Chronicles of the

Children of Destiny

Volume 15

Andrew and Jessica

By

Daniel Thomas Andrew Daly

http://noahidebooks.angelfire.com

Prologue

The heart of God searched throughout eternity. It searched, yearning as it travelled – seeking. Seeking a mystery. The mystery of love. And as it searched, it brushed over thousands, if not millions, of souls. Souls saying desperate ‘I love you’s,’ and souls desperate to hear as such. And as the spirit searched, in its heart it already knew who it was searching for. And, coming into one of the many Canberra’s, climbing downwards into a simple flat, it found a heart, a beautiful human heart, a girl named Jessica, and promised her, no matter what fateful choice was made, inevitably, she would find the love of her life. Inevitably.

Chapter One

‘Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye, four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie.’

Andrew watched as Jessica was making their bed, sitting in the easy chair in the corner of her room, humming an old nursery rhyme to herself. ‘You seem to be in a good mood,’ he said.

‘Why wouldn’t I be,’ she responded. ‘I have you.’

‘Yes, you have me,’ he responded.

The last first few weeks of their six months together had been unexpected in many ways for Andrew. Very unexpected. Certainly, he knew Jessica would be devoted, but it had been more than that. She had created a spirit over the flat of warmth and welcoming, of love and devotion, of one as if they were already married, and that was a matter of fact. And in that love he was finding happy consolation. But who would he choose, in the end? Bianca or Jessica?

When Jessica had finished the bed, they came out into the living room and he stared at her. ‘What next, Jess? We have a free weekend? What do you want to do?’

She sat down on the couch, indicated he should sit next to her, and doing so he found her suddenly cosying up next to him, kissing him on the cheek, and just loving him. Shortly she picked up the remote, switched on the movie channel, and said ‘We’ll watch some movies. Tonight we may as well go out for dinner. Let’s have a lazy day today, though. Do nothing.’

‘As you wish,’ he responded, and put his arm around her, snuggling in for a quiet day.

They stayed in most of the morning, watching two movies, but by the afternoon Andrew was restless, and looking for something to do.

‘We could go out, I guess,’ suggested Jessica. ‘See some of the city. There are still so many things in Canberra 37 which we have wanted to get to for a long time.’

‘A good idea as any,’ responded Andrew. ‘I’ll get my wallet.’

Once in the car, outside of Andrew’s flat, Jessica suggested they make there way towards the city centre and just see if anything reached out and grabbed them. A good enough suggestion to Andrew.

As they drove along, silence was in the car. Jessica seemed happy enough to Andrew, but it had been like that the last couple of days. She was no longer speaking a great deal. He was curious about that.

‘Jessica. Is something up? I mean, you have quieted down a lot. Is something on your mind?’

Jessica turned to him, and smiled. ‘I was always told speak when you are spoken to.’

‘Sure, if you are a kid,’ responded Andrew.

Jessica smiled softly at that, but didn’t respond, and returned her gaze forwards.

Andrew puzzled on that for a few moments but let it go. They drove along, through the heart of Canberra 37, gazing at various places which Andrew suggested looked interesting, but Jessica never commented. Eventually they ended up in the city centre, and Andrew found a parking spot in one of the pay parking towers, and they came out into a busy thoroughfare.

‘Well, I guess we’ll just stroll along,’ said Andrew. ‘See if anything catches us.’

Jessica said nothing.

They walked along a row of shops and found a café, ordered lattes, and sat there, enjoying the summer breeze. Jessica looked radiant today. Her long, dark hair had been washed with the finest shampoos that morning, something she did regularly, and paid a lot for. But she wanted to look her best, and maintained that. She had a tan shirt on, in a womanly style, and black slacks, with elegant shoes. A slight blush on her face, and a pink lipstick. Really, she looked as beautiful a maiden as they came.

There lattes arrived and he sipped on it at once, while Jessica simply looked out at the street, looking beautiful.

‘What’s on your mind Jess?’

She turned to him. ‘You,’ she said.

‘You flatter me.’ She smiled at that.

He sipped on her latte, and she finally took a little sip on hers, before frowning on it slightly, and putting it down.

‘Is there something wrong with the drink?’ he asked her.

