Zed - Shadow Warrior

A Story by The Grappler

One day I was out on patrol with my team, and somehow became lost.... so I circled around , checking, until I could find my way back home or something..... oddly, as I walked everything around me turned from full colour, as natural, to shades of grey....was my eyesight going?

Gradually I found myself walking through groups of people. Equally all grey shaded, and from their body language they could see clearly, in the way I hefted it and adopted relaxed positions with it, that I was more than familiar with my rifle.... so they seemed content to let me go by in peace... all good so far... none seemed interested in interfering with my passing through their midst....

At least until one stood in front of me �" an older man with a beard �" and held up his hand, indicating that I should stop.... cautiously, and checking around very carefully �" I did … and waited to see what he wanted... I seemed to be getting nowhere anyway, so maybe... just maybe … something good could come out of this, maybe directions back 'home' to my base or something... this place was weird...

“My son”, he said, holding out both hands in a gesture of peace... “do you not yet realise that you are dead?”, he asked...

I took a moment over that... and shrugged a reply - “No. That can't be �" I've never stopped walking and seeing and things... I just need some direction, some idea where I am, so I can get back to my base... preferably in one piece.”

“My son”, he said with a mournful look,, “there is no way back... you have passed over the greatest divide and are now with us!”

“But nothing happened to me! One moment all life was colour the next all shades of grey �" I thought it was my eyesight playing up!”

“What happened to you was so fast you did not see or hear it �" that is the best way to pass over, son.”

“But I have a job to do!”, I responded, “I have to get back �" my people are relying on me.”

The old man thought for a moment �" then said:-

“It's not a thing that is up to me �" or you for that matter �" you must go towards that glow you see there �" where you will find a man in robes sitting at a gate. He may be able to help you.”

I thanked the old man and set off at my best pace towards that heavenly light...

Didn't take me long �" I was used to that kind of thing �" had spent years training at it.... and sure enough, there was an older fellow with a white beard sitting at a desk … just outside a very ornate set of golden gates... very fancy … if you go for that kind of thing, of course...

He looked up as I arrived, hardly out of breath �" and raised a quizzical eyebrow...

“Sir”, I began... “I seem to be in the wrong place and time �" I have a job to do and big business tomorrow.”

He looked at me kindly, before saying, “Son �" nobody is here at the wrong place and time �" not in this place.... now I know you came from a place of colours and found yourself in the grey zone here outside the gates �" but let me assure you the colours all come back once you are inside the gates. That's the way it works here.”

“But, sir”, I said ..”It is most important that I be back tomorrow �" the President is visiting and we need to provide security for him... could you please just give me directions on how to get back?”

What's your name, son?”, he asked...

“Zedulon, sir! I know �" my mother thought of it �" don't ask me why.”

He chuckled, “It's a good name �" fits right in with some here, let me tell you.”

He stood up and extended his hand ..

“I'm Peter �" just the kind of clerk at the gate �" the barbarians who'd love to get at the gates are downstairs.” He chuckled at his little joke... and I smiled.. I think I was beginning to get the idea...

“Pull up a chair, right there.” he said indicating a soft seat across the desk from his own chair … “we're all equals here, so we do our talking on the same level, you understand. Well �" maybe One is not Equal with the rest of us, but she's mostly fairly reasonable, too. Now let me see …...“

He took a book out of one of his drawers �" a book maybe five inches thick, and laid it on the table....

“Somewhere in here...... I think it is somewhere around........ let me see now ... ah �" here it is! Commandment #MCCXVII (b) and (c) …...”

He read slowly, then re-read... I waited �" no point in disturbing him...

“Now let me read it out to you”, he said … “ready?”

I nodded...

“Now MCCXVII (b) - “Whomsoever shall arrive at Ye Gates Of Pearl with a clear and present mission requirement that prevents instant entry, and behoves the applicant to revert to Earthly mode for a specified time for a good purpose �" shall forthwith make application to the throne of The Highest in person, after entering Ye Pearly Gates.” … he read .. “Well �" there you are! You can apply direct to the Boss Herself!”

“Great!”, I enthused .. “when can I get there?”

“Hold your horses, young blade”, said Peter... “it's not that easy �" there's a very long waiting list, as you can imagine �" and despite what you hear, She does not have all the time in the world.. outside the world, perhaps, but still … you get the idea...”

“So how long?”

“Oh... give or take a few millennia... maybe a quantum or so? It's hard to say....”

“So there's no real hope then.” I was feeling very negative about my job back on Earth....

“I didn't say that..... let me just go on.... Commandment MCCXVII (c) …. “Any who cometh to The Gates with urgent need in a good cause, and who cannot gain instant access to The Highest, may be provided in accordance with the Over-Biding Rules and Regulations, Part IV.”

He shuffled through his book again and arrived at yet another page deep within its confines.... read for half a minute or so, and burst out...

“Aha! I KNEW it! Where there's a will there's a way and the Will of the Most High is wilful indeed!”, he chortled, “truly the ways of the Almighty are mysterious, even to me!”

I waited...... don't keep me waiting, Pete......

“Well �" let's not keep you waiting...”, he said between chortles.....

I gave a kind of wan laugh, 'Yes... of course.... hah. Hah...”

