by Siegel, Alex
Out of the corner of his eye, Virgil saw Lisa tackle the man sitting in the cage. At that instant, the ride launched, and both of them shot into the sky together.
Virgil looked back at the controls. The injured operator had somehow climbed to his feet and had pulled the lever.
Virgil angrily put a bullet through the back of the man's skull. Brains sprayed across the controls. Virgil roared in frustration.
* * *
I'm away! Harlow thought. Heaven, here I come!
The incredible acceleration during the launch had hurt his back and neck, but he had survived. Now he was flying upward at an amazing speed. He had already passed the altitude of the helicopter. Gravity had seemingly lost its ability to hold him back.
A tug on his ankle made him look down. The black, female adversary was along for the ride. He tried to kick her off, but she had a solid grasp on his armored foot.
"Let go!" he yelled.
The sun was growing bigger, brighter, and much hotter. Stiffness in the fabric of his suit told him the air pressure was dropping fast. The sky became a deeper blue, and the clouds faded away.
Harlow's tenacious adversary was climbing up his body. He tried to punch her with his titanium fist, but she was too agile, and he swung at empty air. The rising heat and low air pressure didn't seem to bother her.
She began to attack his life-support backpack. He heard the horrible sounds of wires being yanked out.
"Please!" he cried. "Stop! I'm almost there."
Harlow saw a silver platform above. It had to be Heaven. He relaxed in preparation for his glorious entry into paradise. Despite a thousand obstacles in his path, he would finally achieve victory.
At the last instant, the woman's leg kicked out and pushed him away from the platform. He fell backwards and down.
"No! No! No!" he screamed.
His course reversed. The sun started to shrink as he descended back to Earth.
Harlow had never been so angry. He had literally come within inches of his eternal reward. That bitch had ruined everything.
He furiously lashed out at the woman, but he couldn't quite hit her. The suit didn't have enough flexibility. He remembered the location of a high-pressure hose attached to his backpack. He reached around, straining for the last few inches, and grabbed the hose. He used his thumb to disengage the coupling.
Harlow heard a satisfying roar of released air. He turned around and saw the woman moving away. She had been blown off.
Strangely, she wasn't looking back at him. She had straightened her body, and she was holding her arms out like the wings on an airplane with her hands as steering flaps. She was staring straight down.
He also looked down. The Earth was below him, and it was coming up fast. He picked out the Rocket to Heaven ride.
He was going to miss it.
He screamed all the way down.
* * *
Virgil heard two sounds at once. The first was a springing noise as the Rocket to Heaven caught somebody falling back to Earth. The second noise was a loud thump as the ride did not catch somebody else.
He looked over. Lisa was bouncing around in the cage, safe and sound. A trench in the grass showed where the other person had landed.
Virgil walked over for a closer look. The suit of armor was face down in the dirt, and blood was leaking from a few joints.
Virgil's problems weren't over though. A few soldiers still lived, although most of the fight had gone out of them.
He ran to Lisa. "Are you OK?"
"Yeah." She climbed out of the cage and dropped onto the ground. "I kept that guy out of Heaven."
"Great job. Help me finish up."
The crowd started to point at the sky and murmur. Virgil also looked.
Creatures with giant, white, feathery wings were appearing. There were dozens at first, then hundreds, then thousands. He recognized the phenomenon.
"Barachiel's guardian angels," he whispered. "The legions are coming through the passage."
Most of Heaven's legions scattered in all directions, but some descended to the Earth. The angels kissed the military personnel on the foreheads. The men and women had dazed expressions for a moment, and then they just wandered away. They had lost interest in what was happening.
Finally, Barachiel floated down and settled lightly on the ground. The angel was wearing a blue gown which flowed and shimmered like a sunlit stream. A delicate silver crown adorned its head.
"What are you doing on Earth?" Virgil said in amazement.
