by Karl Morgan
“I bet he’ll do it, Manny,” Luce argued. “Like you said, he’s the one who always seems to keep going.”
“That was going to be my second point. If Mort joins with them, one of the others must die. The transition can only occur with three. So either Sylvia, Gabe, or Connie will perish. My last point is that if the memories you witnessed are true, then we resurrected a dead universe. Sylvia and the others will destroy a vibrant, living universe for their own self-gratification.”
“Pretty horrifying, right, Carl?” Luce noted.
“Why don’t you two just stop them?” Carl asked. “You two are God and Satan. Surely, that’s in your power.”
“Oh boy, I’m glad he asked you, Manny.”
“Carl, it doesn’t work that way. Believe it or not, we are here to serve the life in this universe. If people willingly decide to do something stupid and dangerous, we are powerless to stop them.”
Luce smiled. “Okay, that’s a load of crap, and you know it, Manny. Tell the boy the truth.”
Manny sighed. “The truth is that life is about choices. It is our job to help living beings understand their purpose and especially to assist them from life to life. Haven’t you ever wondered about murder, war, terrorism, dictatorships, famine, pestilence, and all the myriad maladies of the world? Shouldn’t a loving God be able to end or prevent those tragedies? To us, your body and life are just choices. The truth of you is your soul is immortal, like us. If Sylvia destroys this universe, all the bodies and accomplishments of humanity and the other sentient civilizations will disappear. But their souls will continue, whether in a new universe, or at the top of the Rope Bridge.”
Luce rolled his eyes. “What my brother is trying not to say is that this is a test for you, Aida, Barbie, Burt, and Grace. And perhaps a few others. If Sylvia wins, perhaps Manny, Mort, and I will stop it. If we decide her victory is due to our failures, then maybe it is best to end the experiment now.”
Manny raised a finger. “Also remember that each of us has a soul as well. All of us will move on to the next great adventure together. We love you, Carl. Thank you for coming.”
Carl smiled, wiped his eyes, and turned around. He walked over to the door, pushed it open, and found himself outside the classroom he had meant to enter. He hurried away to find his friends.
Chapter 7
Carl Prescott woke but could not recall going to sleep. Something was wrapped tightly around his neck.
He opened his eyes. His hands were tied behind his back. Sylvia and her courtesans were standing on a cobblestone-paved courtyard in the center of the castle. Suddenly, the floor beneath his feet fell away. He gasped and pushed outward with his mind. Everything froze, and he realized he had stopped time again. He twisted a finger upward, and a spark broke the rope binding his hands. He gingerly moved away from the open trap door and removed the noose from his neck. Carl noticed that Barbie Conway was just to his left in a similar predicament, except her trapdoor remained closed. He removed the noose from her neck and then pulled her into his arms.
“What happened? Where are we? What did you do?”
Carl untied her wrists and set her down on her own feet. “Look around. I can’t believe it myself.”
She looked around at their situation, screamed, and began to cry. “They were trying to kill us. Why?”
He shook his head. “First, I need to keep touching you, or you’ll freeze again. Did you notice that the trapdoor under your feet is still closed while mine is open?” She looked around and then nodded. “It seems obvious that she was going to use my murder to compel you to join with her.”
Barbie shuddered and shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that!”
Carl smiled. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t have to make the decision.”
A gate in the wall of the castle opened, and Death, in his skeletal form, walked in. He held his scythe in his right hand and waved with his free arm. “This is the most amazing thing yet, Carl.”
Barbie shuddered and pressed herself against Carl. “Is that who I think it is? Does this mean we’re dead?”
Carl put his arm around her shoulders. “No, that’s Mort. I’ve met him a few times and woke up in his home once.”
As Mort walked toward them, he looked at the courtesans. “You know, if I had a tongue, I’d be licking my lips right now. That is, if I had lips too.” He laughed. He climbed up the steps, past the hangman, and approached Carl and Barbie. He put a finger under Barbie’s chin and raised her face. “It’s amazing how much she and Sylvia look alike.”
