Exile of Lucifer (31 page)

"You must never eat of this tree."                239
instruction not to appear or speak to A'dam unless commanded by
the Lord.
"Michael!" came a familiar voice. It was Sangius.
"Greetings, brother!" answered Michael.
"Observing our friend here I see," he said, gliding down and
seating himself on the other side of A'dam opposite Michael.
"Yes, and thinking of what a dreadful shame it would be if
Lucifer was made governor over this beautiful creature," answered
Michael. "I certainly hope Gabriel was correct about what the Zoa
told him."
"Gabriel is seldom wrong," said Sangius. "Lucifer, however,
will be horribly disappointed once word reaches him!" He laughed.
"I sometimes wish I was still on his Council simply to observe his
reaction!"
"Sangius, if Lucifer is turned down and this man is named
steward, as the Zoa have suggested, will Lucifer be satisfied to let
things go?"
"I don't know really," said Sangius. "Lucifer is apt to do any-
thing. I suspect he is clever enough to know when he is through
and will drop the matter. But then again, we're discussing Lucifer."
A'dam stood up and stretched, yawning as the midday sun
struck his face through the tall trees. He picked up a stick and wan-
dered off into the garden. The angels watched as he reached down
and stroked a young deer, giving it a handful of lush green clover.
He then continued on into the deeper parts of the garden.
"He is such a beautiful creature," remarked Sangius. "He is
regal--almost angelic. And yet so innocent. He seems so strong and
yet so fragile at the same time."
"Yes, Sangius," agreed Michael. "I have been studying the
beasts of this world. Some of them could easily overcome A'dam.
Yet peace prevails in Eden."
"I would certainly not want to see an angel come against so
weak a creature," said Sangius, who caught Michael's fierce glare.
"Although I certainly don't anticipate such a conflict." Sangius
indicated the spot where A'dam had disappeared into the woods a

240          CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile           of Lucifer
moment before. Sangius ventured further and added, "Do you
anticipate that there will be conflict between angels and man?"
"Any angel in particular?" Michael said, finally smiling weakly.
"I can only speculate of course," said Sangius, "but when
Lucifer discovers that the `mud-man,' as he calls him, will be made
steward, he certainly will have no great love for him."
"Lucifer will never touch A'dam," said Michael resolutely.
"This I vow. Neither Lucifer, nor Rugio, nor any angel in Heaven
will touch a man unless it is decreed by the Lord to happen. I am
sworn to uphold the Lord's honor in this."
"Well, Eden certainly suits A'dam," said Sangius, happy to
move on to another subject. "He has all that he could possibly ever
desire."
"Does he?" asked Michael. As he spoke a pair of swans swam
gracefully by. Michael pointed to the swans. "I have observed that
every creature on this world has another just like it except for
A'dam. The beasts of the field have companion beasts with which
to share life and perpetuate it. The birds as well. Even the fish. But
A'dam? What does A'dam have?"
"A'dam has the Father," came the familiar voice of Crispin.
"And what more could he possibly need than that?"
"Good and well, dear teacher," said Michael, embracing his
friend. "And I realize that the Most High has a special and won-
drous relationship with A'dam. I don't question the wisdom or
plans of God. I simply feel a sense of protection for A'dam is all.
Where that comes from I don't know, because the Lord has forbid-
den contact with him--yet I believe that the Most High would have
it this way."
"Those feelings are quite simple to explain," said Crispin,
who settled down next to Sangius and Michael on the bank of the
pond. "Such grace," he said pointing to the swans who were mak-
ing their rounds once more near the angels. "Ah, the imagination of
such a creative Lord!" He looked at his former student with com-
passion. "Michael, the reason you have feelings of protection for
the man is because of your loyalty and love for the Lord. He holds
A'dam quite dear and therefore so do you. It is nothing more.

"You must never eat of this tree."                241
Angels and men will never relate to one another as do God and
man. But in the Most High we share with man a common bond of
loyalty and love."
"So then what is our position in regard to A'dam?" asked
Sangius.
"I believe that Michael is already realizing our position," said
Crispin. "We continue to serve the Most High as always, but with
the added honor of serving him on earth as He sees necessary."
"But the Zoa said earth is for man, not angels," said Michael.
"Earth is for man to dominate and to steward," Crispin
answered, "as Lucifer will soon find out. That is what the Zoa said.
But we angels will have a role on this planet in serving the Lord by
seeing His will for man ultimately carried forward--whatever
course that might take us on."
"We serve God by serving man?" said Sangius.
"No, Sangius," said Crispin. "We serve God by serving God.
And if in serving God we find ourselves also involved with man--
then so be it!"
----------------
"A'dam!"
"A'dam! Where are you?"
A'dam knew well the voice of his Father. Everytime he heard
it his heart leapt in him like one of the gracefully leaping bucks in
the forest. A'dam looked around him and answered aloud, "Here I
am, Father!"
A'dam stood, awaiting the arrival of the Most High God, his
Father. He felt a gentle breeze blowing against his face, and sud-
denly the garden became pale, as a glorious light appeared before
him. The robed figure in the light was a head larger than A'dam
and not completely unlike him in features--although His face
could never be seen clearly. The figure walked out of the light and
extended His hand. A'dam could barely see to take the hand
because the light was so bright. He finally shut his eyes and
reached out blindly, feeling the Father's loving hands taking his
own--the blinded A'dam guided by the all-seeing Father.

