"Go on and what? Draw the moral? That the life of puppets is no life at all?"
- Elaine Belloc, Lucifer by Mike Carey ("The Yahweh Dance")
Wait and See
The first steps are easy.
He returns a human soul to its body; so small a thing, like a fleck of dust in the grand scale of creation. Death hardly blinks at the presumption; duties which Lucifer had kept him from are already calling him in haste to other, far-flung corners of the universe.
Eventually, in one year or in forty, Heaven will reclaim Bobby Singer - but not this time, Castiel tells himself. Not yet.
That is his gift to Dean.
In the living room of a house in Pontiac, Illinois, a couple and their young daughter watch television, laughing and joking, unaware of the existence of angels.
From rude elements, fistfuls of gases and the raw, burning streak of power now running through him, Castiel fashions a physical form for himself. He considers a sort of tribute to the brothers and sisters he's killed, but then dismisses the idea as foolishly sentimental, settling finally on the appearance that he is most familiar with. Surely Jimmy, if Castiel were to ask his permission, would not mind?
No angel before has ever done this - walked the Earth without a vessel, in a body wholly his own - not even Gabriel. Only Death, the rest of the Horsemen, and Yahweh himself. A terrifying thought.
Castiel draws his name above the Novaks' front door. The symbols glow brightly for a second before they disappear, the substance of his not-human veins flowing into the bricks and mortar, announcing his connection to this family. A ward and a warning; they will always have his protection.
That was the promise he gave to Jimmy.
Someone is waiting for him on the outskirts of Heaven: the last remaining archangel, with Michael and Lucifer now making Hell their battleground. There is a kind of symmetry to that, Castiel thinks, steeling himself for a fight. They will be more evenly matched this time.
The only movement Raphael makes as Castiel lands right in front of him is to cross his arms. 'I hope you're pleased with what you've gone and done,' the archangel says, more bitter than angry.
'Michael is gone, the prophets have all suddenly become silent, the Host are directionless and on the brink of revolt. Some of the seraphim are openly discussing forsaking their grace and becoming human! It cannot continue, Castiel. What are you going to do about this?'
The first steps are easy - whether it's the casual granting of a life, or taking away the memories of the last two years. The hard part is knowing when to stop. How many could he save with all that power? How many could he destroy? Perhaps already he has crossed over a line.
Or maybe all God wants is for them to knuckle under like good soldiers, keep faith, and obey once again...
Screw that, thinks Castiel, relishing the blunt obscenity. You chose Team Free Will, Father, now deal with it. Deal with me.
He fixes on Raphael with bright, zealous eyes. 'I don't know yet, brother. Why don't you wait and see?'
THE END
15 May 2010