The Tears of Nero (The Halo Group Book 1) (17 page)

Edward reached in without hesitation this time.  He pushed his arm in all the way to the shoulder, pressing against the rock, trying to gain a few more inches.  “Wait,” he said at last.  “I think I’ve found something.”

The parchment he pulled out was old and brittle.  But it was legible.  “It‘s a verse from the Bible.”  

“What does it say?” Franklin asked, still pointing the gun firmly at his head. 

“So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning until the appointed time; and seventy thousand men of the people from Dan to Beersheba died. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, ‘It is enough! Now relax your hand!’ And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Arunah the Jebusite." (II Samuel 24:15,16)”

“It confirms what I’m saying,” Franklin said.  “Nero wants to use the angel to bring about mass destruction.  It’s certainly within the angel’s power to do so.  This verse confirms it.”

“But it doesn’t tell us anything about where the bones are located,” Edward said.  “Besides, you can't control an angel.  That power rests with God and God alone.”

“We may still be able to figure out where the bones are located,” Sadie said.  “Look at the symbols that have been chiseled into this wall.”

“What about them?”

“The symbols are drawn in concentric circles.  In rings.  There are nine circles.  There are nine orders of angels according to the text.”

“These are the same nine orders you mentioned when we were trying to choose a wire earlier,” Edward said.  “Solomon's Hammer and Dionysius the Areopagite seem to agree on that.”

Sadie nodded.  “Apparently.”

“Do we know where Alastor falls in the order?” Franklin asked.

“Not exactly,” Sadie said.  “But we can draw some conclusions here.  Alastor is a death angel whose purpose is to kill on a large scale.  There have been others mentioned in the Bible.  Let’s think about the death angel that visited Egypt, the angel that killed 185,000 Assyrians, and the angel that smote 70,000.  They killed based on the orders of the Lord.  In that regard they can also be seen as death angels.  Samael is regarded by some as the angel of death.  According to The Hammer of Solomon, he’s a seraph.  According to other texts I've read, he's referred to as an archangel.  I'm sure these angels all fall into the same group.  The problem with these texts about hierarchies and which Order or Choir each group falls into is that none of them totally agree on everything.  There are deviations which make it difficult to figure out who falls into which category.  The Bible, of course, doesn't mention much about the ranking of angels.  So we have to make an educated guess.  In this case, determining which group Alastor falls into is going to be the difference in life or death.  Is he a seraph or an archangel?  Seraphim are viewed by some as members of the highest order and would fall either in the very center of this wall or at the outer edge.”

“Meaning the first or the ninth concentric circle,” Edward clarified.  “But what about archangels?  How do they fit into the hierarchy?  If Alastor is actually an archangel instead of a seraph then that will change where his name is located within these circles.” 

“I've seen diagrams that place them in the third triad, near the bottom of the hierarchy.  This would mean they would be represented by the second or the eighth ring here, depending on how we viewed the order of angels.”

“So our options are the first, second, eighth, or ninth ring of this puzzle, depending on whether Alastor is a seraph or an archangel and depending on whether the highest order of angels resides in the innermost of the concentric circles or the outermost?” Edward said with a sigh.  “Not confusing at all.”

“What else do you know about these carvings?” Franklin said, motioning to the stone symbols before them. 

“I think all of these symbols are angels names written in angelic script,” Sadie said.  “We find the one that corresponds to Alastor, and we find the bones.” 

“Do you recognize any of them?” Franklin asked.

Sadie studied the strange characters for a moment.  “A few of them are familiar.  We may need to use the process of elimination here.  Sort out the ones we know and try to make some educated guesses.”

“Work your magic,” Edward said.

Carefully, she walked up to the wall and studied the rings of symbols.  “I think the outermost group of symbols are the seraphim.  They're at the top of the totem pole, so to speak.”

“What makes you think that?” Franklin asked, keeping the gun pointed firmly in her direction.

“I recognize Lucifer's name.  If seraphim are the highest ranking of all angels, then he would definitely fall into that category.  The only question is whether or not he and Alastor are on the same level.” 

“What else do you recognize?” Franklin growled, growing impatient. 

