by Ren Hamilton
“I can’t believe you of all people doubt our story, Robin! We didn’t laugh when you came back from Pearl Chasm with tales of discarded wings,” Copie said.
“Ha! You so did. And at least those wings were solid. You’re talking about transparent beings flying through the air and scratching people.”
Father Carbone slapped a hand on the table. “Enough! I didn’t call you all over here to argue about whose story is bullshit and whose story is true. I finally got hold of my colleague, Father Bello last night. We had a rather interesting discussion. He’s on his way over to speak with us. He has some things to share about his studies of the celestial hierarchy. He’s an expert so hopefully he can shed some light on all of this…craziness.”
Agent Litner scooted his chair in. “What do you mean by expert?”
“It’s a hobby, but he’s been doing research on the subject for thirty years. But more importantly, he has some information regarding a mythical being by the name of Zirub.”
Robin stiffened. “What information?”
“He’d prefer to share it in person. There was something else however, something you should all know.”
“What is it?” Litner asked.
“Father Bello had a visitor who tried to strangle him. He described him as a young, green-eyed man with red curly hair. He confessed his name to be Margol.”
Copie and Robin both gasped. “Where does Father Bello preach?” Copie asked.
“Saint Christopher’s, in the North End.”
“So why did Margol visit him? What’s the connection?” Robin asked.
Carbone’s brows pinched. “He told Father Bello that he was looking for his brother. He was looking for Juris.”
“Shit,” Copie whispered, and the priest nodded.
“Somehow he’d gotten the idea that Juris was being held by a priest. He simply had the wrong church. A series of coincidences and misinformation led him to Father Bello, but I’d say that’s a little too close for comfort. I for one am glad Juris has been moved out of my basement.”
“What do they want?” Litner demanded suddenly, cutting into the pondering silence.
“Who? Duvaine and Shepherd?”
“Not just them. These angels. There, I said it. What the hell do they want?”
“They are not angels,” a voice outside the front door said.
They all turned to see a chubby face adorned with a white beard, peering in through the screen. Father Carbone leapt from his chair to open the door.
“Father Bello! Please, come in. It’s good to see you.”
“Likewise, Luigi.”
The man stepped through the door, exuding a presence of kindness and warmth. He wore the classic black ensemble with white collar, black shirt stretched a little too tight around his belly. He seemed uncomfortable in the evening heat, face flushed pink. He smiled at the group, giving a courteous nod. “Hello. I’m Father Bello.”
They made introductions, and Father Bello was given a seat as Carbone poured him a cup of tea. Litner looked impatient with the pleasantries. “Father Bello, what can you tell us about these oddities we’ve been encountering? Something of value, I hope. I have a civilian planted in their nest out at Forest Bluffs, so I’d like to know exactly what we’re dealing with, for his safety’s sake.” The bearded priest ignored Litner. “Father Bello? Did you hear me?”
“I did.” Father Bello took a sip of tea, clearly not intimidated by Litner’s pushy demeanor. He replaced the teacup, then reached to the floor, retrieving a bag he’d brought with him. Slowly, he pulled books out and placed them in a careful order on the table before him. Agent Litner sighed but kept silent.
When Father Bello had finished, there were several books on the table. Some were old, with weakened bindings and tattered covers, others bright and colorful children’s books with decorative fairies, elves, and apron-wearing kittens dancing across the cover. He made minor adjustments, moving a book a quarter inch to the right, smoothing their covers. He seemed deeply enthralled in the organization of it all, when he looked up suddenly, taking in the impatient eyes around him. He nodded. “Right. Let’s get to it then.”
Agent Litner jumped in at the prompt. “You said when you arrived that they are not angels.”
“That is correct. They are not angels. They are Powers.”
“What are Powers?”
Father Bello leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands over his belly. “There are nine orders of rank in the celestial hierarchy. From lowest to highest, they are Angels, Archangels, Principalities, Powers, Virtues, Dominations, Thrones, Cherubim, and Seraphim. Seraphim are the highest on the totem pole, and angels are actually the lowest. That is if you can call a celestial being low! They’re still a far sight higher on the food chain than we are!” Father Bello laughed heartily. The others did not. Catching their seriousness, he cleared his throat. “So, anyway, calling these Powers ‘angels’ is actually an insult to them. They are three levels further up in rank.”
