Warning for Grammatical Pedants
I am not a native English speaker, so if you see any mistakes, wrong dialog or sentences, just let me know in the comments.
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"What happens after death?" - is a question that every person asks at different periods of his or her life. After all, everyone dies sooner or later. No one knows for sure, people can't even imagine exactly what it's like to die. Not even that. Medicine has shown mankind how a person can die, thousands of physicians have been writing treatises about it for years, describing every detail.
But what does it mean to die for real? To cease to exist on Earth, in one's own body. No one can tell or record such an experience, for obvious reasons.
And then what happens? The person has died, and what happens to him, his mind or soul, next? Emptiness? Nothing? A rebirth worthy of the person's karma? It turns out that death is like flying in the void.
I didn't even have time to be frightened, my consciousness faded for a moment, like after lack of sleep, and then I realized myself. I saw nothing, complete darkness coming for me almost instantly. I felt nothing around me or any other biological processes within me: no pain, no pleasure, no need. But at the same time, I had a distinct sensation of flying upwards (despite my probable lack of vestibular apparatus). Everything else, past this "flight", seemed to shrink into one point, I don't understand what point and where it was, but I knew from somewhere that "I" and everything else was inside this point. Maybe I am that point. Hypothesis - after death the soul, and this "point" is most likely it, flies somewhere, to some final point.
Thought, as I later realized, goes fast and easy, no fatigue, just pure clarity and a crystal clear thought process. Nothing was in the way.
If I am really "flying", which I still have doubts about, then my soul, which I am beginning to accept surprisingly quickly, has gotten a push in some direction from somewhere, which means that, if I am not mistaken (I have been diligently chasing away other thoughts), my "flight" must end sometime at another point. I know no laws, no forces, no-thing. I can't analyze and predict what will happen to me next.
But there was no fear, there was nothing.
Maybe. It's a blessing, the absence of emotion, hence panic, fear, terror and whatever else one might experience when realizing one's end. The only thing left for me to do is wait.
***
After an unknown amount of time, it was as if I had awakened from a dream. All my senses came flooding back: pain, pleasure, hunger, thirst, a sense of body, but it was ephemeral, viscous, incomplete. Then, everything let go. There was no anxiety, only peace, no pain, only a pleasant feeling of exuberance, not even cold, only warmth. The sensations, like a car starting up, gradually emerged.
The first thing I felt was the wind. A light breeze, the kind of breeze you can feel walking along a spring shore just before the summer season starts. The breeze not only cooled my body, but warmed (?!) it, somehow creating a perfect (!) balance. Impossible.
Then, came the sensation of light, the light of the Sun or something that can shine just as brightly into a person's closed eyes. It didn't burn through closed eyelids, it just..... It shone, but it didn't harm or try to burn. Absurd.
Later, the smell came. It was like climbing the Eiffel Tower and taking a deep breath. A sense of clean air, the kind you can only breathe in some forest, a mixture of odors that all as one, pleasant to the nose, and also.... Had it rained recently? Each odor didn't unnerve the nasal cavity, didn't cause any rejection, rather, they created some harmony of herbs or something else. I don't understand.
Finally, a full-body sensation came. It was as if I'd had a hot bath, been massaged and all at the same time. It was divine, I've never relaxed like that. Slowly, without making any sudden movements, trying to move each limb. Surprisingly, nothing was sore or stiff, I could move again and.... All this time I haven't breathed, about two minutes, but no oxygen starvation or need to take a breath. What the fuck....
Focusing on the glow in my eyelids, I lower my head down, not wanting to burn the retinas of my eyes by accidentally looking at the sun. Slowly I open my eyes.
Marble. Golden marble, possessing a slightly brick-like texture, if my meager knowledge of architecture doesn't fail me. My clean black strict shoes and black pants, without a single scratch or stain, straight from the store. The shoes are even too comfortable. And the pants don't pinch anywhere.
Looking up, I was greeted by clouds, sunshine, and also.... Are those the big white rings of Saturn? They girdled part of the sky, but it didn't look like they were made up of various meteors or other cosmic particles... And these clouds are beautiful... Different shapes, now, slightly reddish, which means sunset is coming.
I blinked and looked around. Cloud one, cloud two, golden fence, golden gate, golden fence, the silhouettes of the city behind the gate, by the way. Why do I feel like that cloud is menacingly approaching with bad intentions?! Breathe in, breathe out.
Yep, hypothesis confirmed. Conclusion - after death, the soul leaves the body and goes to Paradise..... Now. What the fuck is going on here?!
There is no God (or is there?), there is no Heaven (here it is, in front of me), no Hell! There was no Flood, no Seven Car of God in Egypt, and Jesus was just the founder of the most popular religion in the world (isn't that all true?), is there?!
Calm down. Panicking won't help the cause. Breathe in-breathe out. Deep Inhale-Breathe-Breathe....
