What difference does it make?” Shair says quietly. His hands move to his belly and his eyes droop, forlorn. “The dead are dead. The dying will soon be dead. Only the living can stand and be counted.” “It makes all the difference in the world. It is the difference between heaven and hell,” I say. “Heaven and hell,” Shair scoffs. “As if those are two separate places. As if you and I have not already stood in both!”
