He saw Michael-Lan nod. “As to the nuclear attacks on your cities, that was not my doing. You took down Napyidaw yourselves; I had no idea there was such a weapon hidden on that cart. I just guessed it was something I should be far away from. As for the others, they were the work of Azrael who was trying to curry favor with Yahweh. He was critically injured in the attack on New York and is being treated in my country estate. For removing me from power, I thank you. The burdens of rule are onerous and its costs are great. All I ever wanted was to run my nightclub in peace. Even to achieve that simple goal, Yahweh had to go… “
He was interrupted by a massive road as a huge section of battered wall detached and crashed down. A choking cloud of dust filled the room, stifling any further attempts at conversation until it settled. As it did so, Petraeus saw an angel shake himself clear of the debris, re-assemble his workers and start to clear the floor again. “And who are you?”
The dust-ridden figure shook himself to free some of the plaster grit from his wing-feathers. “I am Zacharael-Lan, Master-Mason of the Ultimate Temple.”
“And just what do you think you are doing?”
“I am trying to get this room repaired from the damage Yahweh caused… ” The Master Mason hesitated, uncertain of the form of address to use. In the end he decided to keep going. “He always wrecked the place when he had a temper tantrum but I’ve never seen it this bad.”
“Why are you fixing this place? Yahweh’s dead.”
“Somebody must rule. Whoever does, it is my duty to repair this place. Duty done well is it’s own reward.”
Petraeus glanced around at the other Generals with him and got tiny nods in response. “More reward than you think. I’m putting you in charge of Heaven for the meantime. How long you stay there depends on you. Just remember, when we say jump, the correct reply is not ‘how high?’ It’s ‘may I come down now please?” He looked at the existing occupants of the dais and jerked his thumb at the doors. “You other five, out. Wait for us in the anteroom.”
The five Chayot Ha Kodesh rose and left. Petraeus watched them leave, then returned his attention to Zacharael-Lan. “Pick out some people to help you rule this place. Subject to our approval of course. Asanee, I want you to stay here. You’re probably the most familiar with this kind of situation of any of us. I’ll assign you some additional staff and you report directly to me. Stay in the background but watch Zacharael-Lan carefully.”
“Yes, Sir.” Asanee hesitated for a brief second. “David, you picked him just to annoy the Freemason’s Conspiracy nuts didn’t you?”
Petraeus permitted himself a small grin. “Well, that might have had something to do with it. But that crash of masonry was all too convenient from his point of view. I think we ought to keep our Master Mason out where we can watch him very carefully.”
Anteroom, The Ultimate Temple, The Eternal City, Heaven.
“I’m so sorry Michael.” Charmeine was distressed almost to the point where her tears broke through her carefully-cultivated reserve. “I never thought the humans would throw you out after all you did.”
“I did.” Michael-Lan spoke cheerfully. “Well, I guessed it was a fifty-fifty chance they would. Them putting Abigor in power down in Hell showed they wanted one of us to rule up here. The question was, who? I hoped it would be me but only a fool substitutes hope for preparation. Remember that people, when planning, don’t forget to allow for a possibility even if it’s unpalatable. So if it wasn’t going to be me, it would be best, it had to be somebody I approved of. The four of you were out, you’re too close to me. Zacharael-Lan was perfect. So, he arranged that collapse and the statement about duty and doing a job well. That human General didn’t know who to choose so it only required that little to push him the right way.”
“Suppose he had picked somebody else?” Leilah was keen to learn.
“Then we would have made the transition from Yahweh’s rule to whatever comes next as hard and as messy as possible. We’d have made sure whoever was in charge got all the blame and in the end one of us would have come in as a savior and put everything right.” Michael glanced over his shoulder. “They’re coming, everybody look penitent.”
“Michael-Lan. You say you have an estate out in the countryside?” General Petraeus wasn’t in any doubt about that.
“I do.”
“Take me there. I wish to see this Azrael you mentioned.”
“Would you like me to carry you? It would be no burden.”
“You lead the way, We’ll follow you in the Osprey. Once there, you stay there until we’ve finished sorting your case out.”
“My nightclub.” There was genuine pain and anguish in Michael’s voice. “I have to run my nightclub.”
“Sucks to be you. The same applies to the rest of you. Go to your country estates, stay there. Consider yourselves exiled from The Eternal City until we say otherwise.”
“Sir.” Leilah spoke diffidently, something quite at odds with the costume she was wearing. “I don’t have a country estate.”
“Leilah is only recently raised to the status of Chayot Ha Kodesh,” Michael explained. “She was Erelim before and only Chayot Ha Kodesh have country estates. Because of how fast things have happened, her estate was never awarded to her.”
Petraeus nodded. “Leilah, you run Michael’s nightclub for him. You are allowed to fly to his estate to consult with him on doing that. You may also fly to the others here to meet with them. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir. And thank you.”
“Is that wise David?” General Ti spoke very quietly.
“Somebody will be carrying messages, we might as well know who.”
Michael’s Palace, Aukumea, Heaven
The palace reminded Petraeus of a Greek temple. It was large of course, scaled to Michael’s size, but it was pristine white. It was unmarred by the displays of precious stones that were already becoming tasteless and jaded to Petraeus’s eyes. Just a large, perfectly-proportioned and perfectly-maintained Greek temple. It was, Patraeus reflected, the first really elegant building he had seen in Heaven. As his V-22 came in to land on the green lawns, he saw the staff running out to welcome Michael home. To his surprise, the humans seemed as enthusiastic as the angels.
“Welcome to Aukumea, General.” The accent was distinctively American.
“And you are?”
“Doctor David Gunn. Michael’s personal physician.”
“That name is familiar.”
“I was killed a few years back. Shot outside a women’s health clinic. My nurses here, Lee-Ann Nichols and Shannon Lowney were also killed in health clinic shootings. Michael rescued us from Hell and brought us here. Michael says you want to see Azrael?”
“Yes, please.” Petraeus hesitated, then spoke awkwardly. “Doctor Gunn, it’s good to know things worked out all right for you three in the end.”
“Thanks to Michael, yes. And not just for us. In the years before the war started, he spent a lot of his time rescuing humans from Hell. Took a lot of risks doing it as well. Anyway, come with me and I’ll show you the patients.”
Damn, that’s just what we needed. Petraeus thought. Michael turning out to be some sort of Heavenly Schindler. The silver-blooded Pimpernel already. “Doctor, what’s the mound over there?”
Gunn laughed. “That is, or rather was, Fluffy. Better known to you as the Scarlet Beast. Disgusting creature, never was properly house-trained. His rider is here as well, very sad case I’m afraid.”
“So it is dead. We didn’t know back on Earth. We knew we’d hurt it, that was all. And we were still waiting for the Lamb Beast and the Dragon.”
Gunn’s laughter redoubled. “You hadn’t worked it out then. The Lamb Beast, speaks with the gentleness of a lamb but fights like a dragon? That’s Michael. And the ultra-powerful Dragon is, or was, Yahweh himself.”
“Doctor, honest question from a soldier to a physician. Where do you stand in all this.”