ARCHANGEL

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “I have too much of the darkness within me, Raph.” Abaddon shook his head negatively. “She has some tendencies to overdo things. Would not added attention of the nature you indicate corrupt her, voiding the innocence she applies to our mission?”

  “I believe pleasure rooted in love cannot corrupt.”

  “Why do you not give Sister Mary Catherine such attention then?”

  “She is not a red-head.”

  “And what of Sister Angelina? You told me once, humans, and especially women, were very jealous beings. Would you have me put our two companions at each other’s throat? Would I not be some kind of predator who uses…”

  “Abaddon, I didn’t tell you to abuse Sister Mary Catherine,” Raphael interrupted. “I think she has come through so much with Sister Angelina I doubt you could cause a rift between them. Do you feel as if our presence or your attention in particular weakens them?”

  “I believe Sister Angelina and Sister Mary Catherine are much more powerful now than when we first started out on our journey. I do not wish for them to feel as if they are my concubines. They are so much more. I abhor the thought of this time on Earth without Angelina. I wish only for them to be happy, without my exerting some undo influence over how they achieve respite from our endeavors. I hold the Abyss within me in check only because you three stand with me.”

  “Do you find Cat attractive?”

  “Do you?” Abaddon countered.

  “She is as a white luminescence of unbelievable power. Our Father did not pick her out on a whim but I cannot think of her in a pleasurable way,” Raphael answered truthfully. “I don’t wish for her to be lonely.”

  “And you feel guilty about being attracted to the red-head,” Abaddon inserted gamely.

  “No… I…” Raphael paused before grinning crookedly at Abaddon who watched his brother carefully. “You are beginning to annoy me, brother.”

  “It was not my intent to annoy you, Raph. I am still learning. Subtlety is as yet beyond my grasp.”

  “Sister Mary Catherine is too pure for me to touch in any manner other than as a cherished companion,” Raphael admitted.

  “Meaning it is the darkness within me which would permit such a relationship.” Abaddon pondered Raphael’s words. “I want Catherine to be happy. If the moment presents itself in the future, I will care for her, but only if Angelina feels no anger towards me because of it.”

  “That is all I ask.” Raphael smiled in approval at Abaddon’s grasp of his meaning. “Come, let us break up the children in the other room and share a beverage by the pool with them.”

  “It sounds as if Sister Mary Catherine is being tortured,” Abaddon replied, listening to Catherine’s voice alternating between peals of laughter and cries for mercy.

  In the living room, the Archangels found the two nuns entangled tightly with Catherine pinned beneath Angelina. Angelina would feather touch Catherine along her sides, causing Catherine to howl in laughter, and then pause. Catherine begged Angelina to stop each time Angelina stopped tickling her but Angelina began anew after a moment allowing Catherine to catch her breath each time.

  Abaddon picked up the squirming Angelina, pulling her free of a gasping Catherine. Both nuns panted from their exertions. Raphael helped Catherine up from the floor as Angelina tried to slip out of Abaddon’s arms and renew her attack. Catherine hid behind Raphael, gesturing at Angelina.

  “C’mon, Ange, I said I was sorry,” Catherine pleaded. “You got me back.”

  “You called me a human muffin!”

  “Well, you called me a lush, and Spewy,” Catherine countered.

  “Can’t we call a truce here?” Raphael chuckled. “It will be too late to have a drink by the pool if you two are going to fight much longer.”

  “I will if Ange will,” Catherine agreed quickly, still peaking out from behind Raphael.

  “That’s only because I was about to tickle you into unconsciousness,” Angelina noted with a less than friendly grin. “I will not forget the ‘human muffin’ comment, but I’m really thirsty now. Let’s go to the pool.”

  “What is so bad about this ‘human muffin’ comment?” Abaddon asked curiously as Catherine showed Raphael where the suite safe was. She helped him deposit the valuables he had been carrying.

  “I’ll show you,” Catherine called over from where she and Raphael stood. “I’ll order a muffin when we eat. You’ll be able to see the resemblance then…”

  “Why you…” Angelina snarled, running at Catherine, who squealed and hid behind Raphael.

  “Ange, you said you were thirsty,” Raphael reminded her, catching the irritated nun in mid leap. “We all know you are not a human muffin. Now calm down.”

  Angelina suddenly laughed, nodding at Raphael. The Archangel lowered her to the floor. “Okay, let’s go. I’m for letting Spewy here have a few Long Island Ice Teas. She won’t be able to stop with just one. You can bet on that.”

  Having made the statement, Angelina walked by Abaddon and grabbed his hand, leading the amused Archangel toward the door.

  “I will not get drunk.” Catherine hurried after them with Raphael trailing. “You’re just mad because I zinged you good, Ange.”

  “I’ll get over it, Spewy… about the time you pass out tonight.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up, Muffy.”

  * * *

  “Wow, this is nice.” Angelina reclined in her deck chair with a sigh of contentment. She sipped from a frosty glass. “What a view.”

  “I like the breeze too,” Catherine said. “Even though it must be around ninety, the breeze sweeping down from the buildings makes it very pleasant out here. I thought for sure we’d run into our next mission on the way from the suite.”

