The Image of the Invisible: Tales from Eternity - Book I

By Connie J. Cartisano

Lucifer had it allbrains, beauty, position. What the hell happened?

For that matter, what did the angels think their king was doing when he created the heavens and the earth? Putting together a new kind of being, thats what. In a unique living exhibit: a three-dimensional universe of time and space. And thats where the trouble began. Had the king left well enough alone, as Lucifer was fond of saying, things might have turned out differently. But then, the king of heaven was never one for leaving things alone.

The Image of the Invisible opens as the king prepares to unveil his new creation in the Museum of Natural History. As First Thinker, Lucifer alone foresees danger to the realm if the king succeeds in bringing the inferior specimens out of the museum. Why is the king so besotted, so reckless? Worse, the king repeatedly ignores kingdom principles in dealing with these creatures. Is he still fit to reign? As Lucifers doubt escalates, he dreams of a terrifying and cunning alter ego, the Satan, who conspires to take over the kings city. Torn between his devotion to the king and his concern for the city, Lucifer must choose. Can he make the ultimate sacrifice to save the kingdom he loves?

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 14, 2011
• ISBN: 9781452093987

Connie J. Cartisano

Connie Cartisano is both a Christian and an anthropologist. With a B.S. in Biology, she completed her M.A. and Ph.D, in Medical Anthropology at the University of Connecticut, conducting field research in northeast Brazil. She also spent time as a student missionary in the rural mountains of Mexico. She is a speaker and retreat planner. She lives with her husband and their three children in New Jersey. Contact her at www.conniecartisano.com.

Book preview

Contents

Chapter Zero

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty One

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter Twenty Three

Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty Five

Chapter Twenty Six

Chapter Twenty Seven

Chapter Twenty Eight

Chapter Twenty Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty One

Chapter Thirty Two

Chapter Thirty Three

Chapter Thirty Four

Chapter Thirty Five

Chapter Thirty Six

Chapter Thirty Seven

Chapter Thirty Eight

Chapter Thirty Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty One

Chapter Forty Two

Chapter Forty Three

Chapter Forty Four

Chapter Forty Five

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty Seven

Chapter Forty Eight

Chapter Forty Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty One

Chapter Fifty Two

Chapter Fifty Three

Chapter Fifty Four

Chapter Fifty Five

Chapter Fifty Six

Chapter Fifty Seven

Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty One

Chapter Sixty Two

Chapter Sixty Three

Chapter Sixty Four

Glossary

This book is dedicated to the Lord I love,

whose story I am telling.

Chapter Zero

ONCE UPON A TIME (back before there was time), in a far, far away place (back before there was space), there was … nothing.

Hmm. You see for yourself how hard it is to begin.

What kind of story is this, you ask.

Believe it or not, it’s a great story—the Übermyth, if you will—whose roots are planted deep in the barren scape of pre-existence. Back when none of the conventional stuff of myths had yet come to be, except the Someone. But that’s enough, because every good story, we’re told, comes down to the main character.

So let’s say this someone—we’ll make him a king, because every myth has a king—had an idea. That’s an odd way to put it, since the king was himself a good idea. He was a complicated sovereign, far more so than other monarchs you meet.

This king had long since achieved the universal passions of love and peace and happily-ever-aftering—all those high ambitions that make someone a great king. He lacked only the one thing: someone else to know it. Or more precisely, to know him. And that was his idea—to see if he could expand the Knowing.

Now is a good time to put you on guard against Convention and its nasty habit of creeping in with its own version of things. Take for example that I have made this king a he. That’s Convention’s viewpoint, and for the sake of language I concede, but in truth this king (itself a masculine word; better to stick with sovereign which, even though accurate, is a little stuffy for this character) is no more male than he is some One.

Anyway, he wanted others with whom to share his happy self. Please don’t think this plan of his derived from some inner lack. No. The multiune king already had sufficient relationship within himself, so if anything, his desire to expand the Knowing came from exactly the opposite. His self-enjoyment is such that the more he experiences it, the greater it becomes (hence his reputation as infinite). This is what led to the decision to share his pleasure with someone else. And as I’ve indicated, this was a good idea, even if it did present a problem: there was no one else.

What to do? (Oh, Convention! Why do anything?)

He would make them.

Out of what, you say. There’s nothing!

You catch on. Good. The problem stumped him for a while, I suppose, or maybe he thought of the solution as soon as he saw the problem. I suspect the latter, knowing him. You’ve heard of the one who made something out of nothing?

