“Well, I ran into Quentin about an hour ago, and we had rather the interesting chat. He was waiting for a bus toward Troutdale, and I happened to see him and stopped for a few minutes. Made me think of you folks, and wondered how ya’ll had been.”
At this, and even as he heard Masao and Anouk Chanel’s rig pulling up, he looked Trey Miyazaki in the eye. “Well, things have certainly been interesting around here. So, Quentin, eh? Did he seem in good spirits?”
He knew that Noah and Carolinia had taken quite a chance hiring him, but they’d said, so far, he was adjusting well. Had something happened during the interim while he and Paloma had been in the presence of God?
He heard another vehicle approach, and guessed from the sound of it that it was probably Tom and Tawny. As he waited for a reply from the officer – had he retired, or was he still on the force? – he wondered if any of their kids had come with them.
“He met with his new counselor for the first time today,” Miyazaki informed him, accepting the proffered seat at the dining table. Edward sat across from the man, glad he’d left the inner door open and the screen shut so people could come on in. “And it sounds like maybe, just maybe, this one will be good for him. He just seemed…”
Edward watched his lips quirk to the side a moment in thought. “Well, different. Something just seems different, in a good way. No other word for it.”
The Henleighs and Ogawas came inside, and were greeted quickly by Confetti, who, not knowing Officer Miyazaki, had watched him with interest but didn’t quite approach.
Kate Henleigh, keys in hand, moved toward where the teens had grouped in the living room, beginning to chatter away with them within seconds as her parents and the Ogawas pulled up seats to the adult conversation.
“I sure hope so. That man has been through a lot, and some of it, I know, at our own hands, in part due to his addictive personality and our fears, but still. We really do want the best for him, even if we don’t exactly plan to invite him to birthdays and holidays,” Edward found himself saying before the words could be taken back.
That was an idea, actually… in moderation.
What would happen if they did invite him over? Not for special events, but for the occasional dinner. Maybe wait until Lovan was back in the area and have them both over. They hadn’t seen the boy in years – not for anything more than a few minutes at a time – and it might help assuage things between the Quimbys and the Rutherfords and Stuarts.
If it was a big enough dinner – but not too many people, so as to frighten him away – how would he respond?
He’d heard that people who’d done time behind bars had problems in crowds. Would that be true of Quentin, or not? And was it because of how many people are crammed into the prisons, or was there some other reason?
The thought rolled about in his mind as Tom took up the conversation. He could hear him speaking, but not quite make out the words. An image was forming in his mind; an overlaying of the thrones he, Paloma, Jason, Justice and Masao had seen – had, indeed, bowed before – and of Quentin Quimby. But where were they? He didn’t recognize the place, specifically, that came to mind, and yet, it seemed familiar.
They were standing near a waterway made of stone. Some of it was crumbled away, but most of it was intact. There were people milling around, and they seemed to be from more cultures than Edward had witnessed together in one place. Quentin stood afar off from the rest of a small group of people – himself and Paloma included – that seemed to be fascinated with the water before them.
An image of the mirror popped into his head, and then, all of a sudden, it was clear to him. But why would they take Quentin Quimby to…?
Jason and Me’chelle came in the door quietly, and he surmised as the images continued to unfold before him that they likely walked over.
Jason greeted Miyazaki and introduced him to Me’chelle just as the officer was standing to leave. “Looks like you’ve got a gathering going on. Don’t wish to interrupt. Just thought I’d share that tidbit with you,” the man said, looking pointedly to Edward. “Is your number still the same?”
Edward managed a nod and shook his hand, remembering to stand as his guest headed for the door. “Call me sometime on Monday night or Tuesday, maybe, if that works,” he told the man, clasping a hand to his shoulder.
“I will. We have much to discuss,” Miyazaki told him. He glanced once more around the room. “Enjoy your get-together.”
And with that, the man was gone, leaving Edward to the flood of images that ran through the circuits of his mind, and the group of people waiting to hear the accounts of those who had traveled to the unknown and lived to tell about it.
Twenty Six
Paloma watched Officer Miyazaki take his leave, wondering what he’d stopped in for.
When she’d first seen him sitting in her dining area, it took her a few moments to figure out who it was, though she’d know his unique features anywhere. But given that more than half of their guests had already arrived, she couldn’t well ask Edward about it now.
It would have to wait.
“So, who else are we waiting for, or is this it,” Paloma heard Tawny ask as she made her way over to check the contents of the fridge and freezer.
With a sigh, she decided maybe pizza would be easier. Unless she thawed something quickly, it would take a long while before they could all eat. Why hadn’t she thought of that before? She was usually so on the ball when it came to that sort of thing.
Stepping back into the dining area, she called everyone to attention.
“Looks like it’s going to be pizza, so if you have something in particular you’re wanting, speak up now,” she informed them, feeling a bit embarrassed. Was she flushed? She certainly felt as though she was.
She pulled out a notepad and pen to take notes, and S. Gillam, Angelique, and a now very pregnant Rose arrived in time to declare they wanted a white sauce pizza with garlic, pepperoni, green peppers, pineapple, Italian sausage, and extra cheese, and the list was finished.
