Cosmos is a Greek word for the order of the universe. It implies the deep interconnectedness of all things. It conveys awe for the intricate and subtle way in which the universe is put together.

Carl Sagan  

Phil is there to pick them up at three o'clock. Julian waves to him with The Intelligent Pilgrim's Guide to Sideways, which he'd taken out to show Noel a picture of a deep valley with a river running through it.

"Good afternoon, mates. Hop in," Phil says, before noticing what Julian had in his hand. "I see you been reading my book, squire. Like it?"

Julian is about to say that the book had actually been borrowed from his hotel reading room, before he understands what Phil is saying.

"Oh ... you're Dr Philip Denn? Yeah, I'm enjoying it very much. It's a fantastic book."

"Ah now, none of that doctor stuff," Phil says with mock sternness. "That's only for book covers. I'm just plain old Phil. I'll have you two lads back at the inn before you can say Jack Robinson."

**********************

When they get back to Room 33, Julian feels so tired out from spending hours at the park that all he wants to do is sleep. Noel happily cuddles up to him and puts his head on Julian's chest, saying he could do with a sleepie too. They fall asleep with their arms wrapped around each other and their legs slotted together.

Julian sleeps deeply, and doesn't think anything could be better than waking up to a kiss from Noel. He kisses sleepily back, and gives Noel a slow grin before nuzzling him.

"That was the first thing I noticed about you," Noel tells him.

"What? That I looked tired?"

"No, your smile," Noel says. "You grin like a wolf. It's very fucking sexy. And you look like the kind of bloke who should be playing Hamlet or something. All tortured and wound up."

A shiver goes down the back of Julian's neck.

"Have you seen Withnail and I?" he asks, sounding sharper than he intended.

"No," Noel says blankly. "What's that? Is it something on telly? Because I'm rubbish at keeping up with shows. I'd rather go out with mates, or make something myself."

"It's a film," Julian says. "What you said ... It reminded me ... Anyway, we'll have to watch it together. I mean ... if that's possible."

He'd actually forgotten for a minute that they were in the Afterlife, and only a day away from learning their fates.

"What was the first thing you thought about me, Joo'n?" Noel asks flirtatiously, cocking his head to one side and fluttering his eyelashes.

Julian gives a chuckle, low and dirty. "I wondered if you were a child."

"Pervy!" Noel exclaims, giving Julian a playful slap.

"I made quite sure you weren't before having any improper thoughts," Julian protests.

"God, you sound so fucking shifty when you say that," Noel giggles. "And there aren't any kids at the Waystation, didn't you know that?"

Julian looks surprised, then says, "Well, we haven't seen any. But I just assumed none had died recently. I didn't really think about it."

"It was one of the first things I asked Jeannie," Noel says. "You know how I've got little brothers, well, it made me think ... you know, if something happened .... But Jeannie said that kids don't get assessed."

"So what happens to them?" Julian asks. "Do they go Forward straight away, or do they get sent back to Earth for another round?"

"Jeannie says I don't need to worry about that," Noel says serenely. "She says I'll find out one day, and to concentrate only on things I need to know right now."

"Oh ... I suppose that's sensible," Julian says, remembering that Marcus had said something similar to him.

"Hey, what's this book you've got next to the bed?" Noel asks, leaning over to grab it. "The Art of Loving? Is it a sex manual? Is it filthy?"

"No, it's a philosophy book," Julian replies. "I got it out because ... well, I met you, and ..."

"Joo'n, you don't need a book to teach you how to love," Noel says with exasperation. "It's not a fucking exam. I'm not gonna mark you out of a hundred – if I did, I'd give you a million percent."

"I just don't want to mess anything up," Julian says defensively.

"You don't learn to know how to love," Noel insists. "You just love! It happens naturally."

"I don't know if that's true for me," Julian says, looking unsure of himself.

"Well, I'll give you on-the-job training," Noel says comfortingly, holding his arms wide. "Come here, wolf man."

Julian goes to Noel's arms, but his conscience pricks him. He said he wanted to learn how to love Noel properly, but he wasn't even being honest with him about the likely outcome of his assessment.

"Noel, I need to tell you something," Julian begins hesitantly, when the phone rings.

Julian curses briefly before he answers.

"Good evening, squire. It's Colin at the front desk," Colin says with irrepressible cheeriness. "This is a courtesy call to remind you that you have an appointment at the Hall of Mirrors tonight at 7.20 pm. The shuttle bus will leave here at 6.40 pm on the dot."

"Oh ... thank you very much, Colin," Julian says. "Um, we'd best have an early dinner, then."

"I'll have my Pauline bring you and your guest something to eat," Colin says. "Tonight's special is Roman Surprise."

**********************

Julian informs Noel that the Ancient Romans ate all kinds of things that modern people would find pretty out there, like dormice and dolphins, but when they lift the lids off their plates, it isn't either of those things. Although Julian acknowledges that people in Rome probably would be surprised to be served lasagne with chips.

Noel just says that Pauline makes the best chips in existence, as he crams several into his mouth at once. "They don't serve food like this at my hotel, Ju."

Julian offers Noel half his chips, but Noel turns them down. 

"I think I'm sort of over food now, to be honest. I mean, you never get full here, but you never get really hungry either. Not proper starving hungry. I must be catching up with you. But this meal is brilliant. Pauline is a genius cook."

Noel is washing his face in the bathroom and Julian has just taken his medicine when there is a knock on the door. "Hey up - only me, love."

As soon as Julian opens the door, Pauline begins wheeling her trolley in. "Fresh towels, luvvie. And I've brought clean clothes for Noel to wear this evening."

"Do we need to get dressed up for the Hall of Mirrors?" Julian asks.

"No, luvvie. Wear what you like," Pauline smiles. "I thought Noel might like this, though." The clothing includes a black leather jacket and a black leather studded belt.

"I'm sure he'll love it," says Julian, taking a pair of high-heeled black leather boots from Pauline as well, and unconsciously stroking them .

"Are you worried about tomorrow, luvvie?" Pauline asks searchingly, studying Julian's face.

"Yes, more nervous than worried, I think," Julian says. "I've got Chief Justice Dharmayama, and from what I've heard, he's going to be against me from the start."

"Now luvvie, you mustn't think that," Pauline says, patting Julian's hand. "Judges have got a very hard job to do, and I promise you, all they want to do is what's right and fair. Chief Justice Dharmayama is a very good man, and a very good judge. They can't let everyone go Forward straight away, because well, where would we be then?"

"I suppose ... Forward would be just like Earth," Julian says dully. "There wouldn't even be any point in going Forward."

"That's right, luvvie. There's a ... what you might call an order in the universe. And it's a judge's job to keep that order, just as I keep your room here in order. Whatever happens tomorrow, it will be the right decision, luvvie. You must believe that."

Julian remembers that Pauline was once a judge herself, and thanks her, before asking, "Any tips for me?"

"Have a little faith," she smiles. "In yourself, in your Case Worker, in the judge, and most of all, in the assessment itself."