Of Compromises in Heaven

Jurgen then to where the God of Jurgen's sat upon a throne, a sea of crystal. A rainbow, high and narrow like a window frame, so as to fit the throne, an arch-way in which He sat: at His seven lamps, and four sat there softly, "Glory and and thanks to Him Who forever!" In one hand of the God was a sceptre, and in the other a large book with seven red on it.

There were twelve smaller thrones, without rainbows, upon each of the God of Jurgen's grandmother, in two semi-circles: upon these sat benignant-looking angels, with long white hair, all crowned, and in white robes, and having a in one hand, and in the other a gold flask, about size. And and the of and cherubs, like paroquets, as they and about the that over Heaven, to a of organ music and a and singing.

Now the of this God met the of Jurgen: and Jurgen waited thus for a long while, and longer, indeed, than Jurgen suspected.

"I You," Jurgen said, at last: "and, yes, I love You: and yet I cannot believe. Why You not let me believe, where so many believed? Or else, why You not let me deride, as the so noisily? O God, why You not let me have faith? for You gave me no in anything, not in nothingness. It was not fair."

And in the of Heaven, and in plain view of all the angels, Jurgen to weep.

"I was not your God, Jurgen."

"Once very long ago," said Jurgen, "I had in You."

"No, for that boy is here with Me, as you have seen. And to-day there is nothing of him in the man that is Jurgen."

"God of my grandmother! God Whom I too loved in boyhood!" said Jurgen then: "why is it that I am a God? For I have searched: and can I justice, and can I anything to worship."

"What, Jurgen, and would you look for justice, of all places, in Heaven?"

"No," Jurgen said; "no, I it cannot be here. Else You would alone."

"And for the rest, you have looked to your God without, not looking to see that which is in the of Jurgen. Had you done so, you would have seen, as as I now see, that which alone you are able to worship. And your God is maimed: the of your is thick upon him; your is as a upon his eyes; and in his is neither love hate, not for his only worshipper."

"Do not him, You Who have so many worshippers! At least, he is a fellow," said Jurgen: and he said it, in the of Heaven, and the of the God of Jurgen's grandmother.

"Ah, very probably. I do not meet with many people. And as for My worshippers, you how often you have that I was the of an old woman."

"Well, and was there a in my logic?"

"I was not to you, Jurgen. You must know that logic not much us, as nothing is logical hereabouts."

And now the four their chaunting, and the organ music a far-off murmuring. And there was in Heaven. And the God of Jurgen's grandmother, too, was for a while, and the under which He sat put off its seven colors and with an white, bluishly, while the God things. Then in the this God to speak.

Some years ago (said the God of Jurgen's grandmother) it was reported to Koshchei that was in his universe, and that one walked who would be with no explanation. "Bring me this infidel," says Koshchei: so they to him in the a little woman in an old shawl. "Now, tell me why you will not believe," says Koshchei, "in as they are."

Then the little woman answered civilly; "I do not know, sir, who you may to be. But, since you ask me, that as they are must be as temporary afflictions, and as through which we are to pass, in order to to life with our loved ones in Heaven."

"Ah, yes," said Koshchei, who as they are; "ah, yes, to be sure! and how did you learn of this?"

"Why, every Sunday the to us about Heaven, and of how happy we would be there after death."

"Has this woman died, then?" asked Koshchei.

"Yes, sir," they told him,--"recently. And she will nothing we to her, but to be taken to Heaven."

"Now, this is very vexing," Koshchei said, "and I cannot, of course, put up with such scepticism. That would do. So why do you not her to this Heaven which she in, and thus put an end to the matter?"

"But, sir," they told him, "there is no such place."

Then Koshchei reflected. "It is that a place which not should be a of public knowledge in another place. Where this woman come from?"

"From Earth," they told him.

"Where is that?" he asked: and they to him as well as they could.

"Oh, yes, over that way," Koshchei interrupted. "I remember. Now--but what is your name, woman who wish to go to Heaven?"

