Chapter 4: Where Do I Go From Here?
On board the battle airship, Iron Maiden, I found myself being navigated through a vast network of rooms and hallways by both Father Abel and Tres. From the very few things that I could make out of the interior of the airship, was that there couldn't possibly be another like it in the world, that could surpass it in either beauty or speed.
Passing through yet another room, I quietly asked, "Where are we going exactly? All that we're doing is, and it may just seem this way to me, but, wander from one room to another...Do either of you officially know where we're trying to get to?"
Chortling, Abel came to a stand still, and readjusting the collar on his overcoat, began to speak, his voice sounding both weary and alive. As if he'd just ran a marathon, to which he found the prize for winning was being given a chance to find the cure for cancer. Only to succeed in the end. "We're just escorting you to your sleeping quarters for the night...and well Tres is here to make sure that I don't get lost myself." He smiled the very smile that I was growing accustomed to seeing, and I couldn't help but to return the favor. "So did that answer your question, Jonah?"
"Yeah, I could see where you'd manage to get lost here. The Iron Maiden's the size of a small city." I peered out of one of the Plexiglas windows, and watched as the world passed by, untouched, below us. Seeing all of this, brought to my mind a single question, "What will I do when we reach the Vatican?"
Reflected in the faux glass, I saw Abel standing behind me, undoubtedly trying to think of the best way possible to explain it to me. Eventually, after a moment had gone by, he calmly stated, "I'm guessing that you'll be given a post as a temporary member within the A.X...that's the only way that we'll be able to protect you really..."
Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself. All signs of fatigue that I'd had before that second, were now gone. "So an A.X. member, like the two of you?"
This time, it was Father Tres who responded to my inquiry, "Positive, temporary Sister Jonah Turner."
Face flushing, I couldn't think of what to say, so almost out of instinct, I turned my gaze back to the window, and looked out at the dark sky.
Without warning, while I was still in my reverie, I heard Abel speak, though he sounded far away, I slowly turned to face him. He was speaking to Father Tres, though I barely knew what he said. When his lips stopped moving, Tres uttered a single word response, then turned and began to leave.
Quickly shaking my head, to help clear my thoughts, I cried out to Father Nightroad, "Where's Father Tres going? I thought that he was here to make sure that neither of us got lost?"
"I think that we can manage on our own, plus the rest of our team would be furious with me if I was careless to forget that he's got to recharge." He smiled widely, and chuckled softly.
Obviously I was missing out on the joke, so hesitantly, I asked, "So he needs to sleep?"
"You could call it that. However, you'll learn all that's needed tomorrow. As for right now, we both need to sleep and recharge, else we won't be in fit condition." His deep blue eyes seemed to twinkle with his words.
"Right..."
The smile he wore faltered slightly, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing really...just that there's a lot on my mind, so much has happened since I was awoken by you and Father Tres breaking into my parents house...To be completely honest with you, I'm still trying to discern if this is actually happening or if I'm still sleeping in my bed...dreaming..."
"It's not a dream, I assure you, Jon...I mean, Sister Jonah." Laughing at his faux pas, his face seemed to become lit with amusement. "That'll take some getting used to, now won't it?"
"I guess it will, but can't you continue to just call me Jonah? 'Sister Jonah' sounds so...so...I don't know...strict? It just doesn't suit me...at least, I don't think it does..." I mumbled quietly, watching as Abel continued to smile.
"You'll get used to hearing it sooner than you think you will." With a slight glance to his right, his eyes fell upon a round clock hung up on the ship's inner wall. Seeing the time, caused him to scream silently, then motioning for me to follow, continued down the long hallways that we'd been standing in for nearly an hour and a half. "I say that the first two empty rooms that we find, become ours, alright? No one will be the wiser to it."
Nearly having to run to keep up with his long strides, I silently nodded, eager to finally have a second all to myself. Eager to ponder all that had happened. Eager to make sense of it all.
A minute or so later, two neighboring rooms came into view, and I knew that it was time for both Abel and myself to part ways, at least until the morning came. "Sleep tight, Father." Smiling I took hold of the knob in my right hand and twisted it open. Entering into my room, I heard Abel whisper to me from out in the hallway.
"Pleasant dreams, Jonah. I'll wake you in the morning a little before we arrive at the Vatican."
From where I stood, I said, "I look forward to it." With that, I shut the door, and made my way to the single twin sized bed that was set against one of the four walls in the room. Standing in front of the simple bed, with plain white sheets fitted neatly on it, I found myself collapsing onto the mattress. Falling asleep almost an instant later.
Yet no dreams awaited me, only the never-ending night, and the fear that was gradually engulfing my every thought.
What felt to me as being only a few minutes, was actually several hours later, I heard a gentle knock on the door to my room, followed by Father Abel's voice. "You awake, Sister? Well if not, now is the time to do so, we'll be landing in less than an hour, and well, if you hurry, you might be able to grab some breakfast."
During the night, I had subconsciously forced myself to forget the entire previous day. "Sister?" I mumbled, my voice still heavy with sleep.
Another knock was made on the door, and Abel spoke again. "Sister Jonah? I'm coming in."
I watched as the handle of the door slowly opened, and in the doorway I saw the tall build that was Abel, almost as if it were the very first time all over again. But as I became more awake, the memories slowly began to come back to me. "Father Abel?"
Worry overtook his face, "Jonah, are you all right?"
"Yeah...I just somehow managed to forget all that happened yesterday...that's all..." Was all that I could whisper, while I looked at my hands, without actually seeing them. Then almost as if it were an after thought, I asked, "Father, how can I meet your superior...I mean our superior...dressed the way that I am?"
"I'm already ahead of you, and I've got your answer waiting." With a laugh, he left the room, and quickly, I began to follow.