第21章 THE SUNLIGHT LAY ACROSS MY BED(4)

God took me to the edge of that world.It ended.I looked down.The gulf, it seemed to me, was fathomless, and then I saw two bridges crossing it that both sloped upwards.

I said to God, "Is there no other way by which men cross it?"God said, "One; it rises far from here and slopes straight upwards.

I asked God what the bridges' names were.

God said, "What matter for the names? Call them the Good, the True, the Beautiful, if you will--you will yet not understand them."I asked God how it was I could not see the third.

God said, "It is seen only by those who climb it."I said, "Do they all lead to one heaven?"God said, "All Heaven is one: nevertheless some parts are higher than others; those who reach the higher may always go down to rest in the lower;but those in the lower may not have strength to climb to the higher;nevertheless the light is all one."

And I saw over the bridge nearest me, which was wider than the other, countless footmarks go.I asked God why so many went over it.

God said, "It slopes less deeply, and leads to the first heaven."And I saw that some of the footmarks were of feet returning.I asked God how it was.

He said, "No man who has once entered Heaven ever leaves it; but some, when they have gone half way, turn back, because they are afraid there is no land beyond."I said, "Has none ever returned?"

God said, "No; once in Heaven always in Heaven."And God took me over.And when we came to one of the great doors--for Heaven has more doors than one, and they are all open--the posts rose up so high on either side I could not see the top, nor indeed if there were any.

And it seemed to me so wide that all Hell could go in through it.

I said to God, "Which is the larger, Heaven or Hell?"God said, "Hell is as wide, but Heaven is deeper.All Hell could be engulfed in Heaven, but all Heaven could not be engulfed in Hell."And we entered.It was a still great land.The mountains rose on every hand, and there was a pale clear light; and I saw it came from the rocks and stones.I asked God how it was.

But God did not answer me.

I looked and wondered, for I had thought Heaven would be otherwise.And after a while it began to grow brighter, as if the day were breaking, and Iasked God if the sun were not going to rise.

God said, "No; we are coming to where the people are."And as we went on it grew brighter and brighter till it was burning day;and on the rock were flowers blooming, and trees blossomed at the roadside;and streams of water ran everywhere, and I heard the birds singing; I asked God where they were.

God said, "It is the people calling to one another."And when we came nearer I saw them walking, and they shone as they walked.

I asked God how it was they wore no covering.

God said, "Because all their body gives the light; they dare not cover any part."And I asked God what they were doing.

God said, "Shining on the plants that they may grow."And I saw that some were working in companies, and some alone, but most were in twos, sometimes two men and sometimes two women; but generally there was one man and one woman; and I asked God how it was.

God said, "When one man and one woman shine together, it makes the most perfect light.Many plants need that for their growing.Nevertheless, there are more kinds of plants in Heaven than one, and they need many kinds of light."And one from among the people came running towards me; and when he came near it seemed to me that he and I had played together when we were little children, and that we had been born on the same day.And I told God what Ifelt; God said, "All men feel so in Heaven when another comes towards them."And he who ran towards me held my hand, and led me through the bright lights.And when we came among the trees he sang aloud, and his companion answered, and it was a woman, and he showed me to her.She said, "He must have water"; and she took some in her hands, and fed me (I had been afraid to drink of the water in Hell), and they gathered fruit for me, and gave it me to eat.They said, "We shone long to make it ripen," and they laughed together as they saw me eat it.

The man said, "He is very weary; he must sleep" (for I had not dared to sleep in Hell), and he laid my head on his companion's knee and spread her hair out over me.I slept, and all the while in my sleep I thought I heard the birds calling across me.And when I woke it was like early morning, with the dew on everything.

And the man took my hand and led me to a hidden spot among the rocks.The ground was very hard, but out of it were sprouting tiny plants, and there was a little stream running.He said, "This is a garden we are making, no one else knows of it.We shine here every day; see, the ground has cracked with our shining, and this little stream is bursting out.See, the flowers are growing."And he climbed on the rocks and picked from above two little flowers with dew on them, and gave them to me.And I took one in each hand; my hands shone as I held them.He said, "This garden is for all when it is finished." And he went away to his companion, and I went out into the great pathway.

And as I walked in the light I heard a loud sound of much singing.And when I came nearer I saw one with closed eyes, singing, and his fellows were standing round him; and the light on the closed eyes was brighter than anything I had seen in Heaven.I asked one who it was.And he said, "Hush! Our singing bird."And I asked why the eyes shone so.

And he said, "They cannot see, and we have kissed them till they shone so."And the people gathered closer round him.

And when I went a little further I saw a crowd crossing among the trees of light with great laughter.When they came close I saw they carried one without hands or feet.And a light came from the maimed limbs so bright that I could not look at them.

And I said to one, "What is it?"