First Estate

Adonael made introductions and I thought about just dropping a black hole on Camael. Mariha must have sensed something because she took hold of my arm.

"Elder brothers," she addressed them. "We are here to submit to your judgment. We ask that you weigh our hearts. If we are righteous in your eyes, we plead for your succor. Our existence is in danger and we require your grace to survive."

"Well spoken," Gabriel told her. "Abide a moment."

I felt the pressure build and my blood hammered in my ears.

"Don't resist. Let them examine you," Mariha said in my mind.

That was a difficult thing to do, but I allowed it to continue. I felt like I was being opened up with a can opener. My head was about ready to explode and then it was over.

"Camael, these people are righteous," Michael said. "How can this be? You told us that you had information that proved otherwise."

"They are impure. Two are our enemies, the Nephilim, and two are abominations. They are the Sirens. Do you wish humans to fall under their spells? The Watcher is a renegade after the order of Principalities. She has left her first estate. They must not be allowed to propagate. The elder Siren will soon be gravid. They are already lovers and they are preparing to mate. The Watcher has defiled herself with this Nephilim and could decide to bring forth an abomination at any time. The two Nephilim will join and produce offspring. The young Siren plans to mate with the male as well. The world cannot bear their existence."

"We will see," Adonael said. "This is not the information you gave us earlier. You said that they had murdered Ariel, they employed demons, they murdered the Guardian and planned world domination. This information was false. Now you bring up new charges. Do you have orders concerning their disposition?"

"No, I do not. We have standing orders to destroy the Nephilim. This includes the Sirens and this Watcher that has assisted them."

"I gave no such orders," Michael said, "nor have I ever been given such orders. We were given lists and specific orders to confine our war against the names on the lists. These beings are not on those lists. Any activity against them is unauthorized. I might have condoned Watching them. I do not and will not condone any unauthorized actions against them."

"Nephilim, is Camael right about your intentions?" he looked at me.

"He is right about some of them and he lies about others."

"About which is he right?"

"He's right about Sagan and I planning to marry and have a family. He's right about Boston planning to marry me. We do intend to have children some day. He's right that Mariha is our lover."

"What did he say that you deem a lie?"

"He lied about Mariha having a child. She has told us specifically that she considers that a sin. He's lying about my Mother and I planning to have children. He lied about us planning to dominate anyone. He lied about Sagan and Boston trying to take humans under their control. The idea disgusts us. You know that. You saw it when you examined us. He's also lying about his presence here."

"Camael, does this Nephilim speak the truth?"

"He lies and accuses me to cover his lies. They must be destroyed. You have misinterpreted our orders. God never intended us to confine ourselves to the lists. All the abominations must be destroyed."

"Ask him why he brought the Seraphim and thousands of Watchers," I told Gabriel.

"What is he talking about?" Gabriel asked Camael. "Have you brought others to this convocation?"

"They are very powerful and we may need help to destroy them," he said. "The male Nephilim destroyed The Guardian."

"Who said they are to be destroyed?" Adonael asked. "They are under my protection. Michael, Gabriel, did you authorize their destruction?"

"No, their guilt was not determined," Michael said.

Gabriel shook his head. "I made no such pronouncement."

"I see that you are corrupted," Camael cried. "I am God's true servant, completing his will. They will be destroyed. I will spare you, my brothers."

He raised his hand and I was enveloped in fire. I started to scream and what looked like 10,000 Watchers dropped in. Before I could make a sound two monsters appeared and the fire went out. I smelled smoke but I wasn't burnt.

"The Seraphim are with us," I shouted.

They were frightful creatures. Their huge bodies looked like a mixture of lion and bison. They had multiple heads, all with biting equipment, claws on the front feet and hooves behind. They shot what looked like green lasers out of their eyes and when they moved it was like they teleported where they wanted to go. The flaming disk things surrounded them and they shot out and immolated the closest Watchers.

A pearly glow surrounded us and outside it was a raging inferno. Gabriel's hands were raised and the glow held the inferno at bay. Camael launched a red lightning looking thing and Mom was on him. I was busy being burnt to a crisp and then I was fine again. Camael was down and leaking and Mom's claws were stained with blue.

Gabriel sank to his knees. "I won't be able to hold this for more than five more minutes," he said calmly. "There are too many of them."

