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diff --git a/old/rvtim10h.htm b/old/rvtim10h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c71c353 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/rvtim10h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,5494 @@ +<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> +<html> +<head> +<title>THE REVOLUTIONS OF TIME</title> +<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content= +"text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> +<style type="text/css"> +<!-- +body {margin:10%; text-align:justify} +blockquote {font-size:14pt} +P {font-size:14pt} +--> +</style> +</head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Revolutions of Time, by Jonathan Dunn + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!***** + + +Title: The Revolutions of Time + +Author: Jonathan Dunn + +Release Date: August, 2005 [EBook #8735] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on August 6, 2003] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE REVOLUTIONS OF TIME *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Dunn + + + + + +</pre> + +<center> +<h2>THE REVOLUTIONS OF TIME</h2> + +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>By Jonathan Dunn</h3> +</center> + +<br> +<br> +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<p style="text-align: center">Note to the reader:</p> + +<p>The manuscript for this book was found in a weather-beaten +stone box on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Its contents were +written in an ancient form of Latin, which was translated and +edited by Jonathan Dunn.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<p style="text-align: center">Dedicated to Bernibus,</p> + +<p style="text-align: center"><em>amicus certus in re incerta +cernitur.</em></p> + +<p><strong>Table of Contents:</strong></p> + +<p>Chapter 1: Past and Present</p> + +<p>Chapter 2: Predestined Deja Vu</p> + +<p>Chapter 3: Zards and Canitaurs</p> + +<p>Chapter 4: Onan, Lord of the Past</p> + +<p>Chapter 5: The Treeway</p> + +<p>Chapter 6: The Fiery Lake</p> + +<p>Chapter 7: Down to Nunami</p> + +<p>Chapter 8: The Temple of Time</p> + +<p>Chapter 9: Mutually Assured Deception</p> + +<p>Chapter 10: Devolution</p> + +<p>Chapter 11: The Land Across the Sea</p> + +<p>Chapter 12: The White Eagle</p> + +<p>Chapter 13: The Big Bang</p> + +<p>Chapter 14: Past and Future</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<p>...The very men who claimed mental superiority because they +were free from superstitions and divine disillusionment were +themselves victims of their own sophism, and while they thought +themselves crowned with enlightenment, it was naught but the +Phrygian caps of their prejudices toward the material state.</p> + +<p style="text-align: center"><em>- Jehu, the Kinsman +Redeemer</em></p> + +<p>The physical manifestation of the spiritual force is not the +spiritual force at all, only a bland deception. If you only focus +on what you can see directly, than you chase after only the +representation and not the object desired. If a bird is flying +through the sky at noontime, casting a shadow on the ground below +him, and a man comes along, and in the hope of catching the bird +chases after its shadow, it is evident that he will never catch +it, for when he does reach it, he will find that there is nothing +there at all, only the shadow of what it was he desired. So it is +with the spiritual!</p> + +<p style="text-align: center"><em>- Onan, Lord of the +Past</em></p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 1: Past and Present</h3> + +<p>My name is Jehu. Most probably it sounds foreign and +unfamiliar to you, devoid of the qualities of affection and +personality which give character to a name. It is a harsh name, +cold and inhuman, like something out of the night, an unwelcome +intruder into the warmth of familiarity. It inspires no blissful +memories, nor does it kindle fond feelings in the bosom of the +hearer, instead the heart is hardened to it like the feathers of +a duck to water, repulsing it, leaving it to run off into the +ditches and by-ways of the long forgotten past, to trickle +dejectedly into those stagnant ponds where so many words of +wisdom are imprisoned: out of sight, out of mind, out of heart, +out of history. Yet while history is forgotten and misconstrued, +it is repeated, for what is life without water, which nourishes +and sustains it, and what is life without wisdom, which protects +and cultivates it?