but your greed for things. The demons help that out, but it all comes from inside humans. Evil is a human problem, not an angelic one. Angels can't do evil. They can make wrong decisions, but not consciously. Everything I do, I believe is the right thing under the circumstances. Even the Angels that mated with the humans to procreate thought they were acting correctly in helping give them knowledge. It was forbidden knowledge but they thought it was right."

"How do they feel about that now?" Mom asked. "A few millennia in Tartarus change their minds?"

"Yes it has. They see the devastation they caused and most of them are full of remorse. Some of the Siren songs you are teaching the girls are about that. There seem to be a few that are genuine rebels."

"Well, maybe they can keep they're dicks in their robes when they get out," Mom said.

"I love it when you talk dirty," Mariha said. "Do you want to do something about not getting laid last night?"

They disappeared in a flash of fire.

"I think Mariha is the Siren around here," Boston said.

They appeared a couple of hours later, looking somewhat disheveled and Mom took Boston to a show at school. She had to be there an hour early. She was doing a recitation and we all went to watch her. She did a dramatic reading from Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men. It was awesome watching a ten-year-old doing the emotion of George and Lenny in Spanish. She was adorable and she got a standing ovation.

I took them out for ice cream after the show. She rode with Mom and she was alive with excitement when they came in. She was holding Mom's hand and she dropped it and ran to Sagan.

"How did I do?" she asked her sister. "I think I did very well. Everyone seemed to like it. Lilith helped me memorize it. I felt very sad for Lenny. All he wanted was some rabbits. I felt bad for George, too. I think I made people feel it."

Sagan hugged her close. "You were great, baby. I'm in awe of you."

She came and climbed on the bench beside me. "Are you proud of me, Parker?"

"Yes I am. I couldn't be prouder. I could tell you worked very hard getting it all just right. You're amazing, Boston."

She glowed. It was hard to believe that just a few months earlier this enchanting little sprite was dying from cancer. She was the center of all our lives.

"I have a surprise for you," Mariha told her. "You remember Sagan wanted to see a demon?"

"I would like that, too," Boston said. "Will he have a tail and a pitchfork?"

We laughed. "No," Mariha said, "but they're not pretty in their true form. It just so happens that there is one in Cuba for some reason and I'm going to talk to it. If you all stay out of Presence, I'll let you watch."

"I've seen a demon and I have no wish to see another," Mom said.

"Lilith, won't you go with me?" Boston begged. "I'll feel much safer with you along. You're fierce and dangerous and I want to hold your hand when we see one."

"I'm not fierce or dangerous to you, child."

"No, but I can tell that you would be if something threatened me. Please come, Lilith."

"For you," Mom kissed her cheek.

The next evening, we all climbed in the van and Mariha drove us to a club. She warned us to stay out of Presence and we went in. She led us up a flight of stairs and down a hall to a room in the back. She knocked and a man opened the door.

"The boss is in the back," he said.

We went through another door. Sagan and I got shut outside when he closed the door but we oozed through and there was a dark-haired man sitting behind a desk. He looked up when Mariha came in. He made some motions that I could tell were wards.

"What do you want, bitch," he said.

She was immediately across the room and her hand was buried to the wrist in his chest. He screamed and spasmed and she drew her hand out.

"Watch your tongue, troll," she told him. "Speak to me like that again and I'll tear it out. We've had this conversation before."

He held up his hands. "Sorry, love. It won't happen again. Why are you here, your worship? I've kept my nose clean. I didn't know you would be doing an audit."

"What, exactly are you doing, keeping your nose clean? Why are you here?"

"Orders," he said. "I'm looking for a little girl. Some of your pals seem to want her real bad."

"What makes you think she's here?" Mariha asked.

"Well, a guy in your department put me on the trail. He laid it out for me. She was supposed to be in Mexico; but when he checked she wasn't there. He got to thinking and checked with the American government. Turns out, they were looking for her, too. He got to thinking where she might go. Where would a little girl go if the CIA were looking for her? He figured Russia, Venezuela, Cuba or somewhere in Africa the CIA wasn't welcome. He's doing this off the radar, so he couldn't use the Watchers. I got Cuba. The way I figure it, she must be getting some high-powered help. I'm looking for a missing Watcher, and look who shows up! Where's she at, doll?"

"I recommend you stop looking and disappear," Mariha told him.

"Sorry love, you're outranked," he said.

There was a flash of light and an angel with the fire thing going appeared out of the air.

"It's Arian, get Boston out of here," Mariha screamed in our minds. Mom appeared and went all blue and orange. I guess either Arian did something angelic or the girls lost control because they became visible. Mom was all over Arian and there were plenty of fireworks going on. There was a huge explosion and the side of the building blew out. The demon and Boston were gone. Arian was stretched out on the floor leaking blue stuff and Mom tore his head off. There was a blinding flash of blue light and Sagan screamed.

"Parker, he took Boston! Oh my God no, he's got Boston."

Mariha was standing there with a blank look on her face. I started toward her and Mom flashed in front of me.

"No Parker, don't disturb her. She's tracking him. Let her work, she's good at Watching. Don't touch her."

