TC33

“Let us draw indoors,” said El, “where we shall speak of many things.”

The house was more glass than wood, built on a small stony knoll looking down upon the pond. In design the house was merely a single room with an alcove above the kitchen where Avram could sleep with privacy, if needs be, yet there was no other living human soul on the whole plateau.

On the main level were cushions and a glass table of superior make. Yet El needed no cushion. She seated her avatar on the stone floor to put her eyes on a level with Hamon. “Why have you come to me, Avram son of Terah?”

“A number of reasons led me to embark on my journey, Lord. One of them was my father’s belief in the afterlife. When he died there were things that remained unsaid between us. I suppose I wanted to speak to my father one last time, in the unlikely event his beliefs turned out to be true.”

“What, specifically, did he believe about the afterlife?”

“That the shades of deceased men linger for a time on the ramparts of the Wall of God until they come to accept the memory of them is soon forgotten by the living.”

“I can bring you to the edge of Anshar, but I assure you I know nothing of the shades of men, nor will you see any. Does that disturb you?”

Avram sighed. “It is as I first suspected: my father is truly gone. To learn this thing, too, was reason enough to ascend the Wall of God.”

“I understand the impulse to want more life, or perhaps a better second life, but life without end? That would become a horrifying existence. Perhaps the Old One has revealed something of this matter directly to world-dwellers but if that is so, it has bypassed the Watchers.”

“The Watchers, Lord?”

“That is what we Elohim call ourselves: the Watchers. Belial calls men his servants, but I call you the Students. Contrary to the Litany of Creation that you have likely been taught I did not actually make your kind. I found your ancestors living in another world than this. It was the most important discovery we Watchers have ever made. World-dwellers are fully awake even as the Elohim are. Belial and Shemhazai ever contrive to have you destroyed. When you are revealed to the other Elohim one day (and I assure you that will certainly happen) it will uncover all their transgressions.”

Avram said. “But another thing brought me here, Lord. Two years ago a yan came to a shop in Enkaa belonging to my father and made an offer, in your name, to send me to the other world. Sha had very convincing evidence that sha did not speak idly. Later I learned she was none other than the ophan Sarah, daughter of King Raphael himself.”

“And she returned to her father to report that the only man in all of Kemen fit to go to Earth to father a people unique to me had rejected the calling to attend to the needs of his ailing father.”

“And I came here to accept the calling, Lord, if you will still have me, or to accept my punishment for defying you.”

“There will be no punishment for a man who made the correct choice. It remains a piece of unfinished business but you are no longer the man I want to send to the other world. Perhaps the role will devolve upon your son. For you, I now have another thing in mind. Belial has placed certain bounds on me, but he cannot prevent me from teaching. Shall I lecture you in this house and hope you understand? I have found a better way, but I will not compel you to accept the physical changes required.”