</p> + +<p>Jehu is my name, though it no longer brings the quickened +pulse and keen anticipation of happiness to the hearts of any, +not even my own. For what deference can be given to a name, +though not in itself a thing of dishonor, which represents the +failure to derail the evitable fate which wrecks the race of man +again and again. Not that I myself embody such a failure, nor +even that I gave birth to the dreaded fate’s latest +momentum, but as is seen time and again throughout history, one +name is brought to represent the tide of change, for better or +worse, the doer of deeds which were done not by him, but by a +mass of independent doers, yet it is written in the annals of +history as the deeds of but one man.</p> + +<p>While I had little to do, consciously, with the doom of the +earth, I will always be fingered as the villain, as the ambitious +Napoleon or the barbaric Atilla, the arrogant Augustus or the +fearful Cyrus. Someone has to bear the burden of shame on the +pages of history for the people of his time, and in that sense, +maybe I truly can be called their kinsman redeemer. Perhaps it is +my fate to bear witness to the wrongs of a people, of which even +you are not wholly innocent.</p> + +<p>And yet can an individual be blamed for the faults of a +society, can personal responsibility be extended to the members +of an unknown multitude? How the enjoined conscience of one longs +to say no, but in good faith it cannot be said, for in this case +the mask of ignorance cannot supersede the face of guilt. Indeed, +ignorance in this case only adds to the shame of the guilty, this +being a crime not of misdeeds but of negligence, twisted together +with the vices of humanity into a thick and sturdy cord, a rope +that cannot be pulled apart and individually examined, yet must +be taken as a whole. Insularly, the strand of ignorance could be +easily snapped, remedied by but a little education, yet when +woven together by one’s own hands with prides and +prejudices, it forms an unbreakable rope, which is placed about +our neck to hang us: through means of our own doing is our fate +foretold. If but one or two of the strands were omitted, the +result would be a feeble rope, easily broken, and we would live. +But by our own vices is our mortality made manifest, by our own +wrongs are we wronged.</p> + +<p>By now you may be beginning to feel the impulses of +indignation arising in your breast, for who am I, the admittedly +despicable Jehu, to group you as my fellow convicts, my +co-conspirators, in a sense? And you are right, for I am not your +judge and neither do I wish to be.</p> + +<p>Having said that, I now request of you to put down the book +and discontinue reading.</p> + +<p>“Surely,” you say to yourself, “He is +mentally deranged, for what author in his right mind would +encourage his readers to disperse, what writer does not thrive on +the digestion of his words by an eager audience?”</p> + +<p>Here I must make a revelation to you: if my manuscript has +indeed been found, then I have long since been dead; and I assure +you that in whatever form my existence takes in the present, I +have little desire for your intrigue or goodwill. Do you think +Melville is consoled in death of his miserable life by the +vainglorious praises of the living? Or do you think that Poe is +comforted by such avid attentions in his present abode? In truth, +Melville’s only rivalry is now within, and Poe’s only +raven that daunting memory of those truths which had escaped him +in life, but which now are opened to you.</p> + +<p>More importantly, if this manuscript has been found, it proves +that what is contained herein is the unerring truth. I do not +write this to exonerate myself, however let me say here that I am +more the Andre’ than the Arnold, for I was but the emissary +of history, not the traitor to humanity, and if not me then some +other would have filled the void. Let it be remembered that it +was Andre’ who gave his life for his deeds, and yet it is +Andre’ who is recollected with a sweet sorrow, and though +Arnold lived, he had no peace. Yet while history is vivid and +encyclopedic, in itself a living organism, it can speak only +through the mouths of men, who often misrepresent it for their +own partisan and prejudiced plans. It is strong and steadfast, +though, and in time is always victorious over its menial +opposition, for what is history but the past tense of truth, and +it is justly said that <em>veritas numquam perit</em>, truth +never dies.