His wrath was unremitting. His head was shaking at me and he looked chagrined. If he were a human being, his finger would be wagging at me as well. I turned toward my office.
For the next few minutes, Gabriel and I would be drawn into another impassioned debate over our pupil.
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| His wrath was unremitting. |
“Sometimes we have to do what we have to do?” he said at last, following me. “What’s that supposed to mean? And don’t give me your usual homily about respecting the child’s free will and dignity. The child is walking right into Lucifer’s trap and it’s our duty to protect him when we know he’s in harm’s way. This means violating his free will, if necessary. You do realize, don’t you, that the Devil only has one thing in mind from that child: his death and destruction? He’s left behind a trail of evidence to this effect: first, he manipulated the situation so that it almost destroyed the child’s relationship with the brethren and, then, he ordered the serial assaults by Abaddon. After that, he drove the child to near suicide and, only recently, he had his demons gouge out both his eyes. Both his eyes! Isn’t it just like Satan to destroy the child’s métier? So help me, if I ever set my eyes on Lucifer. Mika, how many times must our beloved be traumatized before you realize the Evil One’s not going to give up?”
“I do realize that, Riel,” I stated, suiting up. “I don’t need to be reminded: I was with Mish every day that he was grieving. I witnessed his suffering with my own eyes. And at every step of his courageous struggle to overcome his bad dreams that would plague him with replays of his mutilation, I was with him.”
“Which is why it baffles me that you would assent to his visit,” Gabriel continued, slapping his palm against his forehead. He appeared in pain now: “It’s happening all over again. Lucifer’s going to try to lead one of our brothers to betray the Lord and fracture our family, and he’s not letting up. I won’t let it happen. I especially won’t let this happen to Mishael. I will not go through the heartbreak of losing a beloved brother to Satan again.”
I approached Gabriel and grasped his shoulders. I said warmly: “Gabriel, my tender and devoted brother. Your aspiration to protect our family means a lot to all of us. But there’s not going to be another rebellion by the heavenly powers. Have faith in the Lord; have some faith in Mishael.”
“There’s not going to be another rebellion by the Lord’s angels but we can’t say the same for the Halflings, and Mishael is just that,” Gabriel reminded me. “He’s part human. Therefore, it’s in his nature to be whimsical, and to act first and think later. You should be wary about putting your faith in a human being not to waver in his loyalty and faith.”
“But Mish is also part angel,” I rebutted. “His growth has come so far already. Even you must admit that. The Lord is refining him and perfecting him all the time, so even if you don’t trust Mish, trust in the Lord – Mish is the Lord’s child, too; the Lord has a purpose for him. Have you not noticed: every time he’s been tempted to sin, he’s proven to us that his loyalty to the Lord and to us is watertight? He reminds me very much of his sibling, Ariel. Someday he may even surpass his sibling as far as loyalty goes.
“What’s more, Mishael’s decision to visit Lucifer does not present a moral dilemma to us. There’s no one in this dilemma that is right or wrong. What would be wrong is denying him his inalienable right to self-determination and free choice. Gabriel; my beloved Gabriel, you told me yourself, not too long ago, that Mish was growing up. You were right. It’s time to let him grow up. It’s time to let him grow in knowledge and independence by giving him the freedom of experience and decision-making. It can only help him mature in wisdom and courage, and I want this to be that which defines his identity as an angel of the Lord. I want him to be prepared always to be discerning of spiritual deception and manipulation and to be foolproof against it. And if he must confront Lucifer to get the answers he’s looking for, in order to put behind him his recent ordeal and move on, then I won’t stand in his way. I want him to see for himself what kind of Enemy it is we’re dealing with. I want him to be unafraid of Satan and his demons, but I do not want him to harbour illusions of his own invincibility either: he’s not going to grow up in the right way otherwise. If visiting Lucifer benefits him in any way, then Mish will have been well served.”
For the past minute, I had felt Gabriel’s body tangibly shaking in my hold. I could no longer overlook it.