Breathing deeply, I turned away from this mirage and began to survey my injuries. Moving and twirling my arms and legs, I conclude that there is no visible or internal damage. I'm still wearing the same white shirt, only ironed and smelling like a new thing that just came out of the warehouse, even the sleeves are habitually rolled up to the elbow. And no... My skin has turned gray, the color of ash, not pale like a corpse, but even a healthy color? The consequences of a magical experiment to create a stone - the skin becomes a light gray color. A deep breath and out.
So, I'm wearing the same blue and white striped vest, the usual belt, with a strange symbol on the plaque, I don't recognize it... Is it some kind of eye? An eye?
While I was examining the new belt, rubbing the symbol with my hands, I noticed my hair wasn't gathered into a ponytail. Whoever gave me a new body and clothes forgot to give me a hair rubber band. Really... Now instead of the usual black, my new hair was now the color of snow, crystal clear snow. It's still the same hair to the touch, but now it's more like.... Softer? I've never been good at that.
Running my hands over my face, I calmly note the same thin face, long cheekbones, skin noticeably nicer. Looking down at the marble, I try to gaze into the reflection, so pure was the material. The same sunken cheeks, the same bags under his eyes that now did not give away the painful blue, the same long eagle nose, the same frown of appraisal.... If you look closely, it's as if the glass in my eyes has cracked. The pupil is still there, but now it is dark blue and the iris is now white?! What the hell happened to me?! Is it the effects of the magic discharge or what happened?!
Against the background of the rest, the tips of my ears, which had become longer and bigger by half and a half, were not perceived by my consciousness at all. I was an elf now, like something out of Rackham's books, honestly.
And also, I became a saint, if the golden ring flying above my head is to be taken for the proverbial halo and the fact that I'm in Paradise (how can you be so sure?!). Great, now every idiot who blew himself up during his own experiment, forgetting his own safety precautions, is a saint! Can someone explain something to me?!?!?!?
Music. Wonderful music, as if I was back on "Carmen" in the London opera, only the performance is many times better, not a single falsity, only mastery of the game ... I turn around at the sound and see its source.
At the Pearly Gates, that's what they're called if my priest Mephidrodius wasn't lying, not far from the threshold, to my right, stood a pulpit made of the same material as the floor, but with various plain blue patterns, the top of the pulpit was gold with golden waves. But instead of a professor or some politician, here stood an angel, with blue wings and a golden halo.
The angel smiled like an old friend of mine meeting after a long separation, he even waved his hand as if inviting me to come over and say hello. This is... St. Peter? The Apostle, the first priest, the one who meets the soul at the gates of Paradise? He was dressed in a blue robe, with gold cross inserts, the sleeves of the robe were beige and gold, and over his robe, he wears a blue vest, along with a red bowtie around his neck. Like a gentleman of paradise, his blond hair was styled in a spiral curl to the left, and he wore a blue vest over his robe, along with a red bowtie around his neck.
I didn't want to believe, didn't want to recognize the reality of what was happening, didn't want to believe that I had died and gone to Paradise. I went to Paradise being an atheist, a scientist and just not a very religious person. Doesn't the church say that only sincere believers and those who go to church go to Heaven? Of course, I went to church a couple of times on Sunday with my family, I even went to services after graduation with my sister's family, even when I was working I went to church occasionally, not to pray and ask for redemption, but to chat with Father Mephidrodius, who helped me in collecting religious and occult literature for research. I also didn't ask the holy father to forgive my sins..... So, what in God's name am I doing here?!
Maybe Simon Peter, the angel with the Book of Life, where the names of the worthy and their destinies are written, should judge me, judging whether I am worthy of Paradise? Then why do I already have a halo? Is the halo a part of the soul that all people have?
And music is soothing. Takes away fears, worries, anxiety. Okay. Quiet.
It was quiet in Heaven, it was the pleasant silence of the forest, there weren't even organs or any other instruments that were described in some literary texts about Paradise.
Well... If I really went to Paradise, whether it was for the judgment of God, or if I turned out to be worthy of Paradise bliss (why did I suddenly become sure that everything that was happening was real, like the angel that was still smiling the same way?), there was no point in procrastinating.
Fixing, perhaps for the last time before eternal torment, my clothes, putting my hair back in a mane, pulling back my forehead, leaving a couple small strands around the edges, I exhale and slowly walk to meet my fate.
Should I pray? Isn't it too late? Or maybe.... Music. The music calmed me down again. Is this some kind of magic? Even if I'm descended into Hell or condemned to eternal torment as a non-believer, I have to ask about this music. I have to know. I want to know.
When the marble pulpit was a couple of meters away, the Holy Apostle opened his arms and proclaimed:
" Welcome to Paradise, mortal soul!" - His smile seemed to grow even more joyful. -" I congratulate you on the end of your mortal journey and welcome you to Heaven! The place of bliss and eternal rest!" - St. Simon Peter spoke solemnly. He exhaled quickly and quickly ran his palm across his forehead (he was sweating, could an angel sweat?), and then out of the golden flash, which for a moment became a Christian cross, appeared the Book of Life, in a golden cover, in even gold and white patterns.
