The Best Leaders Rely On Their Intuition
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It was late. I was hungry, but I just wanted to sit down with a book and try to figure out what was going on in my head. I’d spent the whole day trying to keep up with everyone around me as they were all so excited over something that seemed impossible to them.
It was hard for me not to be caught up in their enthusiasm at times, but when it came to this thing, I couldn’t see how we could possibly defeat an army of monsters from another world without magic. And there wasn’t even anything wrong with the concept; if we had a bunch of sorcerers or mages, then they might have been able to do it somehow.
But we didn’t… and we certainly did not need more magic than we already possessed. We needed to be smart about fighting these creatures… and not rely on some fantasy that would only get us killed.
As I got closer to the library doors, I saw a young man wearing jeans and an orange T-shirt walking away from me. He was probably in his twenties, tall with dark hair and he wore glasses—I assumed those must have been part of some new trend.
He had a nice build but was by no means muscular. The fact that I hadn’t noticed him until now told me that he was one of the quiet types. I wondered who he was. Maybe someone who lived on campus, like me?
Then he turned around and started talking to himself.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he said, “but it’s so weird. Like, why is everyone always getting so worked up over things when none of it will actually happen?” His voice sounded familiar.
He was standing behind me… and then he walked past me as I sat down at the table in the center of the room, pulling off his backpack and setting it down on the floor beside him before sitting down across from me. He looked tired.
He put his hand up to his forehead as though he wanted to rub his eyes, and I realized suddenly that he’d been talking aloud because he was exhausted. I knew what that felt like; every once in a while I’d find myself waking up early in the morning after having stayed up too late, and my brain wouldn’t work properly for most of the first hour I was awake.
I glanced back up and met his gaze as I smiled at him. There was something about his face that reminded me of the actor who played Spock in Star Trek, but the guy in front of me had a lot less hair.
“Hello,” I said, “and welcome to the College.”
He laughed nervously and said, “I don’t know about that, but I’m glad you’re here too.” Then he leaned forward and set his elbows on the table, putting his hands together as though he were praying.
“Okay…” he began, “you’re Metatron.”
That name was familiar enough, but it took me a moment to remember exactly where I’d heard it before: in the old legends about ancient gods, or perhaps in mythology books I read as a kid.
“And I’ve come to ask you for help. Not much has changed since you last heard from me, and that was a long time ago. But everything has happened so fast now—”
The door to the library burst open. A man ran through the entryway, screaming about something being after him. People scattered in different directions in response to the commotion, which confused me until I remembered that this was the first day of classes and students were still moving into dorm rooms.
When it calmed down again, I stood up. “Excuse me,” I said, “do either of you know if there are any empty study carrels or private rooms available?”
“Oh! Right, sorry,” said the young man who’d been studying with me. “There should be one on the second level on the west wall, just north of the elevators.”
“Thanks!” I grabbed my backpack and headed toward the stairs. As I went, I tried to think of what Metatron had said about coming here to ask for help. If nothing else, it made me feel better knowing that there was a reason for the things that had been happening lately.
I mean, the only other explanation I could think of was that I was just losing my mind… although that didn’t seem likely. It would be pretty hard to get lost in a building filled with books, and if I ever started forgetting names that meant that I really did need to talk to someone about it. I’d been meaning to bring that up with my mom and dad anyway.
I passed one of the elevators on my way out, and a couple kids got on after me and took one of the few remaining seats. They weren’t even wearing college sweatshirts or anything; they seemed to have come straight from home.
One of them had curly black hair, a short, neat goatee, pale green eyes, and a tattoo on the inside of his upper arm that looked like it might be a snake curled around a rose. Another guy, wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dark green sweater, kept glancing at his watch. When they got off a moment later, neither of them paid any attention to me.
I reached the second-floor landing and found the place where Metatron mentioned there’d be an empty study carrel. The area between two of the columns was a good spot for it, and I figured it was probably safe to take a seat there while I waited for Metatron to arrive.
It wasn’t quite lunchtime yet, but a few students had taken their books and notebooks and were already seated on nearby benches or lying across the tables in the center of the room. After I closed the bookcase behind me, I pulled out my phone and checked messages and e-mail instead.
My phone buzzed and I saw an e-mail from my sister. She’d sent it about ten minutes earlier, just as I left her apartment, and it told me she was going to stop by the library after she finished up at school. It also said that she’d call when she arrived. So I put away my phone, shut the bookcase, and turned to see Metatron walking up the stairs toward me.
I stepped aside so that he could walk by without bumping me, and he paused to look over his shoulder at me. He was younger than I expected, somewhere between twenty-five and thirty years old.
He wore a gray suit and a white shirt that contrasted nicely with his light brown skin, and I guessed he was Native American—maybe from somewhere out West. His features were sharp and handsome, and he had bright blue eyes. And as soon as his gaze settled on me, I thought that he was the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.
