James didn’t know what to make of this. He’d have assumed the woman was lying. It took him no time at all to pick her pockets clean, and he waited until she turned to admire the view as they walked before he could examine his prize. Nothing in her pockets but a green piece of paper with his name on it, and a flat piece of black glass. No money, no papers, no weapon. The book in her hand was a Bible, which surprised him; but he’d heard of how powerful the Church was in Roma.
“So, tell me if these words sound familiar.” Karen said lightly as they walked. “‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.’”
James froze for half a heartbeat. Her opening salvo was to quote scripture? “I believe I’ve heard that before.”
“Good. That will help.” Karen nodded. “I’m about to give you the short version of a very long story; and then we’ll discuss where you fit into it.”
James nodded. He wasn’t surprised. Wealthy and influential people liked putting on airs. Most of them liked explaining ‘where you fit’ without any input from the actual people involved. If this woman wanted to do the same, he could wait; and keep his eyes open until he figured things out.
“When the world began; it was made as a Paradise. A place where people could live, and never get sick, and never get old, and never be in danger; and never ever die. But there was a ‘snake in the garden’, quite literally. So when God told His creation to enjoy eternal life, and be his children forever, Satan stepped in and told them that God was keeping them prisoner. I don’t know how much you know about what came next, but that was the point where the human race, admittedly a very small group at that point, voted unanimously to be in charge of their own world; and follow Satan’s lead in rebellion. They made that choice for their children too.”
James listened with half an ear, eyes taking in everything subtly. If she was leading him into an ambush, it was a well hidden one. Irsu had split off from them quickly, apparently with an appointment of his own. James could tell at once that he had been there only for the protection of the woman; which was good, since James couldn’t relax around the huge man.
“At that point, God had a choice to make. See, He was in the right, and Satan was wrong, but a challenge had been made, and it had to be answered. Were humans only serving God selfishly? Should God make decisions for people or not?”
“I thought the upside of being God was that you got your way.” James pointed out, not really giving it his full attention.
“Before I came here, so did I.” Karen nodded at that. “You ever see a Prize Fight? Two boxers in a ring?”
James nodded. There had been such Tournaments on his ship. They helped cool tempers and keep grudges from lingering.
“Imagine someone challenges The Champion.” Karen reasoned. “Says he’s a liar, and doesn’t deserve the Title. So The Champ steps into the Ring with him... And as soon as the match starts, the Champ pulls a gun and shoots the Challenger down in cold blood on the spot. Does that seem like a way to win in good faith? God was in the same spot. He could have snuffed out Adam and Eve; Satan too. But that wouldn’t prove him right; it just would have made him a tyrant.”
James finally looked at her. “I had a Captain like that once. Disagreement was met with summary execution.”
“Did you think he was a good Captain? Someone who cared about his crew?”
James set his jaw. “No.”
“Then you also understand the reasoning behind letting the world play out as it did. God stepped back, let Humans make their choices.” Karen continued. “What followed was six thousand years of the human race going from bad, to worse, to catastrophic.” She slowed her step to look at him. “What you said, about how the point of ‘being God’ is that you get your way. Do you think the world you know was what God wanted?”
James looked away, unable to meet those flawless eyes. “I stopped believing in God a long time ago. His ‘Grand Plan’ wasn’t one I wanted any part of.”
“That was my thought too, back then.” Karen agreed, and opened the Bible that had never left her hand. “Now, that’s the background. The important part is this: God’s intention for the world never changed. Paradise was always the original plan, and as you so correctly pointed out, the point of being God is: Nobody can tell you ‘no’. So the world fell apart and became a horror show, but that was a detour. While that was happening, God still had followers. Always a minority, in a world that was at the mercy of evil powers, but he never left his people alone. So, he provided a Ransom.”
James froze at that word. “What?” He grated. “A ransom? Ransoming what?”
“Us.” Karen noted the strength of his reaction, but didn’t dwell on it. “The original Plan was to have perfect people living in paradise forever. How do you start that, when all you have are imperfect people? Scripture says: ‘all his ways are justice’, so he needed a way to balance the scales. We were all stuck with the consequences of Adam and Eve’s choice; so how could we pay the price? Consider what was lost: A perfect person created by God directly; who elected to leave God’s service. How do you balance that?”
James was listening now. “Very well. How?”
“With a perfect person who elected to stay in God’s Service, no matter what.” Karen told him. “An equal and opposite to what Adam did.”
~oo00oo~
David and Walter were having the same conversation.
“And it couldn’t be done. No matter how many of us lowly sinners tried to earnestly serve Jehovah; we couldn’t measure up; for the simple reason that we weren’t perfect as Adam was.” David held out the Bible. “1 Corinthians 15:21,22: ‘For since death came through a man, resurrection of the dead also comes through a man. For just as in Adam all are dying, so also in the Christ all will be made alive’.”
Walter said nothing to that, already looking for a way out of the conversation. “Well, this is all very interesting, but what does it have to do with-”
“We’re almost there, Walter; I promise.” David told him patiently. “You had money back in the day? You tell me: What would something ‘perfect’ be worth? Not just very good, but actually, literally perfect? Like a diamond, for instance? A perfect diamond?”
It was the first question Walter took seriously. “No such thing, in my experience. High Quality and Low Quality to be sure, but perfect?”
“Exactly.” David agreed. “Imagine you had a genuinely perfect diamond. The only one in the world. How would you replace it? You can’t trade something perfect for something imperfect. Not for any number of imperfect, in fact. So when we lost a perfect man, God had to provide one. So he sent his Son. A Perfect Man.”
“Why?” Walter pounced. “Why should he? If, as you say, the fault was always ours; then why did God have to go out of his way to provide a balance? If the world didn’t want Him, why not let them have what they want and be done?”
David smiled. “Love.”
~oo00oo~
Axti was getting a similar lesson from Irsu.
“Colossians 1:13: ‘He rescued us from the authority of the darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son’.” Irsu read to Atxi. “The whole history of the world has been a case study, in who humans are to obey. Themselves, or Jehovah God. At all points through time, there has been a minority of people determined to do what God asks of them; and on the other side there was Satan, manipulating a world apart from God, turning people more and more ferocious, in an effort to break that minority apart.”