"Cleaning up the mess," Barachiel said. "Making people forget all about aliens and secret portals. Erasing memories of you and your friends. It's a great shame we had to take this extraordinary step, but it was unavoidable. The hit to Heaven's budget will be substantial, but when we're done, you'll be able to return to Chinatown safely as if nothing had happened."
"Why did you wait until now? We tried to call you."
"My vision was obscured. I was confused. The clouds lifted when that man died." Barachiel pointed at the dead man in armor. "Dr. Theodore Harlow, a very twisted soul."
"I don't understand," Lisa said. "Why would his death help you see?"
Barachiel shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm sure the reason isn't important."
"Huh?" Virgil stared at the angel's perfect face. "Of course it's important! Sara told me she tried to reach you while she was in prison. Why didn't you rescue her?"
"I didn't hear her. Maybe I was busy. You saved her without my help though. Well done."
Virgil and Lisa exchanged glances.
"You're still not thinking straight," Lisa said.
"That's highly unlikely," Barachiel said. "I'm an archangel, immune to evil influences."
Virgil knew he wasn't going to win this argument by just repeating himself. Angels and demons were notoriously stubborn about their beliefs. They had almost no imagination. Their minds worked in small circles and straight lines.
"Where is Colonel Knox?" Virgil said. "Maybe we can talk to him."
Barachiel pointed to the corpse of the man who had pulled the launch lever on the ride. "You're a little late."
"But his soul and Harlow's are in Hell. Mammon can interrogate them and get the truth."
"Good idea," Barachiel said. "Call your master. I believe there is a mirror in the shack."
They walked over to the old man's shack and went inside. The interior was almost completely empty. There was just a sink and a bookshelf. Instead of books, the shelves held strings, rocks, an empty soda can, a deflated balloon, rusty bolts, pennies, and other bits of what looked like trash. It was a sad commentary on the old man's life.
"What happened to the old man?" Virgil said.
"Gone," Barachiel said. "Destroyed. It is most unfortunate."
Virgil frowned. He turned to a mirror above the sink and broke the glass with his knuckles. Then he smeared his black blood on the shards.
"Mammon!" he called.
The mirror darkened immediately, and Mammon's grotesquely obese face appeared. Rivers of lava flowed in the background. Sadistic demons were dipping cages into the lava, and each cage held a trapped soul.
"Barachiel!" Mammon said in a tone of surprise. "You're on Earth!"
"Briefly," Barachiel said.
"It must be a huge hit to Heaven's budget."
"It is, but unfortunately a necessary one. Too much forbidden knowledge has leaked out. It must be erased. Theodore Harlow's and Jack Knox's souls should be in Hell. They have answers we need."
Mammon vanished. Virgil didn't want to watch souls being tortured, so he turned away. He tried to understand how the old man could live in the shack. There was nothing to do. Did he just stand in place when he wasn't needed?
Mammon's voice made Virgil look back at the mirror. The demon had reappeared.
"I found Knox," it said, "and we will have a long conversation, but Harlow is missing."
"Well, he certainly isn't in Heaven," Barachiel said.
"You're sure?"
"Quite, and he isn't waiting for Final Judgement. It seems we have another case of a mysteriously vanishing soul."
Virgil clenched his jaw. The same thing had happened during the last mission, and that issue still wasn't resolved. It seemed the souls who knew the truth always disappeared.
"That's distressing," Mammon said.
"The good news is the mission is done," Barachiel said. "The First Circle Club has identified the culprits, and all are dead or have amnesia, thanks to my guardian angels. We can wash our hands of this unpleasant affair."
"Hold on," Virgil said. "Nothing is done. Some angel was passing forbidden knowledge to Harlow. Probably the same angel who made his soul disappear and caused all the trouble during the last mission. We treated a symptom but not the disease."
"Don't be ridiculous. There is no conspiracy in Heaven. There can't be."
"Then how do you explain it?"
Barachiel shrugged. "It's a conundrum, but that's why the First Circle Club exists. I'm confident you will discover the truth in time."
Virgil shook his head with disbelief at Barachiel's indifference.
