One day in heaven, if one can count the days of eternity, Gabriel’s secretary took the daily communications from the Almighty to the desk of his boss. Gabriel was in his usual angelic mood. He greeted his secretary with a smile and took the folder from his hand.
“How are you today John?” He asked.
“Fine sir, it’s another beautiful day in heaven don’t you think?”
“Yes indeed! Well, let’s see what the Lord has for us today.”
Gabriel picked up each page and looked at it. He then assigned an angel to follow up on the matter. Things went well until the last page. The secretary who was putting sheets back in the folder noted a decrease in the light. He looked up. A clouded expression had come over Gabriel’s face. For any other angel this might not have been a point of concern but for Gabriel it showed a deep state of unquiet within the heart of one of the Lords Lieutenants. The secretary waited several eternal moments before speaking.
“Something wrong sir?”
After several other eternal moments Gabriel sighed and wrote a name at the bottom of the page. He handed the page to his secretary. Upon seeing the name written on the page the secretary blanched (which is very hard to do for angels…).
“No sir! Not Ed!”
Gabriel sighed again and said, “Just bring him in John. I need to speak to him.”
The cloud deepened across his face and the light in the room dimmed as well.
John, with much concern, put the page on the bottom of the sheets in the folder and returned to his office where the runners came to attention for their assignments. John put the matter out of his mind as each angel stepped forward for his assignment. It was not until the last page faced him again that he realized he should have put it on the top of the stack. He looked at the page and looked up to find young Jabal standing at attention before him.
Jabal was the newest member of his staff,. aAs a matter of fact, he had just started yesterday and had not yet proved to his boss John that he would do well with his new assignment. He was not overly bright but he did try hard and did seem to handle the change from “white robe distributor” to “angelic runner” well. The responsibilities of the runners were very heavy and not all angels enjoyed the role. The only reason he had been added was because in the last 100 years (as humans count years…) need had increased the volume of assignments and therefore the need for more runners. John had finally allowed Jabal to transfer simply because the young angel refused to be denied. The lengths Jabal had gone to would be a story for the eternity that would follow the end of time.
John looked again at the paper then at the young angel. Well, it simply would have to do. He sighed and handed the paper to Jabal. Jabal looked down and was confused by the name he saw on the bottom of the page.; Ed? Who was Ed? Jabal looked at his boss.
“My son do you know the area of heaven called UNDERSIDE?”
The shocked look of surprise answered John’s question.
“Ever been there?” John asked again.
Jabal swallowed hard, “No sir.” He answered.
John sighed, “Well, my son, you are going today and you are not to return without Ed. If he gives you any trouble just tell him the Lord has need of him. Hopefully he has learned his lesson from the last time he was here and will come without reinforcements. Tell him Gabriel will be waiting for him.”
Jabal looked again at the name on the bottom of the page. Somehow, (he didn’t know just why…) he felt he had been given a great honor. He drew himself up. And with a salute of his wings left for the underside. John sighed heavily. The young angel would never know how much John felt he had just thrown him to a hungry lion.
Once outside the office Jabal looked again at the paper. He had heard stories about the underside from older wiser angels but only in whispers and he has been told never ever to go there, but duty called, and he was not going to let his boss down, not on his second day. Not after all he had been through to get the transfer. He drew himself up for the second time in as many eternal minutes and with a shake of his wings set out for the underside.
In heaven time is a constant and not measured, but as young Jabal stood on the edge of the clouds that made up heaven he felt like there had been a long passage of time. He had heard from some souls that passed through the gates on the Narrow Way, as he handed out robes, that their lives had passed before their eyes in the moment before they stepped through the veil. Jabal was uneasy. He felt like he had flown in slow motion, and as he had not lived like humans he was not sure what was to pass before his eyes, but he was sure that it was suppose to be quick. He continued to stare at the field of clouds before him. On this side they looked a little gray. One of the other angels who had just returned from an assignment mentioned the silver tone he had noticed and the angel at check-in laughed and said that effect was the silver lining that humans talked about. Jabal, having never been out of heaven, and for the most part never having left the Narrow Way Gate road area just shook his head.
Jabal finally took a deep breath let it out slow and dropped over the edge. He landed softly enough but was jarred by the sign he noted over the gate that was, interestingly enough, made of silver. Beside the gate there was a silver haired angel sitting on a very comfortable lounge chair staring at him. The sign read, “Hope is still found here”. How odd thought Jabal. He looked at the old angel with the silver hair. Silver hair on an angel usually denoted long service to the Almighty and was found among only the most honored. To date the only ones Jabal had seen were during the celebrations held by the Almighty in the great throne room. He knew all their faces but had never seen this one.
The silver haired angel, finally tired of being stared at by the young golden hair angel before him, said. “Well state your business.”
Jabal stammered, “I have been sent by the Almighty for Ed” To Jabal’s surprise the old silver hair did not react.
Finally he sighed and said, “Gabriel must have taken leave of his senses to send one so young to retrieve Ed.” “Have things gotten that bad up there,’ pointing to the edge.”
Jabal having no answer for such a question responded, “Can I pass.”
The old silver hair stared at Jabal for a few more eternal minutes and finally with a sigh said. “Sure kid” and with a wave of his hand the gate was set open. As Jabal stepped through the gate he noted that the silver hair had ceased to give notice to him. Another wave of his hand and the gate closed behind him. Just before it closed all the way Jabal heard a few mumbled words from the old silver hair one that made no sense.
