And if the government happened to decline?
The Cardinal was already moving the pieces in place and the alternative was much less… gentle. It would change the way the Asian superpower was viewed in the eyes of the rest of the world. Twist the evidence and time its reveal well enough and the Federation would appear to have become a threat to the sovereignty of everyone else, a problem that needed to be dealt with.
Certainly, that was not something its leaders would risk… unless they were prepared for the consequences.
Gabriel, who had his glamor on, reclined back in the plush sofa in the backroom of the Cardinal’s office. He closed his eyes as he listened to Jaoel give out instructions to the team monitoring the intel coming in from the spying software. Just as promised, it had kicked in yesterday aftersome final checks, though the data was still insufficient for the Empire to take the next step.
Gabriel sifted through the reports from his field agents. He did so in his mind, concluding that the dirty trick the Cardinal was planning to pull wouldn’t faze the American Federation’s government. So it made sense the Empire was targeting Asia, and not just because it was close geographically.
The massive domain of the Americas spanned two continents, comprising a nation of fools who liked to meddle and impose their silly values on the rest of the world. If Gabriel was to be blunt, it was similar to what the Church was trying to do. This in turn made the American Federation into the Empire’s biggest competitor, because if not for them stepping in, the Empire’s Second Inquisition wouldn’t have stopped with the conquest of Europe; it would’ve continued beyond, allowing for Asia to be rightfully assimilated into God’s Holy lands.
The abrupt end of WW3 four years ago, precisely because of the American Federation stepping in, was annoying, but ultimately, it only bought the rest of the world so much time. It was just a temporary setback. Just like the Empire, the Asian Federation had suffered a great deal of destruction trying to defend East Europe and its own borders, and while its infrastructure had partially recovered, the process was gradual and expensive. It required time, which Asia didn’t have, so when the Empire put forth its demands, the government would have no choice but to accept them unless it was willing to risk a war its country couldn’t afford.
Gabriel opened his eyes and watched Jaoel meander from one tech engineer to another, checking whatever stats were coming in on their computers. He stopped bythe window after a quick chat with the supervisor and gazed out at the gardens below. From where Gabriel was sitting, he could see they bloomed in full inside their glass cage despite the low temperatures of early March.
“Jaoel.”
“Yes?” The angel’s platinum blond head turned in the direction of Gabriel’s voice, his blue eyes narrowing. Just like Gabriel, he was glamored too, hiding his wings and angelic features so he would appear human.
“Have my orders been relayed?”
Jaoel crossed his arms behind his back, straightening his posture. “Yes, Gabriel. The monitoring team knows what to do.”
Gabriel smiled, waving the other angel off. Teresa, the agent stationed in Eastern-Pacific Asia, had proved she was as capable as the Cardinal had boasted. The way she’d spoken when Gabriel had called her over six months ago had been confident, her reassurances well-justified. Perhaps he ought to pay her a visit sometime soon to congratulate her personally about her achievements.
The wooden door creaked open just as Gabriel made that decision, the Cardinal walking in only after Jaoel had invited him into his own office.
“Your Graces,” the man greeted them, bowing his head respectfully before he turned his attention to the tech team. “Have we come across anything yet?”
“No, not yet Cardinal. Mostly comms about foreign policy changes and the upcoming elections,” the supervisor answered.
“Ah, well, I’m sure we’ll have something before long.” The Cardinal chuckled, his eyes back on Gabriel.
“I expect you will inform me as soon as that’s the case, Cardinal,” Gabriel said, making it abundantly clear via his tone that he preferred it to be sooner than later.
“Of course.”
“Then my visit here is concluded. Jaoel, see to it that our transport is ready in an hour,” he instructed, making no move to stand up just yet.
Doing as ordered, Jaoel had the passage to the Holy Realm ready as per Gabriel’s request. Once they were back, Gabriel headed straight for God’s throne room so he could deliver his updates. When he finished reporting, he asked for permission to appear before Teresa, God granting it along with the approval Gabriel required for the perk he planned to offer the woman.
A change of clothes later, Gabriel tucked the unblessed cross necklace in the pocket of his breeches and headed toward the living quarters in the Northern part of the Heavenly Palace. It felt right to be back in God’s realm, surrounded by gold and white and never-setting sun. Cloudstring carpets lined the corridors under his bare feet, smooth and fluffy enough so one could sleep comfortably on them. The tall windows were all glassless, letting in birds and angels alike, and he stopped by one of them, leaning on the marble balustrade to gaze into the massive inner garden.
Jaoel’s quarters were visible from here, the angel himself just now coming out. He’d discarded his human garments and glamor in lieu of the white robes all angels wore in God’s domain, his wings fluttering and stretching above his head as he made his way to the small fountain by the sun-touched trees. He paused, marveling at the scenery, then sat on the bench in front of it and stared at the sky where a flock of golden swallows rode the windcurrents. A few of them separated from the rest and Gabriel focused on those, watching them land on the edge of the fountain to drink from its sweet water before they took flight again.
Aside from one, perhaps a youngster, which stayed behind ruffling its feathers for a while, then hopped over to the bench where Jaoel was sitting. The angel noticed it, though not immediately, his brilliant eyes crinkling in the corners as he reached to pet it with his hand.
The swallow was confused, hesitant to approach. Gabriel sensed it, just like the fear coursing through it as it screeched in warning, took a step back,bristled, and then darted away. Jaoel smiled, then frowned, closing his eyes as he grabbed onto the edge of the marble bench and leaned back to expose his chest to the sun.
Gabriel pushed off the banister, spreading his wings as he leaped into the air. He hovered in the sky, careful not to cast his shadow on the unsuspecting angel, observing and reaching out with his senses to the little swallow. He picked on fear and apprehension.
Birds were one of the few creatures that inhabited the Lord’s Realm, accepted into it as guardians to ward off any evils that dared pass through the Gates of Heaven. They often detected unrest too and could tell if someone was stressed or harbored impure thoughts.
Gabriel landed soundlessly behind Jaoel. He couldn’t sense whatever the bird had sensed, but he knew that even if the angel had fully recovered physically, soul injuries took much longer to heal.
“Your audience with God finished already?” Jaoel asked, not opening his eyes.
Gabriel ambled over to the bench, cupping Jaoel’s head with both hands so he could tilt itback a little further. He rubbed his thumbs in circles across Jaoel’s temples, feeling tension gradually leave the angel. “Jaoel. You should rest more.”
