Dante's View

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Just do the best you can, I guess."

Richard stared out the window of the vehicle for a long time. I could see that he was deep in thought. His eyes betrayed the emotional turmoil that he was trying to keep covered up.

Finally, another bright light. This time, Richard barely bothered to cover his eyes. The light faded.

"Where are we now?" Richard asked one last time.

"One of my favorite places," I answered.

Richard felt a hot wind blowing and saw bare ground beneath his feet. Richard lifted his head and looked out. They were both standing on a mountain that overlooked an incredible, colorful flat plain. Out in the distance, the plain intersected tall mountains.

"Oh man...its hot here..." Richard commented.

"Yeah, but it's a lot hotter down there..." I chuckled.

"What are those spirals of white down there?"

"Salt."

Richard looked at me, wondering if I was kidding. I wasn't.

"This is incredible...I feel like I can see forever up here...where are we?"

"It's called Dante's View. That's Death Valley down there. We're in California."

Richard took in the view for a long time, studying the swirling colors on the valley floor and the huge mountains in the distance. He observed the highways below and marveled at how far in the distance he could see them.

"It's amazing at night," I explained. "You can see every star in the universe from here, I think."

"Why did you bring me here?"

I laughed. The kid was so downtrodden that he was looking for meaning in everything.

"I'm being selfish. I love it here. I can sit here for hours and never feel like I've wasted a moment..."

I walked around for a little bit and found two fist-sized rocks. I picked them up and brought them to Richard.

"My job is done, Richard, and whatever happens, happens. I think you're a pretty decent kid and I wish you the best of luck."

"That's it?" Richard asked.

"Oh -- take these rocks. When you tap them together, you'll be back home in your chair again and everyone will be unfrozen. Your life will resume. I need to go now, there is a woman in Cleveland who might sleep with her poolboy..."

I reached into my coat and pulled out another cigar. I lit the cigar and took a few puffs.

"Tell me something, old man. Am I really better off knowing all this stuff?"

"Yeah. You are."

"Why?"

"You're an important piece of a very large world, kid. You effect a great many people. Far more than you know."

"But isn't everyone an important piece...?"

"Yeah. The sad thing is, nobody knows it. Most people think they don't matter much."

Richard sat on the mountaintop, looking out over the valley. He squinted into the bright sunlight. The view was magnificent. He wondered why he hadn't heard of this place before.

"Thank you," Richard said calmly.

"You're welcome, kid. Whatever you choose, I'll be rooting for you."

"And you'll be smoking cigars and eating hot dogs..."

"Always."

I felt another coughing fit coming on. I left Richard quickly in a last bright flash of light, before my dramatic exit could be ruined. I found myself back at Coors field watching the game. The Rockies were now leading 8-2. The hot dog stand was still open.