"Can you please tell me your name?" - He was still smiling, only now it was more of a duty smile. For a couple seconds I just stared at the angel, keeping a stern expression on my face, I wondered if he could say every name himself. Can't angels look into souls or something?
" William Anderson Young." - after a couple of seconds, quickly and clearly called out his full name, and St. Peter began flipping through the book thoughtfully.
"V, V ... Vasilisa, Violetta, Victor ... William!" - More for me than for himself, muttering the names. Is this a form of torture before you send your soul to Hell? If so, my respects.
" William Anderson Wall-- Volkoff, Walmart. Young! "- when he found the first name he wanted, he looked up at me. Well, judge me, angel.
"When were you born and when did you die?"- False alarm, the angel just decided to prolong this torture of waiting a little longer. I replied in the same tone of voice:
" Born 1850, Great Britain. Died 1893, Great Britain."- In response, St. Peter nodded with a smile and sank back into his book, whispering something under his breath.
".. Ah! William Anderson Young, born 1850, London, Professor Jung's family?" - To this strange question I simply nodded. Couldn't he see the fates of souls from this book?
"... Studied engineering at Oxford, did some scientific work..." - he started doing voice-overs while reading my biography for some reason. Again, shouldn't he have my whole destiny running through his head or something? Is he even an angel or am I just missing something?
"He took a picture of Paradise!" - exclaimed the voiced angel. - "So that's what it was! Ha ha!" - his voice was already pleasant, and the laughter let me hear how clear and pleasant his voice sounded.
".. And what will happen when I tell them the truth, ha-ha!" - he wasn't laughing at me, not at the fact of the picture I had taken, he was laughing as if he had remembered an old joke.
".. Oh!"- He took a breath and wiped a couple of tears from his eyes. - "I apologize, we've had a bit of a commotion because of your activities, we already thought that Hell..." - he abruptly interrupted, and his smile became awkward - "I mean, your picture...." - he leaned deeper into the book, scrutinizing something. What on earth is he looking at? I wondered.
"Can I look at it too?" - Why not? If I'm going down, I'm going down with a song. That way, at least I won't have any regrets when I'm boiling in a boiling cauldron. - "In a book, I mean."
St. Peter raised his surprised eyes at me, but after a moment, replied in the same tone he'd started with: "Normally this is not allowed, but I think we can make an exception!" - He unfolded the open book, which seemed to fly from his hands into mine. - "But not for long, I have to work!" - he jokingly wagged his finger at me.
Nodding, I examined the pages I had torn off and listened to the mysteries of the Book of Life ... I would have said, if there had been something here besides the full names of people, written in beautiful cursive handwriting (even I understood it, though I always had a problem in understanding such artistic scribbles), in gold ink on beige paper. What did he see here? I twirled the book in my hands, examining the pages
Maybe with his whispering he did something? A spell or some other magic? Though... The same energy was emanating from my name, illuminated by a golden glow, I could see it externally and... I felt the magic emanating from it? And only the energy emanating from the word, the book itself didn't exude magic, or I haven't felt it yet.... Or maybe I'm using the wrong measuring device? The wrong method?
Shaking my head, I held out the Book of Life back to the angel. The book flew back into Peter's hands
" All right, well, let's get on with it!" - he wanted to start reading again, but I had to be sure.
"Am I going to Hell, Holy Apostle?" - There was fear in my voice. - "I wasn't a believer, I didn't go to church....."
" Oh, nothing like that!" - he waved his hand, laughing a little. -" Souls get to Paradise not depending on faith, but on the deeds of the soul on Earth!" - St. Peter rolled over the whole church with a light word. The angel's smile became slightly mischievous. - "You, Jung, have made many donations to orphanages, you have helped the church priest, your research has made life easier for others, and your research on the Divine Miracle has made life easier for your family!" - he exclaimed, raising his hand in the air, reinforcing his words.
...Divine Miracle? Now, don't talk back to me, First Pop. What's that supposed to mean?!
"A miracle? Isn't that a magician?" - he hissed sharply, his smile twisted for a moment.
" Wickednesscame from Sin, and it is itself a distortion of God's grace, Miracle!" - he raised his hand, somehow creating a golden orb in it - "By God's Grace, He gives us His miracles, allowing us to spread His Will by faith! Ahem... Now, to continue..." - The golden ball flew down towards me and started flying around me, I followed it closely, not paying attention to the rest of his words....
That quickly disappeared ball... Whatever this religious man said (angels are still human, right?), it's magic... A miracle... I want to know!
