wilderness. He had departed without even saying goodbye, as Shaddai had led him.
He had been right.
Evil had returned. But now he was too old to fight. Now, that task would fall to another. And finally, with that knowledge, Ethan felt he could rest.
He lifted his eyes to the night sky, smiling. 'Lord Shaddai, it has been a long journey. You have allowed me the great privilege of serving you these many years. Thank you for that.' Ethan paused, considering what had been revealed to him today. 'I'm sure the boy will do well, my Lord. Please bless him and use him for your glory. Cleanse the land and let the people dwell in peace again. As for me, I'll wait for the way to be revealed, the place you would have me go next.'
Ethan looked to the wall opposite him. A man who made soup had his shop there. The soup never had been that good. A beggar was sleeping there against the wall only a few feet away.
Ethan's eyes felt very heavy, his body so weary-so tired. A light shone then, and he squinted a bit to see. Two angels stood in the alley now. Everything else was obscured by their radiance. It had been so many years since he had seen any angels, any spirits at all, now that he reflected on it. They had always been dressed for battle in those days, but not now.
They smiled at him, and one of the angels reached out his hand. Ethan smiled back. Fatigue had all but overcome him. But when he took the angel's hand, he felt more alive than he ever had.
The apple dropped from his hand and rolled across the ground, bumping the beggar on his big toe.
The beggar awoke and found an apple sitting next to his foot. He picked it up and examined it. A single bite had been taken, but otherwise it appeared to be fresh. He looked around for the owner, but there was no one in the alley with him-only a walking stick leaning against the opposite wall.
The beggar hunched his shoulders, finished the apple, then fell asleep again.
About the Author:
James Somers first novel, The Chronicles of Soone: Heir to the King was published by Variance Publishing in 2006. Since that time, Mr. Somers has published many novels including: • Hallowed Be Thy Name • Hallowed Ground • The Chronicles of Soone: Rise of Lucin • The Realm Shift (trilogy) • A World Within • Percival Strange and the Lonely Manor • Perdition's Gate **If you enjoyed the Smashwords Edition The Sword of Gideon, and the rest of The Realm Shift novels, then visit me at jamessremos(at)yahoo.com and be sure to leave a review. Also look for Percival Strange: The Lonely Manor!
