Quincy entered the post office and saw a long line of people waiting to deliver their post. The building was congested to the point that the heat radiating from their bodies combined to create a pungent aroma of sweat, body odor, and dirty socks. The hunter stared at the line of people and thought for a moment that it was not worth standing among them and was tempted to leave the post office, but he decided it would be too time consuming to wander the streets of Baltimore searching for a library, so he reluctantly got in line.
After fifteen minutes had passed, it was finally his turn. He stepped up to the counter and smiled at the postal worker. “Hello, sir. I need to purchase a map of Baltimore.”
“That’ll be five cents from your coffer,” the employee flatly stated.
Quincy reached into his pocket for the money, then handed it to the man and took the map from him. He then took the map from him and exited the smelly post office. Outside in the fresh air, he breathed deeply while he unfolded the map. It revealed three libraries in the city. One of them was the library Poe had visited, so Quincy focused on the other two and decided to head toward the library closest to the post office. Before he could fold up the map and put it into his coat pocket, a gust of wind ripped it from his hands.
Quincy chased after the map as it tumbled down the street and landed near the wheel of a carriage. He approached the carriage and bent down to retrieve the map just as a woman emerged from it with a worried expression on her face. As she stared at Quincy in his precarious position grabbing for the map, he looked up at her and could not help noticing that she was holding an envelope addressed to Poe. Therefore, he deemed the woman to be Frances Osgood and surmised that she was on her way into the post office to drop off yet another letter for him.
“Pardon me, miss,” Quincy said. “This is going to sound intrusive and I apologize, but I could not help noticing that the letter you are holding is destined for Edgar Allan Poe. Is this correct?”
Frances formed a shocked look on her face and answered Quincy’s question, but the hunter forgot that his hearing was absent and was left in suspense as he watched her lips moving. Thus, he interrupted her speech with a gesture of his hand and said, “I am sorry, madam, but I can’t hear you. My hearing is temporarily lost, so I am forced to communicate with others in writing.”
Quincy reached inside his coat and pulled out his ledger and a pen, then handed them to Frances and instructed her to repeat what she said on the paper. The lady complied with the hunter’s request, then handed him the notebook containing the following message: Yes, I am on my way into the post office to send off this letter to him, but how do you know Edgar? And more importantly, who are you?
The hunter smiled and said, “My name’s Nathaniel Quincy. I am a long-time friend and colleague of Edgar. We have known each other for many years. But I must change the topic to inform you as to why I am suffering from momentary deafness. Edgar and I were on a hunting expedition when a gun misfired near us and the sound ruptured our eardrums. However, we are both fine and unscathed otherwise. Although, it is difficult waiting for our hearing to return, which may take as long as two weeks.”
While Frances’ facial expression was one of happiness upon learning she had met one of Poe’s close friends, after Quincy revealed they had both suffered injury from an accident, the look of worry and fright replaced her feelings of elation. She took the ledger back and wrote: It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Quincy, and it saddens me to learn of the injuries that have stricken you and Edgar. I came to the post office to deliver this letter to Poe because I was worried about him because I have not heard from him in days. He has sent me no letters as of late and this troubles me. I appreciate this meeting between us as I now know the reason for the delay. If you would be so kind as to deliver this letter to Edgar, so it will reach him sooner, I would greatly appreciate it. And do tell Poe that I have him in my thoughts and praying for his swift recovery, and the same goes to you as well, sir!
Quincy smiled warmly and nodded as he reached out to take the letter from her. “Madam, your words are sweeter than a Boston crème pie. I will deliver this letter to him. He’s going to be tickled to hear of our coincidental meeting! I hope I have allayed your fears and worries. Edgar and I will be alright. This is nothing more than a minor setback that we will recover from in due time. Thank you for your kind words!”
After Quincy and Frances shook hands, he hailed a carriage to take her back home. Tucking the letter into his coat, he continued along his way to the library.
At the library, Quincy found his way to the religion section located among the other non-fiction books. He found a multitude of books and pamphlets that ranged in topic from the famous names of the Bible to the most memorable Biblical events to those lesser known people and events of the Holy Book. Quincy also uncovered books that talked about the role of women in the Bible, God and the archangels, and the Host of Heaven, and saw self-help books dedicated to teaching people about the different ways to incorporate more religion into their lives.
The hunter continued to search for a book that could reveal more in-depth information about the archangel known as Gabriel. The first book he found regarding Gabriel was about his role in the Bible. Quincy took this book from the shelf and opened its pages to skim the contents but was disappointed to see there was no mention of the Leviathan. Quincy returned the book to the shelf and soon found another that talked about Gabriel, but this one did not mention anything about a battle between Gabriel and the Leviathan either. The third book Quincy snatched from the shelf was about all the archangels and what each of them symbolized and their virtues, but it only supplied very generalized information about Gabriel, which angered the hunter.
“Where is the book I am looking for?” he asked himself in irritation.
