this.” The angel straightened and slowly got to his feet. Despite the odd angled wing and scratches it looked magnificent.
“Are you really an Angel?” Paul asked.
“You can call me Angel, human, as your kind has done for centuries.”
Paul nodded slowly as if he understood. He was fighting an urge to contact Frank, and slowly reached for the com-link. He might need back-up.
“Fool!” The Angel’s voice reverberated through his head with a force that knocked Paul to the ground. “I offer peace, you want war. I offer salvation, but you offer pain. When will you stop, human? I come with a bargain, a bargain of life. When will you learn how to listen?”
Paul didn’t really want to listen; neither did he want to get up from the ground where he was now lying. What did this creature want? And what was a bargain of life? Was he of the same God that had caused the Wrath? He felt out place and his head hurt. This wasn’t supposed to happen. He had to do something. What would his grandfather have done?
Paul dragged himself up with a heavy sigh. This Angel-thing was pushing him around and he didn’t like it.
“Ok, I will listen. I don’t know what you want from me but if I can help you I will do what I can.”
“That’s good, human. You learn fast despite your small brain.”
Thanks a lot. Hopefully it wouldn’t kill him outright, the arrogant thing.
The Angel continued; “I come with a message from far away. I can save your Earth and restore its beauty. I can drain the poisons from this very mountain. I can bring life back that has been gone for so very long.”
Paul was taken aback. It wasn’t what he’d expected. “How?” It sounded ridiculous.
“That will be up to you, human.”
Paul shook his head trying to make some sense of it all but the Angel’s presence was overwhelming. That last bit sounded even worse. “So why me?”
“Because you are here, human.” The Angel moved closer, standing right in front of him, well above eight feet tall. “I offer you life, human, but I want something in return.”
Here we go. In Paul’s experience, people, no matter who they were, always wanted something in return. Apparently that included Angels as well. Bargaining was something Paul knew well; life underground was based on bartering in some shape or form. Right now he didn’t seem to have much choice. “What is it you want then?”
“I want your children,” the angel said casually.
“What? Get real.” He fought down a sudden intense desire to punch this thing, but forced himself to unclench his fists. He could control his temper if he had to. “You are crazy. Forget it. This is my children you are talking about.”
The angel spoke softly, with a hint of steel. “Not just your children, human, all of your world’s children.”
Paul stared at the Angel. “Why?” The word came out in a whisper.
“Because you are able to create life, human, when we cannot anymore.”
“So you want to take ours?”
The Angel didn’t seem too concerned about the question. “Look at you. Here you are, walking this dead Earth with a burning desire in your heart. You dream of nothing but seeing your fellow humans populate these grounds again, breathing fresh air, swimming in the ocean, drinking fresh water from the streams. I can make that happen, but are you willing to sacrifice life for this earth? Your children in exchange for your planet’s future perhaps?”
Paul couldn’t believe he was having this conversation. It must be some kind of joke. He was being set up, he was sure of it. Soon Frank would jump out from behind the Angel and shout ‘Gotcha!’ Although amusing as the thought was; deep down he doubted it.
The smoldering remains of the Angel’s footsteps suddenly extinguished themselves, only to be replaced with a green tinge that looked out of place against the brown earth. “Think about it Paul… For how long now have you been hiding with your people underground, living in fear of the harsh sunlight and falling acid? Isn’t that why you are up here, because you want to change things? This could be your big break you know…”
Paul turned away, his head reeling. This creature knew his name? Mind blowing. Possibly he’d knocked himself out when he fell and was lying concussed and dying in the sunshine. Heatstroke? For sure. But say for an instant that it was actually happening and this was a test of his loyalties. But who then was his loyalty to? His fellow humans deep underground? His children and wife? Or this creature he didn’t know that had appeared from somewhere God only knew. Because this had to be a test, he knew that for sure. Not even his father-in-law could come up with something this crazy. If he’d wanted to sabotage the project he could have easily done that before now. No, something else was stirring within him. There was no doubt that seeing this world green and whole again was what he had dreamt about since reading his grandfather’s notes as a kid. The words burned inside of him every hour of the day. To make sure your heart’s desire is real, whispered inside of him. His heart’s desire. What would he sacrifice for his heart’s desire?
The angel was standing silent and still. Like a pillar of salt. Where did that thought come from?
“Angel,” he called.
The salt came to life. “Yes, Paul?”
Paul took a deep breath and said through gritted teeth; “I cannot give you my children, their life is not mine to sacrifice.”
“Is that your answer, human? You choose to die in your own poisoned stench?’
“If that’s the choice, I see no other way out.”
The angel was quiet. Or was it just waiting. Paul started to feel ill at ease. What now? Would this creature get up and shake his hand, thank him for his time, and take off back to Heaven or wherever it came from? Or would it go and find some other person and ask for the same thing. And what if that person made a different decision? He’d definitely failed the test; he could feel it in his bones.
“Angel,” he called out again.
“Yes, human? A change of heart perhaps?” A strange grin played around the Angel’s face.
“No, the children must stay, but you can take me instead.”
“Really, Paul?”
“Really,” Paul sighed. “Just tell me one thing…”
“And what is that?”
“Will you take the children anyway?”
The angel suddenly soared into the sky, up through the layers of clearing fog. All Paul could do was to wait nervously below.
“Human, don’t flatter me with your petty ethics of morality.” The voice echoed in his head. “Did you enjoy your power, brief as it was? For a moment there you were the most powerful human being on the planet.” The Angel landed softly in front of him. It was completely healed, not a single scratch remained on its body. It looked magnificent and awe inspiring. “Now here is the real bargain, human.”
“Paul, mate, are you there?” The high pitched noise of Frank’s voice in his ears woke Paul from a troubled sleep. “Yes,” was all he managed after fumbling around and finding the com-link. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so tired.
“Mate, are you ok? Where have you been? You have just got to get up here and see this. The programme is working, mate, it’s all here, every satellite is visible. It is beautiful and…”
Paul switched the com link off. His head hurt. No, his whole body hurt. He remembered the Angel, something it had said. Our race is dying. This is the first planet with compatible life forms. All I need is a sample.
Paul looked around. Everything was already looking greener around him. The Earth was already healing. Was it for real? The air felt fresh. He felt…different. He hoped he was still a man. So the Angel had really kept his part of his bargain somehow. How was that even possible?
He got up slowly. If you’re a match, we will come for you. Paul sighed. He wished more than ever that he could tell his grandfather that out of all the things he had been right about, he had been wrong about the Angels.
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