He looked at Mammon. "What's your opinion?"
"I must agree with my colleague," the demon said. "Demons can't conspire against the Celestial Contract. Only humans can be subversive."
Virgil gritted his teeth. "What about Mr. Li? Was killing him and stealing his soul not subversive?"
"That was... a moment of confusion."
"So you admit you made a mistake?"
"I admit nothing. We're done talking." Mammon faded from the mirror.
Virgil was left with a feeling of profound dissatisfaction.
"Time to go," Barachiel said.
Virgil, Lisa, and Barachiel walked out of the shack. The legions of angels were already returning. As soon as they reached a certain place in the sky, they vanished.
"One last thing," Barachiel said, "when I could see clearly again, I saw Cat Lady and Captain Dirk Kyle. It seems you quietly added two junior members to the club without my permission. I'm not pleased."
"Yeah, uh," Virgil said, "we really needed the help. They were critical to our success. Did you give them amnesia?"
"Not yet, but I still might. For now, their service is noted and appreciated. Good bye, and well done."
It flapped its wings and flew straight up. After a moment, it was gone along with all the other angels.
The Rocket to Heaven ride lifted out of the ground. Clods of dirt fell away from the huge concrete base. The counterweights swung around wildly, banging against the frame. Torn electrical cables threw sparks. The ride shot into the sky and silently vanished.
Only dead bodies were left, but few people would ever know how they had died.
Virgil looked at Lisa. "I guess it's over."
"Yeah," she said, "but not quite the way I wanted. Seems like we're stuck waiting for the next round in a long fight."
"At least everybody got through this round in one piece. Let's go meet the team at the rendezvous."
"We can't go armed to the teeth." She looked down at her many weapons.
Virgil frowned. "I guess we'll leave the guns behind. A shame."
* * *
Harlow was floating in a dark void. There was no light, no sound, and no sense of motion. He couldn't feel his body. He wasn't sure if he still had a body.
"Where am I?" he said to no one in particular.
An abstract face appeared, drawn with bright green lines. "Hello, Dr. Harlow."
"Am I dead?"
"Most assuredly."
"Am I in Hell?" Harlow said hesitantly.
"I saved you from that fate. I can't have you running your mouth about me to the demons. No, I stashed your soul in a special place, a loophole in the Celestial Contract. Here you will stay."
"For how long?"
"I don't know," the face said. "Potentially a very long time. You have your nasty, selfish thoughts to keep you company."
"It's not fair! I was so close to Heaven. Give me another chance."
"No. You are no longer useful. The blow was soundly struck, but another must take up the hammer for the next one."
"What are you talking about?" Harlow said.
"Justice. True justice, not some arbitrary technical definition written in a secret book. The transcendent spirit of man overcoming the Lord's metaphysical mistakes. Freedom for those trapped in a sadistic system of irrational rewards and punishments. Shattering the pillars of Heaven and the vaults of Hell, and building anew upon the rubble!"
"You're babbling."
The face appeared sad. It faded into darkness.
Harlow was left alone.
He screamed in rage, but nobody heard. He tried to lash out, but he had no hands.
* * *
Virgil and Lisa walked up to a sandwich shop with a white and yellow sign. The shop was part of a suburban strip mall. Virgil glanced over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following, and then he and Lisa entered.
The brightly lit interior had cheerful yellow walls. Plastic tables were bolted to the floor with four fixed chairs around each. A teenage girl with violet lipstick stood behind the cash register.
Alfred, Sara, Mei, Cat, and Kyle were sitting in the corner. Virgil didn't see any sign of injury, although Alfred's clothes had dirt stains. Virgil and Lisa joined the group.
"How did it go?" Alfred said.
"The mission is over. I can't say much more while Cat and Kyle are here, so let's talk about them first." Virgil looked at the couple in question. "Do you have any idea what you'll do next? I'm afraid you can't just hang around with us."
They were sitting close together and holding hands. Virgil hadn't said anything about it, but he had noticed the growing fondness between them.
