Tony and Bernard leave the hospital, collecting the flowers sent by Case on their way out, see an spot on them in "The General" (a television program based on the hospital), and catch taxis to their respective homes, where they get non-bullet-riddled clothing. Bernard phones the Tether, informs them he's well and will be by to pick up his car shortly. Tony reclothes himself, phones work, and gets Sheila, who says she's created an efficient new filing system. There's a scream and a thud from the background. Tony decides to drop by work. Bernard phones the dojo, gets Case's answering machine (which Case states is a very boring message). Bernard tries the flat, gets an answering machine. Finally tries Case's mobile.
Case is having coffee with Anita and grilling her, once over lightly. He excuses himself to take the phone call. Case demands a device to track radio waves. Bernard suggests he bring the thing round to Bernard's workshop. Case says he's currently tied up. Bernard says he'll put together a device and bring it round. Case suggests the dojo. Bernard agrees, they ring off. Bernard starts working on said device.
Tony gets to work. He finds his (well-organised but untidy) office getting sorted. Sheila is busy organising his notes alphabetically, and is clearly admiring them, though not quite sure how some of the infobits relate. Tony offers to show her more, and phones Bernard to explain why he'll be late. Bernard mentions what he's up to.
The newspapers that morning state, "LOVE TRIANGLE NEW FOREST MURDER."
Martin finds a host (a student) and sits with his fingers in a light socket.
Zebediah is tidying the museum when there's a knock on the main door - two policemen and car. Someone saw the Triad's car outside yesterday. Zebediah denies any knowledge of this. The cops look round, but see nothing, thanks to all that hard work cleaning and tidying, no doubt. Zebediah claims he's been doing the cleaning because he's ill. The cops leave, giving Zebediah their number in case he notices anything.
Nathaniel surveys the Mayflower Monument area. He notices plenty of sniper sites. He goes drug-dealer hunting.
Lucas has credit cards. He discovers bank machines and that he has a 5000-pound balance. He gets shown the Student Bar, and buys a round of drinks for his new friends, and tries Teachers himself - not as good as Case's whiskey. He wants a mobile phone. One of his new friends, Sam, offers to take him into town that afternoon to get one. He discovers arcade games, but they're too slow. He plays very well and attracts admiring comment.
Case pumps Anita for information about her life. She tells him about how she became a Soldier (Esek pulled some thugs off her when they mugged her, recruited her, and generally looked after her). They talk about angels and demons and stuff. Case tells her war stories. She agrees to try and transfer her base of operations to Southampton - she's a car hire rep, and was responsible for renting cars to Hali and the Triad via Esek, Case deduces from the descriptions she gives him.
Tony finishes his explanations to Sheila. Bernard finishes his gadget. Both get taxis to the dojo (Bernard picking up his car en route) and get there at the same time as Martin and Case.
Zebediah phones, asks if Case has heard about the New Forest murder, not realising it was the Triad bodies. He says he'll come over to the dojo.
Lucas goes into town with Sam, and buys a mobile phone for himself and a vibrating pager for Nathaniel. He then buys paints, brushes, and a book on interior decoration, and a Hawaian shirt. (Sam is revealed to be doing Psychology and History courses.) Lucas heads dojowards, dumping the paints at the flat en route.
Nathaniel finds no drug dealers, though he gets a good sense of the location. He goes to the dojo.
Everyone is at the dojo. There is talk. Lucas attempts to slip the pager into Nathaniel's pocket, gets caught. Nathaniel refuses it, and the Hawaian shirt too. Everyone compares notes. Faber is also present. They get round to the Esek matter, and plan. The fax starts up and beeps in Lightning-code-rhythm. Lightning flashes out of it and bestows the Song of Corporeal Light on Bernard, and a 10th Force on Martin. It prints out that Hali is a pre-Flood Grigori, and dangerous, and suggests that Jean be invoked if necessary. Signed Jean.