</p> + +<p>Going back to what I said before, namely that at my +manuscript’s discovery my demise will itself be history: I +am assured that such is true, for even now as I write this my +death is near at hand. How wide the abyss of time that separates +us is I cannot tell, but I do know that it is beyond the +reckoning of men, such an unknown barrage of hollow, formless +years. Yet as you read this it is as if I were speaking directly +to you, despite all of the desolation between our times. That is +what makes history an organic being, and by history I mean all of +the past, or all of the future, depending on your viewpoint.</p> + +<p>A book is a connection between times and peoples, more so than +any other medium. As I put these words down in writing, it is as +if I am imparting my very self into the pages. And as you read +them, the name Jehu slowly forms into an image, into a +personality, and from the empty word Jehu comes the great well of +affection springing from a personal intimacy. A book is an enigma +in which no time exists, and as it is read it brings the reader +into its eternal being, for while it sits closed on a shelf it is +no more than a forgotten memory, yet when it is opened its +contents come to life and its characters and locations are once +more existent in the same state as when they were written, the +story becomes once more reality.</p> + +<p>While I have long been deceased, when you read this I am +brought to life once more, and with my rebirth I tell you my +story, and make known to you the truths contained therein. The +words of this book are a rune gate, a portal to the past, and as +you read them, your present fades away and you are drawn into my +present, this very moment in which I now write. Then you connect +with me intimately, and for a brief time the gulf of mortality is +transcended and the depths of my being are laid open to you. We +commune together and you eat of my flesh and drink of my blood, +merging your existence with mine.</p> + +<p>Come to me now, my friend, come to me across the gulf of +mortality, for I await you. Come, and in your spiritual +peregrination meet with me, in this land of the past which is so +foreign and unfamiliar to you, but which will become for a time +your home. Come to me, my friend, and let me tell you my +story.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 2: Predestined Deja Vu</h3> + +<p>It was in the last stages of sleep that I began to feel the +warm morning sun strike my face, and hear the pleasant chirping +of birds and crickets. I rolled slowly over, stretched my legs +and my back, and stood up, with the last remnants of a dream +playing quietly in my mind. But as I came to my feet and got a +clear view of where I was, I realized it was not a dream that I +had had at all, but something far more sobering. I found myself +somewhere in the center of a very large prairie which covered the +land for many miles around. From the sun’s lowly position +on the eastern horizon, it was evident to me that the new day was +just dawning, casting a golden hue on the grasses that covered +the prairie’s surface.</p> + +<p>Around the distant outskirts of the plain I could make out a +ring of trees circumventing the whole, waving almost +imperceptibly to and fro in the light breeze that was blowing. A +few miles to the southwest there was a group of odd looking trees +stretching up over the horizon to a considerable height. They +were closer than the outer ring, which kept a uniform girth +around the prairie, but somehow they looked very peculiar and +foreboding, and I got one of those sobering feelings which I like +to call predestined deja vu. What I mean is that I got a sense of +deja vu, but instead of the past converging with the present into +one thought, the present seemed to converge with the future, and +the result was a mysterious foreboding of something, though I +couldn’t tell what. That is the sensation that I had when I +saw what I assumed to be a small grouping of trees somewhere in +the southwestern portion of the savanna, though that was merely a +guess, for in the distance I could only make out several dark +forms rising out of the grassland like trees, or possibly +buildings, one of them being a great deal taller than the others, +with a spherical shape on top that only faintly resembled a +tree’s crown. If it was indeed a tree, it was the largest +that I have ever seen, for it looked to be upwards of 800 feet +tall.