The Gathering

VI: The Ninth Hour

"Where's Sera?" whispered Jonah to Muriel as the cadets sat on their uncomfortable stone stools, readying themselves for the next intimidating lecture.

"She's 'debriefing' the cadets that were at yesterday's-" Muriel spoke until she was cut off.

"-Thanks." Snapped As. Both Jonah and As had a tough time sleeping the previous night, but As was definitely showing his sleep deprivation more outwardly. Jonah had learned to cope with it when he worked for Mitzrael, long hours in the forge makes one appreciate any sleep they can get.

"Sorry" whispered Jonah to Muriel, Muriel shrugged, she had never met Michael, but knew that As and him were close.

Just as Muriel was about to say something, the gates to the courtyard swung open. The cadets sprung into an alert and respectful posture with their head facing forward, they all relaxed a little when Phanuel came into their view. He was clearly just as sleep deprived as the two cadets, with tired looking eyes and a damp gloss of sweat on his dark skin. He greeted the students with a small wave and a nod before getting right to business. "The barracks are back in working order, and as such, you may all return there tonight." Jonah was a little disappointed, he relished in the comfort of his old bed, even though it didn't help his sleep much. "We are asking all cadets to please come forward if you have had any previous correspondence with Michael over the last few weeks. It is of vital importance." Jonah glanced at As, whose head was now slumped down, probably thinking about that damned letter. "The Lieutenant could not be present for today's lesson, so I will do my best in her stead. I haven't been in this profession as long as the Lieutenant has, but I am confident in my ability to make you learn something today." Phan let out a deep breath, his stress clearly evident as he wiped the accumulating sheen away from his brow.

Phanuel began rummaging behind the stone slab of a desk he stood behind until he pulled out a small globe set. The center globe was of the Earth, its continents drawn in green while the vast oceans were in blue. The globe was attached to an old bronze base by a metallic rod, off that rod shot out two more rods holding satellites that could rotate around the model independently of the Earth. The one closest to the earth was a small marble, Beulah. The further orb was the Moon. Phanuel gripped the globe, one hand on the base and one on the earth's north pole, he twisted the sphere counterclockwise and the mechanisms inside the base clicked and wound like a music box. Once he let go and set the globe flat on the stone slab, the earth and its two partners began a rhythmic dance around each other. The earth rotated, bringing the moon along with it, tidally locked. Beulah did not rotate and it orbited the earth at a slower pace than the moon. Every full rotation, all three bodies would become aligned for a short period of time and then become incongruous again. During the third full rotation, Phanuel stopped the globe's spin with a finger right as the three celestial bodies aligned.

"The ninth hour" began Phanuel, his finger still stopping the mechanism. "that is when the firmament is at its weakest." Jonah had read all about astronomy in Metatron's scrolls, but never had he heard a mention of 'the firmament' before. "It is during this single hour of morning that we can venture to and from the Earth below freely." Phan lifted his finger and allowed the cranking gears to continue spinning the globes. "And once that hour is up, all contact with Beulah from earth is severed until the next ninth hour."

Jonah was curious, like usual, and couldn't stop himself from asking, "excuse me, sir. What is 'the firmament?'" He found that there was a lot he didn't know before joining the Service... 'privileged information', he supposed.

Phan exhaled, probably hoping to get through the lecture smoothly with no questions, but he inhaled again and answered, "I suppose you wouldn't know. The firmament is the barrier that keeps Beulah separated from the earth, God closed it near the time of the fall." He let the globes spin once more until they aligned, he placed his finger down again. "When the moon and the sun are aligned with Beulah – at the ninth hour – the firmament is weakened by the opposing forces on either side, that means you only have one hour to gather." As glanced at Jonah, knowing what they were both thinking: 'Michael had been gone on Earth for about three full days before anyone found out what had happened.'