intriguing idea. But Nick had been pretty good to me.
"Miles, no matter what happens, you must destroy those bullets when this is over—no matter what. Promise me,” she demanded. “Promise."
"You don't want me to shoot Nick?"
"No, absolutely not. Hell is a terrible place, and Nick is an unbelievable jerk. But, can you imagine what it would be like if he wasn't there to keep order? Until God says to kill him, and only then, don't even think about it. Understand?"
"Okay,” I agreed. “It had never even occurred to me that I could shoot Nick until she'd brought it up.
She gave me another squeeze. “I sure hope we don't have to kill him. Nick must think we will."
"Where do we look?” I asked.
"The wharf area. I hope he's not upstairs with a saloon girl."
"Why's that?” I asked, without thinking.
"Angles, copulating with mortals, it makes me sick just thinking about it.” After a few seconds went by, she added, “Oh no, Miles. Well, I still feel that way. I guess Janus would've seduced you by now."
"She does that often?"
"No. Only when she gets out,” Buffy said.
"I did it with Mabel, too.” I wasn't bragging. I just figured she should know.
She squeezed me again. “It's pretty hard to resist something as pretty as Janus, I suppose.” That was an understatement.
I pulled back on Paul's reins. “He's here."
"What?” Buffy asked, seeming startled. “You're sure?” She looked around. “How do you know?"
"He's sitting on the porch reading the newspaper.” I pointed at the boarding house across the street. It was too expensive, or I'd be living there. Ralph was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch perusing a copy of the Sacramento Sun . Out of town papers often made their way up and down the river.
"Oh.” Buffy slid down.
I followed her.
"Ain't going back,” the angel Ralph declared. He looked at Buffy. “It's been a long time."
"I don't have much reason to go to hell, Ralph,” Buffy replied. She looked over at me. “This is Miles."
"I know who he is,” Ralph said. “Nick's little errand boy."
"Nick's little errand boy was sent here to kill you,” Buffy pointed out. “You can't just live here. It's not right."
"I work on a barge. Who am I hurting?” Ralph asked. “I keep a real plain and simple life."
"Mortals. This is their world, not yours,” Buffy said. “It's just not allowed. And you know it."
Ralph neatly folded up his newspaper and placed it on the spotless wooden floor. Then he stood up. “I ain't going back, Buffy. Hell, it didn't turn out like we'd hoped. Nick, he's just another egomaniac trying to outdo God."
"You can either go back to hell, or you can come up to heaven and plead your case with God. That's it. You have no other choices,” Buffy said.
"Odd, Nick and God being on the same side,” Ralph said.
"Odd or not, which is it going to be?” she asked.
"Neither.” And he was off. Boy could he run fast.
He was at least a hundred yards down the road before I could get back in the saddle. I was confident no matter how fast this renegade angel could trot along, Paul could go faster. We soon were bearing down on him.
Then, he jumped right into the Sacramento River and started swimming. In spite of my commands and pleas, Paul showed no willingness to go into the water to chase after him.
I ran along on foot for a ways, then jumped into a boat. I was able to row fast enough to keep him from gaining on me, yet I could not generate enough speed to overtake him. I did not really know how long this would go on, as I was not chasing any ordinary man. So, for the better part of an hour, I rowed and he swam. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a yelp out of him, and he disappeared below the waves in a flurry of bubbles. By the time I arrived upon the last location, all was quiet, and there was no sign of him anyplace. I sat there in the river for a few minutes, then I realized this point was quite familiar to me. It was where Ellul had camped out.
Sure enough, a
"Miles, no matter what happens, you must destroy those bullets when this is over—no matter what. Promise me,” she demanded. “Promise."
"You don't want me to shoot Nick?"
"No, absolutely not. Hell is a terrible place, and Nick is an unbelievable jerk. But, can you imagine what it would be like if he wasn't there to keep order? Until God says to kill him, and only then, don't even think about it. Understand?"
"Okay,” I agreed. “It had never even occurred to me that I could shoot Nick until she'd brought it up.
She gave me another squeeze. “I sure hope we don't have to kill him. Nick must think we will."
"Where do we look?” I asked.
"The wharf area. I hope he's not upstairs with a saloon girl."
"Why's that?” I asked, without thinking.
"Angles, copulating with mortals, it makes me sick just thinking about it.” After a few seconds went by, she added, “Oh no, Miles. Well, I still feel that way. I guess Janus would've seduced you by now."
"She does that often?"
"No. Only when she gets out,” Buffy said.
"I did it with Mabel, too.” I wasn't bragging. I just figured she should know.
She squeezed me again. “It's pretty hard to resist something as pretty as Janus, I suppose.” That was an understatement.
I pulled back on Paul's reins. “He's here."
"What?” Buffy asked, seeming startled. “You're sure?” She looked around. “How do you know?"
"He's sitting on the porch reading the newspaper.” I pointed at the boarding house across the street. It was too expensive, or I'd be living there. Ralph was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch perusing a copy of the Sacramento Sun . Out of town papers often made their way up and down the river.
"Oh.” Buffy slid down.
I followed her.
"Ain't going back,” the angel Ralph declared. He looked at Buffy. “It's been a long time."
"I don't have much reason to go to hell, Ralph,” Buffy replied. She looked over at me. “This is Miles."
"I know who he is,” Ralph said. “Nick's little errand boy."
"Nick's little errand boy was sent here to kill you,” Buffy pointed out. “You can't just live here. It's not right."
"I work on a barge. Who am I hurting?” Ralph asked. “I keep a real plain and simple life."
"Mortals. This is their world, not yours,” Buffy said. “It's just not allowed. And you know it."
Ralph neatly folded up his newspaper and placed it on the spotless wooden floor. Then he stood up. “I ain't going back, Buffy. Hell, it didn't turn out like we'd hoped. Nick, he's just another egomaniac trying to outdo God."
"You can either go back to hell, or you can come up to heaven and plead your case with God. That's it. You have no other choices,” Buffy said.
"Odd, Nick and God being on the same side,” Ralph said.
"Odd or not, which is it going to be?” she asked.
"Neither.” And he was off. Boy could he run fast.
He was at least a hundred yards down the road before I could get back in the saddle. I was confident no matter how fast this renegade angel could trot along, Paul could go faster. We soon were bearing down on him.
Then, he jumped right into the Sacramento River and started swimming. In spite of my commands and pleas, Paul showed no willingness to go into the water to chase after him.
I ran along on foot for a ways, then jumped into a boat. I was able to row fast enough to keep him from gaining on me, yet I could not generate enough speed to overtake him. I did not really know how long this would go on, as I was not chasing any ordinary man. So, for the better part of an hour, I rowed and he swam. Then, all of a sudden, I heard a yelp out of him, and he disappeared below the waves in a flurry of bubbles. By the time I arrived upon the last location, all was quiet, and there was no sign of him anyplace. I sat there in the river for a few minutes, then I realized this point was quite familiar to me. It was where Ellul had camped out.
Sure enough, a
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