‘They put sugar in it,’ she responded.

‘Oh, that’s right,’ said Andrew. ‘I forgot. Your diet. I asked them to put sugar in them. Look, I can exchange it.’

‘Don’t worry,’ she responded. ‘It’s fine.’

He nodded.

They were there for half an hour, or so. She didn’t take another sip on her latte, but she didn’t speak at all. Just sat there, looking at him occasionally, remaining silent. Something was up – Andrew knew it. Was she being silent for a reason? Didn’t she have anything to say to him anymore? Had something happened? Finally the silence was too much for him.

‘Look, what gives Jess? What is with all the silent treatment?’

She looked at him and said ‘Like I said. Speak when spoken to.’

‘You’re hardly a child. You’re a grown woman.’

‘But isn’t that what obedient wives are supposed to be like? Submissive to their husbands.’

He looked at her, but decided not to say anything in response straight away. Not straight away.

He sipped on his latte, gazed around and stood. ‘Well, ok. Let’s go.’

She nodded, stood, and as they made there way back to the car, Andrew knew the angle Jessica was using at once. She wanted him to know that she would serve him – that she would be a faithful wife – that she would be the one who would be there for him, in sickness and in health. That much was obvious.

As they made there way back out of the city, driving home, Andrew thought on that issue. Is that what he wanted? A wife who would serve him? A wife who would adore him? Is that what attracted him to Jessica in the first place? Her humility? He didn’t know. He really didn’t know at all.

They stayed in that night, instead of going out, and the silence remained, and somehow Andrew knew it would be like that for the next five and a half months. She would be showing herself faithful. That much seemed to be sure.

* * *

For four solid weeks it was like that. A silent, submissive, subservient Jessica. Apparently everything Andrew was supposed to desire. Supposedly.

At dinners she would always insist on cooking the meals and serving him, and she would always wait until he started his meal before she would begin her own. She would insist on doing all the laundry, and all the housework in general, once saying his job was the bread winner, and her job was the house maiden. She had taken leave without pay from her work, to remain at home to look after the flat and be a perfect partner. More than that, she fussed over him, insisting on washing his feet in a plastic basin when he got home from work, constantly tidying up after him, and doing all that she was supposedly supposed to do to be the perfect faithful wife. Supposedly.

And, of course, she never took the initiative, and remained constantly silent unless spoken to. Always.

Andrew, in reflection over the attitudes he had personally developed in life, admitted that he took a lot of influence from his father Daniel’s relationship with his mother Ariel. Ariel was a strong woman, but seemed to be in a tradition house wife arrangement of sorts with Daniel in many ways. Yet she would certainly speak her mind, do her own thing if she wanted to, and had many freedoms. Daniel did some of the housework, not much admittedly, but he was not adverse to it. Apparently it was meant to be a partnership, and Daniel had once advised his son that if he, as a man, insisted upon pushing around a wife, did he really love and care for her in the end anyway. And that much wisdom had influenced and shaped Andrew.

Which is why, the attitude of Jessica, confronted him. He knew exactly were she was coming from, and why she was doing it. She wanted to be perfect before him – doing everything right – being the faultless partner. But in the end, despite knowing he was supposed to be very impressed, it just became too much. Something was just not right about it.

‘Jessica. Enough, already. I get the point, sweetie. I get the point.’

She stared at him, but said nothing. Eventually she spoke and said softly, ‘What do you mean?’

‘Don’t say you don’t know what I mean.’

She sighed a little, and nodded. ‘Ok. Ok. I will stop with the submissive stuff. Really, I don’t mind for you, but it is not really my way either. But I want you to know this – if that is what it takes to win you, Andrew, I am willing.’

‘It doesn’t ok. It won’t change my mind either way, but I want the old Jessica back.’

She nodded, came over and hugged him, and after that things were back to normal.

* * *

‘Why don’t we spend a month with dad? I have about a year of leave, and I have taken 11 months off, to spend time with you and then Bianca.’

‘Ok. When do you want to leave?’

‘Now,’ he said, showing her the plane tickets.

‘I’ll go pack,’ she said.

‘You should find a suitcase with enough of your stuff already packed. Mum is about your size, so you can wear some of her clothes. Ok.’