  “It is easy to forget about our purpose sometimes,” Abaddon said. “We are constantly searching for our adversaries. When time passes without a confrontation, it seems too good to be true. It is as if we should feel guilty.”

  “Even you guys get uneasy when we aren’t constantly battling?” Angelina asked.

  “I think Abaddon more than I,” Raphael answered. “But yes, I feel as if the more time passes between our heaven sent tasks, the more complacent and worldly Abaddon and I become.”

  “How do you mean,” Catherine asked.

  “For instance, while you two were playing around in the living room of our suite, I was suggesting Abaddon show you more attention as he does Angelina. When I…”

  “What?!” Both nuns exclaimed, incredulous at what they had heard.

  “Calm down. As I was saying, when I thought about our conversation up in the room just now, it seemed at odds with anything I would normally think or say. Also, I am a little concerned with how much I am looking forward to seeing Carol. Perhaps we are tested even during lulls in our battles.”

  “So, you’re saying these worldly thoughts are responsible for you suggesting a threesome between two nuns and an Archangel?” Catherine questioned angrily. “I think maybe we should have skipped sin city. All the lights are fogging your brain, Raph.”

  “Raph,” Angelina whispered, “that is so kinky. You’re the Archangel of light. How could you think of such things, you rascal? Cat, are you blushing?”

  “No, I…”

  “You are blushing,” Angelina chuckled, pointing at Catherine. She moved her head as if jockeying for a better look at Catherine’s face in the light. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted a little Dark Angel?”

  “Angelina!!” Catherine gulped from her Long Island Iced Tea. “That’s not funny!”

  “Hey, it was that bad boy, Raphael, who suggested it.” Angelina reached over to run her hand down along Abaddon’s arm as he reclined beside her. “You’ve seen the fabric of reality shimmer before your very eyes, girl, why would making love to an Archangel seem so abhorrent to you?”

  “This…this is bad,” Catherine whispered, taking another gulp of her drink. “You’re right, Raph, these lulls in our mission must be affecting us negatively. We sh
ould go find a church right now. Perhaps…”

  “Easy, Cat,” Raphael soothed, taking Catherine’s hand. His power enveloped her. “Everything is okay. Abaddon and I are not turning into demons in front of your eyes. As I explained to my brother earlier, the longer he and I are on Earth the more vulnerable to Earthly pleasures we become. It is not sinful unless we allow the pleasurable pursuit to possess us, as I did with gambling long ago. As to what either you or Angelina do, it is not in either of your make-ups to do or be evil.”

  “The point in mentioning my conversation with Abaddon was to relate a truth I have noticed about our inclination to human frailty while on Earth. Not all pleasure on Earth is sinful, Sister Mary Catherine. You are an extraordinary woman. Your faith is as a beacon to all around you. Abaddon agreed with me earlier concerning the remarkable increase in power you and Angelina have gained since our first meeting.”

  Catherine relaxed against the back of her recliner without speaking. She sipped her drink, looking up at the lights and the night sky. Angelina put her beer down when Catherine remained quiet and came over to where Catherine and Raphael had faced their recliners toward Abaddon and Angelina. She knelt next to Catherine, grasping her hand as Raphael did a moment before.

  “You aren’t mad, are you, Cat? I love you. Raph was trying to explain the realities he had noticed were acting on he and Abaddon. I didn’t mean to make fun of you just now. You and I can’t have a husband, kids, and a split-level home in Oklahoma. We may be fighting demons for decades to come. How we feel about each other holds us together. Raph pointed out something else we’ll have to watch out for as time goes on. You don’t have to act on anything he says. Raphael wants you to be happy. That’s all.”

  “She’s right, Sister Mary Catherine. I mean you no harm, nor do I wish to make you uncomfortable.”

  “I…I know that. I am happy, you know? My part in these missions has been the most fulfilling time of my life. As to never having a husband and children, I reconciled myself to that fact when I took my vows. The revelation of existence has taken some time to get used to. I’m not mad. I’m more than a little confused though.”

  “Hey, we’ll learn as we go, like always.” Angelina hugged Catherine. “I’m going swimming. Want to go with me?”

  “You go on. I think I’ll finish my drink first.”

  “Okay, and I promise to give you a free pass if we have to carry you back to the suite,” Angelina promised, straightening and walking toward the huge pool.

  “Gee thanks, Muffy.”

  Angelina stopped in her tracks but did not turn around. After a moment, she continued toward the pool.

  “You haven’t said anything about all this, Abaddon.” Catherine watched Angelina dive into the pool and begin swimming toward the other end as more than a few men around the pool watched.

  “I am the Archangel of the Abyss, Sister Mary Catherine. After all I have seen since my creation, the social intricacy of life here on Earth is but a small matter. I will never cause you pain or suffering in anything I do here, nor will I interfere in what you believe. Without you, we have no way of saving anyone. I would be forced to kill indiscriminately to work my Father’s will. You are the light that guides us.”

  “But would you not think it wrong to… you know… have both Angelina and me?” Catherine avoided Abaddon’s piercing eyes.

