"Mike Resnick - Pearly Gates" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

Holmes," replied Saint Peter. "Here we exist on a spiritual plane,
but the same is not true of Purgatory or Hell. Recently, an unseen
soul has been attempting to open the Pearly Gates from _this_
side." He frowned. "They were made to withstand efforts from
without, but not within. Another attempt or two, and the soul may
actually succeed. Once possessed of ectoplasmic attributes, there
is no limit to the damage he could do in Purgatory."
"Then why not simply let him out?"
"If I leave the gates open for him, we could be overwhelmed
by even more unfit souls attempting to enter."
"I see," I said. "What leads you to believe that it _is_ the
Ripper?"
"Just as there is no duration in Heaven, neither is there
location. The Pearly Gates, though quite small themselves, exist
in _all_ locations."
"Ah!" I said, finally comprehending the nature of the
problem. "Would I be correct in assuming that the attempt to break
out was made in the vicinity of the souls of Elizabeth Stride,
Annie Chapman, Catherine Eddowes, Mary Kelly and Mary Ann
Nicholls?"
"His five victims," said Saint Peter, nodding. "Actually, two
of them are beyond even _his_ reach, but Stride, Chapman and Kelly
are in Purgatory."
"Can you bring those three to Heaven?" I asked.
"As bait?" asked Saint Peter. "I am afraid not. No one may
enter Heaven before his or her time. Besides," he added, "there is
nothing he can do to them in spiritual form. As you yourself know,
one cannot even communicate with other souls here. One spends all
eternity reveling in the glory of God."
"So _that_ is what one does here," I said wryly.
"Please, Mr. Holmes!" he said severely.
"I apologize," I said. "Well, it seems we must set a trap for
the Ripper on his next escape attempt."
"Can we be sure he will continue his attempts to escape?"
"He is perhaps the one soul less suited to Heaven that I
myself," I assured him.
"It seems an impossible undertaking," said Saint Peter
morosely. "He could try to leave at any point."
"He will attempt to leave in the vicinity of his victims," I
answered.
"How can you be certain of that?" asked Saint Peter.
"Because those slayings were without motive."
"I do not understand."
"Where there is no motive," I explained, "there is no reason
to stop. You may rest assured that he will attempt to reach them
again."
"Even so, how am I to apprehend him -- or even identify him?"
asked Saint Peter.
"Is location _necessarily_ meaningless in Heaven?" I asked.
He stared at me uncomprehendingly.