Meanwhile, St. Peter continued to sound off on my biography:
"... Was recognized as a propagator of false science, tried to prove the existence of Paradise, began to collect material ..." - he didn't leaf through the pages, but his eyes were running, reading something. Was it the Miracle, that whisper? It was the Miracle that allowed him to see the fate of my soul, but why couldn't he, as an angel, do it? - "From 1876, he stopped publishing, beginning to delve into the study of mag... Miracles." - there's that hitch in his voice again. By the way, if it says exactly "magic" wherever it is, then my fate in the book is written in my words? -"In 1893, exploded due to lack of sleep, as a result of an explosion of energy, trying to create a stone with miracles..." - he closed the book with a slam, laying it next to him, straight up in the air. God's miracle, no other way....
"William Anderson Jung, it is my pleasure to announce!" - he opened his arms wide again " Welcome...." - Wait, angel wings? If I'm really going to Heaven, where are my own wings? I still don't have any behind my back.
"What about wings?" - I do. I need them. Wings. - "Shouldn't I have wings?"
He looked at me, for the first time in our dialog, a little unhappily, but after a moment, he exhaled, hunched over and lowered his arms.
" Usually, the Righteous, that's what they call the souls of people who go to Paradise." - He spoke quickly, obviously having long since memorized the definition of the term. - "themselves embody wings, in the extreme case, in the Golden City there are special angels who will help with them and flight..."
I want to. Fly.
- ... - he inhaled and looked into my eyes, which I did not avert. -"Okay, except I'm not very good at explaining ..." - he straightened up and adjusted his red bowtie around his neck and I just nodded.
" When I first spread my wings, it was like ...." - his face lost its smile, and St. Peter himself sank into reminiscence, picking up the words. - burning in my shoulder blades, I don't know, I wanted and believed that I should have wings, Adam told me so.... - "Is the Adam in the Bible real? Although, since there's a St. Peter, why not...."
" When I believed, I felt a burning sensation in both shoulder blades, I wanted to let it out.... I wanted to fly! To let the wind carry me to the heights!" - he clenched his fist, raising his head to the clouds. - "I wanted it with all my soul, I wanted to fly on my wings!"- Afterward, he exhaled, looking at me apologetically.
".. It's like this." - He awkwardly spread his hands, silent, looking at me.
The burning in his shoulder blades, the earnest desire... sincere desire of the soul, faith and desire of the soul..... I began to habitually reason and analyze.
Let's assume that Miracle and magic are one and the same, it doesn't matter if it's true, let's omit it for now. Assuming that the magical energy I've read about is called in Paradise..... Divine? Sacred? Let it be "Sacred Energy" for now. Concentrating, Peter could feel the Sacred Energy in his soul, or somewhere in his body, he wished for his wings, apparently channeling this energy into his shoulder blades, where, should the wings be, he expected them to be there, since Adam had explained this to him, that he should be older than Peter and have his wings earlier? He saw that Adam had wings on his back, near his shoulder blades, and imagined the exit points of the embodiment of wings there? And maybe wings should appear in these two points, as well as the halo should hang "at" or "above" the head? And the sincere desire of the soul for flight, its stimulation of the soul to manifest wings? Directing the Sacred energy back, releasing and embodying them in the material (or what is it in Heaven, anyway, where are we?) world?
Let's say. Closing my eyes, I tried to habitually focus on the magical energy of the body. It flowed through the veins like blood, and inside the shell, the body, in the area of the heart, there was a "point", the soul. Trying to use the usual method of "knowing" and "believing" (hopefully that would be enough) that it would work, I tried to start manipulating the soul energy...
And-and-and... It worked! As soon as I started channeling the Sacred Energy into my back, my shoulder blades burned with heat! Now, it is necessary to allocate more energy, adding it with desire and faith.... That man can learn to fly and fly! But not on wings like Peter's, such wings can't bear the weight of a man, for such a thing you need...
"Whoa" He even leaned closer to me, resting his hands on the edges of the marble. - "It's the first time I've ever seen a Righteous Man spread his wings before he's even passed the Pearly Gates!" - There was pride in his voice... for me? That's nice. - "And they're so big!"
I, more instinctively than consciously, opened the huge wings that seemed to shimmer with blue crystals, they were a rich dark blue color, with white drops in the feathers, occasionally glowing with a light blue light. They differed from Peter's wings in size, if his were, by eye, a little larger than his outstretched arm, mine were one and a half or even two of my full height, and I was under two meters (183 centimeters)!
" Congratulations!" - With a resounding clap, St. Peter congratulated. - "But we were interrupted..." - I looked up from my wings and looked into the Saint's eyes.
"William Anderson Young!" - he made some kind of gesture, and a silhouette of a key appeared in his hand. - "Welcome to Paradise!" - The Pearly Gates swung open, revealing the Golden City behind them.
"I wish you a pleasant eternal grace and bliss!" - He smiled softly. -" Welcome to Golden City to your eternal rest!"- Obviously, it has a different meaning here... They won't...
" Now, please hurry, I have a few more souls to..." - The smile was gone, and his face expressed fatigue. He exhaled deeply. - "Anyway, I still have a lot of work to do." - Toward the end, he smiled faintly.
