In light of the finale, I really want to discuss this little bit at the end of the novel.
Aziraphale held out his hand. “Nice knowing you,” he said.
Crowley took it.
“Here’s to the next time,” he said.
It's the end of the world. Aziraphale and Crowley have spent the whole book trying to stop it and have just realized they were completely ancillary to the plot and the world is going to end or be saved no matter what they do. Sounds like it should be time for some sort of love confession, right?
But instead, Aziraphale tells Crowley there was goodness in him. Crowley takes his hand, and says THAT.
Now this bit has always bugged me. What next time? Is this just a flippant joke? Does it hint to something more time loopy? A secret, third option?
Well, since the season 3 finale, it's absolutely number three.
Here's to the next time, Crowley says, as if they've done this before, a million times, across infinite numbers of universes, and he knows it, or has little glimpses of infinity. Here's to the next time, because in some universes they make it and in some they don't. Here's to the next time, because sometimes Aziraphale tells him he loves him and other times he falls for heaven's games again. Here's to the next time, because like Hadestown says, "maybe it will turn out this time."
And, in the little slice of infinity we got to see in the finale, it does. 💙
