The Rebellion of The Angels, page 27
—I give you my sword, my bow and my quiver with arrows, in case some other girl appeared like me threatening you with this type of weapons —And the man, excited, took the gifts answering at the same time:
—You do not know how happy I would be if I was ever visited again but by you and not by others. But that will not happen anymore, right?
—I am afraid not —Experience said disappointed, and to cheer the sad captain of the caravel up before so much goodbye, Hope, clinging to her beloved Eyes of Heaven, whom Experience healed for the second time during the return trip with the gift of her hands and whose romance they no longer hid, said:
—I will talk to King Lagash of the kingdom of Chacra, and I will tell him about the ships you design and build. Perhaps he is interested in making some for his empire and he gives you work.
—Would you do that for me? —The captain asked happily.
—Nothing is lost by trying —Hope said.
—Horsemen, ride your horses. We will continue our trip —Experience said. When this was done, they all got lost on the road that led to the South, even greeting the captain of the caravel from afar.
After several more weeks of travel, although in this case on horseback and not already in caravel, the group of horsemen reached the high hill above the eastern region of the kingdom of Chacra. It was there in the heights and under an afternoon of autumn sun, where Experience announced for the whole group:
—This is the end of our trip —And although many of the horsemen knew it, they did not stop regretting it, from being sad. Experience, Youth, Light, Peace, Love and Compassion should return to the Kingdom of Heaven. For that reason, their respective guardian angels left the pockets of their jackets and fluttered around them. As when they arrived, they chose a high place to leave the kingdom of the Earth, which at least did not seem so far from heaven, although fundamentally they did so not to be seen by anyone but their friends.
The greetings were almost endless. The emotion covered several faces. Eyes of Heaven told Experience when it was his turn to say goodbye to her:
—Do not worry about Rahab. Hope and I will take care of her. And thank you for saving my life, Experience, for allowing me to stay in this life with the angel with the skin of a woman I love the most, next to Hope —Experience hugged him smiling. While Rahab said goodbye to Light, whose wound was healed, the one she suffered in her arm, saying:
—I ask you to forgive me if at some point I prejudged you for your differences with Youth. I met her first. But luckily, God gave me the chance to meet you, as well as her, Light, and you know, even knowing that I should love them all equally, I cannot hide my greatest feeling of love, pride and admiration towards you, Light —And Rahab hugged Light shedding tears, and the last one, which seemed so strong, broke instantly after the words of Rahab, who continued:—. You know, if God gave me to choose my guardian angel, I would not hesitate to choose you, to ask for you... —And they hugged once more with tears in their. And Youth said:
—Well maybe Light is already your guardian angel... remember that she was the one who saved you on the island of the Valleys of Fire.
Rahab affirmed what Youth said hugging Light with one arm, and cleaning her damp face because of so much crying, with the other.
—Then, young lady, you must be my guardian angel —Suleiman thought about Experience, who saved his life when he was dying inside the terrifying tent located in the cloudy forest camp, after being wounded with a sword by one of the leading demons—. Therefore, thank you. Thank you very much once again —Experience smiled once more.
After the greetings and leaving their friends a few meters down the hill, the group of horsemen observed how the guardian angels of Experience, Youth, Light, Peace, Love and Compassion became angelic aureoles, covering them around their bodies, making them disappear until they elevate them to the heavens…
Later, in the company of the evening twilight and the wind that blew from the West, the group of horsemen came to the kingdom of Chacra —the one that during the war against the demons received the help of the kingdoms of Agade, Kish, Anu and Enlil, and that after so many months could get up, healing the wounds produced by the war— where they were received by its King Lagash, after he was noticed by his soldiers.
Beside the doors of access to the palace were Hope, Eyes of Heaven, Rahab, Offer, Temperance, Kindness, Suleiman and the rest of the angels with the skin of men and women who survived the war, in the company of the king, the general of the army, and the four friends of Abed who also survived the war in that town.
—Thank God, I thought we would not see you again. Mairim, dear, welcome to the kingdom of Chacra, your town —King Lagash told Hope, as he knew her by the fantasy name she used, and then he said to Eyes of Heaven, also known by the king under a name of fantasy:—. Welcome, Oilim, my young mountain man.
—My lord, he will no longer be a mountain man... —Hope said, at the astonishment of the king who did not understand so much—. He will be my man, my husband, and she, —She said, looking at Rahab—. our protégée... because her father has fallen in battle and she lost her mother many years ago. Therefore, we will be her new family.
Silently, Abed's four friends regretted his death. Instead, the king looked pleased at the new citizen of his kingdom:
—Her name is Rahab. And he is Suleiman, our... —Hope continued, not knowing what to say about the role of the wizard, so Eyes of Heaven highlighted:
—Our horse-keeper, Sir —And Suleiman looked at him displeased at the description of his function, and the friends of Abed took it with some fun.
