his luck any more, he wasted no time getting back to the members of the group and trying to explain what he had seen.
“Are you sure that's what it was?” Henry asked. “You're certain?”
“I'd bet my life on it,” Edward gasped. “That thing was huge and gave off this feeling of hopelessness that just seemed to seep into the bones. Everything about that place felt wrong to me.”
“Just thinking about it gives me the creeps,” Sadie said.
“I think I know what it is,” Edward said.
“Don’t say the word,” Franklin said. “Saying it will make it a little too real for me. You've described it well enough, and I think we're all capable of putting the pieces together here. Besides, when I think of that word I think of Clarence from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ I don’t want to ruin that image. That‘s my favorite Christmas movie.”
“It had wings,” Edward said. “They were made of shadow and wavered like gasoline fumes on hot blacktop. But they were wings. I’m sure of it.”
“Can we move past that part of the story for now?” Franklin asked. He was as unsettled by Edward’s account of the shadow-creature as Sadie, but he wasn’t going to admit it.
“We can,” Edward said. “But the fact remains that it's a part of the story we will have to come back to at some point.”
“As you were describing things to us, you made it seem like the horsemen were reporting to this creature. That makes me think maybe Nero isn’t the one in charge,” Henry theorized. “Maybe this is what Seneca wanted us to see.”
“Maybe,” Edward admitted. “But that doesn't necessarily make me feel any better.”
“Nero’s got a big part to play in this,” Kelly said. “Maybe he's running things for the winged creature. The horsemen serve him, and he serves the shadow-angel.”
“I told you not to say that word,” Franklin hissed. “It gives me the creeps.”
“So what about these horsemen?” Sadie asked. “How do they fit into all this?”
“The horsemen are scientists,” Henry said. “That’s interesting if you think about it. All this time we’ve been pursuing the religious angle.”
“Based on what I saw, I think we’re right to pursue the religious angle,” Edward reminded him.
“Maybe this is the place where science and faith intersect,” Henry said.
“Or maybe this is the place where Edward hoodwinks all of us,” Franklin said.
“I saw what I saw,” Edward replied.
“But we weren’t there,” Franklin added. “You can’t prove what you saw.”
“Fine. Believe what you want. I know we’re in serious trouble here, and not all of it has to do with Nero.”
“Any idea what Morningstar might refer to?” Henry asked, trying to steer the discussion back in a positive direction.
“Morningstar is another name for Lucifer,” Edward explained. “That must tie in somehow.”
“According to the Bible, Lucifer was an-”
“Don't say it, Sadie,” Franklin growled. “Don't. Say. It!”
“It's ok to be scared, Franklin,” Henry said. “We all are.”
“We've got to figure all of this out,” Franklin said, completely ignoring Henry.
“Nero isn’t going to give us time to put all the facts together,” Sadie reminded them. “Some of us will die before we get to that point.”
“So why did Seneca lead us here?” Henry asked.
“I think we should be concerned about the test tubes,” Franklin said. “Seneca wanted us to know how big this whole thing really is. Nero’s threatening to kill millions in some mysterious way because God has allowed good people to suffer. Seems like Nero believes this is his way of getting back at God or proving a point of some sort. We stumble upon a laboratory where vials of something called Morningstar are being studied by men who masquerade as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. You do the math. This has biological warfare
“Are you sure that's what it was?” Henry asked. “You're certain?”
“I'd bet my life on it,” Edward gasped. “That thing was huge and gave off this feeling of hopelessness that just seemed to seep into the bones. Everything about that place felt wrong to me.”
“Just thinking about it gives me the creeps,” Sadie said.
“I think I know what it is,” Edward said.
“Don’t say the word,” Franklin said. “Saying it will make it a little too real for me. You've described it well enough, and I think we're all capable of putting the pieces together here. Besides, when I think of that word I think of Clarence from ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ I don’t want to ruin that image. That‘s my favorite Christmas movie.”
“It had wings,” Edward said. “They were made of shadow and wavered like gasoline fumes on hot blacktop. But they were wings. I’m sure of it.”
“Can we move past that part of the story for now?” Franklin asked. He was as unsettled by Edward’s account of the shadow-creature as Sadie, but he wasn’t going to admit it.
“We can,” Edward said. “But the fact remains that it's a part of the story we will have to come back to at some point.”
“As you were describing things to us, you made it seem like the horsemen were reporting to this creature. That makes me think maybe Nero isn’t the one in charge,” Henry theorized. “Maybe this is what Seneca wanted us to see.”
“Maybe,” Edward admitted. “But that doesn't necessarily make me feel any better.”
“Nero’s got a big part to play in this,” Kelly said. “Maybe he's running things for the winged creature. The horsemen serve him, and he serves the shadow-angel.”
“I told you not to say that word,” Franklin hissed. “It gives me the creeps.”
“So what about these horsemen?” Sadie asked. “How do they fit into all this?”
“The horsemen are scientists,” Henry said. “That’s interesting if you think about it. All this time we’ve been pursuing the religious angle.”
“Based on what I saw, I think we’re right to pursue the religious angle,” Edward reminded him.
“Maybe this is the place where science and faith intersect,” Henry said.
“Or maybe this is the place where Edward hoodwinks all of us,” Franklin said.
“I saw what I saw,” Edward replied.
“But we weren’t there,” Franklin added. “You can’t prove what you saw.”
“Fine. Believe what you want. I know we’re in serious trouble here, and not all of it has to do with Nero.”
“Any idea what Morningstar might refer to?” Henry asked, trying to steer the discussion back in a positive direction.
“Morningstar is another name for Lucifer,” Edward explained. “That must tie in somehow.”
“According to the Bible, Lucifer was an-”
“Don't say it, Sadie,” Franklin growled. “Don't. Say. It!”
“It's ok to be scared, Franklin,” Henry said. “We all are.”
“We've got to figure all of this out,” Franklin said, completely ignoring Henry.
“Nero isn’t going to give us time to put all the facts together,” Sadie reminded them. “Some of us will die before we get to that point.”
“So why did Seneca lead us here?” Henry asked.
“I think we should be concerned about the test tubes,” Franklin said. “Seneca wanted us to know how big this whole thing really is. Nero’s threatening to kill millions in some mysterious way because God has allowed good people to suffer. Seems like Nero believes this is his way of getting back at God or proving a point of some sort. We stumble upon a laboratory where vials of something called Morningstar are being studied by men who masquerade as The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. You do the math. This has biological warfare
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