I nodded, taking a quick step outside the Gate.
***
No sooner had I gone more than ten meters than a tired (?) child's voice called out to me:
" Hey, come here!" - I turned around at the sound and saw a... a one-year-old in a blue jacket? True, he had his hair slicked back, and the kid himself had a kind of tired look.... - "Yes, you're the new arrival! Come here!" - and now his voice had deepened.
Is that a cherub? Those creatures with two pairs of wings, though he doesn't have another pair, if I got a good look at his little wings as I walked towards him, so small they were, smaller than his outstretched arm? And this is one of the strongest angels, God's favorite? As I approached the cherub flying on his wings (or is it a cupid?), he spoke in a childlike sweet and somewhat tired voice:
" Welcome to Paradise, blessed soul! I'm glad to welcome..." - he scrutinized me, looking for something with his eyes, he went through, judging by the pupils, the halo, the wings and the chest, I mean soul? - "Anyway, listen..." - his voice lost its childish features, leaving a rough and low masculine tone. So much for the child...
"Now I will quickly answer your first questions, which St. Peter did not have time to answer, and then we quickly disperse, compadre?" - Without even waiting for my answer, he pulled out a quill and a real parchment from somewhere, apparently summoned by a miracle, and started writing something down. - "First name, last name..." - he looked up quickly, nodding. -" Incarnated wings before the passage to Paradise..." - he didn't look up this time.
"The Holy Apostle said that this is a nev....." - at my quiet remark, he raised his voice irritably.
"Yes, yes, Peter had never seen such a thing, and no one had ever done such a thing before..... You're the second one this year."- he simply pointed with his pen behind my back, where Peter was also showing the Book of Life to another Righteous man.... There you go!
"The Holy Apostle Peter can find an approach to any soul, what will calm it and help it to accept the new reality, that's what he will do, even if it is necessary to gratify someone's fragile ego...." - at the end of the sentence, his voice turned snide. 'Oh you little... Yes and Peter! "I've never seen such a thing", "Can we make an exception", in Paradise everyone just plays pranks on each other, suffering from idleness?!
"Cool wings, I must admit, it's been a long time since I've seen a soul spread such wings" - he looked up at the marked thing for a moment. Even this form is not new, but the relevance? It's like I'm back at Oxford, trying to write my first scientific papers.... - "Ahem... Anyway..."
He finished writing, tucked away the quill that had disappeared in the light, folded the parchment into a scroll and tapped it, sending it off in a flash of light somewhere. And then, he lowered his gaze, like a port worker's at the end of his shift of unloading ships, to me. - "Good soul, what wishes to know where his fate tells him to go~?" - It would have been a well-sung verse if it hadn't been sung by the dockworker with a hoarse voice.
I didn't answer right away, letting my gaze stroll over the landscape of the Golden City. Monumental buildings made of marble, perhaps the same as the tiles of the road, each building was of the same style, yet had some distinction, as if some pattern or color or some signage. But each building gave off old age, grandeur, and prosperity. There was no smoke of factories, no smell of sewers, just clean streets with not a crumb of trash or dirt, and the streets were roamed by.... Creatures? Angels, in general, with halos of different shapes and colors and wings of the same configuration.
Each of the angels (Righteous?) was not like the other, as if it were a species of bird, some strange creature with no mouth and no second eye, a bear from Andersen's fairy tales, some white rabbit escaped from a Lewis Carroll book, dressed almost identically to the book's description,
Just a humanoid arachnid... The biologist could go on listing every species-form of angel, but I had no such deep knowledge, and the magical little guy was still waiting for an answer, leaning slightly on his fist, covering his eyes and.... Snoring?
"Ahem..." - a slight cough didn't seem to get through to the little angel. - "Sir." - no response to the raised tone either. Well, then.
" Wake up, brother, we're on a deadline!" - None of the angels paid any attention to my cry, and the little angel straightened up sharply, looking around.
" А?! What?! No, I wasn't asleep!" - he used a childish tone again, and when his gaze saw me again, the angel quickly calmed down, becoming his old self again. - "I apologize, you wanted to ask a question....." - I didn't ask, and at least I was having fun.
" Yes, are you Cherub?" - At my question he rolled his eyes, taking a deep breath.
"A junior Cherub, created in Heaven. Any more questions?" - he looked at me with the irritation of a secretary working with two dozen difficult clients in a day. That is, he was very displeased. - "Just hurry up, then you can admire our City."
".. Where am I going to live? Do I need to eat? Where do I get food from..." - Without rushing to answer any questions, he simply called out a golden bell and rang it. - "What are you..."
"I'm calling an angel to give you a tour, and there are other souls waiting for me with normal questions." - he definitely took offense to a little joke, hopefully I won't get in trouble for it. - "Wait here."
