So you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell?
Blue skies from pain?

Roger Waters & David Gilmour

It only takes a few minutes for the bus to transport Julian and Noel to their destination. The Assessment Centre is a grand building of white marble set in a paved courtyard, with broad stone steps leading up to it.

Julian and Noel join the others in trooping out of the bus and up the stairs. The rain is light against their faces, smells faintly of freshly mown grass and deep mossy forest, and feels invigorating.

Like everyone else, Julian and Noel are looking for their Case Workers, who are all dressed alike in neat blue uniforms and waiting out the front for their clients. By nature or design, they form an orderly queue under the cover of the portico.

"Good morning, Julian," says Marcus, waving to get his attention. "How did you fare at the Hall of Mirrors last night?"

"Oh ... it was a bit of a cock up," Julian replies, coming over to join him. "I chose the Mirror that would show me my loved ones, but first I saw some people I didn't know, and then I saw my family sitting around my dead body."

"That must have come as an awful shock," Marcus says seriously. "I've never heard of that happening before. What did your Mirror Guardian say about it?"

"She couldn't explain it," Julian says. "She kept asking if I'd given her the right name and birth date, because the Mirror won't work properly if the wrong person is using it."

Marcus takes a pager from his pocket.

"Excuse me, Julian. I'm just going to ask for a copy of the report from your Mirror Guardian to be sent to my assistant. This doesn't sound right to me at all." He hastily types in a few words, then presses send, and puts it away. "I hope the experience didn't stop you from getting a good night's sleep."

"Um, not really, it was okay," Julian replies, with a slight blush. "I panicked a bit when I saw it was raining this morning though. I thought it was sunny every day here."

"Some people say it's a good sign to have rain on your assessment day," Marcus says. "Means you're more likely to go Forward. It's just a superstition, of course."

Julian wonders where Noel's Case Worker is, and soon a voice rings out, clear as bell.

"Noel, darling! I have looked for you simply everywhere, my terrible child."

Jeannie is very chic, wearing high heels and pearls with her dark blue uniform, and her honey-brown hair in an elegant chignon. Even after two hundred years, there is still a slight trace of a French accent in her voice. She kisses Noel enthusiastically on each cheek.

"Jeannie, this is Joo'n." Noel says, introducing them.

Jeannie gives Julian a startled look, then a troubled one. "It is my pleasure to meet you," she says in a subdued tone, before drawing Noel apart and speaking to him in a low voice.

"Is Jeannie upset because Noel and I are soulmates?" Julian asks Marcus.

"How do you - ?" Marcus begins, before he collects himself, and answers, "No, no. It's just that Jeannie was your Case Worker last time, after your eighteenth life."

"Really?" Julian says in shock. "But then why - ?"

"She tried very, very hard to get you sent Sideways," Marcus says. "She was absolutely devastated when the judge sent you back to Earth, she felt that she'd failed you. Seeing you reminded her all over again, I expect."

"But how did she know it was me? I'm a different person."

"She recognised your soul," Marcus says. "The outward form changes again and again, but we see only the soul, which is eternal."

"It seems a weird coincidence that Noel has my former Case Worker," Julian says. "Did I have Chief Justice Dharmayama last time as well?"

"No, a completely different judge," Marcus assures him. "Look, how did you find out you and Noel were soulmates without going Forward? I don't want you distracted for your assessment."

"We went to the Soulmates Tea Room," Julian says. "It was a surprise, but it feels right. It's wonderful, actually. But now I'm worried we'll get split up. You know, like Miranda and Rudi - meet at the Waystation, expect separation."

"Goodness, someone has been filling you in on all the gossip," Marcus says, looking annoyed. "Please put all that right out of your mind. You and Noel aren't the same as Miranda and Rudi - your love was forged on Earth, when Noel saw you perform at the comedy club."

"Are you quite sure that Noel just seeing me on Earth is enough?" Julian asks.

"Not entirely," Marcus admits after a moment. "You and Noel are a rare case, you see, so there's very little to go on. Keep in line, Julian." He holds onto Julian's elbow.

