Eden, last of the Haven Cities, circa 26 AD.

A hidden pass in the mountains led them to a walled settlement. The walls looked old now and about to crumble. It was night when they arrived, torches lighting their path, but Paris could see up onto the wall. A child-sized creature was up there, and then he saw another. "Be gone Nephillim Spawn, we can't shelter any more of your kind," the first called down.

"I have been called. I will be known here by the name Shade," Paris shouted up to them.

And this was when the second creature laughed. "We have been waiting for this one, at least some have. Welcome, Shade, and come in."

The gates were opened and Paris led his family inside.

The small creature hopped from the top of the wall and introduced itself as Beleth. Paris looked about then and saw that within the walls there was a busy metropolis entirely populated-but for the four Humans with him-with supernormal beings. Paris pulled his family close and left their belongings at the gate, following Beleth when he beckoned them forward.

"What is this place?" Paris asked their guide.

Beleth turned about and gave a little laugh, just as he had up on the wall. "You really have no idea do you?" He asked, then, knowing the answer said, "It's called Eden, though it's not the very first place named so, but we thought New Eden a bit pretentious, being The City's not nearly what the original was. You know, new and improved."

"Oh," was all Paris managed.

And Beleth went on as they walked past glittering buildings and facades of brightly painted marble or limestone. "Perhaps Azyur Ka has told you our time here is nearly up. Of course there's no going back to our world, it's become quite uninhabitable, but there will be a new kingdom established, not a kingdom here on Earth mind you, we are leaving. At least, this is what Michael tells us, and he usually gets word before we do. We used to have many havens here, but they fell. This is our last. You know? Some of us really think it was a shame loosing our workers, first our clones going on strike, then the Nephillim affair, the rebellion, and then the whole thing with the Humans, it's really impossible to get good help anymore."

They stopped just outside a building made of red-painted bricks, above a stone foundation. "This is the Nephillim House," Beleth said, "they'll be expecting you. You must be used to it by now...knowing things."

Paris led his family into the Nephillim House. Just inside there was a room with fountains spraying water and many exotic brightly coloured plants hanging from baskets or sitting in pots. Azyur was there, with Salamiel, whom Paris recognised from the dreams of course, and some others, Asbeel among them. Azyur Ka introduced some of the others, Azza and Helel. "You should recognise Salamiel, his other was leader of the ones called Watchers and Sons of the Gods when they were outcast for their disobedience," she said.

Salamiel was outraged that Paris had brought Humans into the house. He came forward and bared his teeth, demanded they be removed. Paris stepped between the old Nephillim and his family, stood defensively. "These Humans are all my family, they know what I am, they do not have fear as most of their kind, they are not ignorant. I will not leave them unless I know there is a place in this city they will be unharmed."

"I remember when we did not have to keep secrets from anyone, and still we inspired fear," Helel said, "in olden days."

"Azyur Ka, take your Spawn's mortal kin out of this house. See that they are given protection here," Salamiel barked still looking at Paris.

Azyur Ka came forward, pushing Salamiel gently aside. She gazed for a long moment at Paris. "If they will follow me I will take them to a place where they can rest safely. Everyone in this city must put aside grudges or else remain outside, we can't afford to fight the old fights with Humans so close to destroying us all, before we can make our preparations. Even our enemies here would treat them kindly."

Paris gave Lily a nod, watched as Azyur Ka led her and the others outside.

"Well, Shade, let us talk," Salamiel said.

b b b

They retired to a smaller room. Paris sat in a chair he was offered. Nothing here looked altogether alien. Sometimes strange materials were used, such as the large amount of furniture that was made of glass, but there were few things he did not understand in principle. The lights there were electric lamps, and Paris did know something about electricity and even lightbulbs. These Angels had left their mark on Egypt, he'd seen drawings of lightbulbs and batteries, understood gold electroplating.

"Our Prince will be arriving in The City from one of his vacation homes shortly. Azyur Ka has shown you the history. As Spawn of our kind you are indebted to Our Prince. When we leave this world with him and go to our new kingdom you will be one chosen to remain. You must remain under our conditions. There is no matter of choice in this. It is your duty."

"I understand," said Paris sadly. He thought then that he understood that preacher well. The sadness they both felt with the knowing of how things had to be.

"Your thoughts betray you, Shade, so...you have seen Him."

"Yes. Is he who he claims to be?"

"More or less," said Salamiel, then spat. "He is indeed much more our kind than Human. And besides that That Badly Made Cherub has made sure he has the talent. He has been the first of the Arch Cherub's projects to exhibit the necessary talent."

"What is the talent?"

"Well, many of the Benelohim possess what we call talent, ability to see and cause action by will. But He has the special talent. He has the ability to tap into what we call the Everything, sometimes I Am. In practice, He is all knowing, all-powerful, because He has the talent to channel Everything through Himself. But, don't forget, the Cherub made Him."

"Well, perhaps your thoughts are betraying you. It seems you would be His enemy, and yet, you need Him."

"The Arch Cherub made Him for a reason. We need the talent he possesses to open the doorway to our new kingdom. The duel nature of matter-energy, He has the talent to control this more than any of the Elohim, or rather unlike the Elohim he is not bound by so many laws and rules that prevent such use. We all need Him. He is the doorway. Of course the Humans have always misunderstood what the Elohim reveal to them. The Humans think he's going to save them from their own evil and sin."

"And this dependency, this keeps you here in The City, living amongst enemies?"

"Precisely."

Paris nodded, understood it. Understood maybe why Salamiel seemed so bitter, dependent on the Christos, indebted to his life to the Prince.

b b b

Paris sat in a courtyard, at a round table covered by an umbrella; Lily sat close next to him. They were speaking quietly to each other and watching the traffic along the colonnade that surrounded the courtyard. Lily was pointing out the building where she had been a room. "It is called The House of Night, as I understood Azyur Ka to say. The building that makes up the other side," she said panning her index finger about the yard, "Is the House of Lilith."

Paris looked toward The House of the Lilim. It seemed entirely populated with women, they all looked different in colouring and shape, yet all had the same sort of eyes, inhuman eyes, all had projections of bone or horn spurred off each of their heels making them look like they had talons, as a hawk or falcon. One of these Lilim, a red-haired one, passed close, an owl perched on her shoulder. She glanced at Paris licking her lips. Her eyes looked like the owl's eyes.