Suddenly, a soldier interrupted the conversation saying:
—My king, the treasure that sent me to seek —And he gave the monarch the Holy Grail, which was safe and sound, and holding it tight, the king said:
—My friends, this belongs to you —And he handed the sacred cup to Hope, saying:—. Now, if they do not have other future plans, I would like them to continue living in this one, in the kingdom of Chacra, with us. The library will continue to be your home, unless you ask me for another place to live. In fact it has remained closed since you left, and if it were not for you, I would prefer it not to reopen.
—Do not worry, Sir, the library will reopen, and it will be administered and protected by us —Hope said, who then continued:—. Now, if you excuse us, we should get to it to rest.
—Of course, go ahead —The king invited them to continue their way to this building, although before going too far, Hope called:
—Sir... —And the king turned around—. Sir, tomorrow I would like to talk to you about a man I met, who designs and builds boats of different shapes and sizes. It occurred to me that you might be interested in the incorporation of such ships...
—It sounds interesting, it sounds interesting. Tomorrow we will talk about that, young lady —And they all left to their homes.
Hours later, in the Kingdom of Heaven... Experience, Youth, Light, Peace, Love and Compassion reached their natural home, but the angelic aureoles that also took the form of guardian angels, did not deposit them inside that room where all the angels enjoyed not only the different meals, but fundamentally the talks, meetings and prayers with God, their Father, but they left them outside, next to the closed doors of that place that seemed empty, so that no one hesitated to greet God, who would surely wait for them next to the altar, and in doing so... the peace that until then they were breathing outside the room, was surrounded by applause... Dozens and dozens of angels and human souls, including Abed, the father of Rahab, accompanied by the soul of a beautiful woman who perhaps was his wife, received the successful angels with the skin of men and women that God, his father, sent to the kingdom of the Earth to put an end to the demons, ensuring that the life of man and woman will last.
Then, overflowing with joy and still wearing the bodies and faces that they had in the Earth kingdom, including their white clothes with which they faced the war, and that by the way were quite similar to those of many of those present there; the group walked to the altar by the central corridor left by their brothers angels and the human souls located on the sides, -Between the human souls were those of the angels with the skin of men and women who also died during the war-, and standing firm in front of the light that seemed a lightning, came from the altar representing God, the voice of the Almighty was heard saying:
—My dear and beloved angels —Perhaps shedding a tear for the way he received them, excited like their six angels disciples standing there:
—Thank you, thank you for fulfilling my will in the Kingdom of the Earth and for returning to this, your Heavenly Kingdom. I am very proud of you, even if I have some complaints for some of you, which I will then let you know personally and privately —Youth looked at one side of the altar and Light looked for her with her eyes, behind Experience—. Now, to the rest of those present, I ask you to give another loud applause to your recent arrived brothers, as they deserve it —And everyone applauded until God said:—. Peace, I see you want to say something, what happens?
—Sir… — Peace seemed not to be sure of asking for something—. Sir, my brothers and I, who descended to the kingdom of the Earth, want to ask you, without any offense, if we can keep these faces and bodies that you gave us when descending to Earth in this, our natural life, since we are accustomed to them and we like them —There was then an important silence until God asked:
—The rest of the angels. Do you have some problem in that your sisters Experience, Youth, Light and Peace, and your brothers Love and Compassion, keep, in the Kingdom of Heaven, the faces and bodies that I gave to them under my grace when they descended to the Earth? —They all moved their heads, pointing out that there were no problems, but just in case, God changed the question saying:—. Are you sure that no one would feel inferior, despised, if they kept the same faces and bodies they had when they lived in the Earth's kingdom? —The answer was the same as before, so God did not hesitate to say:—. Then, right granted. You will keep in this, the Kingdom of Heaven, the same faces and bodies that until then... —The six smiled happy and God continued:—. Now, you can leave —And when Youth and Light did that, like the rest, God called them:—. Youth, Light, you two stay please —Then both returned the few steps that they had made, observed by Experience, Peace, Love and Compassion, who imagined some type of punishment for those, reason why later they continued walking towards the door of exit of that room.
Once all of them had left that room, with the exception of those specially called by God, Youth and Light, their Almighty Father asked:
—You could look at me, please —Youth was doing the distracted looking to one side and Light, who was looking at Youth, tried not to laugh. Both looked towards the light above the altar, they looked at God who was represented by that light, and he said:
—I suppose you will imagine why I called you especially alone, right?
—Not the slightest idea, Father —Youth answered quickly.
—I doubt it is like that, but then I will clarify your possible ideas. First of all, I would like to congratulate both of you for the effort you made in accepting each other rather than understanding each other; and after doing so, you love each other as you are, among other things, sisters. For taking care of each other and saving the other's life in the Earth's kingdom, even risking one's own. For put your differences away, which I hope have been forgotten. I suppose that your maturity, Youth, although you still have some sequels of immaturity, such as looking to the side of the altar when you know very well that you have to look at me, has made your relationship with Light, in recent times, more satisfying, so I congratulate you. As well as I congratulate you, Light, for your understanding and patience with Youth.
