—And found themselves in Raven’s living room.
“Sonofabitch!” he exclaimed. “We’re back!”
“Yes, we are, Eddie,” said Lisa.
“And even more startling, we’re still alive!”
“That’s because you used your skills,” she said.
“There were moments when I didn’t think we were going to make it.” He paused and stared at her. “Where the hell were we?”
She shrugged. “Elsewhere.”
“Let’s just hope to hell we never have to go back.”
“We won’t.”
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“You’ve beaten that world, Eddie. Now you’re as fully prepared for the Final Confrontation as you’ll ever be.”
“If I beat that world,” he said, staring at her, “it’s because I couldn’t leave you there.” Suddenly he smiled. “I think I deserve a prize for surviving it.”
“A prize?”
He nodded his head. “Right.”
“What kind of prize?” asked Lisa.
He stared into her eyes. “A wife.”
“I’m flattered,” she said.
“I love you, Lisa. I think I’ve loved you from the day we met.”
“I love you too, Eddie,” she replied. “But there’s a universe to be saved.” Suddenly she grimaced. “And if you don’t save it, neither we nor the world we know will be around long enough for the wedding.”
“I’ve read a lot of science fiction books about one man or one woman saving all of Creation,” replied Raven. “Maybe I can learn something from them.”
“You can try,” she said dubiously. “But I doubt it.”
“Oh?” he replied. “Why?”
“If they’re like most of the science fiction books I’ve seen on the stands or in the stores, they’re about one man, or one small group of men, fighting off military forces or reversing scientific cataclysms.” She smiled sadly. “Our universe isn’t under that kind of threat.”
“What kind are we under?” asked Raven.
“I think I’ll let Rofocale explain it to you,” said Lisa. “I get too emotional just thinking about a sudden end to it.”
“To it?” he repeated.
“To all of existence,” she said.
He made a face, then shrugged. “Okay, so maybe it’s not like the typical science fiction book, but really, how the hell different can it be?”
“It’s not only that, Eddie,” she replied. “It’s you, too.”
“How so?”
“You have very special skills, Eddie,” said Lisa. “A tiny handful of others may have had them in the past, but only you have mastered them to the fullest extent.”
“What about the four men who went ahead of me?” asked Raven.
She shook her head. “They didn’t have your abilities, Eddie.”
“You didn’t know them,” said Raven. “At least, I assume you didn’t.” At least, you’d better not have, since I assume they existed centuries or possibly even millennia ago. “So how could you possibly know that?”
“Because they had everything going for them,” answered Lisa. “They had advantages that you are lacking—and they are all dead, while you have survived.”
Suddenly Raven started feeling restless and constricted. “It’s warm and stuffy in here,” he said. “Care to go for a walk, and maybe grab some dinner, or breakfast, or whatever the hell it’s time for?”
“Why not?” she said with a shrug. She walked to the door, then stepped aside as he opened it for her.
It was a pleasant night, and both of them felt relaxed after the ordeal they had undergone. Raven headed toward Mako’s shop, and was surprised to see an Out of Business sign taped to a window, right next to a For Rent sign.
“You look puzzled, Eddie,” remarked Lisa.
“I just wanted to see it one more time, since it’s where everything started,” he said. “I’m surprised mere physical force could run a supernatural shop like this out of business.”
“The shop wasn’t supernatural,” Lisa replied. “Neither were Mako or his customers, as you well know. A few of the sales items were, but they were created elsewhere and elsewhen, then shipped here to be displayed.”
“Still,” said Raven, looking at the freshly replaced walls and windows, “this is where it all started. It should have something a little extraordinary about it.”
“Be grateful that it doesn’t, or it might still be attracting our enemies.”
“Your and Rofocale’s enemies,” replied Raven with a humorless smile.
“Who do you think you’ve been fighting for the past few weeks, Eddie?” said Lisa.
“Point taken,” he conceded. He stared into the shop for another few second. “Ah, well, there’s nothing else to see here. Ready for some dinner?”
“Sounds good,” replied Lisa.
“I agree,” said a familiar voice. “I’m famished.”
Raven looked to his left and saw that Rofocale had joined them.
“So we’re all one big happy family now?” he said.
Rofocale smiled at him. “Briefly,” he said as the smile vanished.