1, 5, CD6]
Damien and Jezreel both realize, based upon the appearance of the back of the computer case that this system is not only custom-built but its using the fastest net connection available on earth, the componants appear to be up to date, as in this month's releases, and two kids don't even recognize what some of the plugs in the back are *for*, let alone their quality.
Eyeing the system up with a gleam in her eye, she notices Damien doing the same. Shooting him an understanding glance, she says only, "Wow!"
Damien can merely goggle at the system and reply, "Yeah." It's all he can do to keep his jaw from hitting the floor. Damien didn't realize police departments were so well funded....
"Yeah, yeah, come in," says Detective Neelon as he waves the danish in the air, ushering the group inside. He glances briefly at Jezreel, Damien, then looks up at Detective Neelon.
Mr. Morris accepts a seat outside and begins to wait patiently. The coffe which is brought to him helps.
[Neelon]
"Close the door, would ya?"
The detective closes the door, shutting off what remains of the sounds of the busy police station. The room is silent and still, except for the hum of the computer, the whine of the monitor and the sound of the danish disappearing down Detective Neelon's gullet.
[Neelon]
"So, you're the kids," he says between chews.
"Yes, sir," Jezreel says, reluctantly tearing her eyes from the computer to the far less interesting person in front of her. Then remembering her mother's reminder to mind her manners, she adds, a touch belatedly. "I'm Jezreel, sir. And this is Damien..."
"Yes, sir," Damien says. "I'm Damien Morris."
[Neelon]
"Danish?" He motions to the box of danishs on the desk. Four remain. Chocolate, white filling.
"Yes, please," Jezreel says, grabbing one and grinning like a kid in a candy store...
"Thank you," Damien says, feeling a little too intimidated to actually grin, but he reaches for a Danish as well.
"Could I see the prilimary report, David?" Detective Ross hands Detective Neelon his notepad which Neelon proceeds to read quickly.
"David?" Detective Neelon nods towards his subordinate and then to of the chairs in the room. The mortal detective brings them over for himself and the kids to sit in. Neelon nods in approval.
While Dectective Neelon reads over the port, Jezreel contentedly munches on her danish and continues staring longingly at the computer system, thinking about what really cool things she could to in the Service of Heaven with an awesome machine like that...
"Have a seat. First things first. I am Michnelion, Elohite of Judgement working closely with Lightning. This is my assitant, David Ross, a human Soldier."
When Damien hears this, his head whips around, and he regards Michnelion with the same jaw-on-the-floor look he'd been giving the computer system.
Jezreel obediently takes the offered chair. When Dective Ross gives his True name, Jezreel smiles, pleased that he has chosen to reveal it not only to her, but also to her young recruit. And, feeling like recieving his full name and title would likely be something that Dodai would say should be responded to in kind, Jezreel bows her head politely, acknowlegding the older Angel, and says, "I am Jezreel, Seraph of Creation in Service to
Revelation... And Damien is..." She stops a moment, not quite sure how to really explain what he is, "Well, the Symphony would *like* him to be my Soldier," she says, finally.
"I... what?" Damien says, his head slowly oscillating between Michnelion and Jezreel, as he tries to figure out what his role in all of this is.
Jezreel would like to try and explain, but before she can do so, Michnelion makes his own comment.
"Ah," says Michnelion, obviously a bit startled at being interrupted by the young Seraph. "Yes, uh, thank you, Jezreel." He turns to the boy, "How much do you know of the War, Damien?"
Looking back at Michnelion, Damien merely shakes his head a little bit and says, "Well, there's Demons, and they're not really just a hacker gang, and they might be after my dad, but... um..."
Damien trails off and is just as glad when Jezreel interrupts him.
Not realizing it's rude to answer for others, and feeling a bit guilty about not having brief Damien yet, Jezreel says, "Not much, sir. Damien and I only met a few hours ago, and I really haven't had a chance to explain much." She shrugs apologetically. "There've been others around who shouldn't hear...." She adds with disgust at that restriction.
"That's fine, Jezreel," says Neelon giving Jezreel a sidelong glance. "We can only do our best. Now, let's let this young man speak for himself, eh?"
"Yes, sir," Jezreel says, flushing slightly. Her expression is a mixture of hurt and confusion as she tries to figure out what she's done wrong. She will never, she thinks, really understand the realm of manners and courtesy no matter how many time Dodai explains it to her...