“I don’t want to die, Mr. Death.”
Death patted her cheek. “Please don’t worry. That’s the last thing on my mind right now. If not for young Carl here, you would have been forced to choose death or submission to the demon, which would be a terrible shame. I sincerely hope not to join you on the bridge for a very long time.”
“What bridge?”
“It’s okay, Barbie. We’re both safe now. Why are you here, Mort? And why didn’t you freeze like the others?”
“Well, it’s a bit complicated, but my home, Heaven, and Hell are not connected to this reality. If Sylvia were still at home, she would be unfrozen as well.” He pointed at Sylvia and laughed again. “Stupid girl. Also, Manny, Luce, and I are somewhat exempt from the laws of nature.” He put his index finger against where his lips would have been. “Just between us, we made the laws of nature and physics.
“As for why I’m here, well, I had hoped to collect these past due souls, but Manny urged me not to yet. He said they must be killed before I can take them to the bridge and that you would probably not do me the favor since they are currently helpless.”
“Yeah, that would be wrong,” Carl replied.
Death chuckled. “Humans, what odd creatures? An instant ago, you were going to die.” He waved his arm toward the courtyard. “By these very people. Look at the glee on their faces, and somehow you take pity on them. Go figure. No, I am going to teach them a lesson. I want you two to go stand by the wall. Manny, Luce, and I absolve you of any guilt for what I am about to do. In fact, you both can face the wall so you cannot see.” He leaned in. “That might be wise. Go on now. It’ll take only a minute.”
Carl looked at the happy expression on Death’s face, and it horrified him all the more. He held Barbie’s hand and led her away. They stood and stared at the wall. “What do you think he’s doing, Carl?”
He squeezed Barbie’s hand and turned his head. Death pulled the hood off the hangman. It was the angel Gabriel. He turned back. “It isn’t going to be good, that’s for sure.”
Barbie leaned over and kissed Carl on the cheek. “Thank you for saving my life again.”
“We’re good friends, and that’s what friends do.”
A few tears leaked out of her eyes, and she wiped them away with her free hand. “I love you too.”
“Carl, don’t turn around,” Death called out.
“Okay,” he shouted back.
“Start time whenever you’re ready and then you two should go.”
“Okay, Mort,” Carl shouted. Time started. Carl could hear the ropes snap as they reached their full extent. He turned his head and saw Gabriel and Sylvia twitching with the nooses around their necks. The courtesans were screaming and rushing forward. Death stood on top of the gallows laughing and dancing as Carl and Barbie vanished.
They reappeared inside Carl’s room. Grace and Aida were sitting on the couch with Brian Conway, while Dean Whitehall was searching his bedroom. Burt was sitting at his desk. Brian stood and grabbed Carl by the collar. “Where the Hell have you been with my daughter?”
“Let him go, Daddy. He just saved my life!”
Brian released Carl and turned to Barbie. “Where were you? We’ve been going mad since you disappeared.”
Barbie broke down into tears and hugged her father. “It was so awful. I was sure we were both going to die.”
Whitehall rushed out of the bedroom. “Explain yourself, Prescott. Where d
id you take this girl?”
“I didn’t take anyone anywhere! We were both kidnapped.”
There was a knock on the door. Burt stood, walked over, and opened it. He gasped and stepped back. Death stepped into the room. “What fun that was, eh, Carl?”
“Fun? Mort, that was terrifying!” The others in the room had backed away from the robed skeleton. “But thanks for teaching them a lesson.”
Death set his scythe down near the door. “You are quite welcome, and I do apologize for my morbid sense of humor, but I am Death after all. When I saw Sylvia twitching at the end of the rope she’d meant for you, I thought I’d split a gut.” He pulled his robe open to reveal his skeletal form. “If I had any, that is.” He laughed and closed his robe. He looked at the others in the room. “Clarisse, Burt, and Aida, I’m glad to see you three again in better circumstances.”