“What’s going on, brother?” I asked him. “Please, talk to me. What’s this really all about?”
He shook his head while he whispered: “I should’ve been there to protect him. I’m his Commander; he should never have had to go through so much pain and horror. The horror is unimaginable. I should’ve been there to prevent it. And, now, he’s deliberately disobeyed me and put himself in harm’s way again. Why is he giving me more grief? Why are you?”
I sighed. But I had foreseen the arrival of this day. And regardless of his straitlaced measures, which he employed to ensure that his company discharged its responsibilities like clockwork, I had never questioned or doubted Gabriel’s love for our child. It was a primal and uncomplicated love. Gabriel was the lion that would swipe his cub to discipline him; but he was also the protective lioness that would instinctively put herself between her cub and any danger she senses – all the time. That was the way he ensured Mish avoided a life of decline into moral turpitude but lived a long and full life as well. Gabriel, more than even I, had a lot invested in the child, which, were he a man, was at a risk to his own interests. But Gabriel wasn’t just a man. He was the Lord’s very faithful servant and his underling’s interests were above his own.
I put my forehead against his: “You need to grieve, Riel. I do mean you really need to grieve for Mishael’s loss. I have; Mish is still grieving. At least we’re healing. On the other hand, it’s quite apparent that you haven’t taken enough time to grieve for the child. But you’re going to have this time: I’m giving you this time. As of this very moment, you’re on leave. Take a week off: this is an order. Take this time to grieve and heal. Yes, our child was mutilated; it happened. And it’s affecting not just him but also all of us. It’s affected you, and is still affecting you, more so than even I.”
Gabriel emitted a sigh he purposely wanted heard. I gently pulled away. I watched him move toward my desk and bend over it. He supported his weight with his palms laid flat on the desk.
“You’re not saying anything I’m not already aware of, Mika,” he replied. “I’m fully aware. I’m living it.”
“And I am aware of the hopes and emotions you have invested in Mishael, ever since he joined the family and you took him under your wing,” I rejoined. I approached him: “In fact, more than even I, you were the one responsible for every aspect of his learning: from toilet and house training to combat and field training, and also training in the knowledge of God and His precepts. You want him to be holy and healthy. You want him to grow up a mighty warrior of God, one who stands shoulder to shoulder with the strongest, bravest and most faithful of the Lord’s hosts. I’m very well aware of your hopes, brother. I hope for the same things, too. And, so, I’m aware of the emotional risk you face concerning losing Mish, losing any of our underlings; we all feel this emotional risk, all of us. They’re surrounded by so many threats to their lives – the threat of injury, of death, of Satan’s temptation. How do we protect them all the time? We can’t. And in Mish’s case, we couldn’t. That’s why Mish’s brutalization is affecting you the way it is. Riel, for too long, you’ve been putting it out of your mind with a busy schedule. You’ve been trying to sweep it under the rug instead of dealing with it. And it’s all coming to a head for you. It’s time you came to terms with the fact that our child was brutalized but it was out of your hands. But it was in God’s hands. It always was. And this was what the Lord wanted you to learn. He wanted all of us to learn this. We can love them, our little ones. We can take care of them. But they’re not ours. They do not belong to us. They belong to the Lord. Let go, Riel. Turn them over to the Lord. Give them back to Him. We can’t save them; only the Lord can save them. And He did – He saved our beloved. You see how the Lord is merciful and good. The child’s fine now. He’s going to be strong again. The Lord has given His word on that. We’re not going to lose Mish, Gabriel. Like us, he’s sealed in the Lord. We’re not going to go through another loss the way we lost our brothers to Satan.”
My oldest confidant straightened up. He held his gaze on me with intense green eyes, a foreshadowing of the same gaze he would cast about four hours later.
“Of course, Mish is sealed in the Lord, as we are,” he concurred. “Of course, the Lord cares about him, more than you or I could. Nonetheless his being in the Evil One’s presence . . . just his being anywhere in his vicinity, breathing the same air . . . well, Mika, that I can’t abide.”