“Now then �" it seems that in 'exigent circumstances' I am entitled by She Who IS Obeyed ….... (he strung it out a little) …..... I am entitled to give a TEMPORARY visa for someone intent on a good deed, to return to Earth for the duration of said deed!”

“And?”, I said...... “what else?”

“Well �" you must have an outstanding record …. be genuinely intent on a good deed �" even if you are not aware of that good deed in advance....”

“Wait one, Pete.... what does that mean?”

“It means your 'good deed' down under hasn't looked like happening yet... maybe.... but SWIO likes to try to cover all eventualities....”

“Does protecting the President qualify as a good deed?”

Peter smiled...

“Well �" that kind of depends on your point of view... and on your President...”

“He's not actually our President... that might be a relief to you, Pete �" he's the President of an Allied somewhat radical Muslim nation..... but we are sworn to protect and defend him... it's our job.”

Peter sat back and put both hands on his stomach, fingers intertwined...

“Greater love hath no man... than that he place his life on the line for one who thinks he opposes SWIO... though we had a guy down there once.... abandoned in an orphanage at four by his 'mother', taken back by his 'father' who proceeded to beat and neglect and starve he and his siblings, and who then threw him and his brother out the moment they finished school... with nothing....”

“That's pretty tough, Pete....” I was hoping he'd move quicker to the visa thing …

“That's not the whole story, either.... this guy �" yes �" this guy �" he tried every which way to build a better life.....tried football … had been taken in by an uncle and aunt, but they threw him on the streets again when he broke a shoulder and had no money...”

“Tough... sounds like a great family …...” …. (please, Peter.. let's go!)....

“Well... the guy finally bought his own little home �" after he met the love of his life and she abandoned him, too... “ …

Peter laid back in his chair as if reminiscing...

“Then he met the woman with whom he had children... and things were good for a while.....”

“I'm sure... sounds familiar somehow, Peter.... ummm...”

“But she had an evil sister who caused trouble … and they split …... she took the children, of course...”

I was growing more and more uncomfortable...

“Peter.....”

“You know what he did then? You do, don't you? He sold his own security to make sure his children and their mother were set up in comfort and security for life... while he took it all on the chin......ending up with nothing again....”

“Yes .. I can see how that can happen, Peter, but...”

“It still hurts, doesn't it?”

That caused a long pause..... until I mumbled, “Yes”.

Peter nodded.... then smiled...

“Well �" you're the kind of man SWIO loves to make exceptions for, so I reckon it's a foregone conclusion that you're getting your visa right now �" at my discretion....”

He reached into a drawer of his desk, drew out a very �" VERY slim pad of documents, took a quill and ink �" very traditional �" and wrote my name and some numbers �" date and such �" then reached for a stamp and a stamp pad... bingo!

He handed the visa over with a warm smile …

“You're on your way, Zed! Can we call you Zed?”

“Sure �" everyone else does... but... how do I get... you know.. back down there?”

“Easy!”, said Peter with a huge grin like a big kid... “You just use the firemen's poles!”

“Fi... firemen's poles? Isn't it kind of a long way? Not that I mind �" I mean I AM Airborne... had a bit of practice …. and where are they anyway?”

“Look over your shoulder....”

I did …...

Just looked around, and a curtain of fine cloud opened up like a pair of sweeping drapes... showing a series of highly polished brass poles going through holes in the... floor, I guess

you could call it...

“It's not a long way at all, Zed... people always seem to think that Up Here is separated from Earth by a quazillion miles or something, but in reality it's always just through the wall or ceiling or in anything around you Down There... it's forever in and out of everything on Earth.... it's one of those tricky things about Up Here �" like the time and such.... if you'd waited to see The Big Boss �" SWIO �" and got Her approval, you'd still be back here at the same time for - what we like to call �" 're-entry'....”

While he was explaining the finer points of lore, we were walking our way to the gleaming poles.....

“Now when we get there �" take a look down....”

So I did �" and saw what looked like an awfully long way, somewhere near infinity, for that pole to travel �" or for me to travel on it...... Peter explained ...

“Don't worry about it �" that's just the showman part of the thing �" to discourage anyone who just might be thinking of taking a ride for fun or without a valid visa … it's really only one floor from top to bottom �" but it LOOKS like it's across the Universe...”

I must have looked doubtful... so Peter reached into his pocket �" his robe has pockets, it seems … and drew out what looked like a short, thin golden wand... looking for all the world like a master magician, he reached out and touched the nearest pole with it, and hey, presto … I could see the floor below!!

“And there, Zed �" is your chariot! Now when you get down there, you might run into one of our guys... name of Gabriel �" he's always down there working or something, or on sabbatical �" he's SWIO's other half... you know... but that's a different story... now once you get down there you're on Earthly time again, so think carefully �" put your hands on the pole �" and THINK where you want to arrive on Earth �" and don't change your mind half way down..... just THINK it and it will be, OK?”

“Gotcha! Well �" I'd best get going... thanks for everything, Pete!”

“My pleasure, Zed! I love this kind of work. Oh �" and I see you've still got those weapons... you might find them to be a little … different down there this time around..... adios, pardner!”

“Adios, Peter �" and thanks again!” …

I took hold of the pole with both hands, thought intensely of my home base where we would be welcoming the President tomorrow.. and took a leap of faith....