0J

0J

Bat-El gnawed away at the problem of creating a living avatar for eight hundred years following the Great Deluge. She used animals similar to humans to guide her inquiries, before arriving at a procedure that could reliably prepare a world-dweller for something akin to union with an eloah.

When all was in readiness Bat-El flew her avatar to the city of Salem far in the west of the lands held by the Adanites along the narrown unfrozen ribbon that circled the girth of Kemen.

Outside of Salem's stone walls the angels of the city rejoiced over a record harvest. But as the celebration of Hellberry Days reached a fevered pace something the size of an engine of war descended on blue flame heralded only by a terrifying roar that scattered the crowd.

The first Salemite to return to the pavilion was not a soldier of the warrior caste nor one of the elders of the council, but a mere child. Yet this dirk proved more valiant than the adult angels who ran away. Curiosity had overcome his fear, and it so happened that Bat-El was selecting for curiosity.

The blast of the descent uprooted the fabric of the pavilion tent and blew it far away. The young lan stood his ground, albeit at some distance. He was curious about the object, but not eager to be burned. A loud voice then rang out from the avatar of Bat-El:

Bat-El said, "Adanite child, if you are willing, draw nearer."

The dirk obeyed. He saw how by resting on six legs the avatar of Bat-El remained shoulder high above the ground. Underneath the central pillar a round hatch dropped open on a hinge and inside this hatch were steps.

Bat-El said, "If it seems good to you, child, come inside."

The dirk squeezed between two of the six white legs to look inside the hatch. The central pillar was hollow. There was much light within, and also many ribs embedded in the interior wall forming circular edges to be grasped. As the dirk crawled inside the central core the voice requested his name.

"I am Michael, son of Jophiel the glassblower," he said, and noted how the hatch below closed of its own accord. He climbed until the core flared out into a larger space with cushions and windows. Looking outside from there, the dirk saw only a handful of elyonim daring to draw near.