I nodded, understanding: “Do you think I don’t feel the same way?”
“At this moment, I do wonder,” he replied with candour.
“Well, old friend,” I told him unequivocally, “you’d be relieved to know this: I may be assenting to the child’s visit, but that in no way means I’m wiping my hands of him altogether. Neither am I abandoning him to his own devices. I’m mindful that the freedom to make your own decisions is fraught with some dangers and risks. Such as the risk our child’s taking from the choice he’s made to visit Lucifer. And so, I’ve no intention of letting him out of my sight for any longer than I’m able to help it.”
“What do you mean?” he pursued. “What are you planning?”
Returning to my display cabinet I resumed prepping myself. I put my sword into its scabbard and girded it around my waist. “I’m going to follow him,” I replied.
“Well, you should’ve told me this from the start and saved me a whole lot of distress,” my colleague chided.
I nodded: “I do apologize, but I had to find the right time to tell you.”
“Should I come along?” he asked.
I shook my head: “Thank you for offering but, I’ve already told you, you’re officially on leave. In any case, this is my battle. I’ve been waiting a long time for this opportunity to locate Lucifer’s latest stronghold. I’ve not forgotten the crime he committed against Mish, and it’s time that he was informed to leave the child well enough alone. As for our child, if the only way for him to learn, once and for all, that Lucifer cannot be trusted is by making some faulty decisions, then so be it. Sometimes we must let our little ones learn the hard way.”
I had started to make myself invisible so that I could follow my underling. I was visible only to Gabriel.
“Take my advice, old friend,” I told him emphatically, “take the leave.”
Gabriel nodded: “I will. I’ll take the leave you ordered, but I won’t need an entire week. I’ll take three or four days off, if it’s the same with you. I need to tie up the loose ends of some unfinished business first, so I’ll start my leave tomorrow. Surely I could do with some quiet time, some me-time to talk with the Lord. You’re quite right, Mika, I should benefit from some time out to grieve and heal.
“In the meantime, I’ll be praying for you and Mish. Please take good care of him. And bring him home as soon as possible. The child’s only been with the family for three short years but, ever since he exploded into the angelic sanctum, he’s made such an impact – albeit being a handful at times – that I cannot envision our universe without him. It’s like he sits on my lap.”
“I feel likewise,” I told him, nodding.
At last, I kissed him on his cheek and ascended into the clouds.
I had been stalking my underling and his escort for about an hour when, at length, we arrived outside the Devil’s stronghold. We had crossed into another time zone; the sky was barely light.
Studying the ruined coastal land below me, I thought to myself: Tyre; I should’ve known Lucifer would return to this forsaken city. Wasn’t he once dubbed the ruler of Tyre?
I hovered in the air for a moment. I scrutinized the ruins below me. Tyre had been the scene of recent ground, maritime and aerial conflicts: there were ashes still smoking beside a section of a crumbling rampart. Relics of what appeared to be a fort were scattered on all sides of this rampart. Trenches, lining up against one another, constituted the makeshift mass graves of the fallen. Large metallic debris – wreckage of submarines and fighter jets – was being washed ashore as jetsam. Indeed, Tyre had become a wasteland. It was as Isaiah had prophesied: ‘The burden against Tyre. Wail, you ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste . . . for your strength is laid waste.’
I watched my underling being led into an upstairs chamber of Lucifer’s fortress. He had drawn in his wings, capitulating to the Devil’s request to assume his human persona. That would’ve been a red flag for anyone else, but the innuendo seemed lost on my innocent child.
I restored myself to visibility. With the surfeit of shadows cast on the grounds by the scores of turrets, domes and minarets, all of which barricaded Lucifer’s citadel, I easily found a corner to obscure from being spotted by the Devil. I eavesdropped on his conversation with Mish, camouflaged by a silhouette cast on the ground by a cenotaph.
“Still wearing your hoodie, I see,” I heard Mish begin.
“It’s my thing,” Lucifer maintained.