Michael raised his hands and the pearly glow intensified. Gabriel stood back up. "Thank you brother, but even should Adonael lend us his strength we will eventually be overcome. Should we send out the Seraphim? We cannot escape. Those under our protection will be destroyed."

"Would Haniel help?" I asked. "I can summon him if it would do any good."

"Much now becomes clear," Michael said. "He cannot assist us. Does he have orders from God about you?"

"You'll have to ask him that," Mariha said. "Parker, how big can you make your black hole?"

"No," Michael said. "If by 'black hole' you refer to the thing he used to destroy the Guardian, I will not allow these Watchers to be slaughtered."

"Could the girls sing?" Mom asked.

"Yes, the Siren Song," Adonael said. "I have felt its power. I was restrained at the time or I would have succumbed. Sing, little Sirens."

At first it was difficult to hear over the cacophony of destruction that raged around us. I saw the girls begin to glow and they took on that shimmering aspect I had seen before. The sound swelled and rose and the inferno became an afterthought. The duet was of rest and peace. It was of armies laying down their arms and battles over. It was of returning home and sleep and the peaceful life lead in beauty and harmony.

The flames began to die and all I wanted was to lie down and rest. I began to sink to the ground and I rested until Sagan touched me. I opened my eyes and the barrier was gone. Watchers were lying on the ground in neat rows and they weren't moving. Thousands of new Watchers dropped in and those lying on the ground were taken away. Camael was still alive and Gabriel and Adonael took him away.

We were left alone on the plain of Megiddo with the archangel Michael. Haniel dropped in behind us and we all turned to look at him.

"Hello brother, Mariha, little humans," he said.

"There are no humans here," Michael said.

"Yes, God has decided that there are," Haniel said.

"Do you have orders?" Michael asked.

"Yes," Haniel handed him a scroll. "The Eternal Yahweh makes this covenant: They are to be left alone, Michael. God has spoken. They are under his protection. Mariha is assigned as their permanent Watcher. God has declared them righteous and human. They are officially declared to have souls and they are of the elect. Not Mariha, but the others. They are precious in the sight of God and they are granted access to the Ways. They are not permitted to enter heaven without special dispensation but all other Ways are open to them. This perpetual covenant is established. Their future actions shall not affect this covenant. This is the word of God."

"Father of all," Michael exclaimed. "Why was this not revealed before?"

"Teaching was required," Haniel said. "Watchers must remember that they are not God. They do not determine Heaven's policy. God's silence is as pregnant with sound as his decree. This lesson was taught today. These watchers are to be cast into Tartarus for seven generations. They will serve penance and then be released."

"I see," Michael said. "Come Haniel, let us leave these humans to their lives."

"God's offer awaits your decision," Haniel said. "We will see you anon."

"Yeah, anon," Mom said as they disappeared.

Chapter Eighteen

River House felt good. We were alive and well, our enemies were in angel jail and Mariha was with us for good. We were in time for Bronley's wedding. I took Sagan and Boston and there was no angel war. I danced with Bronley and she told me she had a property I needed to see. She promised to show me in two weeks when she got back from her honeymoon.

I danced with Sagan while Boston ate cake and drank punch. Bronley introduced us to the rugby player and he danced with Sagan. I took Boston for a spin. She was very light on her feet and I couldn't get enough of having her wrapped in my arms.

"Parker, you're crushing me," she complained.

"Sorry, baby," I let up a little. "I just like holding you."

She giggled. "I like you holding me. Just not so tight, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

I lifted her up and spun her around.

"Put me down, you idiot. People will stare. Let's get Sagan and go home."

She sat in the back on the way home. She leaned up and put her hands on our shoulders. "When are you guys going to get married?"

"We'll get Mom, Dad and Thomas out tomorrow and put them back home," Sagan said. "When do you want to get married, Parker?"

"I was thinking February 14th," I said.

Boston squealed with delight. "That's perfect. It's Valentine's Day and it's the anniversary of when you took her to that little island and seduced her."

"Parker, did you tell her that?" Sagan laughed.

"No, she told me. She said that's what you wanted. I knew I wanted you and she just used her intuition."

"Well, I think it's perfect, too. We have to tell Mom and Dad and Thomas."

