Jon stared at him with wide eyes. “What does she think of us?”
“Trust me, you don’t want to know. Enjoy the pancakes. Everything else is the price you pay for their deliciousness.”
Jon took two knives and forks from the plate in the middle of the table, handing one to Barion. “Now tell me about hell dimensions ‘in transit’.”
“You remembered that, huh?”
“I did.” They stared at each other for some time, both trying not to laugh. Barion lost it when Jon’s lip started twitching. When Waaseyaa brought them two huge plates stacked with pancakes that were a little larger than the ones usually served in the US, they were still chuckling. Barion’s belly ached. He felt so happy that he could have cried.
After thanking Waaseyaa, Jon took his first forkful of golden-brown fluffy heaven. The moan coming from his lips had Barion’s cock plumping.
“Did I promise too much?”
“No. These are beyond delicious. There needs to be a new word to describe how heavenly they taste.” Jon took another bite. “Just the right consistency—the sugar is perfectly balanced with the butter, and it’s real butter, I taste, isn’t it? And don’t get me started on the berry compote.” The zombie rolled his eyes in ecstasy.
“It’s homemade.” Barion took his own bite, relishing the sweet breakfast. They ate in silence until their worst hunger was sated. Then Jon looked at him again.
“Hell dimensions in transit?”
“Oh, yes. You do know there’s more than one hell, don’t you?”
Jon nodded, licking some berry compote from the corner of his mouth, effectively distracting Barion. “Dre told me a bit about all the different dimensions and how most of them are uninhabitable.”
“Yes. Not all hostile dimensions are hell dimensions, though.”
“What’s the difference?”
“Dimensions that were at some point inhabitable or will be so again sometime in the future are not considered hell dimensions. Only those realms that are truly and always hostile to all things alive carry that title.”
“And you’re going to take me there?”
“To one in transit, yes. You can imagine hell dimensions like big pendulums. They oscillate from one extreme to the other, either so hot you burn the moment you enter them or so cold that you freeze at the spot.”
“Barion, you’re not endearing me to this trip at all.”
“Hear me out.” Barion lifted his hands, waving them around with his fork and knife. “Every pendulum has to pass the quiescent point on its way from one extreme to the other, right?”
Jon nodded slowly.
“The same goes for hell dimensions. They’re either hot or cold, two extremes at the two opposing points of its oscillation.” Barion put down his cutlery. He raised his index fingers, holding them shoulder width apart, illustrating the two possible states a hell dimension usually was in. Jon hung on his every word and Barion couldn’t help but puff up in pride. “Now, on the way from hot to cold or vice versa, the hell dimension experiences a state where both extremes cancel each other out. The quiescent point.”
“Which is the moment I can visit?”
“Exactly!” Barion beamed. His friend was so smart!
“And how do you know it’s safe for me?”
“Easy. I do a quick peak before I let you through.” Barion had it all planned out.
“And how long does this balanced state last?”
“Depends on the shape time has in that dimension. Can be anything from mere seconds to several hundred years.”
“And how do you know?” Jon was done with his pancakes and scraping the last of the compote from his plate.
“I’m taking you to one I’ve visited before and where I’m sure the transit point lasts for years. I’m not irresponsible with your safety.”
“Because if you lost me, Sammy would be on your ass.” Jon winked.