This is his story.

Here’s something else Convention might obscure: he made everything out of nothing. Every thing. Think about it. His initial act of bringing something into being precedes everything ever done or made. Before long, you think of things that are not him, nor did he make them, yet they exist. These are the Unmades, the inverses of things that are. Think of heat, which is thermal energy, and of cold, merely the lack of heat. Darkness is like that, too; it is the absence of light. Silence and noise. These are physical, but you’re familiar with metaphysical realities that work the same way: good and evil, truth and lies, wisdom and folly.

Did I mention that our king has a Secret? You would naturally assume so, given the kind of story this is. Not secret in the clandestine or forbidden sense, but secret in the way of mystery, something unknown but of great significance. His secret is one of deep magic, concerning the essence of his being and the source of his power. Yet for all its importance to the tale, it is nearly impossible to understand, harder still to accept.

Only once did he try to share it, with disastrous effect.

This is that story.

You’ve probably concluded that this would not be a straightforward, get-right-to-it sort of project, and you are right. This king had layers and layers of ideas, processes predicated upon processes (he thinks like that). But he did get started eventually. In the beginning, he created—

Stop right there! Take a moment to think about what he is about to do.

If having nothing to make others from was a dilemma, right away having something other posed its own set of problems. Imagine what it was like to start on such a grand scale, with time (remember, we’re talking about what happened in the beginning) and space (the entire physical realm). Wisdom was there; he possessed it in the beginning, before any of his works of old. Curiously, so was darkness; it covered the surface of what he had made. And silence, at least of speech.[1]

I have no idea if the king thought in complete sentences back then, but he is a poet and his thoughts of what lay ahead no doubt came to him in flashes, swirling through him with glimpses of what he would be.

That poem was the song he taught the angels.

Angel Song

Mishkan

Jewel of the heavens

Tabernacle of the Rock

Radiant

Centered in lacework

Golden streets, silver streams

The Array

Image of the invisible

Spectrum of truth around a prism throne

Unity of Being

One angel, one spele

Watchers, Speakers, Thinkers

Nearly infinite, almost perfect

The Universe

Perpetual poise

Made and unmade

Time and space

Matter and energy

Light and dark

Good and evil

Freedom and choice

Life to death

Justice and vengeance

Revelation

Eyes to see beyond the veil

The chosen forsaking

Adulteress, bride

Ears to hear the word made flesh

Body and Soul

Sacrifice

Agony

Separate not alone

Creation and Redemption

Hearts to understand

Forever

Chapter One

LORD LUCIFER TRIED TO concentrate, which was not usually this hard. The king’s latest project, however… He could not stop the distractions its problems posed. He pressed the intercom button.

Dickens, where are my notes on the biospirit project?

The intercom did not reply.

As minister of DeKei, Lord Lucifer[2] often worked alone in his office long after his staff had left. The hollow quiet of the Obsidian Building emphasized his solitude, solidified his sense of absolute dominion. He was master here, and when the building was empty, his reign was undisturbed.

He rested his head on the tips of his long fingers while he studied the documents in front of him. He made occasional notes and moved each folder to the bottom, squaring the edges of the pile while his eyes scanned the contents of the next.

He had positioned his desk to give him an unobstructed view of the king’s residence, the Tabernacle of the Rock, through the wall of windows. Its light shone in on him now like a gentle caress that reassured him of his place in the kingdom.

To help him concentrate, he drew a slow breath of the potent air and matched his respirations to the pulse of the city outside.

Peace and power. Rule and authority.

The bustle of daily activity often obscured the measured rhythm, but its cadence was his steady companion when he worked late in Obsidian. The omnipresence of it comforted him. It strengthened him. It almost defined him.

Peace and power. Rule and authority. It might have been his own heartbeat.

Lord Lucifer loved his work. Almost as much as he hated the petty demands of relationship.

He preferred to be alone, uncommon as that was. Most angels grabbed every opportunity to congregate and discuss the king. Not him. He already knew the king better than anyone else. Besides, solitude made it easier to focus on his single ambition to emulate King Mehu Pi. The king was friendly enough, but he never truly needed anyone.

Lucifer’s friends, who readily admitted that his wisdom and beauty surpassed theirs, did not take his obsession seriously. He did not blame them. They were not Thinkers like he was. They had not experienced his agonizing awshaaths before the king, those painful grooming sessions that lesser angels found so pleasant. Moreover, he hid his battle with the weed-seed of insecurity from them, never disclosing his unsuspected shame that he, the magnificent minister of DeKei, was at heart unsure of his welcome.

Okay. Fine. Fine. Fine! he chided himself.

Why being alone provoked this heart-chatter he did not know, but tonight of all nights he had no patience for it. Where was Dickens with that file?

He lifted his eyes to the windows, surprised to see that the lamlight had fallen. The gradual shift in celestial illumination did not darken so much as condense to enfold the city in a shield of well-being, like being wrapped in a warm cloak while a wild storm raged.

The thought of tonight’s shielding pleased him. Tomorrow was to be a holiday to commemorate the grand opening of the Mishkan Museum of Natural History, a milestone in the king’s latest project. Michael and Gabriel had been absorbed with preparations for the opening, so he had not seen much of them lately. As a prelude to the festivities, the three friends were to meet for dinner tonight at Harvesters Restaurant.

No doubt Chef D’Metri had developed a new dish in honor of the occasion, which he would prepare in front of them. Lucifer looked forward to their time together although the thought of the cooking show dismayed him a bit. D’Metri required a good deal of forbearance.

With uncharacteristic lightheartedness Lucifer hummed the angel song while he cleared away his work. He collected the folders and tucked them in a drawer; he would have to return and finish them later. He arranged the remaining objects, an empty ruby bowl and a small piece of mica given him by the king, precisely where they belonged to the left of center on the desk.

Halfway to the door, he remembered the gift he had made for Gabriel. This he retrieved from his work table in the corner. He put it in his pocket while he took one last look around the well-ordered office.

To go home and change his attire at the Arches—the residence he shared with the other archangel ministers—would delay him. However, even though he had grown accustomed to the musty, dank smell in Obsidian, he knew others found it distasteful.

Besides, the walk home had always been a favorite part of Lucifer’s day. It permitted him to indulge his pleasure in Mishkan Zion, the capital city of the kingdom of Mishkan. This city was dearer to him than anything besides the king. Its graceful architecture, the colors and scents and textures of its stonework were sheer beauty to him, perfection made visible. He could not imagine anything more exquisitely designed or more flawlessly executed. He loved this city—and the kingdom it represented—with every fiber of his being.

As soon as he stepped out of Obsidian, Lucifer sensed the change in the city’s energy. Excitement permeated the normal evening tranquility and brushed his face like a frisky wind. High-spirited angels crowded the streets, laughing and talking as they went, like him, to celebrate with friends.

The evening light was still bright enough to see by, but then, lamlight was so much more than illumination. It was the air itself. It was nourishment for being. Angels could live without food but not without lamlight. Lucifer did not know its source, or why it was called by such an odd name, although his response to it should have told him. He stopped in the middle of the street and lifted his face, heedless of the angels streaming around him.

He did not mind that passersby smiled at his youthful gesture. He did not mind their knowing looks. Even the lofty ones were not immune to the allure of lamlight.

Quickening his pace, the dignified minister almost skipped.

missing image file

Lord Gabriel had stayed longer than he intended, but who could resist the king’s eagerness going over the last details of the opening? He had not mentioned his dinner plans with Michael and Lucifer, yet His Majesty seemed to know all about the celebration when they parted. King Mehu Pi was like that. He always knew what mattered to his subjects.

Like the streets of Mishkan Zion, Harvesters Restaurant was filled with chattering angels when Gabriel arrived. He spied Michael seated in his favorite spot on the patio near the steps to the courtyard where he could study the room and still keep Tani close.

Sure enough, the regal beast sat beside Michael. His pose mimicked Michael’s military bearing. Gabriel grinned at the empty hub around his friend and the lion. Nearby diners left the pensive dignitary and his imperial pet alone. One did not stop to chat with the formidable head of the ministry of Mela’Kah.

No way has he sent for food, Gabriel decided.

To anyone who did not know Michael as well as Gabriel did, he appeared to be reconnoitering the room—who sat where and with whom, what each angel ate and drank, what they wore, what they talked about. He missed nothing. But Gabriel saw that although Michael’s eyes registered all this, he did not appear to be processing the information. Michael had been increasingly preoccupied as the museum opening drew near. Michael was never one for talking things over, and Gabriel had his own responsibilities.

Gabriel glanced at Tani and their eyes met. That lion can be unnerving, he thought, as Tani twitched. It might have been a wink. It might have been a wave. Preoccupied or not, Michael seemed to notice the flick of Tani’s ears for he reached over and stroked the plush mane. His eyes continued their preoccupied survey of the room, which told Gabriel that his friend had not seen him arrive.

Greeting friends and colleagues along the way, Gabriel headed toward the patio. He stopped a passing waiter and asked him to let Chef D’Metri know he had arrived. The rich atmosphere of good food and easy fellowship softened the brittleness left by the recent whirlwind of busyness and last minute details. Angels at several tables invited him to join them, and he promised to share a cup later.

In a land where belonging was everything, Harvesters was the place to be.

missing image file

With a minute shake of his head, hardly more than a blink, Lord Michael surfaced from the depths of reverie.

The jabbering crowd around him barely registered in his consciousness, just enough to send his thoughts darting down other paths. The garrulousness of cadets out of school. The implements class earlier today. His new recruit from the term’s top triad—Abaddon had greatness imprinted in his sinews. The other two members of that triad… were they as promising? Lucifer trained angels well. Where was Gabriel? He should order dinner.

At which point Gabriel sat down at the table.

I thought you said you’d have bells on, Michael muttered, covering his confusion. How had Gabriel managed to approach unnoticed?

Michael knew the game; the three archangels had been playing it since their early training days. They tried to approach each other without being detected. It did not happen often and to Michael, almost never. With his penchant for perfection, Lucifer was the undisputed champion slink. They had threatened to tie bells on him. Gabriel had far less skill so his present victory only emphasized Michael’s unusual state of mind.

I was watching you, Gabriel replied. I could tell you were starting to get hungry.

Before Michael could reply, waiters swarmed the table. One set a plate of varicolored hors d’oeuvres on the table while another poured nectar into their glasses. Two others set up the cooking stand Chef D’Metri would use to prepare his new dish. Several stood behind waiting to deposit the bowls they carried containing the ingredients the chef would need for the meal. Horace, the proprietor of Harvesters fussed over their work.

Michael raised his eyebrows at Gabriel.

Their arrival is not a miracle, Gabriel said. And you aren’t telepathic either.

Actually, I just decided I was going to order dinner for you, Michael said with a grin. No one could take offense at Gabriel.

Thanks, Horace, Gabriel said to the back of the departing waiters. He asked Michael, Lucifer’s coming, isn’t he?

Michael shrugged and reached for a crusty red appetizer. He popped it into his mouth and swallowed before answering.

His secretary gave Thomas a hard time about how hard the DeKei minister’s been working lately. Never got an answer one way or the other.

Gabriel’s mouth tightened.

Michael chuckled. They’d all had their share of dealings with Dickens, arguably the most aptly named denizen of the kingdom.

Chapter Two

IT MAY NOT HAVE been the lingering stench of Obsidian that presaged Lord Lucifer’s arrival at Harvesters but something did. A wave of stillness swept inward across the assembled diners when he passed through the doorway. He was used to this reaction. That is, he noticed it and he ignored it.

His eye went immediately to the patio where Michael and Gabriel sat engrossed in conversation over the stew. His heart did a little flip. It constantly delighted Lucifer to be one of them, the First Triad. He belonged with them. He would always be welcome among them. What Lucifer lacked of Gabriel’s eloquence and of Michael’s ability to inspire allegiance, he more than made up for in beauty. He was dazzling, magnificent in form and bearing, fascinating to behold. Apparently so because, as now, others were always looking at him.

Before Lucifer could step toward the patio, Horace appeared at his elbow.

As proprietor of Harvesters, Horace always waited on his distinguished guests personally. Good evening, Lord Lucifer. How well you look this evening. May I show you to your table? Chef D’Metri has just finished preparing the Museum Opening Stew, as he calls his new recipe. Lord Michael and Lord Gabriel—

Lucifer swept past him, leaving Horace to trot after him undeterred.

Lucifer’s friends did not see him coming but Tani did. The lion’s flickering glance sent a shiver of anticipation tinged with shyness through Lucifer.

Why Michael had a pet and no one else did, Lucifer did not know. Michael had rescued Tani as a cub long ago while he was out climbing. Tani had become a familiar presence, but Lucifer remained leery of the great lion. The truth of this surprised him because Tani was like an extension of Michael’s own being, an alter-ego almost. Michael was courageous and strong and trustworthy, so this fear that the lion might be otherwise was not rational. Still, Lucifer sensed danger in Tani, who seemed capable of things Michael might not foresee or be able to control.

Tani’s eyes narrowed. The slight movement brought Michael’s head up. Gabriel, whose back was to the door, tilted his head questioningly.

Lucifer’s here, Michael said. He stood and pressed fingertips with Lucifer in the traditional form of greeting between high-ranking officials. He pulled out the remaining chair for Lucifer. Here, sit. Glad you could make it, old friend.

Lucifer acknowledged the propriety, honored by Michael’s endearing urge to show deference to those he esteemed.

I was working and time slipped by, and then the city is quite disrupted by the new traffic patterns for tomorrow—well, you know. It seems that absolutely everyone is out in the streets tonight. Anyway, I am sorry to be late. He nodded to Gabriel. Hello, Gabriel.

Gabriel had also stood; he now pressed fingertips with Lucifer. There hasn’t been this much excitement since our ministry headquarters opened.

Don’t recall there’s ever been a holiday like this, Michael said, cocking his head at Lucifer.

No, there has not. The excitement is understandable. Still, I have no excuse for tardiness. I apologize again. Lucifer nodded toward the interrupted meal on the table and the flurry around the cooking stand while Horace supervised its removal.

It’s fine, Lucifer, Gabriel said. He sat down. D’Metri has outdone himself. You just missed him.

Lucifer lifted his eyebrow at Gabriel. He perched on the edge of his chair.

Gabriel grinned. We only just started, really. You’ll offend D’Metri if you don’t at least try some. Michael was so lost in thought when I got here I had to take matters into my own hands or we still wouldn’t be eating.

Have some, Michael urged. He gave Gabriel a fierce frown.

Lucifer looked from one to the other. Gabriel was teasing Michael about something but neither explained. So he sat back and took the dishes of stew, salad, and warm bread from Michael. Gabriel signaled to Horace, now hovering a short distance away, for more nectar.

Lucifer’s views on D’Metri’s concoctions were well known, except perhaps to the cook himself. No matter what combination of ingredients the chef experimented with, the result was always the same: stew. Gabriel insisted it was the effort D’Metri made to honor them that counted, so the ministers gallantly tried them all. Sometimes the dish could be ambrosial. Other times, well, not so much.

Lucifer accepted the food with good grace and placed dollops of the Opening Stew in the exact center of his dish. He sliced off a geometric hunk of bread, trimmed a thick slice of cheese to the same shape, laid it on top, and took a bite.

While Lucifer chewed, he looked over the company of guests. His memory for faces was absolute. The faces of fledges began with only the barest hint of the features they would develop. Definition came by personal exposure to the king and by carrying out their given service. These in the restaurant had matured since leaving the DeKei Finishing College; nevertheless, he recognized everyone there.

Hey, Lucifer! Michael said, startling Lucifer.

Sorry. My mind is racing with so much going on right now. Seeing all these angels …. I do not know why, or if it is a good thing, but demographic data show fewer fledges than ever.

How do the Na’Saw candidates look? asked Michael.

Lucifer sighed in disgust. Not as good as I would like.

"Will that make your task as the Satan[3] more difficult?" Gabriel asked.

It is Baxter who will have a hard time determining what is a true defect and what is simply an unfamiliar trait.

Then what do you mean? Gabriel asked. Did something go wrong?

Angel fledges attended the University of Heaven before qualifying for kingdom service. They spent their first term under Lord Gabriel at the Ra’Ma Institute of Communication and Technology, their second term under Lord Michael at the Mela’Kah Training Academy, and their third term under Lord Lucifer at the DeKei Finishing College. To graduate they had to pass the rigorous trial by ordeal called the Na’Saw, presided over by the Satan, a role filled by Lucifer as the minister of DeKei. This ritual purified a cadet’s character, eliminated conflicting motivations, and focused his entire being on the purpose for which he had been made.

Lucifer shook his head in answer to Gabriel. Not really, but this class’s connection to the museum complicates things. Plus the range of core speles among them is very narrow. It has been a difficult group to train. Without knowing the details of their assignments, I feel as though I have been operating blind. All this mystery is a distraction to the cadets. Do not mistake me though. They will be ready by the time I present the class to the king.

Michael nodded. It’s been a long haul but it all goes away tomorrow. With the magnitude of this project, if he pulls off even half of what he proposes—

Oh, he’ll pull it off, Gabriel said. I just finished reviewing the exhibits with him. Wait ’til you see it all!

Let us drink a toast, then. Lucifer picked up his glass. To Gabriel.

To the king, Michael said and lifted his glass.

Gabriel dipped his head and raised his glass. Yes, to His Majesty.

Lucifer sipped from his glass then replaced it on the table. He pulled from his pocket the gift he had brought for Gabriel. Handing it over without comment, he picked up his spoon and tasted the stew.

Gabriel removed the cloth wrapping and lifted out a figurine, a delicately-crafted miniature of himself as the First Speaker.

Oh, Lucifer! he breathed. It’s beautiful! Look, Michael, it’s just like yours.

Michael reached over and gently lifted it under the arms. Made of thousands of chips of abalone, it fit perfectly in his big hand. He exhaled in a soft whistle as he turned it back and forth, watching it gleam in the light.

I was always jealous of the one you made for Michael, Gabriel confessed to Lucifer.

Michael handed the miniature back to Gabriel and ruffled Tani’s chin. Yeah, but mine came with a mini Tani, he said. In topaz.

Gabriel’s face fell.

There is another piece, Lucifer said, pointing the back of his spoon at the wrapping beside Gabriel’s plate.

Among the folds Gabriel found a small, funnel-shaped object with a peg on one side, also made of tiny abalone chips. What is it?

A yobale, Lucifer told him then laughed at his friend’s blank look. An old word for the sound that announces celebrations. An apt description of the power of your voice, no? Not to mention its symbolism for your Ra’Ma ministry.

Gabriel looked from the figurine to Lucifer and back. Thank you so, so much, Lucifer. It’s absolutely perfect. I’ll keep it right on my desk where everyone can see it.

There is more, Gabriel, Lucifer said. He slid a sideways grin at Michael. Unlike Michael’s, yours moves. Put the peg on the yobale in the figure’s left hand. Gabriel did this. Now raise the right hand above its head.

It’ll break, won’t it?

Lucifer shook his head. No, it will not.

Gabriel lifted the figure’s right hand; immediately, the left hand snapped the yobale to the mouth. He burst out laughing.

Lucifer shrugged. It is a small trick. I enjoyed figuring out how to incorporate movement into the design.

I’ve never seen anything like it, Gabriel said, then glanced at Michael. Except yours, of course, but that’s not, I mean …

Michael winked at Lucifer. It’s a nice gift, Gabriel. I’m not jealous.

Gabriel slugged Michael’s arm and they all laughed. He tried the action a few more times while the others watched. Lucifer continued with his meal.

Tell us about the opening, Gabriel, Michael said.

Gabriel nodded and stood his gift on the table, accidentally knocking over his empty glass. He righted it while answering, Well, you know the museum houses three exhibits, right? The first is a transdimensional tour of what His Majesty calls a ‘natural universe.’ The tour can also be used for travel between dimensions—

He has opened more dimensions? How many? And this tour is a conduit between them? Like the Well of the Rock? Lucifer asked around a mouthful of food, which he never would have done had he not been so keen about the king’s research.

Michael chuckled. Easy, Lucifer.

Same idea, Gabriel answered. I guess. I don’t know how it works. Anyway, you get into a tram and travel through different locations and phenomena of the cosmos, from outer space down through galaxies and solar systems and planets and atmospheres right to the level of Eden, which as far as I can tell, is the center of everything. You can stop at any of the observation spots along the way.

Something about truth giving perspective, Michael said aside to Lucifer.

Spoon poised in midair, Lucifer turned to Michael and caught him smirking at Gabriel. Assuming Michael to be retaliating for Gabriel’s earlier teasing, he answered with a knowing nod, Ah, yes. I see what you mean.

Gabriel scowled. He doesn’t mean anything. You’re the one who wanted to hear about this, Michael, now pay attention. From Eden, the tram slips dimensions again and goes inside matter itself—you have to select either an inanimate or animate destination—to show how things are composed and the spatial relations involved.

Gabriel pointed toward Lucifer. It’s beyond me, but you’ll appreciate this. The macrocosmic portion of the tour begins with energy being turned into matter. You know that the physical universe consists of a finite amount of matter and energy in constant flux, right? Well, the microcosmic part of the tour ends with a view of the subatomic energy bonds that link all matter together. And here’s the thing. The two views look remarkably the same.

Lucifer caught Michael’s look of disbelief and winked at him. Rarely had they heard Gabriel express such abstract concepts so articulately.

What? Gabriel said. I’m not making this up! You’ll see. The feeling of … of… being limited, you might say, or condensed, maybe. It’s strange at first, but you get used to it.

