Quote
The quote at the start of the chapter is from "I'll Find My Way Home", a 1981 song by Jon & Vangelis - that is, Jon Anderson from the prog rock band Yes, and Vangelis who wrote the theme to the film, Chariots of Fire.

The song is quite special to me, because my mother was a primary school Religious Education teacher, and she used to play it to her class, so it always reminds me of her.

https://youtu.be/ePE9w6D2JWg

The Fragrance in the Room
When he leaves, John Coltrane is accompanied by a divine odour of raindrops on roses and crisp apple strudel because he did a famous jazz version of "My Favourite Things" from the Broadway musical The Sound of Music - his own favourite of the songs he recorded. It predates the film version.

Some saints are said to give off an 'odour of sanctity' at the time of their death - a highly specific scent, usually of flowers, that emanates from them as a sign of divine favour. I liked the idea that John Coltrane leaves behind this delightful fragrance every time he leaves a particular place.

Blue Lotus
The Head Shaman Dennis gives Julian and Noel silver amulets inscribed with the image of a blue lotus, telling them that wearing them while having faith in their hearts provides their best chance of getting home safely. Of course there are no guarantees, as I don't feel that the magic of Forward works that way.

The Blue Lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea) is a type of water lily native to Africa that was cultivated by the Ancient Egyptians. It can range from pale blue to a deep mauve. Paintings of it are common in Egyptian temples and are thought to pertain to the afterlife. In mythology, it was a symbol of the sun god Ra, and the 'egg' in which the universe itself was hatched.

It was the sacred flower of the beautiful god Nefertum, a god of the dawn who wears the blue lotus flower around his head. Images of him were carried for good luck by the Ancient Egyptians.

If eaten, it has psychoactive properties and is banned in some countries as a schedule 1 drug. One theory is that it is the original flower which was ingested by The Lotos Eaters from Homer's Odyssey to lull them into a state of blissful torpor as it is a sedative. The Lotos Eaters are said to have been in modern-day Libya, which fits in with an African lotus.

The idea that the sacred lotus of the Afterlife can help Julian and Noel fall into a divine sleep, with all the power of God and the Universe within it and a ton of good luck, appealed to me. There's also a slight joke that Blue Lotus is a drug when The Shamen Council that Dennis heads took a lot of of them on the TV show!

Heaven Can Wait
At Julian's suggestion that Noel is giving up Heaven for him, Noel giggles that "Heaven can wait." It's a naughty allusion from him of the time he said that "Heaven can get fucked" - cleaned up considerably now that he is the Assessment Room with all these august Afterlife entities about!

Heaven Can Wait is a 1978 comedy fantasy film written, produced and directed by, and starring Warren Beatty about a young man mistakenly taken to Heaven before his time by his guardian angel. Sound familiar?????

The film is based on the play of the same name by Harry Seagall, and the play was earlier turned into a film called Here Comes Mr. Jordan in 1941. You may recall that this was one of the films showing at the Golden Years cinema in Between Life and Death, a major clue that a mistake had been made in Julian's case by the Afterlife bureaucracy which meant that Heaven would have to wait!

Here Comes Mr. Jordan is one of my favourite films, and it inspired quite a few other movies about people getting a second chance through the intervention of angels. It's an absolute joy to watch, highly recommended!!!!

The Bell
Chief Justice Dharmayama rings a bell at the end of the assessment - a reference to "every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings" line from It's a Wonderful Life. It's also a joke about Hell's Bells, only these are very much heavenly ones.

Don't Fear the Reaper
As Julian and Noel get out of Phil's taxi for the last time, the radio is playing "Don't Fear the Reaper", a 1976 song by Blue Öyster Cult. It's a reminder that Phil's role is the Grim Reaper, coming to take souls to the Afterlife, and of course nobody could be afraid of lovely Phil!

I always wanted to put this song in somewhere, and it was a strong contender for the first song that Julian heard on the radio, but it always felt more like a 'farewell' song than a 'welcome' song to me. (Films and TV usually agree with me, as it's often played over the end credits - although it's on a radio at the climax in the horror film Halloween). So I added it to this chapter quite recently.

https://youtu.be/FS8p_F0Stog

Orpheus
Julian is compared to Orpheus, a musician and poet from Greek legend who came to the Underworld in hopes of rescuing his dead wife Eurydice. Between Life and Death is modelled on the story, as Julian was pulled into the Afterlife to bring his soulmate back from the dead.