Azyur Ka came to the table with a tall figure clothed all in black. The tall one had to be one of the Elohim, he was so strange to Paris' eyes. His skin was black, not as Humans are black, but black as night. They sat at the table. "This is Leliel," Azyur Ka said, "It's his house you have been given shelter in, Leliel is your host while you are here."

Paris could not keep from staring at Leliel, he had passed by many Angels on the streets, both of the Elohim and the opposing Malakim faction (both somewhat arbitrary names) to which the Nephillim were allied, but he had never seen one so close as this, never seen one so very beautiful. Leliel smiled and white teeth gleamed from behind his matte black lips. "It is very nice to see you, Shade. Do you know, that certain of my-" he turned to Azyur, "How can I explain this word," and then he said the word, and Paris heard it as if it were Latin, understood him to be saying children.

"Explain to our Spawn how they come to be," Azyur Ka said.

Leliel gazed at Paris. "Our kind are older than Humans by ages. Already we have evolved to the point where our bodily matter may be converted to energy, or spirit and inversely our spirit or energy may be converted to one of the other two forms. We do not make more of our kind through sexual acts as you know them to be. So, understand, please, when we say children, we do not mean in many cases children such as your son is. They are creations of our will, their matter comes from our own matter."

"Evolving, this is some process of changing over many ages?"

"Yes, forgive me. I do not often have a chance to speak to Humans...or people such as you are. Anyway, as I want to tell you, several of my children have had occasion to know you. You see as Angels-is that the right word?"

"Yes, angelos," said Paris.

"Yes, our language is such that you would understand it, but it is too imprecise when spoken to Humans, they have no understanding of our concepts, so I must speak in your languages."

"Of course," Paris said, sending a smile over to Lily. "Your children, as Angels..."

"They govern certain dominions that you unknowingly pass through every day. Death, and Dream, particularly."

"Ah," said Paris suddenly, "you're Night. Leliel means in my language Night."

"Yes, in a manner of speaking."

"Yes, it makes sense, My father's people wrote many cosmologies including yourself. Though, most often they thought you to be female, giving birth to strife and woe and sleep and death and dreams and lust."

Leliel smiled again. He looked to Azyur Ka. "Humans are forever muddling everything revealed to them," she said. "You will no doubt hear this many more times while staying here."

Leliel assumed a more serious expression and continued speaking to Paris, "It's true that Angels may appear to be either male or female at will. Only a few of us are one much more than the other, confidentially, that has always been the reason Gabriel has been called, among the Malakim, That Badly Made Cherub. I adore her myself. You see it is her role as maker of new life that gives her more purpose to be female, and, well, she is my child in a way, a split as we call them, as is Zerachiel from the child that That One Who Shall Not Be Named and I originally made together."

"Zerachiel," Paris repeated, "is Zerachiel the name of Death?"

"Yes, Shade, one of my oldest children. Zerachiel is Regent of Death, presently. Sometimes Angels are named by their occupation, honoured ones are named personally."

"We call her the Moon Goddess?"

"Yes, I suppose you do. All those who are truly close to Tristopher tend to love the feminine."

"Who's Tristopher?" Lily asked.

Leliel's face seemed to dim in lustre somehow, "I'm afraid I have been speaking words too freely...I am not used to speaking directly to your kind...Tristopher, now that is the question, isn't it?"

"I gather she is the one they call the Mother," Paris said.

Leliel shook his head slightly. "The Mother, Who Shall Not Be Named was wounded long ago, in the beginning. Before that there was no Tristopher, not as we know her. Some theorise that she split at the last moment and, what the Mother was, lives still in Tristopher. Others say simply Tristopher is an Angel created by I Am himself, meant to replace the Mother, so that we will not keep her memory. Others that Tristopher is the special messenger between I Am and Him, but that Tristopher is currently the Christos' familiar I doubt myself. Perhaps you would understand the mystery if I said the Greeks called her Aphrodite."

"Ah," said Paris, "yes, always the controversy about how she came to be."

"I do not know how she thinks of me right now, ever since I sponsored the bringing over of Psyche, she has thought lowly of me. Tristopher doesn't much care for Lucy either, or any woman who poses as a goddess."

"Psyche is a real person?"

"Quite, she is one of my children now."

"How is it, that a Human woman can become an Angel?" Paris asked.

"They do not become Angels as I am. No, we call the adopted ones, the ones brought over, Devi. The Devi undergo a transformation, as you did when you received the Nephillim blood. They change. We used to do it more often, just go pick up any Human we thought beautiful or highly intelligent, and gave to them the serum, the elixir if you will."

"This happens still?" Lily asked. When Azyur and Leliel both suggested by their posture that it did Lily went on dreamily, "To become divine, to escape the blindness of Humanity, to matter in the scheme of things, able to give to the Mother support."

"Dear Lily, I would be delighted to sponsor you," Leliel said. "If I don't find a child to fill a certain role, I fear my last androgynous child will split, and that would really disrupt things. They were all so androgynous in the beginning, but Zerachiel and Gabriel lean ever more toward the feminine as does Fate, and Dream and Sleep, Silence, they are almost irrevocably male now. If Beauty were my next child to split into multiple aspects I fear it would only make matters worse for the Humans. It's difficult enough for Beauty already...not to mention that many Humans are so flawed as to see beauty only in either a male or a female form."

At this Paris and Lily gazed intensely at each other, as if sharing some secret joke and Lily said without turning, "I want to be an Angel!"

Leliel smiled, "I thought that you would."

b b b

Leliel stood in a public square with Lily at his side. He wore a cloak now, absolute black on its outside, the inside showing white points like stars as it swirled about. Others had been called out to witness or participate in the ceremony and a crowd gathered. Paris stood with Azyur Ka at his ear. She had seen these sorts of ceremonies before and was explaining things. Several of the Elohim came from the large building with the front of reflective glass. One had black hair and was dressed in a violet robe, Azyur said this was Uriel, the other caused Paris to gasp at the sight of her, and he knew immediately this was Gabriel, the tall blonde woman from his dreams who had made the people who now populated the Earth. She wore a red robe and had white Lilies in her hair.

