"Oh I can definitely agree with that." Nina declared.
Gabriel flashed a wicked grin. "So can I. Unfortunately God felt otherwise, but that didn't stop Iblis from pleading his case. Eventually his negative position drew support from other residents of Nirvana, sparking what many Celestials have come to call, Iblis's Idealistic Revolt."
"Amazing," Nina whispered. "How did the whole thing end?"
"God told His detractors that this was the direction he had chosen for Mortalia, and that was that. Once Iblis and his followers realized that their protests were basically falling on deaf ears, they disassociated themselves from God's mandates and took up residence elsewhere; living what most Celestials considered a desolate existence, earning Iblis the nickname, The Desolate One."
"Whew," Nina exhaled loudly. "Heaven's politics sound even more screwed up than ours."
Gabriel chuckled. "They are. In ways you can't even begin to imagine."
"I don't doubt it," Nina muttered under her breath. "And you're saying that everything you just told me is in there?" She pointed to the Journal, and Gabriel nodded. "Then I'm glad I put it down." Her comment drew a smile from the Celemor. "So if this Iblis is such an opponent of God's plans, why the heck is he keeping tabs on me, since I seemed to have been chosen for some holy purpose?"
"Because as a Harbinger whatever message you've been picked to deliver could potentially affect the lives of millions of people, possibly creating an opportunity for Iblis to reveal the truth of his being and lay down his infamous reputation as a two-horned, pitchfork-wielding monster; a description that's totally off the mark."
Nina glanced sharply at him. "You've met him?"
"A few times; when you have a job like mine, it pays to have an unbiased impression of your potential opponents."
"I guess that makes sense. But explain to me this: if Iblis really isn't evil, why do all religions portray him that way?"
"Because every soul-saving organization needs a villain to stand against," Gabriel said with a wink.
"Hmm," Nina uttered as she considered his point.
"Add to that the fact that most modern religious leaders aren't aware of the ancient truths laid down in the Journal, nor of the true nature of the Creation, and you start to see how such a negative image can be consistently perpetuated."
"So basically what you're saying is that the Christians, Jews, Muslims, and so forth have got it all wrong"
"In terms of their belief in God, no," Gabriel pointed out. "Most modern religions are unanimous in their acknowledgement of a singular, Supreme Being who oversees all, which is surprising considering the general misunderstanding of the Hierarchy. The problem starts with the various ideas on how we should interact with that being."
"Back up a second. What do you mean by, ‘misunderstanding of the Hierarchy'? Most religions have always claimed that God has all sorts of angels and spirits working for him."
"Now they do," Gabriel stressed. "During the early days of Creation it wasn't like that. Members of the Hierarchy used to move freely between the Realms; some even establishing rapports with Earth's fledging Human race. That's where the problem started. The primitives mistook the various Celestial's for gods themselves and started worshiping them."
"I've never heard that before," Nina cried.
Gabriel flashed an ingenuous grin. "What; you're not a fan of ancient, Greek and Egyptian mythology?"
Nina's eyes went wide with amazement. "Are you telling me…that all those stories and legends…"
"Refer to actual members of the Hierarchy who once roamed the Earth," Gabriel finished her sentence. "This...confusion is why travel between the Realms is mostly forbidden now. There are some Celestials who, for whatever reasons choose to ignore these mandates and involve themselves with Mortals. They're known as The Demonstratives, or ‘Demons' if you will, and generally like to stir up trouble in the Realms just to piss off God and the Hierarchy; usually at the bidding of Lie."
Nina's eyebrows arched upward. "And Lie would be…?"
Gabriel's expression hardened. "A particularly troubled Celestial who feeds on the suffering of others; many of history's atrocities can be attributed to her manipulations. In Celestia she's known as the 'Child of Chaos'."
"But why does God allow such a creature to get away with such behavior? Why doesn't he just clear up all these misconceptions about the universe? If he is The Almighty, it should be easy."
"Yes it would be, but for Him to do so would disturb the Balance between Order and Chaos."