Jabal looked for the first time upon Under the Edge of Heaven. Actually considering what he had heard it seemed very pleasant, not that he could imagine any place in heaven anything but, however he thought he could see why it was only spoke of in whispers. It seemed…well…dingy… not as bright as he was used to. It was also old, very old. At the far end of a much wider road than “The Way” up top, there appeared an old clouded building. Since it seemed the only building visible and he had no idea where to find this “Ed” he made his way to the building. Stepping inside he found that all lay in shadow. To his left he saw another silver hair that he had never seen before. He also was staring at Jabal. Jabal decided this part of heaven was not used to visitors. This silver hair was sitting on a stool behind a high desk. He had been writing but now sucked on the stylus he had been using. When Jabal arrived at the desk, he noted that the silver hair had been working on some kind of math puzzle.
The silver hair said “Who sent you?”
Jabal came to attention and stated “I am here on the Lord’s business.
The silver hair became alert. “Who did you come for”?
“Ed” responded Jabal.
The silver hair dropped his stylus. He whispered something softly that Jabal did not catch but he thought he heard, “They’re mad!” Jabal was becoming irritated with this entire disregard for the Lord’s messenger and said,
“What did you just say?”
The silver hair retrieved his stylus and said in clear voice while staring at Jabal, “They are mad. You hear that OK young golden child?”
Jabal rustled his wings but did not add to the conflict. “Where is Ed?” he said instead.
The silver hair pointed the stylus that he had retrieved over Jabal’s shoulder and with a sigh said, “There”.
Jabal turned and looked into the place the other had pointed out. It was the darkest part of the room, all this darkness… it was beginning to unnerve the young angel. He began to understand the warning of the silver hair at the gate. “Courage young one Hope is still found here.” He felt he would need both courage and hope to carry out his assignment. Quietly Jabal prayed, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want” that said he stepped toward the darkness.
Again Jabal had that feeling of slow motion. This place was strange. Up top one did not feel the passing of time but here eternity seem to move slower. However Jabal soon enough came to the table at which “Ed” sat. This angel was totally different than even the silver hairs that he had seen so far. They at least had the silver hair and silver robes he had seen in the throne room. This…This Ed was not like anything he had ever seen.
Jabal took a deep breath and said, “Are you Ed?”
“Yes”, answered the disturbing angel at the table, “who wants to know?”
“MY name is Jabal and I am here because the Lord Almighty has use of his servant.”
The angel at the table stared at Jabal and finally sighed (Jabal was beginning to notice a pattern here.) “What if I don’t want to serve the Lord Almighty?”
Jabal could not believe what he had just heard, or maybe it was the odd accent the angel at the table had used. Nonetheless he came to attention and stated in his most serious voice, “Come, Gabriel is waiting for you.”
The angel named Ed took a drink of some strange brown fluid that the young angel had never seen before then spoke one word. “No”. Jabal was stunned. No one refused the Lord or his lieutenants! Finally he found his voice. In a tone of disbelief he said, “But you have to!” “The Lord commands you, and I was told not to come back with out you.”
Ed looked at the young angel and finally said,” Then you better sit down boy.”
Jabal at a lost for any other course of action sat in the chair on the other side of the table trying very hard to think of his next move.
“Sweet Tea?” Ed said
He signaled the silver hair angel who brought another glass; a glass that looked like a human had made it and set it before Jabal. Jabal noted that the same slow motion effect seemed in place but then suddenly the angel was there and gone. Jabal stared at the light brown substance in the glass. To date Jabal had only had milk and honey and that was severed in a crystal goblet.
He stared so long that Ed said. “It won’t kill you, boy. Try it.” Jabal picked up the glass and took a sip. The brown clear substance was bitter, sweet yes, but bitter. He put it down.
He tried again, “We had better be going.”
“Why, what’s the rush, the human will be there when I get there. Did they tell you what the assignment is boy?” said Ed in that same odd accent.
“No. Just that I was not to return without you.” And something about reinforcements. Jabal remember John had said something like that just before he left. “Please come! It’s only my second day on the job!”
Ed smiled, “OK kid I will go along, but just because I was young once, I think, and I like you.”
As they both stood up Jabal was unnerved again to find themselves standing on the edge. Apparently you entered by the gate but Ed had a short cut out. Without a word Ed turned toward a sudden haze and when Jabal followed him found that they were standing on the threshold of the office.
John looked up and was startled to see Ed coming through the door. Jabal had opened the door and was standing behind him. It had not been more than 2 eternal minutes since Jabal had left and, last time, to get Ed, it had taken most of the angelic army and several eternal. He would have to rethink this young angel… or Ed was up to something.
‘You wanted to see me?” asked Ed.
“Yes, Gabriel has an assignment for you.” John said as he stood up and opened the door before Ed could get to it.
Ed’s unnerving habit did not really disturb Gabriel but it did disturb John. After he had shut the door again he turned to Jabal. “Thank you my son”. For your good service I want you to take 2 eternal days off and relax. I will arrange a pass to the spa in the temple where you can rest and be instructed by the prophets. You have earned such a reward this eternal day.
With that Jabal found himself at the door of the spa, totally bewildered and confused by his second eternal day as a runner.
John turned and stared at the door to the interoffice. He would have to remember to use Jabal more often in the future for assignments to Under Heaven.
- End of chapter -
Ed stood just inside the door of the interoffice and smiled as he heard the soft click of the door shuting behind him. He smiled because, as far as he knew, he was the only one who could hear a sound that did not exist in heaven. Or maybe it was just that he spent too much eternal time on that bit of rock loved so much by its Creator. He himself refused to use doors; he just put himself where he needed to be. He shoved his hands into the back pockets of his jeans and looked at the office. It had not changed much since his last visit; spacious, bright, peaceful, and it irritated him just as much as the last time. One side of the office was taken up by the panorama of heaven, those like him who could see; also saw the panorama of earth below it. He had to admit the Creator did good work. Finally he allowed himself to look at the silver hair behind the desk at the end of the office. Ed’s smile had faded replaced by his eternal glower. Gabriel, as always, sat quietly observing him with that damn angelic smile that irritated him so much. Realizing what he had just thought he asked the Creator for His forgiveness. He really was spending way too much time on that infernal rock. He would never understand why the Creator did not just let Satan have it. (…still, the Creator did do good work…) Gabriel for his part watched the surly Ed as he looked round the room. Gabriel knew Ed did not like the office. He also noted that he had not changed clothes from his last assignment; Old worn out blue jeans, cowboy boots, black tee shirt that read ‘spit if you hate Satan”, and an old worn black leather jacket, but then, come to think of it, he had not changed from his last 1000 assignments. Gabriel wondered if Ed was spending too much time on Earth and made a mental note to ask the Almighty about it, He also wondered where Ed found something that looked as old as he was. That jacket, boots and jeans all looked like they should have dissolved long ago, but then Ed did not look much better.