Atxi said nothing for a long moment. “You’re saying… That my… That our…”
“That the world was ‘lying in the power of the wicked one’.” Irsu said gently. “Think of the rivers of blood spilled, the greed that took and took, every passionate religion, every Tyrant that rose to power. All of it was a way to divide the world against itself, and keep turning up the heat.” Irsu nodded. “Thousands of years of expansion, advancement, history, and exploitation... Finally leading to the point where the whole world just couldn’t survive if things continued. And the whole time, Jehovah God kept his hands off the world and its leadership; just to make that point.”
“You say ‘false religion’, but you’re talking about mine, aren’t you?” Atxi pushed, not liking it.
Irsu explained gently. “Well, does your faith give a better reason for wickedness in the world?” He pressed. “That an illness was ‘punishment’, or ‘the will of the gods’?” He turned the book to her again, though Atxi couldn’t read the writing. “James 1:13 says: ‘When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried, nor does he himself try anyone’.”
~oo00oo~
“I mean, just think about what that means, for a second.” Karen smiled winningly. “All the people who rage at God over natural disasters, loss of loved ones, crime and punishment, misfortune and accident and … And none of it was God’s Will. In the space of five minutes and three scriptures, we just disproved how many ‘Holy’ Men?”
James smothered a dirty grin. “It’s as sound reasoning as any, I suppose, but what does that have to do with… well, any of this?”
Karen took a deep breath. “Right. The next part is kind of a big deal, and there’s really no way to ease you into it.” She opened her Bible again. “Now, I told you that God’s ultimate Goal for the world hasn’t changed. A paradise where everyone lives forever, as faithful, happy servants; granted eternal youth, and peace, and plenty; with a loving, benevolent God in charge. Christ made it possible for people to live in that Kingdom, forgiven of sins… And now, at last, we are.”
James paused. “We are… what?”
“Living in that Kingdom.” She turned the Bible to him. “Revelation 21:4. “He will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be any more. The former things have passed away.”
James blinked again, slowly. “Miss Karen…” He said seriously. “Where am I?”
“You are now in that Paradise. God’s promised return to Eden.” She was watching him carefully, waiting for his reaction. “Welcome Back.”
James thought back, trying to process. His duel with Smitty had left him wounded. But Smitty was a Believer… He’d told James a few scriptures. One or two that Karen had read to him. He ran a hand along his side; where Smitty had stuck him. There was no pain, no scar… James had all sorts of aches from old injuries. They weren’t there now. “I… I’m dead? Am I in heaven?”
“You are not in heaven. This is Earth. You were dead. You aren’t anymore.” She tapped the scripture in Revelation. “This prophecy has come to pass.” She put the Bible away. “As we’ve established, God’s goal was for humans to live forever on earth. Why would he take people to Heaven? Heaven was never part of the plan for human beings. You’ve heard the Lazarus story, yes? Jesus said the day would come when everyone would hear his call, and leave their tombs. For you, this is that day.”
James started to say something cutting in return, and her hand flashed up to lay a finger over his lips. “Big moment, I know. Take a minute before you say ‘no’.”
James did so. The woman was far too attractive to be human. James had heard tell of the Sirens, luring sailors to their death on the rocks, but he’d never believed such things. Certainly, a Siren never preached the Gospel.
Does that make her an Angel, then? James asked himself carefully.
When they reached the small township, that thought vanished. Everyone looked like her. There wasn’t a single person older than about twenty five, all of them looking flawless. James was surprised. Even in the most exclusive places, with the most money and the best doctors, there was always a few people with blemishes. It was why they made their faces up so heavily. He didn’t see any rouge or face powder here; for the women or the men.
There were no bad teeth, or thinning hair, no sign of the pox, or plague… In fact, there were no doctors or signs of illness at all. Even in communities with no Plague, there should have been some beggars asking for cash. James couldn’t remember the last town he had visited without someone trying to peddle a curative of some kind...
James shivered. There was something very wrong with this place.
~oo00oo~
“Are you very sure?” Axti asked, yet again.
“Quite sure.” Irsu promised. “I know, it’s not what you expected; but I assure you that every word I’ve said is the Truth.”
Atxi was trembling. “The Christian God?” She breathed. “It was the Christian Conquistadors that came to slaughter my people. I served the Gods that fought against them. There’s been a mistake! I’m not meant to be here! I was to be with Huitzilopochtli!”
Irsu looked sympathetic. “Atxi, this is going to be hard for you to hear, but that was never a possibility.”
Atxi glared at him. She had never been an angry person, but this was pushing her.
“I know it’s not a comfort right now.” Irsu told her. “But I’m sure you can appreciate how many people have been through just such a shocking revelation as this. I was too. The Gods I worshiped were long forgotten even before you were born, let alone any of the people who welcomed me here.”
That caught Atxi off guard. “Really?”
He smiled sadly. “It took me a long time to shake my fear of Hathor. Her vengeful hunger for human souls was said to be terrible. But in time, I came to see the world, and what I had believed, for what they really were.”
There was silence as she considered his words, looking around. It was a beautiful day. She had grown up in a country with jungles and swamps alike, and this one was much more open. But the sky was far more vibrant, the green plants were leafy and healthy in a way she’d never seen… There were animals here and there; all looking relaxed and friendly. There was a real sense of peace and harmony.
“I don’t believe you are lying.” She said finally, considering him carefully. “But that doesn’t mean you’re right. You are, quite honestly, quite earnestly, telling me that everything I believe is wrong. Everyone I know and trust would say the same about you. When two honest people give opposite stories, how do you choose? How do I know which holy man is in error, if neither of them are being deliberately dishonest?”
Irsu nodded. “I understand. Atxi, the thing you have to understand is that I don’t have to convince you. Nor am I trying to.”
Atxi just looked at him. “Everything you’ve said to me since we met has been trying to convince me.”
Irsu smiled warmly. “Heh. I suppose so. But for all the… the joy that this world brings, the thing you have to remember is that nobody can tell you what to believe. If you decide you want nothing to do with us, we can’t force you.”
Long silence.
“This is a test.” Atxi said finally. “Huitzilopochtli is testing me. Testing my loyalty. I don’t know why having my heart cut out wasn’t proof enough of my faith, but-”
“Having your WHAT?” Irsu was stunned.
~oo00oo~
On the whole, Walter was more pleased than annoyed. He felt better than he’d felt in years. The new century had apparently broken the death andthe aging barrier completely. The number of people he’d seen who looked older than thirty could be counted on one hand. The air smelled sweet, and as far as he could tell, there was nobody begging for money, or trying to sell anything to passerby.