"Um, so, Jezreel and her mom told me that they are... well..."
Damien looks over at Jezreel. He still feels a little stupid saying this as if it were the truth, because it's so plainly fantastic. Looking back at Neelon, Damien says, "Angels, sir. Like, real ones." He kind of smiles and gives a self-effacing chuckle.
Jezreel nods and gives Damien what she intends as a reassurring smile. But she doesn't speak for fear of offending Michnelion again.
"And the Demons are real," Damien resumes after a brief moment, "and they're after me because I shut down one of their websites. I think. And they have somebody working at Smith & Smith's, but I didn't see him there, which is where I met Jezreel, and...."
Damien realizes he's not making a whole lot of sense. He decides that descending into questions will keep him from garbling the issue too much. "Are you an Angel too? What's an Elohite? Is Detective Ross not really a policeman, but from the Army? Special forces or something?"
[Neelon]
"Jezreel, I know he's your recruit, but I'd like Detective Ross to answer this one."
"Yes, Michnelion," she agrees meekly enough.
Detective Ross, caught with danish in his mouth, sputters a little in surprise before quickly swallowing what's in his mouth. "Uh, well, Damien. Here's the real deal. Heaven and Hell are, well, real, and ever since the Fall of Lucifer the two sides have been battling to determine the fate, or destiny if you will, of humankind. I was unaware of the War myself until I stumbled into Michael's office here, sorry, Michnelion's office while he was speaking with his Archangel. Michael sat me down and tried to explain it all, but I was too far in shock to believe him until he assumed his true form."
"So, you mean, Michnelion's like, been working as a real COP, even though he's an angel?"
"Well, yeah," replies detective Ross.
Damien looks around at the others in the room, suddenly feeling paranoid.
Back to Detective Ross, he says, "Are there lots of angels hiding and
pretending to be normal people? And demons too?" The latter thought visibly frightens Damien.
"Yeah, well," says Detective Ross, a calming note in his voice, "It's kinda freaky to think about, but I figured that since I never knew before, why should I worry. It's better that I know about it than not. And now you know, so you can prepare for it, too."
"I guess," Damien says, not looking very comforted. "But if you don't know,
and it doesn't hurt you, you don't get all scared worrying about it. But if
you do know, and you're still probably not gonna get hurt by it, you still
spend all your time scared. It might be better not to know."
The detective arches a sigle eyebrow, obviously considering this point.
Damien looks pointedly at Detective Ross and says, "but you should worry
more if you know. The Demons don't like it when people know about them.
Look what they did to my room and my dog. If I hadn't ever found out about
them, they probably woulda left me alone."
"More probably," replies Ross, "they would continue to covertly affect you every day as they have from the day you were born, from the messages on TV to the evil that they spawn and foster in everyone's day to day life. Is it better to be unaware of a the reality of a disease knawing at your soul or to discover the Truth of the matter and be able to make informed decisions? Knowing is half the battle."
Despite her discomfort at the situation, Jezreel finds herself listening intently to Dectective Ross's story. Maybe, at least, it will help her in her own efforts to recruit Damien.
"Well, one thing lead to another and eventually I became a Soldier in the War, Archangel Dominic came down from the Heavens and set my senses free to hear the reality around us . . . I'm not explaining this very well. Okay, judging by your t-shirt, I see that you're familiar with Star Wars, right?"
"Huh?" Damien says. He looks down at his shirt, which he had completely forgotten he was wearing. "Oh, yeah, of course!" he says to Detective Ross, when his brain catches up with the rest of him.
"Right, imagine that the Force is real and that there's a Light side and a Dark side. Lucifer is the champion of the Dark side and God is the champion of the Light side. The Angels are like the Jedi in that they're in tune with the way of the Force, and the Demons are like the Dark Jedi in that they obey their whims and selfish desires. Heaven and Hell don't call it the Force, they call it the Symphony."
"Woah, woah, slow down," Damien says. "You mean, like, the Force is REAL? I mean, that's cool and all, but I thought it was just a story."
"Why do you call it the Symphony? Can you hear it?" Damien looks around "I can't hear anything. Well, other than the fans and the people talking outside and..."
Realizing that he's babbling, Damien trails off and looks helplessly at
Detective Ross, waiting for him to continue.
