"I don't believe G.o.d expects anything else from you, not right now anyway. You were only meant to bring us the code."

"But I thought I was important."

"You are are important. But in important. But in Vrin." Vrin."

"So they'll leave me alone now?"

She frowned. "I don't know. They may try to capture you. But I don't think they'll hurt you, now that they know you returned to Vrin."

That was hardly comforting! "What about my family?" was hardly comforting! "What about my family?"

She took the teapot off the stove. "They're not important."

Here, words could not convey my frustration and turmoil. I put my head in my hands.

She placed a steaming cup in front of me. "Everything is working out as it should, Thomas," she said gently. "You just need to trust in G.o.d. He has a plan."

"Look." I lifted my head. "I'm not a fairy tales fairy tales kind of guy. This whole thing, although disturbingly convincing, is just a little kind of guy. This whole thing, although disturbingly convincing, is just a little too too much. I'm not a prophet, and believe it or not, I have much. I'm not a prophet, and believe it or not, I have no no interest in fighting fallen angels. I want my life back. I want to run my company. And I want to get to know my family. So, with interest in fighting fallen angels. I want my life back. I want to run my company. And I want to get to know my family. So, with whatever whatever is going on here, I wish you well. But I would appreciate it if everyone would just leave me alone." is going on here, I wish you well. But I would appreciate it if everyone would just leave me alone."

"I don't know if they will leave you alone."

"Well I'm not going to fight them, and I'm not putting my family in danger." I looked at her defiantly.

She shrugged. "You may not have a choice."

"Then I'll just have to find a deep dark hole to hide my family in and lay low till everything pa.s.ses over."

She nodded slowly. "We've been living in the last days for over two-thousand years. It can't be much longer."

I pushed my cup away. "I'll give you a way to contact me, in case you to."

"I'll let you know when it is safe to live your life again, Thomas." She stared at me intently. "You're positive you don't want to be a part of what we're doing?"

"This isn't my fight, Nan. This a war for-- religious religious people. I'm a man of science." people. I'm a man of science."

"Science and religion are not opposites."

"In my world they are."

She frowned, and I stood. "Come on, Sam, let's go," I said, starting toward the door.

"Actually, Dad, I was thinking." He looked at Nan. "Maybe I should stay here awhile, if Nan and Hazel don't mind."

I looked at him, aghast. "You can't can't be serious." be serious."

"I think one of us should stay close to what's happening, so if things start to stir up we'll be prepared. Besides, I like all this mystery stuff. I want to know more." He gave me a searching look. "If things get too crazy, I can always come join you." He turned to Nan. "Would you mind if I stayed?"

Her eyebrows rose. "It's pretty cramped in here, and my mom can be quite a handful. Are you sure?" sure?"

Sam laughed. "I mean, here in Marathon, in a condo or something-- so I can help you."

"Alright," she said with an approving smile. "As long as you follow my rules, and don't go bringing any unwelcomed guests back to my doorstep."

They both looked at me for approval.

I let out a long sigh. "I can't tell you what to do, Sam. But I hope you won't go doing anything crazy; we barely know each other, and that's a problem I was hoping to rectify."

Sam beamed. "So you really don't mind? You'll let me stay?" He looked at Nan, then back at me.

Nan nodded.

Reluctantly, I did the same.

I stood staring at my son for a long moment, then walked toward the living room. "It was nice to meet you, Hazel."

"Impo'tant in Vrin!" she said, not taking her eyes from the TV screen."

I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Yes, Hazel," I said slowly. "Important in Vrin." I turned and looked at Sam again. He was suppressing a smile.

"Come on," said Nan, picking up her keys. "I'll bring you back to sh.o.r.e."

"Thank you. I need a break. I'm definitely not ready for anything else."

Sam's eyes reflected disappointment. "Do you think you'll ever be ready?"

