RETURN
He made a mistake. A terrible mistake for which he now pays with his own blood. As he felt the life flowing ever so slowly from his frail body, he tried to think back to what had happened and where the error began, and forward to where the tragic failure will culminate.
It was the fortieth day after the rains had stopped. Master Noah had so much faith in him, as did he in himself. He will go find land. Land for the masters and land for all the others, but most of all, land for himself and his beloved. How he craved for a proper nest! He did not want his sons and daughters to come to the world in that place. to have no space to stretch their wings, to be fed by other hands like common pets. He himself had barely suffered the indignity. But still he felt grateful towards Master Noah, for his generosity and kindness.
He must not fail. He will not fail!
"You will not fail."
His beloved had the most beautiful voice. In that voice he always found what he most needed at any time and under any circumstance. She looked deep into his eyes now, her gaze unwavering and filled with confidence in him.
"You will come back to me."
"Yes I will come back to you," he told her. "I will find a new home for us. One where we will always be free."
Stroke of silky black feathers. the softest, most loving touch.
"Are you ready, my friend?" Master Noah had come for him at last. "Will you do this for all of us?"
He had looked then into Master Noah's eyes, trying to read the thoughts behind the depths of more than six hundred years. He saw hope there, and an infinite faith in something larger than the two of them could imagine. It was enough for him.
He perched on the master's aged shoulder, and did not look back to his beloved even once as he was borne away. He will not look at her until he had kept his promise.
It seemed to him the longest journey of his life as Master Noah walked through the great Ark. He walked past all the others, as if displaying to them the great black aeronaut that held all of their hopes. He could feel their eyes and their minds weighing heavily on him.
At last they came to a window. Master Noah's hand trembled as he reached for the latch. He sensed rather than saw the tears start to fall from the old man's eyes.
"Now we will see," the master whispered sorrowfully, "the destruction that our failures have wrought." And he threw open the window to the new world.
Ahh. the light! The blinding purity of the light of day and the blue of a new sky, the ineffable freshness of clean air and strong wind! No bliss could possibly begin to compare.
But there was nothing but water. An infinite ocean stretched out before our eyes, our deep blue prison.
"We are bonded, you and I," Master Noah murmured tearfully into his ear, "We, the first witnesses of God's wrath."
The trembling, withered fingers stroked his black silk feathers.
"Now you will go and bring us new hope and new life," the aging voice gained strength with every word. "And you will be the first witness to His mercy."
He took one last look into those wizened eyes, gave one last declaration of his vow.
"Fly! Fly far and return! Return to us!"
He could never forget those words. Even as he soared as he had never soared before, even as he screamed at the rupture of the open sky's freedom, the words rang in his ears. Even now as he lay dying, those are the words that follow him into the darkness.
He made a mistake. A terrible mistake for which he now pays with his own blood. As he felt the life flowing ever so slowly from his frail body, he tried to think back to what had happened and where the error began, and forward to where the tragic failure will culminate.
It was the fortieth day after the rains had stopped. Master Noah had so much faith in him, as did he in himself. He will go find land. Land for the masters and land for all the others, but most of all, land for himself and his beloved. How he craved for a proper nest! He did not want his sons and daughters to come to the world in that place. to have no space to stretch their wings, to be fed by other hands like common pets. He himself had barely suffered the indignity. But still he felt grateful towards Master Noah, for his generosity and kindness.
He must not fail. He will not fail!
"You will not fail."
His beloved had the most beautiful voice. In that voice he always found what he most needed at any time and under any circumstance. She looked deep into his eyes now, her gaze unwavering and filled with confidence in him.
"You will come back to me."
"Yes I will come back to you," he told her. "I will find a new home for us. One where we will always be free."
Stroke of silky black feathers. the softest, most loving touch.
"Are you ready, my friend?" Master Noah had come for him at last. "Will you do this for all of us?"
He had looked then into Master Noah's eyes, trying to read the thoughts behind the depths of more than six hundred years. He saw hope there, and an infinite faith in something larger than the two of them could imagine. It was enough for him.
He perched on the master's aged shoulder, and did not look back to his beloved even once as he was borne away. He will not look at her until he had kept his promise.
It seemed to him the longest journey of his life as Master Noah walked through the great Ark. He walked past all the others, as if displaying to them the great black aeronaut that held all of their hopes. He could feel their eyes and their minds weighing heavily on him.
At last they came to a window. Master Noah's hand trembled as he reached for the latch. He sensed rather than saw the tears start to fall from the old man's eyes.
"Now we will see," the master whispered sorrowfully, "the destruction that our failures have wrought." And he threw open the window to the new world.
Ahh. the light! The blinding purity of the light of day and the blue of a new sky, the ineffable freshness of clean air and strong wind! No bliss could possibly begin to compare.
But there was nothing but water. An infinite ocean stretched out before our eyes, our deep blue prison.
"We are bonded, you and I," Master Noah murmured tearfully into his ear, "We, the first witnesses of God's wrath."
The trembling, withered fingers stroked his black silk feathers.
"Now you will go and bring us new hope and new life," the aging voice gained strength with every word. "And you will be the first witness to His mercy."
He took one last look into those wizened eyes, gave one last declaration of his vow.
"Fly! Fly far and return! Return to us!"
He could never forget those words. Even as he soared as he had never soared before, even as he screamed at the rupture of the open sky's freedom, the words rang in his ears. Even now as he lay dying, those are the words that follow him into the darkness.