Through the Years (Ineffable husbands...kind of)

2. 3004 BC, Mesopotamia

The angel, whose name was Aziraphale (a very fitting name for an angel like her), and I both remained on Earth among the mortals. As there were more and more generations of people, we became like people ourselves, and less like godly beings. One of the more notable times I encountered my favorite angel was in Mesopotamia, about 1,000 years after we first met.

People were scattered about, but it was mostly animals that were everywhere. Rumor had it that they would all be going on a big ship. I waded my way through the crowd, until I saw my angel friend. An unexpected, but very welcome surprise. I knew it was her because she was the palest person there, and because of her hair color too.

"Hello Aziraphale." I said, stepping next to her. I looked her up and down, scrutinizing her appearance. At that moment, she had on a long-sleeved brown dress that looked like it had been woven out of fibers, like most everyone else's clothes. Her face was more or less that same, a bit dirtier, and she was paler than before, but her hair was different. It was mostly the same length, but it was much messier than before, all tangled, and it appeared that she had woven or braided strands of grass in it as well.

"Crawley." She greeted me, sizing me up as well. I confess, I didn't look that different from the garden, especially not compared to her; my hair was mostly the same, same coppery red curls, and I was dressed in another black cloak. She looked surprised to see me, and dare I say pleased. "So, giving the mortals a flaming sword. How did that work out for you?" I taunted lightly, genuinely curious to see how that whole fiasco had turned out.

Aziraphale was a bit shaken, but after a bit she recollected herself and answered, "The Almighty has never actually mentioned it again." She said it a bit stiffly, looking back and forth, almost as to make sure God or the other angels weren't there listening to the matter.

"Probably a good thing." I added, also looking around to be sure there were no demons spying on me. Being the kind demon that I was, I decided to drop it. That, and I was curious as to all of the commotion going on. "What's all this about?" I asked, referencing the mass of people and the myriad of animals being led about. "Build a big boat and fill it with a traveling zoo?" That was what I had heard was happening, anyway, but it sounded too ridiculous to be true, so I was checking my sources with my godly friend.

Aziraphale must have been terribly paranoid, because she began looking around again before answering, "From what I hear, God's a bit tetchy. Wiping out the human race. Big storm." My eyes widened in shock; how could God and the angels do something like that, annihilating innocent, defenseless people? It was wrong, an abuse of power, and based off of Aziraphale's expression and tone, she agreed with me.

"All of them?" I asked, just to be sure. I looked around me and saw all different kinds of people; sure there were bad people, some especially so, but there were also lots of good people, and it just didn't seem fair to punish them for something they hadn't done.

"Just the locals." Aziraphale choked out. She explained, "I don't believe the Almighty's upset with the Chinese. Or the Native Americans. Or the Australians." I stared at the angel in disbelief as she attempted to justify this mass murder, the slaughter of the innocent, but I could plainly see she didn't want to be on the side of the flood, but had no choice.

"Yet." I muttered, following the names of all the other groups of people who would be spared. God could be a very cruel woman, as it turned out, and I had no doubt that her fearsome wrath would spread to all the other civilizations as well. Still trying to save face, Aziraphale continued, "And God's not actually going to wipe out all the locals. I mean, Noah, up there, his family and their sons, their wives, they're all going to be fine."

No matter how hard the angel tried to support her side, I couldn't be swayed; the act was extraordinarily wrong. "But they're drowning everybody else?" I turned to look at Aziraphale. This time she didn't protest, but rather meekly nodded, not meeting my eyes. I let out a slight breath, a sigh, as I began to fully process the intensity and the horror of the situation. Just then, a few kids ran by in front of me, which reminded me of a whole nother issue.

"Not the kids." I said sharply, turning toward Aziraphale. "You can't kill kids." Aziraphale still wouldn't meet my eyes, but gave an affirmative "mm-hm" whilst continuing to nod. Her face was all scrunched up, and she looked close to tears. I felt bad, pressing her further on the issue, when I could see how upset the whole thing made her; I was at least grateful to see that a sane, moral, kind person on the "good" side agreed with me.

"Well, that's more the kind of thing you'd expect my lot to do." I murmured, looking around me in disbelief. I didn't want to believe it. I didn't, I really, really didn't, especially knowing there was probably nothing I could do to save anyone.

Having calmed down a bit and recollected her thoughts, Azirapahle added, "Yes, but when it's done, the Almighty's going to put up a new thing, called a 'rain bow,' as a promise not to drown everyone again." I didn't know why the angel kept sticking up for her side. She seemed to have enough morals to know what was right and what was wrong, yet she persisted in blindly following the angel, and God.

"How kind." I spat out bitterly, my voice dripping with sarcasm. Aziraphale grimaced, as if I'd dealt her hard blow, but she finally exclaimed, "You can't judge the Almighty, Crawley! God's plans are-"

"Are you going to say ineffable?" I deadpanned, cutting the angel off. She still wouldn't meet my eyes, and oh how I missed them, her pretty blue, incomparable eyes. She was ashamed of herself, for so easily trusting God's plan. "Possibly." She grudgingly admitted quietly, squirming the whole time.

"Oi Shem! That unicorn's going to make a run for it!" I interrupted, watching a unicorn gallop rapidly away from all the other animals. "Oh, it's too late–it's too late! Well, you've still got one of them." The last part I kind of added to myself. Seeing the unicorn distracted me. I was about to ask my dear companion where we were, when I remembered, and decided against it.

Just then, a large cackle of thunder sounded in the desert we were in, signifying the commencement of the oncoming storm; the very large and terrible disaster. Rain began to fall. I looked to Aziraphale, and was reminded of when we were in the garden, having just met, and it began to rain then as well. Then, we had been unsure of what the future held anxious, apprehensive, eager. Now, things seemed rather dark, and hopeless though. As we looked at each other, I knew she was thinking the same thing.