It was Uriel who was in charge there. "Who sponsors this candidate for the bringing over?" He asked.

Leliel spoke up. Uriel then announced that they all knew there must be two sponsors, and called for another to step forward, or else there could be no ceremony.

Angels moved aside to let someone come through from the back of the crowd, a small beige-skinned woman with features alike to Azyur Ka's, her hair was black and straight. "Lilith," Azyur said, "She was the first Human female Gabriel made correctly, but she would not obey, even when Our Prince and Gabriel gave her the serum that allowed her to bear her husband's children, and so as she was unsuitable to be any man's wife Our Prince made her his, and as punishment Gabriel gave her another serum, this one made it so that every child she bears is female, and every one is freakish looking. She is one of the Devi, by technicality, but they allow her to be a sponsor as she's one of the old ones. She'll be a good sponsor for Lily."

Uriel commanded the sponsors to present the candidate. Night lay out a black cloak on the ground; Lilith came forward and undressed Lily. Gabriel passed a vial to Lilith. Lilith glared at her as she took it. Uriel said some words as Lilith helped Lily to drink, calling Lilith by the titles First Born Daughter, Devi Malakim, and Queen of the Darkness. He called Leliel the Ophanim Prince of Night. Azyur Ka said that each order of the Angels of which there had never been more than ten had an Archangel leading it and several others leading smaller more specific groups within the order, these were the Princes.

Lily lay down on the cloak then. Uriel took up some device and passed it over Lily's body. It shone a light down on her. "Shield your eyes," Azyur Ka said quickly. Paris raised his arm to his eyes just as a light came from Lily's body.

When he looked again Lily lay still on the black cloak, changed already, more luminous of skin, slightly larger looking. Leliel helped her to stand up, dressed her in the cloak. Paris noticed then that several other Angels had cloaks identical to the one Leliel wore. They were all standing together, at the front of the crowd. Paris guessed correctly that they were Night's Children.

"You see that Lilith and Gabriel do not get along?" Azyur Ka asked.

Paris just nodded, looking still at Night's children. "Azyur Ka, are those Leliel's children there?" He asked.

Two of them had shades of blue hair, one of these having eyes blue as midnight framed by inhumanly long and dusty lashes, his skin was pale as roots pulled up from the earth. The other was obviously a brother, very alike in looks, but his eyes were even more stunning, almost clear, as if he had no eyes but pictures within his head and holes through which you could see them. And then there was the strangest one, perfectly and inhumanly androgynous, hair black on one side of the head, orange on the other, orangey-pink lips, one eye purple, the other nothing but a blue spiral that caused dizziness when you looked at it. And then the last Paris saw, the wonderful one. Nearly as androgynous as the spiral-eyed sibling, but slightly on the female side, silky black hair that danced above her head, long thin limbs, hollow cheeks, black eyes glittering from the shadows they were set in. "Zerachiel, that's Zerachiel there, isn't it?"

"Yes, the brother's, both Hashmallim, Somniel and Jibril, regents of Sleep and Dream, and the one they call Beholder, another of the Hashmallim, a Prince and Regent of Beauty, and Zerachiel, she is the Archon of the Aishim as well as Regent of Death," Azyur Ka said.

Paris looked again to Lily. She was standing before Uriel and now another Angel, Raguel the Arch Hashmallim. In modern times the Hashmallim are often called Dominions, but in English a close approximation of their name might be Regulators. As the leader of the Hashmallim it was Raguel's place to give each new Angel their rank, to place them, officially, in one of the nine orders, and to give them a title. And so he titled Lily, "Devi Shinnanim Absidus." This meant that Lily was one of the Devi, given to the rank or order of the Shinnanim, now called Powers, they often act as guides, and that her name would from that point on be Absidus, not Lily or any other name she might have had. Literally Absidus means, "Of the heavenly body, or stars." But it could be taken to mean by or on the stars, as in, "Wishing on a star." In any case, as Leliel's child, she would be Regent of Desire.

Paris watched Leliel lead his newest child into his house.

b b b

Coming back from feeding on a travelling caravan with his maker Paris saw Lily, or rather Absidus, standing just outside Night's house with Leliel and a strangely clothed Angel. This Angel had skin coloured rather like that of Keltoi, and hair the colour of ginger, cut short and choppy so that even as it had been parted over his left brow some of it stood up, he had a glass lens over each eye, held with a framework of metal that was hooked around each ear. His clothes were loose pants and shirt, rather like the costume of the Persians, but the material was fine as silk, but of a flatness that silk rarely gets, and the colour was a little strange, turquoise, but Paris didn't know how to describe the colour, ocean water as he knew it was so often dark or muddied, so he could not even say it was like the colour of sea water on a sandy white beach. The shoes were entirely strange, Paris couldn't even identify the strange white material the soles were made of, they looked like boots that were made of quilted material. And then Paris realised that Absidus also looked strange, her hair was cropped short again, held in impossible waves on top of her head, the short dress, almost like a tunic, but not, and such an even bright pink. He'd never even seen silk leggings that well-fitted to anyone's legs, he'd never seen such strange shiny shoes with heels so high, he'd never seen anyone's lips painted to look like frost on winter shrubs.

Paris must have looked about to faint because Leliel lifted Paris by the elbows and held him up at his side. "Shade," Absidus said, "you would not believe the awesome things Raz just showed me. We can travel across time!"

The one Absidus had just called Raz was studying Paris with large-pupilled eyes, barely showing irises the colour of his shirt. Paris asked himself if this Angel was wearing purple eye make-up. "Oh, the clothes, excuse us," he said. There was a small light, and a second later he stood wearing a robe of that same blue-green colour, as Absidus wore one of indigo.

"This is the Arch Ophanim, Raziel," Absidus said.

Raziel looked down as he stood on one foot holding the other out from under his robe, and he said something Paris understood as, "I cannot give up my victories." But actually Raziel was talking about his Nikes. They had been in another time. They had been in the 1980's.

Paris went into the House of Night with them then. He felt strange at first, being alone with Absidus who only vaguely resembled the woman he had called sister and the Arch Ophanim, when Leliel went on ahead. Raziel kept calling her by names Paris assumed were pet names he had for her, Dee and Vanahiel. And she kept calling him Raz, as if it were not disrespectful to leave off the suffix, the part of his name that meant he was one of the "shining ones."

