“Mardon created a serum. Couldn’t you have used that?”
“Good question. Ashley was suspicious of Mardon’s character, so she first injected the serum into a lab rat. Although the rat improved remarkably for a short time, it died the next day. She called the problem a time-bomb component and said that Adam would have died from it if not for the fact that the drones killed his mortal body.”
Billy’s throat tightened. “Adam is dead?”
“As I said, the definitions of life and death have changed, as you will soon learn.” He extended a hand. “Would you like to get up and test your legs?”
“Sure, but where’s Bonnie?”
Prof nodded toward Billy’s bed. “During her months in a coma, she was at your side. She awakened last week and feels perfectly well now. Her wings mended nicely, thanks to Ashley and a local woman who is familiar with such matters. Ashley has been caring for both of you and expected you to wake up today, so only an hour ago she removed your tubes and monitors to make you ready and to clear this room of medical equipment.”
Billy gestured toward a drawing on the wall. “If Earth is closed to us, how did my room get here?”
“I asked for this room to be constructed and decorated in this manner so you would wake up to familiar surroundings.” Lifting his brow, the professor looked around. “It is quite good, if I do say so myself.”
“It is good, Prof. Thanks for doing that.” Billy grasped his wrist and pulled to a standing position. The sheet slid away, revealing beige linen pants, a loose medieval-style shirt, and bare feet. He wiggled his toes. They all worked, even the two that had been broken.
When he tried to take a step, a calf muscle gave way. Prof caught his arm and held him up. “Ashley was worried about muscle atrophy. She and Walter took turns exercising your limbs, but it seems that the effort was not enough. You will have to walk carefully until they can get you the proper physical therapy.”
Billy lifted and lowered each leg. They felt pretty shaky. “Did Bonnie have the same trouble?”
“Certainly, but she has wings to give her lift. Ashley exercised those as well as her arms and legs.”
Billy took another step, easing into it this time. The muscles stayed firm, though the bare skin against the floor felt somewhat tender. “Do I have shoes somewhere?”
“Shoes are unnecessary in this world, though we can provide them if you prefer.” He nodded toward the bedroom door. “Shall we?”
“Definitely.”
The professor grasped the doorknob and gestured with an arm. “Lead the way. Your friends long to see you, not me.”
“My friends?” When Prof opened the door, sunshine poured in. As Billy’s eyes adjusted, he walked out onto velvety grass. A breeze wafted by, the temperature perfect. Against a background of lush trees, at least fifty people swarmed around picnic tables that stood about twenty steps away.
A woman shouted, “Billy’s here!”
Everyone turned toward him. Bonnie burst out of the crowd and flew to him, her wings full and flawless. She landed in front of him in a trot, threw her arms around his neck, and kissed him. When she drew back, her eyes danced with excitement. “How are you feeling?”
He looked her over. Braided hair ran along each side of her head and joined at the back. Wearing a silky pale blue blouse with flowing long sleeves, a royal-blue skirt that swept her calves, and a form-fitting black vest embroidered with roses on the front, she looked fabulous. “Now that you’re here … perfect.”
“Wait till you see who else is here!” She grasped his hand and led the way across the cool, spongy turf.
Billy looked back. The professor closed the door to a small house and followed, though now his face looked younger, and his skin seemed to glow. Elizabeth and Jennifer joined him. One hugged him at each side as he smiled and spread his arms around them.
As Billy and Bonnie drew close to the tables, familiar faces came into focus. Walter stepped out and gave him a hug with a pat on the back. “It’s about time you woke up. I’ve been working my gluteus maximus off while you slept.”
Billy laughed. “Then get some super glue and ask Ashley to put it back on.”
“Very funny.” Walter pulled away and held Billy’s shoulders, a twinkle in his eye. “I made a special sandwich for you. It has a hot dog, a hamburger patty, baked beans, coleslaw, and potato chips. I’m sure you remember.”
“How could I forget?”
Ashley stepped forward out of the crowd. “And here it is!” One hand held a sturdy plate with a triple-stacked sandwich on top. Her other hand lay over her slightly rounded belly.