“I’m inclined to believe you’ve something to hide,” the child said. “Why don’t you show me your face? I’m curious to know if you have the face of a man or a beast.”
“You and everyone else on earth but, by and by,” Lucifer replied.
“Of course. Now then, you said you wanted to tell me you were sorry,” my child reminded him.
Lucifer chuckled: “That was a clever subterfuge, wasn’t that? I had to think of a way to bring you to me.”
“Of course, you did,” Mish stated, not surprised. “Why then have you brought me here?”
“Because of the one you call your teacher – the Archangel, Michael,” Lucifer replied. “The one you affectionately call Mika. Do you know what he’s done? He has harmed my seed. He has indirectly caused my seed to suffer a head wound and, as a consequence, Antichrist is blind in one eye and his arm is withered. Although I’ve made it appear as if I’ve raised him back to life, he’s no better than the dregs of society that are swept here and there like flotsam, with no direction, no destination, and no hope. Not even an inkling that they’ve doomed themselves by carrying my seed’s Mark. They’re like the living dead, without a soul or a mind, and without an identity of their own. Antichrist may as well be counted among the living dead without either my spirit, or the spirit of one of my angels, inhabiting his body and dictating his will. This is Michael’s doing, of course, so now, I shall make him repent of sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong, by making sure you take my seed’s place beside me.”
“You’re insane,” Mish declared. “What you’re doing to humanity through your seed is evil and unconscionable. You have no right. The humans are God’s creatures, too, and made in His own image. How could you manipulate your seed to rob the humans of their minds and souls? It’s so wrong. Antichrist needed to be stopped. Michael was right to stop him and he was simply obeying the will of God.”
“The earth dwellers do not want to obey the will of your God,” Lucifer maintained, “and this is the choice they themselves have made. They were offered the gospel of Jesus Christ but they rejected it. They chose me, instead, and they chose correctly for, undoubtedly, they needed a powerful god like me, not one who died and was buried.”
“Your sophistry is a canard of sceptics, debunked a long time ago, Lucifer,” Mish seethed. “Of His own accord did the Lord Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh, lay down His life to atone for the sins of humanity. And He rose again, having conquered sin and death, and He is now seated at the Father’s right hand. I’ve been in the Lord’s presence; I’ve spoken with the risen Lord, so don’t presume to think that you can deceive me with your lies. You need to repent of your sins, Lucifer. It’s not too late. The Lord is merciful and will forgive you, even you.”
“So naïve . . . and repent of what sins exactly?” Lucifer scorned. “Of wanting to be the captain of my own life? Is this sin? Or of wanting to endow humanity with what it can never attain without my supernatural intervention – fame, fortune, power? How is this sin?”
“Fame, fortune, power – but at what price for humanity?” my child asked, his voice rising. “The loss of the individual soul and destiny with Hell and the Lake of Fire. The humans may have riches and power, but not peace of mind; they’re wracked with guilt, insecurities and fear, for their conscience witnesses to them that they’re on the way to hell because they’re outside the Lord’s will, whether they admit it or not. But before they made their bargain with you, sold their souls to you, whether consciously or unconsciously, they were not aware that this was the price they’d have to pay in exchange for the good life: worship of you, the Devil. Because you appeared to them as an angel of light, an enlightened one, and you cleverly packaged your falsehoods with a counterfeit spirituality – one couched in good works, social justice and humanitarianism. So subtle is your obfuscation of the truth that no one, without the Holy Spirit’s discernment, can see through your seduction. You really don’t see, do you, that all this is sin for it goes against the will of God? You’re leading the whole world away from the Lord, the only true God of heaven and earth.”
“I’m simply holding a mirror to a self-focused, power-obsessed world,” Lucifer demurred.