</p> + +<p>My mental warning bells were ringing quite loudly, and I +endeavored to silence them by extreme exertions of the will, but +they would not be subdued. I assumed that they were not at all +correct, much like the fearful expectancy some have while +swimming in the ocean, out of sight of all land, of being +attacked by an enormous leviathan of the deep. As unfounded as +the fear is, it places one into a frenzy of dubious thoughts that +inspire equally frantic and anarchist actions. Because of this, I +thought that my ideas were naught but superstitious fancies, yet +try as I might, I could not rid myself of them.</p> + +<p>Instead, I made up my mind to set off in the opposite +direction, north, and to advance at a double march until I should +reach the woody border, which looked to present shelter not only +from the southern apparitions, but also from the shielded +underworld of the grasses, in which also dwelt the mysterious +sense of fear and predestined deja vu. It was slightly chilly, +but beyond that nothing defaced the temperate beauty of the day, +and even that promised to soon dissipate with the continual +strengthening of the sun’s warmth. As I walked, or rather, +trotted along, it did just that, and in the growing warmth of the +day the sweet fragrances of the many various grasses rose to the +surface, delighting my odor perceiving sensors with their earthy +simplicity.</p> + +<p>The day marched on, and with it I, and the distant wall of +trees began to slowly grow closer. At length, I found myself at +their edge, at around the noon hour, and as I came upon the first +of them, I leaned against the trunk of a large, thickset tree for +a moment of repose and reflection in its shade. It was by all +appearances an ancient wood, for the line between it and the +prairie was distinct, appearing as if the shrubs and lesser flora +had acquiesced to fate and retreated beyond the forest’s +claimed boundaries, rather than continue for countless ages to +charge and then be pushed back, to gain a foothold only to be +thrown out a year or two later. The trees themselves were mighty +pinions of strength, tall and of great girth, and spread far +apart from one another, leaving wide open spaces between their +towering trunks. A short, soft grass clothed the land that +stretched on in their midst, joined in its solitude by a hearty +looking moss that stretched itself out on the trunks of the trees +and on the rocks and boulders that lay scattered here and there +among the open spaces. Far above, the trees’ great branches +spread out a thick canopy, covering the whole of the forest area +in a relaxing and invigorating twilight, rendering itself homely +and quaint. After a few moments of enjoying that most pleasing +scene, I roused and extricated myself unwillingly from its +enchanted depths and set off once more into the heart of the +woods, having no where else to go.</p> + +<p>After a time, I cannot say how long, I came upon a small, +trickling stream which flowed deeper into the woods, that +direction being northward. A short walk along its path, after +refreshing myself to content with its pure waters, brought me to +its destination: a large lake into which the forest opened. Its +banks were very gradual and the grass of the woodland led right +up to the water’s edge. The surface of the water itself was +smooth and delicate.</p> + +<p>Amidst the pleasantness of the scene, there was something +missing from the feel of the area: inhabitants. There was an +abundance of wild life of all kinds, and much organic life as +well, but something greater than flora or fauna was missing: +people. I had traveled so far, and without any sighting of a +person. It was a lonely and desolate feeling which prevailed, +despite the abundances of life. Novelties soon grow worthless +with no one to share them with, ideas become meaningless if not +communicated timely, emotions grow boisterous and uncontrollable +with no end to receive them.</p> + +<p>I was quite alone, unfortunately, and it dampened my spirits +considerably. Feeling despondent, I turned and walked sullenly +from the lake’s edge into the woodland once more, with no +definite purpose in mind, only a meandering thought of my dismal +situation. My thoughts morphed, in succession, from anxiety to +despair, to anger, to frustration, and in my frustration I knelt +down and picked up a fallen branch from the ground, walked to the +nearest tree, and eyed a strange, protruding knob that stuck out +from the trunk. I held the branch at shoulder’s length and +swung it at the knob with all the force of my built up emotions. +It hit with a crash and a hollow thud, leaving the branch broken +and my arm sore, but the knob undamaged.