8
Time
New arrivals to my realm often display symptoms of panic, unease, fear, distress, or dismay. Sometimes all those and more. I usually have to spend a lot of time consoling their sensibilities before I get around to explaining their situation. That didn’t happen with Rex. I don’t know if it’s because he was used to life out of the mainstream, or if he had some intuition I was not aware of. In any case, he came out of the mist with a decidedly self-assured stride. I stood in his path.
“I didn’t think heaven was going to be like this,” he said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said. “This isn’t heaven. It’s just a way station.”
“Ah,” he said, and smiled at me crookedly, like he thought the whole thing was a big joke. Which, in a way, I suppose it was. “So you’re my guardian angel or someth