Jezreel's jaw drops as Ross uses a work of fiction, a complete and total lie, to help explain the Symphony and the War. It had never occured to her that a lie of any kind could be useful, and Ross's so readily using it stuns the young Seraph...
[Detective Ross]
"Well, Star Wars *is* just a story, but its a good metaphor."
"If I'm repeating anything you may have already told him," Detective Ross begins to say to Jezreel before Michnelion steps in saying,
Still stunned by his use of fiction and somewhat concerned about what Michnelion will say, Jezreel just shakes her head.
[Detective Neelon]
"Then the repetition of information will be beneficial for the boy."
[Ross]
"Uh... it is the duty of Angels and Soldiers of Heaven to help humanity become less selfish and more selfless, meaning more kind towards others, putting others first, do unto others as you would have others do unto you, all that."
Damien nodes. "OK, that bit I can get. Well, I guess. But why do you have only human Soldiers helping you? Are you all from the army or something? It all sounds kinda... well, violent, for angels. And, if I'm supposed to be Jezreel's soldier, does that mean I have to join the army?"
"No, no, no . . ." says detective Ross with a smile, "I'm not in the army, at least not in the national army. I guess, since Heaven and Hell are at war, being a participant in the war, no matter what you do, makes you a Soldier."
"Oh," Damien says. "So a Soldier with a capital S isn't really a *soldier*,
really, but just somebody who knows what's going on and is helping out the
angels?"
"Technically," says the Elohite Detective Neelon, "a Soldier is any human who has accepted the Patronage of a supernatural force, patronage which has enhanced the very fabric of their being, making him or her stronger, smarter, and or more spiritually potent. The difference between a Soldier and the ordinary person is that the ordinary person supports either Heaven or Hell unknowingly and through deed alone, through selfish deeds or acts of kindness or a mixture of the two. Soldiers serve one side or the other through both deed AND word. Most Soldiers of Heaven go to Heaven when they die, most Soldiers of Hell go to Hell when they die. Everyone has an immortal soul and therefore life eternal, its just a matter of how you choose to live your life and therefore your afterlife."
"To get back to your original question, what's an Elohite, just as they are many different races of people, white, black, asian, indian, ectera, there're many different types of angels. Each type of Angel is called a Choir and each serves a different purpose in furthing Heaven's goals. Michnelion is an Elohite, his duty is to maintain balance, to see things from all possible sides. Jezreel is a Seraph, and so she represents upholding the Truth of the Symphony. There're all sorts of other kinds of angels, it might be best to ask them what job their choir does."
Damien just shakes his head. "There's different *types* of angels? I'm never gonna keep all of this straight." This last sentence is muttered mostly to himself.
"Then don't worry about that right now," says Detective Ross with a smile, "you'll eventually become familiar with them. Till then just ask someone which is which is which."
"OK," Damien says, looking dubious.
"Oh, and the Words . . ." Detective Ross looks to to Detective Neelon, who looks to Jezreel.
"Seraph, perhaps you could explain the Truth behind Words?"
Jezreel is jarred out of her reflection on the use of fiction by Michnelion's unexpectedly throwing the converstation back in her direction. "Yes, sir," she says, by reflex, and then takes a deep breath trying to order her thoughts. She'd never thought to try and define Words at all, let alone in English. It would be so much easier in Celestial, she thinks, but then, she has to admit to herself, if Damien could speak Celestial, he probably wouldn't need the explanation...
"That's harder than it sounds," Jezreel says finally, mainly because she feels she has to say something or she will never get started. "Words Are." and Damien can hear that this statement is not unfinished, just as he can hear the capital letters. "A Word is..."
Damien grimaces at Jezreel, momentarily forgetting that this is an Angel of God and only seeing a snottly little girl who came up with a cute answer to tease and annoy him. He remembers, though, that Jezreel isn't really just another child his age, and then tries to wrap his brain around her answer, to no avail.
Jezreel cuts herself off, not sure she's really qualified to speak on the nature of the Symphony itself, but wanting to do as she was bidden. This is her first real Assignemnt, after all, and she *has* to do well. "A Word is a direct link to the Symphony," she says finally, "It embodies a certain fundamental Truth, a piece of the Whole, which can be represented in a single sound. A Word is, in essence, a note in the Symphony." Jezreel nods, liking that. She thinks Eli would approve.