Raziel explained then, knowing Paris's worries of course, that it was not disrespectful in the least, as among the Elohim, all had the same name suffix, and so it made no larger differences between them if they left it off, he was sure the Malakim did it anyway out of spite, as none of them had the special tag on their names. He also said that the Malakim often left off the plural -im's from the names of the orders in such a way as to imply disrespect. It was proper for Raziel to say I am one of the Ophanim, but not proper for him to say I am an Ophan. That was just the way it was, the names were always to be used in the collective. They had a terrible epitaph for him as they did for Gabri, The Great Ophan Teacher.

They entered a large room, the walls covered in something black and shiny, so that looking at the walls you saw a ghostly reflection of yourself many times over as the light bounced from you to one wall and then another. Even floor and ceiling were made of this stuff. It made it seem all the furniture was floating. And there was a lot of mismatched furniture about the room. It was already crowded with many Angels.

Paris asked Absidus what the cloaks were for. She smiled. "They are Nightcloaks, Leliel gifts each of his children with one. I think you want to know why Night's Children have a house for themselves when most Angels live in the house of their order. It's so easy, Paris, so easy for me to know what everyone wants. I look at someone, and it's like tasting their soul, anything you desire, I just know. It's wonderful."

"I was wondering," Paris said.

"It's simple really, Leliel is very old and very important. There are special tasks that are under his control alone, and so he gives these to his children."

Raziel had seen Gabriel and suggested they go see her. And so Paris followed, glancing from side to side as he did at Angels who always seemed to be staring right at him. In all the room most of the Angels had a certain similarity about them, a sort of dark aura, many had black eyes and hair, several others had black skin. A smaller number all had moon-pale skin; many of these had blue hair. But one stood out. Gabriel stood out greatly. It was almost impossible to believe she belonged with them.

She sat on the edge of a backless couch on which Jibril lay, his eyes which Paris had thought colourless looking all-coloured as he glanced up from under pallid, web-like blue hair. An open sarcophagus lay out in front of the couch and Somniel lay in it, eyelids low as he contemplated the poppy stalk in his right hand. His left arm was behind his head, his right foot swinging back and forth slowly outside the coffin. The three sat so that Jibril looked at the two others and they looked back from an opposing position, very intimate, very personal. And then Raziel walked about to the back of the couch and pressed his hip to Gabriel's shoulder. She wound an arm about his legs, almost reflexively. She looked up at Absidus, "Hello Sister," she said. And she looked at Paris, "Hello, Shade, it's nice to see you." And then she introduced the others formally, "My brother-son, Jibril of the Hashmallim Regent of Dream, our brother Somniel of the Hashmallim Regent of Sleep."

Paris made bow to them. "So which of you brothers is it the Humans call M-"

Absidus held Paris' mouth closed with her fingers. "He hates when you do that," she whispered.

"I'm sorry, what have I done wrong?"

"Jibril hates to be called that name," Somniel said sleepily. "I think I've got a son with that name, it's so hard to keep track, I've got a hundred, or I will have by some time." He raised his eyes just enough to catch Jibril's. "Do you hate using their speech? It's so much work."

"No," said Jibril, "I'm very good at speaking to mortals."

Gabriel stood then, her arm sliding up with her to fall about Raziel's waist. "Shade, would you like to walk with Raz and me? Your sister should be here with her siblings."

Paris didn't answer, knew that it wasn't so much an invitation as a command. He followed when they went.

They were in Gabriel's room then, and it was obviously shared with someone as one whole half of the room was decorated in black and the half in which Gabriel stood was in white. Paris guessed she must share the room with her twin, Zerachiel.

They had not yet offered him a seat and so Paris stood. Gabriel came very close to him, close enough so that he could feel her breath, but not so close she touched him. "It's very nice to be in close proximity to you, Shade. I think you make me a little sad though." She smiled wide as she stepped back. "What do you think, Raziel?"

"Yes, I like Shade," Raziel said. And then he smiled, and when he smiled it was as if his whole body was doing it, he seemed brighter for a moment, especially in his eyes.

"You like us, Shade, don't you. It must be difficult for you to be a Spawn of the Nephillim."

"Sometimes."

"Oh, let's sit down," said Gabriel. She and Raziel both seemed to be happy, unreally happy all the time. They almost seemed childlike, but Paris realised this was only their innocence, not lack of experience, but lack of shame. He tried to smile and look happy as he sat on a cushioned white chair. Gabriel sat up on a couch, her legs folded under her, but Raziel lay back with his head in her lap. Paris felt Gabriel looking at him. Her eyes went a little dull for a moment and then she laughed. "Raziel and I are never lovers, we're always friends," she said.

"We are both scientists, and only one order apart, As Arch Cherubim Gabriel keeps knowledge in all areas, and as Arch Ophanim I think about the knowledge she gives me and wonder what it means, and then help her to discover new things. We work very closely together."

"Yes," said Gabriel, "Besides, Cherubim and Ophanim are both known to be very warm. Haven't you been in close proximity to any others? No, well, you'll see, we feel very warm."

"We're hotter, we Ophanim," Raziel said.

"No, they feel white, and we feel red. The white seems hotter because it is searing, naturally Cherubim are hotter."

"Yes, of course, you are right. And the Seraphim are gold, very soothing, and yet so hot."

"Ah, we've digressed. We should get to the point we brought you here to discuss. You did guess that we had a reason, Shade?"

"I guessed you did most things with a reason."

"Well, this one is Lucifer," Gabriel said. "You don't know that name? No, well, I suppose they have called him The Prince. It is still an official title of his."

"Yes, I know who you mean. They tell me, I am bound by my honour as one of the Nephillim Spawn to show obedience to him."

"Well, that isn't entirely true," Gabriel said.

"Why should Shade believe that?"

"Oh, yes, you're right Raz, if we are to convince Shade of anything we must understand how he thinks, so we will be able to plan our words properly. And he must understand we have no motive to lie."

"He's not one of the mortals, he knows the history, has the memories."