Finally, mustering as much irritation to his voice as possible, Ed addressed the silver haired one. “You sent for me?”
Gabriel’s smile brightened ever so slightly. “Yes, thank you for coming so soon.” “Who was the runner who brought you in?” Asked Gabriel.
“Some kid named Jabal, He must be new, he was polite about it.” Ed’s response had lost some of its irritation. Gabriel made a mental note to find out more about the young golden hair one name Jabal who was liked by Ed.
To Ed he said, “Come, sit down, let’s talk.”
Ed put himself in the chair across from Gabriel. For a short moment in eternity Gabriel thought about not smiling… but what the heck! Gabriel’s smile brightened just slightly again. Ed, irritated that his putting himself in the chair did not irritate Gabriel like it did so many others, Snorted,
“What do you want? I’m busy.”
Gabriel lifted one silvery eyebrow and said, “Oh? Doing what?”
“Wasting eternity if you must know.”
“Oh, then it is only your usual routine. I thought maybe you had changed.” Smiled Gabriel.
The two sat and stared at each other. Gabriel smiling and Ed glowering. Slowly Ed’s face began to change. A smile transformed the surly angel into someone that took on an appearance more like Gabriel. The unconscious staring contest came to an end when Ed blinked. Gabriel’s smile took on sun brightness for a moment and even though he did not say so, Ed knew he was thinking “Got YOU!”. He finally laughed a very angelic laugh.
Gabriel said, “How have you been little brother?”
“Little brother my A…….. My butt. Just because you got created first does not make me your little brother.”
Gabriel gave his little brother a big brother smile “Sure it does when you are the youngest of triplets. Speaking of triplets have you seen Michael lately?”
Ed tried to glower again but just succeeded in making himself look sad, “No. And I didn’t come here to talk about him or dad or any of the other family. You had an assignment you said.”
Gabriel shrugged and handed Ed the assignment.
Ed glanced at the sheet of paper and tossed it back on the desk. “NO!” and started to rise.
Gabriel said in a soft commanding voice, “Sit down Ed”. Ed waited a fraction of eternity to long. The voice became very commanding, “Sit!”
Ed complied but did not meet Gabriel’s eyes. Gabriel restored himself to his usual demeanor.
“Why not?”
“It is not my kind of case. You know that”, Ed replied.
He had slumped down in the chair resigning himself to a long lecture on how this human needed him. Finally he looked at Gabriel again after what felt like eternal silence; Gabriel slid the paper across the desk. Ed picked up the paper and read out loud:
Daniel Adams: age 19, current problem: suicide by drowning. Reason: despair over future. “So? Why me? This is Joe’s assignment. He takes care of the teens.”
“Read on please” said Gabriel.
Watched the murder of his dad at age 6; Sexually assaulted by mother before age 7 then was prostituted by his mother; Foster homes from age 9; alcoholic by 10; drug addict by 12; and dealer by 13;. Makes a living to support his habit by male prostitution. Ed stopped again,
“Like I said this is Joe’s assignment.”
Gabriel sighed; there were times when he wondered why his brother had not joined the rebellion against their Father “read it with HIS eyes Ed”.
Ed stared at Gabriel then looked at the vista of heaven. He closed his eyes. He did not want to read it. Not with HIS eyes. That statement meant only one thing: Dad had put a message on the sheet that only Dad could read and he did not want to read anything that came from Dad. He opened his eyes and saw the whole panorama of creation. Humans already had problems believing in God the creator, if they saw what angels saw they would either fall to their faces in worship or become mindless idiots. It was only because angels themselves were part of that creation that they could look upon it and not even Ed could look unaffected. There were ALL the universes laid out as God had made them. Ed blinked and the human universe lay before him. One more blink and the “old sol” solar system, home of the blue rock, was there. He could have had the blue rock in one blink but Ed had to admit he loved looking through creation. Like a man standing looking at a painting looks long and then moves forward to get the detail, he watched for a while then blinked again and there before him laid earth or as he fondly always called it; the Blue Rock. Spinning in space all white and pale blue. Earl took a deep breath. If Gabriel were to ask if he liked the earth he would deny it. It was not a lie, he did not like it, he loved it, and only Dad knew how much. Some times he suspected that was how Dad made him comply. He blinked again and looked at the paper. He then made a small ball of the paper and sent it sailing into the vista of heaven that had returned.
He returned his gaze to Gabriel, “and just how long did the Almighty think this one will take.”
Gabriel wondered again what had happen at the battle for Heaven that he did not know about, he was never allowed to see what was written to Ed.
“Probably not more than a couple of days. He has already put a support group in place for the boy.”
“Ah” was the sarcastic retort by Ed.
Gabriel realized that Ed was ready to leave. “Oh! By the way, what’s with the hair?” Ed looked at Gabriel with a questioning gaze. Gabriel cleared his throat, “I mean the gray and black.’
Ed shrugged, ‘Dad gave me this, you know that.’
Gabriel replied “Dad gave you silver and onyx.”
“Oh” smiled Ed “humans find that a little disturbing. Salt and pepper as they call it is much easier on them.”
