Chapter Ten
22 years later…
It wasn’t often that I got to mix work and pleasure, but today was one of those days. I stood in the back of the large auditorium, invisible to the world leaders that filled its seats, but not to the woman on stage. She saw me all too well, and her smile lit up my heart like a Christmas tree. She looked beautiful on the stage, her deep red hair ethereal under the lights pointing at the lectern. Hope. That tiny baby had turned into this beautiful, strong, intelligent woman, and I couldn’t be more proud.
I gave her a thumbs up as she began to speak.
“Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed leaders of the world, I thank you for inviting me to speak at the World Humanitarian Summit. I know that you wished for my father to speak here tonight, but unfortunately they are caught up in hurricane Katherine in Polynesia, where they have been building clinics and schools in the poorer island nations. But as the director of the NRH foundation for the United States, I can assure you I am more than qualified to speak in his place.
“As many of you know, NRH started as seven people with an idealistic idea to use their wealth to better the lives of others by dressing as ninjas. Hence the Ninja Robin Hood name.” There was a muted laugh from around the room. “Since then, NRH has spread across the globe, teams of people working on the ground to better the services and facilities available to all. My parents were the first team on the ground, and they will continue to do so until they can do no more. Luckily, between them all, they make quite the team.” There was another small chuckle from those who knew the story, who’d read the tabloids that ‘exposed’ them as a polyamorous group. Hope continued.
“Our mission is to globally raise the level of healthcare and education to a standardized level, so everyone can have an equal opportunity to survive and thrive. And whilst we are doing that on the ground, we also want to do that on a much larger scale. We want to eradicate viral diseases that can cripple whole countries. The pharmaceutical wing of NRH has purchased half a dozen patents to crippling diseases such as the vaccines for aids, hepatitis and the omega virus. We have also purchased the patents for the new cancer cure for 27 billion dollars and intend to distribute it at cost price plus 1%. Our working model is that if it pays itself off before the patent lapses, which is unlikely, we will make the patent public for free use by other companies. We do not want to make money, we want to eradicate needless deaths.”
Hope continued, and I dragged my eyes away as I felt a presence beside me. I almost started when I realized it was Michael. I nodded my head in respect. “Archangel. What brings you here?”
He smiled at me, in that beatific way, but his eyes stayed on the stage. “She speaks beautifully, does she not?”
I nodded warily. Michael laughed. “Don’t look so worried, Acerezeal. I am just touching base? That’s the human phrase, no?”
I nodded again. “How are they doing? Your Arcadia and her redeemed Sins?”
“They are well, bettering humanity as Hope said. Banging like monkeys in their down time. Seriously, if they don’t cut it out, one of them will have a heart attack.”
Michael frowned at me disapprovingly, but he couldn’t hide the shine of amusement in his eyes.
“I am glad it all worked out in the end. There has been too much animosity through the ages and it has led to attitudes like Uriel and Azriel’s, though I think Azriel may be tested soon.” He looked back at the stage, and I didn’t blame him. Hope looked magnetic. Michael continued. “Lucifer, for all his faults, fell because he cared too much not to question the Father. There is so much heart in him, more than he gives himself credit for. But there’s a faction that believes in following the Father's word to the letter, and twists it to go down the path of near cruelty.” Michael sighed.
“Uriel is an asshole,” I agreed. Being the top archangel had to suck. “You’ll bring him to heel, Archangel. Without more of us falling. Though, if they do fall, I promise that Lucifer will squash the cruelty right out of them. Fire meeting fire, and all that.”
We watched the crowd, their attention transfixed on the stage also. Hope definitely had a little extra oomph that wasn’t entirely human. Her eyes glanced our way and she startled slightly at the sight of Michael. He smiled and gave her a wave and she raised her hand back, before continuing her speech, the consummate professional.
“I fear she’ll be tested too, soon enough,” he murmured. “And the other twin? Estrella?”
“She joined the Boston Police Department,” I smiled, still remembering the Mulligans horror that she was going to become a cop. Hilarious.
“Aiding humanity too,” Michael nodded. He placed a hand on my shoulder. “You did a good thing all those years ago.”
“I know.”
As the rapturous applause echoed at the end of Hope's speech, I realized that Gusion had been right all those years ago. They had changed everything. They'd certainly changed me.