"I take it that's a bad thing," Nina said after pausing a moment to ponder his statement.
A pensive frown appeared on Gabriel’s face. "Order and Chaos are the two prevailing Forces that sustain all reality. According to the Archangel's, if left unchecked an imbalance between the two would lead to the destabilization and eventual destruction of the entire Creation, which is why God generally tries to use more subtle ways to help the Realms maintain the Divine status quo."
"Such as?" Nina prompted after considering the concept for a moment.
Gabriel shrugged. "He’ll have The Watch initiate Proclamations, Reclamations, and Decimations such as the Great Flood if the situation warrants it. His biggest attempt at a Reclamation was the inception of Christianity after the elevation of the Prophet, Christ."
Nina focused sharply on the Celemor's face. "The Prophet Christ?"
"Originally Jesus Christ Emerged as a Prophet, charged with the Task of clearing up the growing amount of the incorrect religious rhetoric. But his popularity at the time was such that God thought elevating him to a more prominent position within the Hierarchy would turn him into a beacon to which all wayward Mortals would be drawn; an effort that ultimately failed."
Nina gave him a startled look. "What are you talking about? Half the people in the world look to Christ as their savior!"
A wicked gleam lit Gabriel's eyes. "Yeah, but God wanted all the people in the world. With everyone on same Divine page, the truth of Reality could’ve been reintroduced and humanity steered back on the course he set for us. Unfortunately human nature once again came into play and Christianity's ended up being divided into countless splinter groups."
"That's another thing I don't get," Nina jumped on his statement. "How can one religion have so many variations?"
"It goes back to mankind's misinterpretation of the original Journal," said Gabriel. "Add to that the countless number of tyrants and egomaniacs that have put their own spin on the tenets to suit personal agendas, especially the ones governing Christianity and you end up with one big mess."
"Well if that's the case, and a lot of the rhetoric floating around is a result of our corruption of the Archangel’s holy tell-all, why doesn't God just republish the thing and straighten it all out?"
Gabriel regarded her through speculative eyes. "I’ve often wondered that myself. Maybe that's why you're here." He pointed a finger at her. "To usher in a new Reclamation that will allow for a greater understanding of the Tenets and a final Revelation of The Creation’s true history."
"Give me a break," Nina said with a snort. "The only things I've ushered in are a bunch of crazy visions."
"Visions that have saved the lives of several people," Gabriel quietly put in, drawing a surprised gasp from her.
"They have?"
"Yes they have. Every one of the premonitions you reported to the police that were acted upon, resulted in the prevention of several deaths."
A pleased look appeared on Nina's face, but was quickly replaced by one of concern. "What about the warnings the police ignored?"
Gabriel's grim expression answered her question, and a chill shot through Nina's body.
"I'm sorry," the Celemor offered sympathetically.
"Yeah, me too," she muttered, surprised at the keen sense of remorse she felt over people that she had never even met. "Wait a minute." She turned startled eyes on him. "How did you know I've been telling the police?"
"I've been looking after you
since your initial emergence." Gabriel smiled at the stricken look on her face. "Don't worry; I don't watch everything you do; although I must admit I do find your nightly aerobic routines very entertaining." His smile deepened at the embarrassed flush that rose to her cheeks.
"That's just great. My guardian angel is also a voyeur!"
Gabriel laughed outright and she punched him on the arm. "Ouch!" She had forgotten how solid he was. "At least now I know where you got the name of your company, Mister, 'Heaven Sent Security'."
"You have to admit it is a clever play on the truth. Well it is," he added when she shot him a trenchant look.
"Yeah, I guess," she grudgingly admitted. "So I take it you're walking me home and pretending to be interested in me was just a way to maintain your cover?"
Gabriel heard the disappointment in her voice, and gently took hold of her hands. "Seeing you safely home was part of my Task," he admitted, catching and holding her eyes. "But getting to know you was an unexpected bonus."