‘Sure.’

As they flew on the long journey towards the centre of the Realm, in the high-powered ultra sonic jetcraft, hurtling at incredible velocity through the air, a flash of light to those down below, Jessica gazed out the window. The scenery came and went in a flash, but that was necessary to get anywhere long distance in the realm of eternity. Distances were not vast – they were literally beyond practical belief. And they would only ever get bigger in time, with the continual and neverending expansion of the realm. But such was the wisdom and desire of God – eternity is what he wanted, so eternity is what he got. Of course, these days, the actual realm went on practically forever anyway, for every nanosecond new discs were created by the power of God’s Disc creating machine, which God had designed to create a neverending variety of new discs for the realm. It was set and forget for God now, with all the initial requests for structuring having been taking into consideration, the discs now went on expanding at an alarming rate, eternally across the heavenlies. They would, of course, never catch up with the rate of disc creation – that was a joke in even assuming – but, supposedly, God could really set the disc at any practical speed he wanted to, so set it to an enormously quick rate and left it at that. And so the discs were all gradually being settled, further and further outwards, and the population went on expanding.

In such an eternal realm there were many factors of interest to various people. Economists marvelled at the incredible rate of growth in wealth, and the alarming value of older shares in established companies which, with the businesses on an almost set-and-forget structure for the establishing of new franchises expanding ever outwards, the older members of the Realm of Eternity had ever increasing dividends for their wise investments. But, what the hell. In time, even though it was already happening, but especially in time when it became too time consuming to travel to the outer rim, or even further out inner ones, the old fashioned thing of inflation would catch up, especially in the inner discs, were prices would be ever the much higher. The actual demand for labour costs would be exceedingly high, to actually get people who had vast wealth to be bothered to work. What the future held, apparently, was the inner discs procreating to create their workforce and this workforce, in the fullness of time, travelling further and further outwards to establish their own homes, as the inner discs had legal population maximums. It was an eternal problem in many ways, thus the legally established limit of 5% permanent population per disc, with a transient 95% of recent children to be intended to be the necessary workforce to enable the luxurious lifestyle everybody wanted. Fortunately, sex never really got boring, so more children were inevitable.

Geographers would be the kind of people taking delight in things like naming new rivers, mountains, and even cities. Of course, linguistically the alphabet contained only so many acceptable name combinations depending on the length of word in letters used. There were some disastrously long names out there, especially amongst the welsh nations who had a particular fondness for such pastimes. And, of course, the adding of numbers to a city name for distinguishing amongst the various cities in a disc who carried the same name was a common thing. Thus, Canberra 37, were Andrew and Jessica lived on the disc of Canbraphora, was by no means a unique phenomenon.

In the end there were so many differing factors in the realm of eternity which made life interesting and satisfying and, for Andrew and Jessica, who knew that in the fullness of eternity there blessing for being, relatively speaking, people of the inner discs, especially in time, would be continually growing, it was a wonderful time to live.

Jessica gazed down at the realm of eternity, and turned to Andrew, kissed him on the cheek, and settled down for a long and hopefully uneventful flight.

* * *

‘So you see, Andrew was a special child. A child of renewed vows and commitments. Neither of us can say if those commitments in this our current marriage really will be eternal or not, but we like to hope so. But I know he will never stop loving Meludiel either.’

Daniel said nothing at Ariel’s words to Jessica, but nodded to himself.

Jessica reached out and put her hand behind Andrews back and said ‘You’re a special child. And you always will be.’ He smiled at her.

They continued that afternoon, having gotten in the previous night, looking through photograph albums, catching up on the time they had been apart, being presumably a family. It was later on, after dinner, in which Daniel had taken Andrew aside and was talking to him carefully about the arrangement.

‘It might bite you in the bum one day, Andy. I mean, when you choose one of the girls, and the other disappears for a while, there is that thing called love, not to mention that thing called lust, which inevitably returns. Trust me – it does so, every bloody time. Especially when you don’t want it to.’

‘I’ll be faithful to my final choice,’ replied Andrew confidently.

‘But how can you?’ asked Daniel. ‘You haven’t even made up your mind yet anyway. You still love both of them.’

