Reverend Cromwell left the dungeons with a heavy heart. Watching Kusheil and Reverend Church break the Angel Tarfiel to the brink of death was difficult to observe. But watching Rev Church take a hacksaw and use it to cut off the poor girl’s wings; Cromwell felt sick to his stomach, he had to leave the room. He knew hours ago that Tarfiel had no more information to give; the Reverend saw the look in her eyes. He knew that look; it was the same look that an addict gave when they finally hit rock bottom thank to the interventions he once organized. It was a look of hopelessness.
“Hey where are you off to,” Bashir asks as he sees Cromwell leave looking unwell.
“Fresh air,” Cromwell answering briskly; “need it now!”
“But the prisoner,” Bashir starts to speak before Cromwell snaps back.
“THE PRISONER HAS NOTHING MORE TO SAY! BUT IF YOU WANT TO WATCH CHURCH,” Cromwell lowering his voice; “if you want to watch Church torture an angel for the sake of torture, then you are more than welcome to revel in such barbarity. Me,” Cromwell resuming his walk; “I’m heading outside.”
Cromwell breathed deeply as he stepped out of the Inquisitorial headquarters. The sounds of Tarfiel screaming finally silenced as he heads further from the building. Sitting down at a nearby bench he takes stock with the past few days. He comes to realize that he may have as they say; backed the wrong horse in the race. Reverend Cromwell thought that angels were saintly, chaste; pure and benevolent. Yet the few he has seen were of the opposite. Kushiel at first seemed kindly. Stern yet kindly; heaping praises and pointless platitudes of the good work they did in poisoning arch duke Beelzebub.
Semyaza, while an excellent teacher for them to learn from in the art of combat; had what Cromwell thought was a darkside within. At times when he spotted Semyaza alone, he could swear he saw a cruelty to his face; only to see it disappear with his warm smile the moment he sensed someone was watching him. It maddened Cromwell that these were to only angels he was associating with; apart from Church, Mather and Bashir. So lost in his thoughts, Cromwell failed to notice an angel with a long beard and wings with colors of the rainbow sit next to him.
“Are you troubled,” the elderly looking angel speaking; “would you like talk about it?”
Cromwell snaps up to look at the angel sitting next to him. He wanted to walk away and be alone; yet he felt a sense of calmness coming from this angel, as if he could trust him with all his concerns.
“I’m sorry,” the angel apologizes as he gets up; “I saw you all by yourself and you looked sad. As if you just lost a friend.”
“More than that,” Cromwell sighing; “I fear I may have lost hope.”
The elderly looking angel sat back down. Placing his hand on Cromwell’s; the old angel with a fatherly smiled as he said, “Why do you feel that you have lost hope. Here in heaven of all places.”
****************************************************
“Where is Cromwell,” Reverend Church asking as he left the interrogation chamber; the screams for Tarfiel now silent. Bashir and Mather waited outside. Both could hear the scream and like Cromwell; it un-nerved them both.
“He needed fresh air,” Bashir answering; “I think he didn’t approve of the interrogation methods you and Kushiel employ.”
“You should all get some fresh air,” Semyaza speaking as he approaches; “staring tomorrow you will all be sent back down to earth to begin rebuilding the Iron Knights. You will get new identities and new human appearances,” Semyaza handing the new angels what looks like a newspaper; “as your original appearances are as the local earthy constabulary might say persona-non-Grata.”
“But we are now angels,” Church speaking defiantly; “we are above such earthly concerns.”
“Yes you are angels,” Semyaza nodding; “yes you look nothing like you did on earth. However, you can’t just stroll down Main Street of Podunk town U.S.A with wings and a halo,” Semyaza chuckling; “you will need to shift to a disguise. As you were once humans, that disguise would be your original appearance. An appearance,” Semyaza holding up the local paper; “that is plastered everywhere as you are all wanted for murder.”
“Podunk town,” Reverend Church scoffing as he watches Semyaza enter the dungeons; “the town may have been small, but it was full of good Christians. Honest people worthy of the embrace of god.”
“Pfffff,” Bashir scoffing; “so long as they tithe most of their income to you and live in perpetual poverty.”
“You one to talk,” Church biting back; “didn’t you use some creative accounting to relieve your mosque of funds? And bought yourself a Lincoln Towncar,” Church smirking.
“A fool and his money are soon parted,” Bashir rolling his eyes; “and your town had more fools then Mohammed had wives.”
“Will you two shut it,” Mather reading the paper; “Semyaza is right. We are fucked,” Mather handing the newspaper to Bashir who’s face turn ash before handing it to Reverend Church.
*******************************************************
“What you have just told me,” The elderly looking angel listens as he strokes his beard; “is troubling indeed. If true,” the angel looking concerned; “you would be expelled from heaven.”
“Just like the angels during the revolt,” Cromwell clearly in tears; “we will fall?”
“Not as depicted in your biblical texts,” the elderly angel placing a comforting hand on Cromwell; “Lucifer and the rebels were driven from this kingdom. They fled and were consumed by the darkness; reshaping and twisting them. But one cannot have light without and equal measure of darkness,” the angel smiling; “the good news is that Jehovah is big on forgiveness,” the elderly angel getting up just as a distressed looking cherub land on his shoulder; “pray for his forgiveness. He will hear it as if you were standing next to him.”
“Will I get to meet him,” Cromwell accepting a tissue to help dry his eyes.
“That is for Jehovah to decide,” the angel answering; seeing three other angels leaving the inquisitorial building. “I think you friends are calling for you.”
Cromwell looks up to see Bashir, Mather and Church heading towards him. Turning around to thank the angel for listening; he is surprised to see he has vanished.
Floating up into the sky; using the sun above to hide, Jehovah watches as Cromwell talks to his comrades.
“Thank you Polytimos,” Jehovah’s smiling vanishing; “or Reverend Cromwell as you were originally named. Thank you for sharing your burdens regarding Kushiel upon me; it was most illuminating. More so regarding Tarfiel who Kushiel reported as missing.”
Jehovah noted the other angels. Ariel who is really Reverend Mather. Esh who is Reverend Bashir; and lastly Baziel, who is Reverend Joshua Church Sr.
“I can’t wait to have a chat with you Reverend,” Jehovah looking angered; “I can’t wait for you to give me the reason you felt gave you the right to strike my daughter.”
Jehovah watches as the four walk towards the library; while god is confident that reverend church would not recognize his son who is with Penemue, he silently nodded that if Joshua Sr did; Michael would ensure that the wilily reverend would rue the day if he tried any violent acts. It was then the he finally payed attention to the cherub chirping in his ear.
“Yes, I’m well aware that the rest are unable to get near the building. And to the library;” Jehovah looking as the four iron knights now angels head into the neighbouring building. “I asked Mary and Jesus to look into the issue,” God nodding to the cherub; “please report to them for updates on the issue. I have the wedding of Pava and Cruciata to perform. Jehovaha’s smiling returning as he flies to the chapel, “I do enjoy officiating weddings. There is so much love and joy in weddings.”