242          CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile          of Lucifer
When A'dam opened his eyes an instant later, he found him-
self standing in front of the two trees that were planted in the cen-
ter of the garden. He was completely perplexed as to how he had
moved from the extreme edge of Eden to its center so quickly! A lit-
tle dazed by it all, A'dam looked to his Father with a bewildered
expression. The Father merely indicated the two trees and A'dam
looked at them as he had done many times before. He had never
before ventured this close to the trees, however, as there was a
sacred presence here which seemed to forbid him access until now.
"What is it, Father?" he finally asked.
"My dear son," came the voice of God. "I love you more than
you can possibly know. This you understand?"
"Of course, Father," replied A'dam. "I have always known
You loved me."
"Know this then," the Father continued. "All of Eden is yours
to enjoy. I have provided for your every want. There will never be
hunger known to you, nor thirst, nor toil, nor fear, nor even death.
Do you understand this, A'dam?"
A'dam was still puzzled by it all but spoke up. "Yes, Father. I
know all of this. You have been so good to me." A'dam was not entire-
ly sure what death meant, but he knew that he need not fear it.
"Know then that you may eat of every tree of the garden;
every fruit-bearing bush, every melon and berry--all of that which
grows freely in the garden--of all of these you may eat..."
A'dam instinctively looked at the two trees which stood
before him. "And what of these, Father?" he asked. "Did You bring
me here that I may now eat of these as well?"
"Hear me, A'dam," said the Father, in a grave tone which
A'dam had never before heard. "You may eat freely of all that I
have said. But of these two trees you must never eat. They are for-
bidden to you."
A'dam looked at the trees and the fruit upon them. They didn't
look much different from many of the other trees in Eden. "But
why, Father?" he finally asked. "I have always felt this was a spe-
cial place. Are these trees set apart for You alone?"

"You must never eat of this tree."                   243
"No, A'dam," said God. "They are set apart for you--and they
are set apart from you. You must never eat of these trees."
"I don't understand," said A'dam, looking at the trees. "If I am
not to eat of them, then why are they here?"
"The reason is not as important as the command. You must
never eat of these trees. For on the day that you do you will die."
A'dam looked at the trees and back at his Father. "You would
kill me for eating of these trees, Father?" he asked.
The Father looked down at A'dam with love so overwhelming
that A'dam could scarcely stand before Him. "No, A'dam," He said.
"I would never kill you. But by your own choice you would bring
death to yourself. Therefore I say to you again, you may not eat of
these trees, for on that day you shall surely die."
A'dam started to answer but suddenly the Father was gone.
A'dam blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. The garden once
more took on its usual beautiful colors as the glory of the Lord
faded. He looked around and all seemed normal. Slowly his eyes
looked in the direction of the trees, which were swaying gently in
the breeze. As he watched a solitary piece of fruit fell from one of
the limbs and rolled a few paces in front of his feet. A'dam looked
at the fruit.
At first he smiled. But then a terror began to grip his heart as
the words of the Lord played back in his mind. He began to step
away from the area, walking backwards. A screeching hawk star-
tled him, and he turned and bolted, vowing never again to set foot
in that part of Eden!
----------------
Chronicles of the Host
Eve
It was never the will of the Most High that A'dam should be
alone. God the Father, in complete agreement with the Son and
the Spirit, had determined that a suitable helpmate must be
provided for A'dam. One who would complement him; one