In a moment of luck, Quincy found a book about Gabriel titled The Heroic Conquests of the Lesser Archangel Gabriel. It was one of a series of books that were each dedicated to the six archangels. Quincy seized this book in haste and started searching for the chapter that talked about the battle he had with the Leviathan. His eyes grew wide upon finding the chapter and ran to a table, so he could sit and read what it had to reveal.
The chapter began by explaining how Gabriel arrived to Earth in human form on God’s orders to battle the monster. He appeared as a dashing young blonde man with blue eyes and wore a white robe with a golden belt. However, Gabriel had no weapon to use during the battle because God did not grant him any. Therefore, he sought out a local blacksmith in the village that had been terrorized by the Leviathan. Gabriel visited the blacksmith who mistook him for a Roman soldier, so Gabriel revealed his wings to him in an astral projection to prove that he was indeed an archangel.
Gabriel needed the blacksmith to craft him a weapon to use against the Leviathan and promised him a life of happiness, safety, and success in return. When asked what type of weapon the archangel required, a bright light filled the blacksmith’s shop, then abruptly disappeared. It was a divine message from God telling the archangel that he needed a sword for the battle. The blacksmith immediately went to work. Once the sword was complete, the archangel set off for his combat with the Leviathan.
The monster mainly used its tail in the battle and lashed Gabriel many times, but Gabriel endured the battle and used his powers to weaken the monster. The battle ended when Gabriel defeated the sea monster by plunging his sword into the Leviathan’s heart, which explained to Quincy why alphas had to be stabbed in their heart rather than another part of their body. After successfully defeating the monster, Gabriel returned to the village and blessed the blacksmith, his wife, and their two children with safety, happiness, health, and success.
Before Gabriel could return to Heaven, God instructed him to create nine more swords, then bless them with his blood. Gabriel followed these orders without question and returned to the blacksmith’s shop who was more than happy to oblige. After the nine swords were creat
ed, Gabriel anointed them with his blood, so now he had ten swords to his name, which became known as “the ten swords of Gabriel.” To fulfill the final step of God’s request, the archangel teleported to various parts of the Earth and hid the swords in unknown locations.
At the conclusion of the chapter, a legend is mentioned that suggests if a person prays to God about a sword of Gabriel and they are worthy and without sin, God will reveal to them its location in their dream.
With this information in mind, Quincy was ecstatic and overcome with joy. He placed the book back in its proper location and ran downstairs to the first floor of the library, then dashed past the service desk and quickly thanked the librarian before flying through the main doors and into the street. The librarian was a bit dumbstruck with Quincy’s hasty exit and her face expressed the same look of confusion and curiosity as the librarian Poe had encountered the previous day in the other library.
Poe was in the parlor sipping cognac and pondering about the various stuff in his life. He thought about Frances and the next meeting he will have with her. Then, he fantasized about the victory he and Quincy will gain over the alpha and smiled knowing they will have gotten their revenge on it for damaging their ears. he did not stay in this dreamy mood for long as Quincy entered the house in excitement and showed Poe his ledger.
Poe’s dreamy mood was shattered when Quincy came bursting through the door and excitedly showed him his ledger. Poe took it and read the words Quincy wrote: Hello, Edgar! I bring you marvelous news and information! I was at a library and I found a book about Gabriel’s battle with the Leviathan. Gabriel slayed the monster with a sword by stabbing it in the heart, which explains why alphas must be killed in this manner. But there is more. Gabriel supervised the creation of nine more swords by a blacksmith before he returned to Heaven. He hid the swords in various parts of the Earth in unknown locations. The only way to learn of a sword’s location is through prayer, but God will only reveal the location if the individual is worthy and without sin! A perfect description of us, wouldn’t you agree?
Poe quickly scribbled a reply: This is extraordinary news, Quincy! If a prayer to God is the way to discovering the location of one of Gabriel’s swords, then we will pray tonight immediately before we sleep. Bravo, my good lad, you did very well indeed!
Quincy took the ledger and wrote: Thank you, Edgar! One more important affair. I met Frances for the first time today and told her of our situation. She is worried about you because you have not written to her for some time now. But I assured her that you were fine and told her about our ‘animal hunt’ as the reason for our damaged eardrums. However, you need to talk to her yourself and let her know of your status.
Edgar took the pen and explained: I sent her a letter this morning via a post carriage. I cannot see her until my hearing is restored. I will not talk to her using a mere ledger. Thus, I am waiting for the right moment and day to see her. As of right now, we have much more important priorities such as finding a sword of Gabriel and defeating the alpha. My meeting with Frances will have to wait until my hearing returns. Tonight, we will begin our quest with a Lord’s prayer.
• • •
Night arrived and it was time for the hunters to get some deep healing rest. Together in Quincy’s bedroom, they knelt beside his bed and Poe led the prayer to God.
“Dear heavenly Father, we are gathered before you in search of a divine answer. We pray to you, Lord of Lords who rules Earth and Heaven, for the location of a sword of Gabriel. We need a sword of Gabriel to defeat an alpha that threatens the lives of your valuable creations. With your help and guidance, we shall defeat the alpha in the same manner the archangel Gabriel slaughtered the evil Leviathan. We ask and pray that you reveal the location in our dreams tonight as we sleep. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.”
