Eden's Gate

I hadn't been to Eden for some time. The large wooden gate barring the entrance had faded to a blotchy gray and the once fine grain was now a mass of pitted and jagged crevices. Something was different. Sure there was the whole "incident" followed by the eviction of the original tenants . . . but that wasn' t it. Heck, that's just when things got interesting. The entrance was less there; it was faded . . .blurring at the edges. It was nearing an end.

Tall and greasy, inside as much as out, I recognized the Doorman. There was something altogether Heepish about him. He sat stooped on his stool like a worn king and always managed to radiate haughty contempt. Unlike the gate, he hadn't changed. Yet he still bothered me.

"Back so soon," he spat. "I didn't think it likely that you'd knock on this door again."

"Soon? Do you realize how long it's been? 'Soon!' you say? I fear that I may not be 'soon' enough! 'Knock on this door' I bloody-well will! Now, delay me no further and set open the gate!"

"Heh, heh, that's right, I had nearly forgotten: quick tempered and rash. Some lessons don't stick. What do you hope to accomplish anyway? Do you think that you can change anything anymore; it's too far along now. It can finish itself."

"Open the gate."

"Yes, yes I'll open the gate if it is still possible. It's more crowded in there than when you . . .what's the best way to put it . . .were asked to leave, but the game He allowed you to set in motion is rapidly nearing an end. He's not happy about all of this to be sure, but he's determined to let them play it out without interfering. You know . . . "free will" and all of that."

"I'm quite aware of the situation. Why do you think I am here? There is still time. Let me pass! I alone may be able to stop this madness."

"Ah, and how could I forget . . . unparalleled pride. I shall open the gate, if for no other reason than to watch you fail. Follow me Brother; there is time yet at the very least for my amusement. Let's see, where did I put that key?"

The Doorman was right; it was more crowded. There were an incomprehensible number of new doors inside the Gate. Not an orderly hallway as I remembered, the doors were dispersed haphazardly in an infinite number of sizes and shapes. Eternity, or what was left of it, has a skewed concept of scale. Each door represented a separate thread of reality, yet like a giant cosmic web, they were all linked. The first door that one passes upon entering Eden is gleaming white and has "Forbidden Fruit" engraved deeply on the surface. I still chuckle to myself when I pass it. The hinges were worn thin from overuse. Some lessons don't stick indeed. I merely mention this in passing; this door is relatively unimportant now.

Rather, it was another door, one small, indistinct and several infinities over to the left that demanded my attention. Sixteen galaxies expanded and fell back upon themselves before I found myself considering it. I was unsure of exactly what I would do. I only knew that I wished to prevent nothing. Even on this side of the door I could hear the ominous thump, thump, swish, over and over. Assuming legs and arms of a size and affect suitable for the door, I pushed it open and stepped onto 90 feet of hardwood.