Andrew nodded. ‘True, dad. But once I have made up my mind, and I will, it will just be the way it is, you know. From then on the person I choose will become the result of a real trial of the heart. It will just be the way it is.’

‘I see what you are saying, but love is a strange beast Andy. Not even a son of Daniel can get a handle on it.’

‘Very funny,’ he responded.

‘Just mark my words, son. Just mark my words.’

‘Will do, dad.’

The following day Ariel had prepared a picnic, and around lunchtime they had migrated to the picnic grounds not far from were Danielphon was located.

‘Just over there,’ said Ariel pointing, ‘was were Danny suffered a recent humiliation. But I think he learned his lesson.’ Ariel went on to explain the recent events of a contest between Daniel and the angel Ambriel in which Ariel had to choose the most faithful heart to herself, which had resulted in her choosing neither for apparent reasons of their personal pride.

‘I guess you learned your lesson,’ said Andrew to his father.

‘I sure did,’ responded Daniel. ‘Beware the wrath of woman.’

Ariel smiled at that, and signalled to Jessica that they should sit on the other bench to let the boys chat.

The angel Ariel looked at the human girl who had captured her son’s heart, and was ready for some serious questions.

‘So, Jessy. I must ask you, if Andrew chooses you, will you be faithful. Eternally faithful. I am his mother, so I feel I can ask you this question.’

‘I love him. I will always love him, now. I don’t think, even in the end of eternity, that I could ever forget Andrew. Its why I just can’t lose this arrangement. I have been putting my heart and soul into loving him.’

‘But don’t you long for a human? One more of your own kind. Certainly, humans and angels can mate, and in many ways we are the same anyway – made in the image of God. But there can be problems.’

‘Which seem to disappear were we live, Ariel. There are a lot of mixed marriages of our kind in Canberra 37. A lot of humans live there as well, you know.’

‘Yes, I know,’ said Ariel. ‘As long as you are sure, that is. As long as you are sure. It could take quite a commitment from you, if you mean it to last forever.’

‘We’ll manage,’ Jessica replied confidently.

Ariel nodded. She did hope so.

Daniel was speaking with Andrew, about the shit, and that Raguel had made it extra smelly, when he broached the subject again. ‘So if you choose Jessica, you do know she is human, don’t you. Bianca is one of our kind, but Jessica is totally human.’

‘But so are you, dad. Aren’t you?’

‘Yes. I guess so. Look, your mother and I have concerns on that issues – worries – but we won’t ever interfere or deny you your hearts choice. Just make sure it is the right decision, ok. Just make sure of that.’

‘I’ll try to do the right thing by everyone, dad.’

‘Not by us. You have to live with her in the end. Ok. It has to be ultimately right for you. Sure, perhaps you can take your mother and myself into consideration, but it needs to be your heart choice. It’s your future, son. Its your future.’

‘Look, I haven’t even chosen her yet. You never know, I might choose Bianca.’

‘Still, it’s better to be well enough informed. But we will accept whoever you choose. They are both lovely girls.’

‘Thanks dad. That means a lot to me.’

‘Well, I think it is about time we got stuck into that chicken.’ Daniel waved the girls over, and as they began their feast, Andrew had his father’s words on his mind. He would indeed have to make sure he chose the right girl – and for the right reasons.

* * *

They were at a secluded beach in Canbraphora, alongside one of the large inner oceans of the disc, both of them naked at a private area which was walled off, part of a holiday home Andrew had rented for a month. They had been there two weeks so far, and there had been a lot of sex mainly, but today they were on the beach, enjoying a relatively warm day, lying there, drinking pink lemonade, forgetting about everything in life except each other.

‘Its beautiful today, isn’t it Andy. Really beautiful.’

Andrew rolled over on his towel, and smiled at her. ‘I couldn’t ask for more.’

‘You know,’ she responded carefully. ‘We can enjoy this place forever, if you like. Choose me, and we can always come here. Every year if you like. I don’t mind.’

‘Maybe,’ he responded, but said nothing more.

She stood up, came and stood in front of him, totally naked, and said ‘Well, if you do choose me, I will do this for you every year.’

‘What?’ he asked.

