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Gaby tried to return the discussion to the issues. It was a difficult task because the Other had given no hints about the reasons for declaring peace in heaven, a peace the Other seemed to believe had always been there.

“As we all know,”sh e tried to state the question, “the Other often does not reveal His strategies. Now there is to be peace in heaven, peace between you and us and between the Other and you. Or more precisely, the Other wants the existing peace accepted and recognized. That’s all.”

“Like nothing ever happened!”M aeve was becoming angry again.“What about those who have died? Are they forgiven too? What about the offspring which we have all too rarely? Is the Other going to make all of this retroactive if we are willing to take an occasional assignment?”

Gaby would not touch the offspring question. She had always believed that offspring required passion between companions, and that passion was incompatible with a lazy life.However, it was not the time to suggest that. If the Shee could be stirred out of their lethargy, they would mate more often, and there would be more offspring.

Mike intervened again.

“We have suffered losses too,”h e said soothingly. “We live with hope and the fidelity of the Other to the Promises. As you know, Gabriella lost her first companion to a sudden burst of negative gravity.”

Maeve touch her hand again. “The good Light Bearer. I’m so sorry, Gaby love. So very, very sorry.”

Tears sprung into Gaby’s eyes, as they always did when the Light Bearer was mentioned. For a moment she felt fury at the Iranian influence on popular Christianity that implied that the Light Bearer was a bad angel, when in fact he had been the best of the angels.

“We will all be together again,”sh e said with a sigh that was almost Irish. “All of us.”

Maeve was crying too, her lovely surrogate breasts moving up and down with emotion. Doubtless the male human diners would be stricken with desire by such movement.Well, they could work that out with their wives later. Gaby spread some seraphic dust in the dining room,which would make the humans more attractive to their companions. If they could see life-bearing Seraphs as we really are, she thought, the beauty of our nurturing organs would drive them mad with hunger.

“The Promises were not revoked with regard to you,”M ike continued with an even more blinding smile.“Moreover, you have in fact been involved in the very work you said you did not want to do. Unasked, you supervised the Good Friday Agreement. I’m sure the Other was pleased.”

“Someone had to do something,”Mac waved off the compliment. “On occasion we have done good some things in Ireland of our own freedom.”

“Once a Seraph”—Gaby giggled—“always a Seraph.”

“That’s all the Other expects of us,”Mike continued, flashing his absolutely best smile. “The important point is that nothing much has to change. The war in heaven is over, if there ever were one.”

“And we’re back in?”Maeve said skeptically. “If we want in?”

“Even ifyou don’t want in.”Gab y spoke the core truth.

“That’s what I don’t like at all, at all. The Other doesn’t even ask us politely if we want back in or if we are sorry we ever slipped out. Both are assumed. That’s not fair.”

“And what ifthe Other did ask both questions?”Mike wondered. “How would you answer them?

“This is the best port I’ve ever tasted,”M ac interrupted the flow of the conversation. “Where’s it from? Seraphic vineyards? Are they at home or here on earth?”

“Both places,”M ike replied easily. “We’ll send you some. We’re rather proud of some of our vintages.”

Seraphic life givers, like the human ones, were given to boasting at the wrong time, even the shrewd and tough Michael.

“You didn’t answer Mike’s questions?”

“We might not say no, and then again we might,”M aeve answered for her companion. “And we’ll not be bribed by your private wine stock!”

Laughter around the table, for the first time.

“Don’t you see, Maevie, the Other loves you so much that the return is