Stoneworthy drove onto Towerview Avenue with about twenty minutes to spare. The greasy rain smeared the windshield with each stroke of the tattered wipers and forced him to slow. Able was never a man to worry about the little things in life: that guaranteed his apartment was out of coffee, his nose hairs needed trimming and his car was in need of new windshield wipers for over a year. The details were overshadowed by the larger spiritual matters that usually consumed his waking life. There was an occasion where he wore only one sock to the office. When Karen asked him about it, he explained that it was the only clean one he could find.
But when a man actually meets an Angel his perspective changes. The little things will never look the same again. Of course he had to be sure he didn’t expect too much from others who hadn’t shared the experience. They were allowed to doubt. That was why he was reluctant to tell Karen that the Angel was expecting them-such a thing sounded ridiculous. And she already had too much on her plate.
But he knew an Angel expected them at eleven-thirty and he was terrified that he’d be late. It sounded unbelievable to him and he’d actually looked an Angel in the face. He didn’t want to push his luck with too much talk of the visitation. She’d come this far on his word alone and he valued the trust.
He knew he should talk to Karen about what was bothering her, but this wasn’t the right time for it. He wasn’t focused, and while her problems warranted attention, his mission took precedence this once. They needed to find the right time to talk. He was very worried about her.
But he couldn’t stop thinking how thrilled he was that the Angel had chosen him. His work on Archangel Tower had made him a minor celebrity among the City of Light’s populace, but for such a thing to gain him the trust of an Angel? What was he to God’s Firstborn children? A handful of clay-a pinch pot with eyes.
He hoped his humility would be enough to gain the trust of the Divine sinner. And that was the approach he’d decided to take. Sin is sin, and we’re all God’s children. Who better to guide one out of the wilderness than another who was lost?
He coughed, and then politely waved at the accumulating smoke. Poor Karen had been chain smoking for the entire drive and had only opened her window a crack. The environmental disaster she created was beginning to wear on the minister’s patience-especially when he watched her use the lit end of the last cigarette to ignite the next.
Stoneworthy realized he was being selfish. Karen looked horrible. Worse than she did the day before. It was obvious that his words of caution had fallen on deaf ears. Looking at her now, it was as though she had found a way to multiply the actions that resulted in her deathlike pallor and overall sickly appearance.
He rolled down his window all the way. His left shoulder was already quite damp. The minister leaned in toward her about to speak-but her appearance silenced him again. It was more than nervousness that made her face so severe. Then he realized what might be the cause. He cleared his throat quietly and glanced over.
She looked at him, her eyes trying to express something that was transformed into another puff of smoke. She looked away. He repeated the noise, louder-snuffling on the stuffy air. She gave a quick look at him, almost desperate, then turned. Slowly, her eyes came back to him.
“Is it the mission?” Stoneworthy asked finally.
“What mission?” Cawood’s look was genuinely bewildered.
“This! This mission, Karen.”
“Oh. What about it?” She threw her cigarette butt out the window, and dug into her pack for another.
“Is this mission bothering you?” He smiled warmly, turned back to the road. “It is unusual.”
“Oh. No, Able.” She smiled when he looked at her. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
“You haven’t given it…” His fingers gripped the steering wheel. He hurried to hide his alarm.
“Well. No. I mean, I’ve thought about it.” She touched his forearm.
“Because I would think, Karen.” Stoneworthy searched for understanding. “I was going to say that our mission. It’s okay if you’re nervous about the Angel. I’m nervous too.”
“Actually, I’m looking forward to the diversion.” Her voice fell flat.
“A diversion from what?” Stoneworthy couldn’t hide his chagrin. “You need to talk to me.” Karen turned away to light a cigarette, he grabbed the lighter from her hand.
They shared an intense, almost angry look before his heart fluttered at her obvious pain. He gave the lighter back.
“I’m sorry. Please, just open the window farther-please-if you’re going to smoke the whole pack now.” He tried to smile at her, saw her features waxy and indistinct. “Look…” He took the lighter and lit the cigarette that dangled lifelessly from her lips. “Let’s not get sidetracked. I want you to talk to me about what’s bothering you.”
“Able, I was going to call you last night,” she started, her cigarette flared.
“What for?”
“Oh, to talk about this mission and things,” she said, smiling weakly. “Do you think we do any good?”
“Good” His eyebrows lifted. “What? Why of course!”
“Really?” She watched the smoke curl off her cigarette. “Sometimes I’m not sure we can help, with the Change.”
“The unknown is nothing new. We can help people with that, Karen.” Stoneworthy slowed the car, turned to watch his friend as long as he could. A glance at his watch told him there was no time for this.
“I just.” She studied the dashboard, eyes blank. “Do you think there’s forgiveness for all of us? Can it, can we, as humans forgive everything?”