Damien shakes his head again. "So, if you can hear the Symphony, why don't you just call them Notes instead of Words, if that's what they are? And what's the big deal anyway? There's lots and lots of notes in a piece of music, so why is any one so special?"
Jezreel's face falls as she despairs of ever explaining all this to Damien. English just doesn't have the words... "I..." She glances pleadingly at Michnelion, then remembers that he's the one that tossed this to her in the first place. She can't help wondering if this is some sort of test. Her mother, she thinks desperately, would do a much better job at this.
Taking a long, slow deep breath to order her thoughts, Jezreel says, "I'm sorry, Damien. It really loses something in translation. I guess we use the word Word," she chuckles nervously at her own repitition, "Because Word has more of a sense of meaning... of purpose than the word Note. And Words have meaning. Words Are meaning... I don't know how else to explain it, Damien. To be honest, I never really thought about it before. It's just the way it is..."
She sighs, looking much older than any 11 year old girl should. "And as for the importance..." Jezreel stops again, trying to find a way to connect the esoteric in a way that Damien can understand. "Yes, there are countless notes in the Symphony, countless Words, but each *does* have it's own importance; its own role to play... And some Words *are* more significant than others, have to play a greater part. Just as in corporeal music some notes in a song are just there-- needed in the piece, but maybe only as understatement-- and others, the refrain for instance, play a much greater importance in the work as a whole by necessity occuring again and again, defining the theme of the piece." How can she make him see? Metaphorical language is not exactly a Seraph's strong suit, but English lacks the precision of Celestial...
"Look," she says, a light bulb going on as she grasps for a different metaphor... "There are millions... billions, really, of people on Earth, right? But you still see the value in each life, don't you? Individuals matter, don't they? *But* though each person is important in their own way, some people more influencial, better known-- more famous, more powerful... Your leaders, for instance-- presidents and kings... Bill Clinton, Lady Diana... and writers of great works-- Shakespeare... and scientists and inventors-- Eistien, Edison, Babbage, and Bill Gatees... There are people and there are People right? Just as there are words and there are Words..."
Jezreel is almost on the verge of tears as she realizes she may never be able to make Damien see what for her is a simple Truth.
Damien looks thoughtful as he listens to Jezreel's extended description.
His brow creases as she makes the anaology to people and People, but he
does begin to nod slowly as if that analogy makes sense.
"So, like, the angles with Words are the leaders, or the important
peo... er, angels, right? My history teacher at school tells me that
some historians think that the Great Men theory of history is a load of
bull... err, hogwash, but that other people think that some people by
themselves made a big difference."
Damien pauses, and looks a little more confused as he adds, "Only it's
not that the angels are just the great people, but they're the great
concepts..."
Jezreel nods. "They are both, Damien," she says. "Great angels *and*
great concepts. They are one in the same."
Damien pauses for a few more moments before adding, "Weird."
Not quite sure how to process that 'weird' let alone respond to is,
Jezreel says only, "What is, is..." as if that should explain everything."
Neelon causually states, "Weird is a word that is used to express a feeling, concept or thing which is puzzling or stikes the individual as being odd or out of place. For instance: the idea of Laurence dressing like Novalis would be 'weird'. Essentially, anything that stretches the norm could be considered to be weird. A person who is weird is considered to be a 'weirdo'. The word weird is a word used commonly by today's Canadian youth."
Damien looks at Detective Neelon for a few seconds, before saying "uh-huh"
noncomittally. The youngester doesn't say, but from the tone of his voice a
Mercurian could probably tell, that Damien thinks Neelon has just given a
particularly good, er, explanation, of the word.
Detective Ross smiles quietly to himself, almost a smirk.
...
Jezreel thinks a moment trying to process the last part of your
statement. Then she nods. "Yes, I guess you could say that. The Worded
angels are usually Superiors," she says. "And I think I have to agree that
individuals can make a difference. I mean, why else would Heaven recruit
certain people as Soldiers."
Wondering if that's really what Michnelion meant, or if he wanted her to get into how Celestials were given their Words, she goes on. "Sometimes Celestials are bound to a Word. They basically then become that Word... A Word-Bound Celestial is that Word incarnate. They defend the Word, promote the Word. They *are* the Word. The Word-Bound Celestial is then basically that piece of the Symphony alive and aware..."
[Damien]
"Woah, now that's getting kind of weird. How can you be a word?"
"How can you *be* a hacker, Damien?" Jezreel asks. "It's not something you can explain, it's just what you are..."