"Two soulmates, born the same day"
As they prepare to get into bed ready to go back to Earth, Julian has one of of his trademark worry sessions. He's only been told how to go back to Earth in order to be reborn, and wonders if they might end up in a new life after all.

The upbeat Noel tells him that even if this happens, it will fine. They'll be soulmates born the same day and grow up together. Noel truly has the right attitude for Forward! Although even he goes a bit wobbly when he really thinks about it.

This is a reference to The Mighty Boosh TV show. The age gap between Noel and Julian's characters often changed or was left ambiguous, but in the episode "The Fountain of Youth" they are shown to be exactly the same age, and to have attended both school and college together.

"That's how it works with us"
Noel assures Julian that because he already knows of Julian, he will be able to find him when they go back to Earth, even though neither of them will remember the other. He says, "I think that's how it works with us", a catchphrase from The Mighty Boosh TV show, where it is always Noel/Vince's job to find and rescue Julian/Howard.

"Little man"
Julian says, "I love you, little man" as he gives Noel his final farewell kiss in the Afterlife. In The Mighty Boosh TV show, "little man" was Julian/Howard's most affectionate way of addressing Noel/Vince.

Noel Reality Check
If you ever thought during the story that Noel was more practical and less "spiritual" than Julian, for want of a better word, there's a reason for that. While both Julian and Noel are atheists in real life, Julian is more of a doubting, searching atheist who isn't quite sure he really is one. In contrast, Noel was brought up an atheist and genuinely doesn't believe in anything other than the material world.

Some people seem to imagine that atheists are going to have their minds blown by the Afterlife, or even be devastated by what they discover. That doesn't happen in this story - for a start, negative feelings are taken away at the Waystation, so nobody is upset when they discover that it isn't exactly like the teachings of any earthly religion. 

Nor does the story ever say that atheism is definitely incorrect, or at least, no more incorrect than any other philosophy. I feel as if a commonsense atheist like Noel would immediately accept the Waystation as simply an extension of the material world and wouldn't be fazed at all.

In the story when Julian realises that he and Noel will be famous at the Waystation, Noel replies that he always knew he would become famous. In real life, Noel has said that he knew even as a child that he would be famous one day.

Characters

Mary Gideon
Julian cannot help blushing slightly when Mary offers him a chaste kiss on the cheek goodbye, and Noel says with a glint in his eye, "I knew you had a thing for that Gideon woman."

This is a reference to the first series of The Mighty Boosh TV show, where Julian/Howard had a crush on Mrs Gideon, who runs the reptile house at the zoo where they work. This always made Noel/Vince rather jealous. Mrs Gideon is played by Victoria Wicks.

Nasati Dharmayama
Nasati Dharmayama wishes Julian and Noel a safe journey home. The word nasati is from the Proto-Indo-European for "safe return home". Once again, I gave away the ending of the story!!!!

Pauline
When Julian says goodbye to Pauline, she gives him permission to ask why she sent him back to Earth last time (for this, his current life). He decides that he no longer needs to know, but understands she must have had a good reason. He's at last learned to have a little faith in the workings of the Universe! Of course, we know that Pauline didn't want him to miss out on working with Noel and becoming a household name through his comedy career.

While writing the story, I ended up realising that if there is a God in Between Life and Death, it is almost certainly the kind and very wise Pauline who seems to be behind everything that happens. I didn't plan it that way, but I feel as if that is the inescapable conclusion. And it doesn't seem weird that God would be the soulmate of the Grim Reaper!!!!

Monty
Monty the lift operator is the last person to say goodbye to Julian and Noel before they leave the Waystation. It seemed appropriate since he is a keeper of doors and transportation. The last words they hear are another homely blessing to "Have a nice life."

Sophia
Although they don't get to say goodbye to Sophia in person, Noel leaves her one final thank you note. Julian teases him for fancying Sophia (although Julian thinks she's lovely too), and it's made clear that having a soulmate doesn't mean you won't ever find anyone else attractive. In real life, both Julian and Noel have long-term female partners that they definitely adore and think are beautiful.