She went and took Sagan in her arms. "We'll get her back, baby. Don't worry about her. He doesn't want to hurt her; he's just going to try to contact Arian so he can turn her over. When he can't reach Arian, he'll stash her somewhere and we'll go get her. Trust Mariha, trust me."

Sagan began to weep, great wracking sobs shaking her body and she would have collapsed if Mom hadn't been holding her.

"Parker, take her and don't let her fall to pieces. We need our wits about us. We've got to get out of here. Someone will have noticed the bomb going off. How are we going to do it?"

I wracked my brain for a minute. "Here you take Sagan and follow me."

I used the Presence and lifted Mariha off the floor and over to the missing wall. I lowered her to the sidewalk and zapped down. Mom followed with Sagan and I moved Mariha around the corner to the van. Mom opened the door and I moved her inside. We climbed in after her and Mom drove a few blocks and parked.

"This is my fault, Parker," Mom was crying a little, too. "She was holding my hand and she trusted me to protect her. I attacked and I should have taken her away. If anything happens to my baby I'll never forgive myself."

I kissed her. "Mom, no one reacts perfectly every time. You destroyed Arian. That should have ended the threat. None of this is your fault. It's Arian's fault and the demon's fault. You didn't kidnap her."

"I know, but she trusted me and I let her down. I'm never going to let that happen again."

We waited two hours and Mariha snapped out of her trance.

"I've got her," she said. "She's being held on the military base at Guantanamo Bay. Sagan, do you want to help or are you just going to cry?"

That made Sagan mad and she bristled up. "If you hadn't taken us there . . . no, I'm sorry. I see what you did. I'm not going to cry anymore. I'm going to help. I asked you to take us."

"Good, brace yourselves, I'm going to manifest us inside the building they're holding her in."

There was a wrenching sensation and we were inside a jail. Boston was sitting in a cell on a bed and I tried to manifest inside. I didn't move.

"Hello, bitch," it was the demon. "Did you think I wouldn't be prepared?

There were Shinarian symbols drawn on the walls and ceiling. Mariha was like a fly on a sticky trap. I jumped probably 15 feet and hit that demon in the belly with everything I had. It felt like hitting a brick wall but I heard his spine break and my hand was buried to the wrist in his belly. He looked up at me, stunned for a minute.

"How... what are you?"

He collapsed to the floor and six more came running in. Mom incinerated two of them and disemboweled another. She spun away in a blur and grabbed one about 10 feet tall by one leg and the throat. She raised him over her head and broke him in two across her knee. I jumped again and caught the remaining two around the neck coming in. I twisted with everything in me and nearly decapitated them. Black blood spurted and Sagan was taking the keys off the first one. She opened the door and Mom scooped Boston up.

"Grab Mariha and zip out of here," she said.

I picked Mariha up, moved out of the symbol and grabbed Sagan by the arm. "Can you do it by yourself?" I asked her.

"Yes let's go."

I jumped us 25 yards and we were outside. Mom was about ten yards away, hurrying toward us. There was one of those wonker alarm things going off and as soon as we were all together, Mariha grabbed the girls by the arm and we were back in the van.

Boston was crying and Mom was holding her. "Boston, this is no time to be a little girl. You're a Siren, act like one. Are you hurt?"

"No," her little voice was husky with tears. "They were going to hurt me as soon as they had time. The demon, that demon, he, he ... touched me," she broke down.

"Shit," Mom said. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry. It's okay to cry. Mama will make it all better." She began to cry herself. "Shit, I'm so sorry. Let Mama just hold you."

She seemed far away for an instant and then Boston quit crying.

"Mom, what did you do?" I used the Presence.

"I made her forget, Parker. She shouldn't have to live with that."

"No, I understand. Thanks, Mom."

"She's my baby. I'd die for her." Mom said.

I told Mariha and Sagan.

"We need to get out of here," Mariha said. "Cuba isn't safe anymore. I'm taking us home."

We were in the living room in Austin.

"Christ, Mariha, I'll never get used to that." I told her.

"I could," Boston said. "It was way cool. Look, no jet lag."

We all had a good laugh and the mood broke.

Chapter Eleven

I went in to my office in Austin the next day. Mom and Mariha had decided to take Boston to the Mammoth museum in Waco. I took Sagan to work with me. I introduced her around to my support staff and she stayed in my office with me while I transacted some business. She badly wanted to go see her family but we both knew that was an awful idea. I had no idea what the repercussions from our little fiasco in Santiago would be. Everyone that saw us was dead except the man that let us in the door and he had only seen Mariha. I decided we needed to talk to her and Mom as soon as they got back. I took Sagan out for dinner and when we got back home, the Museum party was back.

Boston was full of Mammoth information that she insisted on sharing. We admired it while Mom cooked supper for them. I thought it was odd that Mariha ate and drank. She had no physical body, so where did it go? I made a note to ask her but I had more time critical things to think about.

"Mariha, we need to talk about what happened. What's going to happen over our little dust up down there?"

"Well, you killed a high ranking Watcher and seven demons. The demons are bound to notice and so will the Watchers. They won't know what happened but they're going to wonder what could kill a Watcher and seven demons. They'll suspect another Watcher. There are hundreds of thousands of us down here and it will be impossible to track the whereabouts of all of us. You killed everyone that saw us. I think we're safe."