[Damien]
"So a word is just like a job, or a hobby?" Damien asks. "I mean, I'm a
hacker, because I know how to program computers and 'cause I like to
cruise around the internet. But I wouldn't call myself Hacker with a
capital H. And I wouldn't say that Hacker is another way of saying
Damien. That's just weird."
Jezreel shakes her head in frustration. "A Word is not a job, Damien,"
she says. "It is what you are." She shakes her head wishing there were
some way she could make Damien see what is so obvious to her.
"And maybe you wouldn't say hacker is another way of saying Damien," she
admits, "Maybe that was a bad choice. Because if Hacker were your Word, it
*would* be another way of saying Damien."
"If I say Creation-- to another Celestial anyway-- they do know that
Creation and Eli are one in the same."
"Huh. Weir... I mean, interesting," Damien says. "I mean, that sounds kinda
scary to me, to have to *become* a concept. I guess we humans don't really
do anything like that, do we? So it makes you more important if you are a
Word?"
"Yes," states Detective Neelon. "Because the moment you're a Word part of the Symphony has been made you, just as you have been made part of the Symphony. Like any part of any Masterpiece, even the tinest part is important."
"Yes," states Detective Neelon. "Because the moment you're a Word part of
the Symphony has been made you, just as you have been made part of the
Symphony. Like any part of any Masterpiece, even the tinest part is
important."
[Jezreel]
Jezreel breathes a sigh of relief, heartily grateful that Michnelion has
decided to step in to help explain what she obviously cannot. Hearing the
elder Angel's explaination, Jezreel nods. "And it might be kind of scary,
Damien. At least it would be to me. At least right now. Taking on a Word
is a big responsibility. It gives you a lot to defend in the War."
Damien nods as if he know what Jezreel were talking about. Then his brow
furrows as he vaguely frowns absently at her, but he doesn't press the issue
any further.
Seeing Damien nod and not being saavy enough to pick up on what the
frown might mean, Jezreel smiles, glad that Damien finally seems to be
understanding...
...
[Damien]
"And is Eli just a concept, you know, sorta like the light side of the Force, or is he a person... well, an angel, but a person, if you know what I mean, like you?"
Jezreel beams. "Yes, exactly."
Damein says, "Huh? Well, which is it? You're not gonna just tell me
that it's both, or sometimes one and sometimes the other, 'cause that's
no kinda answer, that's just a cop-out."
Suddenly realizing where he is, Damien looks at the cops and says, "Uh,
sorry, I didn't mean anything by saying cop-out."
The two officers don't even blink an eye. "It's okay," says Detective Ross.
Not really even hearing Damien's apologies to the two officers, let
alone understanding it, Jezreel just goes on with her attempt to explain.
"But it *is* both," Jezreel protests. "And that's not a cop-out. I am
not trying to evade anything. That is just how it is. Worded angels live a
dichotomy. They are both themselves and their Word."
Jezreel sighs. "Look, if sometime a long way in the future -- say three
or four hundred years from now-- I should earn a Word, I would still *be*
Jezreel. But I would also be that Word. I wouldn't stop being me; I would
just be the Word as well. Does that make *any* sense to you?"
OOC: You know, it's really hard to come up with a synonym for cop-out... :)
OOGM: that's true . . . weak arguement, cheat, I'd say it really does stand alone.. . at least until I can think of anything. :)
"I guess," Damien says, sounding dubious. "But it does sound kinda scary to
me. Like you're giving up part of your identity to become the Word, you
know?"
"Why consider it a loss when you can consider it a gain, an improvement?" asks the Elohite. "Humans change their conceptions of parts of themselves all the time. When you were four years of age you yourself probably thought of yourself as a four year old; but you've changed and grown and so has your identity. No longer are you a four year old, now you're, what, a thirteen year old?"
[Jezreel]
With a sudden flash of insight, Jezreel adds, "You might think of it
kind of like becoming a parent, maybe. If you were to have a child, you
would become Daddy, right, with all the baggage and meaning that entails?
You'd have lots of new responsibilites and someone to protect. But you'd
still be Damien, right? But at the same time and in a very real way, you
would similtaneously *be* Daddy-- at least to your child. Being Daddy
wouldn't stop you from being Damien, but being Daddy would add more to who
Damien is... " Jezreel looks at Damien expentantly, while mentally
thanking Grandpa Christopher for all his talks on parenthood and the
Symphony for the wisdom to recall them now.