The one confusing point was his guide. The boy couldn’t be more than twenty-five, if that; and he was apparently something of a religious nut. By itself, that wasn’t a concern. A lot of the high end private medical centers were religiously backed.
Walter was only half listening to the kid’s pitch. The idea that God had taken over the world and made it a Paradise was laughable. If the actual Lord was running the earth, there would be far more churches and religious icons around. Walter hadn’t seen one Cross or Saint anywhere since he’d woken up. “So, Mister Thorne-.”
“David, please.”
Walter nodded. “David, then. It’s clear I have some catching up to do. If you could direct me to the nearest bank, I can start to get my bearings; figure out where my holdings stand...”
“You think your account is still open after almost three hundred years?” David smirked. “All financial institutions were brought to ruin on A-Day.”
“Glad I missed that day, then. In any event, I had prepared for it.” Walter shivered. “My people were under instruction to liquidate everything upon my preservation, and transfer it into gold. That way, whatever form the currency took, I’d always have a top commodity.”
David blinked slowly. “Your ‘preservation’?” He shook his head. “No, never mind. Gold won’t help either. The whole system collapsed. Economic, political, even religious. Nothing outlasted A-Day except us.”
David stared at the young man, brain refusing to process that, before he waved at the street. It may not have been a full on Metropolis anymore, but it was still a civilized township; with technology and buildings, and public works. “Then… who pays for all this?”
“Well, we do. Savings Banks are still there, given how long we live. But money is something of an… optional extra.”
“Money. Optional.” Walter repeated. He recognized all those words, but the sentence made no sense at all. “As in… optional?”
~oo00oo~
Irsu brought her to the Centre, and Atxi saw the tables. They were full to buckling with a huge array of food. Despite herself, she breathed in deeply. The spices and herbs were scenting the air, and the delicious aromas of fresh baked bread, and ripened fruits warred for dominance. Axti inhaled so much she almost coughed, trying to get more of it.
But as nice as it was to be there, Atxi was confused.
“Tialocan?” Atxi said, uncertain. “Am I in Tialocan?”
“No, this is New Roma.” Irsu told her.
Atxi shook her head. “No, I mean… I was meant to go to the Sun. Tialocan is where the Water God lives. Tialoc takes his tributes to his Realm.” She gestured at the table. “There’s always food, and it’s always Springtime, and there is always peace. But I wasn’t taken by Water. I was meant to go to-” She stopped suddenly, seeing everyone looking at her with…
With what? She asked herself. She saw a long row of people. All different skin colors, though they were all healthy, and all young. And everyone was smiling warmly at her; though it was clear they’d heard her words and didn’t understand them. It certainly seemed like the Region of Tialoc, though she supposed she had never thought what any of the Thirteen Heavens should be like on her first day there.
“Everyone, this is Atxi.” Irsu made introductions. “She just arrived half an hour ago.”
The people along the table were suddenly looking at her with a strange mix of emotions. Some that had heard her speaking before now showed abject pity for her. Others were excited. All of them wore one kind of smile or another, both happy and sad; but all of the sadness seemed to be for her, rather than from any of them.
Irsu guided Atxi to a seat. “Please, help yourself to anything.”
Atxi sat, and someone put a plate in front of her immediately. People were sneaking peeks at her, and she was sneaking peeks at them. They didn’t look like her. She wondered if Tialocan was open to foreigners too. They had their own gods. Irsu had told her about his own, and She knew that some Foreign Gods refused to accept worshipers of others...
“Hi.” A pretty woman with odd eyes sat beside her. “I’m Kasumi. What do you think so far?”
Atxi looked over the table. One or two fruit platters were familiar. There were some dishes that almost looked like the sort of thing her mother would make, or at least the same ingredients… But they were very few. “I don’t really recognize much.”
“The Gods you mentioned are Aztec. I don’t imagine there’s a lot of International delicacies on your menu.” Kasumi said with a smile. “I’ll walk you through it.” She started pointing out things on the table, in all sorts of serving bowls and platters. “We have… French Onion Soup. Over here, from Italy, we have Pasta dishes, with an olive and tomato sauce… And this is called Paella, from Spain.”
Atxi scowled at the dish in question. The reaction was immediate and automatic.
“But first, try this.” Kasumi slid a small brown square onto Atxi’s plate. “Usually, you have this as a treat at the end of the meal, but I think we can make an exception.”
On the other side of her, Irsu chuckled. “I think we can consider today’s lunch to be a celebration.” Everyone was beaming at her, and Atxi picked up a spoon automatically. “It’s not every day you come back from the dead.”
She started to take a bite, when that comment made her freeze. Irsu had mentioned something like that before, but she hadn’t really processed it. She was in the next world. How was that ‘coming back’? She looked back at the odd food. “What is it?”
“It’s called ‘fudge’.” Kasumi said with a smile. “Your accent and references say ‘South American’, so you’ve probably had cacao beans before. This is what we do with them in this world.”
Atxi took a careful bite. She went still when it hit her tongue. Then she took a much bigger bite. “I am in Tialocan!” Atxi breathed. “A table laid by the gods!”
Kasumi smothered a laugh. “Well, one thing at a time.”
Atxi inhaled the chocolate treat quickly. She noticed the rest of the table smiling at her. Their expressions were so earnest that she almost smiled back, but she was still unnerved.
~oo00oo~
“So, let me show you around. We can start there, at the Centre.” David said with a smile.
Walter started moving, feeling an easy pace and strength in his limbs that he hadn’t felt in years. After a few moments, he realized he was alone, and looked back. David was coming along behind him, in no particular hurry. “Is something wrong?”
“I was about to ask you the same thing.” David said with a knowing smile. “Are you in a rush?”
“Well, no…”
“There’s plenty of day left. Time is on your side now. There’s no hurry. Look around, breathe deep.” David enthused. “Seriously, Walter; take it all in. You’re in a world where there’s no crime, no poverty, no violence of any kind. There’s nobody sick, nobody starving.”
“However did you manage it?” Walter asked, marveling. A cure to his heart trouble was one thing. Breaking the Death Barrier entirely would have been the ideal, but if this utopia was as advertised, Walter had cheated far more than his doctor’s prognosis.
“Well, that’s the really important part, isn’t it?” David said, and pulled out his Bible again. A book that Walter had instantly recognized, even centuries later.
