Beware the fury of a patient man.


Eric gathered the To-Die lists for himself, Alan, and Wayland The Stage Three Wonder. None of the Reaps were anything that would bother Alan, whose clinical detachment was pretty solid these days. The morning briefing was routine.

Grell was on an upswing, annoying but not murderous. He spotted their low spirits at once and broadcast it loudly with extra drama. Having determined that this was not a lover's quarrel (Oh, poo!), he swept off in search of other entertainment. Alan compared To-Die lists with Wayland, synchronized their watches, noted Wayland's hangover - which would slow his reaction time - and dragged him off to Reap.

Eric brewed a cup of tea to Spears's specifications. He listened at Spear's door, to be sure that Spears wasn't in a meeting or giving some poor screwup a bollocking. He knocked and was bidden to enter. Giving Spears the tea and the vellum, he sat down uninvited and put his head in his hands.

Spears sipped his tea and took up the vellum.

Alan Humphries, you have earned Forgiveness. You are granted three days to conclude all business. We will come for you on the fourth day. Congratulations on your release into a better life.

He had never seen one of these before. Which was only proper. This should have been submitted to the highest levels of Management, couched in the most florid language and covered with seals, stamps and ribbons. From a stack of documents he retrieved the Request For Assistance that Humphries had submitted.

This Request was a description of a human who had been possessed by a Fallen angel, with a list of their crimes and locations-last-seen. It asked that the Reapers inform the appropriate Entities if they spotted the Possessed while on their rounds. All standard Divine boilerplate. Spears compared the Request to the notification Slingby had brought in. The vellum and calligraphy were identical.

This elegant creamy stationery was strictly controlled. Was the Request genuine? Yes. Two pages of vellum had been issued for this Request, which had been crowded onto a single page. The Forgiveness note, however, was bogus. The angel who wrote the Request was also the angel who wrote the note. That angel was plotting to kidnap a Reaper.

...breaking up his best team...
...costing him one of his best mentors...
...which would destroy another...

Eric was slumped in his chair, the very picture of a man about to make a disastrous decision. Déjà vu.

Will had given up all chance of promotion in exchange for the reincarnation of these two reapers. They had repaid him many times over. They would not be taken from him now.

Forgiveness? For a Reaper of less than a century's service? With Humphries' record? Nonsense.

A better life? They had already built their better life. In effect, they had made their own forgiveness. They had a home, they had meaningful work, friends, and above all they had each other. They were happy.

Reapers weren't supposed to be happy.

But could an angel be jealous of a Reaper? Surely not.

Who would benefit?

Demons would have much less competition for souls if Humphries was taken and Slingby devastated by the loss. Eric was death on demons. Alan was a fearsome fighter, with the added advantage that he was often underestimated due to his small stature and previous illness. But no demon would attempt to impersonate an angel to an experienced Reaper. Demons would just gang up for a street snatch. A pool of blood and a torn body left for the crows. No.

The lowest orders of Angels could be narrow-minded, intolerant, and arrogant. Rising above these faults was required for advancement. "We" implied conspiracy. If this were just a prank by some bored under-supervised junior featherheads, it would be a serious breach of the Law. It would also be poking a beehive. Reapers were allowed to resist forcefully if angels attempted to interfere with their duties. No.

Could Grell be trying to detach Eric from Alan again? No. The angels would not work with Grell. Grell gave angels headaches. Grell confused them, dazzled and confounded them, lead them into dark dangerous places filled with dark dangerous music and dark dangerous intoxicants; he stole their robes for window curtains and stuck them with the bar tab. Angels would not work with any Reaper, because of experiences with Grell. Blessed be Grell, for he teacheth caution even unto the most truly stupid.

What was the value of a stolen Reaper? This specific Reaper. Not the oldest or strongest or highest-ranking. Just a mid-level worker, competent, diligent, dutiful, with an unfortunate history. Yes.

A Reaper who was known to have felt compassion for his Reaps.

Somewhere nearby, a human was dying. Someone who was important to a higher-ranking angel. A Daughter of Man. Or her child. A Reaper could grant extended life to a dying mortal.

Logical, then, to target Humphries, who could not be forced but who might be persuaded. "See my pain, which you have also known. Your touch can save a life. If you spare my beloved, I will return you to yours. If you refuse this small favor, you will die. I will seize another Reaper, and another, killing until I find one who will help me. Would you wish to be the cause of so much death?"

About average idiocy for an archangel. He could have just asked his superiors for a minor miracle. Well, perhaps he did. He might have been turned down or caught in office politics. Or perhaps he didn't want to answer embarrassing questions about his extracurricular relationships. He had a friend or two willing to conspire with him. However. Involving the Reaper Realm - threatening my people - was completely unacceptable.

"Agent Slingby! Button your collar, adjust your tie, brush your suit and shine your shoes. Borrow a vest and a plain uniform belt. Remove all jewelry. You have twenty minutes while I write a letter. You are going to present yourself to Higher Ups, and your appearance and behaviour are to be faultless! You will deliver the message and wait to carry a reply back here, do you understand? Move!"

Slingby jumped and ran. Spears followed him out of the office.

"Fitzwilliam! General orders until rescinded: Inform everyone, all shifts, no solitary reaping. Work in teams. Beware of angels attempting abduction of a Reaper. Send an alert to all offices and allies.

"Sutcliff! Take Knox. Find Wayland and Humphries now. Knox and Humphries are to return here at once. You will stay with Wayland and help him complete their reaps plus your own. Knox! Go with Sutcliff, escort Humphries back here to Meeting Room A, then take D'Acres, return to Sutcliff, and help reap."

Grell suddenly glowed with delight and ferocity. Knox slipped a balisong from his desk into his pocket. Both ran.

"Fairbairn, summon your scythe and go into Meeting Room A. Make sure it's empty, then wait for Humphries. You will stay in there with him until I release you. Jacobs! When Alan Humphries returns, send him into Meeting Room A immediately. Tell him he is not to leave for any reason. Close that door. Guard it. Nobody in but Humphries and Fairbairn. Nobody out until I personally say so.

"Gupta! Vanderveldt! Review the To-Die lists for the next two - no, three days. Make a list of all females between the ages of twelve and forty-five. Sort them by location. Note any with a strong religious affiliation, living near any sanctified property, and especially any due to die in, or as a result of, childbirth. Then a second list of stillborn children and children who will die shortly after birth, whose mothers fit those parameters. Third, a list of all minor children of unusual size who might be Nephilim.

"All of you! If anyone other than myself insists upon seeing Humphries, knock them down and restrain them. We could be dealing with a powerful Entity who can control his appearance with glamours. When I come for Alan, I will give you this passphrase - Cave furorem patientis. If I do not, assume I am an impostor."

Spears returned to his office, took a deep breath, and began to frame a proper cover letter for the Request and the false notification; a formal report that might be passed to the very highest levels of Management, and then over to a Seraph. Hopefully it would be the first pebble of an avalanche, roaring downhill towards an angel who'd been courting outside his own species.