CHAPTER 3 – The Myriad

Magnificent. That was the only word Ariel could use to describe his home. The structure was made of pure crystal that, amazingly, was not reflective or translucent. It simply glimmered like solid water. The floor was made of white marble tiling. Angels did not need to sleep or even rest, but a living quarters provided a secluded place where one could unwind and engage in thought or discussion. To Ariel’s surprise, there was a small library along one of the walls. It was lined with books on various topics, such as the plant life of heaven, maps, laws, and regulations, as well as other subjects that an angel would find helpful in his every day activities.

The meeting on the Mount had ended in mass celebration and fanfare. Like him, all the other angels had left to go to their living quarters. Ariel’s was located on the east side and almost at the summit of a crystal tower. The rooms were sparingly furnished and had a lot of space, yet he found that there was everything there that he needed. There were couches, chairs, a table, and a storage drawer. Ariel sat back on one of the couches and looked up at the ceiling. So this was meant to relax, he thought to himself.

As he reclined on the couch, the events of the day ran through his mind. He thought of the little creature he and his friends had encountered. The Myriad had disappeared, but he was sure that it must have gone into the mountain through the small opening they had found. Ariel felt quite convinced that the strange mountain was somehow hollow. Perhaps it was the home of the Myriad. There were reasonably many mysteries in heaven. It would be a very long time before he would learn most of them.

The Myriad was an intelligent being. In fact, it was even indignant at being called a ‘little creature’. It seemed that Gaius had unintentionally hurt Myriad’s feelings. Ariel smiled now as he remembered the pouting look on Myriad’s cute little face before it took off. A thought suddenly came to Ariel. Yahweh had said that if anyone of them had any questions, they could consult Him or Lucifer. Approaching Yahweh with what could very well be a trite matter may not be the best idea, but perhaps Lucifer would indulge his request. He may perhaps know more about the Myriads and the strange mountain where they seem to live.

A firm rap on the front door brought Ariel out of his thoughts. He got up off the couch with a sigh and opened the door. Gaius and Joel were standing in the doorway.

Ariel gave a welcoming smile. ‘Let me guess,’ Ariel teased, ‘you did not like your quarters? Joel, yours was too cheery and Gaius, yours was too small?’

‘No,’ said Gaius as he and Joel stepped in, ‘we just wanted to make sure that you were not getting into trouble again.’

Ariel smirked. ‘Ah, yes, I’m touched.’

‘We are now your official guardians,’ Gaius joked, ‘we would not want anything to happen to our most accident-prone friend.’

‘Speaking of accident,’ said Ariel, ‘where is Alden?’

Gaius took a chair and reclined in it. ‘Oh, he should be here any moment now.’

There was a knock on the door.

‘That should be him now,’ Joel said blandly.

Ariel opened the door, and there stood the lanky angel with a bowl of fruit in his hand and a grin on his face. ‘Room for one more?’

‘Sure,’ Ariel gestured for him to enter, ‘I especially like having guests who bring over food. What are those, by the way?’

Alden placed the bowl on the table. ‘Well, there is this one called frodo and this one called Melin and this I got from a manna tree.’

Gaius sat upright. ‘Manna? I love it. The texture and taste are simply amazing.’

Alden smiled. ‘I thought you would like it.’

Joel made a face. ‘Hmm. I don’t particularly like it. It’s too sweet for my taste.’

Alden raised his index finger. ‘Ah, yes,’ he said as he took up a dark green fruit whose skin was rather lumpy. ‘I brought this for you, Joel. Its tangy taste should be to your liking.’

Joel nodded his approval and took the fruit. The aroma that came from the fruit as he bit into it made Ariel have to squint his eyes.

‘How can you eat that thing, Joel?’ he asked as he wiped his watering eyes.

‘It is rather refreshing,’ Joel replied. ‘It leaves the tongue very clean.’

Gaius swallowed a mouthful of manna. ‘Joel, you are a strange one.’

‘I have a proposal,’ Ariel suddenly interjected.

‘This should be good,’ said Joel absentmindedly.

‘I have been thinking,’ Ariel said. ‘How about we consult Lucifer about the Myriads? He should know something about them.’

Joel shook his head. ‘You are jesting, right?’

Yahweh, did say we could make requests,’ Ariel replied. ‘So we go to Lucifer and ask him about the Myriads.’

Alden seemed to pale. ‘I have seen his eyes. They are dreadful and yet beautiful. I do not know if I could hold my composer before him much more to ask him anything.’

‘I would not look forward to such an encounter myself,’ Gaius remarked, ‘but then again I would love to see those jewels on his robes close up.’

Ariel placed a hand on Joel’s shoulders. ‘Come now Joel, are you not curious to find out what the little angels are all about?’

‘What is so important about them?’ Joel asked passively.

Ariel’s mouth stretched into a smile. ‘That is just it. I do not know for sure but I think that whatever is hidden and not clearly in sight must be something extraordinary.’

‘Very well then,’ Joel conceded, ‘we will go if only to satisfy your curiosity.’

‘Good,’ said Gaius, ‘it is settled then. We will go to see Lucifer on the matter. He must be very wise for Yahweh to actually refer us to him.’