Paloma tried to imagine Rose eating more than a slice or two in her condition and sighed; well, it wasn’t impossible, but not very likely, if she went by her own experience of the last month or so of pregnancy.
She headed into the back bedroom, where it was more quiet, and placed the order for four small and two extra-large pizzas, as well as a garden salad and an all-meat calzone, and then re-joined the party, which had grown by five more by the time she got back.
With the Morrisons, Eugenie, and Majesta, their group was complete. Mark, still too weak to do much traveling – let alone much interacting – was, Paloma knew, staying at the house with a nurse.
“Sorry about that,” she told everyone once she’d put her Andromeda away and re-entered the room. “I know it’s a bit of a hassle to wait, I just didn’t expect, when I walked into a fence, that I’d be gone for twelve days and have most of the things in the fridge either eaten by teenagers or go bad,” she said, laughing.
Wow, she thought as she pulled up a chair, making sure her hair didn’t get caught in its rails as she set it down. How many people can say they walked into a fence, it helped them, and, oh yeah, they lost twelve days? Those who can are probably all right here.
“So, now that we’re all here,” Justice said, “kids, do you want to hear about what happened or hang out in the twins’ room, because if we’re all talking at the same time, it’ll get awfully complicated, really fast,” he continued.
At this, there was silence a moment, and then, Paloma watched as the teens glanced at each other, and then to Kate, and to one another again before any of them answered. And, seemingly as one accord, they decided as they began to move closer to the table, some sitting on the floor, and others finding folding chairs quickly, the more comfortable ones already taken.
“So, talk,” Izzie Morrison said, her dark eyes shimmering with excitement. “Far as I know, we’re all ears.”
Paloma looked to each of the others who had jour
neyed with her through the portal – what else could she really call it? – and they stood.
“Give us a few moments to confer, and we’ll be right with you to begin our tale; a true tale, more true than you can imagine,” Edward said, a lock of his greying blonde hair falling gently onto his forehead with the movement. He reached a hand out toward her, and they moved into Cherish’s room. The blue, pink, yellow and white patchwork their daughter had chosen created a mellow atmosphere, for which she was thankful.
The bright reds smattered throughout the boys’ room would not have been a helpful atmosphere for heavy conversations.
“So, how much do we say,” Edward asked once they’d closed the door behind them. “I have a sense, not all of it is really sharable, if you know what I’m saying,” he continued.
Masao cleared his throat, and all eyes turned toward him. “I think it is alright to share about the stairs, and even the Keys of Praise,” he told them. “I think it would be wise to refrain from describing the thrones, or telling people they were in the middle of, well, basically a field. A valley. Not that there is anything wrong with where they were, obviously… it was….”
He paused, closing his eyes, and Paloma wondered if he was recalling the experience. “It was beautiful, but I do not know that most people would understand the juxtaposition of the two.”
“Well, it seems to me,” Justice said, sitting down in one of the pink chairs at the dressing table, “that since these are all people we’re really close to, it would be alright, but now that you say it that way, I can see how that might be the case. Not everyone would appreciate it, either. And,” he continued, “while I don’t think anyone here would purposely go off and tell someone else about the experience, you can’t be too certain.”
Paloma nodded in agreement. She’d wondered the same thing; how people would respond, and even amongst themselves, they hadn’t had time to share their experiences. When the world and even her loved ones seemed to melt away and she was before the throne, they probably went through something similar, but what?
Just pondering it overwhelmed her, and she could sense her heart rate begin to speed. “Um, so should we keep to the things we all experienced together, or share what was before the throne. Or are those for us alone? Part of me is so excited to share it, but part of me wonders. I’ve prayed about it, but…”
The others shook their heads.
“I don’t think we better share the personal experiences until after the five of us get an opportunity to talk about them alone first,” Jason told her. “Since they might have something in them that would cause theological issues for some of those present,” he continued, “I vote we wait on that, because I can guarantee you, my memory is still flooded so much with our time there that I have no doubt you all are having similar issues. Good issues, but issues, nonetheless.”
And it made sense.
Paloma wasn’t sure she could even put into words some of what she’d experienced, and this actually brought her a bit of relief. One less thing to stress over trying to define and describe. One less thing to have potentially misconstrued if their trip became known, for any reason, beyond this circle of people.
Coming to a quick consensus, they headed back toward the kitchen just as the pizza truck pulled in. Tom moved toward the door and outside before they could stop him, and paid the driver before Paloma and Edward could get their shoes on and get outside. They helped him carry the food in, then once everyone was satisfactorily fed, she pulled him aside.
“Tom,” she began as they both made their way into the kitchen to get the dishes and boxes out of the way. “I appreciate that you paid in lieu of us when we couldn’t get outside quick enough. How much do we-”
His wide chestnut-colored hands came up, and his now crinkle-circled deep brown eyes widened a moment before he smiled, the green glass he’d used for his root beer still in hand. “You don’t owe me a thing. Ya’ll have done so much for us over the years, don’t worry about it. That’s what friends are for, right? Especially when they’re more like family.”
