Recovering in the Library
Choosing New York Public Library, Jason haled a cab, and lead the wounded Mercurian inside. The driver, who spoke with a strong Mediterranean accent, asked if he wanted to go to the hospital, but shrugged his shoulders when Jason tell him otherwise, and drove on without comment.
On the way Jason told Raphael about hearing Michael, his 'vision' of Frederick dying shortly at the hands of a Celestial and the silence of the Symphony. He asked about his heart and what that might portend and affect.
Raphael frowned. "So much to discuss. So many things." She/He sighed, and struggled, trying to find a place where to begin.
After several minutes in the cab, listening, He/She spoke, voice quiet. "I, too, am in possession of my Heart. And it occurred when the silence fell over us all. Mortals did not notice anything, I think. But what it means... I do not believe we can ascend to Heaven anymore." Her/His voice trembled slightly at this pronouncement.
�If the gates to Heaven have closed to all servants of Destiny, then Yves must have transgressed in some fashion. I have tried to speak with Him, but He is silent."
"Michael must know something. If he has taken on his Mantle as the Ender of Light, He may have something to do with this. If any had the strength to cast out Yves from Heaven, it is Michael."
"But how is it permitted?"
The cab pulled up at the Library, Jason paid the fare, and they moved into the large building. Finding the dark archive corner, Jason seated Raphael and then himself. There was the faint tinge of Sound resonating from here into the quiet surrounds. The Tether remained. Raphael bore the pain of movement quietly, but relaxed slightly as He/She sat.
"I fear for the mortal you mentioned. Frederick? And all mortals besides. Something tremendous has transpired, and I do not know what. It is as though all the guardians that watched over the Symphony and its disturbances have become blind." She/He smiled emptily at the irony.
"I have given my Heart to one I trust. If one's vessel dies with the Heart within, then the soul would be trapped in it. As to what the final result would be, I do not know. It has never happened. But reguardless, it is likely to be bad."
Raphael speculated quietly, on all Jason has learned on this day, and finally paused.
"I was once ArchAngel. You may remember. But the work of organization took too much of my efforts from the healing needed so badly here. When Yves offered to organize for me, I lept at the chance. To work once more with those I love, who needed me, was all I could ask."
"But now, I wonder if I acted wisely. Is the larger picture more important than the concerns of the few, whose lives I touched? Has this been my failing, my sin? Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? For this have I fallen? From too strong a sense of personal mercy?"
Jason spoke. "I think you acted wisely. The 'big picture' is certainly important, but there are others who can worry about that. But if someone doesn't take care of the details, the little things and the individual lives, then winning is but a hollow victory. The lives we touch have so much more potential for Glory then do we. A single great woman that you healed and who later went on to found the Red Cross has accomplished more toward the Final Victory then a dozen Angels were able to in thousands of years. She gave respect to a profession for women that has since drawn millions of other women to help those in need and abate the suffering of countless others. This is an ever-growing victory that you were able to help along with but a couple of Essence. Would the Final Victory be possible without such acts? Would you have been able to accomplish that if you were trying to organize the efforts of a thousand Angels? I think that often the ArchAngels themselves sometimes lose sight of the final goal when they get caught up doing their job. In order to win the War, you have to capture the 'Hearts and Minds' of the mortals here. For they are the real strength of our Army."
Raphael smiled at Jason. "I have missed you, my friend. I have missed your thoughts. If it were not for the empirical truth that we are both cast from Heaven, perhaps those words would be the only solace I needed. But more has happened, and I fear that somehow, we, as servitors of Destiny may share some of the blame, either by our inaction, or choice of action."
She/He shrugged. "That all you sought to find this day were gone, is a portent of sorts. Others know some things of what has transpired. Perhaps they could be found, and more learned. Or perhaps an attempt should be made to Ascend. I do not know."
"Well Michael has never been a good friend and strong supporter of Yves. And maybe it is significant that Karlial did not want Michael to know who I was since I am a servant of Yves. I was a little unclear as to why he took such a risk in hiding who I was...."
"However, that does not seem to explain Azazel, or my foreboding over Frederick. I wonder if the demons have somehow caused this and are now free to come back to Earth. That is why I was attempting to talk to some other Celestials to find out if they had been similarly affected. Have you spoken to any other Angels today who also hold their hearts, other than those who serve Destiny?"
Raphael replied. "I have searched mostly for those whom I shared service with, but found only you. And so, no, I have not spoken with others of the choirs. Save Novalis, who avoided the topic, and instead said we should speak later when we are both more aware of the circumstances that brought about the silence. I am curious also about Karlial actions. Michael perhaps is more aware of something about this than we. But why would a Cherub of his attempt to deceive him about you? It may relate to why none of the others of Yves are to be found."
Jason nodded. "Yes, this is very interesting. I think of Karlial as someone I can talk to, and as a fellow Cherub we see many things in the same light, but we certainly took much different paths and I would not necessarily think of him as someone who would go out on a limb like that for me. I can't imagine that getting on Michael's bad side would be a wise thing to do."
Raphael continued. "The demons always had the power to come here, but there are so many who watch for such intervention with waiting blade and fire, to protect that which should remain mundane. Perhaps it is nothing more than the fact that the eyes of Lawrence and David are elsewhere, and while the cat is away..."