‘Yes,’ Ariel replied, ‘I am sure he must be.’

At the center of the Great City, the temple stood like a glimmering jewel. Its walls of precious stones, marble columns, stairs, and porticos seemed to beckon all to come, see, and enjoy the splendors of worship and fellowship. Water fountains and enchanted gardens adorned the grounds of the temple. Yahweh’s Shekinah glory lit up everything in an ebullient glow.

All was quiet when Ariel, Gaius, Joel and Alden touched down on the temple portico. As they entered the inner sanctum, they were greeted by a few other angels who were passing by. On their way to the throne room, they passed by the sacred ark. Two cherubim stood unflinchingly at both ends of the ark, their wings outstretched to each other and covering the top of the sacred and mysterious box.

At the entrance of the throne room, there were two guardian cherubim on either side of the entrance. In between them was a flaming blade that spun in circles.

‘We are here to speak with Lucifer,’ Ariel told the guards.

The cherub’s eyes lit up with golden flames, then went back to a golden glow. One of them spoke. ‘Very well, the covering cherub bids you to enter.’

The flaming sword suddenly vanished, and Ariel and his friends passed through. After walking down a short corridor, they came into the wide, open area of the throne room. The entire chamber was made of gold that was so pure that it reflected like a mirror. Before the throne, the ever-present seven spirits stood stalwartly and statuesque. Beside them were two alters, with the smoke of incense rising from them. At the end of the chamber, Lucifer stood behind the throne, his immense wings arching over and covering Yahweh. As the covering Cherub this was one of Lucifer’s duties. He was to shield Yahweh’s Shekinah glory.

Lucifer looked out at the angels with calm sobriety. His eyes pulsed with inner wisdom that seemed to survey everyone and everything, weighing, balancing, analyzing, and surmising.

‘Greetings, fellow angels,’ he addressed them, ‘I assume you are here with a question.’

‘Yes, Sire,’ Ariel replied.

‘Go on,’ Lucifer said.

Yahweh, though hidden under Lucifer’s wings, emanated light that refracted off Lucifer’s jewels with resplendent beauty. Ariel was almost speechless at the sight. ‘Sire, we went to a White Mountain where we saw a being that called itself a Myriad. I have reason to believe that this creature and his kind live inside the mountain. We were hoping you would be able to tell us of these creatures significance.’

Lucifer gave a warm, though somewhat amused, smile. ‘They are a proud lot. They would not take kindly to being called creatures.’

‘That much we know,’ Joel commented under his breath.

Gaius gave him a slight jab in the rib, reminding him to be respectful.

Lucifer gave a sigh of contemplation. ‘Why are you interested in the Myriads? I am sure you realize that they like to be left alone.’

‘I thought all angels were social beings,’ Ariel replied.

Lucifer blinked for a moment, then said, ‘Yes, you are correct. However the Myriads serve a very special purpose and they are quite business-like about it.’

‘What can those little litters do?’ Gaius chuckled.

‘The Myriads are crafts builders,’ Lucifer responded.

‘But they are so small,’ Alden intoned.

‘Do not misjudge them because of their size;’ Lucifer put in, ‘they are quite industrious. They live inside the White Mountain, the seclusion gives them the privacy and lack of distraction they need to do their work.’

‘Yahweh said that we could study creation and learn of him,’ Joel said, ‘what do the Myriad teach us of Yahweh?’

‘Very good question,’ Lucifer answered. ‘The Myriads represent Yahweh’s wisdom and sense of order. He created the Myriads very tiny, but by working together in units, they are able to accomplish almost any task. They have unity, order, and cooperation. These are characteristics that Yahweh prizes.’

‘Fascinating,’ said Ariel, ‘thank you for insightful words, Sire’

‘Indeed,’ Lucifer replied. ‘In time, you will learn of Yahweh’s other attributes. In learning them, you will come to a fuller understanding of your relationship with him and of your purpose in creation. I do look forward to teaching you. Please feel free to return anytime you feel you need clarification on a matter.’

Moments later, Ariel, Gaius, Joel and Alden reverently and quietly left the temple. As soon as they reached outside in the portico, Alden broke the silence. ‘What an experience,’ he chimed, ‘he was so eloquent and knowledgeable.’

Ariel nodded, ‘It was almost like we were hearing from Yahweh himself. It is clear that Yahweh has imbued him with great wisdom.’

‘I’ll bet he knows a lot of secrets,’ Alden put in.

Gaius suddenly stopped. ‘Why did you not ask Lucifer how we could get inside the mountain?’ he said to Ariel.

‘I did not have to,’ Ariel replied. ‘He said that the Myriads were crafts angels.’

‘So?’ Gaius blurted.

‘So,’ Ariel answered, ‘that means that whatever they make has to be taken out of the mountain at some point. Thus, there must be an exit by which they are taken out.’

‘But even so how could we find that exit?’ Gaius reasoned.

‘At the base of the mountain perhaps,’ Joel mused.

‘Exactly,’ Ariel confirmed. ‘At the base of the mountain, there is a spring that feeds a tributary river. I am guessing that an entrance would be in that area, as the spring itself must originate from inside the Mountain.’