“OK” Gabriel said “but what is that thing on top of your head.”
“Oh that is what is known as a ball cap. The current style is to wear it back wards”. And with that Ed put himself else where.
Gabriel was left to ponder. Something had happen at the battle for heaven. Dad did not speak of it but when he gave silver hair and robes to those who had fought for God the creator he had given silver and shinny black onyx hair to the youngest of the triplets. He had also given him an unusual robe of half sliver and half black. He had taken his gold wings and made them to match the robe. God then stripped him of his name, and sent him to earth for a millennium. On his return to heaven he was introduced by Michael as Ed and immediately he sat about moving into Under Heaven. What annoyed Gabriel was that no one, not even Michael, would tell him anything. Gabriel sighed, he noted he had done a lot of that this eternal day; Ed was good at what he did. Gabriel just wished he was more cooperative at being summoned. Which reminded him, who was Jabal? He summoned John to the interoffice.
End Chapter
Ed put himself at the end of the bridge that over looked a small river the humans called the Kaw or Kansas River depending on who you asked. As rivers go it was not all that big but it was dangerous and anyone who did not know that or ignored that fact died. This stretch of river had claimed it share of stupid humans and it had claimed it share of not so stupid ones. He looked along the bridge and saw the young man standing at the rail and staring down into the water. He checked his thoughts and noted he had a few minutes before any action would be taken. Since there was a fair amount of light on the bridge and none of the cars passing seem to notice the boy Ed figured that Satan was actively shielding him from any preventive action on the part of his fellow man. (not that humans were overly concerned about their own strays…). Knowing that the boy was safe for now, Ed put himself back 4 days to the boy’s crisis point.
The scene that Ed looked upon would have shocked some angels but he had seen it way to many times to count. There were 4 men standing over another man on the floor of what appeared to be a make shift sanctuary. The man had been viciously beaten but was alive.
The boy was kneeling over the man on the floor calling his name. “Reverend Pete! Reverend Pete!”
The next minute the boy was being dragged to a standing position by 2 of the men. The leader slapped him across the face and asked what he was doing there and what the man on the floor was it to him. The look that came across the boy’s face would have been frightening to normal humans but the children of Satan were not normal and cared nothing for their lives much less the lives of other humans. There were many such children among the humans who were created by God their father. Some how humans had always been more than willing to follow the evil path. A sick smile came over Ed face. An angel’s memory was very long.
The boy showed a great courage. The boy spit in the leader’s face and said “you go to F….ing hell and take these SOB with you.” It is none of your F…..ing damn business why. Leave him alone, referring to the unconscious man on the floor.
The leader laughed and figured to finish off the beaten reverend with a hand gun he pulled from his jacket pocket. The boy became wild. He kicked up catching the leader in the chin who fell to the floor dazed, the sudden unexpected move caused the other men to loose balance and all three fell to the floor. The boy, even in his rage, recovered first. He grabbed the gun from the floor and sitting astride the leader shook him into alertness. He forced the gun into the mouth of the leader.
“Listen to me you piece of scum. I’ll kill you if you ever touch Reverend Pete or any of his people again. You have the whole city to sell your poison in and pimp your whores. You leave him and his people alone you hear me.” The snarl of rage in the boy’s voice even made Ed feel a chill, the leader went white. Ed noted that the lackeys also backed up and the fourth man, who must have been the one to gain entrance into the building for the other 3, had somewhere in all the chaos, escaped. The boy threw down the gun and moved off the leader to the side of the beaten man. Ed was momentarily impressed until he felt the presence of an unseen force that made him stop breathing or thinking for minute. The other men must have felt it to for they picked themselves up and ran. Ed under stood the fear. He would blame Gabriel but he was sure he did not know. Dad had not told either of them that the crown prince was the one supervising on this case. Not that it made a difference in the long run, but it would have been nice to know and not come upon his presence with out warning. Ed would never be able to tell anyone, not even Dad, how he felt in the presence of the crown prince… (…and he would NEVER ever tell anyone how honored he felt when working one of the prince’s special cases…). To Ed, this was Joe’s case, but the crown prince must have asked for him personally; that kind of explained the note from Dad.
If this was the Prince’s gig then Michael was here some where... Ed blinked his eyes and across the room, sure enough, there stood Michael with his long flowing silver hair and robes with a couple of Golden hairs he was breaking in for the Lords army. Ed had noticed them among the group the last time Michael and Ed had crossed paths. Michael nodded and smiled acknowledging that Ed had made the discovery. Ed nodded back and put himself back on the bridge. Armed with this new information he approached the boy on the bridge. Ed stood watching about 6 feet from the boy waiting his cue and as the boy swayed back and forth daring himself to jump and end it, he finally heard it. “Jesus help me” the boy said softly. Ed now knew why the prince was involved. The boy was calling his name. Ed blinked and said ‘what can I do for you?”
Danny was so startled by the voice beside him that he stumbled back and was almost hit by a car. The car however swerved with the driver yelling something obscene. Ed reached out and pulled the boy to safety on the rail by the edge of his shirt. Danny sat down where he was which was not the safest place, but he was too confused and bewildered to do anything else. “Who are you?” he asked Ed. “I didn’t see you coming.”
“I’m Ed and I am here because you asked Jesus for help.”
The boy looked up “You’re Jesus?” still questioning his own state of mind.
“No I’m Ed. Jesus asked me to help you out.”
“Why would he do that” asked the still bewildered young man.
Ed sighed and slid down to sit beside the boy and watched the traffic speed by as if being on a bridge as darkness fell was the safest place to be.
“You called on Jesus name and he always answers when called, sometimes he sends one of his angels to help, today it’s me. “Hi. I’m Ed and you would be Daniel Adams, age 19, and currently trying to be a suicide by drowning.” Ed fished in his pocket for some beechnut but found he was out of chew. He looked at the kid and asked “you smoke?”
