© Anna-Karin 2000-2001
As Kenneth and Anna-Karin were watching, Gabriel stepped out in the midst of the empty lot. He waves his arms as if calling something down. It looks like he is drawing patterns in the air.
Then there is a sound like of a thousand wings, followed by the cawing of ravens, gulls and other birds. It's very noisy.
One bird lands, an owl, and transforms into a human. It is followed by the others until all have landed. The noise diminishes and it is gone when the last one has landed.
Anna-Karin looks at Gabriel's troupe. There are about twenty people, all in all. Some looks like gothic heavy metal fans, with pale skin and black clothes, others looks like punks of different kinds, with torn clothes, army boots, and hair in nearley all colours there is. Some looks just like mainstream people.
In any movie these people would be the villains, Anna-Karin muses.
First angel: How come you are here? We thought you were still in Hell.
Gabriel: I managed to get out.
Second angel: How?
Gabriel: I found a weakness in the fabric of Hell, and managed to get out through that little crack.
Third angel: I have heard about it. Lucifer was not amused. He has a search party out for you.
Gabriel: I know. That's why I need you here.
First angel: There are humans here. Why are they here?
Anna-Karin: Because we have a bone to pick with your Boss.
Kenneth: Yes, his followers among the humans have caused a great damage to the world, and to the people who don't believe he is the only game in town.
Anna-Karin: So we are willing to help.
Third angel: So even the humans are pissed off at the Boss?
Anna-Karin: You could say that.
Gabriel looks at the humans. Again they manage to surprise him. These two monkeys have made themselves his allies, and he didn't even have to force them. Allies, that's a good word. Human allies, even better.
The angels sits down round Gabriel, who motions for Anna-Karin and Kenneth to sit down in the front line.
Gabriel: Most of you here know the story behind the so-called Codex Uzriel, but there are a few who don't.
Anna-Karin: So tell us!
Gabriel: The one who wrote that book were a close friend of st John, of the Revelations, and had all his scripts at hand when he made that bible. But what nobobdy knew was that the scribe...
Anna-Karin: Whoses name was?
Gabriel: ...Silas the Matematichan. Now shut up Anna-Karin!
Anna-Karin: Okay.
Gabriel: Well, Silas was a very gifted matematician, with ideas and theories way before his time. He made a formula, a spell, a bit like the famous E=m2, and about as disastrous if in the wrong hands. This he hid in the codex among the letters and verses of the actual text. Now, this formula might prove a mighty weapon in the war, but better still is to completly erase it so nobody can use it.
Anna-Karin rises her hand.
Gabriel: What?
Anna-Karin: Why is it so dangerous?
Gabriel: Einstein's formula only had with energy to do but Silas' formula have with the very fabric of reality to do. If used it can twist the world as we know it into something very, very different. Uzriel found out about it, so he kept the book with him always, until he was killed.
Anna-Karin: How did he get it?
Gabriel: I gave it to him. I bought the book from Silas because I didn't think that the humans needed to know about the second war in heaven, but it was Uzriel who found out about the formula. He always was very interested in mathematics.
Third angel: Mathematics, key to the universe! He always used to say that.
Gabriel: If the humans get their hands on it we can stop worrying about the war, and start to get *really* worried. if the Boss' side gets it, then we can start preparing the white flags, and if we have it, we might win. Or destroy the world.
Kenneth: Better to erase it from the book then and make sure nobody gets it then.
Third angel: I agree.
The rest of the angels agree too.
Anna-Karin: What did you trade for the codex?
Gabriel: His death. You see, he was very ill in cancer, and in those days there were no cures and very ineffective painkillers, so he called me and asked me to kill him. Since he couldn't kill himself he wanted someone else to do it. "You are the Angel of Death, so kill me." I asked for something in return, and he gave me the book. And since I wasn't very interested in books back then, I gave it to Uzriel, who was interested in almost everything the monkeys... er sorry,the humans, did.
First angel: So how do we get into the library then?
Gabriel: Here, I'll show you.
Gabriel begins to draw a map in the dust. As he draws he talk about windows, back doors, airshafts, all small loopholes where a bird can fly in.
Gabriel: And then you open the door, not blasting it since it will draw attention from the monk...humans. Anna-Karin knows the layout rather well I suspect.
Anna-Karin: Yeah, I printed out a map of the place before we left for Rome.
Gabriel: So she will direct you where to look. We must have a couple of look-outs and someone at the door to let us, who can't shapeshift that fast, out quickly. And for Kenneth, a couple of guardians.
Kenneth: Why?