He flew behind my back to the other souls that were also coming in behind the Pearly Gates. Funny how none of them were going to Hell or eternal torment. Maybe Peter just meets the worthy, and the judgment took place during the "flight" of the soul to Paradise?
By the way, why do some of the new Righteous wipe their tears, and why do some of them look around amazed? Is it only to me Peter created a melody by a miracle? Junior Cherub said that St. Peter can find an approach to any soul, is it only me...? No, he's just been doing his job for a long time...
After all, he's been doing it for over a thousand years, maybe more, how does time go on here? By the way, why is the Pearly Gates open? Another magic that closes them to the rest of the souls unworthy of Paradise?
"I beg your pardon!" - A gentle voice brought me out of my thoughts.
I turned around and saw before me a tall humanoid bird with yellow plumage, three eyes on its neck and a red halo above its head. Her wings were a light purple, from which she floated from the air towards me. She was very lush, her feathers creating a rich figure, and her picture was completed by several large feathers, with red patterns on her head representing a hairstyle.
"- I was summoned by the new arrivals' receptionist, do you need help?" - There was genuine concern in her tone, and her gaze traveled quickly down my figure, lingering on my wings. - "My name is Elena, what can I do for you?"
Obviously, she had somehow gotten all the information she needed from the ringing of the bell, or had used some angelic magic to look into my soul.... But if Peter himself can't, who is she, someone above the rank of disciple of Jesus himself? Who is He even in this version of Heaven?
"I beg your pardon, is something wrong?" - I think I've gone off the deep end again. - Maybe I...
- No, no, I'm sorry. - I shook my head apologetically. -" I just can't quite get used to all of this...."
" I understand." - she smiled somehow with her yellow beak. - "I did too, when I first got here...."
Where did she put her wings, anyway? They just disappeared when she landed. Can you remove wings the same way you incarnate them, but in reverse? I'll try it later, right now I want to enjoy a nice burden behind my back that didn't interfere with my balance in any way, like I was just using my new arms. I tried waving them, consciously waving them. It was... Like moving your arms, I mean.
A person doesn't have to think about where to move their arms, we just move them where we want them to go. We don't think about how or where the brain sends signals, it just does it. So here, from somewhere I got the "instincts" to control these new body parts. Did this happen when I got my new body? Probably. And the angel kept talking:
".. That's right, I gradually accepted the new reality!" - she looked at me with a smile (beak, aha). - "So there is nothing shameful here, every Righteous person went through this!"
She listened to something and then shifted the gaze of her eyes, all five of them, to me.
" Excuse me, let me take you to your new home." - she gestured for me to follow her. - "You've already been assigned a housing area in the Green Zone housing district." - Seeing my question, she explained. - "This is one of the many areas where the Righteous or other angels live and dwell, and there are many points of interest, from parks and forests, to cafes and theaters! Also..." - she squinted her eyes playfully, all five again, which was creepy. - " We have Television! It's the kind of screen that runs a lot of images, pictures, to put it simply, and with the help of God's Miracle..."
"The image is animated, yes, I've heard." - I've only seen prototypes, and I've done it myself, but a device that can show many images at once, creating the illusion of continuity has a great future. - "But on Earth."
"Here in Paradise, progress is a little ahead of the curve, after all, we get a lot of bright minds who have unlimited time and all available resources can create what they want!" - she was obviously speaking from experience, was she a scientist as well? Not that I'm against women in science, before Logic all are equal, but I hadn't even heard of her, or maybe..... - "All within the Commandments and God's Design, of course!" - and this is an interesting remark.... Even in Paradise there is a censor?
Not that it isn't indefensible, since there is a Paradise, there is also a Hell with Lucifer (if he was here), and that is Sin and Temptation. Hmmm... Peter mentioned, Adam, most likely the very First Man, so somewhere in here is Eve, the First Woman and Mother of Mankind? More specifically, the ancestor of Noah, who was the only one to survive the Great Beyond, if indeed there was one. Adam's lineage has to be around here somewhere too.... Which means there must be an Eden.... The attendant (Helena, maybe Elisoveta?) was talking about something until I interrupted her with my question:
"Is there an Eden in Paradise? Is there any way to get there?" - She looked at me strangely, obviously expecting other words. -" If it's not forbidden, of course."
"... In Paradise, somewhere in Heaven, that is, there really is Eden, none of the angels know exactly, it is the privilege of Seraphim ..." - I nodded, accepting the new information. - "Eden is off-limits to all souls except the Seraphim themselves and maybe Adam." - Not Eve? Although, if Adam and Eve tasted the Fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil after committing the first Sin and being cast out of the Garden, shouldn't they have been in Hell for a while, along with the rest of the souls of all humans, until they were saved by Jesus Christ?