“Yeah but all I got are the cheap ones.”
“That will do” Ed said.
The boy got out his pack and held it out to the strange man beside him. Ed noted he had only 2 left.
He took one, “got a light?” he asked
The boy fished his lighter out and took the other cigarette and put it in his mouth. Ed lighted his own then the kid’s. They sat in silence for a few minutes smoking.
Finally the kid said; “Let me get this straight, you’re an angel from Jesus who is here because I asked Jesus to help me and your name is Ed.”
“Right” said Ed as he blew smoke rings. Not bad for an angel who gave up smoking a couple centuries back.
The boy stood up and flicked his butt over the edge and watched it fall towards the water below. It was becoming to dark to see the river below. Ed stood up and Danny did the same. Then Danny looked at Ed and held out his hand.
“Thanks mister for sharing that smoke with me. Now I can jump and feel like I didn’t waste it.”
Ed looked at the kid and took Danny’s hand. “Why you going to jump kid.”
Danny noted the grasp of the man’s hand and seem to feel some comfort and hope from him.
“Well mister, because I no longer fear hell. Because I have lived there for the last 19 years and there is no longer any reason to take up space on this God forsaken rock.”
Ed still holding on to Danny’s hand replied “I told you I was here to help you. If you do not believe in the saving grace of Jesus why did you call on him?”
Danny tried to remove his hand from the man who he now decided was a crackpot but found that he could not.
“Got me! I guess because Rev Pete keeps telling me that Jesus can save me.” Danny replied with a shrug of his shoulder.
“Well he can and he wants to but you are the one who has to make that decision,” replied Ed, “I came to help but you have to give me a chance to help you or I can’t do a thing.” With that Ed let go of the kid’s hand.
Danny stared at Ed for a few minutes and Ed began to think the kid would not jump but suddenly Danny threw himself over the railing. Ed crossed his arms over his chest and relaxed against the railing. He waited to hear the boy hit the water and then counted to 120. He put the boy back on the bridge, dripping wet, coughing, and choking up river water. Without moving Ed stood looking at the kid. Finally the coughing stopped and the boy began to shiver in response to his cold wet body. Ed sat down next to him again and took off his jacket and offered it to the boy.
“That was pretty stupid, Kid, you could have died.” Said Ed.
“That was the point… thought I made that clear.” Replied Danny.
They sat without talking, with the only sounds that of chattering teeth, noise of the random car, and the sound of the rushing river below. Ed had plenty of time and Danny was still trying to figure out what happen.
Finally with out looking at Ed, who Danny had to admit, he found both awesome and terrifying asked, “How did you do that?”
Ed once again relaxed and lying half down supported by one arm looked at Danny, and drawled, “Do what?”
Danny teeth still chattering “pull me out of the river. You don’t have a rope or anything that I can see.”
Ed chuckled quietly, he blinked and Danny’s teeth stopped making noise and his clothes were dry. “I told you I’m an angel sent to help you because you asked Jesus for help.”
Danny sat huddled up with his arms around his legs thinking. He finally realized that his teeth no longer made noise and that his clothes were dry. He noted that the night was comfortable and he was starting to sweat under the jacket. Danny stood up and handed the jacket back to Ed. Ed stood up and accepted the return of his jacket and put it on. In a resigned tone of voice Danny looked up and down the length of the bridge and said.
“Well if I am not going to kill myself tonight might as well get off this bridge.”
Sounds good to me,” drawled Ed, They turned north and started to walk.
“Where you from?” asked Danny. Fe had finally realized that the angel or, Ed, as he called himself, talked with some kind of accent, “You talk funny”
“Oklahoma” said Ed.
“You hungry,” asked Danny, “I know a bar that serves decent food that is fairly close by”
“They got sweet tea?” Drawled Ed
“We can ask.”, was the reply,
“Fair enough.”, drawled Ed.
Danny thought to himself as they walked off the bridge. Of all the strange nights he had had in 19 years this one was the strangest. Saved from suicide by an angel named Ed who said he was from Oklahoma. If Rev. Pete woke up from his coma he would have to ask him about this Jesus he was always on about. Somehow this was not what he figured happen when you asked Jesus to save you. Out loud Danny said “Man I could use a smoke.”
Ed chuckled “tobacco or grass?”
Danny burst into laughter. For the first time in….well…. Danny could not remember, it was true happy laughter.
End Chapter.
The 2 of them walked for about 20 mins when Ed finally saw an overpass. When they reached the other side of the overpass Danny looked over the side and suddenly jumped disappearing from Ed’s human eyes. He to looked over the side and then followed Danny. It was a grassy slope and by the time Ed got to the bottom Danny was brushing the dirt and grass from his butt. Ed was grinning a very good nature grin and he too started bushing the back of his jeans. When he looked at Danny he found a very puzzled look on the boy’s face.
What? Said Ed.
What so funny? Responded the boy in a puzzled tense voice.
Now it was Ed’s turn to be puzzled. Funny? He said.
What’s with the grin? Hostility was growing in Danny’s voice.
“Oh,” said Ed and he chuckled. “I was trying to remember the last time I slid down an embankment. I think it might have been just before the civil war broke out or just after. Any way it’s been a while, I forgot how much fun it was.”
Danny shook his head and again wondered who this strange dude was that called himself Ed and claimed to be an angel. While he continued to ponder who or what Ed was he looked up the road to his right and then snapped his head to the left as he heard the sounds of deep throated Harleys coming.
The bikers were upon them and passed by the time Danny and the leader realized they knew each other. The bikes pulled over and then made a U turn back to them. There were three of them and one by one they pulled over and turned off their bikes.
Danny walked over to the leader and the two men exchanged a very unusual handshake. Ed had given up trying to define human greetings they changed to often.
