Chapter 5 – Back to the Flat
In his thoughts while driving south, Crowley realized he had been the one to do the most bending and compromising in their "arrangement". Aziraphale had called an end to their friendship anytime conflict arose; Crowley was jettisoned like so much ballast. Through Crowley, the Angel had seen what would happen if you displeased God and was afraid of falling himself. "We are not friends" was the phrase the Aziraphale would use, and Crowley felt his heart break each time. The "One Fabulous Kiss" was Crowley's attempt to push Aziraphale beyond his fear and see that they were better together. He didn't know why the Angel had gone with the Metatron; Crowley was going to have to trust him one more time. Besides, they always found each other in the past. His mood had brightened to snarky by the time he reached outer London. "We Will Rock You" was the Bentley's chosen song for this return.
Crowley pulled up to the flat, unpacked the Bentley, and set everything in order. The Mona Lisa back in place. The plants were no longer in the gallery, they were now in the upper room that had just the right amount of light from its windows and skylight. The walls were a soft sky blue and a tartan coverlet was across the back of a chaise. A sitting area with a table for tea and a candlestick with beeswax candles (Aziraphale's preferred reading light); Crowley had made the room over for Aziraphale, and the Angel had only seen it the night they swapped.
Crowley went to move the little tea table closer to the window for Jemimah to sit on when something fluttered to the floor. He bent to pick up the photo and fell back onto the chaise in a flood of astonishment. It was the photo Furfur had taken of the Angel and him on the West End Stage, the night of the bullet catch. He stared at the photo – had Aziraphale really been carrying it for over 80 years?
He looked on the table and saw other items. Aziraphale must have emptied his pockets, not daring to take his treasured mementos to Hell. Crowley unfolded the paper to see a copy of Miss Davidson's poem, the bullet from the bullet catch, the singed scrap of Abigail Nutter's last prophesy, and a black feather from Crowley's wing. He returned the items to the Victorian leather wallet that had originally held them. 'He won't admit it to himself or out loud, but here it is. Tucked tightly away and hidden". Under the wallet was a note:
"Crowley,
If I do not return, be it Hell or Heaven, I want you to know that I have loved my time on Earth, especially time spent with you, my good friend. My Angel. I could never say that out loud. Please forgive me,
Aziraphale
As Crowley carefully repacked the wallet, he realized Aziraphale hadn't been able to collect it while the demon was exiled from the apartment. Apparently, the pleasantness of the room had kept Shax from venturing in. Crowley placed the wallet in his jacket pocket, moved the table, and set Jemimah on it. He watered the plants, let them pick the music from the radio, and went downstairs.
Downstairs contained the office, gallery, kitchen, WC, all very dark and a mix of Tudor and modern items. The demon's bedroom and WC were the middle floor. Most of its furnishings had been Crowley's since his time in Florence during the Renaissance. He had been sent to recruit artists, and most were happy to give their souls for an inspired work of art. He and Leonardo had spent many days debating ideas of engineering and art while consuming great quantities of vino. Leonardo avoided hell but was now spending a pennance in Purgatory. A prototype for his flying machine hung in the corner of the bedroom. Stopping to check on his room, Crowley was relieved that everything was the same, except for some spur marks on the bedposts. "Damn You, Shax!" he thought, then snapped away the scratches, the mattress, and bedding before proceeding downstairs.
He needed to find out what Aziraphale was doing now before he could decide what to do next. He wondered if Saraqueil had guessed his "bees" theory and set up safeguards, but Crowley thought not – Most angels were terribly sure of themselves, even himself as an angel, and it led to his downfall. He felt sure that in their hubris, they still hadn't changed the passwords.
Crowley sat at his desk with Aziraphale's wallet and note. He pulled a bottle of scotch and a glass out of the drawer and poured a drink. He sipped, staring at the photo, then leaned it against the bottle. He took out the contents of the wallet, reread the Angel's note, flipped it over and began to write. When he finished, he folded the note and returned it and the photo to A's wallet, which went into the locked safe. Then he began his list:
Miracle test A
Meet with Angel
And then he stopped, realizing he didn't know what else to do until he tried a miracle with Muriel and met with Aziraphale. "Back to the book shop, then", he said, heading to the Bentley.