Mariha put them back home the next day and I called Mona. I told her that Boston was in remission with no sign of cancer and they were returning from Mexico on Saturday. She was a little confused about Boston living with us, but Mom gave her back the memories of our arrangement and she said she would find a way to convince Jackson.

Their reunion was touching and since Mona knew we were just a teleport away she was reconciled to the situation. Sagan and I told them we were getting married on Valentine's Day and we arranged for Pastor Davis to perform the ceremony. I didn't really need a ceremony, but I knew Sagan wanted this to be special. We got her a wedding dress and shopped for a wedding ring to match her engagement ring.

We stayed in Austin until the big day and my house was a little crowded. Mom and Mariha slept together and Boston had her room but we tripped over one another using the two bathrooms.

"I'll be glad to get back home," Mariha confided. "Where are you going on your honeymoon?"

"I was wondering about Eden," I told her. "We can go there now. Have you ever been there?"

"No, no one has been there since the fall. The Guardian kept everyone away. Let's take Boston and go look at it."

She took us into the Ways and it was surreal. The opening was in a cave in Turkey. There was a stone path under our feet that looked like a cave floor. If you've ever seen a depiction of a dwarf dwelling in a fantasy movie or video game, it looked like that. The path faded into fog near the edges and to either side there was a blackness that flickered like lightning seen over the horizon on a dark night. Mariha warned us not to stray off the path.

I asked her what it was and she told us it was the primordial night.

"It is the stuff of chaos that existed before God formed the Universe. I don't know what would happen if it touched you, but I can't imagine that it would be pleasant."

We kept to the middle of the path and it seemed that there were whispers and eerie sounds from the darkness. It was very creepy and I decided right away that this wasn't a honeymoon spot. We walked for what seemed like miles and I was soon used as a steed as Boston rode piggyback. She was much longer and heavier than she had been three years earlier but she was still as much fun to carry.

A glow eventually appeared and we exited what appeared to be a cave in a cliff overlooking a river. It looked planet sized but Mariha told us that there was only maybe a hundred square miles. The vegetation was rampant and I had to grow claws to slash it away so we could proceed. Boston hadn't seen me do that and she wanted some, too.

"I don't think you have the ability to do that," Mariha told her. "Parker has the genetic package, but you're human. Well, you know what I mean."

She was disappointed, but quite happy to watch me clear a path. We came to a meadow in the midst of the jungle and there were rows of beautiful fruit trees of every kind. The jungle trees didn't grow there but vines and creepers were everywhere. It looked a little like an abandoned house that had been allowed to deteriorate.

"Mariha, what happened here?" I asked her. "This place is a mess."

"It hasn't been tended," she said. "No one has been here for 10,000 years. You're one of not more than a dozen beings to have ever been here."

"Do you think we'll see the snake?" Boston asked.

"No, it was an allegory, Boston. There really is a tree of life though. Do you want to see it?"

"Oh yes, let's go there."

We slashed our way through and there it was. The fruit looked a little like a pear except it was a brilliant red like a current.

"Can we eat one?" Boston asked.

"I suppose. It will do nothing, Boston. You're already an immortal."

"I want to see what it tastes like." She picked one and shared it with us.

"You go ahead, I've eaten one before," Mariha said.

"I thought you had never been here," I said. "How did you eat one?"

"They grow in Heaven," she said.

It was tart and yet sweet at the same time. It reminded me a little of a pomegranate. It had thick skin and big seeds surrounded by a soft pink flesh. Boston loved it and ate another.

"Is there really a tree of the knowledge of good and evil?" she asked.

"Yes, but that's an allegory, too. There are all sorts of trees like that here."

"Is there a grow up fast so I can marry Parker tree?"

Mariha laughed. "No, I'm afraid there's not one of those. Why do you want to grow up so fast, Boston? Enjoy being a child while you can. Don't rush it."

"I want to make love with him. I want to make love with you, too. I don't want to wait years and years."

"I'm sorry, Boston, there's no cure for being young except time. You're already growing up so fast."

"That's okay, I can wait if Parker will hold me."