“Danny! Man! I figured you were dead by now. I heard what happen over at Brother Pete’s place. Not everyone faces down the snakes and keeps breathing.”
“Yeah… well don’t place any bets about me seeing my 20th birthday in a couple of months. A lot can happen.” Danny looked sized ways at Ed.
The leader caught the look and became wary. “Who’s your friend Danny?” the tone was not friendly.
“Oh this is Ed. He kind of saved me tonight. I almost lost my footing looking down into the river. Dropped my last pack of cigarettes while looking over the side of the bridge. Ed meet Wolf, and the one in the head band is Charlie and the one with the black vest is Tommy.” Ed nodded to each man in return as they acknowledged the introduction and knew that Danny vouching for him is the only reason they even gave him a second look. Wolf continued to give Ed a hard look as he asked Danny where they were headed.
“Down to the Eagles Nest for lack of any place else to be.”
The leader must have finally decided that Ed was no great threat. He looked at Danny and the others. Well we got to be some where else but we’re going passed there. We’ll give you and “Ed” a ride. The way Wolf said Ed showed he still had his doubts. Tommy made room for Ed and Danny hopped on the back of Wolf’s and the big Harleys headed for the Eagles Nest.
Five minutes later Danny and Ed waved good-bye to the men and headed across the parking lot to the restaurant and bar. Just as Danny stepped up on the porch that fronted the building Ed stopped and turned and looked in the direction that the bikes had taken. He had that feeling... that premonition that he got sometimes that Wolf had not seen the last of Ed. He smiled. Now Wolf was more his kind of case. He turned back and Danny had already entered the restaurant. Ed put himself inside the door. Once he had dismounted the bike he had started the process of removing himself from human memory and sight. no reason to stay visible. He found it interfered with business most of the time when his charge was in the present of other humans.
Danny was standing just to one side of the door letting his eyes adjust to the dimmer light. His years on the street had taught him good habits about entering into a strange environment. But then, thought Ed, you either learned the ways of the street or you died. Danny was still alive at this point. He had learned well, maybe too well since Ed had been sent to him. Finally Danny felt comfortable enough to move and he walked at a slow pace to the back of the room and the door that was there. as he moved to the door he nodded and slapped hands with the men he passed and smiled at the ladies with them. Apparently Danny was a regular since he seemed to know everyone there. One of the older waitresses came over to him when he reached the door.
“Danny! when was the last time you ate something.” She was a graying redhead that obviously viewed Danny as a son or something like.
“Hey! Midge!” “I don’t remember, maybe last night?” answered Danny.
“Yeah! Sure Danny.” “I’ll have Charlie fix you a plate.” Midge smacked Danny gently on the face and tried not to smile at him.
Danny opened the door and once again stepped to the side of the door. the light was not that much different but the atmosphere was. Danny scanned the room and then took an empty stool at the near end of the bar. There were only about 6 men present and a couple of girls that hung out there for reasons of their own. Danny knew them all and nodded as each acknowledged his present in the room. It was only 8:30 p.m. on a late summer night so there was still time before the bar business picked up. Danny sat there thinking over the events that had lead to this day an looked round for Ed. He suddenly realized he could not remember seeing Ed since Wolf had dropped him off out front. He sat quietly trying to figure out where Ed went or if he had just been dreaming on the bridge when Bob the bartender plopped a plate of bacon and eggs down in front of him and bottle of beer.
“Thanks Bob!” Danny did not look at the bartender.
The big beefy tattooed man behind the bar shrugged and growled. “Don’t thank me! You got midge turned around your little finger.”
Danny looked at the big man and grinned. It was not that Bob really disliked the boy he just refused to admit that he to felt a fatherly attraction to the street wise urchin. Danny did not know it but it was the view of a lot of people that Danny had a good heart spite of what he had been put thorough. However, Danny did know, for reasons he did not understand, that someone was always willing to help him out. Even in the foster homes the moms and dads seemed to really put themselves out for him. He just never seemed to understand that at the time. Danny sighed, he had been a real jerk as a kid. That thought brought him back to Rev. Pete. Another man who had put himself on the line for one Daniel Adams and almost lost his life. Danny tried to tell him that he did not want his help, did not need his help, and that anyone helping him paid a dear price. There were several dead “friends” behind Danny Adams.
Danny remembered the food before him. One taste and he remembered the last time he ate was 4 days a go. He had not eaten since he had called 911. He was too ashamed to stay for the Paramedics, but he did call everyday to see how Pete was. All he could find out was that Pete was in a coma, but he was out of intensive care and in a room. He wanted to see the young pastor but was afraid the cops might see him and want a sit down at the station. He could not face the cops again, at lease not at this time.
Danny wolfed down the food like the starving man he was. Holding on to his beer with both hands he sat thinking, then the atmosphere changed and he looked up from his beer. A couple of the Sniper Gang had come in; Mutt and Mo, twin brothers, Dressed in dirty blue jeans and black leather vests with their straight brown hair put back in the usual braid and black bandanna. The only way to tell them apart; Mutt wore a full beard down to his chest and Mo had handle bar mustaches. The twins looked about 30 to 40 years old but Danny knew for a fact they were only 26. “Street life and gang life + some jail time will do it a fellar”, as one old biker had told him, “its not the years it’s the mileage…”.
Danny had no beef with the twins or their fellow Snipers but the big knives on their belts and the gang tats on their exposed arms made many others very nervous. Most people steered clear of the twins, even the whores around town tried not to do business with the twins. Rumor had it that they liked to cut up females, seems they had had problems in the HE man sexual arena. Not that it was a topic of discussion. Danny only knew because he had a friend that had almost lost her life to the twins. That friend had left town without a forwarding address. The twins took up two bar stools near the front door they had come thorough and ordered whiskey shots and beers.