“Oh.” Walter’s eyes flashed, just a little disappointed. “I’m sorry, I’m not really a churchgoer. Not habitually, anyway.”
“Most people weren’t, in your time.” David nodded. “Or so I am told, I wasn’t there.”
The comment made Walter’s sudden healthy heart tick a touch faster. David’s ‘lesson’ implied that the Church was a more common thing, now. If religion was a big part of the world of the future, then something fundamental had changed. Walter was trying to process that, and almost missed David’s next comment.
“Remember, Jesus did very little of his work in a Temple. He went where the people were. There was a time people like me went door to door. Nowadays, we don’t have doors for newcomers at first. You’d be surprised how many of our people learn the most over a cup of coffee, or at a picnic.” David smiled. “My dad taught me over a card game. You’d be amazed how many scriptures a kid can memorize for thirty points.” He looked the question to Walter. “Of course, I’d imagine you’d prefer something a little more grown-up?”
“Thank you, no.” Walter said politely. “It’s clear I need a pretty extensive catch-up, but I’d like to start with more practical matters.”
David just smiled. “You’d be surprised how practical it is, these days.”
A comment that did nothing to lessen Walter’s concern.
~oo00oo~
James didn’t know where he was. He had no idea how he had been in a fight for his life, a mile out to sea; and then woke up here, in an apparently Italian Province; with this woman as a guide.
James was a pirate. When he was being lead somewhere he didn’t plan for himself, it was usually a deathtrap, and he’d already fallen for one of those today.
“Now, these people heading in? They’re from a local congregation, but not our own.” Karen kept a running commentary as she gave the tour. “There are over a dozen congregations in this area, so the meetings run day and night. The Community Centre is where we hold meetings, classes, studies, public events… and of course the Dormitory. We can have lunch while these people have their meeting, and then we can do the same.”
James saw she was leading him to a crowd. A crowd meant lawmen. A crowd meant witnesses. A crowd meant plenty of people who could trap him. So he had to escape. And since he wasn’t armed, and had no backup, there was only one way to do that.
James cocked his arm out to Karen as a gentleman, and she took it with a smile. He dug his arm closer, holding her wrist. If she wanted to make trouble, it wouldn’t last.
She didn’t even blink. “James, you haven’t heard a word I’ve said, have you?”
“I heard every word, I just don’t believe it.” James said, keeping his face polite for those nearby. “And I don’t believe you do either.”
“No?”
James gestured at the Community Centre, and the crowd of smartly-dressed people threading their way into it. “I don’t doubt that’s the religion here, but it’s not like everyone is devout. The world doesn’t work like that. I’ve been in places where folks are locked in stocks for taking the lord’s name in vain. They’re the same places where Bishops would tell me which brothels were most discreet.”
“Not anymore.”
“Trust me, Miss Karen. People are made of their sins. The veneer of civility is thin at the best of times, and if you’ve made it thicker, it just means the sleaze is deeper and stronger beneath it. So, no. I won’t be attending your Sermons.”
Karen glanced at him. “Let go of my arm, and I’ll make a bet with you. If I can convince you that the people here are genuine in their feelings, and not just going through the motions, then you stay for the Meeting. If I can’t, I’ll walk you outta here.”
James thought for a moment. “I’ll take that bet. But how can you do that?”
Karen gave him an unsettling smile, and suddenly started to sing. “We thank you, Jehovah, each day and each night-”
James actually took a step back at the sheer unexpectedness of the move. But what shocked him more, was that almost a hundred people suddenly started singing along.
“That you shed upon us your precious light.
We thank you that we have the privilege of prayer,
That we can approach you with ev’ry care.”
James looked around like he was surrounded by people from another planet. For the first time, he really looked at their faces. He’d noted their clothes, checked for weapons and signs of wealth; but this was the first time he’d looked at their faces.
They were smiling. Actually smiling. Actually happy. James had smiled like a shark in a knife-fight, and he’d kept his best poker-face on when staring down lawmen in five different nations. He’d lied to the very worst of the very best.
And these were total strangers breaking out into song. Karen had stopped, just watching the crowd with him. It hadn’t been a few people playing along with the pretty lady. They hadn’t stopped their steady walk into the Centre. They just… wanted to sing along.
“We thank you, our God, for the honor to preach
About your great name and the truth to teach.
We thank you that soon all earth’s woes will be past,
While your Kingdom blessings, forever last.”
Karen took his hand, and lead him into the Centre. He didn’t fight it. “These days, it doesn’t take much. It’s a miracle, and everyone gets to be part of it.” She said to him quietly. “You walk around with a song in your heart, it doesn’t take much to get it out there.”
~oo00oo~
Accepting David as his guide was an easy decision. The young man couldn’t be older than mid twenties, and his expression was far too trusting and naive. There was no chance that this man was going to try and con him out of anything. Walter had traveled internationally many times, and knew how to spot a hustler. Any undesirable sort could become his guide, and choosing a fresh-faced young man with Caucasian skin that spoke excellent English was always Walter’s preferred choice.
There was a song being sung outside, which surprised Walter. He’d seen church meetings before; though he’d rarely attended. Some of them had singing groups to draw attention from passerby, but from the sound of it, lots of people were singing impulsively. It was odd, but not unpleasant. If the crowd was singing along, then it meant they were happy; so it wasn’t likely to cause trouble.
The Ministry Centre was clearly the heart of the small town. Walter explored as David checked a notice board and left him to ‘take care of a small matter’, suggesting Walter look around and ‘enjoy a meal outside’. There was a main auditorium, with hundreds of chairs facing a stage, but there were several other rooms too. Smaller meeting rooms, some that looked like classrooms. The library intrigued him. It was open to the public, with all manner of reference books, some religious, some secular; and multiple terminals.
Walter went to the terminal, which was enough like a computer for him to use it. He looked up his Firm. There was no trace of it. He looked up his bank. No trace of that either. He looked up his family members. He found their names, but they were listed as ‘Deceased’, which he learned, with some deduction, was different from whatever he’d been. Whoever these people were, they didn’t except his son to be ‘raised up’ as Walter had been. His father and mother, listed as ‘Pending’ were also not among the living, though it seemed the people here thought that would change.
With the initial search for the familiar a bust, he suddenly realized he was hungry; and went looking for a cafeteria. He found a long table, outside in the Plaza. The Centre had three wings, the building shaped like a flat ‘U’, with a garden in the middle, where there were almost twenty people. Walter came out just as they were all leaving, apparently having finished their lunch.
