Lower than the Angels

Chapter 11, Bringing the Lightning

It was now up to Cern to take the lead. His memory gave him the location in the Q of the event he was recalling. At that time he had called down the lightning to help him deal with Arthur Littletree, the Navajo casino operator who had turned out to be a skinwalker. 

He inspected his own track through that event and spotted the moment when he had summoned the lightning from Arthur's clouds. Sure enough, it was clear to him now that he had been in contact with a dark being, one who used his control over dark matter to create the lightning. Cern had let it play about his spirit antlers, giving Arthur pause by showing him what he was dealing with.

Cern then traced his link with the lightning wielder forward on his track from that incident, until he located him in Now, in a place high in the atmosphere. He presented himself respectfully, as he had always done, and reminded this friend of the earlier incident he had just relived. Then he presented his companions.

I never thought of calling you a Dark Angel until recently, but now I've met some who might refer to themselves that way and it seems to fit, said Cern.

Ah, my old friend, many of the beings on your plane think of us that way, but we tend to think of ourselves as Creatures of Light. That your kind are blind to our light explains the misconception.

Blind to it, or blinded by it, added Tengri. There have been reports of both.

True. Many of those from your plane who attempt to visit us are overwhelmed by our splendor. Often we have to wrap our true selves in darkness when we appear to you.

He paused. But you are here, and seem not at all discommoded by my glory. How do you manage this?

Tengri said, We have lately learned how to visit a plane we call the Q, in which we leave all bodily encumbrances behind. We are present here in thought only. Our bodies are too remote to be affected.

I have heard of this! Some of us claim to be able to appear in the dreams of mortals. Is this some kind of dream, then?

You could call it that. We called it that until recently. Now we believe that dreams can be more real than existence in the material world.

Ah, I have heard rumors of such nonsense. He turned to Cern. You have appeared in my dreams before as the stag-horned man, and asked me to send you my lightning. Your antlers echo the lightning, and you direct it at your foes. I have always been able to aid you in this way. Are you here to request the same again?

Not this time, said Cern. We are here because we want to learn more about your plane of existence, how you came to have power over the lightning. Is it true that you were here before our mortal worlds were formed?

Of course. We were created to assist the Creator in designing and constructing the lower worlds. We are older, higher, closer to the Creator, than you can be.

And here, on our lower world, you live in the clouds, because it is your higher nature to do so?

Dema realised that Cern had shifted into lawyer mode, cross-examining a hostile witness who seems not to understand the bigger picture.

Yes. We are creatures of fire, the first element. Your element is earth.

Along with air and water, added Cern.

Of course, the Dark Angel acknowledged.

And you know of no higher realm than your own?

There can be no higher realm. All that is not of us is from us. We are the higher power. Yours is the realm of puny humans.

Dema sensed that Cern was tempted to offer a rebuttal. Not a good idea, given the obviously feisty nature of the creature they were dealing with. So she said, You are right, of course. And we have friends in those low places. We should return to them.

The others concurred. Mister Green opened a link to his home in the Q. Once there, tensions relaxed. Tengri  thought it would be wise to return to their bodies on Coon Island, and invited Mister Green to join them there.

He declined, saying, The old order changes. You have learned what you needed to know. I suspect that you can all now sort out Tengri's dream encounters on your own. Just remember, the Dark Angels can wield not just the storm and the lightning, but the microbe and the virus. They are never subtle, but they can be insidious. You go, I will remain. Call me if you must. Otherwise, I will return to the contemplation of nothing.