‘Sounds plausible,’ said Alden as he rubbed his hands through his tussled yellow hair.

‘Then what are we waiting for?’ Gaius almost hollered. ‘Let us get going.’

‘You are brilliant!’ Gaius cheered and slapped Ariel on the back. ‘We actually found it.’

Ariel and Gaius were leading the way, while the others followed close behind. They had just entered a cave-like opening at the base of the White Mountain. A shallow stream exited the entrance, which flowed from a spring that was further ahead. Inside the cave was not dark, as the light of heaven seemed to penetrate even hidden places.

‘Let us continue walking,’ said Ariel, ‘Hopefully we will soon be in the heart of the Mountain.’

‘What do you think we will find?’ Gaius mused.

‘A bunch of very vexed Myriads is my guess,’ Joel responded.

The angels continued walking along what was a widening passage. They would soon pass the spring, which did not come out of the ground but actually from out of the wall of the mountain. Moments later, they realized that the ground and the walls were getting smoother and taking on a sense of design. The passage was now lined with marble tiling of different colors. There were columns and posts from which hung swirling orbs of light. There were faint sounds of activity, and then the passage came to an abrupt end.

The passage exited into a huge cavern whose top reached upwards forever. Almost everywhere, twinkling like fireflies, the Myriads moved to and fro. Some of them were busy making objects, working in groups, their tiny hands wielding even smaller tools. There were others who lifted the objects and placed them in a stockpile where others would scrutinize the work done as though looking for any flaws.

The four angels stood there for moments, watching with speechless fascination at the efficiency that was before their eyes.

Gaius was the first to break the silence. ‘Incredible,’ he breathed out.

Suddenly all the Myriads ceased all their activities and stared at the angels with sheer surprise, as though they had been caught doing something incorrect.

Just then, the silent stalemate was broken by a sharp little voice.

‘It is you again? And now you’ve brought another one!’

Ariel looked down and saw a Myriad at his feet with his hands akimbo at his sides and an exasperated expression on his face. He was obviously not pleased.

‘What are you doing in here?’ the Myriad barked, ‘and how did you know how to get in?’

Gaius was about to protest, but Ariel gestured to him to reconsider. Ariel knelt down before the Myriad and said, ‘My name is Ariel. You are the Myriad we saw on the Mountain, am I correct?’

‘I am he?’ The Myriad replied defiantly. ‘And you have no business being in here.’ The Myriad then turned to the other little angels. ‘What are you all gawking at? Get back to work. We have a schedule to meet!’

‘May I ask what you are making?’ Ariel asked.

The Myriad removed his red cap and threw it to the ground. He had a mop of tussled red hair. ‘Question, questions, questions! That is why we like our privacy. We don’t have time to answer questions. We are here to work, work, work.’

Gaius stifled a laugh.

The Myriad fixed him a hard stare. ‘What do you find so funny? Know that I am not impressed by your size.’

Ariel gave an amiable smile. ‘You must be in charge of all of this. You have quite an important job. I am sure they could not get anything done without your supervision.’

The Myriad broke into a smile. ‘I like you. I would not normally do this but in your case I will make an exception. Follow me.’

The Myriad took them to an adjoining chamber and told them to have a seat.

Gaius tapped Ariel on the shoulder and whispered, ‘Nice going.’

‘All they need is a little respect, my friend,’ Ariel whispered back.

As Ariel took a seat he realized that the chairs that were in his living quarters was actually built by the Myriads. ‘You built these chairs?’ he asked as he ran his hand along the smooth finish.

‘That and many other things,’ the Myriad answered. ‘By the way, my name is Dextor. I am in charge of production.’

Dextor pointed to an assembly of wooden frames that were scattered on a table in a corner of the chamber. ‘Right now, we are making these.’

‘What are they?’ Ariel asked as he took up one of the wooden frames in his hand.

‘Musical instruments,’ Dextor proudly announced.

‘These things make music?’ said Joel incredulously.

‘Yes indeed,’ Dextor replied, ‘all you have to do is learn the principles of how it works.’

Gaius took a closer look at the carved work that was fitted with strings of different lengths. ‘Can you show us how it works?’

Dextor raised an index finger and wagged it. ‘Sorry. That I cannot do. We only build them; we do not teach their use.’

‘Could we take one?’

At that statement Dextor’s face turned red. ‘Are you serious? I cannot do that. It would be an infringement of the rules. You have already infringed on the rules by being here. Giving you your instruments before the proper time would be the last straw.’

Ariel picked up Dextor and placed him in the palm of his hand, where the little angel glowed an ethereal yellow. ‘I am sorry if we intruded, Dextor. We were just curious to see what you were about.’

‘Consider it forgotten,’ was Dextor’s reply, ‘just promise that none of you will let what you have seen become public knowledge.’

‘You have our word,’ Ariel assured, and the others nodded in agreement.

‘Good,’ said Dextor, ‘now I must ask you, Ariel, to leave so I can go back to my duties.’

‘I know. You have a schedule to keep.’

‘Yes,’ the Myriad chirped, ‘work, work, work.’