A quiet conversation
*Orli*
*Jason. I Thought We Might Speak Quietly So As Not To Disturb The Others.*
#Jason#
#Indeed, I don't want to further Azazel's word anymore than necessary, and
I am getting even more worried about what is going on. I see a moral challenge,
and possibly a physical one, next weekend for our Doctor friend. I am becoming
increasingly worried about Hablashim's secretary, Fredrick. I was uneasy
about attuning myself to him when I see death in his immediate future. Especially
if a Word-bound Shedim is involved. I am ill-prepared to take Azazel on by
myself, but I can't justify sitting around when I know what is going to happen.
Even if it means dissonance for failure, I am going to have to attune myself
to Fredrick. I think we are going to have to get in touch with some other
Angels and see if we can enlist their help. I don't know of any in this area
who aren't in France, missing or busy. Have you had any contact with anyone
recently, or know where we could get a hold of anyone?#
The look in Evalyn's eyes was answer to Jason�s last spoken question. "No, It never declared itself to me, but I just had feelings... but ... It did come to me when I was lowest, when I thought I might be able to act against my ... and It often said I should not act, because no one would believe me, or listen."
Pause. "I guess I often despaired when It spoke to me ... up until that last time."
Josh sat opposite her, and, acutely aware of her emotional state, he began to talk with her about her work at the hospital. This seemed to give her a more positive framework to think in, and Josh's honest interest kept her mind active and away from unpleasant thoughts, leaving the Angels to their own, shared ideas.
* (a pause for reflection) So We Have A Name And A Word For The Demon? It Is More Than I Had Thought. It Is Too Easy To Despair. (wry thought) I Do Know Of One Who Is Trained In Fighting Infernals. We Often Look To The Sword To Lead The Way In These Things. Tell Me This Is a Foolish Idea, Jason... But I Think I Wish To Contact Nathaniel. I Have A Number. I Know.. (pause. correction) I Am Fairly Sure That He Fell On The Night Of The Quiet. (distaste for impudites in general) I.. He May Still Be Concerned For The Doctor. If She Is In Danger, I Will Guilt-trip Him. He Will Help. I Do Not Entirely Know If This Is Sane. He May Be Sworn To A Prince Already (unease)*
#Yes, I am pretty sure it is him, by his actions, power and manner. You have probably already figured out a bit of my attitude toward the fallen. I knew Nathaniel for quite awhile, and would like to see him back on our side. As you know, Raphael can redeem a demon, as s/he did with Ashikel. Maybe we can use that as a reward for helping us against Azazel and in getting Raphael back.#
* If He Still Wants To.(cynical)*
#Maybe he doesn't. I guess I see things in a different light than you do. It is not in my nature to judge others, while it IS your nature.#
* Might Your Acquaintance Who Is Pledged To Michael Be Of Aid? I Am Willing To Contact Him If So... My Compatriots Are All Sworn To War Already -- He Will Not Know That I Am Not.*
#He might, I had asked him to call me when he could, but have not heard from him. I am not sure if that is because of my association with Yves - or whatever led him to hide my identity from Michael - or because he is just busy. It certainly wouldn't hurt for you to try to contact him.#
* (another pause) You Will Not Need To Take Azazel On By Yourself. If Need Be, And If We May Assist, We Will Stay. (an image of the speaker sitting alone in the dark) I Can No Longer Hear My Master's Voice When I Close My Eyes, But It Is An Evil Thing And If We Can Destroy It Then Some Good Will Have Come From Bad Circumstance. *
*Did The Shedite Know About The Silence Coming Or Was That A Coincidence, I Wonder...? One Other Thing. I Think Evalyn Could Be Trained As A Soldier. I Trust Her To You, My Friend, In Perfect Confidence.*
#We did not discuss the Silence, I thought it inappropriate at the time to mention anything more than I had to since I was already on the defensive. Since I knew so little about what was going on, or what the cause was, I didn't want to give any information that might show my ignorance or indicate my lack of Essence. He was there to find Nathaniel, so I am not sure that he was aware that Nathaniel had fallen.#
#I had thought the same of her.#
#I spoke to Karen, she will be back here at about 7PM, and she is bringing Denis Shiel with her, although I don't recall her having said who he was.#
