Then she added, “By the way, has anyone ever told you, you look like an angel?”
“That’s one of many things we’ve been called over the years.”
“Oh great,” Piper groaned, “Now I’m drinking scotch with an angel.”
“An angel who drinks Guinness,” Holmes interjected, as he returned, bearing drinks.
Piper groaned again, rolling her eyes, “My Baptist grandmother is rolling over in her grave.”
Holmes distributed the drinks… A scotch for Piper, with just a touch of soda. For Eliel, a Guinness, and an English ale for himself.
“To multidimensional friendships.” He said, raising his glass.
“To good friends, wherever they’re from.” Piper joined in.
“L’chayim.” Eliel said, raising her Guinness in her favorite toast—one she’d learned among the Hebrew exiles in Babylon more than two thousand years earlier, “To life!”
Recognizing the Hebrew toast, Holmes glanced at Piper. “So, who knew angels were Jewish?” he quipped. They all laughed, and Piper took a big gulp of her scotch, emptying nearly a third of the glass.
It was definitely the most surreal evening in Piper’s life. She had several billion questions, and frankly could not think of how to start.
“So… Eliel,” she took another gulp of scotch and stammered, “Let me see if I understand this. You’re an alien… an angel… yet you come and go freely among human beings. You visit our world, you eat, you drink Guinness, you look just like one of us, apart from the wings… I mean, this is incredible!
“I have so many questions. How long have you been doing this? How did you get here? What is your world like?” Piper reached out and fingered the soft fabric of Eliel’s dress and added with a twinkle in her eye, “I mean… do you have shopping malls?”
Without waiting for an answer, Piper tilted her head back and finished the scotch in one gulp. Thrusting her glass in Holmes’ direction, she gasped, “I need more scotch!”
When Holmes returned with the scotch—he wisely brought the bottle along—he could see that Piper was already more relaxed. “Eliel, before you begin answering Piper’s questions, perhaps a little background would be in order.”
“Certainly,” she smiled, and took another gulp of her Guinness.
“Piper,” she began, setting her glass down on the floor beside her chair, “the universe is a little different than what most of your race has imagined. Your world is part of a multi-dimensional universe. Your physicists are only now beginning to recognize this.
“My world, which we call Basileia, is not in some far off galaxy. It’s right here. It occupies the same ‘space’ but in a different dimension. Many parts of our worlds are surprisingly similar. In my world, for example, there’s a lake here, but it’s in the midst of beautiful parkland. We have houses and buildings, but with our physical differences our architecture tends to be quite distinct.
“Unfortunately for you, your world is sandwiched between two warring realms. We, of Basilea, are what you might call the ‘good guys.’ We call ourselves the Irin. We’re ruled by a council of twenty-four Ancient Ones who’ve committed us to the protection and welfare of the human race.
“The other world is a realm known in your legends as Hades. It’s occupied by a powerful race known as the Archons.
“The war between our worlds began long before your written history… about 20,000 years ago.”
“20,000 years is a long time to be at war.” Holmes interjected.
“You forget, Holmes…” Eliel glanced at him, “We don’t die… at least, not easily. I was here at the beginning of the battle and, hopefully, will still be here at the end, which, I believe, is coming soon.”
“You’re twenty thousand years old?” Piper gasped, looking at Eliel as if for the first time.
“Actually, much older,” Eliel said casually. “The beginning of this battle was fairly recent from our perspective.”
“20,000 years ago,” she continued, “the ruler of Hades set out to conquer the other inhabited worlds, and establish himself as supreme lord.
“He began by invading your realm. The invasion force was massive, a thing never before seen… not in all the cycles of history. His forces included many legions of Archons, as well as a large number of renegade Irin who called themselves the Grigori. Joining this force was a horde of earth-born Nephilim—monstrous half-breed warriors, the product of Grigori fathers and human mothers.
“Terrible things were done…” Eliel shuddered as she recalled the battle, looking from Holmes to Piper. “The devastation was unimaginable… Whole continents disappeared beneath the seas. Your race was decimated. It was from that era that your legends of Atlantis and the great deluge were born.
“The Human Race was nearly obliterated, but in the midst of the destruction, your leaders appealed for help. In those days, there were still individuals among the humans who could travel between realms. So, fearing their battle was lost, the remaining human princes sent a heroic delegation to Hi-Ouranos, realm of the Ancient Ones who rule the inhabited worlds. The Ancient Ones responded to their appeal and raised up a force to stop the invasion.
“A massive portal was constructed on what is now England’s Salisbury plain, and tens of thousands of volunteers poured through. They came from every inhabited world: Winged Irin from Basilea, Gnomen from the great crystal caverns of Alani, Mermen from Taverea, and the tall Elvin warriors of Ayden.
“In a bitterly contested battle lasting centuries, the Archon advance was weakened, but the Archons refused to retreat. Finally, the Ancient Ones authorized a direct assault on Hades.
“After nearly a thousand years of fighting, the armies of Hades were finally vanquished. It was a time of inexpressible horror…” Eliel faltered. She seemed almost at the point of tears as she envisioned the scene. “In the end, the Archon forces were devastated, and the once-beautiful realm of Hades became a burned-out wasteland.”
