Chapter Text
It was a very important job.
They’d told Muriel that when they gave it to her.
And it was very nice to be useful. To be on hand whenever one of her superiors needed a particular scroll.
She’d call it up and give it to them. Perhaps answer a question if they needed clarification.
And then off they would go to run Heaven.
So nice to be needed. Useful.
It was just… if only it happened more often.
Sometimes a century or two would go by without anyone stopping in for a scroll. And sometimes they’d brush her aside and collect what they needed without her performing the important task of handing it to them.
She wished she could read the scrolls or watch the recordings of the meetings. Not snooping.
Just to pass the time.
But that would have been breaking the rules.
And it was very important to keep all the rules.
Keeping the rules was the only thing which protected an angel from Falling.
An angel had to be ever vigilant to protect themself from Falling.
And once a Fall started, there was no coming back from it.
It was a nice day when Aziraphale came to speak with her.
About Job. About the destruction of his kids and kids and everything else.
Funny how upset Aziraphale seemed about that. After it had been explained that Job would get new kids and kids and everything else if he was good and didn’t question God.
And who would ever do that?
But Aziraphale kept saying that Job probably liked the kids he already had - the human kids at any rate.
He wasn’t so concerned about the goat kids.
That it wasn’t fair to take away the kids he loved. Even if he got new ones in return. He ought to keep what he already loved. Or have those loved ones returned to him.
What he said… it didn’t sound wrong.
But it must have been wrong. Because God had said the opposite.
Hadn’t They?
Muriel checked and rechecked the scroll before she put it away and couldn’t find any concrete proof that God intended for Job to have new kids rather than his old kids back.
She hoped she’d be able to tell Aziraphale that in time.
But he didn’t come visit her again.
After a few centuries, she began to get a little restless about the whole thing. She wasn’t sure how long Job’s testing was supposed to last, but it seemed like it ought to be over by now. Had anyone decided about the kids yet? The goat ones too. Maybe he liked those kids as well.
And what did a goat did look like properly? She’d seen some animals in the design stages, but not proper running around normal animals.
It would be nice to see animals. Kids and calves and kids and… and whatever else there was, More kinds of kids, perhaps.
She thought about it quite a lot while she waited for someone to want her.
It was a few centuries later that Michael sent a message for Muriel to bring a scroll straight to her desk.
Muriel couldn’t recall the last time she’d been summoned elsewhere in Heaven. Had it ever happened before? It must mean she was valued at her job to be trusted with new transport responsibilities.
Maybe she could see more of Heaven from now on!
She hastened eagerly to Michael’s desk where the Archangel was bent intently over her work. She opened her mouth to –
“Put it there and go,” Michael said before Muriel could say anything. She jabbed a quill at the corner of her desk without ever looking up.
Muriel did as she was told and walked away.
She’d been useful. She’d done an important task. Heaven was running smoother because of her. She should be proud of her contribution. But not TOO proud because that would be a sin.
It was natural that Michael would be busy and wouldn’t have time to talk. Natural that she would need Muriel to complete her task silently and efficiently and depart.
But she had so wanted to ask about the kids.
Maybe that was why her steps went slowly and wavered from the path.
Maybe that was why she found herself standing before the Earth globe.
Such a tiny place. Compared to Heaven. The humans must have been bumping into each other all the time with only those millions of miles to wander.
Not like the vastness of Heaven where an angel could go centuries without seeing anyone.
The humans must have felt so lucky.
She peered closer, trying to scan through the lands for Job and his kids to see if they were new ones or not.
If only she knew what he looked like.
Maybe she could go down and ask someone? It would just be for a minute. Go down, ask the first human she saw about Job and his kids, then come back to Heaven.
No one was likely to need her for a few decades. Surely they wouldn’t mind a quick fact-finding trip.
Just to find out what a kid looked like.
It wouldn’t be wrong, would it? Not Falling wrong. Just a peek. Then back to work without another temptation on the mind ever again.
What would be the harm in one little peek?
A body was a strange thing to get used to.
Feet had to go one after another. One foot had to be on the ground at all times or an angel would fall over. And no wings to catch a tumble.
