The Broken Window Part 15

The young Observer quickly grabbed Ransom's other arm and gravely said, "Please, come this way. It is a matter of some urgency."

"If you say so," Ransom relented. "Geez!"

They ran all the way to Harken's, bursting through the door in a tinkle of chimes. While Koji firmly closed the door behind them, Prissie puffed, trying to catch her breath. Still clamped onto Ransom's arm, she carefully enunciated, "Good evening, Mr. Mercer. Sorry to barge in so late, but it's getting bad outside. Can we wait in here?"

Harken's smile was rea.s.suringly familiar. "Of course, Prissie! Won't you introduce your friend?"

At a sudden loss for words, she looked blankly into her companion's face and quickly let go of his arm. He quirked an eyebrow before speaking up for himself. "Ransom Pavlos, sir. Mr. Pomeroy has mentioned you some. I work at his bakery."

"Jayce's apprentice!" Harken exclaimed, smiling broadly. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! Make yourselves comfortable," he urged. "Prissie, you should call your father to let him know you and Koji are here. We don't want him to worry."

"Yes, please. Thank you." She hurried through to the back room and placed the call, then returned to announce, "Dad says if it's okay with you, we should stay put. He and Uncle Lou have the chess board out, and they're making do over at the bakery. The boys will come dig us out tomorrow."

"You're most welcome," Harken a.s.sured. "Are you expecting a ride, Ransom?"

"Nope. I walked."

"I see," the old shopkeeper murmured. "Would you like to place a call to your parents?"

"Sure, yeah. I'll let my dad know where I am," he agreed.

Just then, Milo strolled through the back room's door and said, "We've got a blizzard on our hands!"

"Hey, Mr. Mailman," Ransom greeted.

"The name's Milo," he reminded with a chuckle.

Ransom grinned. "I remember. Which way to the phone?"

"Through here," he said with a courteous sweep of one arm. "It's on the corner of Harken's desk."

"Gotcha."

While her cla.s.smate put through his call, the Messengers compared notes. Harken said, "I've conferred with Jedrick. Half a legion is mobilizing, but they cannot fight a storm."

Milo heaved a deep sigh. "Abner says he hasn't been Sent. There's nothing he can do."

Prissie wandered over to where Koji stood looking out the window. She could barely see the streetlight on the corner, let alone the bakery. A pickup truck edged past at a crawl, snow up to its hubcaps, but it was soon lost from view. "How bad is it?" she whispered.

"I do not know," he replied honestly. "However, we are safe here."

"What about Dad and the others?"

A series of loud pops startled her, and she looked up and down the street. "There," Koji offered, pointing at sparks arcing into the air from a transformer. Just like that, the power went out. The lights and furnace stalled simultaneously, plunging the bookstore into eerie silence.

"Hang on," Milo ordered. "I know where to find some light. Everyone sit tight."

A clatter and thud of falling books came from the back room, and Harken called, "Ransom?"

"Sorry, sir. I b.u.mped into something-or-other."

"Are you hurt?"

"Nah, I'm fine," the teen a.s.sured.

They lapsed into silence while they waited for Milo to reappear, and Prissie's eyes strained for some trace of light. The blackness was so complete, it reminded her of being lost in the tunnels that had led her to the Deep. Shivering, she mumbled, "It's too dark."

"Indeed," Koji quietly agreed.

Prissie was disappointed when he didn't reach for her hand. More than anything else, she didn't want to feel alone, so she reached for him, her fingers finding the rough cloth of his coat sleeve. "Can you see?" she whispered.

"The storm has blotted out the stars, but even so, I can distinguish more than you are able."

Tugging on his sleeve, she edged closer to her friend. The scene on the street haunted her memories, and she couldn't seem to stop trembling. "I think I'm scared," she admitted.

"We are safe," Koji repeated. After a short pause, he announced, "Milo is returning, and he is not alone."

In the next moment, light shimmered from the direction of Harken's office, and Prissie gasped. She could clearly see Ransom's profile now; he leaned against the wall, hands in pockets, head down, and he didn't react at all when a flood of tiny angels streamed past him, bringing their brightness into the room. He was blind, but she could see.

Only when the beam of a flashlight cut through the dark did Ransom react, turning toward the sound of Milo's cheerful hail. "I found what we need! Hey, Ransom, did you get through to your family before we were cut off?"

"Yeah," he replied, accepting a spare flashlight and clicking it on. "I told Dad I was hanging out with you guys until the storm calms down. He didn't care."

"I see," Harken replied gently, taking a box of candles off Milo's hands. "I'm sure you put his mind at ease."

Ransom shrugged and looked at Prissie. Holding up the flashlight, he asked, "You want this?"