“I suppose that explains the legends of Hell,” Piper said quietly.
“Yes,” Eliel continued, struggling to recover her composure, “but living in a burned out wasteland has only reinforced the Archons’ determination to seize your world. They’ve sent many of their number here to prepare the way. Because of their immense lifespan, the Archons plan their strategies in terms of generations—forming plans within plans, centuries in advance—carefully plotting and preparing for their final assault. There have been several attempted invasions down through your history, but each time they’ve failed. Unfortunately, they learn from their mistakes. I fear we’re rapidly approaching a climactic battle.
“Piper, if their invasion can’t be turned back, the Human Race, as you know it, will be destroyed. Your world will be conquered, and those of you who remain will be tortured and enslaved.
“To protect you, the Ancient Ones have enlisted us, the watchers—what your people have called angels—to patrol the shadow realm on the edge of your world.”
“So… where do we fit into all this?” Piper said, “I mean, Holmes and I, personally?”
Eliel looked at Holmes, then back to Piper. “That will take a little while to explain. I think I’d rather get into that tomorrow, when you’re a little fresher.
“Right now,” she said, picking up her nearly empty glass and staring at it wistfully, “I’d like another Guinness, and then I’ll try to answer some of your questions.”
***
BRENTWOOD MEMORIAL HOSPITAL, BOULDER, COLORADO
The evening Lys’s parents returned to Dallas, Roger Johnston showed up in her room later than usual. Lys was standing, gazing out the window.
“Well, look at you!” Roger laughed in surprise, “I heard you were finally on your feet!”
Lys turned and coolly acknowledged his greeting, “Hi, Roger. I’m still feeling shaky, but it feels good to be out of bed.”
“You know, Sis, the other doctors call you the walking miracle. They’ve no explanation for how you survived that crash.
They claim the force of the impact alone should have killed you instantly. After a shock like that, it’s no wonder you’ve been a little confused.”
Ignoring his comment, Lys turned back to the window. She moved awkwardly, still unsteady on her feet.
Boulder was beautiful at night. Brentwood Memorial was perched on a low rise at the foot of the Colorado Front Range. From her window, Lys could see a panorama of the city spread out before her. It looked like a galaxy of billions of stars at her feet.
“And I have some good news for you,” Roger continued, taking a step closer. “Barring any complications, you’re due to be released from the hospital next week. Mom and Dad already made your plane reservations. Mom’s getting your old bedroom ready. She’ll be flying up next week to take you home. You’ll be back in Texas… away from all the craziness. Mom and Dad will be there to take care of you…”
“Stop it!” Lys snapped, cutting him off sharply. Without turning to look at him, she continued, “I hate this. You’re all treating me like I’m an invalid. Nobody believes anything I say. Everybody thinks I’m crazy. And you all think you have to figure out how you can take care of poor little mixed-up Lys.”
“Listen, Lys, no one wants to treat you like an invalid.”
He walked to Lys and stood behind her, putting his hand on her shoulder. “You’re a strong and independent woman, and in six months you’ll be pretty much back to normal. Just don’t rush it. You will need some help. Right now they’re keeping you pumped full of pain medication. But you have several damaged disks in your back, and you’re going to be in a lot of pain for a while. Believe me, when they start weaning you off the pain meds, you’ll be thankful for all the help you can get.”
Lys swung around to face him, but as she turned, the window in front of them exploded. There was a loud crash, flying shards of glass filled the air, and they were both knocked to the ground. When Lys opened her eyes, Roger was lying unconscious on the floor beside her. Then she saw the blood welling from a wound in his chest and pooling on the floor around him. Ignoring her pain, Lys stumbled to the door and screamed for help.
Chapter Twelve: More Revelations
THE LAKE HOUSE – IN THE PINEY WOODS OF EAST TEXAS
When Piper returned from her morning run, Holmes was in the kitchen making coffee.
“Did you work out already?” she asked, still trying to catch her breath.
“Yes, and showered,” Holmes looked up. “You had a long run this morning.”
“It helped me think.” Piper said, dabbing the perspiration from her face with a white towel. “There’s a big part of me that says none of that last night was real… that I dreamed it. Holmes, this whole thing makes me question my sanity.”
“I still struggle with that myself, even after all these months,” Holmes said. “When I’m talking with one of the Irin, it can seem the most natural thing in the world. But when the sun comes up the next morning, none of it seems real.”
“When did Eliel say she would get here?”
“She said she’ll be here at 10:00. She wanted to give us plenty of time. Turns out the aliens don’t sleep, either.”
They’d already cleaned up from breakfast when Eliel arrived. This time she chose a less dramatic entrance, landing on the broad deck outside the great room windows and actually knocking on the door before entering, precisely at 10:00 AM.
Holmes poured everyone some coffee, and they took comfortable seats in the great room.
“Eliel,” Piper began, “I want to thank you for giving me the strangest night of my life. I don’t think I slept a wink.”
“I guarantee you’ll have stranger nights than that.” Eliel smiled, “Things have just begun to get interesting.”