"... It is the dream of every Righteous person to get into the Garden, impressed by the stories of Adam that he tells to the souls, but the entrance is forever closed to mankind, who are descendants of Eve and bear her curse - Sin." - and Adam is a lamb in this story, just out for a smoke on Earth? I should check my local library for historical references..... Maybe even talk to Adam himself. And the attendant kept going:
" ... But I wouldn't advise you to look for Adam, he doesn't like to answer questions about Eden and, especially, his wife...." - she gave me a strange look. - "He can be... A bit harsh in his language, and he's a very busy angel himself....."
" I get it." - nodding at the relieved bird. -" What about the mage..." - she flew up quickly, as if she had appeared right in front of me, and covered my mouth with her hands, looming over me with the aid of flight. This is what the Righteous or other angels (what's the difference?) were already paying attention to, but not for long, everyone just glanced briefly in our direction to then go about their business again. Some even laughed and said something about it, probably recognizing my Companion.
" No. No. Magic. "- In a low, barely audible whisper, as if afraid of being overheard, the angel said the words. -" Only God's Miracle." - louder. - "Please don't confuse Magic with Miracles, it's very impolite!" - she removed her palms from my mouth and threatened with her finger, this time not so jokingly.
"Magic is taboo in Paradise, it was created by Lucifer, the Fallen One. Don't you dare speak of it," came her voice.... In my head?! A magician... A miracle and this can do that? I want to know! - "Unholy arts are studied in a special department, in the Research and Development Department, if you want to learn something, that's the best place."
She was definitely a scholar that just like me studied magic or the occult. I don't know how she's sending her thoughts into my head, or maybe directly into my soul, but I also feel a sparkling concern for me, for myself, and something else.... I can't figure it out, it's like trying to describe colors to a blind person. She quickly corrected her yellow, under the color of her plumage, dress and turned around, clearly suggesting that we move on faster.
" In general, if you want to know about our God's Miracle, you'd better look in the special Department, it's in the areas of the Second Circle, 42 Bacon Street, if anything, ask the Cherubim or other Righteous." - she exhaled deeply, some physical tension building up. - "There's research being done there..."
" I beg your pardon, what is the Second Circle?" - The attendant looked at me with a somewhat crushed expression.
".. The Circles of Heaven are the spheres of angels' activity in God's plan." - Having exhaled, the attendant began her explanation. - "The first circle - the Righteous and just residents of Paradise, they are closer to people and do not have a great influence in Heaven, are not limited by Laws and Rules no more than I called you and, in fact, can do what they want and when they want, within the limits of common sense, of course" - she looked at me warningly.
We walked through the streets of the Golden City, in the road of which you could even see golden reflections, so pure was it. Monumental in its height buildings going far upwards, golden spires of distant buildings, various glass towers... Each was made of this or similar material, the glow of which did not cut the eyes, but harmoniously integrated into the overall picture of the City.Everywhere and everywhere there were angels, who flew, who just walked by themselves or with company, and some sat at a table, minding their own business. On the way they greeted us, even me, with a friendly nod or wave. When greeting the Companion, they called her by name (Alice, Elina?), and congratulated me on my ascension to Paradise.
"The Second Circle is a link between the First Circle, people and the Supreme Seraphim together with God. It performs various functions, from law and order, to protection and defense of the Earth from Evil. For example, I work in this Circle, working with the souls of newcomers and helping them in various ways." - There was a genuine pride in her voice for her work that few on Earth could boast of. She burned with the idea, and her work gave her real pleasure. As she spoke, she nodded back at the celestials passing by, gesturing with her hands as if she were drawing the Circles of Angels in the air.
The tall buildings became rarer and rarer, and we went out into some other part of the City, moving away from its center. There was a large forest, filled with many trees of various kinds, separated by one large stone road, unlike the rest of the City, but still as smooth and pleasant to the foot. Also, every couple of dozen meters there were lanterns, which probably also work on Sacred Energy.
"The third circle - the Higher Cherubim, Anaphim, Seraphim and the High Council. They work directly with the Light of God, are engaged in direct protection and management of Paradise as a whole, preserve Order and protect the souls of each celestial, they give instructions to the Second Circle, help the First Circle. It is in the areas of the Third Circle that the oldest souls from the Old World, humanity before the Great Flood, live."
So there was one. So, uh. If I want to go to Eden, I have to go there with a Seraphim. Or become one, if that's even possible. Or maybe it's just--
"The head of the Golden City, is the Supreme Seraphim Sera, the voice of God and guardian of paradise souls, she protects the Golden City and oversees its operation..." - So, to begin with, I need this Sera. The other Seraphim are out of reach. Some of the names the Companion called were mentioned in the Bible or other sacred texts I've read in my time.
These Seraphim are most likely members of this Supreme Council of Seraphim, or are siblings of Lucifer, meaning they are older than Earth and humanity itself. Supreme Seraphim Sera, on the other hand, is never mentioned anywhere, ever, and judging by her duties, if that's all she does of course, in which I could apply my skills to try and get closer and maybe ask for a reward sometime, to visit, see an image of, or at least glimpse Eden... On the other hand, why on earth would I want to see Eden? Yes, this place may have been created before the Earth, especially if the story of Adam and Eve naming things is true, but what else can I learn from an entire Seraphim, who is probably older than mankind, just like the other Seraphim?
