The Mountaintop

Stunned by Camae’s revelation, King questions why she lacks wings. Gesturing to her breasts, she replies “These’ll get me anywhere I need to go” (25), and that she is to take him to heaven. She says he will be dead soon, and apologizes for calling him Michael—but knew it would calm him. Still in shock, King notes Camae isn’t how he imagined angels, and she says neither is he, but God sent her because she knows what he likes. She reveals a young girl named Bunny prayed for her father not to die alone. Bunny is the nickname of King’s daughter, Berniece, and he is touched.

Camae acknowledges King is scared, drawing his attention to the door, which has started to warp—with fire and hands reaching underneath. As a Black man, he replies fear is a constant, that he is never safe. However, he appreciates fear as a sign that one is alive. Camae finally informs King that he will die the next day. Taken aback, he insists he has too much to do, but she replies he can’t fight every fight, complaining that he is making her job difficult. He angrily points out how hard his death will be for his family.