"Of course," said Gabriel, and wound some fingers through Raziel's ginger hair. "Well, you know that I'm a spilt then, of course, and maybe that all splits remember what they were before. When we were one we looked nearly like me, maybe a bit colder. And for as long as there were the orders we were always Arch Cherubim, and then, Lucifer was the Arch Seraphim, that is the most high rank an Angel can have...well apart from the Irim Qadissim...but they are a special case. But being only an order apart we were close, as Raz and I are now. But always well meaning, in his own mind, he did have a few loopy ideas. For example he thought that the Son of I Am loved him, and he did, but Lucifer imagined that He would use his talent to make Lucifer equal to him, so that they could be equal lovers. I don't think Lucifer understands that it's quite easy for someone in love to forget how talented they might be and just love. Lucifer always saw Him as some sort of master, wanted that for himself. That wanting started him feeling oppressive emotions, he didn't talk about them, didn't let on to anyone or me what he was thinking, he just kept it all in and snapped one day. You might understand when you see him. There's no way he can be Arch Seraphim."

"Our loss," Raziel said."

"Oh, yes, a terrible loss. Other than splits we sometimes shift, in order to keep the balance of things. And you see in the beginning there were few of us, with long names and many jobs to do, so sometimes we'd split or just sing children into creation and give each one or several aspects of ourselves to carry on. But when an Angel becomes unable to do their job, there is no way to fix it unless we shift. Sometimes it's not hard. Originally I was many things, then Zerachiel took Death from me, it made me lighter, able to work faster, and later Jibril came to be, and he took Dream from me. One moment I had the name Dream and the next Jibril was Dream. But when Lucifer broke some one had to shift to the position of Arch Seraphim. And it couldn't be just any of us, it couldn't be me, it had to be one of the Seraphim. So I quickly made Raphael. Raphael, and gave him such things as Poetry and Inspiration and for a time he was Dream along with Jibril, each having a portal, when people were more concerned with interpreting such messages. Though Raphael was young he shifted to the title of the Fallen. And it was then that we all decided that to keep things from falling apart we needed a special group to make sure the intangible things didn't fall apart, because if, say, Love broke, we'd never be able to fix Everything, because we wouldn't care about fixing it. So that's when we put Leliel in charge of those things, and only his children can take those aspects, and if one splits or breaks another one must immediately step in, no matter what. That's why Night's Children have special additional titles."

"You're digressing, Gabri," Raziel said to her.

Gabriel made a sigh. She gazed at Paris. "Lucifer's going to come, he'll fill your head with all kinds of garbage, he might tell you truths but you'll never be able to tell, because he doesn't speak from the same place most do. He'll be sure to keep telling you that you are bound to him. I'm not saying this is entirely untrue, but I'm warning you, Shade, because Raziel and I like you, because for ages, since there have been things such as mortals and Humans, Raziel and I have both been great revealers. Angels of Revelation must walk a very thin wire over the abyss every day. We must keep ourselves from saying the wrong things to people who will misinterpret them. Sometimes things go wrong; it's not unusual for me to spend periods of time in isolation pondering mistakes like these. But because we are by our nature such great revealers, we feel we need to say these things to you."

"You must have guessed by now that you are special."

"Apparently there are Malakim who have been planing me for quite some time."

"Of course, they say to you, 'we have been planning,'" said Raziel, "but ask yourself, 'Do they say that others do not plan you?' Because I know that we have planned for you to be here. Everything is planned; many eventualities are planned for. You have heard of The Mother?"

"Yes."

"Gabriel and I are not permitted to reveal things about The Mother to you. We'd be in isolation a long time. But we are permitted to say what I am now, to tell you that we're not allowed. Just knowing that gives you power, it gives you knowledge."

"Shade, we cannot say to you, 'This is your purpose...and this is who gave it to you...' but Raziel and I can always help you along with hints."

"That is our personal plan, just between Gabri and I, to befriend you, because you are special, but you most certainly will have no understanding of why, not for along time."

"Trust no one," Paris said.

"Yes, don't even trust us completely."

They both smiled at each other then. Paris felt strange to hear them say not to trust them. It was devious, it made them think they were telling the truth. He thought about the things Nika had said on her deathbed. Trust your enemy more than those who would be your friends, because you know where they are speaking from. But to Paris it seemed, everyone in Eden, Elohim, Malakim, Children of Night...they were all posing as friends.

"You may leave now, or stay, as you like. You may come see either of us in our offices, in our Order Houses. You'll no doubt be here a few more years, until it's time for us all to leave this world."

Paris thanked them but said he thought he'd go see the children in their room on another floor. He got up slowly. Raziel rose to walk Paris to the door, even though it would open as anyone stepped close to it. But the door opened before they got there, and Zerachiel stood staring at them strangely.

"I thought of seeing Gabriel," she said quietly. "I'll go. I see you are here, Raziel."

"You want to be alone with Gabriel, I'll go. I can see her anytime."

Zerachiel still stood in the door so no one could leave. Gabriel came and pushed Paris to one side, gently. Angels were just too polite for Paris to understand. He stood trying not to look directly at Zerachiel. He wanted to.

"Must you always be so alone, Zerachiel? Why?" And Gabriel never waited for anyone to answer, thought she often asked questions.

Zerachiel didn't say anything. She just walked away.

"I feel sad!" Gabriel said. She stood with her hands drawn up to her chest, her face twisted a little.

"Let me take some of it away," Raziel said. He opened Gabriel's arms and stepped close to her.

Paris let himself out.

b b b

Lucifer came. Paris hadn't been out on the streets when he arrived, but he heard the announcement. A loud voice said, "The Malakim Satan Seraphim Lucifer Prince of the Morning Star, Lord of the Abyss." And then afterward, "The Devi Ophanim Lucy of the Earth, Mother of the Sons of Earth." Paris went to the window and looked down onto the street. He saw Azyur and Lilith were standing together. Closer to the gate he saw the street crowds that were always there ebbing to the gutters to make way. All Paris could see of Lucifer was a stack of teased blonde hair and a purple jacket of some kind. He could see Lucy behind him, a small dark woman looking a little like Lilith and Azyur both did. But in the dreams Paris had seen the first woman, the one that Gabriel impregnated with an Angel's seed. That woman had looked half animal, and her children, grown, Adam, Lilith, the other one who was smaller and paler than Lilith, even they hadn't looked exactly like people on modern streets. But Lucy looked quite regal and angelic, except that she was short.