Still, there was plenty of food left on the serving platters, and Walter found a clean plate; helping himself.
The food was unbelievable. If Walter hadn’t believed he was centuries ahead of his time before, the food alone would have convinced him. It was a five star meal, and Walter was halfway through seconds before it dawned on him that he was eating the leftovers.
He went inside, and found everyone from the table washing dishes. Someone looked at him inquiringly, and he moved on quickly, before he got handed a dishtowel.
~oo00oo~
“Who was that?” Atxi asked as the older man ducked out. It occurred to her that he was the only one who looked older than any of them.
“Don’t recognize him.” Irsu admitted. “But you’re not the only newly Returned one. Twenty thousand per day come back.”
Atxi nodded, and looked around the kitchen. There were things here she didn’t recognize. Everything was shiny and smooth. Every countertop, every shelf was made of some kind of metal. The Aztecs had the gift of metalworking, but she’d seen nothing like this before. The lights fascinated her. She knew this room was where the incredible food came from, but she had seen no sign of anything she recognized.
The others let her look around, opening every cupboard, looking at the produce, of which there was plenty. There was more variety in this place than in any of the marketplaces Atxi had grown up with. Even the Temples had nothing like this. It was more than just the amount of produce: It was all new. Everything seemed fresh and crisp; so full of flavor that Atxi could feel her tongue tingling from the smells alone.
“Psalms 145 says ‘You open your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing’.” Irsu said to her gently. “And that includes you.”
Despite herself, Atxi smiled. “Sounds lovely.” She admitted. “Though I have no idea what any of this means for me.”
“Well, we have a meeting in about twenty minutes; so you can get to know some of the people, hear a little more.” Irsu smiled. “And after that, I’ll show you to your room.”
“My room?” Atxi repeated.
“Did you think we were just going to leave you homeless?”
~oo00oo~
Walter went looking for a bathroom, and found one in short order. There was a mirror there; and he took a look at himself. The clothing he wore was a simple tunic and pants. Comfortable, modest, and durable. More than anything he’d ever been issued in the hospital; but with none of the style or silks that suggested money.
And then there was his reflection itself. Walter still looked about the same age, but… He was wearing it so much better. The greying hair, lines around his eyes were still there… But full of vitality, with no trace of illness. His capped teeth were restored and natural. His glasses were not needed. He felt like he could run a marathon. His age felt skin deep, and his skin was without blemish.
(Author’s Note: In the previous two volumes, I’d made it clear that those who do not accept God into their lives, even in Paradise, do not have eternal life. The reason for this is two-fold. One: It seems logical, as it follows the example set by Adam and Eve, the only two people who rejected God while in Paradise already. After their rebellion, they grew old and died, but did not die immediately. Two: It gives everyone a practical way to acknowledge that they have to make a change in their lives. Our publications note that as ruler of the New World, Jesus would have the authority to remove opposition; but there’s nothing to indicate how. As I’d already committed to this method in my own series, I had to account for people resurrected, after having died at an already advanced age; since there’s no indication that people will be Returned at a specific age. To quote Job 33:25 ‘Let his flesh become fresher than in youth; Let him return to the days of his youthful vigor.’ Return. Not arrive.
This is the best result I can come up with; though it is mainly my own invention; based on some Biblical references; and some deductive reasoning.In the last two books of the Series, it’s not a major plot point. In this one, it’s almost the central theme. Whatever the true method turns out to be in Paradise, we can be sure that all people will have a proper chance to make an informed decision; and it will be handled with Compassion and Justice.)
Walter was growing more confused with each passing hour. He believed what David had been telling him about the passage of time, and he’d gone to sleep hoping to wake up in perfect health; even if it took centuries. But the world he’d woken into seemed a blatant contradiction. Advanced technology, but no money? World peace, but no law enforcement? Religion as a world power, but no churches? Amazing food, but no charge?
He heard one of the toilet cubicles open, and saw David come into view, wearing a pair of rubber gloves, and holding a toilet brush. “Oh, hi.” David said with a smile, heading to the next cubicle. “You found the Cafeteria?”
“I-I did.” Walter was staring after him, thoughts derailed. “I missed the serving, but there was plenty there. The food is excellent, by the way.” He’s scrubbing toilets? This is my guide?
~oo00oo~
David followed Walter out to the lobby, and put his cleaning supplies away; as people started threading into the main Meeting Area. David walked around the auditorium a bit, letting Walter get a sense of the space. “Anyway, the meeting starts in another half hour. Time enough to start your Induction.”
“No, thank you.” Walter said immediately.
“Oh, I promise; the first lessons are really very simple. A few minutes at mo-”
“Yeah, I won’t be available.” Walter said promptly.
David looked patiently at him. “I’m not trying to force anything. You’ve been here less than three hours. I promise, we won’t tackle the religion issue until you’re ready. But the meeting will cover a lot of things you’re not familiar with; so an induction is a smart move. Consider it a primer. A glossary, even.”
“No, I mean I won’t be studying with you.” Walter told him. “Nothing personal, but if I’d known you were the Janitor around here, I would have waited for someone more qualified.”
David’s lip twitched, just a little. “I see.” He said with suppressed mirth. “Well, if you’d like to study with someone else, that’s no problem. All the ‘qualified’ people around will be here for the meeting. I can introduce you to the Elders. Any of them would be happy to study with you.”
“That is acceptable.” Walter said, when he suddenly noticed something. It wasn’t clear what drew his attention, but it finally dawned on him. The man who just walked in was the only other man who seemed older than thirty years.
~oo00oo~
James noticed the older man standing closer to the stage. “What about him?” He asked Karen.
Karen followed his gaze. “Ooh. Another newcomer. From the way he’s scanning around, probably a recent one, too.” She seemed unconcerned. “You’ll see two or three at every meeting, James. Thousands of people a day are coming back from the dead, and that rate is accelerating as the world fills up with people to meet them.”
James felt that explanation wash over him. He didn’t believe it, after all; but it fit with what she had been telling him so far. You spotted a lie by looking for contradictions in the story, and she hadn’t given one yet.
The meeting began soon after. James found a seat towards the back. Karen supplied him with a paper Bible, though he noticed she followed the program on her Device. When she pulled it out, James put a hand to his pocket automatically, and found it gone. Somewhere between entering the Centre and sitting down, she’d stolen her property back, and he hadn’t noticed.