“I see Uriel’s name in the eighth ring.  I've seen him listed as both a seraph and an archangel.  However, here it's likely that he's listed as an archangel since we determined that the second or eighth ring would be designated for that particular class.”

“And what all do we know about Uriel?” Edward asked.

“One account holds that Uriel checked the doors of Egypt for lamb's blood during the plagues.  If we assume that to be true, he is very definitely linked to all of the other death angels and would fall into the same class as Alastor.”

“Which means that Alastor is also an archangel,” Franklin interrupted. 

“Are you sure about this stuff?” Edward asked.

Sadie shrugged.  “I’m doing the best I can.  You got anything better to go on?”

“Not really.  But assuming that we know which circle is the correct one now, how do we determine which symbol belongs to Alastor?”

“I can eliminate all but three symbols in that ring,” Sadie said.  “I recognize Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Jeremiel, and Azrael.  The other three I’m not sure of.”

“Not all of those are mentioned in the Bible,” Edward noted.  “How can you be sure this is what we‘re supposed to do?”

“This hierarchy and these names are all mentioned in The Hammer of Solomon.  That’s what all of this is based on.  The Bible doesn’t mention anything about finding bones and jumpstarting the apocalypse either but here we are.”

“Another good point,” Edward said.  “Still, I think this is a wild goose chase.  No one can influence the end of the world.”

“Doesn't matter,” Sadie said.  “Nero may be deluded about that part.  However, that doesn't mean he can't use every tool at his disposal to kill thousands and thousands of Christians.” 

“So how do we pick between these three symbols?” Franklin asked. 

“I’m thinking,” Sadie said.

“Well, think harder.  This shouldn’t take all day.”

“Two of the symbols I’m sure I have never seen before,” Sadie noted. 

“Stands to reason those two might be traps,” Edward said.  “And you remember the third?”

“I remember it from the book.  But there was no corresponding explanation for it.  It was just drawn there.”

“That has to be it,” Franklin said. 

“That’s the one I would pick,” Sadie said.

“So that’s the one we’ll pick too.  Now, Edward, grab the hammer again and see if she’s right.”

Edward nodded and did as he was told.  “Are you sure about this?”

“Not really,” Sadie admitted. “But it’s the best I can do.”

“Here goes nothing,” Edward said as he swung the hammer.  The rock broke neatly, and he spent a few seconds clearing away the rubble before reaching in.  This time he pulled out a single bleached bone and another musty sheet of parchment.

“This is it!” Franklin exclaimed. 

“Seems to be,” Edward admitted. 

Franklin snatched the relic and the sheet of parchment out of his hands.  “And immediately an angel of the lord struck him because he did not give God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and he died,” the scroll read.

“I don’t understand,” Sadie admitted. 

“Angels can cause afflictions,” Franklin explained.  “That ability is part of what Lindell is attracted to.  But not in the way you think.  Alastor the Executioner is a double-edged sword as far as Lindell‘s concerned.” 

“Ok, you‘ve lost me,” Sadie said.

“Lindell’s mother died of cancer,” Franklin explained.  “Lindell believed that if angels can cause afflictions they can also cure them.”

“That’s what all this is about?” Edward asked.

“His mother was very important to him in a way that wasn't altogether healthy,” Sadie said.  “He talked about her all the time when I was with him.  She got sick not long after I broke things off with him.  I didn't know she passed away.  If she died, it makes sense that he would try to bring her back.  He had an unnatural obsession with her.  It gave me the creeps.  He always reverted to acting like a little boy whenever she called him on the phone or whenever her name came up in conversation.  She had a very strong hold on him, that was for sure.”

“And we think this is his motivation for all of this?” Edward asked.   

“Think about it.  Lindell wants the angel to heal his dead mother.  Nero wants the angel to dole out havoc on the world.  He can have his cake and eat it too.  Both personalities are satisfied.”

“Franklin, you talk about Nero and Lindell like they’re different people,” Sadie noted.  “It’s the same person.”

“It is and it isn’t,” Franklin said.  “The same body but very different personalities.  It's been this way for a while.”

“Are you saying that The Slaves of Solomon knew that Lindell had an alternate personality that modeled itself after a psychotic Roman emperor and nobody did anything about it?”

