geography of rock and ocean, then how could it ever be filled? Still, in the quiet moments, when he and Veronica weren’t exploring landscapes in The Junction, or exploring each other in the garden, the question rolled around in Arno’s head. It was the one thing that didn’t let him rest.
Then finally, that one question robbing him of his peace, he found a serpent he could ask for an answer. He found Alonzo.
“Good afternoon!” the man called, walking through the trees towards them. “A lovely day as always?”
He was dressed well, his fine blond hair capturing the sunlight and glistening almost as much as the grass or the water of the stream.
“This,” said Veronica to Arno, “is Alonzo.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Arno said, wondering on the etiquette with angels, did you shake one’s hand? Bow?
Alonzo gave him a hug, solving the problem with admirable enthusiasm.
“My dear Arno,” he said, “how lovely to finally meet you. I can’t apologise enough for ignoring you on your arrival. I’ve been hatefully slack on my duties of late. I find myself unreasonably consumed with other projects and allowed the business of meeting and greeting to pass me by.”
“That’s alright,” said Arno. “Veronica has been taking good care of me.”
“Wonderful! That’s what I like to hear. So good when souls meet, a paradise shared is a paradise doubled.”
“I’m surprised we haven’t come across anyone else,” said Arno, circling around the question that plagued him.
“Not that we need anyone else,” added Veronica, perhaps knowing, on some deep level, that the answer to Arno’s question would break the pleasure they had found.
“Not that surprising, sadly,” said Arno. “You find Heaven in hard times, my friend. So few come here. It’s a sad reflection on the state of the human heart that most consider themselves worthy only of Hell. All would be welcome here if only they had the convictions to make the journey as you two did. That’s the ultimate truth, my dear Arno, we get the eternity we wish, and so few wish for—or feel deserving of—this...” He opened his arms crucifixion wide, gesturing around them.
Arno tried to get his head around this. “You’re saying that everyone’s in Hell?”
“Well,” Arno replied, pointing at the two of them, “not everyone, obviously. There are other souls here like you. But it’s a majority, yes.”
“But they would be welcome here?”
“Indeed. Our Father has always believed in second chances, though it’s a concept that has fallen out of favour in the mortal coil.”
“Then why don’t you tell them?”
“It’s not my place,” Alonzo admitted. “I could make the journey to the Dominion of Circles, certainly. It’s simple enough. But there are laws, even here. I can’t simply walk into Hell and hand out tickets. I’m afraid that would be a breach of protocol too far.” He took Arno’s arm. “I’m pleased to see the situation chimes with you though, my friend. It is a sorry state of affairs is it not? You can rest assured that I am, in my own way, attempting to turn the tide.”
“Oh?”
“Indeed. I won’t bore you with the details but I am hard at work on a solution.” He stepped back and, clapping his hands with enthusiasm, opened his arms as if to embrace them. “On the subject of which, you’re clearly in no need of my intrusion. I shall return to my endeavours and leave you to yours.”
He turned and walked back into the trees, leaving Arno to think about what he had said.
4.
“Y OU’RE STILL DWELLING on it aren’t you?” Veronica asked him that night.
There were dancing lights like mobile candle flames, flittering about them. Earlier, Veronica had caught one between cupped palms, letting its glow light up her smiling face.
“Thinking about what?” he replied.
“What Alonzo said, about all the people trapped in Hell.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “It just doesn’t seem right.”
“Who
Then finally, that one question robbing him of his peace, he found a serpent he could ask for an answer. He found Alonzo.
“Good afternoon!” the man called, walking through the trees towards them. “A lovely day as always?”
He was dressed well, his fine blond hair capturing the sunlight and glistening almost as much as the grass or the water of the stream.
“This,” said Veronica to Arno, “is Alonzo.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Arno said, wondering on the etiquette with angels, did you shake one’s hand? Bow?
Alonzo gave him a hug, solving the problem with admirable enthusiasm.
“My dear Arno,” he said, “how lovely to finally meet you. I can’t apologise enough for ignoring you on your arrival. I’ve been hatefully slack on my duties of late. I find myself unreasonably consumed with other projects and allowed the business of meeting and greeting to pass me by.”
“That’s alright,” said Arno. “Veronica has been taking good care of me.”
“Wonderful! That’s what I like to hear. So good when souls meet, a paradise shared is a paradise doubled.”
“I’m surprised we haven’t come across anyone else,” said Arno, circling around the question that plagued him.
“Not that we need anyone else,” added Veronica, perhaps knowing, on some deep level, that the answer to Arno’s question would break the pleasure they had found.
“Not that surprising, sadly,” said Arno. “You find Heaven in hard times, my friend. So few come here. It’s a sad reflection on the state of the human heart that most consider themselves worthy only of Hell. All would be welcome here if only they had the convictions to make the journey as you two did. That’s the ultimate truth, my dear Arno, we get the eternity we wish, and so few wish for—or feel deserving of—this...” He opened his arms crucifixion wide, gesturing around them.
Arno tried to get his head around this. “You’re saying that everyone’s in Hell?”
“Well,” Arno replied, pointing at the two of them, “not everyone, obviously. There are other souls here like you. But it’s a majority, yes.”
“But they would be welcome here?”
“Indeed. Our Father has always believed in second chances, though it’s a concept that has fallen out of favour in the mortal coil.”
“Then why don’t you tell them?”
“It’s not my place,” Alonzo admitted. “I could make the journey to the Dominion of Circles, certainly. It’s simple enough. But there are laws, even here. I can’t simply walk into Hell and hand out tickets. I’m afraid that would be a breach of protocol too far.” He took Arno’s arm. “I’m pleased to see the situation chimes with you though, my friend. It is a sorry state of affairs is it not? You can rest assured that I am, in my own way, attempting to turn the tide.”
“Oh?”
“Indeed. I won’t bore you with the details but I am hard at work on a solution.” He stepped back and, clapping his hands with enthusiasm, opened his arms as if to embrace them. “On the subject of which, you’re clearly in no need of my intrusion. I shall return to my endeavours and leave you to yours.”
He turned and walked back into the trees, leaving Arno to think about what he had said.
4.
“Y OU’RE STILL DWELLING on it aren’t you?” Veronica asked him that night.
There were dancing lights like mobile candle flames, flittering about them. Earlier, Veronica had caught one between cupped palms, letting its glow light up her smiling face.
“Thinking about what?” he replied.
“What Alonzo said, about all the people trapped in Hell.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “It just doesn’t seem right.”
“Who
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