She smiled at him innocently until the prayer started, and she bowed her head.
~oo00oo~
Walter had worked with some Church-Run charities before. They were usually pretty generous, since they weren’t using their own money. He couldn’t tell who was funding any of this place. There were no logos or posters about. The Centre had pictures in the hallways, and all of them impressive; but there were no portraits of benefactors, no statues to honor anyone.
When the music started, he’d had a Bible put in his hands instantly, the words to whatever hymn they were singing were projected on an advanced display like something out of a sci-fi movie.
The prayer came, and everyone bowed their heads. Walter took the unobserved moment to examine things quickly. The Bible had no publishers mark or barcode. There was a notation of which printing it was, and the year suggested it was indeed centuries after his time.
David sat next to him, until the speaker made introductions. “Today’s Public Talk is from our own Presiding Overseer, Brother David Thorne; on the topic: ‘We Can Do Nothing Against The Truth’.”
Walter was stunned as David stood up and made his way to the stage. It defied common sense. So is he a Janitor that gives Sermons? Or is he a ‘Presiding Overseer’ who scrubs toilets?
He was so wrapped up in that question, that he only heard half the talk.
“Consider the long history of all the attacks that Satan made on God’s Purposes for his people. For almost four thousand years, a Messiah was promised, according to a specific bloodline. And the whole world, under Satan's control, sent armies, false teachers, and many attacks; all to break that family line. When Jesus was born, all the babies in the town were targeted. Jesus himself was martyred. But everything that Satan did was prophesied; including the time Jesus’ parents had to flee the country, and the events of Jesus death, even the most unusual details of his execution. Things that Jesus had no control over.” David let that sink in. “Over a hundred prophecies to identify the Messiah, and Satan was personally responsible for some of them coming true; no matter how hard he tried to do the opposite.”
Atxi couldn’t figure out the meeting. Her people had taught about the gods all the time. There had been many festivals and ceremonies. This was like none of them. There was nobody to act out the story of Jehovah, no altar for them to worship at…
“In the modern day, we saw the same thing. The Bible was banned for centuries; and what followed was a determined effort from honest seekers of truth to protect their Bibles by spreading copies of it to many different lands. Attacks from political parties backfired. All the governments that made it their business to oppose God were brought to ruin. All the financial institutions that worshiped only their own money were left destitute. All the false religions that offered service to idols, or even hypocritical false service to the Christ, were left empty by peoples that lost faith in them. All these were shown up as being failed models to live by, even before A-Day. Billions of people, dedicated to making their way in a world that was falling apart.”
James looked around, thinking. There was no security. No stained glass. James was used to shipboard services. The crew would assemble by rank, as it was done in regular churches. The town leaders would get the front row; the poor would assemble on the balcony, since they had nothing to put in the collection plate.
“Brothers, aren’t we grateful to have a God that is is so merciful and loving, that even those opponents are now having their chance to find the truth. With their world gone, we are all seeing, for the first time, what the world could have looked like if Jehovah had always been in charge of it. A world where money isn’t more important than people, or where corrupt leaders can’t hurt the innocent, or where false prophets can’t mislead the masses. Everyday we thank Jehovah God for giving us all this second chance. A lot of us didn’t even know we needed one; but no matter how noble, or how selfless our goals, could anyone have seriously planned to live forever with the people we love?”
Walter twitched at the thought; because it suddenly dawned on him: When he’d made his plans to live forever, he never thought to take people along. Not even his son. Walter took a moment to remind himself that he wasn’t staying. These people could say what they wanted; and believe in whatever manner suited them.
~oo00oo~
Atxi had almost fled the Hall when the meeting was over. She moved away from the people, looking for privacy. She only had it for a few moments, before Irsu found her; but it was enough for her to get herself under control. He sat beside her, a respectful distance, not reaching out a hand, or crowding her thoughts.
She didn’t know how to start a conversation either, so they just sat. The sky was clear and the air warm. There was a sweet smell of some ripe fruit on the breeze, but she couldn’t tell from where. Since walking up, she had seen several fruiting trees, planted everywhere, even in the middle of the footpaths. Nobody seemed to own them, and the orange-blossoms were sweet perfume.
“False prophets misleading masses.” Atxi said darkly. “He was talking about me, wasn’t he? Me and Huitzilin and my sister and…” She trailed off.
“Truth can be a hard thing to learn.” He said gently. “But it’s almost always better than a lie. Especially this Truth. This one above all else.”
Atxi said nothing. He didn’t push.
Finally, Atxi shook her head. “No.”
Irsu sighed and gave her a nod. “I know it’s a huge thing to be hit with. It’s only natural to reject it out of hand, at least at first. But if I may offer you one word of comfort: The Religious Wars are over. All wars are over, in fact. This is a place where nobody will ever harm another over believing differently, or over anything else. And not only will there never be war again, but all those who have fallen, including you and me, will get to live in Paradise. For most people, that’s good news.”
“Most people weren’t like me.” Atxi said firmly.
“Ohh, you’d be surprised.” Irsu told her. “Millions by hunger. Millions by war. Millions by illness. And a whole lot of them begging one god or another for help. But all of those people are now here, in a place where they’ll never have to face war, or hunger, or disease. A place where the Truth is everywhere… And it’s Good News.”
Put that way, Atxi felt a tear gathering in the corner of her eye. “I… I can’t.”
“I know.” Irsu pointed out at the visible people. “Go to anyone you meet and ask them: ‘What convinced you?’ They’ll all know what you mean; and they’ll all be happy to tell you. The entire world has this huge, common thing. And for once, it’s something wonderful.” Irsu smiled at her. “The time will come when you’ll be able to answer that question too. Be patient with the world, Atxi. Nobody says you have to make a decision today.”
~oo00oo~
As the Meeting wrapped up, everyone broke up into conversations. David had a few matters to attend to, and Walter found he had nobody to talk to. But his isolation didn’t last for long.
“You must be Walter.” A man said with a smile, offering a hand to shake. “I’m Hitch Thorne. I believe you were met by David. He’s my son.”
Walter shook the hand automatically, but couldn’t help the lingering look. This man looked to be the same age as David exactly. In fact, everyone seemed to be of similar ages, except him and the other ‘older’ man who was sitting beside a beautiful young woman.
Hitch Thorne let Walter look. “Trying to figure it out?” He guessed. “I’ve seen the reactions of almost a dozen newly Returned Ones. You’re wondering if I’m secretly David’s twin brother, working on some Long Con with him?”