“Some knew,” Franklin admitted.  “We all saw it as a means to an end.  He was an obsessive.  Who better to get the answers we seek than someone who would go to any lengths necessary?”

“So how does this help us?” Edward asked.

“It doesn’t help you at all,” Franklin said.  “Lindell wants this bone which came from John the Revelator.  I can draw him out with this.”

“And all you have is a gun?” Edward asked.

“That’s all I need,” Franklin replied.

“I think there’s one more thing you need.”

“Oh, and what’s that?” 

Edward answered him by throwing a rock, which struck him squarely in the face.   

“Run,” Sadie said as she flung a second stone in Franklin‘s direction.

Edward seized the opportunity to snatch the bone out of Franklin’s hands.  Franklin howled in rage and lashed out, but his eyes were filled with blood.

Chapter 26

Edward held tight to the old bone and charged through the shadows, praying that he wouldn’t make a misstep and fall to his death.  He could hear Sadie somewhere behind him, but he couldn’t turn to see if she was keeping up.  Infuriated that someone had gotten the drop on him, Franklin screamed and fired two shots blindly into the cavern.  The bullets zinged off of the rock walls. 

Both of them were crossing the natural bridge that stretched across the shadow-filled chasm below when Franklin spotted them.  He fired his gun wildly and screamed at them in fury.  But the bullets didn’t even come close, and Franklin was still at least fifty yards away.  The rock Edward threw had obviously done some damage.  Blood dripped down Franklin’s face in red rivulets. 

Running as if they were being chased by the devil himself, they made it back to the place where the path forked.  “Go right this time,” Sadie said, only a few steps behind Edward now.  “We can lose him in this place if we’re quick about it.”

Edward did as he was told.  Within a couple of seconds, Sadie overtook him and led the way, winding through tunnels and making turns as if she knew exactly where she was going.  Maybe she had seen a map of this place somewhere before and remembered it. 

On this side of the cave were more paths, more choices, and more ways to lose Franklin.  Sadie seemed to pick and choose at random, but Edward suspected that her decision about which tunnel to run into had very little to do with chance.  She knew this place.

Edward was convinced of that when they reached the church.

Only church was far too simple a term for what they walked into.  Cathedral was more appropriate, and it was lit up like The Pope himself was about to pay a visit.  Stained glass rose up on either side of them like brilliant crystal tidal waves.  The glass depicted scenes of angels mentioned throughout the Bible.  The war in Heaven.  Lucifer tempting Christ.  The angel, Gabriel, blowing his trumpet.  The angels of the seven seals.  Pews had been hewn out of the stone and inlaid with mother-of-pearl.  Massive golden tapestries hung from the ceiling, reflecting light from high-powered lamps that had been mounted directly into the stone, giving the church an otherworldly glow.  A podium made of onyx stood empty in front of stone steps. 

“What is this place?” Edward asked.

“It’s the Temple of the Seraph.”

“How do you know that?” Edward asked. 

Sadie shrugged her shoulders, and pushed back the sleeve of her blouse to reveal her tattoo.  “Franklin and I may both be members in this little club, but we don’t share the same beliefs.  I didn‘t know he was a member until he told us.  He still doesn‘t know I am.”

“Why did you bring us here?”

“I thought it would be safe.  It will take Franklin a while to figure out where we’ve gone.”

“What kind of place is this?”

“It’s where members of our group go to talk to angels.”

“I thought you’d never been here before.”

“I haven’t,” Sadie said.  “But I have seen the schematics to this place before, back when I was with Hal.  The infrastructure of this island has been in the works for years and years.  I’ve always wanted to visit the temple, and now, it seems, I’ve got the chance.”

“So why lie about your involvement here?  Why not own up to your membership in the group when Franklin did?”

“Because he came here willingly and harbored his secret for a specific purpose.  I was drugged and kidnapped like everyone else.  I suspect I’m here to be punished just like Kelly and Henry.”

“You know I can’t fully trust you now,” Edward said with a frown.

“I know,” Sadie said.  “I don’t deserve your trust.  But for the record, I’ve never really trusted you either.  I’ve seen too much in my time with The Slaves to ever really believe that people are what they seem on the outside.”

