Salzman made it all the way back to where the search had started. He stopped just a few feet away from Coop and thrust the box into his face, almost colliding with Coop’s nose.

“I win,” he said.

“Excuse me,” said an old woman. She tapped Salzman on the shoulder. He looked down at her, wondering where the old biddy had come from.

“I’ve been looking for a box just like that for my niece,” she said.

“It’s for her sweet sixteen,” said the old man by her side.

“Go away,” said Salzman.

“The box,” said the old woman. “We’d like to buy the box.”

“It’s not for sale, Granny. Beat it.”

“You don’t have to be rude about it,” said the old woman.

“Yes. Manners,” said the old man. He pulled a knife from his pocket and stabbed Salzman in the side. The old woman pulled her own knife and stabbed him in the other side. Salzman gasped. Being dead already, the knives couldn’t kill him, but they sure stung like hell.

Leviathan and Beelzebub smiled wide, revealing as much of their faces as they could. Salzman, a man who’d been alive, then dead, then sort of alive again, and was unused to surprises, was surprised. He stopped struggling with the knives for a second. It was the teeth that fascinated him. So big. So gray and dirty. So many bugs running around them.

And then Leviathan bit off his head, swallowing it whole. Salzman dropped the box and Beelzebub picked it up.

“I guess we win,” she said.

“Not necessarily,” said Coop.

“Not necessarily at all,” said Qaphsiel, strolling over from the elevator. He pushed past Coop and lunged at Beelzebub, snatching the box from her hands.

“It’s mine,” Qaphsiel yelled, using his thundery voice. He held the box over his head. “Mankind, prepare to meet thy doom,” he said, and slowly, delicately—savoring every second of it—began to open the box’s lid.

“Stop!” yelled the stranger.

“Do you have any idea who these people are?” said Bayliss.

Coop shrugged. “I gave up when the fish showed up.”

The stranger lay his hand over Qaphsiel’s, pushing the box’s lid down firmly. Qaphsiel looked at the stranger up and down in disbelief. “Raphael?” he said.

“Yes. It’s I,” said the angel. “Your old friend Raphael. Embrace me, brother.”

Qaphsiel opened his arms to his old friend, and Raphael dove for the box, knocking Qaphsiel flat onto his back.

“What’s wrong with you?” said Qaphsiel, struggling to his feet.

Raphael stepped back. “I can’t let you do it, old friend. This world isn’t going to be destroyed. Not tonight and not by you.”

“What are you talking about? This is my divine quest,” said Qaphsiel.

“It was. It’s not anymore.”

“You’ve spoken to God?”

“Yes,” said Raphael brightly. “He said you should forget the whole quest and come back home.”