"Sinking" continued
Dec. 13th, 2004 09:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalMote: No warnings
“We have to tell Laurence about this,” Zadkiel said, when they had returned to Christopher’s office in the Cottage.
“Milady, we can’t,” Elsa protested. “I swore an oath to hide Retzel’s prescence.”
“An oath that is no longer in force,” Zadkiel reminded her. “And this is bigger than your duty to Christopher, or Retzel’s need for anonimity. Hell holds an Arnchangel in it’s clutches. If Heaven is to respond properly, if we are to get Laurence to respond at all, then the Sword must know all the facts at hand.”
“Wouldn’t it be better, perhaps, to tell Novalis first?” Elsa said. “I mean she is a fellow Cherub.”
“Not Novalis, she isn’t exactly on Laurence’s list of favored angels,” Zadkiel said. “On the other hand, an ally, or at least someone with Christopher’s interests in mind, wouldn’t be amiss.” She sang briefly, concentrating on the archangel she wished to speak to. The affirmitive reply came in less than a moment.
A song of motion brought them both to the edge of Micheal’s realm, where the Archangel of War met them. Uncharacteristically, he was dressed in full armor. Spoiling for a fight, even if Laurence has banned him from acting out his desires, Zadkiel quickly concluded.
“Zadkiel, how goes Children?” he greeted, holding out one hand while keeping the other resting on the grip of his axe.
“Not well,” she admitted. She felt her metaphorical bones slide underneath his grip, not an intentional cruelty, but an expression of his contained frustrations. “Most of his servitors are in shock. I imagine the ones who are not are plotting to rush Shal-Mari themselves, hoping to rescue their lord. I can’t say I blame them.” She rescued her hand and discreetly massaged it behind her back.
“Me niether,” Micheal admitted. “Try to keep them from haring away though. When the word comes down, and it damned well better come down, I don’t want anyone rushing off half-cocked.”
Zadkiel glanced at Elsa, whose pale face could have been set in Stone. Micheal, bless him, had not made any comment about her presence, waiting for Zadkiel to offer explanations. “A complication… may have an effect on Laurence’s current decision.” As quickly as possible, she detailed the discovery of Retzel in the Caverns of Adventure to the Archangel of War. Micheal listened, his face first expressing shock at the deception, then gradually delight.
“Damn, I didn’t think the little snot had it in him,” he said, laughing. “Christopher actually keep one of Andre’s pre-Fall servitors hidden from everybody? Even before he was an archangel?”
Elsa’s mouth was turning down into a frown, Zadkiel saw, but she didn’t dare to speak out in Christopher’s defense in front of the First Seraph. “Underestimating Christopher seems to be a common error in Heaven. If we’re lucky, the same goes for Hell,” she said on the Malakite’s behalf.
Micheal sobered up, amusement still lighting his eyes slightly, but a mask of business on his face. “So why are you bringing this information to me, and how do you figure it’s relevant to his current situation? Andre has him, but unless he knows about…” War’s face fell. “Aw, crap!”
“Even if Druiel didn’t know for certain, he would have enough information that Andre might be able to infer something,” Zadkiel said.
“It’s still a big leap from ‘Chris has a secret’ to ‘My last Servitor of Love still lives,’” Micheal said, shaking his head.
“Not so large a leap as one might think,” came a voice from the edge of the glade. The three of them turned in surprise, to face Dominic, who glided in silently to meet them. “If we are to both rescue Christopher and ensure Retzel’s continued survival, I believe that speed would be prudent.”
TBC
“We have to tell Laurence about this,” Zadkiel said, when they had returned to Christopher’s office in the Cottage.
“Milady, we can’t,” Elsa protested. “I swore an oath to hide Retzel’s prescence.”
“An oath that is no longer in force,” Zadkiel reminded her. “And this is bigger than your duty to Christopher, or Retzel’s need for anonimity. Hell holds an Arnchangel in it’s clutches. If Heaven is to respond properly, if we are to get Laurence to respond at all, then the Sword must know all the facts at hand.”
“Wouldn’t it be better, perhaps, to tell Novalis first?” Elsa said. “I mean she is a fellow Cherub.”
“Not Novalis, she isn’t exactly on Laurence’s list of favored angels,” Zadkiel said. “On the other hand, an ally, or at least someone with Christopher’s interests in mind, wouldn’t be amiss.” She sang briefly, concentrating on the archangel she wished to speak to. The affirmitive reply came in less than a moment.
A song of motion brought them both to the edge of Micheal’s realm, where the Archangel of War met them. Uncharacteristically, he was dressed in full armor. Spoiling for a fight, even if Laurence has banned him from acting out his desires, Zadkiel quickly concluded.
“Zadkiel, how goes Children?” he greeted, holding out one hand while keeping the other resting on the grip of his axe.
“Not well,” she admitted. She felt her metaphorical bones slide underneath his grip, not an intentional cruelty, but an expression of his contained frustrations. “Most of his servitors are in shock. I imagine the ones who are not are plotting to rush Shal-Mari themselves, hoping to rescue their lord. I can’t say I blame them.” She rescued her hand and discreetly massaged it behind her back.
“Me niether,” Micheal admitted. “Try to keep them from haring away though. When the word comes down, and it damned well better come down, I don’t want anyone rushing off half-cocked.”
Zadkiel glanced at Elsa, whose pale face could have been set in Stone. Micheal, bless him, had not made any comment about her presence, waiting for Zadkiel to offer explanations. “A complication… may have an effect on Laurence’s current decision.” As quickly as possible, she detailed the discovery of Retzel in the Caverns of Adventure to the Archangel of War. Micheal listened, his face first expressing shock at the deception, then gradually delight.
“Damn, I didn’t think the little snot had it in him,” he said, laughing. “Christopher actually keep one of Andre’s pre-Fall servitors hidden from everybody? Even before he was an archangel?”
Elsa’s mouth was turning down into a frown, Zadkiel saw, but she didn’t dare to speak out in Christopher’s defense in front of the First Seraph. “Underestimating Christopher seems to be a common error in Heaven. If we’re lucky, the same goes for Hell,” she said on the Malakite’s behalf.
Micheal sobered up, amusement still lighting his eyes slightly, but a mask of business on his face. “So why are you bringing this information to me, and how do you figure it’s relevant to his current situation? Andre has him, but unless he knows about…” War’s face fell. “Aw, crap!”
“Even if Druiel didn’t know for certain, he would have enough information that Andre might be able to infer something,” Zadkiel said.
“It’s still a big leap from ‘Chris has a secret’ to ‘My last Servitor of Love still lives,’” Micheal said, shaking his head.
“Not so large a leap as one might think,” came a voice from the edge of the glade. The three of them turned in surprise, to face Dominic, who glided in silently to meet them. “If we are to both rescue Christopher and ensure Retzel’s continued survival, I believe that speed would be prudent.”
TBC