She got down on her knees, took his manhood in her hand, and pumped it a few times. And then she took him into her mouth and continued at her work until he erupted. When he had calmed down, she said, ‘That. Every time I will do that for you.’

‘Something to definitely think about,’ he responded, and they both started laughing.

They continued lazing the day away, and the week, and suddenly the month was over and, despite Andrew thinking he really could rent out the place for another month, it was agreed that it was time to return home. Most of their six months had elapsed.

* * *

In the last two weeks Jessica, despite Andrew’s earlier comments, returned somewhat to her servile mannerisms. Oh, she talked to him at her own cognition somewhat, but usually she remained silent, did all the work in the house the she supposedly considered woman’s work, and was perfect in just about every way. But Andrew would not comment this time – he knew the motivation for such realities.

Very often, in their lovemaking, she confessed time and time again of her love for him. That he was the centre of her life, and that she would not be complete without him. She made comment after comment on his good looks, his good attitudes on life, and praised in many ways, many of which he was quite sure were unjustified. But she took no heed to his subtle comments that she was pushing it a little, showering him with praises, devotions and attentiveness. Whatever opportunity she had to make his smile, she took it – wether it was with a word of kindness, or an act of servitude – she was constantly there, showing her self faithful, showing her self loving. Something had to give.

It was the final week, and he’d had enough. ‘Ok, already. I get the point. Believe me, I get the point. But how about relaxing in our final week? It would probably count in your favour in the end.’ She smiled at him, and nodded. She understood.

* * *

Andrew was sitting at his PC, typing into a document his assessment of Jessica. He had decided to keep records of a sort, including a checklist of desired traits he was looking for in a partner, ready to rank Jessica versus Bianca. In truth, he had done a mock trial of it already, and the two girls had come out about even, but this time, with there six months schedule, he would keep a very close eye on how he rated each girl, and the final assessment would be a fundamental factor in his choice. He was writing down notes – notes of positives and negatives, and working out if any of these issues should eventually factor into his final judgment – which they had to in the end, if he was to decide. Yes, he loved them both, and would be happy with either in the end, but neither girl wanted that, so what else could he do?

At the moment he was writing a note on Jessica’s recent submissive attitude. He was mainly stating factual thing like ‘Jess is prepared to serve’ and ‘Jess doesn’t mind the traditional wives role’ and the like, but he was yet to write down any critical response to this. And, as yet, he couldn’t. He didn’t really yet know what to say.

Particularly strong in Chasidic Jewish homes that his father Daniel had spoken to him of, was the role of women in traditional partnership of service to their husband. This was very similar to many Muslim and Christian fundamentalist homes as well – they took very traditional roles. But in the mainstream of society, which Daniel generally raised Andrew to be part of, in his own words, things and life was just a little bit more flexible, and woman were generally assumed to have a more equal say in things. That is what they had fought for long ago, and was generally now how the mainstream world functioned. And all the better for it, in the words of his father.

And thus, with these attitudes in mind, Andrew was trying to grasp exactly were Jessica was coming from, and what she perhaps expected that Andrew might like in a wife.

He had figured she had observed such practices somewere along the line in her life, and perhaps had a fixed attitude that deep down men liked that kind of thing. But for Andrew, himself, he was not really sure if he did. In fact, he tended to think otherwise. For Andy, a woman was a child of God, made in his image, with thoughts, feelings, a heart, AND a mind. To expect a way of life of her simply because of her gender seemed a little strange to Andrew’s thinking, something which his father Daniel had spoken of a number of times in his upbringing. Yet he also understood that there was a part of the heart of man which did like to be served, and which sometimes expected it – the traditional way of life from earlier years in the developments of civilization.

In the end, perhaps it really didn’t matter that much, and perhaps Jessica was simply showing her utter devotion to her man. Perhaps that was all it was. But it did make Andrew think.

He sat there, looking at his notes, heard Jessica yell that dinner was ready, and giving the screen one last look, saved the document, flicked off the PC, and went of to his faithful and servile partner of the moment.

* * *

‘I love you,’ she said.

‘I love you,’ he responded.

‘You love me,’ she said.

‘You love me,’ he responded.

