by a single window.
I was over the main hall and could hear the rumble of the sermon dimly through the floor. I walked silently between the boxes and stacked chairs to a door on the far wall. This was to the rear of the building and should be over the mysterious antechamber that might very well be the entrance to Heaven. This was also roughly the same location as that of the electronic equipment that had been destroyed in the Temple of Eternal Truth. As I opened the door the rumble of the voice on the floor below stopped.
So did I. One foot still raised. Then I relaxed and stepped forward when the organ music began and the women began to sing. A spiral stairway led down. I took it, slowly and silently. Stopped before what I hoped was the last door.
It was stuffy and warm and I was beginning to sweat. From the temperature alone. My pulse rate was normal and my morale high. No more waitingâa time for doing. I turned the light off and pocketed it, then opened the door into darkness and stepped through.
Bright lights came oh. Slakey was standing just before me. Smiling.
I had only the briefest of glimpses because at the instant that
the lights flared I had dived to one side. Biting down hard with my back teeth.
At least I tried to bite. But as fast as I had been, something else was much faster. I could see and hearâbut that was all. My body was flaccid, my eyes open and staring. At the greasy floor because I had landed heavily facedown. My jaw dropped open; I drooled. I felt the panic rising as I realized I could do nothing, could not control a single muscle. But at least I was breathing and my heart was still beating, pounding loud and strong in my ears. A shoe tip appeared in front of my eyes and my vision swirled, settled, staring up at the bright light. Slakey must have rolled me over; I could not feel a thing. His face blotted out the light.
âYou can see me, canât you? And hear me as well? My neural neutralizer allows that. I know all about you Jim diGriz. I know everything for I am all-powerful. I know how you invaded this holy place of worship. I know who you came with.â
His hands reached down, my head turned. Sybil was lying next to me, sprawled and unmoving. My vision swirled again and Slakey was straightening up. Dressed in full regalia, I saw now. Bright robes with strange symbols covering them, with a high collar, a crown of some kind on his head. He raised his arms and shook his fists on high in a triumphant gesture. Both fists. The right one worked very well indeed and there was no sign of any scar on either wrist when his loose sleeves fell back.
âYou are a pitiful mortal and shall be destroyed. You seek enlightenment but you shall not have it. You and this female creature you sent to spy. You wish to see Heavenâthen you will go to Heaven. You shall, you shall!â
There was motion, my vision rocked. Stopped. My head was raised and I realized that he had dumped me across Sybilâs unresistant body.
âGo, both of you, go. Go to Heaven.â
He laughed, choked, laughed even louder.
âWellânot quite Heaven as you shall discover.â
Â
Blackouts
CHAPTER 5
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I couldnât remember it, could not begin to describe it. I did not want to think about it. I had far more important things on my mind. Like the fact that I was still paralyzed and lying facedown in red grit of some kind. I couldnât feel it but I could smell it. A rotten, sulfury smell.
Smell! Yes, it certainly was there, and growing stronger and stronger. Which meant something important. After I had been zapped I couldnât smeH or feel anything: I could now. Which must mean that the paralysis must be wearing off, because I was vaguely aware of a scratchy pressure on my cheek. I concentrated, struggled hard, harderâthen felt my fingertips move ever so slightly.
Recovery did not end quickly, not the way the onset of the paralysis had, but slowly and soon
I was over the main hall and could hear the rumble of the sermon dimly through the floor. I walked silently between the boxes and stacked chairs to a door on the far wall. This was to the rear of the building and should be over the mysterious antechamber that might very well be the entrance to Heaven. This was also roughly the same location as that of the electronic equipment that had been destroyed in the Temple of Eternal Truth. As I opened the door the rumble of the voice on the floor below stopped.
So did I. One foot still raised. Then I relaxed and stepped forward when the organ music began and the women began to sing. A spiral stairway led down. I took it, slowly and silently. Stopped before what I hoped was the last door.
It was stuffy and warm and I was beginning to sweat. From the temperature alone. My pulse rate was normal and my morale high. No more waitingâa time for doing. I turned the light off and pocketed it, then opened the door into darkness and stepped through.
Bright lights came oh. Slakey was standing just before me. Smiling.
I had only the briefest of glimpses because at the instant that
the lights flared I had dived to one side. Biting down hard with my back teeth.
At least I tried to bite. But as fast as I had been, something else was much faster. I could see and hearâbut that was all. My body was flaccid, my eyes open and staring. At the greasy floor because I had landed heavily facedown. My jaw dropped open; I drooled. I felt the panic rising as I realized I could do nothing, could not control a single muscle. But at least I was breathing and my heart was still beating, pounding loud and strong in my ears. A shoe tip appeared in front of my eyes and my vision swirled, settled, staring up at the bright light. Slakey must have rolled me over; I could not feel a thing. His face blotted out the light.
âYou can see me, canât you? And hear me as well? My neural neutralizer allows that. I know all about you Jim diGriz. I know everything for I am all-powerful. I know how you invaded this holy place of worship. I know who you came with.â
His hands reached down, my head turned. Sybil was lying next to me, sprawled and unmoving. My vision swirled again and Slakey was straightening up. Dressed in full regalia, I saw now. Bright robes with strange symbols covering them, with a high collar, a crown of some kind on his head. He raised his arms and shook his fists on high in a triumphant gesture. Both fists. The right one worked very well indeed and there was no sign of any scar on either wrist when his loose sleeves fell back.
âYou are a pitiful mortal and shall be destroyed. You seek enlightenment but you shall not have it. You and this female creature you sent to spy. You wish to see Heavenâthen you will go to Heaven. You shall, you shall!â
There was motion, my vision rocked. Stopped. My head was raised and I realized that he had dumped me across Sybilâs unresistant body.
âGo, both of you, go. Go to Heaven.â
He laughed, choked, laughed even louder.
âWellânot quite Heaven as you shall discover.â
Â
Blackouts
CHAPTER 5
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
I couldnât remember it, could not begin to describe it. I did not want to think about it. I had far more important things on my mind. Like the fact that I was still paralyzed and lying facedown in red grit of some kind. I couldnât feel it but I could smell it. A rotten, sulfury smell.
Smell! Yes, it certainly was there, and growing stronger and stronger. Which meant something important. After I had been zapped I couldnât smeH or feel anything: I could now. Which must mean that the paralysis must be wearing off, because I was vaguely aware of a scratchy pressure on my cheek. I concentrated, struggled hard, harderâthen felt my fingertips move ever so slightly.
Recovery did not end quickly, not the way the onset of the paralysis had, but slowly and soon
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