  “It is wrong to murder thousands of people because they do not believe the same way a few monsters do, like the human scum we captured earlier had planned. It is wrong to kidnap and torture innocent people as the demons did in Baker. With such wrongs as those, Sister Mary Catherine, it is hard for me to equate making love to you and Angelina as wrong. On the other hand I am not so well versed in Earthly matters that I can state such a relationship would be right either.”

  “You sound confused too. How about you, Raph? Are you confused?”

  “Earth is very confusing. Earthly desires are bewildering to me. I confess to being drawn to them as a moth to the flame. I can however tell the difference between desire for a woman and the desire to immerse myself in wagering on the landing of two small cubes with dots on them.”

  “Artfully put.” Catherine pointed toward the pool. “It looks like Angelina has an admirer.”

  A young man glided along next to Angelina, keeping pace with her as she swam laps from one end to the other.

  “From what I can see, Sister Angelina has acquired the attention of more than just that one,” Abaddon replied. “Her swimsuit was a very appealing sight for many on our way to the pool. It appears the same is true here at the pool.”

  “It’s the same as if she were swimming naked,” Catherine muttered, finishing the last of her Long Island Iced Tea. She handed the glass to Raphael. “Yes, I’ll have another.”

  “Maybe a swim might be a better idea, Cat,” Raphael suggested.

  Catherine glanced over at Raphael with a mischievous look as she stood up. Instead of a burgundy one-piece bathing suit, Catherine now wore a burgundy, thong type swimsuit exactly like Angelina’s. She kicked off her sandals.

  “Maybe you’re right, Raph.” Catherine enjoyed the surprised looks on the two Archangels’ faces. “I’ll go for a swim. Order me another while I’m gone though, okay?”

  “As you wish, Cat,” Raphael agreed.

  Catherine gave the two a little wave. She walked in a sensual manner to join Angelina with all male eyes near the pool watching her journey.

  Chapter 26

  Memories And New Acquaintances

  “I believe I may have tipped Sister Mary Catherine a little too far the other way, my brother.”

  “Probably the drink, Raph,” Abaddon replied, still watching Catherine. “The Long Island Iced Tea seems to have provoked a bit of rebellion in her outlook of things.”

  “I guess I should have kept my observations to myself about our conversation.”

  “The truth is always best,” Abaddon countered. “You did right bringing it up. Your reasoning for our more earthy type behavior was very well put.”

  “Our situation appears much more clear when we are fighting demons,” Raphael observed, lying back on his lounger. “By Sister Mary Catherine’s shock at my suggestion, I can imagine how far out of line I was in making it.”

  “You care for her deeply. Perhaps your idea was not a good thing but how would you know without voicing it? It is difficult to know whether what we say or do angers rather than pleases until we first say it.”

  “I should have known better. I cannot both claim to be an expert observer of human interaction and plead ignorance in regard to the reaction my words evoke. On the other hand, I was right as to how Sister Angelina would react. She intuitively grasps how difficult the years ahead will be.”

  “Sister Angelina looks at all through a warrior’s eyes. Sister Mary Catherine understands her innocence and faith drew our Father’s attention which resulted in a life’s mission with the Lord’s Archangels at her side. She does not wish to discard that which has placed her in God’s eye.”

  Raphael nodded thoughtfully, watching as the two nuns under discussion had begun racing each other in the pool with a growing audience of both sexes cheering them on.

  “That would never happen. Sister Mary Catherine is the chosen of God, no matter any petty actions she pursues here on Earth, whether it be Long Island Iced Teas or the love of those around her. You were right, Abaddon. They are indeed growing in power. Even after so short a time with them, I am beginning to understand our Lord’s fascination with this planet of humans. Michael has never grasped any of it. He looks at Earth as another source of contention which lends itself to Lucifer’s power.”

  “Michael does not wish for an eternal struggle.” Abaddon shrugged, reaching for and drinking half his glass of beer with relish. “I felt his pain each time he visited me over the millennia. He did not want Lucifer to live. Michael was not afraid when Lucifer stood over him at the Gates of Heaven ready to destroy him.”

  “He was sh
ocked our Lord could have fabricated such a creature.” Raphael chuckled, in spite of their conversation’s seriousness. “Although he could not hate, Mike wanted Lucifer gone. When our Lord banished you at the moment of your triumph it was as if he had struck Michael. Our Father’s summons for you to return must have been a joyous moment for Michael.”

  “It was glorious,” Abaddon said excitedly, sitting up and gesturing with his closed fist. “At the Gates of Heaven, even through my hatred for Lucifer, I felt Michael’s relief and joy knowing in the next moment Lucifer would be gone.”

  Abaddon closed his eyes, visions of jubilant forces of fulfillment ripped through him with such clarity his human form began to slip away. Raphael jumped to his feet, reaching across to grip Abaddon’s arm. Abaddon shuddered, regaining control a split second before the Archangel of the Abyss would have been visible to all. Raphael hugged his brother, shaken with the glimpse into Abaddon’s most powerful moment and most bitter, heartrending disillusionment.