As she caressed the bump, the realization crashed into Billy’s brain. “When is the baby due?”
“Five months.” Ashley looked at her abdomen. “Since I’m so big already, we’re hoping for twins. I think I’m detecting two sets of brain waves in there.”
Billy hugged her and whispered into her ear. “Blessings to you, Ashley. Thank you for everything. You are truly amazing.” He kissed her cheek and drew back. Tears spilled from his eyes, but he didn’t bother to brush them away.
Ashley set the plate down on a table and dabbed Billy’s cheeks with a cloth napkin. “Thank you for being my husband’s best friend. Without you and Bonnie, I never would have met him … or God.”
“You’re welcome. Walter is the best.”
“Billy …” Bonnie hooked her arm around his and looked into his eyes. “Something very important happened while we were unconscious. They wanted to get our permission, but no one knew how long we would be out.”
“Our permission? Sounds serious.”
“It is, and I’ll let them tell you about it.” She turned him toward the left. Matt walked up, a rope in hand as he led a donkey. Listener rode sidesaddle on its back, her bare feet exposed below a long, flower-printed skirt and ivory petticoat. Daisies and miniature roses threaded through her pigtails, and floral lace trimmed the edges of her frilly blouse. She looked stunning.
Darcy stood next to the donkey and stroked its neck, her smile as bright as her bodily glow. Wearing a flowing white gown trimmed with blue, she offered a shallow curtsy but said nothing.
Billy gave her a nod. A blend of sorrow and joy for this courageous young woman swelled his heart. Apparently she had died during the journey but now lived in the embrace of Paradise.
Lauren joined the group on foot. She wore dark pants and a matching short-sleeved polo that made her white hair and bright smile more radiant than ever. She held hands with a dark-skinned male youth to her left and an unfamiliar glowing girl to her right.
Billy studied the male youth’s chiseled face and shining eyes. He looked like Derrick, the blind boy from the underground lab in Montana, but this young man obviously had no trouble seeing.
Matt, dressed in cargo pants and a black polo, walked up to Billy, hugged him warmly, then drew back. “Dad, since you and Mom were in a coma, I asked someone else for permission to engage in courtship, so Listener and I are hoping you don’t mind—”
“No, no, it’s all right. I’m thrilled.” Billy trembled. His two beautiful children had grown so quickly. They looked far wiser than their years. “But since you were leading Listener on a donkey, doesn’t that mean—”
“We’re betrothed.” Listener slid down from the donkey and ran to Billy. She kissed him on the cheek and embraced him with strong arms. “I’m so sorry about how I treated you the last time we were together.” She pulled away. Tears sparkled in her eyes. “I have since been transformed, and God has washed away my sins in the waters of resurrection. I hope you will forgive me and be like a father to me again.”
“Without hesitation.” As his own tears welled, he kissed her forehead. “Being a father to you is a great honor.”
Her smile as wide as an ocean, she removed a daisy from her hair and pushed the stem into his shirt pocket. “In Second Eden, we see no reason to delay commitments. Although I said we are betroth
ed, we have been waiting for you to wake up before speaking our official betrothal vows.”
“Assuming you approve,” Matt added. “We hope to marry when you and Mom think we’re ready.”
Billy tightened his own arm lock with Bonnie. “I approve with all my heart.”
“As do I,” Bonnie said as she caressed Listener’s cheek.
Lauren approached hand in hand with the Derrick look-alike. “Dad, this is Eagle. He saved my life by diving into a volcano in my place, and he resurrected in the birthing garden.”
Eagle lowered to a knee and looked up at Billy. “Lauren and I received permission to spend more time with each other, but now I am asking for your permission to continue. Our desire is to become better acquainted so we can learn if we are a compatible couple.”
“Since Lauren approves, you have my permission.” Billy grasped his wrist and pulled him up. “Thank you for saving her life.”
“You are quite welcome, sir.”
Billy looked past Lauren and Eagle at the glowing girl. “Who is the young lady you were with?”
Lauren glanced back. “My friend Micaela. She died in a car bomb planted by Tamiel. She lives in Heaven now, and she’s here for the celebration. So is my foster mother.”
