Scrivener shook his head, wide-eyed.
"They're so bad," Azzie said, "that they even contravene infernal law."
Scrivener seemed impressed. "I guess I'm lucky to be getting out at all. Thanks for the tip. Are you a lawyer?"
"Not by training," Azzie said. "But all of us down here have a little lawyer in us. Come on, let's get you back home."
"I've a feeling I have a few problems at home," Scrivener said hesitantly.
"That's what life is," Azzie continued. "Problems. Be glad you have problems to worry about. When you come down here to stay, you'll have nothing to worry about. Whatever's happening to you just goes on and on."
"I won't be back," Scrivener said.
Azzie wanted to ask him if he wanted to bet on it, but decided that it wouldn't be appropriate under the circumstances.
"We'll have to wipe your memory of this experience," he told Scrivener. 'You understand we can't have you fellows going back to Earth and telling a lot of stories."
"Fine with me," Scrivener said. "Nothing here I want to remember, anyhow. Although earlier, in Purgatory, I met this blond succubus - "
"Save it," Azzie growled, grabbing Scrivener by the arm and steering him to the gate in the wall that leads to other parts of Hell and, eventually, to everywhere else and vice versa.
Chapter 2
Azzie and Scrivener proceeded through the iron gate in the iron wall and up the spiraling road that leads through the outer suburbs of Purgatory, a region composed of great crosshatched depths and startling heights exactly as Fuseli drew it. They trudged along, demon and man, and the way was easy, for easy are the roads of Hell, but it was also boring, because Hell is the state of not being amused.
And after a while Scrivener said, "Is it much farther?"