We were in plain view from the car, so there wasn't much point trying to hide. We walked toward it but halted a few steps away. “Hello,” it said. And I froze: The thing was speaking Standard. “May I offer you a ride?” It had swept-back headlights, and it looked comfortable.
“No, thanks.” Alex backed away a step or two. “But it's very kind of you to offer.”
“It is my pleasure.”
“Who are you?” Alex asked.
“A friend. It would please me to be of assistance if you will allow it.”
Alex glanced over his shoulder. A small truck was pulling off the road, easing onto the grass. As we watched, it started slowly toward the lander. I glanced at Alex, but he shook his head. No way we could get back there without being intercepted. “Gabe,” Alex said, “get off the ground.” Then he turned back to the car: “You speak Standard.”
“Of course. We would not expect any other language to be understood by a visitor.”
“How does it happen that you know the language?”
“We have learned it from those who have come to spend time with us, of course.”
“I see. Do you have a name?”
“You may call me Roam. And you are-?”
The lander lifted off.
“My name is Alex. It's a pleasure to meet you, Roam.”
“And the lady?”
“I'm Chase,” I said.
Alex looked my way. Do not get any closer to the car. Don't get in front of it. Don't even get too close to the doors.
“The pleasure is mutual. May I ask what brings you to Villanueva?” Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Gabe pass over the roof of the church.
“We're admiring your churches,” he said.
“Why, yes, they are admirable, aren't they?”
“Are there others that carry the same motif?”
“Which motif is that?”
“Heaven-bound.”
“Ah, yes, an objective we should all seek. Would that we could all find the road to Heaven.”
“Yes. Would that it were so.” Alex looked at the angel, then back at the car. “It is something you seek?”
“Indeed it is. It is something all right-thinking entities should aspire to.”
“We would like very much to tour other churches that have this same theme. Can you possibly tell us where we might find them?”
“That would be a rather esoteric piece of information. I suspect it would be available at the office.”
“Which office is that?”
“The Malcolm Library Data Center. You're in Malcolm, you know.”
“No, I wasn't aware of that.”
“Oh, yes. Malcolm is the cultural heart of the entire state. The Data Center is only a few minutes from here. If you'd like to go, I'll be happy to take you.” The back doors opened.
“Thanks. That's very generous of you. But we'd better pass. We're running late.”
“There'd be no problem coming back here. I'd bring you myself.”
“That's quite all right, Roam. But we appreciate the offer.” The doors closed again. The car backed up and angled its front wheels toward us. “It's a beautiful day,” Alex told the car. “Is the weather always this pleasant in Malcolm?” And without looking my way, he gave me a nod and formed a single word with his lips: “Go.”
We bolted for the church. Roam beeped a horn and jumped the curb. It plowed across the lawn and came after us.
The church was probably three times the size of St. Monica's, with three big double doors at the top of a set of stone steps. We charged past the angel and ran up the steps. Roam sideswiped the angel, smashing its right bumper. But it kept coming, bouncing up behind us, its bottom screeching against the stone.
Alex fired his pulser, and the engine exploded. The car veered to the right, came the rest of the way up, and crashed into the front of the building. The truck that had chased Gabe came around the corner, and two more vehicles, a gray two-door convertible and a small van, came in off the street.
Alex tried the church doors. The first wouldn't open, but one of the center ones swung out. “Yes, indeed,” he said. “Welcome to Villanueva.”
The door was heavy. As at St. Monica's, the hinges didn't squeal, and one would not have guessed that worshippers weren't coming in regularly. We slipped through and pushed the door shut behind us. All three sets of doors had bolts, which slid smoothly into place.
The church was big. The benches could have accommodated upward of a thousand people, which was considerably more than St. Monica's. I was surprised at first to see what appeared to be a pair of candles burning on the main altar-I thought maybe I'd spoken too soon about the divine presence-but they turned out to be electrical. A choir stall overlooked the rear pews, and above that, the overhead arched into a dome. Sunlight filtered through stained-glass windows that looked as if they'd been cleaned the day before.
Both walls contained alcoves. Several held statuary; others contained small altars. Holy-water fonts stood at the back. As at Monica's, they were filled.
“Alex.” I kept my voice down. “I think we can get out one of the side exits.”
“This stuff is priceless, Chase.”
“Alex-”
Someone, or something, began banging at the doors behind us.
Then I heard Gabe: “More vehicles are arriving. Suggest you consider departure at earliest convenience.”
Alex took over: “Which exit do you suggest, Gabe?”
“The truck has returned to the area where we touched down. It appears to be waiting there, on the west side. Two other cars are joining it as I speak. A van is now pulling up on the east side. There is also a small truck in the rear.”
“Is there an exit at the rear?”
“Nothing that I can see. There does not appear to be a clear area anywhere at the moment where a pickup can be made safely.”
“What's happening out front?”
“More vehicles are arriving. There are now four of them close to the angel. All are passenger cars. One is a small two-seater with no roof. It has climbed the steps, and I assume you can hear it trying to break through the door. I think you are safe for the moment, however, until something heavier arrives.”
Side exits flanked the altar. The one on the right also had an elevator and a marble staircase. Alex signaled me to follow, and we headed in that direction. “Gabe,” he said, “we're going to take a look at the opposite side. On the east.”
“Okay, Alex.”
We heard another loud bang at the front door. But it seemed to be holding. “Gabe, be ready to move quickly. Are there any aircraft?”
“Negative. I'm alone up here.”
We hurried to the front of the church, circled the altar rail, and stopped at the exit. I heard nothing outside the door. Alex twisted the knob, pushed, and it opened out. Three steps went down to a short walkway that led to the adjoining building. The rectory.
But nothing was moving. “Okay, Gabe,” Alex said. “Come-”
Somewhere, out of sight, an engine roared to life. “Heads up,” said Gabe. “It's in the rear.” It was a truck, and we heard it start moving. Gabe was descending quickly but he broke off as it rounded the corner and came into view. “No chance,” he said.
The truck bounced across the lawn, turning sharply in our direction.
Alex fired his pulser. The engine choked and died. The vehicle rolled over and lay with its wheels spinning.
