some reason my Father has allowed me to come here, and I think I
have become part of this test, whether I asked to be or not.”
“Test of what?” I ask, unable to look away.
“Faith, Benji,” he says, like it is the most obvious thing in the world. “It always
comes down to faith. To do what you must, you must believe. Father has tested one’s
faith for as long as I can remember. It’s kind of his thing, in case you haven’t heard
the stories. But I may need to speed things up a bit. As I’ve said, my focus and his
focus need to be elsewhere.”
“I thought you were a stickler for the rules,” I say without thinking. He laughs again. “Maybe some part of me wants to see how this plays out too.
It’s certainly a first in all of my existence. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of
history?”
Somehow, I don’t think I want to know just how long his existence has been. “I will send one of the Strange Men, as you call them,” he says, squeezing my
shoulders. “They will not be here for you, or for Calliel. Think of it as a… a gift.
Once you catch sight of the Strange Man, you will know I have assisted you and that
you should follow. You may get the answers you desire, but remember this:
sometimes the past is better left alone. Do you understand?”
My heart pounds in my chest. “Yes.”
He lets me go and steps back. “I have enjoyed our conversation, Benjamin
Green. I think maybe you have taught me some things. I hope you will continue to
surprise me.” He turns and starts walking toward the forest behind Little House. “Wait,” I call out before I can stop myself.
He stops but doesn’t turn.
“What did you tell Calliel? Just now?”
He looks up at the stars again and I follow his gaze. They look so brilliantly blue
against the night sky I think them like ice. “I told him that even though I would
return for him, I could understand why he did what he did. I told him he was very
lucky to have found one such as you, even if it can only be for a moment. I’ll see you
soon, Benji.” Even as he speaks the last words, white lights begin to flash around
him. They become almost too brilliant to look at. I cover my eyes with my hands,
squinting through my fingertips. I can make out the vague outline of massive wings, much larger than Calliel’s. They stretch out wide, glowing in the dark until they snap around Michael, cocooning him. The light explodes outward, and by the time the burned afterimage fades from my eyes, Michael is gone and I can hear footsteps
racing down the driveway.
Cal crashes into me, grips me tight, and runs his hands over me to make sure all
my parts are still attached. Once he is satisfied I am in one piece, he cups my face in
his big hands and kisses me, pressing my lips against my teeth. “Are you all right?”
he asks hoarsely, brushing his lips over mine again and again. “Are you all right?” I stare at him, seeing my reflection in the black of his eyes.
And yet he loves you….
“I’m okay,” I whisper, though that is so far from the truth it’s extraordinary. “What did he want?” he asks me. “What did Michael ask of you?” I kiss him again, needing to feel his strength. I hope he has enough to give for
what is to come.
“Benji! What did he want!”
I shudder in his hands. “To let us know we don’t have much time,” I whisper. “I
think the end is about to begin.”
part iv: the river
The man past the end of his life stood at the edge of the river. The River Crosser was long gone, having warned him he would not come back. The man had said he understood this, and that he couldn’t leave. Not yet. “You may always be lost, then,” the River Crosser had cautioned before he departed. Alone, the man stared long at his reflection, which had again appeared in the water. He saw many things flash by about his own life, both the good and the bad. He saw that he had not taken his life for granted, and that he had been kind. But above all else, what he saw the most was love.
And it gave him strength.
So he stood, his shoulders squared, his head held tall. He breathed in the air around him as twilight began to fall. And at the sounds from