Many souls, upon their return to heaven, are confused when they first encounter Jophiel. Jojo often jokes that he was made when Dad was bored and decided to create an Archangel who'd serve no other purpose than to be beautiful. Raguel backs up his story but is quick to add that Jophiel set about mastering two things that none of us cared much about – wisdom (usually leads to heresy, excommunication and often death for humans) and human languages (the Tower of Babel – I rest my case).

Jophiel often makes males question their masculinity – he is divinely, unarguably the most breathtaking creation they have ever seen, plus he is infuriatingly desirable. Add to that a sweet temperament, a tendency to flirt, and a predilection for spreading joy and understanding – and you've got Heaven's most beloved yet unknown archangel. Because Jophiel is shy to a fault.

Unless stupidity is involved, in which case he is outspoken and forthright, a clarion call to wisdom, intelligence and common sense. He was humankind's first and best advocate, when we archangels were debating Dad's sanity in giving his newest experiments free will. Even after the atomic bomb, he still stands by Dad's decision. Any other higher angel would have been booted out of heaven, but this is Jophiel's gift at work – you cannot stay angry at him. He means well, always.

I'd only once been to India – the local deities were loud, boisterous, and occasionally frightening. I'm friends with Ghanesh, and Michael and Shiva are very chummy – even though Shiva is female. But in India is one of mankind's most beautiful structures ever created for and out of love – the Taj Mahal. I figured Jojo would be drawn to it, and I was right.

The shifting colors of dawn were in their full glory, reflecting upon the white marble walls and unfolding like an ever-evolving kaleidoscope. Jophiel stood on the balcony, invisible to the World Wonder's workers as they silently glided upon the marble floors, checking that everything was pristine, clean, in its place and ready for the next influx of worldwide tourists.

He stepped on the first rays of sunlight, and they vibrated, each one making a sound comparable to notes on a sitar. He spun from ray to ray, twirling and leaping with laughing abandon. He stretched an arm out to me in invitation, and what else can one do but join in the dance when the Archangel of Beauty beckons you?

We danced the length and breadth of the reflecting pool, when he tickled a grizzled daadi under her chin, and she splashed the water at her cigarette smoking pati. The wet cigarette fell, and he was about to become quite cross with her, when, feeling renewed by the dance, I whispered something in the man's ear. He grabbed her and kissed her, then let her go quickly. They both blinked and burst out laughing.

"I miss you, beloved brother,' I said, and meant it deeply. "Come back, please."

"Do you know, hours ago and across the world, a teenager stabbed another teenager to death – over a package of fast-food sauce? Only Baap has the answers to this insanity, and he refuses to give any. I think I know the answers to why. But they make no sense. None of it makes any sense."

I point to the Taj, and say, "Does it make any sense that a mortal man would spend 22 years building this to forever let the world know that he loved someone? But there it is." For the briefest of moments, a look of amazement flashed across Jojo's face, only to vanish into a puzzled expression.

"No, that would be too simple," he murmured, "Also really weird."

"Is there a children's hospital nearby?" I ask. Jophiel nods.

At Prasad Hospital, Jophiel sings the cranky ones to sleep, while I hug away the older ones' fears. That's something I hope Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, did with his 13 children by Mumtaz Mahal. It's said that she made him promise to build her the grandest mausoleum in the world. Personally, I don't think any mother would be that selfish. Dad hugs, now – they will resonate from generation to generation in wonderful and loving ways. Guess what? Our Dad – definitely not a hugger.

"We're trying to contact Dad. If he doesn't snap out of this depression –"

Jojo tsk-tsks. "Are you certain it' s depression, and not just one of his moods?"

"His moods?" I say, incredulous.

"You know, like the time Noah told him that he had no time to travel the whole world for 2 of every species, and that he'd need a fleet and not just a really, really big boat to do that anyway? That mood lasted over 3,000 years. He's only been missing for what – less than 2,500 this time?"

"It isn't one of his moods."

"I am so tired of him bailing on us when things don't happen the way he wants them too."

He stopped in front of a nurse who'd fallen asleep in her desk chair. Jophiel stroked her hair out of her face and kissed her brow. He touched her coffee mug, which instantly had steam rising out of it. She woke whistling a stanza from Handel's Messiah.

"Raguel thinks that if we all gather again in heaven – those of us who are still here – and reach out to him and the holy family, they'll come."

Jojo sat in the one empty chair in the waiting room and with a snap of his fingers, all the half-eaten pastries and sandwiches from the vending machines were made fresh and whole again. You don't think those loaves and fishes multiplied by themselves, do you? The Son had help.

"Look, Jojo – if the whole family's a no-show, we've agreed that we will take over the running of Heaven. We've already been doing that for centuries now."

"Cham, if memory serves, the past million souls or so have a rate of high heavenly decline. That's a lot of souls ending up in..."

"Eden," I said before he said 'Hell.' "They end up in Eden, where Lilith is in charge. It's where Luce is. It's where the Vuelda victims are."

"LILITH? Lilith! I always wondered what happened to Earth's daughter. Lucifer is okay? He's not been...demonized?"

"Raguel says he's fine. He said that Lilith and Luce are up to something, though." He hadn't texted – yes, I learned a new word – anything specific, but the message made it sound like he was both concerned and intrigued.

"Lou is always up to something. Of all of us, he was always the cleverest..."

"You mean devious..."

"The most innovative..."

"You mean unorthodox..."

"...and the most inquisitive angel. Remember how he'd always ask Baap why this and why that? And Baap would throw his hands up and...Chamuel, what is it? What did I say?"

There were echoes of Esperanza in that memory. Perhaps Luce saw himself in the young girl? Then again, Jophiel had always adored him. Always shining, he'd shine brighter whenever Jojo was around.

"Will you come back with me to heaven? Please?"

Jojo looked at him closely. "Yes. For our youngest siblings, the humans' sake. Who are we missing, anyway?"

I ran down the names in my mind.

"Raphael," I said, "We're missing Raphael." Considering how badly in need of healing the planet itself is, not to mention the people and things that live on it, Raphael could be anywhere.