spire in the distance, deep in the jungle.
And there was one more structure, though I didn't spot it just then.
"So where to now?" I asked.
"Takin' care of business." The masked man straightened Thundercloud's path. "Another rescue, man. Also another eye-opener for you in the bargain."
"I'll be honest with you, my ass is dragging," I told him. "I don't suppose you've got Starbucks in Heaven?"
The masked man chuckled. "You'll be perkin' up soon enough. Our next job'll get your blood pumpin'."
The wind ruffled my hair as we soared over the complex of domes and kept going. "So where exactly are we headed?" From what I could see, there was nothing but ocean, beach, and jungle along our flight path.
"Right there, man." He pointed dead ahead. "Something else that doesn't belong in Heaven."
I squinted over his shoulder, but I couldn't see what he was pointing at. Just more of the same ocean, beach, and jungle.
But as we followed the gradual curve of the shoreline, something came into view. Something massive.
Something dark .
As we got closer, and more of it became visible, the sight left me breathless and speechless. It was an enormous dome, bigger than all the others put together--and it was black. Solid black.
After a moment, my voice came back to me. "What is this place?" The dome's glossy surface gleamed like tar in the moonlight. From a distance, it looked perfectly smooth, without a single distinguishing feature. "What's it called?"
"Officially, it doesn't exist," said the masked man. "But I call it Heavenless." He looked back at me with ice in his blue eyes. "Because what's in there has nothing at all to do with Heaven, man."
Why did I feel like I was in a movie all of a sudden? A 3-D fantasy action picture with a summer release date? "So who are we rescuing?"
"You already know him," said the masked man. "He was the hostage taker at the fountain."
"M.J.?" I frowned. "But he got away, didn't he? You guys escaped on the sheepdog."
"We did, but he got caught in another operation." The masked man tugged on the fur in his grip, and Thundercloud swooped down toward the dome.
"What operation was that?" I asked.
"Breaking someone out of Heavenless," he told me as we swooped lower, ever lower. And the black dome loomed larger, ever larger before us.
*****
We landed at the base of the dome, on the side nearest the jungle. We dismounted Thundercloud, and the masked man led her to a hiding place in the dense foliage. "Stay right here, girl." He patted Thundercloud's head affectionately. "We'll be back in a little while."
Thundercloud bobbed her head and made a loud purring sound in her throat.
Then the masked man strode out of the jungle and marched straight for the dome.
I fell right in beside him. "No fences to keep people out, I see."
"Because no one wants to go inside, most of the time," said the masked man. "Not many people even know it's here."
The dome seemed even more vast from the ground, blotting out everything that lay beyond it. I felt strange as we approached it--shaky and queasy--though I wasn't sure if it was something the dome was doing or just my own fear at the ominous sight.
"So what exactly is this place?" I asked. "What happens here?"
"You'll find out." The masked man walked up to the dome and touched the glossy black surface. Leaning close, he seemed to listen for a moment, then moved along, skimming the wall with his fingertips.
Gazing up as I followed, I marveled at the immensity of the thing. It seemed too huge and perfect to be manmade--more like a natural landmark or something divinely created. "Awful big to be a freakin' metaphor, if you ask me," I said.
The masked man shushed me and kept skirting the base of the dome. He stopped again, continued onward--then did the same thing several more times.
Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for. At one stopping point, he placed both hands and his forehead against the dome. He stayed like that a long moment, then stepped
And there was one more structure, though I didn't spot it just then.
"So where to now?" I asked.
"Takin' care of business." The masked man straightened Thundercloud's path. "Another rescue, man. Also another eye-opener for you in the bargain."
"I'll be honest with you, my ass is dragging," I told him. "I don't suppose you've got Starbucks in Heaven?"
The masked man chuckled. "You'll be perkin' up soon enough. Our next job'll get your blood pumpin'."
The wind ruffled my hair as we soared over the complex of domes and kept going. "So where exactly are we headed?" From what I could see, there was nothing but ocean, beach, and jungle along our flight path.
"Right there, man." He pointed dead ahead. "Something else that doesn't belong in Heaven."
I squinted over his shoulder, but I couldn't see what he was pointing at. Just more of the same ocean, beach, and jungle.
But as we followed the gradual curve of the shoreline, something came into view. Something massive.
Something dark .
As we got closer, and more of it became visible, the sight left me breathless and speechless. It was an enormous dome, bigger than all the others put together--and it was black. Solid black.
After a moment, my voice came back to me. "What is this place?" The dome's glossy surface gleamed like tar in the moonlight. From a distance, it looked perfectly smooth, without a single distinguishing feature. "What's it called?"
"Officially, it doesn't exist," said the masked man. "But I call it Heavenless." He looked back at me with ice in his blue eyes. "Because what's in there has nothing at all to do with Heaven, man."
Why did I feel like I was in a movie all of a sudden? A 3-D fantasy action picture with a summer release date? "So who are we rescuing?"
"You already know him," said the masked man. "He was the hostage taker at the fountain."
"M.J.?" I frowned. "But he got away, didn't he? You guys escaped on the sheepdog."
"We did, but he got caught in another operation." The masked man tugged on the fur in his grip, and Thundercloud swooped down toward the dome.
"What operation was that?" I asked.
"Breaking someone out of Heavenless," he told me as we swooped lower, ever lower. And the black dome loomed larger, ever larger before us.
*****
We landed at the base of the dome, on the side nearest the jungle. We dismounted Thundercloud, and the masked man led her to a hiding place in the dense foliage. "Stay right here, girl." He patted Thundercloud's head affectionately. "We'll be back in a little while."
Thundercloud bobbed her head and made a loud purring sound in her throat.
Then the masked man strode out of the jungle and marched straight for the dome.
I fell right in beside him. "No fences to keep people out, I see."
"Because no one wants to go inside, most of the time," said the masked man. "Not many people even know it's here."
The dome seemed even more vast from the ground, blotting out everything that lay beyond it. I felt strange as we approached it--shaky and queasy--though I wasn't sure if it was something the dome was doing or just my own fear at the ominous sight.
"So what exactly is this place?" I asked. "What happens here?"
"You'll find out." The masked man walked up to the dome and touched the glossy black surface. Leaning close, he seemed to listen for a moment, then moved along, skimming the wall with his fingertips.
Gazing up as I followed, I marveled at the immensity of the thing. It seemed too huge and perfect to be manmade--more like a natural landmark or something divinely created. "Awful big to be a freakin' metaphor, if you ask me," I said.
The masked man shushed me and kept skirting the base of the dome. He stopped again, continued onward--then did the same thing several more times.
Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for. At one stopping point, he placed both hands and his forehead against the dome. He stayed like that a long moment, then stepped
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