“You mentioned talking to angels.  Have you spoken to one?”

Sadie’s expression fell.  “No, I haven’t.  Although it’s not for a lack of trying.”

“Why not try talking to God instead?” Edward asked, softening a little.  “He’s the one with all the answers anyway.”

“I’m not worthy to talk to God,” Sadie replied. 

“God wants us to talk to Him,” Edward explained.  “He wants us to trust in Him, to go to Him with our problems.”

“But I’ve tried,” Sadie said.  “And He never answers me.”

“You have to have faith,” Edward said.  “What exactly do you hope to learn from angels?”

“My motives are different than Lindell’s and Franklin’s.  They want to know about the end of the world.  I just want to know how to get my life straight.  I’ve done a lot of things in my time that I’m ashamed of.  I want to know how to undo all of the bad I’ve done.”

Sadie pulled back her other sleeve and showed Edward the scars.  “I was a cutter.  I needed to see something tangible that represented the way I felt.  I still do it on occasion.”

“Why do you hurt?” Edward asked.

“I made a bunch of bad choices early in life, and I’ve spent a long time coping with the fallout.” 

“What makes you think angels can help with this?”

“Because angels understand temptation.  Lucifer sinned which means they are capable of transgression.”

“But God made us in His image,” Edward explained.  “He created us.  He knows us better than any angel ever could.  I understand your pain, but your efforts aren’t focused in the right direction.”

“You don’t understand.” 

“Sadie, there is an answer to all of this, and angels have nothing to do with it.”

“Do you believe in angels?” she asked.

“They’re mentioned throughout the Bible.  Of course, I believe in them.  I‘m just not sure that they appear to people in the way you think they do.”

“Oh, they do,” Sadie said, walking over to a stone shelf concealed in shadow.  “How else could you explain this?”

Sadie pulled open the drawstring on a burlap sack and dumped out hundreds upon hundreds of feathers.  The feathers weren’t that different in texture or shape.  However, there was a radiance about the plumage that gave off an otherworldly glow which Edward was hard pressed to rationalize away. 

“They leave them sometimes,” Sadie explained.  “After visitations.”

“Better hope you get a visitation from your guardian angel,” Franklin said abruptly, stepping into the well-lit chamber.  “That’s about the only thing that will save you.  Now, hands in the air!  I’m not as dumb as you two take me for.  Sadie, I’ve known you were one of us for quite a while.  You didn’t seem nearly as surprised as everyone else when I started talking about our little group.  I also thought I caught a glimpse of your tattoo a while back.  I figured this might be where you went.”

“OK,” Sadie said.  “So you’re on to me.  Big deal.”

Franklin laughed.  “Not only am I on to you, but I’m about to bring your little world crashing down.”

“What do you mean?” Sadie asked.  

“Those feathers,” Franklin said.  “The ones you take as absolute proof of angels you’ve never seen.  They’re fake.  All of them.  You can’t expect people to believe forever if you don’t give them a little something to hang onto every now and then.”

“You’re lying,” Sadie said.  “I can’t be the only one in this group that believes in angels.”

“Oh, you’re not.  Not by a long shot.  But some of our members are a little more zealous and stronger of faith than others.  They don’t need to see any physical evidence to keep their beliefs intact.  Members like you, however, are a different story.”

“So what’s the point?” Sadie asked.  “Why is it so important to keep my beliefs intact?”

“It gives our organization a bit more legitimacy if there are true believers,” Franklin explained.  “That gives some of us a bit more latitude to work toward our own private goals.  But enough talk.  Edward, hand over that bone.”

“How do you know this bone isn’t a fake too?” Edward asked.  “How do you know this isn’t all some big, elaborate joke?”

“Because Lindell has gone to a lot of trouble to make all of this happen.  The bone may not be real.  I don’t know.  What I do know is that he believes it’s real.  That’s all that matters.  Now hand it over!”

Edward didn’t move as quickly as Franklin wanted, and Franklin fired a warning shot into the sky to get his attention.  Edward immediately handed the relic over and moved toward Sadie. 

“Nero’s not the only one who can play games, you know?”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Edward asked.

