alive, but she was devoted to me in every way. I also had a son, Gabriel, who has been missing for many years, but I don’t see how I could have another living daughter who would be considered rebellious.”
“I see,” Abraham said slowly. “You were dead, but now you live. Perhaps Roxil has found the grace to live again as well.” He leaned close and whispered softly, “And let us remember that Hannah is not exempt from such a miracle.”
Timothy nodded. “I understand. As you said, it is unwise to be hasty.”
Clapping his hands, Abraham continued. “So, tell us more about your untimely death.”
“This might sound crazy, but after I died the first time …” Timothy paused and smiled, waiting for a response to his odd statement.
“How many times have you died?” Angel asked.
He held up two fingers. “After the first time, Roxil and I built a village called Dragons’ Rest, an afterlife haven, of sorts, for slain dragons. I left that place and was restored to Earth as a human. I never learned what happened to her or to Dragons’ Rest.”
Angel clutched Abraham’s sleeve. “Father, would Enoch’s Ghost know?”
“Perhaps.” Abraham leaned into the shaft of light. “But the tunnel might very well tell us now.”
Timothy leaned in with him. “How so?”
“I have ventured inside. The light is so brilliant, even when I close my eyes, it blinds me. I had to stagger out and feel my way to Albatross. I couldn’t see for hours. So I came back wearing a thick, dark garment wrapped around my eyes. Even then, the light was blinding, but I came to a wall that felt as smooth as a crystalline face. When I touched it, I heard a quiet female voice that said, ‘What do you seek, dear Abraham?’
“I didn’t know what to ask, so I just blurted out, ‘Who are you?’
“Gentle laughter filled her voice. She said, ‘I am an Oracle of Fire. I reside at Heaven’s altar.’
“‘If you are an oracle,’ I said, ‘Can you tell me the meaning of Enoch’s hymn?’
“‘The one he sings at dawn?’ she asked.
“Of course, I was thrilled that she knew the hymn. ‘Yes! Yes!’ I shouted.
“Her gentle laugh filled the tunnel again and echoed all around. ‘The meaning is reserved for the two men who will come to fulfill it.’
“I bowed and backed away, longing to look upon her, knowing that her radiant beauty must have been beyond compare. I assumed that gazing upon her would likely burn holes in my eyes forever, but the memory of her glory would be worth the pain.”
“But you can see,” Timothy said. “What happened?”
Abraham sighed. “As I was taking the garment off, I stumbled and hit my head on the wall. That blow knocked some sense into me, so I bade farewell to the oracle and hurried out.”
Timothy pointed at himself. “So you want me to go in there and see if she’ll tell me the meaning of the hymn.”
“Exactly. The very reason I brought you here.”
Timothy unzipped his jacket, raised it above his head and over his companion, and rezipped it. “Will that be enough?”
“You will soon find out.”
Timothy felt a hand taking his, and he followed its lead. “I will guide you to the entrance,” Abraham said, his voice muffled as it passed through the jacket, “then you will have to feel for the walls. The way is straight, and the path is narrow. You shouldn’t find any obstacles.”
Another hand rested on his elbowAngel’s now-familiar touch. “I will stay at your side as long as I can and meet you on your way out.”
Ashley sat up and zipped her jacket. “Thank you,” she said, nodding at Sapphira and Karen. She swiveled her head toward Roxil. “And thank you for the dry clothes.”
“It was the least I could do.” Roxil bowed her head low. “I was most impressed by your sacrificial act, and I apologize for my initial harsh reaction.”
Ashley reached for Sapphira. “Maybe my sister will offer us a ride out of here.”
“What’s that on your hand?” Sapphira pulled Ashley to her feet and turned her palm up. “Look!”
Ashley touched the edge of a wound on her palm, a rough hole with a copper colored stain encircling it. Blood oozed from the exposed muscle under the punctured skin. “My penny!” she whispered.
Karen caressed the heel of Ashley’s hand. “That looks awful! Does it hurt?”
“Yeah. A lot.”
“We don’t have any antiseptic,” Karen said, “but maybe we can make a bandage.”