Under a Violet Sky by Graeme Winton - HTML preview

EPILOGUE

The child sat on the wooden slat, gripping the two lengths of rope either side and swung to and fro in the scented breeze that blew through the garden. She gazed at the grass as it flowed toward her and then ebbed away. Her golden hair tumbled down from under her white hat and flowed over her shoulders.

She thought of Caitlin and wondered what it was like to be human–truly human; to have a father who cared instead of a beast who asked her to undertake tasks she never wanted to do.

After a while the breeze chilled her as the light faded. Lilim looked around the garden; something was wrong because it was her who controlled the light and the breeze. Was something from the thirteenth dimension breaking through?

Suddenly, a man’s hand covered her right hand, then another over her left: someone was behind her! She stared in wonder at the hand covering her right hand because there was a ring on the small finger. The ring was made of a dull metal and had a funny cross-like shape engraved into it.

“Raphael!” she shouted as she leapt off the swing slipping her hands out from under the male hands.

“Lilim,” growled Menzel. “How is my young sister?”

“I saw you in that cavern. Are you still playing your games?” she asked as her eyes became black and her skin wrinkled.

“I get bored. And since father can’t join me in the material dimension I weary. I enjoyed being that dreadful little man-Adolf Hitler. Two physicals defeated the latest guise, however. Where are they by the way?

“Oh, they’re around. You have caused a lot of disruption in the Land of Trees and have sent us many dark souls. The Sin Gatherer will be most displeased!”

They both erupted into laughter, and, as Lilim grew in size, they embraced.