“I don’t think it’s a con. Not a deliberate one, anyway.” Walter admitted. “Earlier, I had thought that maybe this was a trick. Telling me I was centuries out of date, so that I’d call my bank and give them all my personal details.”
“But now you don’t think so?”
Walter gestured at his face. “There’s nothing fake about this. I don’t look that much younger than I did, but a lot healthier. I remember where I was before this. I can feel the energy in me. It’s not a dream, or power of suggestion.”
“No, it certainly isn’t.” Thorne agreed. “But you still seem to be more confused than interested.”
Walter sent a look over to David, who had finished his business and wandered over to them.
“You can ask.” David said with a smile.
“Why are you sweeping floors and scrubbing toilets, if you’re in charge here?” Walter demanded, disbelieving. “Isn’t that the sort of job given to maintenance staff?”
“We’re all maintenance staff.” The elder Thorne put in. “We share all the duties here.”
“I understand the principle, but what I mean is, you can delegate that sort of menial labor.”
David gave him a look. “Walter, the lowest man in the hierarchy of this town is you. You’ve been here a total of four hours. Would you like me to hand you a broom and ‘delegate’?”
Walter had no answer to that.
~oo00oo~
“How many ‘newcomers’ like me were in that Meeting?” James asked Karen as they walked towards the Dorms.
“At least a dozen who have come back in the last few months. People who are there for the first time, like you? Maybe three or four.”
“And you decide to tell them that everything they did in their old lives was pointless, and a waste of time? You sure know how to make friends.”
“Perhaps not the easiest topic to introduce you on.” Karen conceded.
“No, I get why you would.” James shook his head. “On a ship, when you have to break in a new man, the hard part isn’t teaching him how things are, it’s getting him to stop all the different things he learned elsewhere. I’d rather a cabin boy who’d never sailed before, than some lubber who thought it was right to tie a knot the wrong way.”
Karen grinned. “I agree. In fact, the hardest part of teaching someone the truth is to unlearn the lies.”
~oo00oo~
There were three Dorms. One for the men, one for the women, and one for temporary residents. Atxi had asked Irsu what that meant.
“Not everyone stays here; and not everyone’s a Returnee.” He explained. “Reunions happen every day, and those Returnees need somewhere to go. Plus, travel is a very popular pastime. Practically everyone is on the move. The Dorms double as a Travel Hostel for people who are visiting from all around the globe.”
Atxi nodded, but she had little experience with long-range travel. ‘The Globe’ was a foreign concept to her. “Reunions.” She picked out the key word. “Is my family here too?”
“Well, let’s find out.” Irsu said brightly.
~oo00oo~
Irsu called it a ‘Computer Terminal’. Atxi had never seen anything like it, but she couldn’t take her eyes off the moving screen. It was magical. Even a little frightening.
Atxi couldn’t understand the writing on the screen, but Irsu was happy to explain as they went. “Everyone’s looking for someone in the world. We have no word on when or where people are Returned, so it can hard to find people in any logical order. When that happens, we put our names in the Database. Sooner or later, we find someone we want to see.”
Atxi did several searches. Her mother. Other relatives. The girls in the Temple Courtyards… None of them came back with a match.
“It happens.” Irsu said, unconcerned. “People are in groups, for the most part. There’s overlap, but most people are only close with a small group. Family, friends, co-workers… If you’re the first one in your Social Circle, then it means the rest will be back one day. Leave your details. Someone will contact you eventually. You can also flag other names, so that you get an alert when any of these people come back.”
She didn’t understand all those words, but Irsu was able to talk her through it. Then the Terminal beeped at her. The unfamiliar sound made her jump, and Irsu tapped at the Screen. “Well. Someone flagged your name.” Atxi didn’t understand, so he spelled it out. “There’s someone out there who’s been waiting to meet you. Someone you haven’t looked for.”
Atxi was intrigued, running through a mental list of everyone she knew. “Who?”
~oo00oo~
“Drew Thorne, nice to meet you, Miss Atxi. May I call you that?”
“Just Atxi.” The Aztec told her, clasping her extended hand automatically. “It’s my name, after all.” She looked the woman over. She was older. Everyone in the Hall seemed young, but this woman seemed mature. There were a few thin lines here and there, a little extra weight along her jaw. She was still as healthy and energetic as anyone Atxi had seen since waking up, but there were signs of age on her face.
Why her? Atxi asked herself. Why is this woman… mortal?
“Anyway, you’re probably wondering why I flagged your name.” Drew said brightly. “It’s like this… I’m an anthropologist.”
“I don’t know the word.” Atxi answered; through this was nothing unusual. She only understood about a third of the terms she’d been hearing since the Meeting started.
“I am a ‘professor’.” Drew clarified. “Or a ‘scholar’ if that sounds more familiar. A ‘teacher’? ‘Educator’?”
Atxi nodded. “Yes, I understand.”
“My work, since I was about your age, was to spend my career in two tasks: First, I was teaching students about other cultures and nations; and secondly; I was trying to learn more about them, for others to teach later on. You have been told, I’m sure, that time has passed since you were last… around?”
Atxi nodded. “Not sure I believe it.”
“Well, that much I can vouch for.” Drew told her. “The Aztecs was one of the cultures I studied. Your friend Irsu? Him too. I also studied the Egyptians. I’ve been back almost twelve years now, and it seems to be a rising concern: Finding common ground between people who lived centuries apart. Back in my old life… I sort of built my career around you and Irsu specifically. Your Temple robes, and his mummified remains, in fact.”
Atxi nodded, a little unsettled; but that was nothing new for her lately. “So, you want me to… what?”
“I’ve been working on a book about various ancient cultures. A reference guide, really. I’d like your help to complete it.”
“I’m not a teacher.”
“You don’t have to be, my dear.” Drew promised. “All it will involve is us talking about the world you came from. I’ll tell you what we know, and you’ll fill in the blanks; and correct us on any mistakes.”
Atxi held up the Screen that Irsu had given her during the Meeting. “Are you so sure you don’t have the answers already?”
“Things get lost. History keeps moving; sometimes at a breakneck speed.” Drew explained. “Things get stolen, things get lied about. After a century, it all shakes out until an ‘agreed on’ story is the best history you can find.” Drew looked distant for a moment. “The sheer number of things that we took as fact, and only now realize we had it entirely wrong…”
Atxi shivered. Some of those things they had ‘entirely wrong’ included her.