“In rank?” Robin asked. “Like the Army or something?”
“Sure, I suppose. They each have designated ranks, and with each rank comes specific tasks and duties. For instance, actual angels are the closest to the material world, serving as messengers for humans, while the higher ranked bodies like Dominations and Thrones rarely if ever see the material world. Are you following me?”
“Barely,” Litner said. “How can you be sure that Shep and the brothers are Powers, and not something else?”
“Well for starters, Margol told me he was the ‘elite guard’, code for a Power. I assume he felt it safe to reveal this, thinking I would soon be dead by his hand.”
Copie nodded. “Yes, they tend to spill their guts when they’re about to kill you.”
Father Bello patted Copie’s hand. “I heard of your close call, son. Your strength of spirit is impressive.”
“Could we get back to business please?” Agent Litner said.
Father Bello turned his warm smile to Litner. “Ah, yes. Steven Litner. You have strength as well. Yours, however, I sense is born of restraining your own happiness.”
Agent Litner gave him a sarcastic smile. “Well, Santa, maybe you could bring me a pony for Christmas. Now, tell me about the Powers. What is their designation and what the hell are they doing here on earth?”
“Hang on,” Robin said. “We’re supposed to learn Shep’s motivations based on some old books? I’m not trying to be difficult, but I feel the need to point out not everyone here shares your beliefs, Father Bello. And Father Carbone.”
Litner shrugged. “I don’t share their beliefs either, but we’re trying to gather information, and Father Bello has some. Let’s keep a rein on the cynicism and maintain an open mind.”
Carbone held a hand up. “No one’s trying to bully you into sharing our faith, Robin. But the fact remains that whatever the source, details of these beings match some of the writings in our possession. Eerily so. Think of it as nothing more than a criminal investigation if you must but let us show Father Bello our respect for his time.”
She sighed. “Fine. Sorry. Go on.”
Bello opened one of the older looking books but did not read from it as he spoke. Instead, he looked around the table at all of them. “Powers have the most dangerous job in the hierarchy. They are responsible for maintaining the borders between the realms. They are the first line of guard between the material and the immaterial worlds. What does this mean? Well on a lighter note, they are responsible for ensuring that souls that leave the mortal world get to heaven safely. Sounds like a fairly cushy job, right? But guarding the celestial byways between the realms is not always so easy. They are constantly guarding against demonic attack and serve as a major battle line against all manner of unwanted entities. They are a most valuable order.”
Robin drummed her fingers on her teacup. “So they’re like the border patrol.”
He nodded. “A most responsible job. Unfortunately, more celestials from the rank of ‘Powe
r’ are listed as fallen from grace than any other member of the hierarchy. Some consider this to be due to their close proximity to the nether regions.”
“They have a tendency to get too involved with their work?” Carbone asked.
Father Bello smiled, but the sparkle had left his eyes. “The temptation to travel to other realms must be overwhelming. They’re constantly at watch of creatures who are spiritually lesser than they are. They guide angels on their way out of the region and help chart their course to the material worlds. Powers themselves, however, are forbidden to travel to any other regions, any of the other worlds, including earth.”
Litner cocked an eyebrow. “There are…other worlds? You believe that as a priest?”
Bello chuckled. “Well, that’s a quagmire, isn’t it? Much of my readings concerning Powers claim so. Of course, most of our colleagues in the church believe ours is God’s only creation, so I’ll leave it there.”
“Why?” Father Carbone asked. “Why can’t they travel to other regions when the other celestials can?”
“The Elite Guard need to be incredibly strong to do their jobs. Warriors. This is how they were made. They’re far too powerful to become material,” Father Bello said. “The lower beings, such as angels, archangels, and principalities, can slip through and remain masked to human eyes, appearing only when they deem it necessary, to pass a message along or meddle in human affairs or whatnot.”