I held her as we lay in the grass on the bank, Mariha draped across my body and after an hour or so, Boston swam in the river. I saw her, thigh deep in the clear stream and she began to sing to herself. The little snatches of tune became something else and she began to shimmer. The sound swelled and I realized this was no ordinary song; this was Siren magic. The song was about love requited, completion and joy that could not be expressed any other way. The sweetness was nearly unbearable and I found myself paralyzed under a swell of emotion and joy that threatened to rise up and drown me. From the corner of my eye I saw Mariha flaming and the song faltered a little.

"Look at her," Mariha whispered. "She's no little human girl."

"What is she then?" I breathed; unwilling to break the spell.

"A magical Siren in the full blush of her power. You have created something unique in the world. This is a child of destiny and you're just along for the ride, Parker. So am I; so am I."

The shimmering faded from around Boston and she ran giggling to us and threw herself on me.

"Did you like my song, Parker? I sang it for you."

I squeezed her tight. "It was beautiful, baby. You're beautiful. If you keep doing that you're going to kill me. That much emotion is difficult for me to handle. I'm glad you're happy. You are happy, right?"

"Ecstatic," she said. "I don't think Eden is a good honeymoon spot. It's great for a picnic or making love by the river but I don't think you should bring Sagan here."

"No, I suppose you're right. Are you glad we came?"

"Yes, I want to come again. Do you think just you and I could come? I'm sorry Mariha, but I would like this to be a special place for just Parker and I."

She laughed. "Yes, everyone should have such a place. I have the Great Barrier Reef. This should belong to you and Parker."

Since Eden was a bust for honeymoons, I still had to find a place to take Sagan. I decided to settle on a less exotic location. When we got home I looked at tourist sites on the internet and settled on New Zealand. It was relatively close, had all the advantages of civilization and according to the brochures, some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.

Chapter Eighteen

Valentine's Day was quite an event. The girls were resplendent and the ceremony was beautiful and brief. Sagan was a vision in white and I was really looking forward to having her all to myself for two weeks. Mariha delivered us to New Zealand and we had the best twelve days of my life. This proved unfortunate because I had planned on fifteen.

When I woke on the morning of the thirteenth day, I showered and ate breakfast. Sagan and I went rafting on a river and when we got back, I noticed the light on the phone blinking. I called the desk and they told me that Boston had called. Her message just said she needed to talk to me urgently.

I called her on my cell and put it on speaker so Sagan could talk to her, too. She answered right away.

"Hey, baby; we miss you a lot," I told her. "We'll be home in a few days. What did you need?"

"Parker, I'm sorry to call you on your honeymoon, but I need you. Mama didn't pick me up from school today. I waited for an hour and she never came. I tried to call her but she didn't answer. I called Mariha, too, and she doesn't answer either. I even tried her prayer, but she never answered."

"My God, baby; where are you? I'm so sorry."

"I didn't know what to do. I called Bronley and she picked me up. I'm staying with her. Parker, I'm so afraid something bad has happened to Mama and Mariha. Should I go home and look for them?"

"Boston, don't go there," Sagan told her. "You stay with Bronley. If something happened to them, it might happen to you if you go there. Swear to me that you won't go."

"No, Sagan; I won't. What do you want me to do?"

"Just stay there. Don't leave her house. Don't go to school. We'll get a flight home as soon as we pack. I'm sorry this happened, Boston; but I don't want something to happen to you too. We'll pick you up as soon as we get there, okay?"

"Okay," I caught a little sob in her voice.

"We love you, honey," Sagan told her. "Hang in there and we'll be there as soon as we can. Let us talk to Bronley now."

I gave her instructions not to leave Boston alone. I thanked her for taking care of her and told her we'd be home as soon as we could get there.

We gathered up our stuff as quickly as we could, threw it in our luggage and caught a cab to the airport. There wasn't a flight that evening and I was stumped. I saw a charter service counter and talked to a girl at the there. A charter pilot had just landed and he was still in the office. I got her to let us talk to him. I told him the situation and paid him a lot of money. He was amenable and he was ready to go in an hour. He thought we should call the police, but I adjusted him a little and he didn't mention it again.

Sagan scoffed at the idea when I mentioned it to her after we got in the air. "The police! I can't imagine a more useless set of people. They are more of a danger than a help. They'd be more likely to taze us than help us. I think they must be a bunch of psychopaths, Parker. What kind of people want that job? I think they are the kids that always sat alone at lunch, didn't have any friends and they're getting back at the world now. The police!"