"Oh, you're a smooth one aren't you?" She gave him a fierce scowl, though she did squeeze his hand in return. "So how come you didn't just tell me who you were from the start?"
Gabriel shrugged. "Most people, particularly the ones I deal with, tend to be very self-conscious when they learn they're under surveillance, or they try to exploit their protected status for personal gain. I find it's easier to do my job when I maintain a discreet vigil over my clients."
"What made you change your routine for me?"
"Remember the three punks that accosted you at Tony's place?"
Nina shivered. "How can I forget?"
"The big one's name was Azreal. He and the punks that were with him were Iblis's Disciples."
Another shiver went through Nina at the memory of that day. "I definitely don't want to run into those goons again.
"You won't," Gabriel said quietly, and she turned questioning eyes on him.
"How do you know that?"
"They're all dead."
Nina stared at the Celemor in shock. "When did that happen?"
"Last night. They showed up right after my battle with Mayhem, looking for some payback while I was too weak to fend them off. Fortunately, Caleb popped in and incinerated them."
"Who's Caleb?"
"That's Dichotomy's real name," Gabriel said. "Or at least it was before the…incident."
"What incident?" Nina asked when he failed to clarify his statement.
Gabriel stared uncomfortably at his hands. "The one that turned ‘him' into ‘them'."
He made no further comment and Nina didn't press. She had enough of her own mysteries to deal without adding the origins of a gender-mixed creature to the pot.
"So what's you're story," she switched to what she hoped was a safer topic. "How did you become a Cellular?"
"'Celemor'," he corrected her with a smile. "And let's just say that at the time, becoming a Celestial errand boy was the lesser of two evils."
Nina regarded him in mild surprise. "Evil isn't a word I'd normally associate with Heaven and angels."
Gabriel's jaw tightened briefly. "Give it time. You will."
Nina was struck by the bitterness in his voice. She began pondering the significance of that statement when the apartment's intercom sounded.
"Now I wonder who that could be." She rose from the table, and made her way to the front wall where the system was mounted. The flashing sequence on the panel indicated that it was the front desk calling her. "Yes Carl?" she said after pressing the receive button.
"Good morning, Miss Delcielo," the watchmen's voice boomed through the small speaker. "I've got a Mister Sanders and a Mister Quinlan down here asking to see you."
Nina blinked in surprise. "Sanders and Quinlan?"
"Yes ma'am. Shall I tell them you're unavailable?"
"No that's alright Carl. You can send them on up. Thanks." She let go of the button, turned to the sofa, and blinked again: Gabriel was gone!
Now where the hell did he disappear to? A light nock on the door announced the arrival of her guests. She shot a quick glance toward the bath and bedroom as she made her way to open it, but there was no sign of him. Maybe I really did dream the whole thing. Nina knew she wasn't that lucky.
"Good morning, gentlemen," she greeted the two men through the limited opening allowed by the door's security chain. "I must say this is a surprise."
"We know it is Miss Delcielo, and we're sorry to disturb you at home," Quinlan offered. "But there are several matters that we really need to discuss with you."
Nina took note of urgency in their faces then, sensing no malice from them, removed the chain and opened the door all the way. "Well since you put it that way please come in." Both men nodded their thanks and stepped quickly into the apartment. "Would either of you care for some coffee or tea," she asked after directing them to have a seat at the small dining table. Both declined and she settled her self into the chair at the table's head. "Now what can I do for you. There hasn't been a change in our grant status, has it?"
"Not at all," Quinlan hastily assured the worried woman. "In fact, the funds have already been allocated and should show up in the Center's account by noon today."
"Then what's this all about?"
The two Seekers exchanged uncertain glances then Quinlan spoke up. "The recent…abilities you seemed to have developed."
Nina gave him a puzzled look. "And just what abilities are you talking about?"
"You're recent psychic abilities," the Seeker clarified.
Nina went rigid. "How could you possibly know about that?"
"Don't worry Miss Delcielo, we're not here to hurt you," Quinlan quickly reassured her. "In fact we may be able to help."
