Even though I am a god, and the only God at that, I still had a right to be humble. And I had the right to give myself something to be humble about. Even though I was omniscient and omnipotent, I refused to use those powers. I felt it was an unnecessary restriction, trying to make Good right all the time. It seemed very partisan and onesided to have to support Good constantly. Anyhow, since I was omniscient in those days, I knew that in some ultimate analysis, Good and Evil were complementary, equal. Not that that solved anything. I refused to be checked by it. I said the trouble with knowing everything was that you never learned anything. I preferred to go on learning. Maybe I did know the secret reason behind everything. I never let myself know what that secret was. I have said that even God is entitled to His secrets, and had the right and duty not to know everything."

"But what am I supposed to learn from all this?" Mack said.

"That you're as free as I am. It may not be much, but it's something, isn't it?"

CHAPTER 7

There's always a letdown after something as big as a Millennial contest. Soon after it was over, Azzie found himself at loose ends again. He decided to see what had happened to Faust and the others.

He found Faust in a tavern outside of Cracow. Amazingly enough, the angel Babriel was also there, sitting with him in a booth and drinking a beer. They welcomed Azzie when he came in and offered him a drink.

Faust continued his conversation, saying, "Did you hear that dame, Ananke? That was Marguerite, who earlier did everything she could to win me!"

"It was nothing personal, old boy," Babriel said. "She was speaking as Necessity."

"Yes, but why did Ananke choose her?" He thought about it a moment, then said, "I suppose it's because she had the qualities that Necessity required in its blind direction of human destiny."

Babriel blinked, sipped his ichor, put it down. "You see that, do you? You've learned something, Faust!"

"Not enough," Faust said. "We could have done it, Babriel! We humans, I mean. We could have thrown off all the yokes. If only I'd…"

"Not you alone," Babriel said. "I hate to sound smug, but it was the failings of all mankind that were judged, not just yours."

"There's something unsound about it," Faust said. "It's rigged against us from the beginning. They find what qualities we're lacking, then say that those are the ones they want, and that we lose because we don't have them. When we get those qualities, they have something else in mind. But where would they even get the idea of how we should behave if not from us?"

True enough," Babriel said. "Come now, let's not talk politics. The game is over. Let's have a drink, talk over the good times we had, and be on our way."

Just then Mack came in, singing a student's song. Since the contest he had pulled himself together remarkably. He was a merchant now, and on his way to becoming wealthy. He had a beautiful girlfriend who looked a lot like Marguerite. Since his visit to Heaven, he had taken up his life on Earth again with good cheer.

The others gathered around him. Azzie asked, "So what did He say?"

"Who?"

"God, of course. We watched from the Palace of Justice as you mounted into Heaven. What did you learn?"

Mack blinked and looked uncomfortable. "I can't say that I learned anything. Anyhow, it wasn't God I saw. It was just a friend of His."

"Not exactly. My understanding was, I got to do whatever I wanted with my own life. And that's what I'm doing."

"Is that all you can tell us?"Azzie asked.

Mack frowned and didn't answer. Then he smiled again.

"Come, friends," he said, "I've reserved a table for us at the Wounded Duck. They have a roast goose ready for us. Well eat and toast our accomplishments and laugh at our failures."

That seemed a good idea to everyone. But Faust said he'd be along later. He left the tavern and walked down Little Casimir Street, and came to the elegant little tea shop where he'd arranged to meet Helen.

He went in.

Helen was seated at a little table, sipping orange pekoe. She smiled coldly when he entered and sat down.

"So, my dear," Faust said, "you gave those old ladies the slip. And you've come back to me!"

"Only to say good-bye, Johann," Helen said.

"Oh? That is your decision?"

"I've decided to return to Achilles," Helen said, nodding. "That's a necessary part of the Helen archetype.

I returned finally to Menelaus when he was my husband, you know."

"Well, I suppose it's for the best," Faust said, not really sorry to see her go, because she was entirely too much of a good thing. "Our archetypes aren't well suited to each other. We are both dominant, unique.

But imagine the fun we could have had!"

"More fun for you than for me," Helen said. "And besides, you prefer the little goosegirl type. Why don't you take up again with your Marguerite?"

"How did you know about her?" Faust demanded. "Never mind, I know you won't tell me. Anyhow, Marguerite is out. The fact of the matter is, I don't really respect her, even if she was Ananke, however briefly."

There came a hammering at the tea shop door. Then there was a chewing sound, as of three old crones gnawing on the wood. Green slime ran under the door.

"We mustn't keep the Weird Sisters waiting," Helen said, arising and walking to the door.

Alone in the tavern, Faust stared out into space, seeing nothing but his own shattered dreams. No one pleased him. Men, women, spirits, all seemed entirely too light-minded. Even Ananke had been a lightweight, intellectually. He remembered how good it had felt, standing at the head of the greatest legion of magicians ever assembled. They could have ushered in a new age. Under their rule, mankind would finally have amounted to something… Or died trying! Though it was not yet to be. But someday…

Someday, mankind would be worthy of Faust. Then let them look out!

He rose to leave the tea shop. And then there was a brightening in the air and Ylith stood before him, looking quite fetching. Faust gazed at her without change of expression. He supposed she had come bearing another announcement from Good or from Bad, and he didn't want to hear it.

"I've been thinking," Ylith said. Then she hesitated. She was wearing a long gown, emerald green, gathered in front in the Empire fashion. A single strand of glowing pearls set off her slender neck. Her hair was pulled back, emphasizing the long oval of her face.

She continued, "I used to be a witch who served the forces of Dark. Then I converted to Light. But I have found that the two are very much alike in certain important aspects."

"No doubt," Faust said. "But why are you telling me all this?"

"Because I want to begin again," Ylith said. "I want a new life, beyond Good and Evil. I thought of you, Faust. Right or wrong, you go your own way. And so I thought I'd ask you—do you by any chance need an assistant?"

Faust looked at her. She was comely, she was intelligent, and she was smiling. He straightened his back and squared his shoulders. He could feel the Faustian spirit returning to him.

"Yes," he said. "I think this is a matter we might pursue to our mutual satisfaction. Sit down, dear lady.

Stay. This may be the beginning of a beautiful moment."