“So the lower beings have a cloaking device,” Copie said.
Father Bello chuckled. “Something like that. For the Powers to go to earth, however, they’d have to be made flesh, and this is unacceptable.”
“Why?” Litner asked.
The priest frowned. “It is feared that Powers would not be able to conceal whatever gifts they brought with them.”
Copie shook his head. “Gifts?”
“Gifts, advanced abilities, magic, call it what you like. Whether you want to look at this from a religious standpoint or a scientific one, the fact remains that these beings are a far more sophisticated lifeform than we are. If the Powers entered a lower realm, bringing their exceptional gifts into a place that possessed none, it could create a dangerous shift in balance. They’d possess abilities, and knowledge, not yet discovered by the lower beings.”
“And who made it that way? Who makes these rules?” Robin asked.
Bello eyed her cautiously. “God does.”
She huffed. “God doesn’t allow these Powers to go to earth. Why would any of them defy God? If God is supposedly so all-knowing and wonderful, why would any being go against his wishes?”
“That’s a good question, Robin, and I think I can answer it. You’ve got to understand something,” Father Bello said. “Only the highest of the celestial ranks take orders directly from the creator. These creatures we’re dealing with, these Powers, take orders from their superiors, other members of the hierarchy. As I said, they have the most responsible job, but they’re also outsiders in a sense. The Powers, unlike higher ranked members of the hierarchy, have never actually seen God. They’re required to stay in the borders, just outside the kingdom. This always seemed disturbingly cruel to me, as it is written that they can feel the light of their creator, feel the warmth of the paradise they guard, but they’re never invited in, because of the duties they hold.”
“Damn,” Copie said. “That is cold.”
Father Bello nodded. “You see, lower creatures in the hierarchy are not so different from you and me. They’re required to have faith that their commands are coming from on high. Most people assume that all celestial beings just hang out with God all day. This is not so. Many of them question his existence just as humans do.”
They were all silent for several minutes, absorbing the information. Robin aired the question on everyone’s mind. “What does this have to do with Shepherd and his brothers? You believe them to have once been Powers, I got that much. But what are they doing here?”
“Ah yes,” Father Bello said. “This brings us to the story of Zirub.” He closed the book in front of him and picked up one of the colorful picture books.
“What is that?” Agent Litner asked. “A children’s book?”
“It is.” The ruddy priest chuckled. “There are very few writings about celestial beings that have any consistency in determining what is factual, or even common. The stories are all over the place, often presenting conflicting details. Even the Bible refers to them with some rarity. When Father Carbone called me with the name Zirub, I too found it familiar. I knew I’d encountered it briefly in the past, probably from readings I’d done, but for the life of me I couldn’t find it. I couldn’t find it in any religious text, that is. When I finally located it, it was in an unexpected category. Folklore.”
“You mean it’s a fairytale?” Copie asked.
“Indeed. This is a collection of stories printed about a hundred years ago, but their origins are impossible to date. The one I found is simply called ‘The Story of Zirub’. It reads like a bedtime story, but I wouldn’t read it to children unless I wanted to give them nightmares. I’ll give you the condensed version, as some of it can get rather wordy.” He opened the book.
“Basically, it talks about a band of five angels. They refer to them as angels here, most likely because that’s what people understand, but I still hold fast to my theory that they are actually Powers. Anyway, most people think of a band as a musical reference, being that angels are often depicted carrying trumpets and harps and such. But in this case, it seems to refer to a small group or a collective.”
“Like a gang?” Copie asked.
“More like a pack of wolves. Or a family. There’s a definite familial element to it. So this band is led by a celestial named Zirub, who wanted very much to be allowed to go to earth.”
“Does it say why?” Agent Litner asked.
Father Carbone rolled his eyes. “Litner needs his ‘why’ at all costs, Father Bello.”
“Actually,” Father Bello said, “Agent Litner makes a good point. I too was bothered by the fact that this story did not explain the motive behind Zirub’s urgency to reach the mortal world. The only remote clue I found is the timing; a little over two-thousand years ago is when he allegedly broke through. Around the time of the crucifixion.”