"If I get sent back to Earth, I won't even remember Noel!" Julian says in distress.

"Then concentrate on going Sideways," Marcus says sharply. "Look Julian, I need you to focus on your assessment right now. If you're worried about losing Noel, then fight for him, because I'm going to be fighting for you. Do you understand me?"

Before Julian can reply, he reaches the front of the line, where Graham, the security officer who played on Noel's football team, is signing people in.

"Good morning, sir. Can I see your official papers, please?"

"Oh, um. There's a bit of a problem," Julian says in a panic, pointlessly opening and looking in his briefcase. "You see, I spent last night with my mate, and er, it was sort of a spontaneous decision, and ..."

"I'm a security guard, not an agony aunt," Graham says impatiently.

"What? Oh yes. Right. What I mean is, I didn't realise I'd be staying at his hotel, so I didn't bring the piece of paper with me. We came straight here from there, you see."

"We'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," Graham sighs. "Name?"

"Julian Barratt Pettifer," says Julian.

"No, I don't have you on the list," Graham says, looking through it without success. "Next!"

"Wait, there's got to be a mistake," Julian says in a panic. "Graham, it's me - Julian. We met at the football game, remember?"

"Sorry, I meet so many people in this job," Graham says stonily. "Stand aside please, sir."

"Excuse me, I'm Julian's Case Worker," says Marcus calmly. "I have all his documentation here."

"Is this meant to be his identification photo? It doesn't much look like him," Graham says critically, examining the document. "His skin tone looks very dark in this."

"It's just a problem with the printing process," Marcus says. "If you'd check through his papers carefully, I think you'll find they're all in order."

Eventually Graham is persuaded that Julian really is meant to be assessed that day, and hands over security passes for both Julian and Marcus. Once in the building, they catch up with Noel and Jeannie, and wait for a lift. Crammed in with a dozen other people, Julian listens to the lift music in disbelief - it's a Muzak version of Stairway to Heaven.

"One of our little jokes,"smiles Marcus. "Helps to lighten the mood."

∘•········ʚ ♡ ɞ ········•∘

Assessment Room 6 is large, with tiers of seats looking down to a raised wooden dais in the centre, with a heavy carved desk and chair on it. It reminds Julian of the lecture theatres at uni.

As he makes his way down the rows of seats, Julian sees Edith, Thomas, and Bronwen sitting with their Case Workers, and says a quick hello. A man that Marcus says is the Sheriff of the Assessment Room moves Julian along before they can exchange more than a few words to wish each other good luck, however.

When the Sheriff directs them to their seats, Julian and Noel sit together, flanked by Marcus and Jeannie. Noel puts his hand on Julian's thigh to steady him.

On one side of the assessment room is a gallery of a dozen people. Julian recognises a few of them, including Pauline, the housekeeper from The Wayfarer's Arms, Phil the taxi driver, and Pedro the picnic kiosk guy.

"Are they the jury?" Julian asks Marcus in a loud whisper, gesturing towards them.

Marcus glances over and says, "No. There's no jury, and this isn't a trial. That's the Council of Waystation Residents."

"What are they there for, then?"

"Just to oversee the assessments," Marcus says. "Once in a while, their expertise may be called upon, but that almost never happens."

"You never told me about them."

"Because more than likely, they won't have any major influence over what goes on today," Marcus says. "They're really there as a sort of emergency back-up system more than anything else."

"Oh. Alright."

"Don't get distracted by them," Marcus counsels, leaning over to make sure Noel can hear too. "Concentrate on the judge, and only address remarks to him, okay?"

Jeannie confirms what Marcus is saying, adding, "The Council is mostly there to rubber stamp the judge's decisions. Pay no attention unless the judge involves them, you understand?"

"Gotcha, Jeannie," Noel says. He slouches casually in his seat, but Julian can feel his tension, and he keeps nervously playing with his hair.

The clock on the wall tells them it is only a couple of minutes until nine o'clock.

The Sheriff says loudly, "All rise for Chief Justice Nasati Dharmayama."

Everyone stands up as the black-robed judge enters the room. This is the man who is about to decide their fates.

Judgement Day has arrived.