The Wreck of Heaven by Holly Lisle

Author:Holly Lisle [Lisle, Holly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Magic, Fantasy fiction, Dragons, Contemporary, General, Fantasy, Fiction
ISBN: 9780380818389
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2003-03-25T00:00:00+00:00

The Gray Plains, and the Afterlife

Lauren faced the Administrator with her heart pounding in her throat. “Let me talk with them.”

“You will regret it if I do.”

“Regret how?” Lauren asked, because the Administrator’s voice took on a low, hollow note as he voiced his warning.

“There is no knowing. But when lost loved ones see each other here, there are no happy endings.”

“My son is not lost, is not dead. I want him back. And I’ll take my chances with Molly and Brian.”

“Molly first, then—she means less to you and may therefore do you a lesser hurt, and you may yet leave intact.”

“You really have no clue, do you? Jake first.”

“Molly first, or no one at all.”

“Fine, then. Bring her on.”

The Administrator said, “When you need me, call. Until then, I have no wish to be present for what is to pass.” He vanished in a pale flicker of light.

Lauren stood alone on the plain again. She turned in circles, expecting Molly to appear out of the air as the Administrator had. Instead, however, nothing happened. She waited, watching the road in both directions, afraid to walk or move, afraid that Molly would not be able to find her if she did.

Time passed, and nothing happened. The featureless gray plain remained unmarked except for the road, and on the road nothing moved.

“Hey!” Lauren yelled. “Where is she?”

“You expect her to drop everything and come to you? She will reach you when she reaches you.”

Son of a bitch, Lauren thought. “Why don’t you let me go to her?”

“You cannot pass through the gates to that which lies beyond. You are alive—there is no place for you among the dead.”

“I have a kid waiting for me. My place is with him, no matter where that is.”

She waited for the Administrator’s voice to remind her that she could leave immediately and save everyone a lot of inconvenience, but he didn’t say anything.

“Look,” she said, “Orpheus got to go in. According to the myth, he stood in there surrounded by the dead, and in front of Pluto and Proserpine sang about his grief until they let him take Eurydice home.”

“And you know how badly that ended.”

“He got to go in.”

“He charmed the heavens with his singing. Do you sing?”

“Everyone sings,” Lauren said darkly. “I can’t charm the heavens with mine, but I can sure as hell kill crows. Tell you what. If you let me in, I won’t sing. You’ll be happy, I’ll be happy…”

Lauren heard the deep, exasperated sigh. “Saying that you have been warned repeatedly, and that I wash my hands of all that befalls you from this point forward, I hereby summon the gate that will take you to your sister Molly, and that will, when you have spoken to her, take you either to Brian and your son, or transport you home. It will also transport you home now should you tell it to.” A pause, and then a muttered, “Not that you will.”

An arch clicked into existence in front of her.

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