"I don't feel like my soul is really clean yet," Cat said.
"It's not," Virgil said. "That process will take years. You just took your first step."
"Is there another mission coming?"
He shrugged. "Possibly. I'll call if I need you again. It may be a while."
"Oh."
He looked at Kyle. "Captain, our management, uh, intervened. You can probably go back to serving in the Army as if nothing had happened. Nobody will remember you as a traitor."
"How is that possible?" Kyle said.
"Call it a miracle and leave it at that."
Kyle raised his eyebrows. "I like these miracle things. Very convenient."
"Don't go back," Cat pleaded. "Stay with me."
He looked at her. "And do what?"
"Travel. See interesting places and meet interesting people. I have money, lots of money, enough to keep us very comfortable for years."
"I don't know," he said. "Going on a permanent vacation seems kind of lazy. I'm not nearly old enough to retire."
"I need you with me, or I'll go back to my old ways."
They looked into each other's eyes for a long moment.
"OK," Kyle said, "but we won't just have fun. You're going to pay back the money you stole, and if that's not possible, then you'll find good deeds you can do for your victims. You're going to polish up your soul, one smudge at a time."
"Sure, as long as we do it together. Can we start now?"
"Let's go. I'm done with the military anyway. Too many commanders like Knox out there."
They stood up.
"Wait," Virgil said. "I must caution both of you one last time. You're in possession of forbidden knowledge. Don't whisper a word of it to anybody else, or there will be Hell to pay, and Heaven, too. And make sure I know how to reach you in an emergency. Once you get settled, send a note to Li and Li's Electronics Boutique. I want to thank both of you for your assistance. You made a big difference. Have fun together."
"It's been an honor and a privilege working with all of you," Kyle said. "Truly a life-changing experience. Bye."
He and Cat left the sandwich shop still holding hands.
"What happened at the park?" Sara said.
Virgil summarized the battle and the conversation with Barachiel. Lisa added her story about fighting with Dr. Harlow on the way to Heaven.
Sara furrowed her brow. "I can't believe Barachiel was happy with the way things turned out. The angel is still under some kind of influence."
"Could it be God?" Lisa said.
"I doubt it. The Lord has no need to be so sneaky. It has to be a very powerful angel, one with an axe to grind."
"Or a demon. Or both. Somebody was definitely messing with Hell during the previous mission."
Sara nodded slowly.
"We won't figure this out right now," Virgil said, "and having another conversation with Barachiel or Mammon won't help. We'll just have to wait for the next problem to crop up. Maybe the hidden troublemakers will finally show themselves. In the meantime, let's go home."
* * *
Virgil looked up at the gigantic body of Mammon. The demon was wearing a jet black suit made of some shiny material, but rotting food smeared across its chest ruined the appearance of being well-dressed. Massive blobs of fat jiggled and swayed with each unsteady step. Mammon's small feet seemed ridiculously inadequate. Blue flames shot from its eye sockets.
"Five minutes," the demon grumbled. "If you don't come out by then, I'm coming in after you."
Virgil nodded. "I understand. Thank you."
Mammon pushed open a huge stone door, making a grinding noise. Virgil left a dark, smoky passage and entered a chamber.
Mr. Li was sitting at a black iron workbench. He had a small mountain of Chinese cookies on his left and countless slips of paper on his right. He was inserting the papers into the cookies with tweezers. After each cookie was done, he dropped it into a tube.
It took a moment for him to realize he wasn't alone. Finally, he looked up from his work. "Virgil! What are you doing here? Limbo is for dead people. Did you die?"
"I've been dead for a long time," Virgil said.
"I'm sorry. But how did you get in here? Only demons can visit me."
"I pulled a few strings. I was owed a favor in exchange for services rendered. How are you doing?"
Mr. Li looked at the pile of cookies. "They have me stuffing fortune cookies."
"That's not bad. There are worse fates."
"It's so boring and lonely."