</p> + +<p>But then something unexpected happened: with a grating noise, +a small hole appeared part way up the trunk, coming from what +looked to be solid wood, for no sign was seen before of its +having an opening. From the newly opened hole was then thrust out +a head, hairy and with a short snout-like edifice for a nose and +mouth. Its eyes and the furry hair which covered its face were +brown, and a few wily whiskers protruded from its snout. With a +look of utter surprise, as if it had not expected me as much as I +had not expected it, it eyed me closely for a moment and then +looked anxiously from side to side and told me to come in.</p> + +<p>When those words passed its lips, or whatever artifice it +spoke from, a great weight fell from my shoulders. After a short +moment, quickened by my relief, a door appeared in the trunk of +the tree, its edges previously hidden behind the thick mosses. +Swinging inwards, it opened and revealed the creature standing +there, beckoning me to enter. I did, and the door shut behind me, +leaving me in the darkness of the hollow tree.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 3: Zards and Canitaurs</h3> + +<p>My eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness, and once they did I +saw that the trunk was hollowed out to the extent of eight feet +in diameter, with two stairways, one up and another down, filling +either corner of the small entry room in which I found myself. +Observing that my vision was returned enough to see, the strange +creature which had greeted me led me down the descending +staircase for a short way, until we came into a cavern which was +delved beneath the roots of the tree.</p> + +<p>The walls and floor of the cavern, or more accurately, the +sitting room, for such it appeared to be, were paneled with a +thick, heavy wood with an almost artificially symmetric grain, +and the ceiling was done in diagonal boards of the same. Sitting +in the center of the room was a brick-laid pit in which burned an +illuminating fire, and around it was placed an odd covering frame +that caught up the smoke and channeled it via underground +passages to some distant wilderness, where its sightless remnants +would dissipate into the atmosphere unnoticed. On the near side +of the fire was a round table flanked by four large, comfortable +chairs, padded by cushions made from the same material as the +various carpets and tapestries around the room.</p> + +<p>There were two more of the strange creatures seated at the +table, called Canitaurs as I later found out, and as they are +closely entwined with my story, being prominent participants, I +will describe them in some detail here. They stood erect like a +man, yet were quite contrasted in appearance. Their skin for one +was covered in a thick, impenetrable coat of hair, much like a +dog or a bear’s. Their hands, also, were less distinct in +the fingers, though but slightly, and their limbs were a little +longer and thicker than a man’s. The two most notable +differences, however, were the formation of their shoulders and +chest, which were very pronounced and muscular, and their faces. +The latter’s features were brought to a point in the short +snout, or muzzle, that formed their nose and mouth, taking their +chins with it and leaving a long line from their neck to their +chest open. Humanity prevailed in the rest of their features, +though, giving them the look of a man and canine hybrid.</p> + +<p>By then I had overcome my initial perplexion at the sight of +the Canitaurs, and I endeavored to put a strong check over my +emotions in order to prevent another outbreak of panic and to +remain cool and candid, come what would. Yet it was, ironically, +the product of my rashness that I had found their habitation at +all. This I successfully did, and as I entered the room, led by +the Canitaur who was on watch, the others stood politely and +greeted me with an apparent intrigue.</p> + +<p>Our conversation proceeded at follows:</p> + +<p>“I am Wagner of the Canitaurs, my friend,” said +the one who appeared to be the leader, “And these are +Taurus and Bernibus,” the latter being the one who had led +me down. “Welcome to Daem.”</p> + +<p>“I am Jehu,” I told them, “It is a pleasure +to meet you.”</p> + +<p>“Indeed, and under such circumstances as well. Tell me, +how did you come to be here?”</p> + +<p>Here I smiled nervously, and replied, “I am a traveler +from a distant land, and came here by the advice of a +friend.”