The Celestial Gate by Avital Dicker (red white royal blue txt) 📗

Rae sat up and rubbed the sore spot. “Rumor has it that to get to God’s main headquarters you have to cross the sea and then go through a place full of wild animals. Finally, you get to the really violent ones that you supposedly never want to meet. But, I don’t know. I’ve never been to the main headquarters.”

Yam felt like throttling the annoying blue creature. Rae’s flightiness was driving him mad, but he reined himself in.

Mor stood at the edge of the sea, dipping a toe into the water. He looked down unbelieving and took another step. His legs weren’t sinking! “Look at me – I’m walking on the water!” he shouted excitedly.

Anise turned around and looked at Mor walking on top of the flat blue of the water. “He’s actually walking on the water,” she said stunned.

“I think we’ve found the way to the mountain,” said a smiling Yam.

Oddly, it was Rae who suddenly became very serious, shaking her head with concern. “Nothing here is what it seems. You can’t trust the sea,” she warned.

“You don’t have the faintest idea how to get there,” Yam said to her, annoyed, and went to join Anise standing at the edge of the water.

“Look at me! I’m walking like Jesus,” Mor shouted excitedly, as Anise screwed up her courage and took a first step into the sea.

A low, rolling roar filled the air all of a sudden. Yam looked behind him. Dozens of Orphils covered the foothills. The gray threatening mass, quickly making its way toward them, filled him with dread. “I don’t see that we have a choice,” said Yam to Rae.

He and Anise walked into the water. At first, the sensation was odd. Anise looked downward with every step, scared of falling. But the noise was getting louder, and she was afraid of looking back, and so kept walking. After a few minutes, she started to feel more secure and she increased her speed. Yam looked worriedly at the shuddering clump at the waterline. Some Orphils were now baring their teeth and starting to walk into the sea. Yam grabbed Anise’s hand and they walked faster.

Enochio stood on the mountainside watching events from afar. “Idiots,” he muttered, then put two fingers in his mouth and uttering a piercing whistle. One of the gray creatures turned around and looked at him for several long beats with hate-filled eyes, its sharp fangs quivering, white foam gathering in the corners of its mouth. Enochio was not disturbed. Light shone from his chest and a gleaming, golden six-sided mandala appeared, enveloping his whole body. The creature stopped its glaring at once and lifted an arm stopping all the others in their tracks. The reluctant Orphils turned back to the shore.

“That’s the extent of my help,” Enochio muttered. The mandala faded and he wiped the sweat from his forehead. “It’ll keep them at bay, at least for a while.” He turned around and started trudging up the mountainside.

A relieved Yam watched the retreating Orphils. He had no idea what had made them turn back, but he was grateful for whatever it was.

The sun beat down hotly. Anise removed her sweatshirt, walking now in just her T-shirt. Yam walked pensively by her side. “I’m not sure God even knows what’s happening with us,” he said.

“So? That’s no excuse. Somebody has to assume responsibility for this mess. After all, He’s God,” Anise retorted. “Do you remember now? I mean the things we remember up here and later on forget…”

“Yes,” Yam nodded, “I especially remember us,” he added, after a moment of silence. Anise pretended not to have heard, though she knew exactly what he meant. She remembered the promised they’d made one another but refused to think about it now. It wasn’t the right time. First, they had to deal with God, the terrorists, the shooting, and the dead in Jerusalem, and, of course, the whole soul lottery thing. She looked around. “Hey – where’s Mor?” she wondered.

Chapter 23

None of the Christian quarter residents had seen three adolescents matching Sual’s description. Aisha suggested taking them all to the Muslim quarter. “Let me help my granddaughter,” she appealed to her daughter.

If anyone can help us it’s my mother; she’s spent her entire life here, and knows all the quarter’s secrets, Sual thought.

They thanked Lena and returned to the dark Old City alleys. Aisha took the lead, making sure to use side streets. She knew the city inside-out, and minutes later stood in front of the family restaurant.

Sual had tears in her eyes. She’s spent most of her childhood right here. She looked at the rusty metal shutter used as the restaurant door and helped Aisha open the heavy locks and roll the shutter up.

“Hurry. It’s not a good idea to stand around,” Aisha urged her, casting anxious glances all around. Aisha pulled the shutter down behind them and led them to the small office behind the restaurant that served mostly as storage.

“You’ll be safe here. Give me an hour and I’ll be back with answers,” she said, instructing Sual to lock the door behind her.

They sat down and waited in silence. Time is not on our side, Sual thought. Every passing minute lessens our chances of finding the children. She looked around. The office looked exactly the same as it had ten years ago – full of crates and dust. “The women here know exactly what goes on in every corner of the quarter,” she said, trying to raise Theo and Amalia’s spirits, as well as her own. But the atmosphere remained tense and heavy.

The tiny creature grabbed Enochio’s trousers with its teeth and pulled hard. “Ouch!” yelled the angel as he stubbed his foot on a rock. “What do you want?” he grumbled, pulling his trousers up, but the bogo didn’t give up. Both tails pointed insistently toward the sea.

“Absolutely not,” said the angel in a fierce tone, continuing his climb. This time, the bogo bit