The Empty World | The Empty World Sequence [complete | rewriting]

Nine (these events are Ten in the revised scene list)

Gabriel turned slowly to look at Opium and Morpheus. She addressed them by name and invited them closer. True Angels were never surprised to see time travelers. She didn't talk to them again just yet. She was looking back at Raziel.

"It's just not going to work properly," he said. "Don't you understand how important this is? In the South there are humans kings who will go to war for no other reason than a strange omen in the sky. War is coming. We've got to be able to observe the coming of a new age."

Gabriel touched a finger to Raziel's ear and smiled. "Listen to me, my kuku dear, do not be angry with Raphael and I, watching you design houses has not made him an architect, we're healers and biologists, not mathematicians, not astronomers. Let us call my split from the land of the south to bring others with her and the proper stones. You will draw up the plan this time."

"Yes, call to your sister," said Raziel.

"Easily done," said Gabriel. She took what looked pretty much a cellular phone from the folds of her cloak and dialed.

While they waited for Zerachiel to come from Africa, they remained in the camp by night, and during the days, watched the Humans labor to clear away the stones and wooden posts. Raziel lay his papers out on the flat table stone and drew and redrew his plans with mechanical lead pencils and rubber erasers. At night, he walked about with his instruments sighting various stars, and putting flags in the ground. When he wasn't working, he always seemed friendlier, always shuffling a deck of cards.

The others arrived by sea, sending Human servants ahead on dun desert horses, they were Egyptians wearing, under their fur jackets, fine linen clothing. The servants reported that the ship could not make it inland on the river, and that they wanted to know how the stones should be transported. Gabriel sent out their own humans with the wide flat beds with their many wide wheels and thick axles to ferry the the stones by water and land.

The Angels came, themselves on horseback, Zerachiel and Jibril - Morpheus was not certain they were Regents at this time, though they probably had similar functions to those he knew - and two others. Zerachiel introduced these as Duma and Nergal, both Children of Leliel. Nergal, like Leliel, had black skin, though his eyes were white. Duma was pale and black-haired, boyish-looking, and shy. Nergal seemed reserved. They were all dressed in styles of African dress, Zerachiel wearing a black sheath dress and large silver collar, with a tall hat that hid her hair. Nergal had a similar headdress, though not as high. All, but Zerachiel, were wearing false beards. And though they wore fur coats, the furs were from African animals, like the lion's skin on Nergal with a hood made of its mane hanging behind his shoulders. Duma and Jibril were bare-headed, and Duma wore a Nightcloak, while Jibril albino fur and lots of ivory jewelry.

Jibril knew who Opium and Morpheus were when he saw them, just as Gabriel had. "You know that this age is different," he said. Opium said that they knew. The Humans all worked for the Angels, especially so this far north, and the many Halfangels that were about were worked just as hard. Of course, the servants were all fed and housed, but to Morpheus this did not seem to make up for the fact that they lived their lives laboring on projects they didn't understand.

Raziel was sitting in front of his tent when they came to the camp. Jibril was the first to speak to him, "You lost your beard," he said.

Raziel looked up from his cards. "Beards aren't fashionable over there, in fact, no one wears them."

Jibril smiled. "Ear spools and feathers...you could start a trend if you tried. Though, fashion doesn't do so well in wartime, what with needing materials and hands for the war machine. Eros is going to try another attempt to seize power on this planet. He won't succeed. But, I wouldn't try going east until this all blows over, if I were you, I'd come down to Africa."