</p> + +<p>At this somewhat false answer, more in character than in +content, Wagner looked at me wonderingly, as if detecting my +falsehood, but did not follow his look with any probing +questions, to my great relief. In order to steer the conversation +away from this point, I added quickly, “I am not at all +disappointed, either, for the landscape is beautiful and the +trees and foliage are wondrously large, but I was surprised to +find that, from the prairie to the lake, I saw no one living +among these quaint locations.”</p> + +<p>Wagner looked at me closely, with a hint of almost reverencing +respect and said, “You were very fortunate in your travels, +I assure you, for had you arrived at any other time, you would +have fallen into fouler hands than ours by far.”</p> + +<p>“I do not understand what you mean,” I said.</p> + +<p>“Of course not, I am forgetting your new arrival has +left you unacquainted with affairs that I am faced with everyday. +Let me explain: we, that is, the Canitaurs, have been in open +hostilities with the other group of people on this island, the +Zards, for as long as we can remember. They have great military +superiority in this section of Daem, and when we come here we are +forced to live in hiding, in outposts such as this +one.”</p> + +<p>“Why not just make peace?” I asked.</p> + +<p>“Because it is our ideologies that conflict, neither +group of us will yield, and the solution can only be decided by +force, military force. It is fortunate that you have come among +us first, for they would have mistreated you.”</p> + +<p>“So you have said, though I do not see why I was not +captured by them on my journey through the plains, if they are as +powerful in this quarter as you say,” I replied.</p> + +<p>“As I said, the timing of your arrival was very +fortunate,” he said, “At any other time you would +have surely been caught, and then your fate would have been +uncertain, but yesterday was the Zard’s new year, the +Kootch Patah, on which they spend all night in celebrations and +revelries. Because of this, they were all soundly asleep on your +trip through the prairie, very possibly laying at your feet, +covered by the tall grasses.”</p> + +<p>So my fears were not as unfounded as I had thought, was my +predestined deja vu, then, real as well? Only time would +tell.</p> + +<p>“I am indeed lucky then, as you have said, not only in +the Zard’s unattentiveness, but also in finding of your +secreted habitation, as well as your friendly welcoming of +me,” I said.</p> + +<p>“I must confess,” he chuckled, “It is not +merely from a one-sided hospitality that you are +welcomed.”</p> + +<p>“Indeed?” I said.</p> + +<p>“Indeed,” he answered, “For your appearance +and the circumstances of your arrival are almost uncannily the +realizations of one of our most ancient prophesies, one which we +have longed to have fulfilled.”</p> + +<p>“Is that so?” I rhetorically asked.</p> + +<p>“Surely it is,” he said with a smile, though from +happiness or humor I could not tell. He went on soberly, saying: +“The prophecy is concerning the kinsman redeemer, one of +the ancients sent by Onan, the Lord of the Past, to redeem us +from the destruction of this polluted world.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean by ‘one of the +ancients’?” I interjected questioningly.</p> + +<p>“Exactly what I said,” Wagner replied with a light +hearted smile, “Let me explain.”</p> + +<p>But before he could, we were interrupted by a violent +scratching and pounding at the door, along with some grunting +voices which I could not understand. The Canitaur’s ears, +which were quite large, though more erect and postured than +floppy, quickly rose to attention, and they had spent not a +moment listening when they uniformly chorused, +“Zards,” in a hoarse whisper. My earlier fear, then +mysterious but now understood, returned in full force, and my +face writhed in horror as I ejaculated remorsely, “Then we +are lost.”</p> + +<p>Wagner turned gravely towards me and said, “Perhaps, but +there is still hope. Come, follow me,” and rising from his +chair he led the way to the furthest corner of the room. A +primitive tapestry was hanging there, and Wagner lifted it up +while Bernibus and Taurus hit two hidden switches, one being on +either extremity of the room, to avoid discovery. That unlocked +the wall behind the tapestry. It opened along lines previously +concealed by the wood’s grain and revealed a small +cubbyhole built into the wall, probably meant for its present +use, concealment. Wagner led us into it and no sooner was the +door, or wall, latched again than the Zards, having broken down +the outside door by brute strength, flooded into the room.