Constantine - The Novelization - Whoa is (Not)

Destiny from the angel's hand.But he never had the chance. "The road to salvation," Gabriel said, "begins tonight. Rightnow."He beat his wings, once, hard - and Constantine was lifted up by the supernatural gust, blownthrough the air backward, carried over the pool, through the double doors, back down the hall, asif he were light as a thistledown.Spinning through the air to find himself flung into the lobby waiting room, where - not at alllike a thistledown - he crashed into the mesh-screened doors. He dropped into a stunned heapbeside the mucky remains of the dead demons still steaming on the floor.--In the hydrotherapy room, Gabriel went to one knee beside Angela, enveloping her in hisarms, his wings, cradling her to him...And he began to open the way for Mammon.--Constantine lay wretched, broken in spirit more than body, on a clutter of broken shards ofmirror glass. He forced himself to get a push-up position... trying to find the will to get to hisfeet... wondering how badly he was hurt... tasting blood in his mouth....He just didn't have the will to get up. The cancer, exhaustion, the blow from Gabriel, Chaz'sdeath, and his own despair had drained his will away.Only this extremity could bring him to do what he did now. Something he hadn't done in along time.He prayed."I know I'm not one of your favorites - I'm not even welcome in your house - but I could use alittle attention...."He waited, breathing hard. Listening within himself.Nothing. Well - what had he expected? A heavenly drumroll? A choir singing, a paternalvoice booming from on high?He let himself crumple onto the floor, cheek flat against the tile. Enjoying the coolness. Hiseyes were drawn to the shards of mirror glass glistening around him. He saw his reflection inone, skewed oddly, staring back. That's when the idea came to him....--In the hydrotherapy room, Angela, cradled in Gabriel's arms, began to stir. She was alive - shehadn't been quite physically dead from drowning, and Gabriel had restored her just enough forwhat had to be done. Her feet dangled in the water.She opened her eyes. Not seeing anything clearly...Except a beautiful, benevolent face, smiling down at her. How could she resist that face? Hewas... angelic.She waited...And she felt a certain energy opening the way. Gabriel watched her eyes. Saw the darknessbegin to gather there.A doubt flickered through Gabriel then - something he was not accustomed to. He had longbeen "out of touch" with God's direct will, retaining his supernatural powers but not his angelicstatus. He had assumed that he was doing what was best for God's cosmos. He felt he knew thehumans better than God did - God was lost in contemplating His creation, detached in Hisremoteness. Gabriel was doing what God would want done, if He only understood. Surely Hewould see, when all was accomplished.Gabriel began to wonder. Was this really what God wanted? Had he allowed himself to beinfected by earthly emotion, earthly resentments, and anger?