Sneak peek: an excerpt from "What Goes Around"

"Am I...yeah, I am. I don't even have to ask." Bob felt like he was speaking aloud, although he had no mouth to move, no ears to hear with, no body at all.

YEP, YOU ARE. TOUGH BREAK.

"Yaaah!" In his own mind's eye, Bob jumped.

WHAT, YOU'RE SURPRISED TO FIND ME HERE TOO? The booming voice came from everywhere, and nowhere.

"Well – I wasn't sure. I'd hoped so. But it can be tough for us mortals to believe, what with all the wars going on, and science constantly disproving the Bible."

SURE, BOB. WHATEVER EASES YOUR CONSCIENCE.

"I'm not just making excuses!"

YES YOU ARE. DON'T FORGET WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO.

"Sorry."

GOOD. NOW, ARE YOU READY?

"Ready? Ready for what?"

IT'S TIME TO DECIDE, BOB.

He gulped, or tried to. "Oh dear. That little bit at the end...I'm not really like that...right? I mean, the rest of my life, I've been a much better person. I was a good provider for my family. I loved my parents, my wife, my children!"

THAT'S TRUE. BUT YOU LOST A LOT OF POINTS WITH THAT LAST MANEUVER. HE'S DEAD, YOU KNOW. IN FACT, WE JUST FINISHED CHATTING.

"Oh, Hell! Erp. I mean – crap, I don't know what I mean."

I DO.

Oh no. This was going to be bad.

WHAT YOU'RE WONDERING NOW IS: "IS IT ENOUGH TO TIP ME OVER THE BALANCE? TO SEND ME TO BURN IN ETERNAL TORMENT?"

That was precisely what he was wondering. "Well? Is it?"

I'M AFRAID IT DOESN'T QUITE WORK LIKE THAT. IT'S MORE OF A DHARMIC THING, REALLY.

"Reincarnation? But that's not in the good book!"

AT WHAT POINT DID I SAY THE BIBLE WAS ACCURATE?

"Well, in the Bible...oh. Crap. I'm gonna come back as a worm, aren't I?"

WORMS ARE SO CLICHÉ. I THINK WE'LL TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME...