© Anna-Karin 2000-2001
It's early morning and the mist is lifting from the ground. In a small grove wich sometimes serves as a car graveyard Gabriel and Anna-Karin is sitting inside a rusty old car. They are looking at something going on on the other side of a small clearing in the grove.
A man, thirtysomething, with blonde hair, sideburns, average height, dressed in an expensive-looking suit is preparing for his suicide.
Anna-Karin: So explain again what it is you are going to do.
Gabriel: I'm going to resurrect him as soon as he has died in order to make him my servant.
Anna-Karin: Like a zombie?
Gabriel: Yes.
Anna-Karin look away, disgusted and decides that she is going to rescue this poor guy.
Meanwhile the guy is preparing a last letter and picking forth a pack of sleeping pills and a bottle of coca-cola.
Anna-Karin steps out of the car wreck and walks across the clearing. Gabriel is rushing after her.
Gabriel: Anna-Karin! You're crazy. Don't ruin this. Stop!
Anna-Karin: He might be of more value alive. And I don't like zombies very much.
She walks to the front seat of the car where the guy is sitting. He is contemplating the last steps, obviously.
Anna-Karin knocks on the window.
Anna-Karin: Hi! I wondered if you would like to drive us to Rome in this fine car. I mean; if you are gonna kill yourself, can't you postphone that until a later moment? What's your name by the way?
Kenneth: Huh? Oh! I'm Kenneth Björk.
Gabriel: Great! She goes 'what', and he goes 'huh'!
Anna-Karin: So, would you like to hand over that fare-the-welle-note to me together with those nasty little pills of yours?
Kenneth: Okay.
An hour later:
The trio is sitting at a café and Anna-Karin has told Kenneth about Gabriel's reasons for going to Rome. Kenneth has still not really recovered from the sudden change in his plans. Gabriel sits quietley and listens as the two humans disscus the matter.
Kenneth: So basically I'm needed as a driver 'cause I have a car and you are going along since you are needed in order to locate this codex?
Anna-Karin: Yes. And Gabriel's is an angel that gave up being sweet as saccharine a long long time ago. He'd told me he's the head of an rebellion against God, over the matter of God placing humans over angels since humans have souls and angels don't.
Kenneth: That's so unfair.
Gabriel: I agree.
Anna-Karin: So why is this codex so important? Everybody allready know about the second war in heaven.
Gabriel: I'll tell you when we get to Rome. Okay?
Anna-Karin shrugs. She knows that sooner or later she's gonna find out what's going on.
Kenneth had not had the time to take a closer look at the angel before, but made up for it now. As far as he could see Gabriel looked just like a human, a bit paler than most, and with malevolent, no not malevolent really, just hard, green eyes.
No wings or a halo. This angel was not even dressed in white, which Kenneth felt that angels should be. Or at least they were if you loked at all those films and tv-series that featured angels.
Still, Gabriel had an otherworldly air about him, and Kenneth knew that the person sitting in front of him was an angel, not the benevolent sweet kind that you saw every day in those small ornaments, or on christmas cards, but a real angel, the kind descripted in the old testament. Gabriel, the hitman of God. He couldn't explain why or how he knew, but he knew.
Evening the same day:
Anna-karins appartment. Kenneth is lying in the made-up couch, while Gabriel has taken his bird-like position on the back of the couch. Anna-Karins voice is heard from the kitchen.
Anna-Karin: I've called my parents now and they have okayed the trip, as long as I phone them every evening, and since I don't have anything scheduled for the next two weeks I can go with you.
Kenneth: Good. So we hit the road tomorrow then?
Gabriel: Yup. But do you really need so much stuff; blankets, clothes, hygiene stuff I can understand but food? I thought you were gonna buy it during the drive.
Anna-Karin: It pays to be safe you know. And you never know what kind of small village where everything's closed on sundays we might find ourselves in. And it's not much food, just néscafe, and stuff you only need hot water for. And stuff that don't need even that. And a Trangia kitchen, and fuel for that. And bottles with water.
Gabriel: You gotta learn how to speak properley; cuz there were way too many 'and' in your little speech.
Kenneth: Shut up both of you. I wanna sleep.