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"But you have not gotten to a full explanation of what you do in Hell And how can you be winning? Are you sending them speedily to His arms?"

"Speedily and with powerful acceptance," he said "But I a to you now aboutyou this: Given all that you have seen¡ªWhat do you think Hell should be!"

"I' there "

"You're never really that afraid of anything Go on Make a stateht to be, what should a soul have to endure to be worthy of Heaven? Is it enough to say 'I believe in God'; Jesus, 'I believe in Your Suffering'? Is it enough to say, 'I'm sorry for all my sins because they offend thee, my God?' Or to say, 'I'm sorry because when I was on Earth, I really didn't believe in You and now I know it's true, and wha, one look at this infernal place, and I' the same way, and please let me into Heaven quick ' "

I didn't answer

"Should everyone just go to Heaven?" he asked "I o?"

"No That can't be," I said "Not creatures like me, not creatures who have tortured and killed other creatures, not people who have deliberately duplicated through their actions punishments as severe as disease, or fire, or earthquake¡ªthat is, not people who have done wrongs that hurt others just as much or worse than natural disasters

It can't be right for theo to Heaven, not if they don't know, not if they don't understand, not if they haven't begun to comprehend what they've done! Heaven would be Hell in no time if every cruel, selfish, vicious soul went to Heaven I don't want to meet the unreformed monsters of Earth in Heaven! If it's that easy, then the suffering of this world is damned near"

"Damn near what?

"Unforgivable," I whispered

"What would be forgivable¡ªfrom the point of view of a soul who died in pain and confusion? A soul who knew that God didn't care?"

"I don't know," I said "When you described the elect of Sheol, the first h the Heavenly Gates, you didn't speak of reforiven God for an unjust world, didn't you?"

"That's right, I did That's what I found That's what I took with me with certainty to Heaven's Gates, yes "

"But you spoke entirely as if these people had been victims of God's injustice You didn't touch upon the souls of the guilty? Those like ressors, those ere the doers of injustice?" "Don't you think they have their story?"

"Sorained in their stupidity and their simplicity and their fear of authority I don't know But many, many evildoers must be just like me They kno bad they areThey don't care They do what they do becausebecause they love it I lovelife I always have "