And why would this creature even bother with me? Semantics, I'll deal with that problem later. I looked at the Companion who was saying something (Lena, I think?) and asked.
"What about sleep, food and lodging? Do I have to pay something for that?" - she stopped talking and, suddenly, laughed. In her defense, she finished just as quickly.
We were already in the forest, on the main road, the light of evening lanterns surrounded us, and the sky was getting darker. From somewhere in the forest came the singing of birds, hopefully not like my Companion.
"... Oh-ho-ho! Of course not! This is Paradise! Everyone gets everything they ask for!" - I'll take your word for it, if Sera turns me down, I'll blame it on you. - "Money is a small convention when there's an urgent need for a favor. I mean, if you want to be served immediately or have something done, you just pay in Paradise coin." - she pulled out a single coin from somewhere in her dress, which had no pockets and no bag on it herself. On one side was an Eye, the same one that was over the Pearly Gates, and on the other was an image of wings at the moment of flapping that had been applied to the Gates themselves.
" Anyway, don't worry!" - she gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder as she put the coin away. - "You won't be denied a request or favor anywhere, it's just that," she chuckled. - "You'll have to wait, maybe an hour, maybe a year."
"Then can I have a pen and a notebook to write in?" trying to convey in my voice the seriousness of the request -" I want to write down every day and thank God for this wonderful gift!"
She looked at me understandingly with all five eyes (it's even cute when you forget the unnaturalness of it), grinned her beak humanely.
"Sure, give me a second. "- She stopped along with me, making strange noises....
*♪ Strange bird noises ♪
She-- Literally spewed out, no, spit out, the writing utensils I voiced, and then with the same magic (at least in my mind I'll use the familiar name) brought them to my hands.....
Well, at least they're not in slime or anything, just a regular pen with a strange ball instead of the usual steel nib. Apparently the explorers of paradise have gotten ahead of the earthly ones. And also, an ordinary notebook in a hard book binding, with many snow-white pages.
"Pages aren't limited, just ask someone from the Department of Support to create you new ones or learn on your own through miracles." - Her voice maintained its sneer.
We came to an area of the forest, with a number of different cottages set at a distance from each other, each with a backyard that didn't make a sound, though I could definitely see a few angels gathered there. We entered a small part of the forest, where there were no trees, just a clearing of green grass, a single golden building adorning its center.
"There's your new home." - she pointed to a simple monolithic building, made in the same style as the large structures in the main part of the Golden City. I turned my head toward her. raising an eyebrow. - "Don't be afraid, your house is adjusting to you! But be warned!" - she poked me cheerfully with her finger that looked like a wing feather.
" In this neighborhood, the Righteous try to keep their houses in the same style, creating their own neighborhood theme!" - she jokingly shook her feather-finger, but then quickly corrected herself. - "Of course, if you don't like that kind of theme, you're not restricted in choosing the exterior of the house. It's your house, after all!"
As if afraid of my offense, she quickly spoke the last sentence. I just nodded and concentrated. I felt a connection to this place that I still couldn't describe.
This whole neighborhood is basically a big forest. A lot of tall trees, absolute pure, even naively, empty nature, not a single hollow log, only pure greenery, lakes, streams and rivers, united the neighborhood network of common dark stone slab roads, from which go paths in the direction of a separate mansion. So I decided, to realize the variants of forest mansions of some of my acquaintances.....
I embodied the general concept of a cozy cabin next to a small lake. Two-story wooden mansion made of dark wood, decorated with stone masonry in small parts, long, just below the second floor, dark blue roof, in which a couple of windows peeked through. Many large windows, which were now draped with cloths, and the warm yellow color of the lighting. There was a veranda in front of the house, surrounded by a small fence, with a few chairs by the fireplace, and to the right of the house was a small outbuilding, a gazebo with benches and a second place for the fire.
To the left of the lodge was an access to the lake in the form of a dock made of dark wood, there was a light mist over the lake, and the house itself was surrounded by long, lush fir trees.
".. Good choice, I like it." - The attendant sincerely shared her feelings, I somehow understood it, maybe with my soul. - "Well, I wish you a pleasant eternal rest, if you want to visit the places of the City, just go back the way you remembered the way here?" - to which I received an affirmative nod. - "Great, see you soon then!"- she bowed lightly, spread her wings and flew away.
I want to do that too. At least I have a journal and a pen. I should get used to the new house, check everything necessary and write down all the feelings.... And also, try to remember the name of the Companion, I doubt it's her name....
(One of the commentators mentioned that the people who went from Earth to Heaven in the cartoon are called Winers, but in the Russian translation they are called Righteous, and as the work had already been translated to 190,000 words at the time of this problem, it was decided to leave Righteous. Thank you for your attention.)