stallions, their glistening white manes intertwined with platinum. The chariot’s huge silver wheels touched down and ploughed through the soft brown dirt of Earth’s surface, drawing to an uneasy halt. Lucifer stood, an imperial figure, his ermine cloak flying behind him, his ruby crown on the raven hair.
Michael stared at him gravely.
‘Yes, yes.’ Lucifer stepped down from the chariot and strode towards Michael. ‘I am late, brother!’ He bowed and kissed Michael in affection. ‘Forgive me.’ Lucifer swirled around dramatically. ‘So . . . this is what all the furore in heaven is about!’ He knelt and picked up a handful of earth, letting the fresh dirt slip through his fingers. ‘As I surmised,’ he said disdainfully, surveying the stark brown terrain of Earth’s surface. ‘It has absolutely no exonerating features.’
He lifted his arms to the heavens. ‘Ponder on Gardesia, where the volcanoes spew molten gold. Or Seraphia, where the grains of sand are rosy pearls and the thousand pale lilac moons exude their lights.’ He sighed deeply as he strode over newly budding shoots of emerald grass beneath his feet. ‘Think of Eden , where the meadows are bulrushes of golden hues and the rain forests are laden with the elixir of life.’
Michael narrowed his eyes. ‘Be not so easily disappointed, Lucifer. I have a surprise that will hearten your conceptions of this small, new world.’
‘Michael, even if it was a veritable Eden it would be hard pressed to win my favour.’ Lucifer sighed deeply.
Michael clasped Lucifer’s shoulders, suddenly earnest. ‘But you see, dear brother . . . ’ he stared at Lucifer in sheer exhilaration, ‘it is Eden!’
Michael mounted one of his stallions and sped over the lush green meadows towards the eastern side of Planet Earth, followed by Lucifer astride one of the horses from his chariot. As they neared the entrance to Earth’s Eden, Michael drew in his reins, staring in awe at the sight before them, his face shining.
Lucifer came to a halt, silent, staring out towards the two enormous pearl gates towering in the distance. He struggled to disregard the appalling premonition that beyond the gates lay a precise reproduction of the Hanging Gardens of Eden and the great Waters of Eden that would drop a full mile down into the Eternal Fountains.
‘The Race of Men are truly beloved of our Father.’ Michael stared ahead in wonder. ‘He has replicated Eden for them.’
Lucifer flinched, then stared grimly ahead, pulling on his stallion’s reins. He raced his horse across the golden bulrush meadows, on through the lush rain forests, the same heavy elixir-laden undergrowth as in the First Heaven drenching him as he rode. Then his eyes locked on the incredible vista before him.
The monumental Waterfalls of Nectar thundered a hundred leagues down, reflecting the changing rainbow hues of Eden’s horizon. Lined by ancient willows, its hallowed streams flowed north, south, east, and west out of the lush, tropical celestial gardens, watering Earth. The same unicorns and oryx that grazed in the fields of the angelic Eden were grazing in the Eden of Earth. Lucifer recognized birds of paradise, rainbow-hued flamingos, and blue griffins, plus other exotic creations that were unfamiliar to him.
Incredulous, he dismounted, his hands trembling on the reins. He strode swiftly through the same knee-high gladioli and frangipani, and the same beds of pale blue tulips with long crystal stamens that grew in the First Heaven near the second gate.
Slowly Lucifer pushed the gate open. It was almost twelve feet high and two feet in breadth, carved of solid gold and embedded with rubies and diamonds set in a vast jacinth wall that surrounded the entrance to the inner sanctum of Eden.
He stared transfixed towards the farthest corner of the hanging gardens. Two trees stood there, almost wholly enveloped by constantly swirling white mists, their fruit glistening gold in the
Michael stared at him gravely.
‘Yes, yes.’ Lucifer stepped down from the chariot and strode towards Michael. ‘I am late, brother!’ He bowed and kissed Michael in affection. ‘Forgive me.’ Lucifer swirled around dramatically. ‘So . . . this is what all the furore in heaven is about!’ He knelt and picked up a handful of earth, letting the fresh dirt slip through his fingers. ‘As I surmised,’ he said disdainfully, surveying the stark brown terrain of Earth’s surface. ‘It has absolutely no exonerating features.’
He lifted his arms to the heavens. ‘Ponder on Gardesia, where the volcanoes spew molten gold. Or Seraphia, where the grains of sand are rosy pearls and the thousand pale lilac moons exude their lights.’ He sighed deeply as he strode over newly budding shoots of emerald grass beneath his feet. ‘Think of Eden , where the meadows are bulrushes of golden hues and the rain forests are laden with the elixir of life.’
Michael narrowed his eyes. ‘Be not so easily disappointed, Lucifer. I have a surprise that will hearten your conceptions of this small, new world.’
‘Michael, even if it was a veritable Eden it would be hard pressed to win my favour.’ Lucifer sighed deeply.
Michael clasped Lucifer’s shoulders, suddenly earnest. ‘But you see, dear brother . . . ’ he stared at Lucifer in sheer exhilaration, ‘it is Eden!’
Michael mounted one of his stallions and sped over the lush green meadows towards the eastern side of Planet Earth, followed by Lucifer astride one of the horses from his chariot. As they neared the entrance to Earth’s Eden, Michael drew in his reins, staring in awe at the sight before them, his face shining.
Lucifer came to a halt, silent, staring out towards the two enormous pearl gates towering in the distance. He struggled to disregard the appalling premonition that beyond the gates lay a precise reproduction of the Hanging Gardens of Eden and the great Waters of Eden that would drop a full mile down into the Eternal Fountains.
‘The Race of Men are truly beloved of our Father.’ Michael stared ahead in wonder. ‘He has replicated Eden for them.’
Lucifer flinched, then stared grimly ahead, pulling on his stallion’s reins. He raced his horse across the golden bulrush meadows, on through the lush rain forests, the same heavy elixir-laden undergrowth as in the First Heaven drenching him as he rode. Then his eyes locked on the incredible vista before him.
The monumental Waterfalls of Nectar thundered a hundred leagues down, reflecting the changing rainbow hues of Eden’s horizon. Lined by ancient willows, its hallowed streams flowed north, south, east, and west out of the lush, tropical celestial gardens, watering Earth. The same unicorns and oryx that grazed in the fields of the angelic Eden were grazing in the Eden of Earth. Lucifer recognized birds of paradise, rainbow-hued flamingos, and blue griffins, plus other exotic creations that were unfamiliar to him.
Incredulous, he dismounted, his hands trembling on the reins. He strode swiftly through the same knee-high gladioli and frangipani, and the same beds of pale blue tulips with long crystal stamens that grew in the First Heaven near the second gate.
Slowly Lucifer pushed the gate open. It was almost twelve feet high and two feet in breadth, carved of solid gold and embedded with rubies and diamonds set in a vast jacinth wall that surrounded the entrance to the inner sanctum of Eden.
He stared transfixed towards the farthest corner of the hanging gardens. Two trees stood there, almost wholly enveloped by constantly swirling white mists, their fruit glistening gold in the
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