“What do you mean by twitching at the end of a rope?” Brian Conway asked.
Death stepped over to the man and extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Brian. You have a lovely family.”
Brian moved his hands behind his back.
Death leaned toward him. “It doesn’t work that way, Brian. My touch and scythe are just props.” He turned around and walked back to the door. Then, he turned and faced the room. “Carl knows the whole story, so I’ll paraphrase. The demon and two angels wish to destroy this universe and create a new one where they can rule. In order to accomplish that, each must join with an Invisible Hand. It would appear the demon has given up on Carl, so she focused on Barbara Conway, who looks remarkably like her.”
“I’m not an Invisible Hand,” Barbie responded. “Carl was going to teach me, but that is just started.”
Without turning his head, Death stuck out his hand and said, “The demon and angels can’t be wrong. Carl, give me the book.”
“Manny said we didn’t need it anymore.”
Death turned his head and sneered. “Just give it to me, okay?”
Carl felt something against his back. He took the book and stared at the cover. “I haven’t seen this for a while.”
Death took the book from him and handed it to Barbie. “Open it and let us know what you see.”
Barbie opened the book. After a few moments, she replied, “What do these symbols mean?”
“She is the Invisible Hand!” Carl exclaimed.
Death snatched the book and handed it back to Carl. “Isn’t that what I’ve been saying? Now, maybe Sylvia is an idiot but the Archangel Gabriel is not. He knows, and Constance probably does too.”
“What does all this mumbo-jumbo mean?” Brian asked.
Death walked over and put his arm around Brian, who appeared about to faint. He pointed at Carl. “Both your daughter and Carl were on a gallows with ropes around their necks. The demon intended to murder Carl and then threaten to kill your daughter next if she did not join with her to destroy the universe.” He patted Brian on the head. “I hope that’s clear.”
Death walked over to the door and picked up his scythe. “I made a deal with Carl if he helps me with the stolen souls of the demon queen’s courtesans. I’m happy to say you are all covered by that guarantee.” He pointed at Brian. “For being a good sport, I’ll include all of your family. Now, this situation is only going to get worse. If not for a special talent that Carl possesses, the demon would have already won. Carl would be dead and this universe would be a good as dead as well.” He stuck out his scythe and touched the end to Carl’s chest. “Everything depends on this boy. The rest of you better do your damnedest to help him, or all is lost. Have a nice day.” He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Later that morning, Carl Prescott headed into the forest outside the school walls. Sylvia’s deception had been too much for him to accept. She had suggested he join with Gabriel and a day later, almost succeeded in his murder. That plot convinced him that Sylvia’s story about Manny, Luce, and Mort was a lie. He sat on the cold ground, pulled his knees up to his chest, and lay his head on his knees. Tears began to slip out of his eyes. “No, I’m not going to cry.” He heard a fluttering of wings and opened his eyes to see the owl Devin standing nearby.
“Please Carl, you cannot give in to your emotions,” the bird begged.
Carl wiped tears from his face. “What she did is so evil! If I hadn’t woken, I’d be dead, and she’d win. What happens the next time? Do I have to watch my back and fight for my life every single second forever?”
The bird hopped over and rested its head against Carl’s shoulder. “Let me remind you of something a mutual friend once told you. He said, ‘Fighting is only one option. Each living thing can help you, although sometimes in unexpected ways.’ Those words should be the only advice you will ever need.”
Carl smiled and patted the owl on its head. “I think I’d forgotten about that.”
“In that case, I’m glad I could refresh your memory. If I may take some poetic license with those words, I would change them to all of this universe will help you and often in the most amazing ways. You have to remember that your life is just that of one human being. If the threat was to you alone, perhaps that would warrant concern. The demon queen wants to erase this universe from existence for her personal gain. Once the universe understands the threat, I imagine you’ll have many allies.”
“But how do I tell the universe anything?”