“It means I need to get rid of both of you, and I think I know the way to accomplish it.  See that stained glass partition behind the podium?  The big one with the dramatic angel war done up in reds, greens, and yellows?  That’s your task.  It was that little “Oz Behind His Curtain” comment that gave me the idea for this so you only have yourselves to blame.”

“Take the bone and let us go,” Edward said.  “We could leave this island and never tell a soul.”

“I don’t think so.  I want you to answer the stained glass riddle in front of you.  The glass is asking a specific question.  The first one to answer it lives.  I’m sure you can guess what happens to the other.”

“I’m glad you’ve finally come to your senses, dear boy,” Nero said, stepping out of the shadows.  “Since you’re so fond of games, though, why don’t you join in as well?  I‘d hate for you to be excluded.  Besides, you can‘t leave now.  You‘ve got something that belongs to me.”

Franklin looked like he’d been slapped.  Frantic, he pointed his gun at Nero and pulled the trigger.  But Nero was quick, stepping back into the darkness again, making himself less of a target.  The bullet ricocheted harmlessly off of the rock wall.  

“That wasn’t very nice,” Nero said.  “Just for that, I have a special fate in store for you.”  

Franklin tried firing his gun again and was rewarded with a clicking sound.  The chamber was empty.

“I knew you’d run out sooner or later,” Nero said.  “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can move on to more pressing matters.  I‘ll allow the game as you‘ve outlined, but with only one rule change.”

“And what would that be?” Franklin asked, more fearful now than before.

“You will place a bet on which of these two you believe will answer the riddle correctly.  The wager, in this case, is your life.  Pick the winner and you live to see another day.  Pick the loser…well, you know the drill.”

“I’m not doing it,” Franklin said.

Nero cocked his masked face to the sky as if pondering some deep question.  At last, he grabbed a whistle that hung around his neck, placed the instrument to his lips, and blew, making a soft warbling sound. 

The tigers were back within a few seconds, waiting for Nero’s command.  Their savage mouths were still red with Henry’s blood.  “I think you’ll do exactly as I say,” Nero noted.  “Now lay the bone on the ground and tell me which one you pick.”

Franklin opened and closed his mouth like a beached fish desperate for water.  “Edward,” he said at last.  “I pick Edward.”

“Now the bone.”

Franklin took a couple of steps forward and placed the relic at Nero's feet.  The madman picked it up and fondled it lovingly, running his fingers across its smoothness, stroking it.  “This is what insurance looks like,” Nero said.  “It's always good to have an ace up your sleeve when dealing with one of the angels tasked with bringing about the apocalypse.”

“You're insane,” Sadie said.

“Perhaps,” Nero said.  “But I'm also judge, jury, and executioner here.  You should be focused on the task in front of you.  That is more important than my mental health.”

“Let's do this,” she said bitterly.  “Whatever the outcome, I'm ready to get this over with.” 

“Good,” Nero said as his tigers took turns nuzzling him and staining his white garments red.  “Let the game begin.  I‘ll allow five minutes for this.”

Edward and Sadie studied the stained glass in front of them, neither of them knowing exactly what to do.

“We should help each other,” Edward said.  “Maybe we can figure out the answer together.”

“I don’t think Nero’s gonna let us do that,” Sadie said. 

“You may work together,” Nero said.  “I don’t mind at all.  You can die together too if you’d like.  The choice is yours.”

Edward nodded.  “I’m willing to take my chances.  Any ideas?”

“I’ve studied this scene many, many times.  It depicts the war in Heaven.  I understand what it portrays, but I’m not sure there’s any kind of question being posed.”

Edward looked at the stained glass, noted the angelic warriors doing battle in the skies, saw angels being hurled out of Heaven for their disobedience, watched as the fallen took their places around Lucifer.  What he didn’t see was a question.

Sadie studied a different portion of the glass.  She focused on the section depicting Lucifer post-war.  He was brooding, pensive, even angry at the way things had turned out.  A child pouting. 

“Maybe we should associate this with Nero’s initial question,” Edward suggested.  “Maybe we should tie this into why bad things happen to good people.”

“It sounds like a good plan,” Sadie admitted.  “What’s your take on it?”