Will You Choose Virtues or Vices?

Greetings, gentle and curious fellow mortals. My name is Madame Illume, presenter and host of Interviews with the Famous.

“Destiny, aka Fate, is unfamiliar ground to us all, thus an opportunity arises to find out more about this character who we will all meet on Death’s doorstep. Please put your hands together for Destiny!”

Madame Illume and the guests clap with vigor and watch as the god, in human form (imagine Liam Neeson playing Zeus in Clash of the Titans 2010), strides across the raised platform to take a seat on the guest sofa.

“Welcome, Destiny, or would you prefer Fate?” Madame Illume asks.

“A pleasure to be here on earth with you and your guests, Madame Illume.”

Destiny smiles at the host and turns his gaze to her audience. The skin crinkles around his eyes a little.

“Despite common belief, the two are not the same. I am Destiny, the scales, the final destination. The Fates or Spinners — because they spin the course of events from the birth of a human — determine the paths of good and evil a mortal will follow and fulfil their true nature. Madame Illume, you may address me as Lord Zeus.”

“Lord Zeus, apologies for my faux pas. Are you related to these Spinners? How many are there? And what do they do?”

“We are colleagues. There are three. Clotho spins the thread of life and controls the present, Lachesis manages the future and measures the allotted length of the thread, and Atropos masters the past and cuts the thread. Their prophecies unfold in the course of an earthbound sentient being.

“Please tell us, what role do you play in our destinies? We are dying to know.”

“Upon death, my task — one I consider with precision — is to weigh up their deeds.”

“That must be quite harrowing for you, how do you judge a man or a woman’s life?”

“Fortunately, the three women keep a tally of every action taken by every man, woman and child over their lifetime. My role is very much a figurehead. I take my golden scales and the jars of good and evil are weighed.”

“Fascinating. Do you ever have to get involved in any of the decisions made by The Fates?”

“Their rulings are final, there are no appeals. Good and evil are clear cut, there is no middle ground.”

“How would a crime of passion be judged?”

“That is for the Fates to decide, it is outside of my remit.”

“What do you think of your role compared to the greater responsibility of the three women?”

“Hmmm, in my world, these women rule. They use their skills to ensure in the afterworld the values of light are rewarded and the darkness punished.”

“Have you been to the afterworld, Lord Zeus?”

The god chuckles, “it is no place for a deity such as myself. It is only for humans.”

The audience titters in hushed tones.

“Could you enlighten us? What is the afterworld like?”

A complex question, Madame. As a god, I will never know it personally, however, The Spinners tease me with hints now and then. It is tailored to each person. They are rewarded with what they deserve, based on how they lived their lives on earth. For example, a saint will receive all their kindness returned tenfold. On the other side of the scale, a serial killer will experience everything their victims felt and thought amplified by ten.

“That sounds fair. What happens to the people who are a bit of both?”

“It’s all about measures of a life lived on earth. Thoughts, actions, deeds will be repeated for the originator of them, for all eternity in the afterlife.”

“Can an evildoer repent and save themselves from their past?”

“Imagine two jars, one for selflessness the other for immoral acts. Over a lifetime the jars will have deeds added to them, one for virtues the other for vices. There is no grey or middle ground — well, allow me to elucidate — there is no jar to hold everyday life. At this present time on earth, there are no rewards or punishments for passing through life doing neither good nor evil. You are dead at the end of your life. You will feel nothing. One day the lights are on, the next off.”

The audience gasps and ripples of dissension rumble in waves towards the stage.

“Oh, that sounds harsh, Lord Zeus. The audience, it would seem, are most perturbed by your claim.”

“It is a fact, Madam.”

“But, Lord Zeus, you didn’t answer my question. Can a mortal, good or evil, change their fate?”

“The Spinners will tell you, no, what they decide at birth is the course your life will take. Once a deed is done it cannot be taken back and removed from the jar. However, some, who change their ways, who tend those in need of help with no thought of gain for themselves, can fill their good deeds jar. The contents of this jar can outweigh the acts in their evil jar. The reverse is also true.”

“Are you saying to reach the afterworld a human has to be either good or evil and middle of the road gets nothing?”

“Yes. Are you a believer, Madame?”

“Of what, may I ask?”

“Any of the sacred”— Lord Zeus air quotes sacred — “writings held by earthbound idolators which are considered to be the way to live their lives and receive their rightful rewards?”

“You might be surprised to hear that before this show was planned, I was very much an agnostic atheist. But here I am sitting with a real live deity, so what do I know?” Madame Illume smiles towards the god and then encompasses the audience.

