The City and the World and Other Stories — John Shaqi
The City and the World and Other StoriesKelley, Francis Clement
Religion
The City and the World and Other Stories
Kelley, Francis Clement
Christian fiction; Short stories
When light and vision came back to Orville, he was standing up and
vaguely wondering why. Before him he saw Thornton and Marion, side by
side. Near them was Callovan with Michael. All were changed; but
Orville could not understand just in what the change consisted. In
Thornton and Marion the change was not good to look at, and Orville
somehow felt that it was becoming more marked as he gazed. Michael was
almost transformed, and was looking at Orville with a smile on his
face. Callovan was smiling also, so Orville naturally smiled back at
them. Thornton was frowning, and Marion looked horrible in her
terror. Orville could understand nothing of it. He glanced about him
and saw thousands of men and women, all smiling or frowning, like his
companions. Several seemed to be about to begin a journey and were
moving away from the groups, most of them alone. Some had burdens
strapped to their shoulders and bent under them as they walked. Those
who were not departing were preparing for departure; but Orville could
see no guides about. All the travelers appeared to understand where
they were to go.
Orville watched the groups divide again and again, wondering still,
not knowing the reason for the division. Some took a road that led
upward to a mountain. It was a rough, hard and tiresome road. Orville
could see men and women far above on that road, dragging themselves
along painfully. Another road led down into a valley; but Orville
could not see deep into that valley, because of a haze which hung over
it. He looked long at the road before he noticed letters on a rock
which rose up like a gateway to it, and he vaguely resolved that later
he would go over and read them. But first he wanted to ask questions.
"Michael, what does all this mean?" Orville said; all the time
marveling that it was to his servant he turned for information.
Michael still smiled, and answered: "It means, sir, that we are
dead."
Orville was astonished that he felt neither shocked nor startled.
"Dead? I do not quite understand, Michael. You are not joking?"
"No, sir. It happened quickly. We went over the bridge a minute ago.
Our bodies are in the river now, but we are here."
"Where?" asked Orville.
Michael answered, "That I do not know, sir, except that we are in The
Land of the Dead."
"But you seem to know a great deal, Michael," said Orville.
"Yes," answered Michael; "I died a minute before you, sir, so I came
earlier. I was dead on my seat when we struck the chain and broke it.
One learns much in a minute here. But tell me, sir, can you see
anything at the top of that mountain?"
Orville looked up and saw a bright light before him on the very summit
and seemingly at the end of the road. As he gazed it took the form of
a Flaming Cross.
"I see a Cross on fire, Michael," he said. Michael answered simply:
"Thank God."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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