But even so, I must communicate to you two, that you will be punished...
—What kind of punishment are we talking about, Father? —Youth asked, frowning, as if not wanting to hear the answer.
—You cannot go to the skies for a month... —They both accepted that first punishment—. You will have to clean this room for a whole month... —That did not seem so bad either—. And finally, for a whole month, you will only be given a dish for lunch and dinner...
—No… No… Father —They repeated as a duet. Like all the angels, Light was fond of eating, and to satisfy herself she needed two dishes during lunch and dinner, but Youth... no less than three for each main meal.
—Why such punishment? With what reasons? —Youth asked.
—You still want the reasons... —God replied—. You stole corn from a field. You contradicted Experience in more than one opportunity —Youth, little by little was blushing—. You threatened the good man, owner of the ship, with your weapons. You stole a map from the library and, as if that were not enough, when you saw Experience, whom you thought dead, next to the Ghost Port you exclaimed: “For the beards of God”, being accompanied by you, Light, who answered: “Has he beard?” And if that was not enough, Youth, you finished with a “Maybe”...
—But they were passing comments —Youth answered.
—A month will also pass soon... —God said, who then continued:—. Now, you can leave —And both left regretting everything they did, but they were illuminated by that light that represented God, who could not be angry at all, if God ever got angry, with creatures as loving and adorable as those, like Youth and Light, who finally left the room hugging.
After several months… In the library of the kingdom of Chacra, in a room with high walls on the third floor that had a balcony whose sight led to the hills to the East, Hope, Eyes of Heaven, Kindness, Offer, Temperance and the wizard Suleiman, shared after a long lunch, sitting next to a long table that was illuminated by the light that entered through the window of that balcony where Rahab was, with a long dress and her hair tied, sitting next to a small table which has quill, ink, and several sheets that seemed to be part of the draft of a personal diary or book perhaps. Then, sheltered by a spring sun and consuming the cool breeze that came from the East, Rahab called:
—Hope, Eyes of Heaven, come, all of you, come —And everyone went to the balcony somewhat alarmed.
—What happen? —Hope worried asked.
—Nothing is wrong, do not worry —Rahab smiled—. I have reached the end of my story and I wanted to read the end to see what you think.
—Go ahead then, we hear you —Eyes of Heaven approved, at the anxiety of the rest, including friends that none of them could see: Experience, Youth, Light, Peace, Love, Compassion, and even of Abed himself and his wife who died years ago, that even without being angels, their souls did not want to miss the story that their daughter wrote, and for that reason their faces came out from among the lowest cloud and close to that balcony of the third and last floor of the library, as the angels mentioned appeared. And as if waiting for them too to position themselves to listen to her story, Rahab waited a few more seconds and when everyone was already listening to her, she read the end of her story, of her novel, which said so...
“Finally, the angels of God defeated the demons of Satan, in that battle that since the rebellion of the angels, started a war for the life and existence of man and woman, thus fulfilling the will of God. From then on, for every human being born there will be a guardian angel who will accompany him to his last days, but in the consciousness of man there will also be a demon and the possibility of choosing between doing good or doing evil. Like the possibility of the pairs of opposites, like the representation of the Holy Grail...
For this reason, from then on, a war will begin that will last for centuries, eras, millennia: the war of man against man, a war in which man will debate between using the words that once gave name to the demons of Satan, such as Rage, Hate, Revenge, Envy, Suffering, Pain, Repression, Lust, Greed... words that may unleash differences and differences bring resentment, and resentments bring hate, and hate led to war between brothers...
Although perhaps and hopefully, the man chooses those words that gave name to the angels of God... words such as Love, Compassion, Offer, Temperance, Kindness, Light, Peace...
If the man chooses these last words, then human beings will live together as brothers, regardless of religion, linguistic community, race, social class, physical aspect... This last one is my dream, maybe very big, but sure, not selfish at all...
I will finally point out that, even in the face of the banal temptations in which man can fall unleashing the storm of evil in all its senses... Light will always arise from the darkness... And that as long as there is Light... there will always be Hope...”
The end
INDEX
Chapter I: From Heaven to Earth
Chapter II: A great scare
Chapter III: The saviour passage
Chapter IV: The first capture
Chapter V: An ally on the road
Chapter VI: Does an angel die?
Chapter VII: Rebirth
Chapter VIII: A new hostage
Chapter IX: Dreams and romance
Chapter X: Fearful demons
Chapter XI: Miracles
Chapter XII: Love without fear
Chapter XIII: Hope
Bruce Giannini, The Rebellion of The Angels