“I do revel in assisting mortals to illumination, Madame. Would you like me to give you a sneak preview of your afterworld?”

“Wouldn’t I have to die to see it?” She sits upright and fidgets away from the god, as far as she can in her plush hot pink velvet wingback chair.

“I think we can make an exception for a teaching moment, don’t you?”

The audience, quiet up to this point, start to chant in low voices and build to a frenzy, “show us, show us, show us.”

The host of the show inclines her head a fraction.

Lord Zeus takes a tiny pair of golden scales from his jacket pocket and holds them aloft. His vivid blue eyes focus on the space at the edge of the stage, and they project the life of Madame Illume.

The audience, as one entity, tilt their heads and adjust their focus as though they are in a movie theatre.

We see a man and a woman with a baby swaddled in pink outside a hospital. The man has his arm around the woman, and together they exude an aura of euphoria.

A baby in a pink romper suit, crawling, cruising, toddling. The years flash through educational establishments and family life. A white wedding, a divorce, a career. Success. On the sofa with a god. The movie stops. In the time taken for the movie to play out, several people have got up and left the studio.

“An anti-climax, no?” The presenter releases the tension in her muscles and leans in towards the god.

“The perfect example of the life of the populous, Madame. Looking out for themselves, going with the flow. Some, like yourself, rise above their peers and achieve success yet do nothing with it. Basking in your own sunlight will, at the end of your thread, bring you to the earth and nothingness.”

“This conclusion is what I expect. I live a good life. What more is there to do?”

The audience is transfixed as the host of the show blushes and bristles with self-righteous indignation.

Destiny chooses to disregard his host’s discomfort and continues with his mission.

“What do you most long for? A young woman like yourself must have desires and passions for a fuller life, one of abundance and joy.”

“My time here is spent pursuing opportunities to bring revelations to my audience and viewers at home, Lord Zeus. Perhaps a volunteer from what’s left of the audience would be of more interest, are there any volunteers?”

Swarms of hands shoot to the ceiling. Ignoring the audience, the Liam Neeson lookalike focuses his intimidating stare on his uncomfortable host.

“You offer a tempting proposal. I believe you are diverting attention away from yourself. What are you hiding, Madame Illume? The woman who likes to ask questions of others and expects answers, yet never asks and answers her own calling. Choosing to ignore the power her success gives her and could, in turn, give so much to others.”

We hear a collective, rather loud, inhalation of breath from the audience.

“I have no idea what you mean. This show is everything I ever wanted. It is my life. Tell me what more I could do with it.”

“Madame, you deny yourself the afterworld. The one where everything you have given to others comes back to you tenfold. Which jar will you stuff with deeds? Because to not fill a jar is to not have reached your zenith. Are you content to waste your time on earth to fulfil your scientific belief? Or will you seize time and discover what you can do to serve others who have little to nothing?”

“Why should I do anything for other people? I’ve had to work bloody hard to get to where I am, I want to enjoy the fruits of my labour while I can.”

Madame Illume hangs her head, her face flushed and anger threatening.

First, there is one boo, then another, and another until everyone in the audience joins in. Lord Zeus speaks and the disapproving stops.

“You are still conflicted. You are ashamed of yourself for taking the path of least resistance. An easy life is the dream scenario on this planet, correct? Get in from a hard day at the office, kick your heels off, and peel back that gourmet ready meal for one. Maybe open a single glass bottle of Prosecco — one has to maintain control of calories, after all. Netflix will show you writer’s dreams of utopia and imagined dystopias for your entertainment. All the while you are distracting yourself from the pain you don’t want to feel rather than thinking how you might make your mark on the real broken world.”

“I have made a mark, damn you! What do you think this show is? I invited a god and he accepted. No other chat show has achieved that. Ever.”

“My intention is not to belittle you or your achievements, they are spectacular. However, your thread is glowing with unspent life. Trust me, within you, you have the ability to change the world for the better.”

“I do?” Madame Illume shakes her head, as though to clear her mind.

“Or you can do nothing. Continue as you are and squander your afterlife. Are you not the least curious?”

“What would I do to make a difference? I’m not an ambassador, I’m no Princess Diana, and I’m not destined to mend the world.”

“Have faith in your guest. To realise your true destiny, I am here to give you a superpower. Name it.”

“You are joking! I don’t know. You can’t spring this type of thing on a woman and expect her to come back with the perfect choice within a second or two. Members of the audience help me out, will you?”

Silence.

What one superpower would you ask of a god so you can change the way the world thinks and acts for the betterment of humanity?