More talk. The plan eventually becomes that Faber and Nathaniel go out in the open, while Martin provides Aerial Kyrio Support and Tony films from a window, and the others all lurk at the edges. Nathaniel reluctantly agrees to wear a radio wire. They plan for Martin to invoke Jean if necessary.
Nathaniel gets all wired up by Bernard. They drive to the East Street car park, abandon the cars and walk from there. They stop on the way to collect Tony's camera. Bernard, with Lucas, hides behind the walls to listen. Case waits at one end of a wall and makes like a rock. Tony gets into an office and watches the roads through the window with his camera. Zebediah watches from the wall with a crossbow. Martin has his human host wander round, and collects pigeons. Nathaniel and Faber prepare to go in.
The Hero Malakim advance to the Monument. Nobody's there. Tony sees a car coming, photographs it, and pages Nathaniel that it's coming. The car arrives, and Esek gets out, followed by Hali. There is talk. Hali states that Dominic is a Balseraph, Judgement is corrupt, persecuted Michael and Gabriel, etc, etc, and that Hali just wants to talk to Eli. Nathaniel and Faber disbelieve muchly. Eventually, Hali sings Thunder, Faber collapses, the others stay up. Zebediah shoots Hali in the shoulder, Case shoots at her and misses. Esek grabs Faber and drags, Nathaniel grabs the other end of Faber and drags in the opposite direction. Martin invokes Jean. Case shoots and misses again.
Jean appears in a flash of lightning.
Hali screams, and gestures mystically at Faber. Black fire forms a circuit between her and the unconscious Faber, and forms a shield round Hali. Jean just raises his hand, and blasts it with lightning.
Nathaniel and Esek are thrown away from Faber by the blast. Case tackles Esek acrobatically. Nathaniel fires up his hands, hits the shield, and makes brief temporary holes in it. (From behind - he's not getting in the way of Jean's attack.) Bernard tries to sing Celestial Light, fails. Tony films it all. Both Tony and Martin watch for anyone coming to interfere, but see nobody. Lucas body-tackles Hali, and is thrown twenty metres horizontally. He rolls. Jean keeps on smashing at Hali's shield with lightning, though it seems to be just about holding. Case and Esek grapple on the ground. Lucas remembers the Spraycan Of Eli, yells to Nathaniel. Nathaniel deflames his hands, pulls out the spraycan, and sprays it on the ground. Eli steps out of the sudden hole there, reaches through the shield round Hali, grabs the back of her neck. All the black-fire energy drains into him, and the shield vanishes. Jean fries her. A pair of smoking high heels rock on the ground.
Jean gives Eli a look. Eli shrugs and grins. Jean nods to Bernard and Martin, and vanishes. Eli thanks the angels. Faber, waking up, swears. Eli then distributes presents. Case gets what turns out to be an everfull bottle of 1978 MacAllen whiskey. Tony gets an incredible-looking new camera. Bernard gets a notebook. Lucas gets told that there's a new motorbike for him. Zebediah gets the mended print that Faber broke in the fight with the Triad. Martin gets a mysterious CD. Nathaniel is asked what he wants, but says he can't think of anything. Bernard states that Nathaniel needs a mobile phone (and believes this.) Eli pulls Nathaniel's sword from the depths of his own trenchcoat, vanishes it, pulls out a mobile phone, gives it to him. Eli then vanishes with Faber. Case tells Lucas to takes his motorbike home. Lucas does so, and finds his new motorcycle from Eli outside, with a bow and label. He goes on a drive.
The driver in the limo that Hali came in is unconscious. The angels leave him that way.
Everyone else takes Esek to the Common and the Novalis-Tether. Case ascends to his Heart, finds Michael, reports. Michael says he'll send a squad to pick Esek up. Case descends. A squad of four muscular types appear, salute Case, grab Esek and put chains on him, and all vanish with him. Nathaniel ascends to his Heart, and finds Soldekai to report. He finds that his new mobile phone is still with him, even in celestial form.
---