"Steinvor, sir: and if you I am in a to be with my children again. You see, I have not any of them for a long while."

"But stay," said Koshchei: "what is that which comes into this woman's as she speaks of her children?" They told him it was love.

"Did I create this love?" says Koshchei, who as they are. And they told him, no: and that there were many of love, but that this was an which had for themselves, and which they in all with their children. And Koshchei sighed.

"Tell me about your children," Koshchei then said to Steinvor: "and look at me as you talk, so that I may see your eyes."

So Steinvor talked of her children: and Koshchei, who all things, very attentively. Of Coth she told him, of her only son, Coth was the boy that lived,--"a little wild, sir, at first, but then you know what boys are,"--and telling of how well Coth had done in and of how he had to be an alderman. Koshchei, who all things, properly impressed. Then Steinvor talked of her daughters, of Imperia and Lindamira and Christine: of Imperia's beauty, and of Lindamira's under the of an unlucky marriage, and of Christine's housekeeping. "Fine women, sir, every one of them, with children of their own! and to me they still such babies, them!" And the little woman laughed. "I have been very lucky in my children, sir, and in my grandchildren, too," she told Koshchei. "There is Jurgen, now, my Coth's boy! You may not it, sir, but there is a I must tell you about Jurgen--" So she ran on very and proudly, while Koshchei, who all things, listened, and the of Steinvor.

Then privately Koshchei asked, "Are these children and of Steinvor such as she reports?"

"No, sir," they told him privately.

So as Steinvor talked Koshchei in with that which Steinvor said, and such children and as she described. Male and female he them Steinvor, and all were and stainless: and Koshchei gave life to these illusions.

Then Koshchei her turn about. She obeyed: and Koshchei was forgotten.

Well, Koshchei sat there alone in the void, looking not very happy, and looking puzzled, and upon his knee, and at the little woman, who was with her children and grandchildren, and had all about him. "But surely, Lindamira," he Steinvor say, "we are not yet in Heaven."--"Ah, my dear mother," her of Lindamira, "to be with you again is Heaven: and besides, it may be that Heaven is like this, after all."--"My child, it is sweet of you to say that, and like you to say that. But you know very well that Heaven is in the Book of Revelations, in the Bible, as the place that Heaven is. Whereas, as you can see for yourself, around us is nothing at all, and no person at all that very to I was just talking; and who, ourselves, about the most ordinary matters."

"Bring Earth to me," says Koshchei. This was done, and Koshchei looked over the planet, and a Bible. Koshchei opened the Bible, and read the Revelation of St. John the Divine, while Steinvor talked with her illusions. "I see," said Koshchei. "The idea is a little garish. Still--!" So he replaced the Bible, and them put Earth, too, in its proper place, for Koshchei anything. Then Koshchei and Heaven about Steinvor and her illusions, and he Heaven just such a place as was in the book.

"And so, Jurgen, that was how it came about," ended the God of Jurgen's grandmother. "And Me also Koshchei at that time, with the and the and all the blessed, very much as you see us: and, of course, he us to have been here always, since the of time, that, too, was in the book."

"But how that be done?" says Jurgen, with puckering. "And in what way Koshchei so with time?"

"How should I know, since I am but the of an old woman, as you have so proved by logic? Let it that Koshchei wills, not only happens, but has already the memory of man and his mother. How otherwise he be Koshchei?"

"And all this," said Jurgen, virtuously, "for a woman who was not to her husband!"

"Oh, very probably!" said the God: "at all events, it was done for a woman who loved. Koshchei will do almost anything to love, since love is one of the two which are to Koshchei."

"I have that is to Koshchei--"

The God of Jurgen's His white eyebrows. "What is pride? I do not think I of it before. Assuredly it is something that not enter here."

"But why is love to Koshchei?"

"Because Koshchei as they are, and day and night he as they are. How, then, can Koshchei love anything?"

But Jurgen his black head. "That I cannot at all. If I were in a was nothing my I would not be happy, and I would not be proud: but so, I would love my verses. I am that I in more with the ideas of Grandfather Satan than with Yours; and without You, I cannot but wonder if what You is true."

