He lowered his juggling things and made out the fire.
Raphael was quiet for a moment. To him, the Manor had become his home. As an Archangel, Heaven was his real Home but the longer he stayed at this place in Lower Tadfield the more he realized he never wanted to leave.
Dustfinger noticed Raphael reacted. He was not sure what he should do or say so he waited for a bit.
Then he said: "I have a wife and two daughters there."
Raphael thought of Atlan and Rose, how they had been separated from family. He thought of Loki, how his sons had been killed. Dustfinger had family and a home that he missed too. "Where is your home?" he asked.
"In a book", he said. "I have it but I can't go back inside without help."
Raphael was curious about this. Dustfinger lived in a book? Well, the manor did have beings from different worlds but he had never heard of someone coming from a book. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Just that", Dustfinger said. "I was read out of a book by a Silvertongue. Someone who can make things to come out of a book and other things to go into it. My family is in there. A wife and two daughters. I want them back. I do not like this world."
He sighed and let the shoulders hang. "It is loud and dirty and smelly and everything is not allowed. I do not understand a lot of things, and it is just not where I live."
Raphael's expression was sad. "I... I'm so sorry."
For a moment he lifted his head and gazed at the sky, the night... Heaven. He thought of his winged brethren, of his Father. He remembered how badly he had missed them when he was Exiled here. But that had been for a Purpose, he knew that now. But Dustfinger's wife and child were in another world. That sadness must be so much worse for Dustfinger.
"Would you like me to try to see if I can read you back into your book?" he asked.
"Have you ever read something out from a book?" Dustfinger asked with hope in the voice.
"Er. No," Raphael admitted. "But Father spoke the Universe into Existence and He didn't have a book yet. How hard can it be?" "Okay", said Dustfinger and looked at the door to the hotel. "Do you stay here when I get the book?
Raphael nodded, picking up his owl. "I'll wait here," he told him. He hoped it would work and that he could help Dustfinger.
Dustfinger walked into his room and to his safe in what he had the book hidden. His hands trembled when he took it out. Maybe... Maybe he could soon go home.
He walked faster on the way back outside. He tried not hope, but in a way he still did.
"Here", he said when he came back to Rapahel. "This is the book."
He held it up but he not give it to the angel right away.
Raphael tilted his head slightly, admiring the aesthetic beauty of an old book. It amazed him how something as simple as pages sewn together and bound could hold so much... Like a tapestry of words, a curtain waiting to be drawn back to reveal a new world. Raphael was of the belief that people who didn't read really didn't live, not really.
He began to wonder of the world that Dustfinger came from, brought into existence by the imagination of a man and squeezed into words to create. Like Dustfinger. Had the author created his personality first or the story? Was Dustfinger one of those characters that grew on his own as the plot progressed or was he planned?
Suddenly realizing with a shock of guilt that he had onc again strayed from what was important about a person, he offered a smile. "What would you like me to read? Just start from the beginning?" he asked. Selfishly he wished Dustfinger wouldn't have to go, but if his family was in another world... The angel's heart ached for what Dustfinger must be going through. Raphael understood missing family but he knew he'd see them again. If this didn't work and Raphael couldn't read him back, who knew how long it would be before Dustfinger would see his family again?
The uncertainty was heartbreaking, and despite not wanting his friend to leave, he didn't want him to be away from his family either.
Then an idea hit him.
"Dustfinger... Have you thought of having your family read from the book? Coming here?"
no subject
He lowered his juggling things and made out the fire.
Raphael was quiet for a moment. To him, the Manor had become his home. As an Archangel, Heaven was his real Home but the longer he stayed at this place in Lower Tadfield the more he realized he never wanted to leave.
Dustfinger noticed Raphael reacted. He was not sure what he should do or say so he waited for a bit.
Then he said: "I have a wife and two daughters there."
Raphael thought of Atlan and Rose, how they had been separated from family. He thought of Loki, how his sons had been killed. Dustfinger had family and a home that he missed too. "Where is your home?" he asked.
"In a book", he said. "I have it but I can't go back inside without help."
Raphael was curious about this. Dustfinger lived in a book? Well, the manor did have beings from different worlds but he had never heard of someone coming from a book. "What do you mean?" he asked.
"Just that", Dustfinger said. "I was read out of a book by a Silvertongue. Someone who can make things to come out of a book and other things to go into it. My family is in there. A wife and two daughters. I want them back. I do not like this world."
He sighed and let the shoulders hang. "It is loud and dirty and smelly and everything is not allowed. I do not understand a lot of things, and it is just not where I live."
Raphael's expression was sad. "I... I'm so sorry."
For a moment he lifted his head and gazed at the sky, the night... Heaven. He thought of his winged brethren, of his Father. He remembered how badly he had missed them when he was Exiled here. But that had been for a Purpose, he knew that now. But Dustfinger's wife and child were in another world. That sadness must be so much worse for Dustfinger.
"Would you like me to try to see if I can read you back into your book?" he asked.
"Have you ever read something out from a book?" Dustfinger asked with hope in the voice.
"Er. No," Raphael admitted. "But Father spoke the Universe into Existence and He didn't have a book yet. How hard can it be?"
"Okay", said Dustfinger and looked at the door to the hotel. "Do you stay here when I get the book?
Raphael nodded, picking up his owl. "I'll wait here," he told him. He hoped it would work and that he could help Dustfinger.
Dustfinger walked into his room and to his safe in what he had the book hidden. His hands trembled when he took it out. Maybe... Maybe he could soon go home.
He walked faster on the way back outside. He tried not hope, but in a way he still did.
"Here", he said when he came back to Rapahel. "This is the book."
He held it up but he not give it to the angel right away.
Raphael tilted his head slightly, admiring the aesthetic beauty of an old book. It amazed him how something as simple as pages sewn together and bound could hold so much... Like a tapestry of words, a curtain waiting to be drawn back to reveal a new world. Raphael was of the belief that people who didn't read really didn't live, not really.
He began to wonder of the world that Dustfinger came from, brought into existence by the imagination of a man and squeezed into words to create. Like Dustfinger. Had the author created his personality first or the story? Was Dustfinger one of those characters that grew on his own as the plot progressed or was he planned?
Suddenly realizing with a shock of guilt that he had onc again strayed from what was important about a person, he offered a smile. "What would you like me to read? Just start from the beginning?" he asked. Selfishly he wished Dustfinger wouldn't have to go, but if his family was in another world... The angel's heart ached for what Dustfinger must be going through. Raphael understood missing family but he knew he'd see them again. If this didn't work and Raphael couldn't read him back, who knew how long it would be before Dustfinger would see his family again?
The uncertainty was heartbreaking, and despite not wanting his friend to leave, he didn't want him to be away from his family either.
Then an idea hit him.
"Dustfinger... Have you thought of having your family read from the book? Coming here?"