Good Omens

terms—He wasn’t exactly one for a straight answer. In fact, in fact, He’d never answer at all. He’d just smile , as if He knew something that you didn’t.”
    â€œAnd of course that’s true,” said the angel. “Otherwise, what’d be the point?”
    There was a pause, and both beings stared reflectively off into the distance, as if they were remembering things that neither of them had thought of for a long time.
    The van driver got out of the van, carrying a cardboard box and a pair of tongs.
    Lying on the tarmac were a tarnished metal crown and a pair of scales. The man picked them up with the tongs and placed them in the box.
    Then he approached the couple with the bottle.
    â€œExcuse me, gents,” he said, “but there’s meant to be a sword around here somewhere as well, at least, that’s what it says here at any rate, and I was wondering … ”
    Aziraphale seemed embarrassed. He looked around himself, vaguely puzzled, then stood up, to discover that he had been sitting on the sword for the last hour or so. He reached down and picked it up. “Sorry,” he said, and put the sword into the box.
    The van driver, who wore an International Express cap, said not to mention it, and really it was a godsend them both being there like this, since someone was going to have to sign to say that he’d duly collected what he’d been sent for, and this had certainly been a day to remember, eh?
    Aziraphale and Crowley both agreed with him that it had, and Aziraphale signed the clipboard that the van driver gave him, witnessing that a crown, a pair of balances, and a sword had been received in good order and were to be delivered to a smudged address and charged to a blurred account number.
    The man began to walk back to his van. Then he stopped, and turned.
    â€œIf I was to tell my wife what happened to me today,” he told them, a little sadly, “she’d never believe me. And I wouldn’t blame her, because I don’t either.” And he climbed into his van, and he drove away.
    Crowley stood up, a little unsteadily. He reached a hand down to Aziraphale.
    â€œCome on,” he said. “I’ll drive us back to London.”
    He took a Jeep. No one stopped them.
    It had a cassette player. This isn’t general issue, even for American military vehicles, but Crowley automatically assumed that all vehicles he drove would have cassette players and therefore this one did, within seconds of his getting in.
    The cassette that he put on as he drove was marked Handel’s Water Music , and it stayed Handel’s Water Music all the way home.

Sunday
(The first day of the rest of their lives.)

    A T AROUND HALF PAST TEN the paper boy brought the Sunday papers to the front door of Jasmine Cottage. He had to make three trips.
    The series of thumps as they hit the mat woke up Newton Pulsifer.
    He left Anathema asleep. She was pretty shattered, poor thing. She’d been almost incoherent when he’d put her to bed. She’d run her life according to the Prophecies and now there were no more Prophecies. She must be feeling like a train which had reached the end of the line but still had to keep going, somehow.
    From now on she’d be able to go through life with everything coming as a surprise, just like everyone else. What luck.
    The telephone rang.
    Newt dashed for the kitchen and picked up the receiver on the second ring.
    â€œHello?” he said.
    A voice of forced friendliness tinted with desperation gabbled at him.
    â€œNo,” he said, “I’m not. And it’s not Devissey, it’s Device. As in Nice. And she’s asleep.”
    â€œWell,” he said, “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want any cavities insulated. Or double glazing. I mean, she doesn’t own the cottage, you know. She’s only renting it.”
    â€œNo, I’m not going to wake her up and ask her,” he said. “And tell me, Miss, uh … right, Miss Morrow, why don’t you lot take Sundays off, like everybody else does?”
    â€œSunday ,” he said. “Of course it’s not Saturday. Why would it be Saturday? Saturday was yesterday. It’s honestly Sunday today, really. What do you mean, you’ve lost a day? I haven’t got it. Seems to me you’ve got a bit carried away with selling … Hello?”
    He growled, and replaced the receiver.
    Telephone