“Oh. You mean with our mission today? I contemplated the very thing.” He nodded absently. “Righteousness, the word of God in us, gives us the right to forgive, and the duty to do so.”
“Yes, today, but for everything, too?” She looked at him thoughtfully. “For anything…”
“If you’re concerned about this Angel’s sin.” Stoneworthy smirked. “ That we will have to determine. But, a sin is a sin, in the eyes of the Lord. We are bound to forgive in His name.” Then he smiled. “And a man of good conscience will always offer the hand of forgiveness. It is the key to repentance. We must.”
“So you’d…so we have to forgive everything, every sin?” Her eyes were pleading.
“Of course, Karen.” Stoneworthy pulled up to a stoplight. “It is not always easy to do. The sin could be abhorrent. Could run contrary to what we believe-may even repulse us. But everyone gets a chance to repent. Everyone deserves forgiveness.”
She nodded quietly to herself, and puffed her cigarette.
“That doesn’t mean we have to lik e the sinner,” he added, starting ahead when the lights changed. “We are obligated to love our fellow man, but we needn’t like him.” Stoneworthy stared at her until she turned. “Why so much doubt, my friend. Is there something you wish to tell me?”
He’d said, it. He opened the door to her.
“Oh, it’s just the mission,” she said with a weak grin. “I suppose I doubt the reality of Angels…”
“Don’t doubt yourself because of it,” he laughed, eyes penetrating. “Believe me, I want you along because I am also not beyond doubt. I am aware that people must roll their eyes at me. Don’t let my story cause you to doubt. I hope it will reaffirm both of our faiths. And I want you here to hold me up in this.”
“Yeah.” She sat silently watching the condominiums pass.
Stoneworthy turned his attention to the road. The buildings were all alike-and finding the address would require his full attention. He had been told that the Angel was expecting him at 232 Towerview Terrace. His heart raced. The minister was suddenly gladdened by Karen’s introspective nature. That’s what made them work so well together. She asked the questions he sometimes forgot to ask himself-and it made him feel competent for what lay ahead. He glanced at her smiling.
She caught his gaze and looked away. Stoneworthy was glad he wasn’t alone. Karen distracted him from his own doubt.
“There it is.” He pointed to the brass numbers on brick and then started looking along the curb for a place to park. “Okay, there we are.” Stoneworthy glanced at his friend’s face as he pulled in behind a pickup truck. Her face had paled again, accented with distinct redness about her ears. “Karen, are you going to be all right?”
“Yes.” She nodded dully, conjured up a weak smile. “I’m sorry. But we should talk later.” She reached a hand over and patted Able’s. “I’m sorry for talking like this right now…this is more important.”
“Karen, talk to me anytime about anything.” This time he couldn’t hold it in. His eyes watered as he continued, “You’re my friend. And if you have a problem we’ll get through it.” He patted her hand in return. “Regarding this mission. I have faith in you and need of you. We can do this.” Stoneworthy held her gaze. “Regarding all other things. I have faith in you.”
“What…” she started and let it go. Her eyes ran over his face, studying, searching. Then she smiled. “Yeah,” she said, as she pushed her door open, “Thank you.”
Stoneworthy climbed out, a leather-bound bible under his arm. Karen waited for him on the sidewalk. Again, her face was awash with emotion. This time she grabbed his forearm and drew him close.
“You…so we’re actually going into that house, and talking to an Angel!”
Able looked at her, then laughed. “Oh, Karen!” He threw his arms around her. “I haven’t lost my mind.” The minister kissed her cool cheek. “Not yet, anyway. But I understand your doubts. I have them myself. Revelation is difficult to share.” He clasped her fingers. “But come with me now and you will witness something that will get you through all that is to come.”
Karen hesitated, fingers playing at her lips.
“After this,” he said, “we’ll talk. I know what’s really bothering you.”
She smiled weakly, somewhat puzzled, as he led her by the hand toward to the stair.
The door opened when they reached the third step. A man pushed his way out, leaning heavily on the doorframe. His face was haggard, his features ringed with strange vaporous smoke. The man’s dark eyes were wild with rage or realization as they turned to the minister. One of his muscular shoulders was seeping blood. He snarled, the gun in his right hand whipped up.
Stoneworthy smiled as the first two bullets punched him hard in the chest. He flew backward with sheets of fire tearing through his mind. Bullets continued to punch into him until he hit the sidewalk with a shuddering impact. Numbness quenched the fires. There was no time for panic. Vision fading, Stoneworthy watched Karen’s eyes wide with horror. He smiled through tears. She took a step toward him and then turned to the gunman. Stoneworthy’s mouth filled with blood-heavy, coppery, suffocating. He saw the gun come up, point at Karen’s head. The minister drifted into darkness. No Heaven waited.