"Resnick, Mike - The Adventure of the Pearly Gates" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

"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.
"Let me restate that," I said. "Can you direct the Pearly Gates to remain in the vicinity of the souls in question?"
He shook his head. "You do not comprehend, Mr. Holmes. They exist in all times and places at once."
"I see," I said, wishing I had my pipe to draw upon now that I was in human form. "Can you create a second gate?"
"It would not be the same," said Saint Peter.
"It needn't be the same, as long as it similar to the perception of a soul."
"He would know instantly."
I shook my head. "He is quite insane. His thought processes, such as they are, are aberrant. If you do as I suggest, and place a false gate near the souls of his victims, my guess is that he will not pause to notice the difference. He is somehow drawn to them, and this will be a barrier to his desires. He will be more interested in attacking it than in analyzing it, even if he were capable of the latter, which I am inclined to doubt."
"You're quite sure?" asked Saint Peter doubtfully.
"He is compelled to perform his carnage upon prostitutes. For whatever reason, these seem to be the only souls he can identify as prostitutes. Therefore, it is these that he wishes to attack." I paused again. "Create the false gates. The soul that goes through them will be the one you seek."
"I hope you are correct, Mr. Holmes," he said. "Pride is a sin, but even _I_ have a modicum of it, and I should hate to be shamed before my Lord."
And with that, he was gone.
#
He returned after an indeterminate length of time, a triumphant smile upon his face.
"I assume that our little ruse worked?" I said.
"Exactly as you said it would!" replied Saint Peter. "Jack the Ripper is now where he belongs, and shall never desecrate Heaven with his presence again." He stared at me. "You should be thrilled, Mr. Holmes, and yet you look unhappy."
"I envy him in a way," I said. "For at least he now has a challenge."
"Do not envy him," said Saint Peter. "Far from having a challenge, he can look forward to nothing but eternal suffering."
"I have that in common with him," I replied bitterly.
"Perhaps not," said Saint Peter.
I was instantly alert. "Oh?"
"You have saved me from shame and embarrassment," he said. "The very least I can do is reward you."
"How?"
"I rather thought _you_ might have a suggestion."
"This may be Heaven to you," I said, "but it is Hell to me. If you truly wish to reward me, send me to where I can put my abilities to use. There is evil abroad in the world; I am uniquely qualified to combat it."
"You would really turn your back on Heaven to continue your pursuit of injustice, to put yourself at risk on almost a daily basis?" asked Saint Peter.
"I would."
"Even knowing that, should you fall from the path of righteousness -- and it is a trickier path than your churches would have you believe -- this might not be your ultimate destination?"
"Even so." And privately I thought: _especially_ so.
"Then I see no reason why I should not grant your request," said Saint Peter.
"Thank God!" I muttered.
Saint Peter smiled again. "Thank Him yourself -- when you think of it. He _does_ listen, you know."
Suddenly I found myself back in that infinite gray landscape I had encountered after going over the falls at Reichenbach, only this time, instead of a shining light, I thought I could see a city in the distance...