Chapter 17

Above the face of the fountain.

“I froze ’em all.”

“Good. Giving time where there is not. In addition to Saturn and his little sister, to Rivkah and her little nothing, you and me will make a good use of this respite. Now tell the driver to dive us in, down throughout this fountain. To the anode!”

“To the anode, Elijah. We’re hearing you loud and clear.”

“Thought you were too immersed between Doris’ cheeks to pay attention.”

“No matter where I dip my tongue, I keep my ears up and above, Enoch.”

“Dive us straight down to the North Pole for a bounce. Before allowing an entry, force stop the pyramid at one meter above the vent in Antarctica.”

“The gate to Styx, the house of the dead. I don’t wish we go there.”

“Me neither, Doris. We’ll park the pyramid one meter above the gate where Enoch and Eli will disembark.”

“And then?,” asks Doris, a bit anxious.

“Then we wait. Patiently.”

“Above the gates of hell?”

“There’s no hell, Doris. Just a dielectric which we have no intention to cross. Worry not.”

“Blah, blah, blah. Emotional blah.”

“Why are you so rude, Eli?”

“Why are you so scared, Doris?”

“Because, as we speak, Don lands us upon the gates of hell. Ain’t that scary?”

“No hell, dear. Ain’t you heard him talking about a dielectric or something, some slang from your neck of the woods.”

“How do you call it then?”

“I call it Sheol.”

“See? Hell, Hades, the underworld.”

“Ah, you lovely little thing. Overreacting you did well, touching the truth. Because underworld it is. Also a grave or place of no return, or pit.”

“There you go,” rambles Don still with his hands stretched to sides (because the pyramid hasn’t been locked yet), “see for yourself. A pit it is.”

“Oh, Lord, Yasu Khrist, Son of God, have mercy on us. Oh, Lord, Yasu Khrist, Son of God, have mercy on us. Oh, Lord, Yasu Khrist, Son of God, have mercy on us.” Doris continues her mantra over and over. The three men around her get busy, in preparation for exiting the pyramid. “You, Don, you stay here with me!”

“Why don’t you wish to step on the ice, with us?” Replies Don, part joking, part concerned.

“Because He is waiting for us. For me and you. Now. I’ll give you the destination when I’ll have it.”

Puzzled, Don looks around, searching for an answer. To this, Enoch clarifies the new situation, brought in place by Doris and her new panic attack. “Take good care of your woman, Don. Take her where she wishes to go. Because she just got a voucher. Take advantage of this opportunity.”

“But our mission is to provide concealed support for you and Eli, during your most important battle on the ground. How comes...”

“Look, Don, we can take care of ourselves,” utters Eli. “You just get back to us at this time and these coordinates. Until then, dismissed.”

Enoch and Eli mimic some sort of two-finger salute before they jump out of the pyramid. More like beaming down onto the ice plateau of the South Pole.