“I’m not finished,” my child scolded. “The humans have been blinded by you, Satan; they include all the false christs and the disciples they have seduced; all the greedy lottery operators and the gamblers they have seduced; and all the fraudulent charitable organizations and the votaries they have seduced. Consider the phony prophets of the Name-it-and-Claim-it persuasion and the lottery operators, for instance: they take money that doesn’t belong to them, which they haven’t earned through honest hard work; they take from the vulnerable and the foolish billions of dollars, a small percentage of which they claim to put back toward humanitarian causes. These causes may make them feel good and ease their conscience, but who are they kidding with their so-called humanitarian good works and gifts to the community? Do they think that giving back to the community a smidgen of what they’ve stolen will redeem them of their wrongdoing? No, for they’re thieves and robbers. They’re lying charlatans, as well, for they make spurious promises that are rarely delivered. They make promises of great wealth in exchange for fleecing expectant people of their hard earned money but, in reality, they hide from the people the fact that the odds stacked against them are so great, only an infinitesimal number of them can ever attain the prosperity they so covet. These people are relying on their good works to exonerate them but, in fact, they will die in their sin unless they repent and turn from their evil ways. But that makes you very happy, doesn’t that, Lucifer? Because you will have led as many as possible to hell with you, hell that has been originally created for you and your followers . . .”
Lucifer laughed boorishly, interrupting the child: “Oy vey! Abaddon was right. You really do talk too much.”
The child whispered: “To think I could believe there was good in you. I feel sick.”
“You do look sick, but that’s only because you are weak,” Lucifer said. “You always were weak. It’s not beneficial to you – living an ascetic life.”
“Just stop, Lucifer,” Mish replied. “It has nothing to do with the ascetic life and you know it. I’ve everything I could ever want or need. I’m loved and cared for where I am. And do you think I’m unable to see just how irrational and inconsistent you’re being, Satan? If I’m as weak as you believe, why would you want me to join you? What use would I be to you? And why would you think I would ever want to take Antichrist’s place next to you? That’s asking me to endorse your evil. Such a notion is too preposterous to fathom. I’m done, Lucifer. Unless you’re willing to turn from your sins, we’ve nothing more to say to each other. Honestly, I had looked forward to meeting you again, but this has been disappointing.”
I heard Mishael’s wings flutter as he attempted to set off for home. Following this, I heard him wince as if he was being detained against his will.
“Draw your wings in,” Lucifer ordered, “you’re done when I say you’re done.”
He recommenced his seduction: “Why would I not think you would want to take Antichrist’s place beside me? Consider all the kingdoms of the earth that belong to me. Have you ever gazed upon their splendours, their wonders, and their wealth? All these kingdoms that are in my possession I will give to you and, then, I will instate you as the god of these kingdoms. I will give you all the grandest dwelling places in the greatest cities of the world, which will be your pantheon. Now, tell me why anyone would decline all that wealth and power. Tell me why any sane person would decline the chance at godhood. There is no sin in this, for even the Lord your God has said, ‘Is it not written in your law, I said, ye are gods?’”
“‘. . . But ye shall die like men’,” Mish retorted. “You quote out of context, Lucifer. It is also written: ‘The Lord has said, “I am the First, and I am the Last; besides Me, there is no God.”’”
And, then, he sighed, sounding at the end of his patience: “I’ve been down this road before; you said the same things to me the last time, Lucifer, and I haven’t forgotten. I don’t want to sound ungrateful but, frankly, it’s getting tiresome. Why wouldn’t I want to follow you, you ask? Because you would expect me to worship before you and I would never do that. How many times must I keep telling you this?
“And why wouldn’t I want all that power and wealth, you ask? For one thing, I do not aspire to an insane amount of wealth. I don’t care for any more power and wealth because I have sufficient. The Lord is sufficient for me for He is my endless Source and Resource.
“For another, I don’t love you. I don’t even care about you. I love the Lord Jesus, and I would have no other gods but Him. And I love Michael, and I would never betray Michael. My place is, and always will be, by Michael’s side.
“Furthermore, last time I checked, you gouged out my eyes, for crying out loud. Why would I believe, for one moment, that you want what is good for me?”
“That wasn’t me,” Lucifer denied. “My followers did that; they can get carried away.”
