The Rebellion of The Angels, page 7
Once they were there, there was a radiant light in front of the great altar, the light that represented God, that enlightened them once more and everyone said: "This is the sacrament of our faith... We announce your blessing Lord, yours the power and glory forever, our Lord"... and then, a curtain of water that covered the entire room, reached them as if it were really raining. It was raining holy water.
—My dear angels —the Almighty said—. The mission of your sisters, who were sent to Earth, and therefore the life of the man, are in imminent danger. Evil is prowling Heaven and Earth. But do not despair, because even so, evil is still coward, although we must respect it anyway. As the hours pass, the enemy will become more powerful and ambitious. It may be his own ambition that kills him, as it could also be me who puts an end to all this, but the man must have his chance on Earth. For this reason I will guide, protect and enlighten you in what we call "The war between angels and demons for the life of the man”. Each one will contribute with his wisdom and will give himself to the other, when it is time to act. Experience and Youth will need your help. That is why I have decided to send four of you to be their incognito protectors —and God called—. Light, Peace, Love, Compassion... —and the four left their rows and approached the altar.
—You will be in charge of this mission —And both the female and the male angels accepted those words of their Creator with the seriousness that covered the case, as Experience and Youth did in their moment.
Then God continued:
—As I told Experience and Youth, I will transport you to a safe place where no one will notice your arrival, and fundamentally, close to the region travelled by Experience and Youth to whom, I reiterate, you must protect but neither your sisters nor anyone could notice that —And while God was saying all this, the four angels were already covered with their aureoles that, once they arrived on Earth, would become their respective guardian angels -those that were the size of a butterfly although their flight was faster-. Light, Peace, Love and Compassion began the descent in their aureoles with their new physiognomy of humans, which was a bit different from that of angels, if one took into account that in one way or another they were all precious; God completed, talking to the four elected.
—I will be close to all of you. We will be praying for all of you. Remember your prayers and do not forget your songs... —And when the four assigned angels disappeared completely from the place in their aureoles, God and all the other angels continued gathering and reciting some of their prayers...
...And while that was happening in the Kingdom of Heaven, in the Heavenly country... on Earth, Experience, Youth and Rahab, after walking who knows how many miles underground, precisely for that underground path that was born in the abandoned castle, which, in the best of cases, slid and at times forked off, as if it belonged to different roads or galleries built by a community of moles, maybe they came to one of the many exits, ending in the middle of a field of tall and dry grass that thanks to its abundance managed to perfectly hide that cave, by which the three young women quickly left accompanied by the light of dawn, seeing beyond, in the southern direction, perhaps hundreds of miles away, where a huge plantation of vegetables rose in a neighbouring field, because the height of these was still superior to the one of the grass that surrounded them.
Experience and Youth, although they understood that that vegetation was rising towards the South, tried to corroborate their first intuition and looking in all possible directions, they oriented themselves truly confirming what was thought, while Rahab took a few sips from her wineskin. In the distance, perhaps as much as towards the South, the plantation of vegetables was seen; to the North the treetops that were part of the eucalyptus forest were appreciated, and to the East and West more field that seemed infinite.
—We will continue to the South; perhaps crossing that apparently cultivated field we would find some track or trail that takes us to some town —Experience thought, walking the first steps followed by her guardian angel.
—After all we have walked, I hope I would not see that eucalyptus forest anymore, because I do not think that forest is any other than the one we already know —Youth said, looking back as they continued walking in a southern direction, followed by her guardian angel.
They walked a large part of the field, although when they look to the front, the cultivated vegetables in the neighbouring sector were still far away, and this gave them the feeling of not having advanced anything, but that feeling disappeared when they looked at the sky; the morning turned blue with the passing of minutes. The sky was clear and there was no wind. The air was warm.
—Can we rest at some point? —Rahab asked.
—We hope we will find a refuge by dusk —Youth answered.
—Rahab, I am sorry we disappointed you, but we must take advantage of the light of the day to advance as much as we can. It would be dangerous to stop here and even more in the open field, in addition to a significant waste of time —Experience explained.
—I do not think the demons will stop looking for us —Youth said.
—If only we could have escaped with the horses...! —Rahab exclaimed.
They continued walking with their eyes working with effort not to close. At times Rahab seemed to fall asleep letting a serene breeze that blew now from the North lead her forward, until she opened her eyes, shaking them as if she was frightened, when she stepped on the pieces of grass as thick as dry reeds that, without being tall, towered over the ground, and seemed to pierce their boots, sticking like splinters in the soles of their feet.