LURKER (Wayne Clemmer): Good show! Even I understand now. :)
[Charybdis]
OOC: Thanks. The one thing I've learned from this whole scene is that some
of this is very hard to explain if your audience doesn't already have some
knowledge of Celestial Culture.
[Damien]
"But I wouldn't become Daddy, I would become _a_ Daddy. My Dad is always
gonna be a different person from me, even if I have kids of my own someday.
And I bet I'll be a different Daddy to any of my kids than Dad is to me. I
mean, I think my Dad is great, and I'd like to be like him, but I won't be,
really."
"But I kinda see what you mean about adding to who you are."
[Jezreel]
For just half a moment, Jezreel has the slightest insight as to why
Dodai finds her own Seraphim tendency take things literally so frustrating.
Then the thought that things can be more than what they literally are hits
her, and she shudders at that thought. Sobered, transformed, and more than
a little frightened by her personal Revelation, Jezreel can do little more
than nod and silently wish her mother were there to confort her as her
personal Universe is shaken.
[OOC -- I'm sure Damien would be glad that he was able to unintentionally
assist Jezreel's personal revelation and search for ultimate higher Truth,
if he had a clue -- but, of course, he doesn't. :) ]
[Charybdis]
OOC: {grin} That's okay. I don't even think Jezreel could begin to
explain it to him, even if she wanted to.
...
"The Archangels are the best example of that, I guess," Jezreel says, wondering if she's being to esoteric for her young recruit, but not really sure how to bring this all down to Earth. "For example, I Serve Creation. In English, you might more easily understand me to say that I work for Eli, the Archangel of Creation, but in Celestial, Eli and Creation are the one. Does that make any sense to you?" She asks, frustrated that she does not seem really able to explain what is a fundamental Truth to her.
Damien shakes his head again. "So, waidaminnit, I always heard in church that God created the world, so why is Eli equal to Creation?"
"I don't really know how to answer that one for you, Damien," Jezrel admits slowly. "Dodai never let me go to Church. She said that I wasn't ready yet to examine that side of human nature. That I was too young and too inexperienced to try and sort out that sort of Truth."
"But, on a quick thought, from what I have heard about God, I'd might speculate that God might be what you are calling the Symphony... And if that is the case, there is no contradiction. If the Symphony in the guise of God Created the world, then it was just Eli, Creation, that part of Him that did the work..."
"Huh," Damien says. "So, it's kinda like what they tell us in Sunday
School, that when we're doing good things, we're acting out God's will,
right?"
"I don't know," Jezreel admits. "I have never been to Sunday school."
Damien looks at Jezreel, and injects a sudden philosophical
non-sequitur, caught up enough in the discussion that he is momentarily
oblivious of the police station and the officers. "You know... some kids
were debating something the other day. 'Predistillation' or something
like that. It's the idea that we don't get to choose what we do, but
God makes us do everyting we do. When we're born, he's already decided
if we're gonna be good or bad, and how we're gonna die, and who we're
gonna marry, and all that kind of thing. Is that how it really works?
Or do we get to choose for ourselves what we're gonna do?"
"*Predestination*," Jezreel corrects, as fanatically picky about the
correct use of words as any school marm.
Damien interjects, "Yeah! That."
Jezreel shrugs. "I don't worry about it much, though. I just do what I
should and don't worry about whether I act because I choose, because Eli
made me as I am, because Litheroy wishes it so, or because the Symphony
demands it. It *feels* like my action, and that's enough for me for now..."
"Huh," Damien says. "Well, if the angels don't even know about it, then I
guess people shouldn't feel so bad for debating back and forth forever about
it."
[Jezreel]
"And again, I don't know. Even
the angels argue about that. All I know is Dodai told me that's the kind of
question even the Seraphim Council argues about and that I would be better
off *not* asking the Symphony for the answer... She said I was too young to
ponder any answer I might get."
"You can ask the Symphony QUESTIONS?" Damien says. "What kinds of things do
you ask? Jeez, if I could ask questions of God... but, I mean, I guess I am
kinda asking questions of ang... well, weir.. erm, ahem."
Damien trails off.
