A Curable Romantic (87 page)

“Well, you kept your part of it, at least,”
said.

“As did we, as we did,”
reassured me.

“No, it’s true, Dr. Sammelsohn. My fellows and I never laid so much as a glove on her, though many of the lads were eager to do so, although not necessarily a glove, if you understand my meaning.”

“As a matter of celestial record,
was not required to undergo the usual purifying torments, which never had much effect on her anyway.”

“He says that as though our methods don’t work nearly one hundred percent of the time. They do, Dr. Sammelsohn. Justice is justice, though

no one said it would be pretty.”

“And yet,” I felt compelled to belabor the point, “there was Ita, alive again and loose on the streets of Paris, creating mischief, as though she hadn’t progressed one jot in spiritual refinement.”

The two figures — I cannot call them men, though in every wise they resembled men — exchanged complicated looks.
fiddled with his truncheon.
coughed into his fist.

“We were hoping this wouldn’t come up.”

“Wouldn’t come up!”

“Please, Dr. Sammelsohn, don’t make more of this than it is.”

cleared his throat. “At the end of the process,
was asked to perform a small favor, that’s all.”

“A favor?”

“A small, simple favor.”

“Which was?”

“Ah, Dr. Sammelsohn!”
sighed. “Must we go into all that?”

explained: “To use her God-given talents for mischief and destruction one final time, after which the sins accumulated during all her previous lives would be forgiven and, in her next life, she would be free to start anew.”

“Her expertise was required,”
said.

“Her expertise?”

“For mischief and destruction, as we’ve said.”

“And what exactly was it that Heaven needed her to destroy?” I said, stunned by this piece of news.

The two brothers looked at each other.

“Tell me,” I insisted.

“Tell him,”
said, dropping his head.

“Me? Why should it be me? It was your idea.”

“You’re the so-called good angel!”

“Oh, please! Do you know how much harder it is to do the good, Dr. Sammelsohn?”

“Ach, not this again!”
said, crossing his broad arms against his chest. “Here we go again!”

“Evil is simple, easy,”
said.