We were taken to the edge of the main crowd which had gathered along a long, stone pathway. This was the pathway to the Afterlife. Every year a holographic image of the staircase to the Afterlife would appear and the people of Xanji-For would give thanks to Ireel.
Everything went quiet as a podium appeared out of the ground and President Uthal stood up to it.
There were cheers from all around and an over-enthusiastic Rix appeared at our side, clapping with glee on his face.
‘Why are we here?’ asked Matthew.
The Doctor looked at him. ‘We’ll get our problem looked at once this is all over.’
Matthew sighed. ‘If I’m going to die I’d rather just get it over with.’
After a few seconds Uthal urged the crowd to quieten down, which they did. Eventually.
When he was sure it was quiet enough, Uthal cleared his throat and stepped up to the microphone.
‘People of City Nazar,’ came his old voice, booming all around, ‘Ireel has promised to show herself tonight.”
I inwardly groaned. I’d heard this so many times before. President Uthal had always promised that Ireel would show herself, but it never came about. Excuses were always made and the people just accepted those excuses.
Well, some of them did.
‘This isn’t really going to happen, you know,’ I said to the Doctor and Matthew.
Rix shot me an evil glare. ‘Of course it will!’
‘He says the same every year.’
‘This year will be different,’ said Rix, the corner of his mouth curling into an awkward smile.
‘How will it be different?’
‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ came Uthal’s voice again, ‘I must ask for silence.’
Slowly but surely the crowd died down until only the faintest whispers could be heard.
And then, with a deafening boom and a brilliant flash of blue light, a huge, stone, staircase appeared on the pathway behind Uthal.
The crowd cheered. I gazed up at the spectacle. Although I knew it was just a hologram, it still never failed to amaze me. It stretched up as high as the eye could see, into the dark, slightly overcast sky.
‘Very impressive,’ said the Doctor, nodding his appreciation. ‘The power needed to produce a hologram like that must be phenomenal. It’s clearly got the crowd going.’
By now the crowd were beginning to chant “Ireel, Ireel, Ireel,” over and over again.
The president urged for the crowd to die down again. ‘Now, my people, pray. Pray for Ireel to show herself.’
I shook my head as everyone, except myself, Matthew and the Doctor, clambered to their knees and put their foreheads on the ground.
Uthal stared across at us, clearly willing to excuse the Doctor and Matthew, but not entirely happy with myself. He then turned to face the staircase, held his arms aloft and shouted into the heavens.
‘Come Ireel! Your subjects await you. Show yourself. We all wish to look upon your splendour!’
There came a crack of thunder and a flash of lightning from somewhere near the top of the staircase. I didn’t recall that ever happening before.
Even Rix looked up, a little concerned.
Uthal looked a little shaken, but continued. ‘Show yourself, Ireel!’
There was another rumble of thunder and more strikes of lightning. More and more people were beginning to look up from their positions on the ground, trying to see if they could spot anything.
Then, with a huge, blue flash, the clouds parted revealing a bright light beyond.
This certainly hadn’t happened before.
Everyone looked up at the staircase as a figure appeared at the top. It was so tiny, but as it slowly clambered - no, wait. It wasn’t clambering down the huge steps, it was floating down the steps. It got closer and closer and the nearer it got the sooner I realised that it was a woman. The same skin tone as myself with long, dark hair and bright yellow eyes. She wore a white dress with a light hood over the top of her head. Around her neck she wore a golden necklace studded with bright, green emeralds.
She smiled down at Uthal as the old man nervously backed away from the figure.
You could have heard a pin drop as the woman eventually floated down the last step and touch the ground before Uthal’s pedestal.
‘My…’ Uthal couldn’t finish his words.
The woman looked down at the old man and smiled. She reached out a long, slender hand and touched him on his shoulder.
‘Yes, my dear. I am Ireel.’
Rix was on his feet. He was trembling and his eyes had turned white. He was clearly pleased and at the same time surprised at what was happening.
The Doctor meanwhile was looking on intently. ‘This is fascinating. Everybody believes it.’
‘Doctor,’ I said, edging a little closer to him, ‘this has never happened before.’
‘Really?’
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘Usually the staircase appears, there’s a lightshow and fireworks and then the President informs everyone that Ireel has decided not to attend. It happens all over the planet. In every city.’
By now news Hovercopters were whirling overhead. Clearly news had gotten out that City Nazar was having a slightly different experience to everyone else this year.
The president was still quite nervous, but we could still hear his voice through the microphone.
‘Can it be true? Are you really our God?’
Ireel smiled. ‘What does your heart tell you?’
Uthal dropped to his knees and prayed before Ireel.
She smiled and then stepped before the microphone. ‘My children,’ she said, her voice silky and smooth and full of compassion, ‘I have finally returned to you.’
I looked across to Rix who was beginning to regain some composure. He looked to be smiling, as if he knew this was going to happen.
Ireel continued. ‘For the last few years I have watched Xanji-For fall. Fall from my arms. All over the planet I see people losing faith. I see people no longer believing in me. This makes me sad. I foresee a time when Xanji-For descends into war because of this, and so I have chosen this moment to return. To repair the damage that has been done. To bring back the lost sheep to the fold.’
I gulped. This couldn’t be happening. Everything I believed in told me not to believe in her, but how could I not? She’d floated down the Great Staircase from out of the clouds. She was real. She was here.
‘But that is not the only reason I have returned,’ she said to the silent onlookers. ‘Another has tried to use this opportunity to begin the war.’
Everyone was silent.
‘Deela has also returned!’
There were murmurs of panic around the crowd.
‘Who’s Deela?’ asked Matthew, clearly starting to lose track.
‘The Non-God from the Underworld.’
Matthew still looked confused.
‘Like on Earth,’ said the Doctor quickly. ‘Satan rising up from Hell.’
‘Jesus!’ said Matthew, turning his attention back to Ireel.
Uthal had regained some of his composure and was back on his feet. ‘We must get Ireel into safety,’ he said.
Uthal clicked his fingers and straight away guards were at Ireel’s side. She stepped past the podium and, flanked by the two rows of guards, was escorted down the path and past the people who gazed on in wonder. Finally she reached the back of the crowd and to myself, the Doctor, Matthew and Rix.
Rix bowed to her and she held out her hand. He kissed her hand and looked up at her.
‘Thank you.’
I thought that seemed like an odd thing to say as I watched Ireel escorted into the great, Silver Tower that dominated the city centre.
I looked at Rix cautiously as he scampered after the procession.
‘This Deela,’ said the Doctor, rubbing his chin. ‘Where can I find out more information?’
‘The records room,’ I said.
There was a loud rumble of thunder and the staircase vanished.
‘Can you take me to it?’
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