[Jezreel]
"Yes, I can," Jezreel says, "Sometimes. But ususally I don't ask the
Symphony for answers directly. It's more that when I listen to what's going
on around me, sometimes the Symphony whispers Truths for me to hear. Like
when I was in the store and heard you helping that other kid. The Symphony
told me that you were the one I was seeking..."
Damien sputters. "The Symphony told you that you were looking for ME?"
[Jezreel]
"Well, actually, *Litheroy* told me to look for a Soldier. The Symphony
just told me you were the only," Jezeel clarifies.
"Uh...." Damien looks at Jezreel as if afraid that she might hit him, but
then realizes that he's just looking at a little girl probably not even his
age, and feels foolish for having felt childish. Then he remembers that
she's an *angel*, not really a little girl, and he feels foolish for feeling
foolish. Finally, unsure how he feels, he says, "You might be mad, 'cause
you might have told me, but I'm gettin' confused and I think I'm starting to
forget things. Who was Litheroy again?"
Jezreel gives you a slight smile. "I'll never get mad at you as long as
you tell me the Truth," she says.
Then she goes on to explain. "Litheroy is my Superior. Well, one of my
Superiors, actually. Technically, I'm one of Eli's Angels, a Servitor of
Creation, but I'm kind of on loan to Revelation right now-- temporarily in
Litheroy's Service."
"Oh," Damien says. "Well, if I'm supposed to get all involved in this, I
guess I'll figure it all out eventually."
Jezreel nods. "It's not that hard once you get used to it. Just give
yourself a little time
He looks back and forth between the others in the room. "So, doesn't that
mean that there is pred... predestination, that I was _supposed_ to fall
into all of this mess?"
[Jezreel]
Jezreel shrugs. "I don't know," she admits. "I didn't know who I was
looking for until I found you. And I don't know if your being there was
chance or Destiny. I just know that you are the right person."
"Weird," Damien says, forgetting to be self-conscious about his overuse of
the term.
The adolescent shudders slightly at the thought. "But, I mean, why mean? A
*soldier*? I'm just a kid, who, you know, is kinda good with computers.
Why does this make me so important for the big war between Heaven and Hell?"
[Jezreel]
"*Soldier* doesn't necessarily mean you have to fight-- not with guns or
knives or anything anyway. It just means you are a human who is fighting,
in whatever way, in the Service of a Celestial. Like when you crashed that
Demon web site. That's part of the battle against Evil, even if you never
thought of it that way."
Damien laughs self-deprecatingly. "I mean, are you sure you didn't make a
mistake? I don't feel like I'm all that important."
Jezreel shrugs. "*I* might make mistakes. Heck, I seem to do it all
the time-- like the way I messed up your conversation with that kid at the
computer store. I'm just not very good with people. But, the *Symphony*
doesn't make mistakes. So if the Symphony says you're the right person,
then you are. Even if you don't know it."
"Gee," Damien says. He looks like he really doesn't know what to say.
Eventually, he settles on, "Well, I'll try." He sounds doubtful.
Jezreel grins at you. "Great," she says, as if everything is now settled.
...
"Of a sort," says Detective Neelon. "While God *does* exist, so does Lucifer, so rather than a single possible outcome for each individual as would be the result of a predestined creation, because Lucifer's power is strong, there exists also an alternate possibility, a path of selfishness and evil. Also, because every human possesses free will, each human can choose to follow or not to follow either of these two paths and instead forge one of their own making. However, all too often such a self-made path becomes one of selfishness as it was forged from self-centered desires; therefore such a path is likely to become one to Lucifer's deceitful grasp. Of course, this is not always the case."
The good detective helps himself to another danish, gets up and pours himself some more coffee.
"Gee," Damien says. "So, is it always safer to not do what you want?
'Cause if you do what you want, and you're going down, er, the path you
choose yourself, then maybe you're doing what... Lucifer? He's the
devil, right?... wants you to do."
[Jezreel]
"Lucifer is the Demon Prince of Lies," Jezreel says with a shudder at
the mere thought of the title, "And the ruler of Hell."
Damien gets a queer look on his face. He looks at Jezreel and says,
"Have you ever *met* him?" His glance turns in the direction of Dodai
and Neelon before returning to the Seraph/little girl.
"No," she admits readily, "And I hope I never do..."
"Nor have most demons," says the Chief Detective, "so far as I've been able to
tell from those demons I've helped interrogate."
Damien sits back and thinks about that. "Gee. It sounds kinda grim. So
maybe we all outta be like Mother Theresa, helping the poor and stuff,
and not doing what we want to do."