Jason interjected, "I guess that I would expect Domenic and Michael to be the Principles in any attempt to oust Yves from Heaven. Michael because he is the most powerful, and least friendly toward Yves, and Domenic because this is really an internal affair."
Raphael nods at the logic of this. "Or perhaps the Fallen have indeed caused this. Would that I could speak with them. I have tried many times to forge bonds with old lost friends, but most have rebuked me, perhaps out of understanding that I am given the power to heal any wound, even the wounds of the Fall. They perhaps fear this gift, which I would give any of them if they would let me."
�But one of the failings of those who fell, is that they lost Trust. Not only in others, but in themselves."
"Well perhaps in this I have succeeded where you were unable to. Of course you remember Ashikel. Well I ran into her some years ago, and have been getting together with her occasionally to talk. As you will remember, we were pretty close before the Fall. I have always hoped that I could save her, maybe that is why I did not report her. Perhaps I felt that she would be useful at a time like this, or generally to see things from a different perspective. I am not really sure. Perhaps I just can't forget how much fun we had once when things were new. It was probably a mistake, but one I am hoping to exploit if I can. I left a message to meet up with her tonight after dark. I was hoping to talk to an Angel or two and get their perspective, and then talk with her to get a Demonic perspective. However, the Angelic perspective has been a little more difficult to obtain then I had thought it would be. I am hoping my meeting with her will go more like I have planned."
Raphael tilted His/Her head in Jason's direction, with a look of pleasant surprise unclouding the wounded features. "Ashikel? I had all but lost hope for her. That she would keep a line of conversation open is at least encouraging. I do not believe you have done ill. Others may say what they will."
"But would she be adverse to my presence? Perhaps you should leave me behind somewhere. I would not want to disturb the gentle balance of your association."
"I have much to consider. Most of the Servants of Domenic and I have past disagreements, but Michael and I fought the War side by side. Perhaps If you were to lead me to Karlial later I may learn something. But I do not know whether that is a wise idea. And I would not want to be going into such a situation blind as well as blind. We should consider searching for any other angel, perhaps after your meeting with Ashikel. I am most interested in her perspective."
"If you have tasks you perform, perhaps we should think on what we have learned and then after you are done, return to me. Here is as good a place as I could hope for to think."
Jason looked at his watch and realized it has gone 1pm. Renewing the fellowship with Raphael had been as a much needed bind on a wound of the Soul. The faint symphonic energy of essence again resided within.
Jason tried to get in touch with Nathaniel before class. The phone call received no answer, even at Nathaniel's home. Jason was beginning to get a bit worried about him.
Then Jason went off and taught his First Aid class.
The class went well, and Jason feels better at the end of it. He tried again to contact Nathaniel and again there was no answer. He then returned to the library to find Raphael. She/He in turn was once more downcast, and still wounded as before. He/She smiled sadly at Jason.
"I have perhaps chosen unwisely. But I needed to see. I am afraid we /are/ locked out of heaven. Not much after you had gone, I chose to try to ascend. And in celestial form, found the tether has been altered. It is not broken, so much as bent. I followed where it led, and found another place in the mundane world, in France. Notre Dame. But not heaven. I did not manifest there, for fear of not finding anything and leaving you without contact.�
"I found the seneschal of this Tether. Selindeal, a Seraphim. She had abandoned her mortal vessel and hovers nearby, lost and without purpose. Her mind has fragmented, and become as that of a Kyriotate, but without anchor. I can make no sense of it.�
"I cannot absorb such a wound without becoming useless to others, so I left her, and returned here. If any attempt to heal her can be made, I would need more energy. Always that, more energy. I am never given enough."
Jason spoke. "Well I have a couple of Essence now, they are yours if you think they will help Selindeal. I had planned to give you at least one anyway. Or I could sing an Ethereal Song of Healing." Jason shrugged, leaving the decision up to Raphael. "I would like to have at least one Essence when I go to see Ashikel though... just in case. So I could do the Song now, or give you the Essence when I get back."
Raphael nodded sadly. "Later. You go to meet your friend. Both myself and Selindeal will wait. We can do little else. Unless you feel that the one you seek would not mind my presence, I can wait here as well as anywhere else."
Jason had a faint impression of presence, and could suddenly make out the six winged six eyed serpent hovering in the air next to Raphael. The image was distorted, blurred, and the eyes were disfocused. Jason had a sense of something being said, but only caught the briefest snippets of the words.
" ... ThE cENtRe cAnnOT hOLD ... FracTURe FrIenD We ArE jOINed ... bEwaRe WhAT YoU iNfORm tHE FalLeN ... gYRe aNd gImBLe ... NOt AlL seRVE The lIGHtbriNGeR ... lOOk yE miGHty Upon ... NoT aLL ArE sO BrIGHt aS hE ... "
And then the impressions ended.
Jason was torn by someone who very obviously needs some Ethereal healing, and wanting very much to get a bit of information about what was going on. Finally, deciding that Selindeal could wait for awhile, Jason said "good-bye" and left a note with the address of the Cafe with Raphael..."just in case."
Jason arrived at the Cafe a bit early, securing their favorite table, a good view of the rest of the restaurant and close to a couple of exits. And far enough away from the other tables that they would not be easily overheard.