‘And you and me is family,’ she said.

He left off. The next line in the song was ‘And with 3 makes family.’ He couldn’t say that, yet. He wasn’t committed to her in that sense yet.

They were at a plush hotel not far from were they lived for their final night, in the spa, naked, splishing and splashing around. Finishing with the spa, they put on their gowns, lay down on the bed, and started enjoying the room service they had ordered.

Andrew was eating through a chicken leg, when Jessica spoke up.

‘Well, this is it then. Our final night together.’

‘Yes,’ he responded.

She said nothing for a few moments before continuing. ‘And it has been good, hasn’t it Andrew. Our time together. Like it was before. Perfect. In every way.’

‘Yes,’ he again responded.

‘I mean, you know. If you wanted to, I mean right now, we could run away. Elope. Get married far, far away. Bianca would never have to know. You could send her an email. We could do that, if you wanted to.’

He turned towards her, but said nothing – the look on his face said it all.

‘Ok, I get the point,’ she finally responded.

‘Mmm,’ she said, putting another strawberry in her mouth. ‘Well, can you tell me something?’

‘What?’ he responded.

‘How have I done? Have you been impressed? Have I wowed you?’

‘Jessica. You are still as perfect as the day you were born.’

‘Right,’ she said, but he said nothing more, continuing to munch on his chicken.

‘You know, I know Bianca loves you,’ she stopped at that.

He turned to her. ‘Yes? What?’

‘But, well. You know. Would she serve you the way I would? Would she be as loyal as I am? I tend to doubt it?’

‘So that is were you are coming from, is it? The faithful wife thing.’

‘And what is wrong with that?’ she demanded of him, suddenly with a very cross look on her face.

‘Nothing, nothing,’ he responded. After a while he continued. ‘It’s just not what I was expecting. Not really sure if it is even what I was looking for.’

‘Then what are you looking for?’ she asked.

‘Just for you to be yourself.’

‘Oh,’ she responded. ‘I see.’

There was silence for a while then.

‘But I don’t mind serving you, you know. Just so you will know that. I love you , you know.’

‘I know, Jess. I know.’

They said nothing more, but continued eating their room service.

Finishing up she looked at him. ‘Does it really matter, then?’

‘What,’ he responded.

‘What I say? What I do? You are going to make up your own mind regardless, aren’t you?’

Andrew considered that, and saw an idea in it. ‘Well, yes. I suppose, what you are naturally like as a person is what will motivate my choice in the end. The same for Bianca. Remember, both of you girls wanted me – there was nothing else I could do. A compromise wasn’t on the cards. So when I make up my mind, it will have to be my own judgement, and I will make this judgement because both of you still want me. So, yes, I will make the choice one day, and it will largely be based on who you are as a person. I know it is very judgemental to decide between one person and another in that sense, but remember you both want me to choose. What else am I supposed to do? I love you both.’

She nodded. She did understand his dilemma.

‘Then let me tell you, tonight, about myself. My values, my beliefs, my goals, my heart. Let me tell you about it all, so you will know me. So you will know the kind of person you might choose.’

‘Sure. Go ahead.’

She came and sat down beside him, put her hand in his, and for the next few hours she talked – she talked her heart out – sharing of the life of Jessica, her dreams, her ambitions, and all that she represented. And when then finally fell asleep that evening, she was more sure of herself, that she had given it her all, and that, in the, whatever would be would be. Whatever would be would be.

* * *

Saruviel sat in silence in Kalphon keep. Reflecting on life. Reflecting on love. Krystabel, his heart, was on his mind. His heart – the centre of his morality, in a real sense. But there were other thoughts – other deep and meaningful thoughts - than that of his beloved twin.

For near on a million years, since Judgement Day, Saruviel had been known often by many as the Antichrist – 666 himself, with the scar he wore on his scalp from his human incarnation. But Revelation had failed in the end – Love had prevailed – and Apostle Paul and his Corinthian epistle had been triumphant. At least an interpretation of the passage according to certain biblical texts and certain viewpoints had triumphed, anyway. But did that really matter in the end? Wasn’t love supposed to be supreme in the end, anyway?