Lucifer leaned forward. This is the king’s intent? That we experience these limitations?

Gabriel twitched a shoulder. As the tram traverses those spaces you get to see first hand what it’s like to dwell in that dimension. You don’t just tour a model, I mean. Okay, so the first exhibit is this tour of the universe. The second exhibit is a non-interactive display containing the prototypes of all the plants and animals the king has developed in the course of his research. Everything from the earliest and tiniest to the fairly complex ones that immediately preceded the current stage of his new kind of being. Staff will be available in the exhibit hall to answer questions but really, the whole thing is laid out as a contemplative tour.

Lucifer had stopped eating at the mention of varied life forms. With a sense of foreboding he said, There is a third exhibit?

This is the best, said Michael.

Gabriel grinned. It sure is. It’s a living exhibit, Lucifer! Where a unique personal being called the Cegu’Lah can mature and transform through subsequent innovations. You’ve heard the king say that this creature will be an advance over wholly spiritual beings like us—

Wait, Lucifer said. He did not share their enthusiasm. That makes no sense. Unity of being is the fundamental reality, so what advance can he mean? From what I understand, this matter-energy business only constrains existence. What is the benefit? I mean, we are not limited.

Sure we are, Gabriel said. Think about it. Every angel is made up of only one truth element, a core spele. That limits us—me to the communion spele, Michael to the endeavor spele, you to the justice spele—

Yes, Gabriel, but there is no limit to how much of our core spele we acquire.

One limit is the same as another, Lucifer. But back to this specimen. It has a bioform like everything in the living exhibit, but it also has a numoform like us. Well, sort of like us, but whereas we angels have only a single core spele, this creature is designed to incorporate every type of spele.

Lucifer tilted his head, unconvinced. Not very practical. Can we go into the living exhibit or is it only for research?

No one’s supposed to because it can make you light-headed. The king is experimenting with lamlight concentration. Different combinations of speles, too.

Why? Does this new kind of being not need full lamlight to survive?

Of course it does, but only the numoform requires lamlight. Its bioform is sustained by physical energy from sunlight. Equilibrium between the two sources is critical since the Dema’Mah rests on the balance.

"Don’t start with the Dema’Mah, Michael groaned. Gives me a headache trying to understand how transformed speles bring order to chaos and create a dimensional boundary."

Oh, I understand the Dema’Mah, Michael, Lucifer said. But it is purely theoretical.

I don’t think so, Gabriel said. We in Mishkan add to it whenever we carry out our duties.

Until this new project of the king’s, there were no other dimensions, Lucifer insisted. He lined up his silverware on top of his plate and handed it to hovering Horace. The complexity of what he’s doing is extraordinary. I imagine it took the king a long time to devise the natural laws and work out precise values for the coefficients they entail.

Huh! Michael interjected. He emptied the last of the food onto his plate and started to feed it to Tani. He can project more factor effects than even you can keep track of, yet he manages to keep it all straight. I love to hear him talk but I don’t follow half of it.

I— Lucifer began as Chef D’Metri arrived in a waft of cooking fumes.

Ah, Lord Lucifer! You finally decide to come to the special dinner I make for you! You like? Tastes good, no? You not mind Horace, no. He is not put out with you, no. He knows your—what shall we call it, your brusqueness, hmm—he knows it is but the corollary of your greatness. He does not mind you snub him, no, he does not. He nodded at the astonished proprietor.

Lucifer started to answer, but the chef had already turned to Michael, who had barely stopped feeding the dinner scraps to his pet.

You, Lord Michael, D’Metri glanced at Michael’s plate. Ah, you are still hungry? You big, strong! Eat much food. Why you smile, Lord Gabriel?

Never mind him, D’Metri. Gabriel showed him the abalone figure. Look at what Lord Lucifer gave me.

The chef nodded, indifferent to anything not related to his cooking. His hand went to the khereb in its holster on his hip.

Let me see that, Michael demanded.

D’Metri looked at him uncertainly but handed over the implement. Every cadet was given a khereb when he attended Mela’Kah Training Academy. The uninitiated khereb was dagger-like, but as the angel used it in his everyday work, the shape conformed to its specific function. D’Metri’s khereb looked like a flat-bladed knife-spoon-spatula. Michael turned it this way and that in his hand. When he tried to cut a piece of bread, the chef-khereb returned to its original dagger shape.

Michael looked up at D’Metri and smiled, then handed it back. Just checking.