“Are you positive,” she asked him, already knowing the answer as she took the glass from him, setting it aside with her own. She quickly resituated the now-empty pizza boxes that had been haphazardly tossed into a pile.
“Bank on it,” he said, watching her, with a wink. “Oh, and before we go, try and remind me I’ve got something waiting in the van for you folks,” he continued, surprising her.
“Um…”
“Just remind me. I think you’ll get a kick out of it,” he told her, his smile widening until she acquiesced.
“You two comin’,” Justice called in their direction. “I think there are a few people champing at the proverbial bit to hear about what happened on the other side of the mirror’s reflection,” he told them.
Tom gently clapped Paloma on the shoulder, and they moved back toward the waiting group, where, indeed, all eyes were, seemingly, on her to begin.
“Well, what are you waiting for,” she asked Justce. “Go ahead,” she told him, smiling.
There was no way she was going first, even if that did make her look like a coward. maybe… just possible, she was, in this regard. She wanted to hear how other people expressed it before attempting to do so on her own.
Edward moved to make room for his wife next to him on their fading green velvet couch as the meeting moved into the living room. There was more space, and therefore, more room to maneuver, as needs allowed. She reached for his hand as she sat down, and he enfolded it between both of his, resting it on his thigh.
On his other side sat Eugenie, with Majesta curled into her lap. Rose was in the recliner, and the others had pulled up the chairs from around the table, though a few of the teenagers opted for the floor. And in this configuration, he watched the emotions shifting across Justice’s face as he prepared to speak of their time in non-time – or God’s time, or whatever you wanted to call it.
Perhaps they had been inside of Eternity itself, he thought, even as eternity, Jesus assured, was within each believer.
“I know I wasn’t one of the four people initially chosen to go through the mirror’s portal,” Justice began, sitting with his elbows resting on his knees as he sat on a folding chair near to where Rose was, her hands over her distended belly. The lamp behind him illuminated his features, giving him an eerie glow. “But something inside of me said I must, and so, as you all know, I raced after Edward, Paloma, Jason, and Masao, with trepidation in my bosom,” he continued, shifting up to face the group.
“I tell you what – and I’m sure they can all vouch for me on this – when I entered that first stairway I was not only intrigued but awed. I had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. I had to refrain to keep from looking down, for, at least to me, the stairs seemed quite transparent; almost as though they didn’t exist other than by faith”. he paused a moment, looking into each face. “But climb them, I did, and then united with the others as we neared the first landing. That,” he said, moving his arms to gesture toward Eugenie and Majesta, “is when Jason tried to call Mark and, wonder of wonders, actually got through.”
“It was pretty amazing,” Masao jumped in. “Even if it did last less than a minute. We were able to see that there was trouble at home, but not what, for certain.”
“Exactly,” Justice said, resuming where he’d left off. “And so, there were other staircases, we climbed each one until, finally, we came to one where we met other beings.”
“Beings,” Rose asked, tilting her head to the side, causing her hair to tumble around her face. “What kind of…?”
She stopped, blushing.
Edward kept himself in check, wishing he could pick the story up for her benefit, wondering how detailed Justice would get.
If for nobody else’s sake, he hoped the man would do description justice. She needed to hear of more beauty and the goodness of God. Edward sensed she craved it; that even in some ways, beauty and goodness called out to her.
“Well, they were angels. I might be wrong, as I didn’t ask which variety, but from what I know of them being described in the Bible, they were very likely seraphim. Is anyone familiar with the passages about them? These had three pair of wings each – one over their faces, one over their feet, and a third to move with, at their sides. And there were seven of them, two of which I could never tell apart, as they looked… well, like twins,” he said, laughing. “Like silvery-haired, excessively tall twins.”
“All of them were tall,” Masao put in again with a smile. “But I must admit, Arieh and Ari’el were not two I was going to continually try to discern between. I never would have thought, angelic twins in Heaven, but it’s true.”
Edward could see Jason and Paloma shaking their heads, and finally, he joined in, and soon, they were laughing. Why it was funny, he didn’t know, but it seemed to strike them the same way suddenly, and in spite of the strange looks some of the others were giving them, he really didn’t care.
“And so,” Justice said, wiping away tears that must have formed from the laughter, “the heavenly twins and the rest of our angel crew led us up the final stairway, which they called,” he paused, “get this: the Keys of Praise. And, man, what a staircase that was. Eighty-eight stairs, each with a unique sound, just like a piano, only, was it just me,” he said, looking at each of the people who’d experienced the same thing, “or were the black and white keys in reverse, and the notes far from actual single notes?”
Paloma moved her hand from between Edwards’ and clapped them a few times, quite enthusiastically.
Had he ever seen her do that?
“It wasn’t just you! It was so fantastic! I thought maybe it was in my head, but now that I know it wasn’t… it was glorious, you guys,” she gushed. The smile on her face was radiant, and Edward’s heart began to speed up. “They were different chords altogether, and many of them in keys I’d never heard before. We paused and knelt at each one, as the angels did, going before us.”
The Angels' Mirror Pack 2: Books Four through Seven Page 75