Paris guessed then, remembering they had called her Devi, and recalling that Lilith had undergone several of Gabriel's experiments before becoming one of the Devi, that the process must make an Angelic creature out of whatever is given to it. That elixir Gabriel had, it must be priceless, if any pitiful half-man could drink it and grow taller, straighter, and closer to perfect in every way. And Paris knew then, there were Malakim who could have got their hands on it. Lilith was Malakim and she had drunk it. They had used Azyur to bring him in, knowing that the blood would bind him, as the elixir could not. He despised them for that.

Paris thought about going down. He didn't. Let them wait. He wasn't going to be entirely in anyone's control. He hid his thoughts as best he could and watched the street. Absidus was there, with the two daughters of Star, and the one called Beholder was with them. The girls were in new dresses.

Lucifer, the Satan Seraphim as he was titled, was now standing with Lilith and Azyur. He was kissing Lilith and she was scratching him.

Farther down the street Paris saw the glass facade of The House of the Archangels. He saw the Angel dressed in white, which was Michael. Paris had never met him but he had learned that they all had certain coloured clothing they wore within each order. Children of Night had that colour plus black to choose from depending on the occasion. He saw Gabriel, Raziel, and Zerachiel in her Arch Aishim silver. Uriel in violet.

Passing in front of the Archangel's house Paris picked Athen out. Athen, he knew, was the only real child in Eden. Some of the lower orders tended to appear child-sized; Zerachiel was not as tall as her brothers. And there were a few in Eden who were not Angels but people descended from creatures who had lived on the planet Venus during the long ago time when it was inhabitable-small and a dark beige colour, with probable black hair-and the ones descended from people who had lived on Mars until it went into its ice age some time ago-taller, with slightly olive skin, and strangely enough shades of red or yellow hair. And there were what Paris had been told were the Benelohim, people who had at least one parent or grandparent who was an Angel among those who were Human. There were a lot of these in Eden, some lived among Humans, blending in, but these ones on the streets of Eden had traits that would make living in Human cities impossible, they were too tall, or they had a very strange colour skin, or they had hair that was purple or blue or green. All of these creatures, plus the Lilim, the tall thin simple giants called Gibborim, the small feline creatures who all were afraid to touch called the Naphaim, the Enim who without even thinking about it inspired terror in all who passed close, these were all freaks who had come about from the "mixing of genes." But in the entire city no Human children were living but Athen.

When Paris saw him, he was not alone and unguarded; he was in the arms of an Angel, one wearing loose gold clothing, possessing as Athen did glossy black hair and bright green eyes. His name was Israfel, he was a Prince of the Seraphim; Raziel had been the one to make the introduction. Athen was with the Seraphim Prince all the time. "Israfel is in love with your son," Raziel had said.

Paris thought it very strange, but when he saw that the Angel had absolutely no intention of molesting his son, as a Human man might, Paris allowed Israfel to come and take Athen away whenever he liked.

Angels often used the term, "close proximity." It was, Paris was learning, a rough translation of a word they had in their language, and this word was the name of an entire art of actions that they liked sharing. It was not quite like dancing, and it wasn't sexual, it was as they said, being in close proximity. Of course Gabriel had already made it pretty clear in her words that Angels did have acts that might be like sex, but they had no act that was just like any that Humans do, at least not anymore (or all the time, as they obviously found ways to father or mother the Benelohim.) Even the Angels had ancestors who had been mortal, but they had since learned to constantly generate newness in their bodies, or that was the best Paris could understand the process.

Paris saw that Azyur was waving to him from the street. He supposed he would have to go through with their plans. He didn't yet know a reason not to go along, at least for a while.

b b b

The House of the Satans stood directly opposite the House of the Archangels. As there were nine Arch Angels in all, there were nine Satans, as there was no order of Angels that did not have some who were Malakim, though interestingly enough, it was almost all of the Eyrim-an order composed of clones who had once been as slaves to the other Angels- who had gone over to the Malakim, and so the Elohim Order of Eyrim had very few Angels in it.

They brought Paris into this house, Azyur and Lilith spirited him away to private chambers. Unlike the Arch Angels the Satans that Paris saw as they passed did not seem to be always happy, but always suspicious and defensive. They seemed to stay far apart from each other, except the ones who were touching in ways that Humans knew.

Paris believed the division was not so much between male and female, or good and bad, even light and dark, though those pairs surely existed, but more than anything there was a division between spirit and flesh. And he understood that this must be painful for the Angels, living in their remnant of a society on a borrowed planet, trying to hold onto that great knowledge, that way in which they all were spirit and flesh operating together, one changing to the other and back again, effortlessly.

With Gabriel it seemed she understood that this was the proper way for Angels to live, to be made of one substance that was neither like Human flesh, nor immaterial spirit. But with the Satans, it seemed they looked dull, not really dull, but they looked Human. Wearing flesh was a term Paris had heard. And even Archangels did this sometimes, but only when they had to walk among Humans unknown for some reason. The Satans did it all the time, and when they weren't, they looked rather the opposite, like spectres.

Why? That was the question. Why were all Angels, both Elohim and Malakim living in this way?

And then Paris looked at Lucifer. For a long while neither spoke as they sat across the room from each other. He did have teased blonde hair, some sort of tight fitting red garment with pants, a bodysuit. And a violet jacket over this. He held a cigarette by a long black filter and was smoking, exhaling impossible shapes, as Lucy stood behind massaging his shoulders. He had some glasses on. These were sunglasses. He took them off then to get a better look at Paris. And it gave Paris a better look at Lucifer's eyes. They were violet, not indigo, violet, as Barbie's eyes often are, and even though he had dull skin, and tangly stiff hair the eyes still held at least part of the beauty he must have once had. He looked rather like the member of a glam gothic band, a pretty boy with fancy clothes and strange hair.

"Well, Shade. I suppose you turned out OK," Lucifer said.

"Mmmn, Azyur chose him well," Lucy said. Paris didn't like the way she looked at him. "I told you the Nephillim would be useful. And he is beautiful."

"If you want him, Mother, we will give him to you," Lilith said.

Paris turned very fast to face her. "I am no one's whore!" He said to her, glared at her and knew her to be weak. "I am not yours to give away."