“Really?” Mish asked. “Well, then, tell me: was that also one of your demons that attempted to accost me in our locker room? Was that who that hoofed being was that made terrorist threats to bomb our garrison? Who was it? Tell me, Lucifer.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucifer replied.
“Well, I think you do,” Mish professed. “In fact, I’m pretty certain you know exactly what I’m talking about. Because it was you. You were that hoofed creature, weren’t you? Go on, Lucifer, admit that it was you.”
The Devil scoffed: “I’m going to say it for the last time, kid: I do not know what hoofed creature it is you’re griping about. But it sounds to me as if it was something you had imagined. Something in your nightmares. You remember those? You’ve had many of those the past two months.”
“You appear to know a lot about me,” the child uttered.
“As I’ve told you, I want you to take my seed’s place,” the Devil explained. “I’ve wanted that a long time and I’ve been watching you. And I’ve liked everything I’ve seen.”
“You have a predilection for inflicting injury on those you like, it appears,” the child accused.
“I’ve told you, my minions are out of control,” Lucifer maintained.
“Forget it, Lucifer,” Mish cried, exasperated. “This is going in circles. I’m done, whether or not you object. Besides, I’ve already stayed longer than I should. Michael’s probably starting to wonder.”
“Michael, Michael, Michael,” Lucifer sneered. “What’s with your obsession with this sorry excuse of an angel? Your loyalty borders on idolatry.”
“I love him,” my son explained. “I’ve told you. He makes me feel safe; I’m not ashamed to admit it. But I’d be loath to let you turn it into smut. I find your remark odious, Lucifer, for I know with certainty that I idolize no one. However, you’re right that I feel a sense of loyalty to Michael. It’s all I can offer him in return – my loyalty. For all my life, Michael’s desire has been my protection and security. For that matter, it’s Gabriel’s desire for me, as well. They ask nothing of me in return, only my obedience and my faithfulness to the Lord our God. Don’t you know, Lucifer? It is written: ‘Obey those that rule over you and submit to their authority.’ Michael’s my General; he has authority on earth over me, and if I’m obedient and loyal to him, then, I’m being obedient and faithful to the Lord because it’s what the Lord has commanded – our wilful and humble submission to authority. I don’t expect a nihilist like you to agree, of course. But, please, don’t try again to make me feel guilty because of my sentiments. I’ve also made a promise to Michael that I won’t be gone too long. I don’t want to worry him. I don’t want to grieve him. So long.”
Again, the Devil stopped my son from leaving.
“Step aside, Lucifer; I mean it,” my son demanded.
Lucifer chuckled. “You will get to leave in due time,” he promised. “But before you do, I want you to cast your eyes on me. I want you to take a good look at me; and, then, you can tell me you wouldn’t like me to be your brother, too, that you couldn’t learn to love me, too.”
There was a moment’s silence and, then, Mish could be heard saying: “Have I been talking to a stranger the entire time? Just who are you? I don’t think I know you. I don’t think I’ve ever met you before.”
“I’m Lucifer,” the sly one chuckled once more. “Did you not maintain, a few minutes ago, that you were curious about my appearance? Go ahead, then: satisfy your curiosity. This is my true manifestation. Now do I still appear to you to be that same fearsome dragon you first met more than five months ago?”
“No, for you look like a beautiful cherub,” Mish said. “I don’t understand this.”
“Come closer, then,” Lucifer beckoned. “I want you to get to know me, the real me. I want to help you understand me.”
“Are you telling me you’re penitent then?” the child asked. “You’re sorry for all your sins? You’re willing to change? For I know what’s written about you. I’ve read the prophecy of your end.”
“That particular prophecy will not be fulfilled,” Lucifer maintained. “Come; I want to hug you. I want to prove to you that I’m not absent of goodness. Let me prove to you that I can change and have changed.”
Oh, no, you don’t, Lucifer, I thought, realizing the danger my child was in. I promptly shifted from my refuge behind the cenotaph.
