Michael makes her way from the front door to a corner booth, tossing her bike helmet onto the seat. She passes the booth, however, and swings by Bar herself
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"I get the sense about reality a lot here. I think the other angel I met would agree." He wonders what sorts of missions require such scruffy clothing. Unless God is a cheap tailor.
"I guess I expect wings. Maybe a flaming sword. And if you want to go for the Biblical approach, multiple faces of animals."
Michael's voice is noncommittal, the planes of her face just this side of harsh.
"And yet such an appearance, impressive as it sounds, would do very little to make any human I have met -- in this century or the last -- believe my words any more than they do when I look like this."
"Some humans might. For every citizen of my day who is less devout than his or her grandparent, there is probably one who is more religious or at least as religious.
"Though sometimes I have wondered about the faithful and how they react to angels." Pause. "There was a very public angel in my world. Called Zauriel. His mission was to be a super-hero."
"Religion without faith is not religion. It's ethics. Which is fine, but it's not the same thing.
"Faith without religion, though...I'm an agnostic. And there have been many times when I have had no faith at all in humanity. Mainly because I tend to doubt without proof. If I see proof, I will accept it." Never mind that his standards for proof are high.
"Religion without faith is a mockery -- or politics. Occasionally it is the very young playing at things they do not understand."
Sometimes a large swathe of humanity is very young -- and not all of them are under the age of thirty.
"Seeing proof would require you being able to see, and to understand what is being shown to you. For you to have lived this long and found no proof at all, or rather no evidence at all -- "
Charlie raises an eyebrow. He's not used to someone talking to him this way. Not that he objects.
"I didn't say I never found proof. I just don't find it on a regular basis. I've seen people try to blow themselves up just to prove a point about their leaders, I've seen heroes and villains have at each other without thinking about the consequences of their fights, and I've seen seemingly good men mislead truly good men with death waiting.
"That tends to overshadow the good that people do sometimes. But...yes, I've seen it. Not that often, but it's there."
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"I guess I expect wings. Maybe a flaming sword. And if you want to go for the Biblical approach, multiple faces of animals."
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Michael's voice is noncommittal, the planes of her face just this side of harsh.
"And yet such an appearance, impressive as it sounds, would do very little to make any human I have met -- in this century or the last -- believe my words any more than they do when I look like this."
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"Though sometimes I have wondered about the faithful and how they react to angels." Pause. "There was a very public angel in my world. Called Zauriel. His mission was to be a super-hero."
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And that, too, is a pity -- at least when it comes to faith.
"Or have you met no agnostics with faith in mankind?"
She does not address the matter of Zauriel.
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"Faith without religion, though...I'm an agnostic. And there have been many times when I have had no faith at all in humanity. Mainly because I tend to doubt without proof. If I see proof, I will accept it." Never mind that his standards for proof are high.
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Sometimes a large swathe of humanity is very young -- and not all of them are under the age of thirty.
"Seeing proof would require you being able to see, and to understand what is being shown to you. For you to have lived this long and found no proof at all, or rather no evidence at all -- "
She flicks her fingers in an impatient gesture.
"I wonder, do you even want to see?"
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"I didn't say I never found proof. I just don't find it on a regular basis. I've seen people try to blow themselves up just to prove a point about their leaders, I've seen heroes and villains have at each other without thinking about the consequences of their fights, and I've seen seemingly good men mislead truly good men with death waiting.
"That tends to overshadow the good that people do sometimes. But...yes, I've seen it. Not that often, but it's there."
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It's abrupt, it's blunt, and it is a very important message.
Not that anyone ever listens.
"I could tell you a story about splinters and beams, too, but repetition hasn't done it any favors."
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She doesn't sigh, just reaches up and tucks a flyaway lock of hair out of her eyes.
Again.
"Don't forget, you're human, too."
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She raises her eyebrows.
"And you and I were made very differently."
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She doesn't laugh.
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"I should probably ask your name. I think that part is important."
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