Saruviel’s religion, for so long, had been Torah – the Seraphim Torah – since returning to heaven. The old rebellious ways were something of the past, yet in truth some of the theology of those days did remain in his heart, a guiding principle being his objectivity, his independent thinking, his self reliance. He would not abandon that, ever – not matter what protestations were put upon him. But in truth, Father, the God of Glory, never spoke of such ideologies with him anyway. Did he in fact impress his father with his strength? His independence? Perhaps. Perhaps.

Jesus himself was something of a minor concern to Saruviel these days – the Christ of the Cherubim, as he still maintained, the Christ of the Church. Apparently, from what Davriel was saying, the title was self applied – in Jesus own authority as a son of Israel, in his own personal anointing once done in the heavenlies a while back by John the Baptist, who again baptised him with water, and then with oil which had been blessed by a number of popes and, in front of Davriel, he claimed the title of Jesus the Christ – the anointed one. But the arguments from various cardinals and popes, these days, when they filtered down to Saruviel, were that David Rothchild was fully acknowledged as God’s divine messiah, and that Jesus operated only under his own self belief and authority as a member of the people of Israel, who were the son of God according to Exodus 4:22, a passage in the torah. Further down the church, he didn’t care what his flock believed on the issue – but with respect to the Sanhedrin, and the Karaite councils, he had made it known that he was not attempting to rebel against any divine authority of Hashem – that Christianity ultimately operated in a pro-Israelite stance, and that the Torah was fully acknowledged. A lot of this as a reality had come from recent conversations between Jesus and King David, and while they maintained the party line on many fundamental issues for the church as a whole, Jesus was said to have been conversing in various rabbinic circles of the authority of the Torah, and his acceptance of David Rothchild as the Messiah. All for the practical realities and apparent arrangements that his church of glory continued without any real interference from Israel, and that he was attempting to serve God in the sanctification of his bride. But such was life.

Yet, that was Christianity – not Saruviel’s current concerns. Creationism was the current mind of Saruviel – creating matter – creating life – creating in his image. God was silent in current conversations, but seemed to speak to Saruviel’s minds that he was still considering the issue. It was important, Saruviel naturally agreed, and to be given the gift – the power of life – surely that was the ultimate glory of a living. The ultimate glory of being alive?

He sat in his desk in Kalphon keep, pondering on these issues, sipping apple juice, generally content in all other respects, generally content in all other matters, the merry hum and strum of the life of the eternal realm continuing on its pleasant, happy and merry way.

* * *

Life, in general, for Archangel Michael, child of God, Seraphim of Eternity, firstborn of the children of eternal realm, was for the most part, good.

These days, in the time since Gabriel had become overseer of the Realm of Eternity, Michael was in a somewhat retired state. Officially, he was still something of an unofficial overseer for the disc of Zaphora – the very central disc of the realm of eternity – but it had just about come to pass that the official Overseers of each disc of the Realm of Eternity would start with Michael from the central disc of Zaphora, and thus Gabriel, upon retiring from the job of Overseer over the entire realm, would return to duties in Terraphora as Overseer of the disc of Terraphora. And Raphael, presumably for Mitraphora, and so on. Legislation to make this official was currently in the council, being reviewed, and it was considered to be only a matter of time.

But, for the most part, Michael, with his vast wealth, toured around the realm from time to time, seeing this and that old acquaintance, a large part of the time with his wife Elenniel at Pellersphon, a large part of the time doing nothing in particular.

He wondered if, now that he had given the job up, wether or not he would ever get another crack at the main overseer’s job. If consistency was something to go by, and Gabriel handed the job over to Raphael, all the way along down to Davriel, and theoretically even the female Seraphim then, would they then go on to the 1,400,000 Cherubim? And after that, would the new Ketravim be next? And then the Saruvim and the Abraphim and the Noaphim and the Cimbrphim who were also called the Celestyels. There was no official designation for the groups of angels to follow on after the Cimbrphim as of yet, but it was known that the realm was indeed to go on forever. The 11^th angel of eternity was Dameriel, and as such the title ‘Damerphim’ was the most popular bandied about for the following group of angels after the Cimbrphim. Of course, the Cimbrphim were to all be Japanese angels, and the Cimbrphim-Ruled discs to largely be modelled on Japanese geography – this presumably being the case for supposed ‘Damerphim’ discs, which would apparently have a large ‘Irish’ feel to it, for Dameriel was an ‘Irish’ angel. After the Damerphim were the proposed ‘Valandriphim’ then the ‘Hosannuphim’ and the ‘Loquiphim’ and so on, throughout all the male Seraphim titled angels and then, presumably the female Seraphim, and then the male Cherubim and so on – on and on forever.