#What did Evalyn tell you about Nathaniel and her history?#
* I Will Tell You What I Know. Some Is From Her Words, Some From My Resonance. I Am Sure She Had Not Spoken Of It To Anyone Previously.*
*She Lived For Years With An Abusive Brother. The Shedite Came To Her From A Young Age And Told Her Things About Her Brother And He Discovered Her In His Room, After She Had Found His Clothes And A Knife And Blood. (pause) He Threatened Her, And Her Parents If She Did Not Keep Silence. Possibly Sexually Abuse Also, But Definitely Violence -- Maybe Murderous To Others. The Demon Told Her There Was Nothing She Could Do.*
*After She Left He Threatened Her Parents. The Demon Tried to Make Her Kill Her Brother But She Resisted. It Made Certain That She Would Never Relate To Men. It Tried To Make Her Kill A Rapist Who Was Brought Into The Hospital (Gunter?) But She Resisted. Last Week Her Brother Left A Threatening Note But The Demon Told Her The Police Would Not Listen. Then He Murdered Her Parents Over The Weekend. Nastily. And She Loved Her Brother Desperately.*
*The Shedite Guided Her To The Church On That Night, Knowing That Her Brother Was Stalking Her. When Nat Collapsed, It Told Her To Help Him So She Did. He Resonated Her And Saw The Pain, And Saw Her Brother Waiting For Her Outside The Church. The Demon Told Her Not To Wait So She Went Home. Nat Woke Her In The Night. He Killed Her Brother, To Protect Her, And She Helped.*
* Killing Is Anathema To My Choir. (pause) I Am An Exception. I Am A Murderess. But That Was Vengeance Not Justice. If He Fell, It Was His Choice. I Believe She Was Set Up From The Beginning To Trap An Angel In This Way -- No Other Reason*
*(pause) He Contacted Her This Morning To Tell Her He Had Taken The Body Away. She Must Talk To The Police At Some Point And Report It To Them - I Had Hoped Karen Might Help. There Is No Evidence And Greatly Mitigating Circumstances And It Will Mean The Matter Can Be Put Aside.*
#Hmmmmm. I don't think she would do well in a trial. If she had reported it immediately she could claim self-defense. Having failed to do so I think it will go a lot harder on her. It is something that I think we will have to discuss with Nathaniel.#
* (a non-negotiable sounding /hmmph/ ) *
#Going back to an earlier topic, I think that it is likely that Nathaniel would like to be redeemed. From his actions it appears that to a large extent he was tricked and manipulated. His intentions were not necessarily bad. I don't think that he chose to fall, as did the original Demons. He might be feeling some self-loathing, but hopefully a few trials, like helping Evalyn, rescuing Raphael and capturing Azazel, will help to heal him.#
#If I didn't mention it, Azazel is a servitor of Fate. He undoubtedly knew the Fates of all those involved. He is wily and treacherous. He tried to get me to push a boy he was 'inhabiting' to meet his Fate. He would have succeeded too if it were not for Raphael's timely assistance. He has obviously planned this whole thing for a long time, and 'attacked' when Nathaniel was at a weak point. Unsuspecting, and possibly already 'beaten down' by others Azazel possessed. I just don't know. We will only know when we talk to Nathaniel.#
#I am going to have to head off to class soon. As things become clearer I am getting a strong desire to be loaded with Essence for the coming 'battle'. I think that I am going to need to check on the Destinies and especially Fates of everyone involved so that I at least know what we are up against, and hopefully what Azazel is doing and why he choose the people he did. I think I might start to carry some more Physical protection as well.#
*It Sounds As Though The Prognosis Is Not Good -- Still We Can Only Do What We Can Do. Take Care, Jason. May God Be With You. (another quick touch, like sunlight, and then the contact is gone)*
Lynne blinked slowly and looked over at the mortals. Then she rubs the side of her face thoughtfully "Coffee sounds like a good idea to me as well, come to think of it.." She gave Jason an inquiring look, as if to ask whether he wanted some as well, and disappeared into the kitchen to make it.
Jason nodded, then his eyes go to Evalyn once more.
There was a moment of voice, like Gregorian monks chanting out of some hidden text, and Evalyn's eyes once more tighten as though she sensed something... then it ended. Jason seemed speculative, and surprised.
