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

Ten (these events are Eleven in revised scene list)

Morpheus raised his hand to his mouth, zipped it, locked it, threw away the key. But Mika didn't understand this gesture, he raised his hand to Morpheus' lips. Morpheus kissed his fingertips and smiled. He pulled Mika into the bed after him.

It felt so good to share himself with another body again, and to do it in something nearly love. It wasn't Julien, exactly, but Morpheus believed he was making things better for Mika, as much as Mika was making things better for him. Julien would have to understand; it wasn't as if he hadn't had lovers besides Morpheus: one high-school boyfriend, Cary and Athen, a small number of one-night stands.

Sometime in the night, Morpheus raised his eyes and saw his mother looking at him. She warned him silently that they better be gone by dawn, then followed Rahab through the room to the roof.

Just before dawn, Mother came down into the room. She gathered their things together, slowly if they were heavy. When everything had been gathered into one pile, she called to Morpheus.

He got up from the bed and stood looking down at Mika.

"We've got to go...unless you want to find out if that body will survive a nuclear blast..."

Morpheus picked up Mika's colorful kilt and held it to his chest. He called to Mika, wings sprouting from his back as he did.

Mika looked up sleepily.

"Look at me," Morpheus said, "In just a minute, you will fall back to sleep, and you just won't wake up, ever, but look at me now, see me before you fall asleep."

Mika gazed at Morpheus mutely.

Morpheus dropped sleep from his wing into Mika's eyes, and backed away from him. He stepped close to Mother and they disappeared.

They went to Eden. A little farther ahead in time, but there were still Angels on Earth, living there. This was their last city, not in the same place as the original home of the gods, not as splendid as that Eden had been. It was a simple walled city, with buildings in a broad range of styles. It was their last Haven, the only refuge Angels or their children had against the rising power of the Humans. They were waiting.

Opium and Morpheus arrived relatively close to the end. There was already talk of going over to a new world, talk of leaving Earth behind forever. There was a new age being ushered in, they wouldn't be around for the wars this one brought. Humans knew very well by now how to wage their own wars, they'd had very good teachers.

And yet, in Eden, things were peaceful. Every being to enter the gate had sworn to lay aside differences, while in the city's walls. The House of the Satans stood opposite the House of the Archangels, and everyone knew that the Satans were no longer merely officers of the military, these were the fallen ones, the seceders. The Archangels had a new military under their own command, to keep the peace.

Like the buildings, clothing came in all styles. Raziel and Absidus might arrive together, Nike high-tops and baggy rayon clothing on one, stiletto heels in red vinyl and tunic dress on the other. Every so often, someone would come out onto the street wearing earspools and feathers; others would appear in starched kilts and elaborate headdresses. Togas were coming into fashion along with voluminous gowns shaped by jeweled broaches.

Opium and Morpheus did not stand out terribly in Doc Marten's or fishnet shirts by Tripp. If Mother appeared in Betsy Johnson, some Angel would be wearing a knock-off within hours.

They shared a room in The House of Night, which was across a courtyard from the House of Lilith, and across the avenue from The House of the Seraphim. It was Jibril who pointed out that the Vampyre Shade and his son Athen were in Eden, living in the very same house. Standing in the laboratory that belonged to Gabriel, Jibril pointed out the figure of an Angel on the street below, one dressed in gold lame carrying a black-haired child. "That's Athen, he's got six years now," Jibril said. And the Angel? "With Israfel. He's tutoring Athen in music."