Yes – numbers were boggling, and similar realities were unfolding up above in the Realm of Infinity. But that was life in a universe which never ended, with people who never stopped procreating – it just went on – Forever.

* * *

Andrew reflected on six months. Jessica had been faithful. He loved her. Now for Bianca.

* * *

Bianca and Andrew were, together, a match made in heaven. Really, an ideal pair. Slipping back into a relationship with Bianca seemed far more natural in many ways for Andrew, as she didn’t put on any of the moves Jessica had done – she simply remained herself, and treated him with respect and love. And that was all he was looking for in the end.

He knew, after about 3 months of careful thought, that he had already chosen Bianca. It seemed obvious, now, that she was a far more suitable match for himself. But then, right near the end, he reminded himself that Jessica’s general behaviour had been something of an aberration from her normal stance, and that in all their earlier time together, yes they had gotten along well. Yes – they had gotten along well.

He thought on that as he stood in front of a shop in a local mall, a jewellers, thinking over perhaps buying a ring, thinking over the lady he was ready to give up – forever.

* * *

Bianca smiled. ‘Then you will marry me Andrew?’

‘I will,’ responded Andrew. ‘In the end, I guess you and me are just meant to be. I guess that is just the way it is – in the end.’

‘Thank God for that,’ she finished.

* * *

As Andrew slipped into his wedding suit, he was suddenly caught off guard by a commotion – and there she was, Jessica, in the room with him.

‘Ok, Andy. It’s like this. I Love you. That is all I can say. I Love you.’

He looked at her and nodded. ‘But I love Bianca more.’

‘Then you will have to make up your mind.’

He said nothing. ‘Then I choose Bianca.’

She looked at him, her brow wrinkled. ‘Ok. Mmm. Andrew. I get the point, you know. I tried too hard. I tried to serve you, but you didn’t want that. I understand now. But what is it? What is it that you want from me? I am only trying to show you that I love you. It is all I am trying to do.’

‘But that is probably the reason I am choosing Bianca. She isn’t. She just loves me – naturally.’

‘And you think I don’t?’ she answered with hostility.

‘Your trying too hard,’ he responded.

She softened. He was right.

‘If you go out there, and marry her, it will be the biggest mistake of your life. I am telling you, Andy. Your heart will work that out – it already knows, you know. Deep, deep down, it is why you chose me in the beginning anyway. You had already worked that out – you loved me. I accepted you. For Bianca – she is comfortable with you. You’re a good fit – a good second half. But that is all it is – comfort. It is not devotion, true affection, true commitment. When the going gets tough, she will quit on you in the end. Tell you its not working out. I can save you from all that. She just likes you for what you are, what you represent. Not for you – the real you – the personal you. The one I am in love with. It is why I offered myself to you. Why I was prepared to serve you. Why can’t you see that?’

He looked at her, said nothing, and turned away. He continued putting on his suit, and finally turned back to her.

‘Look, there may be some truth in what you are saying, but Bianca still likes me for me as well. She wouldn’t marry me otherwise.’

‘Yes. Probably. But I love you more. You know that. You can tell that. Deep, deep down inside, you still believe that. Don’t you. Don’t you, Andrew, son of Daniel. Don’t you.’

He silently stared at her, a rush of emotions going through his heart. But finally, fatefully, eternally, he nodded. ‘Yes, Jessica. I do know that.’

‘Exactly,’ she responded with finality.

Later that afternoon, as Andrew and Jessica were flying away, far far away, Bianca sat on the floor of the reception room, as the band played on, sighed once more, and drank another sip of champagne. Her mother smiled. ‘At least he said you can keep the presents.’

‘Oh, wonderful,’ she said.

And that was that.

The End