"Sam." My shoulders slumped. "I wish I could help, but this whole thing isn't me. This is something your mom might do. She's the one who fights the good fight, the one who struggles to make the world a better place. I'm an engineer, I invent things. I don't..." I paused, looking for words. "I don't battle battle the forces of evil." the forces of evil."

His eyes turned soft. "You could."

I gripped his shoulders firmly. "I'm proud of you, son. You seem to be the best of your mother and me. Give me some time to rest and get my head screwed on right, okay? Then maybe we'll see if I can be the hero."

He smiled warmly. "I'll call tomorrow and give you an update."

"Okay, you do that, and keep your head down." I gave him an awkward hug.

Nan brought me back to the mainland where a cab was waiting near the ca.n.a.l. I struggled up the rusted, barnacle-covered ladder and stood up on the pavement. I looked back down into the little boat. "I'm sorry, Nan," was all I said.

The boat pulled away from the dock. "For what?" she asked. Then, not waiting for a reply, added, "You'll come around, you just don't know it yet."

The way she said it, it was hard to take offense. But what if I didn't want want to come around? Didn't I have a say in the matter? What if I didn't to come around? Didn't I have a say in the matter? What if I didn't want want to go on some crazy crusade for G.o.d? Was it wrong for me to want my life back? G.o.d had already taken twenty-one years without asking! I didn't owe him anything. Whatever I was supposed to give back into the universe, I was sure I had already paid every penny. With interest. to go on some crazy crusade for G.o.d? Was it wrong for me to want my life back? G.o.d had already taken twenty-one years without asking! I didn't owe him anything. Whatever I was supposed to give back into the universe, I was sure I had already paid every penny. With interest.

"You coming, mister.?"

My eyes blinked as I turned to look at the cabbie. "Yes, sorry," I said, opening the back door. I climbed in. "Homestead, please."

He tapped the GPS screen on the dashboard, and spoke the command, "Homestead." A dollar figure appeared in the corner of the map. The cabbie put his foot on the gas, and the car took off like a golf cart.

It didn't take long to realize that sitting idle in the back of a cab for an hour and a half was a bad idea. Left with nothing to do but think, my imagination ran wild. Dark thoughts stepped on my chest-- making it hard to breath.

Why did G.o.d have to pick me? me? I had everything a man could want. I was a captain of industry. I had an adoring wife, a perfect daughter, a son on the way. And I had earned every bit of it! I had I had everything a man could want. I was a captain of industry. I had an adoring wife, a perfect daughter, a son on the way. And I had earned every bit of it! I had paid paid my dues, and was on the threshold of enjoying the fruits of my labor! But in the blink of an eye, everything had vanished, leaving only this nightmare, this horrible cage of circ.u.mstances. my dues, and was on the threshold of enjoying the fruits of my labor! But in the blink of an eye, everything had vanished, leaving only this nightmare, this horrible cage of circ.u.mstances. --Why me? --Why me? Why not someone who Why not someone who wanted wanted to do G.o.d's bidding? Sam's face flashed in my mind. Was that it? Had G.o.d picked Sam? Was he the one G.o.d wanted? The more I thought about this, the more it made sense. He had my ingenuity, and his mothers philanthropy. to do G.o.d's bidding? Sam's face flashed in my mind. Was that it? Had G.o.d picked Sam? Was he the one G.o.d wanted? The more I thought about this, the more it made sense. He had my ingenuity, and his mothers philanthropy.

I chuckled at myself. Was I actually beginning to buy into this craziness? It didn't matter-- I still didn't want to be involved. This was a matter for monks or priests-- or whatever. whatever. I wanted no part of it. I wanted no part of it.

I committed myself to not thinking about it, and instead stared out the window at the pa.s.sing urban sprawl-- looking for all the ways the world had changed while I was asleep.

Eventually, the cab pulled up in front of Andy's. I paid with my fingerprint, and the machine bleeped happily. "Thanks, man," said the cabbie. "Have a nice day."

"You too. Thanks." I stepped out and looked up at the house. I had never felt so exhausted in all my life. On shaky legs I made my way up the stone walkway, then dragged myself up the stairs, and opened the front door. Annie and Rebecca were sitting in the living room.