Danny once again bowed his head as he sat thinking over the events of the day. Who was Ed and where had he gone or had Danny finally lost what little mind he had left?
Had Danny had the ability to look into that nether world that surrounds the lives of humans he would have seen Ed over in the corner with his feet up on a table and chair tiled back against the wall. Ed sat thinking that in all the millenniums he had spent on earth the human bars had not changed all that much. Oh sure there where the refinements like lights ,A/C, music both live and canned, but bars were bars the world over, new age or old. Just for a metal exercise, he tried to remember the first bar he was in. He was unsuccessful. He remembered a town named Enoc, but just could not remember what he was doing there. He shook his head. Maybe Dad would let him have some time off after he got back. He really needed a vacation off this infernal blue rock. Ed knew the twins were there before they got off their bikes. He had felt them coming. He had no business with the brothers but if they were here there was a greater evil not far behind. The boys were gang members but they served a darker power than the gang. They had sold their souls in blood a long time ago. Satan was their master now. Ed put the legs of the chair down and considered the situation, maybe he had business with the twins after all. He put the chair back against the wall and his feet back on the table and waited. the enemy was near and he needed to defend Danny at all cost.
end chapter
Ed sat at alert. As time passed he began to understand more about why he had been pulled for this assignment. If what he suspected turned out to be true, he was there to stop Satan’s boys from taking Danny’s Soul and to put an end to a certain demon!
Timed passed slowly in the bar and more of the usual customers arrived. Most knew and liked Danny and came over to congratulate him on still being alive. One man even reported that he had heard rumors to the effect that the Snakes had an open contract for his hide. Danny shivered. He really could have gone a long time without hearing that little piece of news. He went to the phone by the bathrooms in the back and called the night nurse at the hospital. He had met her once at a summer dance in town. She told him Rev. was doing better and had opened his eyes for a few minutes that day. The Dr. was hopeful for a recovery but did not know yet how much of one. He thanked her and hung up and returned to the bar. Bob had left another beer at his seat and he sat down and took a drink, it was cold. The other one had got warm before he finally dank it down. He sat wondering if he could get the night nurse to let him in after visiting hours when a chill took over the room. Danny looked up and toward the door. A stranger stood there and everyone was looking in his direction. The chill did not come from the late summer air outside, it seem to precede the man as he walked to the bar and ordered a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Danny did not have a good feeling about the man and debated leaving before trouble started. He had seen to many like this man, trouble and usually death followed his kind around. Danny caught the man’s eye and suddenly he could not move, and just as suddenly Danny was more afraid than he could ever remember. This is not good was the only thought he could think and he sat very quietly.
In the human world time passes slowly but for one who lived in eternity, time stood still. It mattered not to Ed, the enemy would arrived and he would deal with it when it arrived. The question Ed had was which demon was coming. He knew that dad knew, after all the creator knew all from beginning to end, he just never seemed to think it important to inform anyone else at times. Ed noted that the longer it took for the demon to show up the more edgy the twins got. He wondered why, did they sense that they would finally see hell for real this night, did they know this was to be their last night on earth, did they know it was their time to turn their souls over to their dark master? Probably not, they were probably just in a hurry to cut someone up, or kill as the case might be.
Ed brought the chair down on all four legs. He could feel the enemy and he suddenly knew which had been handed the assignment of retrieving souls this night. He smiled. The problem with the smile on Ed’s lips was it was deceiving. To many demons had bet wrong on the out come of the battle because of that smile. Ed stood and readied himself for battle. The fire in his dark eyes seemed very real
Suddenly a tall dark man in a business suite stood in the open door of the bar. Ed noted the demon was just as stupid as the last time they had met. He took human form but he was to stupid to mask the cold evil of his real self. Within minutes those souls that still lived with hope found reasons to leave the bar, those left were already to far gone to save themselves or had made their own deals with the black lord of hell. Ed noted that even the big tough Bob was in doubt as to run or stand. The man ordered a bottle of whisky and a glass, after that, Bob took himself to the store room and only Ed noted the soft click of the lock. At the same time the man and boy’s eyes met a black mist started to ooze from the man and Ed placed himself half way between boy and ooze.
The ooze stopped and boiled in on itself before asking. “Who stands in the way of the business of the Lord of Hell!”
“I do!”, was the soft assured tone of reply from Ed. He stood with his hands at his side and gave off the air of being bored with the whole mess.
The ooze continued to boil and after a moment. “Identify yourself fool!”
“Why?” Ed answer, “You have not identified yourself coward! You just sit there and boil! Cockroach!” the smile once again came to Ed’s face.
An unholy wail came from the ooze. You would insult one of Satan’s lieutenants!” “You fool! You shall die a gruesome death this night!”
“I think not coward! Satan must be hard up for lieutenants if you’re one. You must be one of those that scares small children in the night, with whisper’s and shadows on the wall. Has Satan become so desperate as to send boogie men to collect what rightly belongs to the creator?”
The ooze howled another unearthly sound. “I am the lord Satan’s lieutenant and have come to collect the soul that was promised to him earlier this night!
“You are a lair Arning!” Ed smiled, “ You are a swamp demon from the 6 level and have crawled your way back up to soul harvester. I would have thought that lord Satan would have had a enough of your incompetence by now!”
At the sound of his name coming from this human the ooze drew back again almost to the human whose body he had commandeered. As usuall, when Arning was faced with what was not easily understood, he became confused. The human was right. Arning was not a soul harvester. He had just entered the soul harvester hall when he heard that a soul had escaped and got one of the attendants of the portal to let him through. His ego would not let him admit that he was not smart enough for the job. He had been warned the last time that if he tried to get though the portal again, and was caught, the lord Satan would have him destroyed, but stupidity was not just a human failing. Arning finally figured out that the human before him was not human at all. A revelation that a real soul harvester would have know from the start.