Robin shook her head. “Nah. Shep thinks the Jesus story is bullshit, he says so all the time.”
“Oh, now we’re going to believe Shepherd?” Carbone said. “After all his lies?”
Robin shot him a look. “Thought we were having open minds, Father Carbone? Or does that only apply to things you believe in?”
“All right, let’s not get touchy here,” Bello said. “The important thing is, there had to be a damn good reason why they made the trip to the material realm. According to my research, the process for a Power to break through as flesh is not a simple matter at all, or a pleasant one. It is a violent, dangerous transition that could result in his destruction. He must have had a motivation. It just doesn’t list it here.”
Robin shuddered. “Violent, yeah. If that’s what Patrick and I were witnessing in that cave…one of them breaking through as flesh, it was violent. And bloody.”
Agent Litner nodded. “Please Father Bello, continue.”
“Yes. So Zirub put in an urgent request to go to earth. It’s written here as a proposal. He was denied of course, being a Power, a being forbidden to enter the mortal world.”
“Let me guess,” Robin said. “He went anyway.”
“Of course. Otherwise, I doubt we’d be having this conversation.” Father Bello pulled out a tiny pair of wire-framed reading glasses and placed them on his nose, adding to the Santa Claus image. Looking down at the colorful book, he continued. “Against the better judgment of his superiors, Zirub talked the rest of his band into joining him and made the journey. It says here that he found a back door. It makes sense, knowing that Powers chart the material journeys of the lower beings. They know all the back roads, so to speak. At any rate, th
e band was discovered gone before they reached their final destination. Earth.”
Father Bello paused. Copie stared at him, wide-eyed. “Then the shit hit the fan, am I right?”
Father Carbone gave Copie a nudge, but Bello ignored the profanity. “It hit the fan all right, Copie. Zirub’s band abandoned their guard to go seek earth, leaving their posts wide open. A demonic tribe entered the kingdom of heaven. A battle ensued, and luckily the tribe was driven out by Powers from another sector. His superiors, angered by the lapse in security, shut both Zirub’s entrance to earth, as well as his entrance back to the heavenly byways, leaving him unable to proceed, and unable to retreat. They could not go forward to earth, and they could not go back where they came from. They were stuck, trapped in the void for all time.”
“What is the void exactly?” Agent Litner asked.
Father Bello took a deep breath and read from the page in front of him. “The void is described as the vast nothingness. It is the darkness and the nowhere that was before God created the Heavens and the Earth.”
Father Carbone shivered. Robin and Copie both rubbed their arms. It was as if on some primitive level, they all knew what the void was, and feared it above all things. The idea of nothingness was a concept the human mind could not quite wrap itself around. “How does it end?’ Copie asked, his voice lowered to a whisper.
Father Bello turned a couple of pages. He spoke slowly now, his jovial demeanor given over to a solemn countenance. “In the nothingness, the other members of the band began to go insane. All except for Zirub, their leader, for he was stronger than the rest. He felt responsible for their fate, having talked them into taking the journey with him. Rather than watch his beloved band lose their minds in the darkness, he put them all to sleep, where they would remain in a sort of stasis until he woke them. He would spend eternity in the void, searching the darkness for a Cripulet.”
“A Cripulet?” Agent Litner perked up.
Father Bello nodded. “A Cripulet is a thing of myth and legend. Some believe that there are areas of the fiber between the realms that have worn thin in places, leaving a soft spot. These soft spots are called Cripulets. It is believed that beings from other realms have occasionally passed through these Cripulets and into our world, either by accident or otherwise. Cripulets are said to be found mainly in deep ocean or mountainous caverns, places that have done a lot of geological shifting. Some believe that the myths of such creatures as the mountain Sasquatch and the Loch Ness monster are actually creatures from another realm that inadvertently slipped into our world via a Cripulet. It’s like an inter-dimensional doorway. Just as there are Cripulets to other worlds, there are supposedly Cripulets that lead to the void, and from the void, back into our world.”