A fine white eyebrow lifted above the wraparound sunglasses at her observation of his name. She did not understand its meaning, but without receiving a reply to her question Elizabeth turned her attention back to Mr. Nathaniel.
“
I
’
m sorry about my son, my dear,
”
said Paul.
“
It was our first transatlantic flight and it was not as enjoyable as we had hoped.
”
“
That
’
s alright. I don
’
t fly well myself,
”
smiled Elizabeth, taking note of what Paul had called the young man.
“
Shall we get going? I
’
m sure that you would like to settle in before you start work tomorrow evening.
”
“
Oh, most definitely. It
’
s not every night where we get five extra hours. I
’
ve never experienced jet lag before, but it never sounded pleasant to begin with.
”
Paul inclined his head indicating for her to lead on.
Taking the cue, Elizabeth led them up a set of escalators and onto a carpeted bridge that kept pedestrians safe from the traffic below and any possible inclement weather. They walked high above taxis sitting dark, their drivers resting or talking quietly with co-workers. A few privately owned vehicles were stopped at the side to allow sleepy travellers off for their journeys. The sound of luggage wheels mingled with their footsteps over the grey fabric, adding its notes to the quiet cacophony of the early morning.
“
I must say, I am a bit confused as to why you would insist on working only at night,
”
she ventured as they entered the parking building. It had been a strange request from the
British Museum
but the
Royal Ontario Museum
had to oblige if they wanted the exhibit. Elizabeth took out the parking ticket and placed it into the kiosk, paying for the parking before leaving.
“
Ah, that
’
s easy to explain, my dear.
”
Paul walked by her side once she had taken the ticket back, his suitcase squeaking as it rolled along.
“
Night is the time when mysteries abound, when the ghosts of the past can come to whisper in ones ear, bestowing inspiration and teaching the ways of God.
”
The seriousness of the answer surprised Elizabeth. She quickly glanced at the man the
British Museum
sent to her and noticed his smile was gone. She also noticed that even at night he still wore the sunglasses.
Conversation quickly turned to the exhibit they would be working on together and
Elizabeth dismissing the strange comment from her co-worker she dove into descriptions
of some of her favourite items that would be placed on display.
Even approaching her dark blue
Honda Accord
she kept up the conversation until she pulled out the keys.
With a press of the button on the fob the car
’
s lights flashed and the sound of unlocking doors echoed in the nearly deserted place.
“
Here we are,
”
she announced, popping open the trunk.
“
It
’
s not a limo but it works.
”
She watched Dr. Nathaniel gracefully lift his suitcase and place it into the empty space.
“
My dear, it is not the ride that matters, but rather the company that makes a voyage enjoyable or not.
”
He flashed a smile before his face pinched with concern as she watched the tall young man place his cases in the trunk as well.
“
Though for some of us, even with company as gracious as yours, the ride will be, unfortunately, uncomfortable.
”
Closing the trunk with a thunk, Elizabeth went to open the driver
’
s door and stared at the interior of the car.
She glanced at Paul
’
s friend and then back at the inside. Understanding blossomed. Offering an apologetic smile, she looked up at the man who introduced himself as Gwyn
.
“
If you don
’
t mind riding in the front and push the seat all the way back you may be okay.
”
The tall pale young man turned to face her and she could feel his eyes bore into hers even though she could not see them behind the glasses. With a curt nod of his head Elizabeth almost thought she saw the pull of a half smile on his face and wondered what he would look like without the shades and a real smile.
“
You don
’
t mind sitting in the back, do you?
”
She asked Paul, but realized it was not necessary as he was already settling himself in the back behind her seat.
She blinked in surprise and followed suit.
Having the young man crouched beside her and Dr. Nathaniel behind her, Elizabeth locked the doors and started the car. Adjusting the rear view mirror she noticed that Paul had taken off his sunglasses.
Her breath caught at the sight of his large expressive eyes that twinkled in amusement. Checking her side passenger, she noticed that he left the glasses on and seemed disgruntled. Shifting into drive she drove them out of the airport and into the city.