YOU!! you heaven spawned deceiver! Reveal yourself. Who stands in my way????
Ed was not ready to lay it out for the stupid thing before him. Ed knew his job and his job was to destroy this demon. Made him wonder who he was working for this night. Hell or Heaven. Oh well the result would be the same. A human soul saved and a defunk demon.
He had made the demon back up but he still was just ooze. It was easier to destroy something of substance so Ed tried another taunt.
“I see that all you can do is ooze! What happened? Big daddy Satan take away your form?” Ed’s smile widened and a soft chuckle came out of it, “Oh that’s right, you’re just a swamp demon. No form for you, just muck!”
Arning howled again, as if the insult had hurt his feelings. Did demons have feelings? Ed would have to make an effort to find out, not that he really cared, but the knowledge might come in handy in the future. What ever the truth, the ooze before him took on some substance and began to look like reddish ash, with more solid form, something with legs maybe, it was hard to tell. Ah! A yellowish eye good enough!
“I am Arning! Soul harvester for the Lord Satan of Hell!! Reveal yourself heaven spawn!”
Ed thought of more taunts but he noted the twins were tired of waiting their turn and had started to move around the bar. He sighed, human always seemed in a big rush to die, he never had understood mortals.
“As you wish scum sucker!” Ed thought, and with that he bowed his head.
A sudden wind seem to surround Ed and a light from nowhere illuminated the transformation of the angle named Ed.
His human clothes were replaced by the silver and shiny black robe his Creator had given him. His salt and pepper hair flowed and arranged itself in the sliver and onyx hair that matched the robe and the wings that had suddenly appeared and flared and then arranged themselves at rest on his back. Finally a flaming sword appeared in the transforming angles hands. Ed raised his head and his dark eyes were now pale and had within each a small leaping flame.
The demon screamed at what he saw before him. YOU!!!!!! “ED” the Eternal Defender. NO it can not be. There was nothing in the report about you. Why do you stand for this human. What importance to The Creator is he. It’s not fair. Because of you I was sent to the 6 level. No I will not let you have the boy. He is mine. I will take him and prove I am a soul harvester. STAND ASIDE OR DIE ED!!!
ED stood before the demon ooze and softly spoke one word with a smile. “NO”
While this exchange of words was in progress the twins impatient to be about killing came from around the bar with knives in hand. What they saw was an old man in old beat up clothes with a small pocket knife in his left hand. Easy meat for the twins they would enjoy the moment and later enjoy the drugs and booze with the money they earned for the killing.
The ED raised his sword and with one stroke cut the twins in half and as he brought his sword back to the resting position passed it though the twins again and their heads separated and rolled to the feet of the human/demon.
Ed was surprised to see the demon withdraw back to the body he commanded as the heads rolled to its feet. Within the next instant the demon lunged forward, his form now completely solid as his claws came at Ed. The sword once again made a single stroke and the claws still attached flew into the air and then on to the bar. As THE ED brought the sword back to rest he smashed the flat side down on the head of the demon causing it to exploded and there by causing the whole of the demon to vaporize and disappear for eternity. Master Satan had kept his threat of destruction. The body of the tall man in the suite fell in a heap and a smell came up from it. It would later be found to be that of a man that had died 48 hours earlier of a massive heart attack. Swamp demons were never very picky!
Later, when police were called, those that did not have to be taken to the hospital would report that all they saw was the twins approach the old man and he had raised his hand and the twins had literally fell apart. Then there had been a loud noise and a smell of rotting meat and the big man had fell. No one could tell who the old man was and when Bob was hauled out of the store room to help identify the dead men he looked around and asked what happen to Danny but no one could remember seeing him after the Old man appeared. The survivors were taken to KUMC to the Psyhic ward, where some still remain, incoherent and brain damaged. As for Danny, he spent the rest of the night under a bridge by the river shivering, while a old man name Ed built a fire and kept a silent vigil over the boy. Morning took it own sweet time in coming. When dawn finally came Ed placed Danny at Rev Pete’s bedside.
Later when Rev Pete asked Danny about what happened that night, what Danny remembered was a bad dream that he could not escape from until the demon exploded. When that happened, Danny suddenly found his feet and started running. He ran and ran until he was under the bridge headed out into the river. Then Ed showed up hauled him kicking and screaming from the water and had he sat till morning light when he found himself at the bed side of a fully recovered Pete. As he remember it, when dawn finally came, Danny was at Rev Pete’s bedside and the night was like a bad dream.
When the police showed up at the hospital they were all for arresting Danny for the murders that had taken place the night before, but the night nurse, and Rev Pete himself who had made a full recovery in the night, stated that Danny had suddenly shown up at the hospital at 2:00 am and had spent the rest of night talking to the young Rev about the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.
However, Danny himself, when he finally had his sit down with the cops, told a completely different story about demons and angels and being saved from drowning. He started with the Snakes attack on the Rev and didn’t end until he found himself at he hospital. Since there was no blood on the boy as there should have been, since the whole bar and everyone in it was covered with blood the cops finally let the boy go.
The cops, for lack of anything else that made sense, put out a warrant for an unknown white elderly male of undetriemred years with long salt and pepper hair old blue jeans, black leather jacket and black tee shirt and blue ball cap wore backwards. He was to be considered armed and dangerous. While they waited to find the unknown old man they busied themselves with the arrest of 4 member of the Snakes for the assault on Rev Pete.
Danny was finally able to ask Rev Pete why he lied about the time he showed up at the hospital. Rev. Pete looked surprised at Danny, I didn’t! I woke up and you were there with the nurse and when I asked what time it was the nurse said it’s 2 am! Danny never asked again.
As for Ed, well… he could be found in a place under heaven drinking sweet tea and telling old stories to Jabal who had become a regular visitor. Humans would never find him.