Paris noticed then that Lucifer was laughing hysterically. "God! Oh, splendid! He's as feisty as you, Lilith. Yes, Azyur chose well. Shade will do fine."

And then, almost as if a curtain had suddenly dropped between them, Paris was forgotten. Lucy sat down, Lilith and Azyur did. And they fell into conversation as if Paris were not even there.

"Imagine That Halfangel! What did she do that Lilith or I didn't? Give birth to Him! And she's to get the title Queen of Heaven for it. The little witch!" Lucy spat quietly.

"Well, at least you haven't been disowned," Lucifer said.

"At least it won't be...Eve," Lilith said quietly.

"Eve! Have you seen how they write it in their books? Because she was the first? I gave birth to her and was her natural mother. And from her blood's code Lilith, Adam and all the rest were created and implanted, harvested nearly and placed in the garden. Eve treated me as a...a pet, her own mother, because the Angels taught her their ideas of beauty. And when Lilith and Adam were chosen she tempted him to come to her instead, practically her own son, he was created from her own rib. I remember, was with Gabriel all the time she was doing this until Lucifer came back for me." Lucy beamed a smile at the Prince.

"Gabriel has been meddling in that line for some time...hasn't she, you, and Lilith, and Enoch, and so many others down to That Halfangel," said Azyur Ka.

Something made Lucifer laugh. (Thought he never quite seemed genuinely amused when he laughed, but that he was going through the motions of laughter.) "If only those people! The book writers, knew about David's other son, the one Gabriel bore him herself!" And he laughed some more.

Paris stood wondering why they even cared, what some people, some Humans who wrote books thought. Plenty of Humans wrote stories down, that didn't mean people who read them thought it was all true.

"Let's think on the new kingdom we will be given," Lucy offered.

"Shut up, Lucy, you know it'll be as dark and lifeless a place as The Abyss," Lucifer said. Something about his tone led Paris to believe that The Abyss was more a symbolic term than a real place. Obviously there were not living in an abyss, there were here in the room with him. Perhaps it was like saying that one walks in darkness; it's not literal. "You'll be Lord of your own Region, he says. A Region of Nothing. A Region for everything not pure and good enough to have union, with I Am. Oh, sure, leader, Lord, He means, the one all the Malakim will complain to! It's bad enough living on this borrowed planet. We should have killed every Human who survived that flood, should have killed them the moment they learned the word Equality, better, Freedom. What's this Showing then the Way shit? Why should anyone bother to tell the Humans how to be like us? Why should we bother over them? Did He bother? Did he bother for me? No, but for his fucking Humans, he'll show them the ways in a second. Come down to Earth and walk about wearing flesh for them. Did he ever wear flesh for me I ask you? No. Thank you. Oh, damn damn, damn, why I ask, why is it so wrong for me to want that? Oh! I hate this place, I hate it! No hairspray, beaten egg whites, sugar water, my hair never looked so bad. And all the pests and vermin love it."

Lilith went and took hold of the Prince's shoulders. "You stop. Stop raving before you set yourself on fire again. You don't heal so fast anymore. Have all those years on Venus spoiled you? All those years on that pacific floating city?"

"It was such a nice city," Lucifer cried, "those damn Martians didn't have to bomb us all to Hell. And the leader of the Martians, Michael! I hate him! Can't stand him. I just want a car, Lil, low-slung, fast, red. Michael didn't have to bomb my car to Hell...is a car too much to ask for?"

"Quickly, child," Lucy said, "take him away before any of the others come and see him like this."

Paris stood and watched Lilith lead Lucifer out a back door. He wondered if maybe these Malakim were infectiously literal. He wondered if it wasn't a sick joke every time the Elohim called Lucifer Lord of the Abyss, reminding him of the loss of his floating city. Maybe they did have a certain cruel streak in them, those shining ones.

"And they all say he was so pure before he went to Venus," Lucy said.

Before going to Venus? No. Being governor of a planet hadn't affected any other Angel. It was before he saw what I Am and The Son could do, before he saw The Mother stabbed in her belly. When he saw that the thing he loved could do worse things than merely scorn him. That was what broke Lucifer.

b b b

Only a few years passed before it was time for the Angels to leave. It had been thirty years since Paris' birth, when they left; The Cross was coming to its closest point. When it began to pull away, they would all feel it. The Angels were leaving and they would abandon nothing that could reveal information to Humans who might come up through the mountain pass. They were going to blow it all up.

Months before He was to open the way things became crazy. Many more Benelohim flooded into The City wanting to be taken along. They knew the time was coming; The Cross was plainly visible in the night sky. The City was not big enough to support them all, especially as so many of the Benelohim had strange diets, this was not to mention that the Nephillim were not the only blood drinkers. In that time blood sacrifices to "gods" were not uncommon, and this was with reason, as most things are.

The streets of Eden became even more crowded than ever, things became dirty. Courtyards were crowded with sleepers. The House of Night, where Paris and his family still stayed had taken in a terrific number of Benelohim. All Night's Children were there. Angels who had not shown themselves suddenly appeared in Eden to wait with the others. For the first time since Paris' arrival all the Archangels and Satans were present at once. Michael and Raphael had arrived without pomp, wearing flesh and dressed in travelling clothes, revealing their presence only on the morning after.

But soon after this, small groups of Angels began leaving on missions, doing the last things that needed to be done. Uriel took the flying craft left working, a helicopter stripped down and carrying all the fuel it could. He'd never make it all the way to The Western Land, everyone said. But someone had to try. Someone had to go tell the red people that the Angels were leaving.

But Uriel made it back, though without his helicopter. He swore it wouldn't be found.

Gabriel and Raziel would leave together for days at a time towards the end. They would come back worrying about their young Human friend John Mark. Zerachiel was gone for one day, when she came back she closed herself in her room. Michael came to the house and made her open the door for him. "Are you sure you've got it right?" Paris heard him ask. He'd been watching the room.

"I know what I'm doing, Michael," Zerachiel said, "I know."

Gabriel came to the room then and asked her split, "Do you think there is another way? I mean, once he opens the door, he won't be strong enough to bring himself through right away, they'll kill him, the Humans, we're sure they will. Raziel and I will be there to see Mark one last time, and Michael will be right there, one of us could just lift Him up and carry him once the door's open."