"I don't think it's as grim as all that," she says. "If you have a good
Heart, you will naturally want to do the right thing. So, you don't always
have to fear your own desires, just think about how what you are doing might
effect others."
"Oh," Damien says again, sounding a little bit contrite and a still
rather overwhelmed. "I guess that makes sense. Kinda makes everything
you do seem more... I dunno, important? Meaningful? It's scary."
Not quite sure how to respond to that, Jezreel says, "We just want you to
do what you've always done-- use your talents on the computer for
good. Or, at least I *think* that's what we want. No one's actually told
me yet."
"I guess," Damien says. "But it still makes me nervous to know... to
really *know*... that there are all these angels and things watching."
A look of confusion crosses the young Angel's face. "I don't understand,"
she says honestly. "Why would it make you nervous to know that Heaven is
looking out for you?"
"Because sometimes people want to know that they've done something themselves
without supernatural aid," says the mortal Detective Ross.
[Jezreel]
The confusion on Jezreel's face only deepens at that
explanation. The young Servitor of Revelation would really like to shed
some light on this aspect of human behavior, but she's not really even sure
how to articulate the uncertainty of her thoughts. So she just keeps
glancing back and forth between Damien, Detective Ross, and Michnelion, as
if seeking the answers in their faces.
"We're not supernatural," replies Detective Neelon, "We're perfectly natural, as
creations of God. Perhaps above that which is natural for the physical plane
and therefore Supernaturual for the Corporeal Plane."
[Jezreel]
The young Seraph listens intently hoping that the older Elohite
will shed some light on the situation.
Without skipping the
beat, he continues, "However, time presses on and while neither I nor Jezreel
must sleep, young Detective Ross and you (to Damien) need your rest, therefore I
will skip to the heart of the matter."
"Damien." The Elohite clears his throat and his voice gains a commanding tone,
not to be interrupted, his eyes fix upon Damien's. "Because your life and your
life's natural course have been tossed about carelessly by the forces of Evil
and because you have encountered the Heavenly Host and are now fully aware that
the war between Good and Evil is REAL, it is inevitable that you will have to
make a choice. There are really only three possibilities:
"Either A, nothing will happen and both Heaven and Hell will leave you alone,
which is unlikely because Jezreel has found you and the Demons may still
consider you a threat especially if they realize that you've been consorting
with Angels.
"B, Hell will try and recruit you, either through temptation of through force.
Once enlisted your soul would be damned to Hell, and most likely it will be
another servant of Hell who would end your mortal life for his own selfish ends.
"or C, Heaven will try and recruit you again. If we are fortunate to have you
join us your life will be forever changed. Yes, the hours are long and the
tasks challenging, but we promise Paradise. And Heaven delivers, your Soul is
in good hands with Heaven."
The Detective sits back down in his chair, breaking eye contact with the young
mortal and sips his coffee.
Jezreel really wants to say something that will convince Damien
that he should join with her in the fight against Evil but is really not
sure what she should say. Knowing her own weakness in the social skills
department, she is terrified that she will say the wrong thing and push
Damien the other way-- especially in light of the strange thing Detective
Ross said about humans wanting to do things without supernatural
aid. Desperately wishing that Dodai was there to counsel her, Jezreel
decides that silently waiting and not pressuring Damien would be the best
course of action. So she waits, eyes focused on Damien, silently pleading
with him to make the right choice, but saying nothing to influence him one
way or the other.
"Jeez," Damien says, sounding a little stunned as Michnelion spells out
so bluntly what it is that Damien is really facing. "So, like, if I
don't decide now that I'm going to fight with the angels in this war,
then I'm probably gonna get wasted by some demons before long, or
they'll get me to sell my soul to the devil."
Damien falls silent, and after a few moments, says, "Um, I mean, I guess
I'm sorta afraid. But if this is what's here, I want to be on the right
side. I don't want to sell my soul and go to Hell."
The mortal detective Ross, after nodding briefly in agreement, stands and puts on his jacket, ready to head out.
He looks at Jezreel and says, meekly, "so what am I supposed to do? And
what about those demons who trashed my house and might be after my dad?"
After glancing at Jezreel, the Elohite says, "We'll take steps to ensure your father's protection; tell him nothing of the Greater War for now, all will be revealed to him in time."