Josh and Evalyn were talking quietly about medicine, and at Lynne's comments, he smiled at her, interrupting whatever thought Evalyn might have been having on the strange sounds in her head. "Eva, Lynne here is powered by 95% determination and 10% coffee. Its an endearing fact that she skips meals without notice, but will never miss a coffee break." He winked at Lynne, teasing.
�Isn't that..." Evalyn began.
"More than 100%? Did I mention that ... people ... in her line of work are never allowed the luxury of slowing down to a mere 'maximum speed'?" This managed to draw a faint smile out of Evalyn.
Catching Evalyn's eye Jason said "What would you like to do now? You are safe from Azazel, the demon, for the moment. I believe that Lynne and I are going to have to speak with Nathaniel and figure out how to handle the events of the past few days. You are free to stay here if you like. Don't get down on yourself too much for allowing Azazel to manipulate you. The fact that you were able to stand up to him at all is a true testament to your strength and courage. I might note that you faired better than I did in my last encounter with him."
"The fact that he choose you at all is indicative of the level of greatness that you can aspire to. He does not waste his time on people who lack the potential for great deeds."
Evalyn had a faint frown while Jason spoke, more because of concentration on his words than any other reason. "It is so much ..." She then remained quiet for several moments, and the silence begins to edge towards uncomfortable.
Josh gently interceded. "Jason, you mentioned you were going to a class this afternoon, and I am sure Lynne has an agenda or two to work on, so Eva, you and I will be each other�s company for a while. I have a limited experience with Jason's apartment, but everything has its place, and I am sure we will find things to occupy ourselves."
Evalyn nodded her acceptance of this. And after coffee, Josh escorted the two angels to the door, and spoke to them quietly. "Don't worry about her... I get the feeling she needs to feel secure and that there is friendly company and no pressure around her for a while. I know what to do." He gave Lynne a smile.
Jason whispered to Josh "Her enemies are Despair, Fear and Regret. Do what you can to reassure her."
He nodded, and locked the door behind them.
When the door was closed Jason led Lynne down a flight of stairs before talking again. "Her Fate and Destiny are indeed impressive ones. As usual, it is not by chance that she was chosen. Her Destiny is to bring about the Redemption of a Fallen, the Destruction of Another and to convince an ArchAngel to change for the better." Jason smiled, trying hard not to laugh. "That last one is probably the most impressive of the bunch."
As quickly as it came, the smile disappeared, and was replaced with a grim look. "Unfortunately her Fate is similarly impressive. Her Fate was to bring about the Fall of an Angel, the Destruction of Another, and to convince Lucifer to act."
He gave Orli a moment to digest what he has said before speculating. "I think the first part is most likely Nathaniel. I would guess that the second is one of us or Azazel. The third is anyone's guess. We will probably know more this weekend. But her weaknesses are Despair, Fear and Regret. So we will have to make sure she is strong by this weekend."
"I re-booked you for tomorrow to LA. I expect to attune myself to Fredrick, probably tomorrow morning... or at the least see what his Destiny and Fate are. Karen will be here at 7, I would like to go see Nathaniel some time today. That's all for now!"
Orli got from Jason the addresses of a few good libraries, and heard that the New York Public Library had the best records. Not sure how she felt about visiting the location of last nights events, she went to a nearer location and did a bit of research.
'Seven Swords Investigation Agency' showed up once or twice in the NYC newspapers. In particular they had been cited as 'assisting police in their inquiries' and 'With information provided by ...' on a couple of diverse occasions.
Lynne then gave them a call, borrowing a story from a case she worked on nine or ten years ago, and claiming to be looking for a missing cousin. The secretary (Mr. Young) informs her that they do all kinds of work, and this was within their area of specialty. He took down the details, and put her through direct to a field operative in the area.
Lynne spent five minutes on the phone with the woman (Shara Lowe). She in turn asked several pertinent questions, then said if Lynne wanted to further her investigations, she would have to come in in person and sign a contract for the work. The terms that she offered seem fair.
The overall impression Orli got was a legitimate, highly efficient and quite large agency. They appeared to have all manner of areas they worked in. Something about the name rang a bell, but Orli could not quite place it yet.
Having discovered as much as she could in the time allotted, she headed back to Jason's apartment, stopping on the way to get a New York City snow dome, with the empire state building and the statue of liberty inside.
Jason pondered over the events of the day for most of the afternoon, as he taught his class, and more essence flowed into him from the Symphony. Then he returned home in the evening.