"And how should I know or not I speak the truth?" the God asked of him, "since I am but the of an old woman, as you have so proved by logic."

"Well, well!" said Jurgen, "You may be right in all matters, and I cannot to say You are wrong: but still, at the same time--! No, now I do not in You."

"Who it of a fellow, who sees so through the of old women?" the God asked, a little wearily.

And Jurgen answered:

"God of my grandmother, I cannot in You, and Your doings as they are recorded I and a little droll. But I am the has been so that You may always now be to and who have in and have and have loved You. To have them would have been unfair: and it is right that the they had in You not Koshchei who as they are was able to be reasonable.

"God of my grandmother, I cannot in You; but the of love and that has been You, I tremble. I think of the dear people was and of their in You: I think of them, and in my a contrition, and a yearning, and an enviousness, and yet a of colors all. Oh, God, there was any other who had such dear as You have had, and You should be very proud of them.

"God of my grandmother, I cannot in You, yet I am not as those who would come at You reasonably. I, Jurgen, see You only through a of tears. For You were loved by those I loved very long ago: and when I look at You it is Your and the dear of old that I remember. And it to me that and and the opinions of learned are very what I remember, and what I envy!"

"Who have such a to the of old women?" the God of Jurgen's asked again: and yet His was not unfriendly.

"Why, but," said Jurgen, on a sudden, "why, but my grandmother--in a way--was right about Heaven and about You also. For You to exist, and to in just such as she described. And yet, according to Your latest revelation, I too was right--in a way--about these being an old woman's delusions. I wonder now--?"

"Yes, Jurgen?"

"Why, I wonder if is right, in a way? I wonder if that is the large of everything? It would not be a solution, sir," said Jurgen, meditatively.

The God smiled. Then that part of Heaven was vacant, for Jurgen, who there alone. And him was the of the God and the of the God, and Jurgen saw that the seven upon the great book were of red sealing-wax.

Jurgen was afraid: but he was particularly by his that he was not going to falter. "What, you who have been and and king and and pope! and do such a Jurgen? Why, not at all," says Jurgen.

So Jurgen the of Heaven, and sat that rainbow: and in his now was the book, and in his hand was the sceptre, of the God of Jurgen's grandmother.

Jurgen sat thus, for a long while the of Heaven. "And what will you do now?" says Jurgen, aloud. "Oh, little Jurgen, you that have you had not your desire, you are over Earth and all the of men. What now is your desire?" And thus enthroned, the of Jurgen was as lead him, and he old and very tired. "For I do not know. Oh, nothing can help me, for I do not know what thing it is that I desire! And this book and this and this me nothing at all, and nothing can me: for I am Jurgen who he not what."

So Jurgen shrugged, and from the of the God, and at adventure, came presently to four archangels. They were seated upon a cloud, and they were milk and from gold porringers: and of these beings Jurgen the way out of Heaven.

"For are none of my illusions," said Jurgen, "and I must now return to such as are congenial. One must in something. And all that I have in Heaven I have and envied, but in none of these I believe, and with none of these I be satisfied. And while I think of it, I wonder now if any of you can give me news of that Lisa who used to be my wife?"

He her; and they him with compassion.

But these archangels, he found, had of Lisa, and they him there was no such person in Heaven. For Steinvor had died when Jurgen was a boy, and so she had Lisa; and in consequence, had not about Lisa one way or the other, when Steinvor her to Koshchei who as they are.

Now Jurgen discovered, too, that, when his met the of the God of Jurgen's grandmother, Jurgen had for thirty-seven days, of save that the God of his was love.

"Nobody else has away so soon," Zachariel told him: "and we think that your is to some in the which you are wearing, and of which the like was in Heaven."

"I did but search for justice," Jurgen said: "and I not it in the of your God, but only love and such as me."

"Because of that should you rejoice," the four said; "and so should all that rejoice: and more particularly should we that in Heaven, and hourly our Lord God's of justice, we are permitted to enter into this place."