Just hands. Which bruised easily upon falling.
But they were good for picking things up.
Although concentrating on a whole ten fingers at once - how did humans do it?
Humans really were amazing to hear and see and smell and feel all these things and still manage to function.
It was a little strange how few of them there were. They’d seemed so jam-packed when looking down on them from the map. But now that she was here… wherever here was… she’d seen lots of vegetation people, and a few feather people, but no people-people.
And trees wouldn’t answer her questions no matter how many different ones she asked.
And the body was getting tired from walking! The feet hurt from the ground and the hands hurt from the falling and the middle parts felt very warm from the sun.
And she’d sat upon something that prickled her in tender places.
Why were some parts more tender than others?
This was so confusing that she wanted to cry.
But also… also it was all so amazing.
The wind making the shuffle-shuffle noises through the leaves, and the leaves glowing green when the sun hit them, and the sun so white-brilliant that Muriel couldn’t look straight at it.
Like the Throne. Or so she’d been told. She didn’t rank high enough to ever see the Throne for herself.
But she could see the sun! And be awed in its blinding-ness.
“What are you staring at?” asked a voice behind her.
Muriel didn’t look away from the sky. “The puffy things. They keep changing shape. What are they forming into?”
“Clouds,” the voice supplied. “They come together into bigger and bigger clouds. And then they make rain fall.”
“Oh,” Muriel murmured. “How do they do that?”
The owner of the voice sat on the ground beside her. “It has to do with the sun drawing water from the lakes and into the sky. And then the clouds give it back to the Earth so that the things that need water receive it.”
“How lovely.” Muriel looked at the stranger and smiled tentatively.
It was a human shape. Male. Dark hair. Dark and deep eyes.
And he looked at her. Right at her. Not through her like her superiors did. Really looked and saw her.
Muriel blushed (which was quite a new thing!).
“Is this your first time on Earth?” the human man asked.
Muriel jumped. “Oh, no! I am a typical human female who has been on Earth an appropriate number of days for my apparent age.”
The man nodded seriously. “I understand. Maybe you haven’t gone far from where you began? Maybe there is still much for you to learn?”
“Yes!” Muriel agreed eagerly. “Yes, I am still learning things. I am traveling. To look for someone. I’m looking for Job. Do you know him?”
“Job?” The stranger frowned.
“Yes, you must have heard about him. He had many kids and kids and other things. But they were taken away so his faith would be tested. And then he was to get new kids and kids and things if he passed the test. I wondered…” She blushed again.
“Go on,” said the stranger encouragingly.
“Oh, well… It isn’t my place. I’m only supposed to distribute the information if the Archangels… I mean my human superiors… need it. I’m not supposed to know what is in the information.”
The stranger nodded gently. “But there is something you wanted to know?”
“Yes! You see Aziraphale said… He said Job wouldn’t want new kids. He’d want his old kids back. But the Archangels said God said he was to get new kids. But I couldn’t find evidence of that. And I wondered if it was true or not. And if Job had ever gotten any kids again. And if they were his old kids or his new kids.”
“You’d have to ask Crawly about that,” the stranger said. “He handled the Job business, not me.”
“Oh.” Muriel deflated. “Maybe you know where Job lives? So I could see for myself?”
“That was hundreds of years ago.”
“Yes? Is he still being tested?”
“He’s dead. Humans don’t live for hundreds of years. Anymore, that is. They used to live for centuries, but that was threatening to overcrowd the planet if they kept on with nine-hundred-year lifespans.”
Muriel shuddered. “Oh… I… I didn’t know I had to hurry. I’m sorry I wasted your time.” She scrambled to her feet.
The stranger watched her without moving. “Is that the only thing you were curious about?”
Muriel hesitated. She did need to get back. She wasn’t sure how long she’d been gone, and although she was fairly certain it hadn’t been centuries, it had already been longer than she’d intended. But still… “No. I… I wanted to see a kid.”
“The goat kind or the human kind?”
“Both! I mean… of course I know what the human kind looks like. Being a human myself. But maybe they are different in this place than in other places.”