Drew came back to the moment. “Can I ask, what do you think of the Meetings?”
Atxi wasn’t sure how to answer.
“You can tell me the truth.” Drew said, discerning her hesitation. “I haven’t joined them either.”
Atxi filed that little tidbit away, and gave her answer. “It’s nothing like the story of the gods that we have back home. My people would not only tell the story of wars and victories and loves and losses that our gods are heir to; we would act them out. People would spend their lives taking on the image of our gods, and making sure that everyone who watched them dance could feel the fervor that the gods demanded.” She gestured. “These people speak of eternal life, but to an Aztec, living a long life and dying ‘by natural causes’ is a disgrace. We give ourselves to the gods long before that. We had to. Our gods burn themselves up providing protection, food, shelter… We have to give back to them. We give everything. These people are… so very tame.”
“Oh, they take it seriously.” Drew confirmed. “More than anyone I knew in my life, back before. But they’re more reserved about it.” She smiled warmly at Atxi. “I have a million questions. I know you’re new here, but it was my life’s work, to try an understand people like you; from what little we knew.”
Atxi looked over sharply. “What? Why ‘little’? What happened to my people? This world knows everything, or so it seems from your technology. How could my people have been forgotten?”
Drew winced, kicking herself mentally. “I… I don’t…”
Atxi forced herself to stay calm. “Tell me, please.”
Drew lead her off a bit, away from other people. “It’s… I mean, we don’t have a lot of details. During those centuries, it was custom for reports to be vague when saying something negative about a leader, and so some of the facts are in conflict… And of course, I don’t know exactly where or when you were…”
“Miss Drew.” Atxi cut her off. “Please. The last I heard, our king was being held hostage by the Spanish, and...”
The older woman sighed hard. “Cortes killed Montezuma the Second in 1520. What followed was an Aztec victory that drove Cortes and his people out. History remembered the battle as ‘La Noche Triste’. The Night of Sorrows. Cortes ran for it, and your people gave chase; he counterattacked and made alliances with your political enemies… A year later there was a smallpox outbreak, and Cortes led the Spanish-Tlaxalan-Texcocan forces; and laid siege to Tenochtitlan.”
“No…” Atxi breathed in horror. “How did the siege end?”
Drew clearly didn’t want to say.
“TELL ME!” Atxi nearly screamed.
Drew finally gave it up. “The Spanish got reinforcements in July 1521. About a month later, your people made their last stand at Plaza Mayor… And failed. The Aztecs surrendered in August 1521; and-”
“And the Spanish started looting and pillaging.” Atxi covered her face with her hands, weeping. “We lost. We lost the war. Our Gods couldn’t save us.” She looked up desperately. “Is that why I’m here? Was Huitzilopochtli slain too? Can your God do that? Were the Thirteen Heavens routed? Did your Jehovah take my soul from Huitzilopochtli by force?”
Drew bit her lip. “The… The first missionaries from Spanish territory didn’t arrive until 1624, but… Yeah, they started bringing your people ‘into line’ with Christendom.” She leaned forward. “Atxi. My husband is quite insistent on this point. They were wrong too. Christendom was spread across the world on the tip of a sword for centuries; but that Church was beaten into the dust and scattered away to nothing. He was there when it happened. It was centuries later, but your people were avenged. The Conquerors, the Churches… all the blood-guilty are gone.”
Atxi couldn’t speak, fallen to her knees in grief. Her people had lost the war. She knew what had followed. Pillaging and executions and enslavement for anyone who didn’t have the Conquistadors features or language… She could picture it happening so vividly.
Patli... Atxi cried out in her mind. Huitzilopochtli couldn’t save you?! What happened to you, sister? Were you fed to our Gods? Or were you taken prisoner? Claimed by some soldier as spoils of war?
“I’m… I’m sorry.” Drew said finally, stricken. “All these things… they happened centuries before I was born. I read them in a book. I wrote the words on a chalkboard. I forgot for a moment that I was talking about your people.”
Atxi was still staring through eyes filled with hot, helpless tears. Huitzilopochtli! She wept silently. Answer me! Tell me this is all a lie! Tell me this world is wrong, and you are there! Please?!
The only answer was Drew, whispering apologies, trying to get through to her, trying to make the young woman hear her again.
“Atxi…” Drew began, and Atxi suddenly realized how hard the pale woman was trying to be nice. “You’re here. You’re alive. I haven’t thrown in with the Witnesses yet; but the man who gave that talk today? He’s my son. And I don’t know what other force than a god can raise the dead, but I can tell you with some certainty that the ‘Resurrection’ is really happening. More than that, I’m not sure. As proud as I am of my son settling into a leadership role, having the respect of his peers and-”
“Why haven’t you?” Atxi asked suddenly, struggling to her feet. “If you believe that this is real, why haven’t you decided to be part of their world, yet?”
Drew bit her lip. “Don’t tell my son? Or his father?”
Atxi nodded. An easy promise to make, given that she hadn’t met either of them yet.
“As much as this world has to offer, including bringing people like you and me back from the dead… The Aztecs had such passionate faith. The Egyptians and the Romans built such incredible structures. The Greeks had such fascinating art and culture… All of that is gone. I’m an anthropologist. Studying the cultures that had come before was my passion in life; trying to understand what was unique and wonderful about every page in the history book. The people may be back, but their culture isn’t. You’re not the first Aztec I’ve met and interviewed, Atxi; but in this world, you’ll never see faithful Temple Priests dance out the story of Huitzilopochtli again.”
Atxi felt a sick thrill go through her. She believed every word Drew Thorne was saying. Her world was gone, ground out of existence by the heel of the conquerors; and forgotten by time. She’d lain on the altar, knowing that she’d never return to the Temple. But the idea that nobody ever would again...
It was all gone. All of it.
No. Atxi felt her heart give a solid thump, and then start beating triple-time. No! If I am indeed the last of my kind, then I won’t let them grind meaway too!
“Drew?” She heard herself say. “Thank you, for believing that something of my people was worth keeping. So far, you’re the only one who has tried to see what we were, and to see my life for what it was. And yes, I’ll give you all the answers you can ask questions for, but I hope you’ll understand that I can’t just yet.” She wiped her eyes. “I have to think on… well, many things.”
“Of course.” Drew didn’t push. “Contact me when you are ready.”
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