"N-no," she stammered, trying very hard to act naturally. Abner's entire flock seemed to have escaped into the bookstore, and their antics were more than enough to make her forget her fears. Many of the manna-makers danced acrobatically through the air, while still more explored the odds and ends Harken had on display. The little dears were so distracting!

Oblivious to the small angels whirling just over his head, Ransom quirked a brow at her. "What are you smiling about?"

"I'm just glad there's light," she fudged.

"Afraid of the dark?" he guessed, cautiously working his way across the room.

"Not usually."

"'Cause you can have this if you are," he insisted.

She meant to glare, but a pair of yahavim got between her and him. With a warm smile, she replied, "No, thank you. I don't need it."

"Huh." He moved to the front window. "Well, I'm glad you yanked me off the street when you did." Using his hand to shield his eyes as he peered through the gla.s.s, he casually added, "Though I still don't understand why you did."

Koji said, "Prissie was concerned for your safety."

"Uh-huh," Ransom replied dubiously, squinting down Main Street. The whole building rattled as a gust of wind ripped past. "Do you think they're okay over there?"

"I'm sure they're safe, but they can't be very comfortable," Milo said as he emerged again from the back. He dropped a pile of blankets on the counter and gazed thoughtfully at the teen. "How about this? We'll add some pillows to this pile, and you and I can tote them over to the bakery. We'll camp out with them tonight."

"I'm okay with that," Ransom agreed.

"I'll bring down the pillows," Harken offered. "Ransom, would you mind lending me a hand?"

"Happy to, sir."

As soon as they were out of earshot, Prissie hurried over to Milo. "Isn't it too dangerous to go out there?" she asked worriedly.

"I'll do what I must, Miss Priscilla," he answered seriously.

Koji helpfully supplied, "He has been Sent."

"Oh." With an unhappy little sigh, she whispered, "Be careful."

"We will," Milo promised.

Once Milo and Ransom were bundled out the door with their bulging packs, Harken locked up and waved Prissie and Koji toward the back room. "Let's wait in the glade," he suggested. "Prissie, see how many of the yahavim you can get to follow you. Koji, keep a sharp eye out for dawdlers. Abner won't thank us if we misplace any of his little ones."

It didn't take long to coax the tiny angels through the blue door. Prissie did her best to tally them up just to be sure, but it was even harder than counting chickens. "I can't even guess if they're all there!" she admitted in exasperation.

"Abner will manage it," Harken a.s.sured with a chuckle. "He calls them by name."

"Tamaes!" greeted Koji, trotting over to the Guardian.

Prissie studied the tall warrior closely, checking for bandages. "Are you all better?"

"I am well," he replied, gesturing to the soft gra.s.s. "Take your ease so we can talk."

"About what?" she asked.

"Forces are gathering," Harken said solemnly. "I could try to give our news a positive spin. Of all those who escaped from the Deep, only one eluded our search."

"One demon can't do much ... right?" she asked uneasily. Looking from face to face, she a.s.serted, "If it's just one, it's not a big deal."

Tamaes and Harken exchanged a long look, and the Messenger sighed. "Let me see if I can explain. Having met us, I think you'll understand the gravity of our situation."

"Okay?" she prompted.

"I'm a Messenger. Tamaes is a Guardian. Koji's an Observer. Malakim, hadarim, adahim-we're all Faithful."

Prissie knew this much, so she nodded. "Orders of angels."

Harken continued, "Before they Fell, the enemy were as we are. They once served G.o.d as Messengers, Guardians, Protectors, and so on."

When he paused again, she said, "That makes sense."

"A few ... a very few of the fallen were Caretakers."

That had an ominous sound to it, and Prissie asked, "Is that a problem?"

With a nod, Harken explained, "Caretakers were given great power, surpa.s.sing that of all the heavenly host."

Tamaes chimed in, reciting, "Star-movers, earth-shakers, sea-stirrers, storm-bringers."

Harken added, "Caretakers tend the heavens and earth at G.o.d's command. Not one of them acts on their own initiative."

Prissie thought she understood. "But an enemy doesn't listen to G.o.d anymore?" she asked in a small voice.

"Indeed," Koji replied solemnly.

"Does that mean ...?"

Tamaes confirmed, "The one who eluded recapture was a Caretaker."

"He's a disaster waiting to happen," Harken said. He waved a hand to indicate the darkened shop and blizzard on the other side of the blue door. "It has already begun."

13.

THE.

LIVING.

NATIVITY.

Dinge and Murque traded jabs, each trying to force the other to voice the question on both their minds. Their scuffling standoff grew tiresome, so with a faint sneer, Adin sweetly inquired, "Something to say?"

Clearing his throat, Dinge asked, "Why her, my lord?"