Experience and Youth also experienced a significant fatigue, but the proximity to that neighbouring field revived them a little. In fact, they could already understand that this land that seemed infinite was not only cultivated but also harvested. It was a corn field, which led to think that someone worked the crop in the area, and soon they could receive help from their peasant owner.
They crossed two wire fences several meters apart from each other, and they entered the field worked for the cultivation of corn, the vegetable of those plantations that they glimpsed in the distance.
That cultivated field allowed them to walk side by side, though separated by the rows of plantations that seemed to be infinite, without paying too much attention to where they walked.
Experience walked in the middle; Youth by her side, who was not long behind, just enough to open his rucksack without taking it off her shoulder; from time to time, she inspected that both Experience and Rahab did not notice that she was taking as quietly as possible more than one corn, which she then put in her rucksack. Until in a shake, Rahab looked at her out of the corner of her eye and she discovered what her companion was doing, imitating her action later. Shortly after, Experience seemed to get tire of what her friend and Rahab were doing...
—Youth, you are not a good influence for Rahab —Experience said, showing that thanks to her sensitive auditory senses, she knew what her friend was doing from the beginning, what Rahab then imitated.
—Leave all the vegetables on the floor —She ordered—. The owner of these fields will collect them.
—But Experience, they will rot! —Youth exclaimed.
—The mischief is already done —Rahab, a little more awake said.
—You call it "mischief" but you are stealing the harvest of people who are working to earn a living and feed their family, and sometimes even lose crops for the lack or excess of water —Experience explained. Rahab left the three corns she took on the ground, and Youth did the same with seven of the eight corns she collected.
—Youth, you still keep one —Experience said.
—Why did you agree to taste the sugar from the cane fields? —Youth asked.
—Because those plantations were wild.
—And what will happen if we run out of food in a few days, stranded in a mountain or another place without it? —Youth insisted.
—We will study it when the time comes, when the food is really scarce. For now, we have what the Lord gave us and you especially... —Experience pointed out, always speaking to her friend—. ...you are the one who ate the most, or perhaps you forget that last night, while we were listening to Rahab, you tasted everything that was on the table.
—I was weakened by the blow —Youth said.
—Youth, I do not think God likes that any of us think so much about the future, forgetting to live the present that he gives us every day, beyond that we both have a specific mission here on Earth. I wonder what example we can give this young woman.
—Excuse me —Youth apologised to her friend.
—I do not think it is me who should forgive you —Experience answered; making Youth said a prayer to God in a low voice, as a penance for her act.
They completed the entire journey through the cultivated field in the early afternoon. The sun shone brightly, as much as to paint the corn on the margins of the plantation, from orange to pure yellow.
—What a disappointment! I thought we would find a house and we could talk to its owner, so that he could give us a better guidance on which road to take, where to continue ...! —Youth said disappointed.
—However, that seems to be the roof of a ranch —Rahab discovered when she looked at East, where a hillock descended in the distance, effectively hiding a large part of a house, although discovering its roof.
—Even so, we will continue in another direction. We will go towards the Southwest —Experience said.
—That way, maybe we will get closer to the villages in the central region than to the villages in the western region —Rahab thought.
—If that were the case, arriving at the first town in the central region instead of going down to the South, we will continue going down towards the Southwest, until we reach the West Coast region —Youth explained
—Honestly, I am totally lost. I do not know if it was a good idea to take you through that underground passage —Rahab said.
—Yes, it was. It was useful to get out of trouble. Otherwise, perhaps we would have been pursued by the murderous capybaras —Experience answered.
—Do not name them, imagine if they locate us —Youth emphasized, without forgetting her blow against the entrance door of that abandoned castle, which happened when those beasts were chasing them.
—Come on, we have to go down to the Southwest —Experience said.
Then, they began to walk through an arid area where there was not a single wild plant although, far away, where the field was divided, some thorny bushes and blackthorns grew. As the small group advanced, the plants multiplied in abundance, and when they looked at the shore, they only saw more and more field covered by that vegetation.
They walked a few hours, always in the Southwest direction. The sun was going down through the West, alerting the small group of young people. In a few hours the night would come, and they had not found anything relevant yet.
By mutual agreement, each one of them unpacked their cookies, although they would not eat more than to satisfy their appetites. In fact they had not planned to camp, and even less in the open field. They preferred to walk a few more hours until the night reached them, begging to have found a shelter to spend the night.
Youth took a few sips from her wineskin, and tired of walking in a specific direction but still in a lost way, without knowing when they would arrive in a town or cross paths with someone, still seeing field wherever she looked at, she began to sing followed by Experience. They were carefully listening by Rahab who, following the melody of their voices, stretched her arms as if she was carried by the air that was beginning to blow, cooling from the East.