“They are,” the stranger agreed. “There are humans of all types on Earth. Their children aren’t alike just as the people aren’t all alike. They have many different customs and mannerisms. Would you like to see them?”
“Yes!” Muriel exclaimed, then checked herself. “But I should go back.”
The stranger nodded. “I understand. But if you have just a little more time, I might show you at least one type of kid. Would you like that?”
“I would. If it won’t take too long.”
“Not at all.” The stranger rose gracefully. “We can look for a day, a year, a century. However long you feel you have time to spare.”
“Oh! You are so kind!” Muriel sprang toward him… and tripped over her feet which had both wanted to be the one to step forward first.
The stranger caught her before she could hit her head. “Is this your first time in a corporation?”
“Yes!” Muriel confessed. “It’s so confusing. I fall over so much. And I get lost just looking at things.”
“It’s understandable. May I give you something to help keep you safe?”
From a sleeve the stranger drew out a short length of leather and another longer cord.
“What’s that?” Muriel asked curiously.
“This is a collar,” the stranger explained. “I put it around your neck like so…”
Muriel extended her neck and held still as the collar was clicked into place.
“Then I attach the leash like this…” The stranger suited word to action, holding the other end of the leash curled around one fist. “Now I can keep track of you while we travel, and you won’t get lost from me.”
“Oh.” Muriel touched the collar curiously. “Thank you.”
The stranger smiled. He gave the leash a little twitch. “Off we go then.”
Muriel soon realized she’d been wrong.
The world wasn’t tiny even if it wasn’t infinite like Heaven.
It was enormous and varied and endlessly brimming with things to explore.
The stranger took her to a mountaintop to show her the kingdoms of the world. He took her into cities and villages. Farms and camps.
She saw kids with four legs and kids with two legs. And calves and foals and puppies and chicks… and the adult versions of all of those too.
And the stranger said this was just a tiny-tiny fraction of all there was to see.
He was so kind and helpful. He never let go of the leash, which was good because Muriel would have gotten lost or swept away in a crowd a dozen times if not for his firm hand. He taught her how to move her arms and legs without falling over. He caught her so many times when she stumbled, and he never seemed to mind. He just laughed at her apologetic stuttering and continued to help her seek answers to all her questions.
He gave her appropriate clothing to wear since he said her nakedness was not typical among most humans. When her wings threatened to burst out from excitement, he tied a glowing cord around her middle which melted into her corporation and kept her wings restrained. When her halo began to gleam, he took it from her and tucked it away in a pocket of darkness where it wouldn’t give her away.
He took such care of her.
“I know there is more to see,” he said as she leaned against him while they watched humans performing a festival dance in celebration of a good harvest, “but it’s time I was getting back.”
“Oh. Oh, yes of course.” Muriel straightened. “I’m sorry I’ve taken so much of your time.”
“Not at all. I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
Muriel smiled brightly at him. “You’ve been so nice to me. Nicer than… than anyone has been for a long time.” She wiped her eyes, not certain why they’d suddenly grown damp. “But I’m sure it’s time for me to go home.”
The stranger nodded and started walking at a leisurely pace with Muriel at his side. “Absolutely, we’ll go to my home now.”
Muriel faltered. “No, I mean I need to go back to my home.”
The stranger sighed and gave her a regretful look. “I’m afraid you can’t do that.”
“Why not?”
“Because you’ve been captured.”
“I have?” Muriel’s brow wrinkled. “When did that happen?”
“Quite a while again. You’ve been an excellent prisoner so far.”
“Oh. Thank you.” Muriel stepped closer to him. “Could you tell me who captured me?”
“Of course.” The stranger extended his hand and opened a door between two trees where there hadn’t been a door before he’d opened it. “I did. And the rules of being captured say you must come with me to my home now.”
Muriel hesitated at the threshold of the strange, dark opening. “I… I wouldn’t want to disobey the rules…”
The stranger gave her an encouraging smile. “I didn’t think you would.” He twitched the leash. “Come along, Muriel. I must take you where prisoners go.”
Obediently, Muriel followed her captor into the unknown.