“This day is getting better every minute.” Billy’s smile grew so wide it hurt his cheeks. It seemed that a thousand questions poured through his mind, so he grabbed the first one. “Who was the person you guys went to for permission?”
Walter laughed. “The senior officer, of course.”
Another couple stepped forward from the crowd, a burly, bearded man and a petite woman—Sir Barlow and Tamara. “That would be me,” Sir Barlow said. “How could I refuse? They are far more mature than most teenagers.” He smoothed out his immaculately clean beige tunic. “Besides, Tamara and I married without your permission, so it seemed consistent to—”
“Wait, wait.” Billy held up a hand. “Why would you need my permission to marry?”
“Because in Second Eden all officers must receive permission to marry from someone of higher rank. I had no one to ask, since I held the highest rank until you and Bonnie revived.”
“Rank? What rank do you think Bonnie and I hold?”
Tamara slid her arm around Sir Barlow’s. “He is teasing you by holding back information until the last moment. He is an actor playing a dramatic role.”
“Tamara!” Billy drew his head back. “Your speech! It’s perfect!”
She smiled, her face now fuller, complete with rosy cheeks. “When the reservoir released its energy, everyone here was healed, including the Second Edeners who had not yet died from the storm’s blight. Their companions dissolved, and they had no need of them any longer. Like Listener, they felt the voice of God within. The original anthrozils were healed completely as well. Dr. Conner found something in Listener’s blood that helped him keep them alive until the reservoir opened. That energy evaporated before you and Bonnie arrived, but it lasted long enough for those who were already here.”
“That’s all great. Miraculous, even. But what about the rank thing?”
“A picture is worth a thousand words,” Sir Barlow said as he stepped aside.
From the midst of the crowd, a glowing couple walked into view—Elam and Sapphira. Her hair as white as sparkling snow and eyes bluer than ever, Sapphira smiled. “It is Coronation Day. Elam and I have gone on to Heaven’s glory, but we and several others have been allowed to come to the crowning of the new king and queen of Second Eden—Billy and Bonnie Bannister.”
“That’s what this feast is all about,” Elam added. “Walter thought it appropriate to provide humble foods in a rustic setting, and soon we will walk to the venue for the coronation. A special guest will officiate the proceedings, but that person’s identity will remain a secret until the time comes. Your parents will be there as well, and all four of them are preparing a surprise.”
Bonnie drew close and whispered into Billy’s ear. “Just accept graciously. I tried for days to get them to change their minds. It’s not happening.”
“Thank you.” Billy bowed his head. “We’ll do our best.”
“Good!” Walter patted him on the shoulder. “Now walk around and mingle. People are dying to talk to you. In fact, a lot of them are already dead. They’re the ones glowing like the moon. And Joran and Selah are going to sing and play the lyre, so have fun.” Walter gestured toward the forest. “Take a look.”
Just inside the tree line, Joran and Selah each held a lyre, strumming the strings as if practicing for a performance. They, like many others, glowed.
Billy and Bonnie walked into the crowd. They shook hands, enjoyed embraces, and shared laughter. They concentrated on greeting the glowing guests first. They would have plenty of time to talk to the others after the ceremony.
Karen told her favorite Walter joke, a silly story about a fish that played golf. Acacia recalled a time when she and Billy sat alone at the shore of an underground lake and talked about her life as a slave in Morgan’s mines. Adam and Carly approached together. Adam reminisced about using a lighter in the restroom to try to set off the fire alarm, but a puff of dragon breath really did it. Carly and Bonnie exchanged tear-filled hugs and recounted their first meeting on a bus.
Billy and Bonnie chatted with Merlin, Enoch, Yereq, King Arthur, Flint, Angel, Valiant, Standish and the other deceased knights, Joseph of Arimathea, and Ashley’s grandfather. With each person, they shared stories that brought back memories both light and heavy. In this joy-filled reunion, it seemed that even the darkest memories carried no heartache.