With the prayer done, Poe bade Quincy good night and retreated to his own room.
Chapter 16
Five hours had passed from the time the hunters prayed to the current moment they were in their beds asleep. It was three o’ clock in the morning and Poe and Quincy received a divine message from God through multiple visions. The visions were painful and very realistic. All the images were of a red-bricked church named St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. It was in the city of Baltimore. The hunters were in much pain as various images of the church rapidly flickered through their minds. The final vision was a glimpse of the sword they were looking for.
After much pain and screaming, the hunters awoke at the same time and screamed the other’s name. They ran out of their bedrooms filled with excitement and met each other in the hallway between their bedrooms.
“Quincy, I received the dream!” Poe exclaimed.
“Likewise, Edgar!”
Poe and Quincy exchanged surprised looks and stared at each other in disbelief. A few seconds of silence passed as they realized what had occurred.
“Quincy, did I just hear your voice?”
“Yes, mate, you did. I heard your voice, too. Edgar…Edgar! Our hearing! It is back! We have regained our hearing!”
The hunters embraced each other in happiness and joy. They jumped up and down ecstatically in celebration of the event, but soon ceased their movements to figure out how their hearing had returned.
“Is it possible that God’s vision restored our hearing?” Quincy asked.
“It could be. A divine message from God may have purified our ears and removed the affliction. Although, I remember the experience as being painful. It was as if the fingers God touched my eardrums. Whatever the explanation, I am mighty glad that we no longer have to endure being deaf!” Poe exclaimed.
“That is the only explanation, Edgar. We received the dream, then received our hearing! If that is what it takes to heal us, and not just of an ear disorder, but an affliction of any kind, then we will pray all the time whenever we need healing!” Quincy surmised.
“Settle down, Quincy,” Poe cautioned. “We cannot abuse God’s gift of prayer by expecting Him to cure every bodily dis-ease we experience. This was a special circumstance and cannot take it for granted. We have experienced two miracles: the return of our hearing and the knowledge required to locate a sword of Gabriel. We simply cannot take the same action in the future for the mere purpose of healing ourselves. God will recognize the intent and nature of the prayer and deny our selfish request. Besides, our hearing would have been restored eventually, albeit I’m glad our eardrums were mended sooner rather than later.” Poe stated as he looked up toward the ceiling and made the sign of the cross
Quincy absorbed the warning of his partner and took a few minutes to understand Poe’s words before agreeing with him by nodding of his head. He then discussed the vision. “I received an image of a church, which is here in Baltimore. It is red brick and is named St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Aren’t we lucky that we do not need to travel very far at all to obtain this sword?”
Poe smiled broadly. “Yes, we are very lucky indeed! I received the same image as well. God listened to our prayers because we were deemed worthy and honorable, which proves my point earlier about using the power of prayers for good and not abusing it for egotistical purposes. Regarding the church, we will visit it tomorrow morning. As of right now, you and I need to head back into our rooms to finish our slumber.”
“Right you are, Edgar. Good night, lad. I will see you tomorrow morning.”
“Good night, Quincy.”
The hunters headed back to their rooms and closed the doors behind them.
• • •
In the morning around eleven o’ clock, the hunters fulfilled the promise they made to themselves and visited St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The building was indeed constructed with red bricks and had three archways in front of its main entrance. The greatest exterior feature of the church was its rose window, which contained nine stained glass rings that were invaluable as they had been m
anufactured by hand at a local glass blowing company.
Poe and Quincy entered the church and were greeted by a priest. He appeared to be in his 70s and had nothing but gray hair covering his head. His green eyes were the defining feature of his wrinkled face. “Morning, gentlemen! I am Father Joshua Alexander. How may I help you?”
“Hello, Father. My name is Nathaniel Quincy and this is my partner, Edgar Allan Poe. We are…” Quincy paused and looked at Poe to figure out a cover story they could use to conceal their real careers. It was at that moment that Quincy arrived at a solution. “We are reporters for a local newspaper and need to speak with you in the privacy of your office about some very important business.”
“Are you sure this cannot be discussed here in the chapel? After all, I have important business of my own to attend here.”
“I’m afraid this is more important,” Poe said. “It involves a certain artifact that you have hidden within this church. Therefore, we wish to speak to you about it in private.”
The pastor’s eyes grew so wide they could have popped from their sockets. “How do you know about the sword?”
“That is a question we will answer, in private.” Quincy and Poe replied simultaneously.
Figuring out that he was not getting anywhere with the hunters unless he met their demands, Father Alexander signaled with his index finger for them to follow him. The men walked through a hallway and saw that it was adorned with pictures of the congregation and the pastor himself. The floor of the hallway was covered with a crimson rug, which matched the color of Fr. Alexander’s shoes.
After arriving at the clergyman’s office, he told Poe and Quincy to take a seat. His office contained a large bookshelf of full of Bibles and books related to religion and spirituality. The window to the right of the pastor’s desk had a view of the streets of downtown Baltimore.
Poe the Hunter- Bedlam in Baltimore Page 11