The Angel simply smiled at their spontaneity. Then Ben remembered that the ring was still sitting tight in his fist. He opened his hand and the circlet shone in the light of the sun, its brilliant gold flashing and its huge pearl gleaming softly. The Angel took the ring, the pearl opened and the little crowned Princess appeared. She curtsied and sang her sweet little song, then waved her handkerchief and the pearl closed once again.
“My little Princess, your song has filled everyone’s hearts with the most wonderful memories.”
“Are we going to return the ring back to the real Princess?” asked Ben curiously.
”We will return it in good time, be patient and you will learn everything in a little while,” said the Angel hiding the ring in his pocket.
“But why was this modest little ring so important to the robots that it caused the roof of their museum to literally fly away and leave the whole city in such disarray?" the artist asked the Angel.
“An ancient oracle warned them that as long as they controlled the Princess’s ring they would flourish. But losing it would spell their doom. This sort of half-baked mysticism sits at the basis of their whole world view and belief system. However, building a starship in the shape of that roof and flying away in it once they had lost the ring was a piece of the most wreck less folly. However, the leaders of the robots have paid a high price for this violation of the higher laws. The city is rid of their cruel regime and will eventually be restored back to normal, which means that the remaining robots will become fully functional human beings again.”
The Angel also told them how the “transformer” starship was stuck in space unable to return to the earth. At that moment the Angel received a signal and said:
“I’ll be back soon, wait for me here.” And with that, he flew off.
Several minutes later the Angel returned with news that amazed everyone: An enormous source of light had been discovered on board the robots’ spaceship that had been successfully blockaded by the Angels.
“It looks like these could be Divine Stars that have been stolen from people who have served God. The robots wanted to use them for their own evil ends,” the Angel explained excitedly. The Angel received another message:
“The robots are completely surrounded and are unable to carry out their dastardly plan. There’s a possibility that your Divine Star's energy might be on board,” said the Angel turning towards Michael and Ben.
“Can we fly out there on your starship and take back our Star?” Ben implored the Angel.
“No, that is impossible, our starship is not designed for such a task and it is really up to the adults in your family to get the star back. And… haven’t you got a lot of suggestions to make for one so young! Don’t worry we have the situation perfectly under control,” said the Angel smiling at everyone. “You my dear boys have more than earned your reward. The City of the Angels awaits you.”
The boys gave the restoration artist and security expert a big warm hug goodbye. Then they all went their separate ways. Their wonderful temporary ‘dad’ set off for the city where the greatest opportunities awaited him. And the security expert, who really was a specialist of the highest calibre headed off to the South. And with him went his true and loyal friends: the snake and the dog. Michael gave the dog a big hug and Ben gently stroked the huge serpent’s wise old head. And despite having been through some pretty hard ordeals in the City of the Robots, thanks to their true friends the cousins had spent an extremely interesting time that they would never forget for the rest of their lives. And of course without these friends it would have been quite impossible to get the ring back.
When both cars had sped out of view, Michael and Ben sat down in the spaceship and the Angel set a course to the highest heavens. After a minute or two Michael asked:
“Are the artist and security kind of human angels?"
“They are wise, kind and noble minded people, who are capable of achieving the most amazing things for the sake of others. They are very close to the Angels... in spirit. I am very glad that you became such close friends.”
And with that the Angel set the starship on an ever steeper course taking the boys to unknown and joyful worlds.
The City of the Angels
This time the starship took them in an ever increasing upward trajectory. And at the highest cusp of the heavens an immense gleam of light appeared. Then the boys saw it from the side, then below and then above. Unknown to them the Angel had decided to fly around the city so the boys could admire it from all angles. The light steadily increased in intensity and shone with all the colours of the rainbow. However, two colours prevailed over the others: a light pink and a pale blue. The gleam of light fizzed and grew. And soon the boys could make out the fantastic buildings constructed in the most wondrous shapes and forms. Some were shaped like flowers and others like balloons or precious stones with delicate transparent walls. Some buildings fluoresced with a pink or yellow light while others were white and mottled with different flecks of pulsating colour. Each building had its own design. Some were like trees laden with huge succulent fruit; others were like beds of flowers, which constantly changed form and colour. Some were adorned with technicoloured, transparent, very-formed stones that stood proudly sentinel outside their entrances. But what the boys found most amazing was that in front of each building stood a children's playground. However, these were no ordinary playgrounds, they boasted merry-go-rounds with live horses and swings held in place by huge elephants and real miniature steam trains that sped around on rails and tooted at the children as they went by. There were also a huge number of lakes inhabited by countless swans and other birds of all shapes and colours. Tiny little machines buzzed between, over and around the houses like friendly bees. And everywhere you looked there were children playing in fun parks that stretched as far as the eye could see.
The starship flew over a wide central boulevard and stopped in front of a high pyramid made out of bright coloured transparent stones that looked as if they had been weaved together on an invisible thread of bright rays of light. This was the official welcome building for honoured guests. The Angel led Michael and Ben to a lift made out of pure light. No sooner had they entered the lift than they found themselves on the uppermost floor of the pyramid. The Angel escorted the boys to a balcony that led out on to the central boulevard.
“Who are all these children?” Michael asked, “and why are there so many of them?"
“They are all undergoing rehabilitation after particularly cruel deaths on Earth. There were many such children on Earth in the past and even now attacks on children are not rare. Here there are children who were unable to make it through wars. Here you will see what state the children and adults are in when they are brought to our city,” and there was so much sadness in the Angel’s voice that Michael and Ben felt at first hand just how much the Angels feel and share the suffering of humans on the Earth.
Soon the balcony was filled with many angels and one fantastic scene followed another. A cavalcade of golden carriages drawn by magnificent white stallions and packed with children who had died during the last world war triumphantly trotted along the main boulevard. Small child Angels threw flowers and presents to each of the children. The air was thick with the most beautiful toys: squirrels with fluffy ears, old plumped up teddy bears and children’s cars of all types and varieties. Then the train of children stopped near a huge table laden with wonderful effervescent drinks, all sorts of ice-cream and chocolates… and sweets to satisfy all tastes. The heavens were adorned with three suns: our golden sun, accompanied by a light blue and light pink one. The rays of these different suns interspersed and blazed, and as if this wasn’t enough the sky was lit up with millions of little tongues of fire like an endless and infinite firework display.
Each cavalcade was followed by another full of those who had suffered on earth and all of them were welcomed with whatever their hearts desired.
But there was one spectacle that particularly stuck in Michael and Ben's memory: a squadron of open topped aeroplanes parading along the boulevard. Each plane was surrounded by angels large and small. Leading the squadron was the Archangel with his fiery sword in hand and a warlike expression on his face that seemed to say: 'we will brook no more suffering for the people of the earth’. Then he flourished his sword producing an explosion of sparks which floated to the ground as a multitude of roses of all sizes, colours and shapes. The Earth’s victims of suffering were literally showered with flowers. And all the proceedings were accompanied by the most melodious and extraordinarily tender music. During the triumphant angelic fly-past another wondrous thing happened. A fourth sun appeared shining like a huge diamond. What a wonderful display! Of course the cousins had never seen such a wondrous sight and the heavens seemed to flash with vary-coloured diamantine stars. Michael wanted to ask the Angel: “Who is that wonderful Archangel?”
But the Angel was not standing next to him at the time and instead replied thought with thought:
“That is the Archangel Michael.”
“How wonderful, that I have been named in his honour.” Michael