He nodded quickly at me and smiled politely when he got close enough to speak. “Good morning,” he said, and I couldn’t tell if it was an actual greeting or a kind of acknowledgment that we’d met before.
As usual, when he spoke to me, his voice sounded distant and echoing. I wondered if that was how he was trying to keep his distance between us. But I didn’t care, because I was too distracted by all the questions I wanted to ask him right then.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” he added. “You’ll need some time to rest up after that trip to the future, but we can start tomorrow.”
I blinked. “Uh… I don’t understand…”
“We’re going to meet in the same place you did before,” he explained. “It’s near here, actually, and I’ll send you the address. We’ll spend three hours together, and I want you to bring your cell phone in case I have any questions.”
“Three hours? Are we really doing this again?” I asked, looking back at the stairs. “And why do you need three hours?”
“The process will take more than twice that long for you, so please, be patient.”
I sighed and shook my head. “Okay. I guess I’ll try to remember to bring my phone, then.”
I waited until I heard Metatron moving down the stairs and heading in a different direction before following him. When I finally caught up with him, I stopped to catch my breath and let my eyes adjust to the dimmer light. He stood next to a small metal plaque on one of the walls:
***
This space has been reserved for the use of Metatron, Lord of Wisdom
—MATT. 5:8 —
A couple other people had walked past since Metatron got here, but none of them came close to talking to him or paying any attention to what he was saying. I followed behind him while he strode briskly along the main hallway.
At one point, he stopped outside of a classroom door and leaned against a pillar. There were a bunch of guys and girls sitting on the floor around him, listening intently to what he was telling them, and when he raised his voice to talk, they got quiet.
One of the girls glanced up at me when I passed the group, and the other guy looked surprised when he caught sight of me, but neither one acknowledged us.
Metatron continued walking down another hallway, and I realized we’d come into a part of the building I’d never seen before. As far as I knew, this particular area was always kept locked up and sealed off, so that only the professors and administrators could go inside.
A sign beside the front door read “Classroom B1”, and there was no indication whatsoever that anyone lived or worked in the place. The hallway ended in an open doorway on both sides, and the space beyond was full of desks and chairs, as well as a few computers and bookshelves.
A girl with short-cropped blond hair approached me from where she sat in a chair at the end of the room. She gave me a brief smile and held out her hand. “You must be Metatron’s new assistant,” she said in a clear voice. “I’m Julie.”
“Kira,” I responded, shaking her offered hand. “But I think you already know that.”
She frowned and shook her head. “No… I haven’t been introduced to Metatron yet, which means I still don’t know who you are.”
There was a pause, and when I saw that Metatron wasn’t going to say anything more about the matter, I tried to explain things in simpler terms. “Julie, I work for Metatron, just like you do. I’m his new assistant. You probably know that he’s not a typical professor and doesn’t teach courses in person.”
“What does he do then?” she asked, tilting her chin toward the doorway.
I shrugged. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Do you mind if we sit down?”
I led Julie away from the crowd, past a couple of desks, and across the hall. Once we were alone, I gestured at a desk and told her, “If you can stay over here while I get something to drink, I’d appreciate it.”
I took my backpack off and laid it on the floor, then headed through a door in one wall and into a small break room. On the table were some water bottles, cans of energy drinks, and a box of doughnuts. I opened the fridge and grabbed two cold water bottles, popped the caps, and handed one to Julie while taking a can for myself.
When I stepped back outside, she asked, “So… tell me more about this ‘Assistants Program.'”
I nodded and started to walk ahead. “Let’s start with the basics, okay? You already know that Metatron is a god and that he created Earth, but not how. I can give you the same basic information I gave to everyone else, except that you’re probably the most powerful being in all of this, besides maybe Metatron himself.
“As far as I know, you’ve already figured out what you want to study or work towards as a career, which might not necessarily mean becoming a god yourself someday. But even if you decide otherwise, you’ll be able to do whatever you choose, with more power than anyone else around you.”
“I see,” Julie said, frowning slightly. “How did you become Metatron’s assistant?”
“The answer to that question is kind of complicated. It goes back to when I first met Metatron, several years ago. We had a falling out over a few issues, which forced us to take different paths. I became an ordinary human again, while Metatron went on to pursue his studies here at UHNM. That’s why I’m a freshman now rather than graduating in May.”
We walked past three closed doors, each leading into smaller offices with their own desks and chairs. In the last one was another student sitting at a desk, writing on a sheet of paper. I waved at him and he quickly finished what he was doing and got up to follow after us.
“This is Kevin,” I explained. “He just transferred here from the University of Chicago, but he also knows Metatron pretty well. He’s been studying under him for nearly ten months, so he has a lot more experience in your position than I do.”
“Kevin,” Metatron interrupted. “Do you have any coffee left?”
The other guy looked up from the notebook in his hands, then stood and went over to a coffeemaker. I couldn’t smell coffee brewing because the door was sealed shut, but he reached inside and pressed a button next to a red switch.