"Where is everyone?" I asked from the doorway.

Annie stood up and came toward me. "They're at a soccer game, the state finals. She looked past me. Where's Sam?"

"He stayed with Hazel."

Her eyes snapped up at me.

"He's fine," I said. "Hazel has insight into what's going on at the center. And Sam wants to find out everything he can."

Annie blinked. "Why didn't you you stay?" stay?"

"I got all the information I wanted."

She c.o.c.ked her head.

"The answers are turning out to be worse than the questions." I took her by the hand and led her to the couch. "Come, let's sit down. I'm exhausted. exhausted. Hi, Becca. How are you holding up." Hi, Becca. How are you holding up."

"I'm fine, Dad. How are you? you? What happened?" What happened?"

"Well..." I looked at Rebecca, then Annie. "You know how Solomon set up the computer to talk directly to the minds of the coma patients? And how he created a virtual world we could share?"

They both nodded.

"Hazel says I'm still going back to that world-- when I sleep." sleep."

Their jaws hung slack.

"And that's not even the craziest part. Hazel's daughter, Nan, told me that it's really a place between life and death-- a spiritual spiritual realm." The word realm." The word spiritual spiritual stuck to my lips as it came out. stuck to my lips as it came out.

Rebecca was wide eyed as she touched her fingers to her mouth. "That's incredible."

"If it's true," I said.

Annie leaned in toward me. "You don't believe her? Do Do you?" you?"

"Honestly, I don't know what to believe. We got chased today, by men who Sam said walked through through walls." walls."

Annie and Rebecca sat frozen.

"Nan called them the fallen ones."

Rebecca's eyes grew even wider. "Like-- from Davata Notrals?"

"Fallen ones, angels, demons, whatever you want to call them. Apparently Sam Sam believes it, and I can't blame him. It was all very convincing." believes it, and I can't blame him. It was all very convincing."

Annie's became thoughtful. "The man I saw at the center, the one who spoke that strange language-- could he have been-- one of those?"

"If what they say is true then, probably yes."

She stared at me. "Are we in danger?"

"I don't know. Hazel and Nan say we aren't. Nan said they were only following me to get to them."

"Why?"

"Well-- Hazel is special, she has autism. Nan says she can remember her dreams, and and a spiritual place beyond her dreams. Apparently Vrin is a spiritual place beyond her dreams. Apparently Vrin is in in that place." Annie looked incredulous. "I know it sounds crazy! I don't want to believe it either. But Nan believes the fallen ones are after them because they know too much about Vrin." that place." Annie looked incredulous. "I know it sounds crazy! I don't want to believe it either. But Nan believes the fallen ones are after them because they know too much about Vrin."

A sudden fear flashed through Annie's eyes. "And you left Sam with with them?" them?"

"I don't exactly have any authority over him. I wasn't around to be his father."

She bit her lip. "I don't like him being there."

"Well you you tell him to come with us. Maybe he'll receive it from you." tell him to come with us. Maybe he'll receive it from you."

"What do you mean, with us? with us? Where are we going now?" Where are we going now?"

"I don't know, someplace hidden, remote, a place no one knows about but us."

"You don't think fallen angels fallen angels will know where to find us?" will know where to find us?"

"They can't seem to find Hazel."

Annie folded her arms. "I don't like it."

"Which part? The us hiding us hiding part?" part?"

"I'm worried about Sam. I know him, he won't walk away from this."

"Then let him fight the battle."

Rebecca put her hand on her mothers leg. "Don't worry, Mom, G.o.d will protect him."

Annie's face was devoid of emotion.

My eyes drifted up to the clock on the wall. It was only quarter past seven, but it felt more like two in the morning to me. I let out a long sigh. "I hate to do this to you, but can we talk more in the morning? I can not not stay awake another minute." stay awake another minute."

"Yes," Annie said blankly. "Yes, of course."