“First, you have to relax. You won a great battle today. Thanks to the help of one of your benefactors, the lesson was intensified. You are safe for a while. Why don’t you come with me to the other island? I know the others would love to see you.” The bird turned around. “Get on my back and I’ll take you there.”
“I think I’m a bit big for you, Devin.”
“No kidding. Perhaps you can shrink down.” Moments later, Devin took to the air with Carl on his back. Fifty other owls flew alongside as they traveled toward the horizon.
Carl walked into the dining room at six o’clock in the evening. He went through the service line and then headed to the table where his friends sat. “Hi guys!”
Burt stood. “Let me get you another chair.” Besides his regular friends, Barbie Conway had joined them as well. The others moved to clear a space for him. After Burt returned with the chair, Carl sat between Grace and Aida. “Where were you, Carl? We were worried about you.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, Aida. That whole incident this morning really got to me. I went into the woods to think. That’s where Devin found me. He took me to the other island to spend some time with the animals.”
Aida put her hand on top of his. “Are you okay now?”
He smiled. “Yeah, Sylvester, Devin, and especially Bernie told me everything I needed to hear.”
Grace asked, “Who is Bernie?”
“He’s an albatross. He said he’d talk to Charlie, and they would get the word out.”
Barbie shook her head. “You talked to birds? And who is Charlie?”
“Oops, I forget to mention that Charlie is a porpoise.” Carl took a spoonful of soup and pushed it into his mouth.
Aida turned to Barbie. “Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of this thing. There’s a talent called the Natural Tongue. If you have it, you can speak with animals.” She put her hand on Carl’s shoulder. “What word are they going to get out?”
Carl laughed. “About the threat to the universe, of course. This morning, I felt lost and alone. Now, I know the universe has my back, our backs.” After another spoonful of soup, he added, “It might take a couple of days though.” He turned to Aida. “You remember Denise the sparrow, right?” She nodded. “It’s like she told me. One bird leads to another and soon everyone knows.”
“This is nuts!” Barbie exclaimed.
Carl sat back with his hands behind his head. “Get used to it. It’s only going to get crazier as time goes on.” He stood. “I’m going to get another bowl of soup. For some reason, I am starving tonight. Can I get anyone anything else?” The others stared back. “Ok
ay.” He smiled and walked away.
Carl went to bed early that night without a care in the world. He awoke sometime later to the sound of water dripping. He opened his eyes and sat up. He was still in his bed, but the bed seemed to be in a cavern. “This can’t be good.” He waved his arm and the chamber was filled with light. He could see thousands of bats hanging from the ceiling. All were looking at him. The floor of the cave was covered with snakes and venomous insects and spiders. “Yeah, definitely not good.” Several spiders began to climb up the legs of the bedframe, and a dozen or more bats took to the air, circled around, and then landed on the headboard and mattress. “Hi!”
The bats and spiders bowed as well as their bodies would allow. “You are Carl Sandberg Prescott?” a bat asked.
He smiled and said, “Yes. What’s your name?”
The bat covered its head with a wing. “I’m sorry, but we don’t really have names.”
“I didn’t mean to insult you. I didn’t know. You can pick a name if you want one.”
The bat removed the wing. “Pick a name? I never thought of that.”
Carl smiled. “You can all pick any names you want. That’s all a name is anyway, just a way to tell one from another.”
All the bats in the cave began to talk over one another as they tried out new names. “Quiet!” the bat that had been speaking shouted. “I choose Sandberg, after you, Hand of God. If that’s acceptable?”
“I’m honored. By the way, how did I get here?”
Sandberg shrugged his shoulders. “I assumed you came on your own. You know where this cave is, correct?”
Carl closed his eyes for a moment and then reopened them. “We’re deep under the castle.”
A long snake slithered up onto the bed and coiled itself in Carl’s lap. “I am known as Slim. We only wanted you to know that we received your call for assistance.”
“Already, that’s amazing!”