The machine whirred and hummed briefly, and then I smelled fresh-brewed dark roast coming out of the vent above. Kevin retrieved the pot, poured a cup, and placed the lid back on it as Metatron approached.
“Thanks,” I heard him murmur.
As soon as the door was opened and the coffee made, Metatron picked up a mug and sipped from it. After a moment, he spoke again in silence. “I’ve never really discussed this part of our relationship before, but I’d like to change that.
I feel like you should know that I didn’t make you my assistant simply because I needed someone to run errands for me. I did it because you are a powerful young man, and there will come a time when we won’t be friends anymore. I hope that we can continue working together, despite whatever differences may arise between us.”
For some reason, the way he phrased those words sent a chill down my spine. Maybe it was the unbelievableness of it all like I was living in the middle of a movie or something. But I found myself nodding. “Yeah, I think we’d both agree that’s true. And since I’ve only been in this world for a short period of time, you’re the one who can tell me what you need to be done.”
“Thank you,” he said softly. Then, in a louder voice, he added, “Now, about that ‘Assistants Program.’ As I mentioned, most people have no idea that such a thing exists. You’re not going to be able to go home tonight and ask your folks if they know of this opportunity for students.
They wouldn’t understand the significance of being a deity’s assistant anyway, nor would they want anything to do with something so… dangerous.”
“Dangerous?” I frowned, glancing back at Kevin.
“You don’t need to worry about that yet,” Metatron said quickly. “But yes, it’s true that I am the god of death, and that means I have responsibilities. You must understand, though, that I’ve been taking these steps for quite some time; it’s not something new. So if you find yourself getting too involved in this life, or having problems, I’ll help you figure things out.”
“And what are you asking me to do?” I asked.
“There’s no way to explain this without using terms that may be unfamiliar to you. Let me put it this way: I am preparing my apprentice for his future work as a god. There are very important tasks that he needs to accomplish in order to prepare himself for the day when he becomes one. This includes helping me train up a group of others to act as deputies.”
That sounded familiar. “You mean like a team of bodyguards and advisors.”
“Yes, exactly,” Metatron confirmed. “It’s not an easy task for a young man like yourself, but it’s vital that you try to understand. You might say that we’re training you for the role you’ll play when I eventually pass on.”
“I don’t mind,” I said with reluctance. “I actually thought you wanted me to do this sort of thing from the start.”
“No,” Metatron insisted. “I only decided on you as my assistant today—or yesterday, to be exact.” He paused for a moment to sip his coffee before continuing, “In truth, I’ve been thinking about hiring someone else. Someone younger, but more capable. It wasn’t until this evening that I felt confident enough to make this choice. I had to wait until I was absolutely certain that you’d succeed at the tasks ahead.”
“Why now? Why did it take you so long?”
“Because you aren’t trained up enough,” Metatron answered. “When I first approached you earlier this afternoon, you were only a half-god. You had some power, but nothing like you do right now. Your transformation is the real reason why I chose you as my assistant.
You’ve grown up fast in these last few months, Kevin. I know you haven’t known much about yourself or what lies ahead, but you have the strength of character to face it all head-on.”
“Like you did?” I asked quietly.
He stared at me for a moment, then turned back to look at the notebook he was still scribbling in. “Let us just say that you are not your father’s son.”
A lump rose in my throat at the mention of my dead dad. I’d hoped that Metatron could fill in the missing pieces of his life story for me, but I’d obviously failed. That wasn’t surprising, though. Most people wouldn’t believe what happened if I told them straight away. But even so, I tried. “What do you mean by that?”
“Do you remember the day after your mother died?” Metatron asked. We hadn’t talked about him or his life much, but apparently, he’d seen the whole thing happen. “I came to visit your house and brought you home with me.”
I nodded, remembering the conversation well. “I don’t think you should have taken me there, especially because you knew she had gone somewhere else.”
“I couldn’t leave you alone, Kevin. Besides, it seemed right at the time, and you didn’t resist. Do you really remember?”
“I’m pretty sure I do,” I admitted, trying not to sound too sarcastic. “You sat on the couch with me, and we watched television together. Then you took me out to buy clothes and stuff for school, and you made me eat lunch at home. And you said some stuff.”
“About the gods,” Metatron clarified. “We spoke of how you had two parents who loved each other very deeply, and that you were destined to be a great hero someday. You were supposed to save many lives and bring balance back into the world.”
My eyes widened in shock. “How much do you know about my life?”
“Not a lot,” Metatron replied gently. “But let me tell you this: I never wanted to be a god. I had a good life before all of this—a wife and kids, and a comfortable house—but I gave it all up for you.” He glanced up at me briefly. “I sacrificed everything, Kevin.”
“Then why me?”
The god shrugged, turning to look outside the window again. “Because you needed it, and you deserved it. Now go get dressed and we can discuss what lies ahead.”
The End