Lord I will follow you,
Where do you take me, I will go
Show me that place where you live
Take me to your home with you...
And after walking several more miles, the small group saw a meadow that extended uphill on their way, which motivated them to think that in their descent, they would discovered some house... But what seemed close delayed them until the twilight fell, to which they smiled and breathed deeply; downhill, the meadow continued to open until it fell at the foot of a thick forest of large trees with broad, deciduous leaves, that beyond protected a series of roofs built in wood, which at a distance did not allow to guess what type of construction it was, but still they seduced the small group, who dreamed of finding some person to guide them with respect to how much they still needed to walk, in order to reach one of the towns located on the western region of that southern continent.
Safe and expectant, they walked down the meadow under the light of the young night, singing a prayer under their breath...
One night of Experience and Youth
protecting a star
blue star in the light of the moon
the moon smiled on her prettiest face
pretty young girls who walked at night ...
... Experience, serene as a breeze that breathed by her side
like the nights of stars
dazzling full of life
like the green spring
flashing sublime beauty
colouring the cosy landscapes
through its smile ...
... Youth, charming as nature
releasing peace when breathing
her transparent and pure soul
like spring water
as loud as seawater
smiling like a girl when playing ...
Rahab, the youngest
tender as a butterfly
sweet as the syrup
fresh as tiger nut milk
happy as larks.
This way Rahab traced steps
sheltered by two angels with women's skin
as a princess in a fairy tale.
The three young men arrived at the north edge of the thick forest of large trees with broad, deciduous leaves. Experience and Youth, always followed by their respective guardian angels, without hesitation went into the forest, walking among its most common species, the oak and beech that at their feet were kept warm by the socks that lush and dense vegetation abounded by ferns gave them.
They crossed the forest in its narrowness and they came across those constructions that they had discovered from above, recognizing then what was that diffuse structure in the distance: a kind of hostelry, lost in an area of green space dedicated mainly to the cultivation of vineyards that they made, processed, and later distributed to the nearest villages and towns, in light carts dragged by four horses.
The young women went to the front of that kind of hostelry, which extended to the side like long wooden stables, prolonging its continuity even more in a curved way, where the vineyards were supposed to be cultivated.
On the front, the young and light carts were resting, and a pale light fell from two pending lanterns at the main door of the place, which allowed two people to enter at a time. From outside and through the white curtains, whose nice finish appeared to have been made by a seamstress, they could appreciate more life and movement.
Experience and Youth hid their guardian angels in the pockets of their jackets, and they entered the place with Rahab, reaching a small counter bar. The owner of the place apparently was in charge of it, who seemed to make numbers: he had the quill in his hand and several scattered papers.
—¡What a strange visit, at least for a day at the beginning of the week! —The man of an big and robust figure exclaimed, who had long moustaches and who had several dozens of years.
The girls looked around; to one side there were a few tables for two people, perhaps because it was the smallest wing of the hostelry, which inside looked like an old—fashioned tavern or tea house perhaps, and which to the other side extended into the same style, but with many more tables, and in some cases for up to six people. A corridor with access to the bathrooms cut the back end down, and a little further on, a ladder made of wood like that entire place, which led to the first floor where the rooms waited for their occupants, who commonly invaded the hostelry during the weekends. Also, behind the bar was an old kitchen.
In short, that place which in the beginning was the centre of distribution of wines for the whole region and nearby towns, with the pass of time and thanks to the people who sought to know the wineries and especially the process of elaboration and cultivation of the grape, took on, thanks to the progressive initiative of its owner, who in turn hired more employees, the form of hostelry for the people that every time and with greater frequency chose to visit them and enjoyed the different landscapes that nature gave them on that region.
—Good evening —Experience greeted, followed by those who accompanied her—. You see, our visit is due to many reasons. First of all, we have been walking for countless hours without finding a safe place. We want to reach the towns located on the western region, preferably one that has a library, but the truth is that...
—You are lost... —The owner of the place guessed.
—Exactly —Experience said.
—You are not the first. Many other people visited us many years ago, quite strange, by the way, and in greater numbers —Experience and Youth looked at each other instantly, thinking perhaps of the group of angels with the skin of men and women led by Eyes of Heaven, or the one that Hope commanded, without being able to avoid, at the same time, thinking that those groups of people to which the owner alluded, may well have been groups of demons in their state of men.
—¿They visited us? —Rahab asked quietly.
—Sure, I live with my wife. Ruth, come Ruth, we have visitors —The woman approached the bar. She was also robust and with red hair.
—Hello, good night —She greeted them.
—Good evening —The small group said in unison.