244           CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile              of Lucifer
with whom he would share his life and his love; one with whom
he would build a new world. So the Lord set A'dam upon the
task of naming the animals, and in doing so, allowed A'dam to
realize that he was incomplete by seeing that all of nature was
accompanied by one of its own kind. And as A'dam named the
beasts of earth there was not found for him a suitable mate.
Now for the Host this longing that A'dam was experiencing;
this sense of loneliness; this need for another was incompre-
hensible. The angels were responsible to the Lord of all, and
though they enjoyed a fellowship among the Host, they had no
sense of such intimate need. Therefore they watched A'dam
from afar, some feeling compassion for his despair, others feel-
ing contempt for what was an apparent weakness among
man--the need for others...
So it was that the Most High, upon A'dam's recognition that
he needed another suitable to himself, He brought forth anoth-
er human--one with whom A'dam would share the glorious
life God had given him...
And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon A'dam,
And he slept; and He took one of his ribs,
And closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man,
Made He a woman...
----------------
"A woman?" asked Tinius. "What is a woman?"
"Haven't you heard?" said Pellecus. "The Lord has given
A'dam a mate!"
"It's quite delicious really!" said Kara, who was standing in
front of the window in Lucifer's council room. "Ties A'dam even
more closely to the other beasts on earth."
"Does that suit you, Kara?" asked Lucifer, who appeared from
the other side of the room where he had been discussing some

"You must never eat of this tree."                   245
details with Rugio in private. Kara could see the hulking Rugio
standing just off Lucifer's right shoulder.
"Why yes," said Kara, surprised at the question. "It suits me
quite well. This A'dam is beginning to think himself an angel--
hmph! Prideful creature! This places him firmly back in his element--
and reminds him that he is a beast, nothing more."
The angels laughed.
"Perhaps," said Pellecus, "in so doing the Lord ties him even
closely to Himself."
"Ah, Pellecus," sneered Kara, "always an opposing view-
point. Why is it that whenever you and I discuss something we are
on opposing sides of the issue? Is it your academic need for argu-
ment?" He smiled as a few angels snickered.
"No, Kara," replied Pellecus calmly, "it is my need to be correct!"
"Enough!" interrupted Lucifer. "We have much to discuss."
"No, Lucifer!" said Kara. "I am weary of Pellecus and his arro-
gance! I am an Elder to the Most High God! I have position and
authority in this present Kingdom! And I will not be spoken to in
such condescending terms!" Kara's purple aura was beginning to
manifest. "I will be respected here!"
"You speak of arrogance?" replied Pellecus calmly. "You who
would wave your credentials as an Elder with one hand while
manipulating that same Council for your own gain with the other?"
"Enough, I said!" Lucifer said loudly. "There is too much at
stake for your colossal self-posturing to interfere! Kara, Pellecus, sit
down." Lucifer glared at the two angels. Kara's purple aura imme-
diately dissipated and he took his seat. Pellecus sat down as well,
trying to maintain an outward dignity. Rugio smiled at the entire
affair, amused by it all.
"It seems, lord, your brightest stars are tarnished," Rugio
finally said.
"Excellent point, Rugio, my warrior," said Lucifer, who took
his seat at the head of the table. He looked at the members of the
Council, his chin resting on his left hand. "I want to tell you a story.
I saw a star fall once. It was very soon after Day Four when I was
meditating on the earth. I looked up and there was a very bright

246          CHRONICLES of the Host: Exile             of Lucifer
light streaking across the twilight evening sky, like lightning that
occurs from time to time. I watched as it became more and more
brilliant and then suddenly broke up and disappeared. At that
moment a majestic looking eagle glided in the air above me. At the
precise point in the sky where the star had disappeared in the
Heavens the eagle shrieked loudly, circled once, and disappeared
toward the mountains north of Eden."
He looked at the Council. "It occurred to me that we are about
to witness a Kingdom in decline, even as another is rising. We are
that young eagle--poised and prepared. Ready to ascend." He
looked harshly at Pellecus and Kara. "However, if we fail to remain
completely united in this effort we too will burn out and break up
just as that piece of matter did. All of us will be forever compro-
mised. I suggest therefore that there be no more personal offenses--
at least not until I am firmly in authority on earth. Then you may
destroy each other if you are that stupid...but not here and not now."
Everyone in the room was silent.
"Now something for which all of us have been waiting."
Lucifer stood up. "When we first began this journey I must admit I
had my doubts. There were times when I felt it was pointless to
pursue so noble a course amidst so many in Heaven who lacked
vision or depth of character. Now I see I was correct in continuing
the affair." He held up a scroll. "I have in my hand an official decree
commanding all of the Host to attend the Lord in assembly at
Gabriel's next summons, at which time the Lord is prepared to
name the steward of earth! Brothers, this is what we have been
waiting for, fighting for, trying each other's patience for!"
"When did you receive that communication, lord?" asked
Tinius.
"Shortly before this meeting," said Lucifer. "Serus brought it
to me by special conduct from none other than the Chief Elder him-
self. I suspect the more important angels are receiving notice and
then the Host in general will be informed."
"I knew of no such communiqu�," snorted Kara. "Are you
certain that is from the Chief Elder?"
"It has his seal, Kara," said Lucifer, handing the scroll to Kara.