"Sometimes their deaths have more meaning than their lives."

"No. Life always has more meaning."

"Death is not simply the absence of life, My Split. You don't think that they will remember His life any more than His death. You don't think the Humans will think anything of the agony He will suffer for us holding a portal open for so many. You know it's His death they'll remember."

"Actually, as He does have The Talent, I suppose it's His cheating you they'll remember. Humans are always remembering your loses."

"I know," said Zerachiel. And then boldly stepped on the floor plate so that the door opened before Paris had time to hide. She looked right at him, nothing happened.

Paris was also with Raziel in the House of the Ophanim a lot at the end. Raziel had a big library there, he was taking it all with him. This was something of importance to all the Angels, as Raziel was one of few who held material things that were of real importance to the whole. He was taking inventory, complaining to Gabriel and Leliel that things were such a mess. "If only I had The Book," he said, "whatever happened to that book? Do you think the others will be angry that I've lost it?"

"The Book? You mean the one you saved all the secrets in?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes, The Secret Book of the Angel Raziel, about this big," he said gesturing to Leliel.

"Why, Raziel, I'd thought you talking about one of these things," Leliel said as he picked up a small book bound in leather and consequently dropped it. "With paper pages. Why, My Leader, you lent it to one of those Kings of Israel."

"David's son, I recall," Gabriel said and smiled to herself.

"Damn me. Solomon, he never returned it."

"Do you think they still have it?"

"No. It's likely to be lost in the desert," Raziel said. "Shade, you must keep you ears listening for any word of a strange book. If you find it, keep it. In fact, I charge you, look for this book if you can, don't let it come into anyone else's hands. If you do find it, you may use it, however, no Human may look at it."

And so Paris agreed to the responsibility, thinking, what's one more charge on me? For already the Malakim had given him instructions, charging him to kill Humans, to be indiscriminate in the kills, to bedevil all mortals. "Be The Devil's Shadow," the old Queens said to him, Lucy and Lilith.

Very close to the end Absidus came to Paris, calling him still, Brother. She said, "They are allowing me to stay behind with you. Once the door has been opened and they are established, all the Angels will be able to travel back here when they have reason to. They are not going to abandon their Humans entirely, as much as Lucifer wishes they would."

Paris was pleased that they would not be separated. But Athen worried him. One day Paris decided he would go and see what his son was doing when he was away with Israfel so often. He was admitted to the House of the Seraphim by one of the Benelohim. Paris wanted to ask for Prince Israfel, but he was struck dumb. There was music and singing in the house, and he had heard the Seraphim choir rehearsing before, but had never quite heard something like this. Paris walked toward the source.

Up a flight of stairs, down a long corridor, into a wide windowless dim-lit chamber. Israfel sat playing a harp, but he wasn't singing, Paris' nine-year-old son was, standing at Israfel's side, eyes closed, just singing. He just didn't think it possible. Athen had always had a beautiful speaking voice of course, he liked reading poetry to his sisters, but Paris didn't think any Human could create those high notes and not sound like they were screeching.

Israfel made a small bow of his head to Paris and stopped playing. "You're father has come," he said softly.

So very slowly Athen opened his eyes, looked right at Paris. "I didn't think he would." Oh so mocking that speaking in the third person about people who are present. Even a child, Athen excelled at it.

"I was worried for you, Israfel will be leaving when the others do. I don't want you to be hurt. I had no idea he was teaching you to sing."

Athen only nodded.

"Come and sit with us, Shade," Israfel offered. "Please, there's still time for me to teach you something. I would like to." And he smiled an almost wicked smile. "The others all give you secret gifts and charges."

And so Paris went to sit with them. Israfel brought many different stringed instruments to Paris. "Once you understand how strings are manipulated, you can teach yourself to play any of these," he said. And he taught Paris the secrets.

And then the day came. It was evening when it happened. Gabriel, Raziel, Raphael, and Michael came running through the gates. Uriel looked up at them as he placed a detonator in Absidus' hand. She stepped back then. "Is it happening?" Gabriel asked.

"I can feel it," Raphael said.

"Step away," Absidus said to Paris. She pulled the two girls after her as she stepped away. Paris noticed then that the wind was stronger than usual and it was carrying sand from the land below up onto the mountain. The streets were darkening.

A great host of Angels had gathered in the square, some of the Malakim were missing and still on their way as it started, the end of the time in Eden. They were moving up into the sky. The Angels would grow extensions on their backs and then move upward. Paris knew they weren't wings when he saw them. Angels don't have wings, at least not like any sort of lower creatures do. These were projections of their energy coming from the spine, from the centre of the body, extensions of self. The ones highest up would just disappear from sight.

Lucifer made his way through the crowd and stood before Paris. He looked up and laughed. "Give 'em Hell," he said, broke out in laughter. He looked levelly at Paris for just a moment, pressed something into Paris' hand. And then he grew wings, gray ones whose many small and separate tendrils then reconnected with each other so that it looked as if he had actual wings made out of cobwebs. It was hard to find two Angels whose wings looked alike, though several of the Children of night had wings whose texture gave the appearance of feathers.

Lucifer was the last to go. Paris and his family stood alone, the only thing left to do was wait for the few remaining Benelohim to leave Eden, and then, blow it up. Seeing the Angels gone Athen and his sisters ran off to take a few souvenirs. The girls came back right away, but Paris had to go look for Athen.

He was in the House of the Seraphim, in Israfel's room. He shoved a small harp at Paris, then turned away, his hands on a small jewellery box. "He'd want you to have the harp," he said. Paris knew he was crying.

Athen opened the box. He lifted something, dropped a chain over his head. And when he turned Paris saw the most large and perfect emerald he had ever seen set in gold and hanging from a heavy chain. It looked much too big for a young boy to wear. "He meant for me to come find it," Athen sniffled, "I know he did. Whoever wears it lives forever."

"We have to go," Paris said.

They stood on a nearby peak looking down at the walled city. The sky was clouded and it was unusually dark for the time of day as Absidus pressed the button of the detonator. Seconds later the bombs at the foundations blew, buildings collapsed downward, and then the water reservoir blew, and water washed everything away.

The Angels were gone; Eden was gone. The game had begun.