Don’t worry, Gabriel hastened to reassure the crestfallen chef. When you use it, it will become yours again. Try.

D’Metri cut the bread Michael had started. The chef-khereb came back. Oh, thank you, Lord Gabriel. Only you understand…

The chef walked away with one hand to his head. With the other, he tucked his khereb back in its holster. Immediately Horace began clearing empty serving bowls from the table. Lucifer huffed softly at this second interruption.

As soon as Horace had gone Gabriel asked Lucifer, What were you saying?

Just that I can hardly believe the king created a whole new dimension.

Michael nodded. And it all works. I mean, not that it wouldn’t. The king has more talent than he seems to know what to do with. But the material universe holds together and functions exactly as planned, and has produced the new creation he’s after.

Have you seen the Cegu’Lah? Lucifer asked.

I think what Michael means, Gabriel answered, Is that so far, every biological form flourishes in the niche it was designed to inhabit. But the most advanced one, the biospirit, has both biological and spiritual attributes—even moral freedom.

Moral freedom! Lucifer spluttered. Please, Gabriel. That is just what I am talking about! So you have seen it?

No, no, although he told me he’s got it up and breathing. The terrain in the living exhibit is still pretty rugged, so he spent most of last night preparing a garden where the Well of the Rock intersects the living exhibit. That spot has a high lamlight coefficient, which he says will accelerate spirogenesis.

Lucifer nodded. I have been looking into that. Spirogenesis is how biospirits build their numoforms, right? They convert raw speles right from the atmosphere into building blocks called spiroteins.

Actually, spirogenesis converts speles into spiroteins and then the spiroteins are used to build the numoform, which is called numogenesis.

Once again Lucifer noted Gabriel’s facility with the technical concepts. The First Speaker of the realm rarely put his eloquence on display like that. He gave Gabriel a look of appreciation, which made him blush.

Anyway, Gabriel said, The king was going back in to work on the garden when I left. We’re to meet him right after Morning Assembly tomorrow so he can show all three of us at once.

Horace returned to fill their glasses from a pitcher of nectar. Lucifer drained his glass and wiped his mouth with his napkin. He folded it with great care while he looked first at Michael, then at Gabriel.

I see you are both impressed by this project, he began, But I have to say, the king is taking a big risk. And risk is never good. Complexity at any level goes against our code but this, this is ridiculous. Same thing for variability. As a constant? Paradoxes are worse than risk. Can the king control all the factors involved? What if something should go wrong? It is more than likely, you know, and the consequences will be devastating.

I don’t see why that worries you, Gabriel said. Look how well-ordered Mishkan Zion is.

He picked up the figurine and casually fiddled with the yobale, removing it and replacing it in the figure’s hand. Every time the left hand snapped up, it made a small click.

Could be he’ll put you in charge of educating the creature, Lucifer. To keep it from going wrong, Michael said. He finished feeding Tani from his plate and wiped his hands on the tablecloth.

Not a bad idea, but he has not mentioned it. He had to see if he could actually produce the thing before he made plans for training it, no doubt. Still, I cannot be expected to work miracles, Michael. That is your domain. Here, give me that. Lucifer reached for Gabriel’s toy. One miscalculation would rend the fabric of reality.

What does that mean? Gabriel asked. He passed the figurine and picked up his glass.

Lucifer tinkered with the shoulders to make the action work silently. The fundamental research premise violates our kingdom code—

Gabriel almost choked on the nectar.

Michael pounded him on the back. The Unity Code, Lucifer? That’s a bit of a stretch, don’t you think?

"Hear me out. Every one of us lives by the certain knowledge that we are linked to each other through the oneness of the king’s being. This is affirmed daily in the Array during Morning Assembly. There is absolutely nothing in our existence that does not resolve into our essential unity, with him and with each other.

Now think about what he is doing in the museum. Take what you just said about the exhibit universe consisting of matter and energy. Why both? Why not one or the other? Or, as you say, he is incorporating biological and spiritual components into this new kind of being. Again, why not just one?

He waved the abalone figurine to accentuate his words. And that is just the beginning. The principles of nature are one thing—he could probably stabilize them. But if he gives this creature the freedom to make choices? He cannot expect absolute material compliance to moral laws. Logically, volition —Lucifer leaned forward and dropped his voice— "makes transgression virtually inevitable. And believe me, the ramifications will not be limited to the living exhibit. They will ripple throughout the realm. I tell you, the corruption such a breach