During the meal, Billy and Bonnie sat at a long table with Matt, Listener, Lauren, Eagle, Professor Hamilton, Elizabeth, Jennifer, Thomas, and Mariel. At nearby tables sat Sir Patrick, Ruth, their son, Walter and Ashley, Carl and Catherine Foley, Shelly and her family, Shiloh and Gabriel and their kids, Mendallah, Zohar, Edmund, Naamah, Stacy, Rebecca, and Monique.
Billy let out a delighted sigh. The gathering was too good to be true. When Walter began telling funny stories, everyone laughed and felt at ease as they munched on ginger sticks, blister beans, and berry bread—traditional Second Eden fare.
Billy took only a few bites of the sandwich Walter had made, laughing more than eating, and Bonnie munched on her favorite sandwich, a roll stuffed with turkey breast, lettuce, black olives, and honey mustard. Her own laughter spasms sent a dollop of mustard into her nose instead of her mouth.
Joran and Selah walked to and fro in the midst of the tables. Their lyres and voices melded together in flawless harmonies as they sang of past adventures—the plane crash in the Otter Creek Wilderness; imprisonment in the candlestone; dark journeys in the circles of seven; battles against demons after a mysterious rain; Walter’s visit to the lake of fire; dangers in Second Eden against the Nephilim; the great battle at the gates of Heaven versus evil warriors from the past; fifteen years in prison for Billy, Bonnie, and Ashley as well as their escape; Mount Elijah’s eruption and the disease that ravaged the anthrozils; the mysterious encounters at the seven doors and a wild helicopter ride with Tamiel’s goons; and finally the most recent battle against Arramos that concluded with Clefspeare’s triumph.
As the stories bounced about, Billy looked around. He inhaled the aromas and let the laughter and excited chatter soak in. It was all so wonderful! But something was missing. With the exception of Listener and Eagle, the only living humans were from Earth. “Bonnie, where are the Second Edeners? And the dragons?”
Bonnie swallowed the last bite of her sandwich. “I heard that the dragons are preparing something special, and the Second Edeners and some others ate before we did and reset the tables with plates and utensils.”
“Why would they eat before—”
A trumpet blared from somewhere in the forest. A man bellowed with the tone of a kingdom crier. “It is time to gather for the crowning of the king and queen of Second Eden! Follow the path to Heaven’s Tower.”
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As people rose from the tables’ benches, Billy turned to Bonnie. “Heaven’s Tower?”
“I heard about it, but I haven’t seen it. They’re revealing it to mortals today.” They joined the crowd as they funneled onto a narrow path leading into the forest. “The Tower of Babel was mankind’s vain attempt to reach God. With this new tower, God has provided access between Heaven and Second Eden. The citizens of Heaven can visit us whenever they please, though we can’t go from here to there until we die.”
Billy looked ahead in the line. Walter and Ashley walked with Walter’s folks and Ashley’s grandfather, all laughing as they stepped with a lively gait. “So Prof and Walter’s dad and sister and others might be visiting us frequently?”
“I don’t know how often they’ll come, but it’s a comfort to know that they can.”
“Definitely. I have no idea about how to be a king. Getting advice from Elam will help a lot.”
“And Sapphira for me. I would’ve missed her terribly. We spent four years in Abaddon’s Lair with Joan of Arc.”
“Right. Joan.” Billy looked for a glowing blonde in the line of people but found none. “Have you seen her? I’m not sure what she looks like other than what you’ve told me.”
“I haven’t seen her. Most of Heaven’s visitors arrived about an hour ago. Maybe she’s not coming.”
Ahead, the trees thinned out, and the path led to a grassy meadow three times the size of a football field. It sloped gently upward to a ridge with a flat-topped knoll at the center, big enough for a couple of dragons to stand on.
Blankets lay spread out here and there across the grass. Babies played on them, some on their backs, others cuddled in the arms of fathers, mothers, and older siblings—the surviving Second Edeners.
Billy smiled. No wonder they chose to eat first. The babies probably couldn’t wait for the comatose guest to awaken. Also, other children frolicked in the grass, some faces familiar—the children they rescued from the airplanes and transport helicopter.