The Name Taker
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 12676
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Adrenaline surged in Edgar Hawkings as he made a mad dash for the
stewardess area. The woman spotted him almost immediately, and another
shot rang out, the bullet grazing his leg. Limping only momentarily, Edgar made his new goal the rear emergency door and dove for it as the plane started rolling down the runway. Ducking behind the divider, he scrabbled for the mechanism to release the door's catches, slipping once, then finally getting a good grip on it. There was a forceful rush of air as the cabin depressurized, and Edgar was sent tumbling, falling to the runway and hitting the ground rolling. Amazingly enough, he mustered the strength to struggle back to his feet, and before long he was running, though limping, quickly towards the perimeter of the airfield... I feel like I've been run down by a truck. However, I think that's roughly how you're supposed to feel if you've jumped out of an airplane, even if it was going down the runway at the time. The place where the bullet grazed me stings like hell, too. Scary thing is--and this is the part I still haven't gotten used to--it's nowhere near the amount of punishment I'm able to walk away from. Doesn't mean I get saved the pain, though. I feel it all just like any normal person... Edgar grimmaced in pain as he walked into the SoHo coffee shop he'd managed to limp his bruised form to. Bellying up to the coffee bar, he slumped onto the stool and ordered two bagels, cream cheese, and a capuccino. After spreading the cream cheese onto the bagels, he tore ravenously into them, just barely noticing out of the corner of his eye the man who walked into the shop. The man walked over to him and sat next to him at the coffee bar. He was of impressive stature, dressed in a way that made him look like a throwback to 70's biker films, though not quite so clichéd as that. He had a massive, forked beard, the auburn color of which matched the twin braids of long hair that went down his back. He ordered a coffee, then looked over to Edgar. "Boy, you look like death warmed over" "Thoughtful of you to notice, though save the 'boy' for someone else. That really gets up my nose" "You sure have got some chutzpah, kid. You have a name?" "Edgar Hawkings. You?" "You can call me Donnie," the man said, offering his hand to Edgar. They shook hands, and Edgar continued eating, watching the stranger as he did. Donnie reached into his full length duster and pulled out an old leatherbound book, opening it to a page near the end and getting out a pen. He wrote something in it, and then placed the book back into the pocket of the duster. Edgar's eyes widened in disbelief at seeing this. Scarfing down the last of his second bagel and hastily paying, he made his way towards the door. Donnie spoke just as he was leaving. "Edgar? If you do manage to find your father, give him my regards..." I've just run into about the last person I wanted to meet. And I'm kicking myself for not realizing who it was sooner. "Donnie" there is an angel, like my father, called Donel. Most call him "The Name Taker", and he's of the order of the Serafim. What are the Serafim, then? Well, did you ever read any of those parables in the New Testament that talk about pruning branches from a bush so it can be healthier? These guys are the embodiment of that concept, and they take their duties very seriously. See, under their view, everything that exists has a purpose. Once it stops fulfilling that purpose, or when its purpose is no longer needed, then that thing no longer belongs in the world. The simplest part of this view is the fact that the Serafim have jurisdiction over the ends of all things. Persons, places, objects, you name it. Whenever something breaks, or is destroyed, or dies, a Seraph is there to make sure it goes right. What happens if it doesn't go right, then? Well, then the Serafim take it on themselves to step in and make it right. Ever read in the papers about somebody's mum in the hospital who looked like she was recovering, only to just seize up and die? That's them. That brings me back to Donel. He's about the most dedicated amongst the Serafim. He used to fight alongside my father, but if what I've learned is right then recent events have changed that. There's a very good reason for people to call him "The Name Taker", too. That book of his contains a list of the names of everyone he's ever fought, killed, or planned to, from the beginning of creation. It's a very long and very old book. Donel is, quite frankly, the best there is at what he does. That's probably why I couldn't sense him. Normally, when there's Angels about, I get this horrible throbbing at the base of my skull. With Donel, there was nothing until he took out the book, and then I got the throbbing like crazy... Edgar dug into his pocket as he hailed a cab. He already was running out of American money. He'd have to get somewhere to exchange the rest of his pounds for dollars, and soon...
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The Traveler
9/1/2000 9:14:31 AM
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