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“You’re wrong. I’ll find a way.”
“If you need to believe that to carry on, then believe it.”
I’m getting woozy again and I don’t want to fall on my face in front of him.
“I should probably be getting back.”
“I’m sorry I can’t give you better news.”
I wave it off.
“Don’t sweat it. Oh yeah, in the future, don’t bother with the ‘I don’t take sides’ line. You knew the havoc would find me when you put me on that mountain. This whole thing was your idea.”
He puts a hand to his chest. “Me? Devious? I’m hurt by that.”
“I’ll get our angels to pray for you.”
“What a horrible idea.”
“I’ll see you later for that drink. In L.A.”
“Of course.” He wipes some dust off his slacks. “The next time you want to meet, try to find someplace less desolate. Maybe the surface of the sun.”
He walks away and I’m alone again.
I break the magic circle with the toe of my boot. Kick dirt over the rest and follow the big X back into the hole.
The tunnel is cool and wet. It eases my urge to throw up. Samael is wrong about me being stuck here. He has to be. It’s another of his tricks. He loves his games and jokes. That’s it. He’s playing another angle. He fucking well better be.
By the time I make it out of the tunnel, I’m calm again.
I wave to the ship. No one waves back. They all look at me like I have baked hams on my feet. Finally, Alice comes over and smiles. I walk up the gangplank and she hugs me.
“Why is everybody looking at me like that?”
“We thought you were dead. Some people thought you might have run off, but I knew that wasn’t true.”
I look over and see Doris and Gisco. Both wave. Okay. Someone else remembers me.
“How long was I gone?”
“Eight days.”
“Damn. That was a long nap.”
“You took a nap?”
“It was a long walk to the gas station.”
“I’m not even going to ask about that. Did you see Death?”
“Yeah.”
“And?”
“Everything is going to be all right.”
She grabs me and drags me to Vehuel, who seems a little put off by my current caked-in-filth look.