Shifting in the bucket seat proved that no matter what he tried there was no possibility of getting comfortable.
Legs pressed the underside of the dash, and even slouching, his head still pressed the ceiling of the small car. This was why he preferred motorcycles.
The Angel could feel Dr. Bowen
’
s attention descend upon him every so often as she drove them onto the motorway
–
correction; they were called highways, here
–
that would take them into the heart of Toronto and to the condominium they rented. He hoped the trip would not take long. Even after all these centuries he still became uncomfortable at prying eyes.
In this day and age cloaks were no longer fashionable and wearing one would draw even more stares. With the invention of electricity and the advancements of fashion the Angel was now more exposed than ever.
It is also what drew his attention, ignoring Notus
’
animated conversation with Dr. Bowen.
Light posts flickered past as they drove south to connect with the expressway that would take them into the core of the city. The Angel watched illuminated billboards selling expensive wares mingling with low rise buildings. Lights dotted his view until they turned onto the expressway.
Eyes widening, he was about to remove his sunglasses for an unimpeded view when he felt Dr. Bowen
’
s attention fall on him again. Lowering his hand he tried to sit up straight only to find his head pressed against the ceiling, making him feel boxed in. This time he ignored the uncomfortable state of his body and took in the sight.
Ah
ead skyscrapers, lit up like Christmas trees huddled together, evoked an image of a giant spaceship against the blackness of eternal night. The greatest of these was the world
’
s largest freestanding object, the
CN Tower
.
Its needle lit up in purples and greens, giving colour to a monochromatic scene.
“
Beautiful,
”
sighed Notus, memorized by the site.
Dr. Bowen smiled, proud of her city.
“
And this is only the downtown core. The city stretches out far past there to the east and far to the North.
”
The expressway rose higher and the Angel noticed the absence of light to his right. In the far off distance he could make out a string of pin lights shimmering against black waters.
“
And that
’
s, of course, Lake Ontario,
”
offered Dr. Bowen, noticing where his gaze landed.
“
On a really clear night you can see across the Great Lake. The best view is, of course, from the top of the Tower.
”
The Angel continued to take in the view while Notus quizzed Dr. Bowen on the history and the sites as they drove past them. Once in the belly of the core, the view of the lake was cut off by towering lakeside condos and office towers. All around them steel and concrete were illuminated by white and yellow.
The off ramp and the ride north sucked them further into the heart. Here was where Toronto appeared most similar to other world class cities, except for one thing
–
the proliferation of green trees studded in a concrete forest. Newly budded branches stretched high in competition against the high rises.
Even at this late hour people were out enjoying the night life. The Angel watched as they drove past groups of young people cavorting and laughing, couples walking hand in hand, and individuals striding with purpose. On occasion he witnessed a vagrant tottering down a street or sleeping in a darkened corner. Relief washed over him in the realization that nourishment would be easily obtained. Despite being a metropolis Toronto was the cleanest city he had ever seen.
“
There is the ROM.
”
Dr. Bowen pointed out as they were about to turn right onto Bloor.
Gazing past the doctor, the Angel saw a large stone building with yellow floodlights illuminating the carefully crafted brick and the large posters announcing the upcoming exhibit. It was a stately mansion until he saw the protrusion on the north side of the building.
“
What is that?
”
asked Notus before he could ask the same.
Dr. Bowen sighed.
“
That is the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal.
”
“
It
’
s as hideous as the Pyramid at the
Louvre
! Who would do such a thing?!
”
The monk
’
s outrage at the architectural vandalism brought a small smile to the Angel
’
s face as he successfully squashed the laughter that threatened to burst out. It was so like his Chooser. Always stuck in the past, barely keeping up with these fast changing times, Notus preferred the beauty of old things even though when they were new he had raged like this.
“
It
’
s not funny,
”
stated the monk in response to his son
’
s emotions.
It
’
s just a building
, sent the Angel, amusement setting his tone.