Тёмная Башня. Dark Tower. Премия им. Э. Т. А. Гофмана / E.T.A. Hoffmann award (Билингва: Rus / Eng)

«No, it’s still too early for that,» he smiled. «Everything has its Time.»

«Is there any Time here?» I wondered.

«Yes and no. Everything has its Time. Besides, we’re in the Border Zone.»

The Angel took me by the hand, and we instantly moved back, into the fog, and I could hardly see in it… another queue!

The Angel read my mind.

«No, this is another one,» he replied, «for those descending to Earth.»

«But I’ve just come from there, haven’t I?»

«Yes and no. It’s been decided Upstairs that you should urgently return to your body. As an exception to the rule.»

«Is that why you took me out of the queue to the Chancellery?»

«Right!»

«And that Boy who wants to become… an angel, is he also an exception?»

«Yes, he is, as well.»

«So he won’t become an angel. It’s a pity.»

«Everything has its Time,» repeated the Angel.

We approached the house with the inscription «Customs». At the «Passport control» window, I noticed a Black Raven, stamping the passports of those descending. It was interesting that those standing in the queue to Earth differed in their density and… age, and one could guess the profession from the attire of the soul. All types and kinds were there, in that queue!

«So is everything predetermined?» I asked my Angel.

«Not everything, otherwise what’s the point of descending?» he sighed and added, «Wait for me here! I need to arrange something with the Border Guardian.»

I sat down on one of the benches nearby, almost entirely filled with various souls.

«Excuse me,» I turned to my neighbor, «why are you almost transparent while most of those in the queue are dense enough?»

«You seem to be here for the first time,» the neighbor sighed. «I am a restless soul, and they go to incarnate! Being drawn to Earth, we go back.»

«Do you have a passport too?»

«Certainly.»

«Do you need a visa to Earth?»

«Of course.»

«But why?» I was surprised. «Why do you come back?»

«Me personally? I’m coming back to help. And in general, everyone has their own.»

Hearing our conversation, a few restless souls silently flew up to me.

«You seem to be an exception to the rule!» one of them exclaimed joyfully. «Do you want us to tell you our stories? You’ll share them on Earth when you are back!»

«Yes, I do!» I nodded.

I noticed my Angel leaving the Customs. I stepped towards him, but stumbled and… no, I didn’t fall, I flew somewhere down, through a wall of fog, until I collapsed to the ground in the forest.

I got up and looked around. The gloomy forest, shrouded in a thick gray-blue haze, looked frightening. Tall trees stood like idols, absolutely leafless, and there was no grass on the ground, and no one to be seen at all. And yet, I heard owls hooting, snakes hissing, strange voices and even steps somewhere nearby!

I walked wherever I could, understanding neither where I was nor how to return to my Angel, as suddenly I ran into a red-haired girl in a black cloak with a long hooded cap that appeared out of nowhere. She looked like a pretty witch, just the broom was missing.

«Wow!» the girl exclaimed, looking me over from head to toe. «Sorry! I scanned the space, and no one was here!»

«I got lost. Or rather, I fell out of there!» I pointed my finger at the sky. «Sorry!»

«Well, „there“ is an elusive term. Better tell me who are you? And where do you live?»

«I lived on Earth, but suddenly I got here. My Angel says I have to go back. That’s what decided Upstairs. And at Customs, I accidentally stumbled.»

«Ah, you are an exception! I get it! Remember, there are no coincidences! Let’s go, I’ll take you to Customs. If you were an ordinary ghost, we would use the Portal.»

We went into the distance.

«And you… who are you?» I decided to break the silence. «Tell me about your World! I’m interested, really!»

«You know, everyone has their own little world here. In terms you can understand, similarly to the World of Illusions, where souls incarnate and live, we have many countries, for example, the Land of Mists. It borders on the World of Illusions. Any soul passes through it, going down or up. Many souls get stuck there until they solve their issues on Earth. There is the Land of Dreams, a neutral visa-free territory, where all souls can meet without exception. Those who are close to the Creator live in the Land of True Light. Some say that only spirits dwell there, not souls. Spirits, freed from attraction to the Wheel of Time. However, this is just partly true, because in each Land there are several Spheres, or Levels.»

«Is the City of the Sun located in the Land of True Light?» I wondered.

«Yes, it is.»

«And where do you live?»

«Not far from the City of the Sun.»

«So you’re not a witch, are you?»

«Of course, I am not,» the girl laughed. «I’m just used to. In one of my incarnations, I was burned by the inquisition, although I didn’t practice witchcraft.»

«Excuse me… And where do witches and sorcerers live?»

«Down there.»

«On Earth?»

«And there as well. By the way, they can also be found in the Land of Mists, although less often than in the Land of Dreams, but they can’t get into the Land of Light. They shouldn’t, at least.»