Nina gave the Seeker a measuring look. "In what way?"
Quinlan hesitated for the barest second then released a heavy sigh. "I'm afraid we haven't been entirely honest with you in regards to our true identities, Miss Delcielo. Helping Hands is actually a cover organization for a secret Vatican Order known as the Presbyterii, established in the late eighteen hundreds for the sole purpose of investigating matters of the supernatural."
A jolt of surprise shot through Nina's body. "But…how did you find out about me?"
"Our Elders were contacted by Father Griffin of Saint Christopher's parish," Sanders quietly informed her.
Nina's jaw dropped open. "Tyree called you?"
"Yes he did," Quinlan confirmed. "After you told him of your visions he reasoned that you were experiencing what we of the Presbyterii call a supernatural Manifestation. He communicated his suspicions to our Elders who then dispatched us to see if your abilities were valid."
Nina's expression became guarded. "And what have you concluded?"
"That you truly have been blessed by the Lord with some form premonitory sight."
Nina issued a derisive snort. "You guys kill me with this ‘blessings' crap."
"But what else could you call the ability to see the future?" Quinlan didn't bother to hide his awe at the sheer notion of such a thing.
"A pain in the ass," she curtly informed him. "And something I would gladly give back to whoever it was that gave it to me!"
It suddenly occurred to Nina that, given her new found knowledge of the real spiritual world, God and his people might take offense to her statement, but at this point she didn't care. It's not like they asked her if she wanted to be a walking preview channel.
"Under the circumstances I can understand your reluctance in this matter," Quinlan said. "But eventually you're going to have to lay down your reservations and accept the role that God's chosen for you."
The Seeker's statement mirrored Tyree's pious drivel and she shot him an irritated look. "Is that some kind of standard line they teach you guys in preacher school?"
Quinlan cocked his head slightly to he left. "I beg your pardon?"
"Bad joke," she mumbled, her mind concentrated on the ass-kicking she was going to give to Tyree for not keeping his big-mouth shut. "So�
��" she refocused her attention on Sanders. "What exactly is it that you and your…Elders want from me?"
"Actually it's what we may be able to do for you," Sanders spoke up.
"And what might that be?"
"Provide you with the support and guidance a person in your position often requires."
Nina favored the stocky man with an unscrupulous look. "Like the unsolicited guidance of the Catholic Church?"
"He was referring to the knowledge and resources of the Presbyterii," Quinlan smoothly interjected before the aggravated Sanders could respond. "But a dose of Catholicism thrown in for good measure could be beneficial; particularly considering your religious antipathy."
Nina gave him another startled look.
"Father Griffin was very forthright in his description of you," Quinlan quietly explained.
"So I see," she bit out. Oh, yeah; Tyree was definitely catching a beat-down!
"There's also you're personal safety to consider," Sanders intoned, having regained his composure. "If word of your talents got out you could be in danger from every megalomaniacal organization seeking to use your abilities for their own ends."
Nina looked him squarely in the eye. "Like what the Presbyterii are trying to do now?"
Sanders' ire for this upstart woman flared again. "The Presbyterii are not trying to exploit you, Miss Delcielo. We're simply offering you a path. The power to see the future can be an extreme boon for humanity, and a spiritually grounded foundation will help you to use that ability to its fullest potential."
"I suppose," Nina admitted with some reluctance. "But being spiritually grounded as you put it is not something I've ever aspired to, and this situation hasn't changed my standing on the subject."
"Fair enough," Sanders said after a brief silence. "But there's still the matter of your potential need for protection."
A wry smile tugged at Nina's lips. "Actually I've already got that covered. As it so happens I contracted the services of a private security firm this morning." Her revelation drew surprised looks from the Seekers, and Nina chuckled inwardly at the ironic truth of that statement. "After my run-in with those Tigers I figured I'd better get a little protection in place for myself and the Center."
The Creation: Chaos Rising Page 10