“That’s comforting,” Piper said nervously.
“So, Eliel…” Holmes interrupted, “why don’t you explain to Piper how the two of us fit into this whole thing.”
“Certainly, Holmes.”
Eliel turned to Piper, taking a quick sip of her coffee. “First of all, Piper, you need to understand the danger confronting your world.
“In the last fifty years, your world has experienced some remarkable changes. Many of those changes have been positive: You’ve recognized the equality of your races. You’ve made improvements in communications and technology. Your progress in the area of medicine has greatly improved your quality of life.
“But other changes have not been positive. In fact, within the last fifty years, trends have developed that threaten to destroy all you’ve accomplished.
“An obvious example is the rise of terrorism. Terrorism was unheard of fifty years ago. Even in your parents’ day, you could walk into any airport and board a plane without passing through a single security check, and no one questioned your safety. Now increasing threats bring more oppressive security measures every year. But terrorism is just the tip of the iceberg.
“Every nation on earth is being inundated by a rising tide of violence. Look at your own country. In your grandparents’ day, Americans slept with their windows open and their doors unlocked and felt totally secure. Violent crime was rare.
“Piper, when your grandmother was your age, she could walk down almost any street in any city—even at night—with little fear of harm.
“Yet today you have 20,000 murders every year in America. That’s like having 40 jumbo jets, loaded with 500 people each, crashing every year; yet few are even aware of the problem.”
“I had no idea there were so many.” Piper said, genuinely appalled.
“It’s worse than you think,” Eliel continued. “In the nineties your politicians tried to slow the rising tide of violence by imprisoning more and more of your population. Since 1987 your prison population has tripled. Almost two and one-half million Americans now live their lives behind bars. If they were all consolidated in one location, it would form your fourth largest city, bigger than Philadelphia or Houston.
“Yet, they haven’t been able to build prisons fast enough to keep up with the rise in violent crime. So your chance of being assaulted, murdered, or raped increases every year.”
“What’s caused all of this?” Piper asked.
“In the last fifty years, the Archons have launched a massive offensive against your world. Because of the destruction that occurred 20,000 years ago, the Ancient Ones won’t permit them to attack you in force. So they come covertly, working behind the scenes. Their goal is to create such widespread disruption that there can be no resistance to their invasion, and they’re very close to success.
“Even now, Archons are moving among you. Sometimes they choose human victims to ensnare and destroy. Sometimes they find individuals weak enough to possess and use as tools. More frequently, they use their mental powers to plant suggestions, perverting your natural desires and ambitions. They stir up lust and greed and plant thoughts of violence. Their goal is to cause you to destroy yourselves.
“Your situation becomes more perilous with every passing month. The number of Archons in your world is overwhelming—tens of millions—and their numbers are increasing rapidly. This build-up of enemy forces is something we’ve not seen since the Great Wars, and it’s taken us by surprise. We’re now badly outnumbered.”
“How has this happened?” Piper pressed, with increasing concern.
“In the last century, the Archons implemented a new strategy,” Eliel explained, “They’ve used their mental abilities to enlist large numbers of Human allies. They gave promises of power and offered tantalizing experiences with the supernatural. They worked through your media to make their sinister path seem exotic and exciting.
“As a result, many of your people are now flirting with some very dark powers, not truly understanding what they’re doing. A few have even become willing allies of the Archons and are opening doors of great destruction for your world. The Archons are using these unwitting allies to create entry-points—momentary wormholes between the earth-realm and Hades. With each new entry-point, more Archon war
riors pour into your realm.
“There have always been humans who chose the path of darkness, but we weren’t prepared for the sheer numbers of your race that have now given themselves to the Archon cause. If this Archon buildup continues, the fragile web you call civilization will soon disintegrate, and your world will be plunged into chaos.”
“But, how could that happen?” Piper objected. “I mean, I don’t see our society in danger of imminent collapse.”
“Don’t you?” Eliel gave Piper a questioning look. “What about the sense of dread you sometimes feel when you read the news? … the unspoken fear that your world is headed in the wrong direction … rushing headlong toward some unthinkable calamity? Are you telling me you’ve not sensed an approaching disaster?”
“Well, I know things are bad… but surely there’s still time to find an answer!”
“You don’t understand how fragile your civilization is,” Eliel persisted. “The world you know is inherently unstable. You go to the grocery store and the shelves are full. You take abundance for granted.
“But introduce a disruption in the supply chain and those shelves go empty within days. What happens then? A few weeks later people are starving. Gangs go from house to house stealing what food they can find. Police are overwhelmed. Transportation and communications break down. All the things you took for granted are destroyed within weeks.
“Your society is hauntingly similar to the final years of the Roman Empire. To the Romans, the idea that Rome could collapse was unthinkable. They looked at their monumental architecture, their proud history, and their mighty legions, and assumed Roman civilization would last forever. Yet Rome did fall.
“For now, your governments are keeping the crisis contained, but you’ll soon reach a tipping point where your ability to maintain order is overwhelmed. When that happens, things will unravel quickly.”
Iona Portal (The Synaxis Chronicles) Page 9