</p> + +<p>We could see them as they did, for the wall that concealed us +had many small holes, and the tapestry as well, so that on the +inside we could see all that happened in the well lit room, while +they could not see us, as there was no light to reveal us. +Indeed, I had been sitting facing the hidden compartment during +our brief dialog and had not detected it at all. The situation +was quite different at that time, though, for the Zards were +actively looking for us, whereas I was merely glancing +occasionally at the wall.</p> + +<p>Now that they were closer, I could easily understand their +conversation:</p> + +<p>“Blast it, they aren’t here,” said one,</p> + +<p>“Probably deserted the place after Garlop saw them, he +should have kept watch.”</p> + +<p>“Why? He couldn’t have stopped a group of them, +and they’re too keen to be followed.”</p> + +<p>“Aye, he did right to hurry off, but it would be a shame +if they escaped,” another joined.</p> + +<p>“The King is here though, and there’s no fooling +him.</p> + +<p>“Hear ye, hear ye,” the others assented, that +being a common phrase among them which was the equivalent of an +‘I agree’ or ‘Amen’.</p> + +<p>A larger, more commanding Zard, whom the others looked in +deference to, then came down the stairs, saying as he entered the +room, “Let us not celebrate prematurely, gentlemen. There +is nothing of interest above, so we will have to search carefully +down here.”</p> + +<p>“Sir, is it true it was a hairless one he saw?” +one asked him.</p> + +<p>“We are all hairless here,” he said, laughing with +the others, “But yes, it is reported that Garlop saw one of +the ancients, and with his sharp eyes and knowledge of history, +it is assumed to be true. I need not remind you, then, the need +to find them before they are too far away, it is imperative to +the cause that the ancient is not brought to the hidden fortress +of our adversaries.”</p> + +<p>The Zards then set to work with great assiduity searching for +any clues of the Canitaur’s whereabouts, examining +everything meticulously, yet quickly. They tore the furniture +apart to look for hidden compartments, followed the smoke pipes +through the ground to their outlets, tore off the floor boards to +look for secret passages, and did the same to the ceiling.</p> + +<p>Before I continue with my story, let me pause for a moment to +describe to you the appearance of the Zards, for you are probably +curious as to what they look like.</p> + +<p>Quite different from the Canitaurs, they were, in fact, +completely hairless, being almost lizard-like. They stood erect, +about the same height as a man, that is, about six feet or a +little over that, and their bodies resembled those of alligators, +with short, thickset legs, stout arms, and a long body with a +tail draping down to the ground, looking like a giant tongue, +though covered, of course, in scales. Their heads were small, +having a little skull on which were the eyes and ears and with a +long snout that, like the Canitaurs’, held their noses, +mouths, and chin. Huge, sharp teeth filled their mouths and gave +them an odd, fiercely sophisticated look. Their hands were thick +with long fingers, and though their overall appearance had an air +of awkwardness about it, they set to their tasks with great +dexterity, though if it was natural or the result of their +excited state, I could not tell. Indeed, I began to grow worried +when the Zard who was removing the walls, to check for holes or +tunnels, drew near to us as he methodically pried off the panels +with a metal bar and looked for anything suspicious.</p> + +<p>He moved along quickly and was just about to put the bar to +our covering and pull when another Zard, on the other end of the +room, held aloft a piece of paper, calling the attentions of the +others to it. Our almost discoverer went himself to the other +Zard, and we were, for a moment at least, saved from being +exposed. Having read the paper, the taller Zard, the King, said +to the others, “Well done, lads. We have here a map to the +Canitaur’s hidden fortress. Let us go to Nunami, gather +some troops, and surprise them. Today may prove victorious, so +let us hurry.”</p> + +<p>The others assented and as a body they went up the stairs and +out the door, hurrying forth, it seemed, to do their dastardly +deeds, and in their ardor not leaving behind even a single one to +guard the hideout. Despite our good fortunes, my spirits were +damp, for my sorrow of the Canitaur’s ill fate was as a +wound in my bosom, knowing that I had been the sole reason for +their discovery. What a good kinsman redeemer, I thought, for my +coming may have ended the wars, or put its completion in motion, +yet not in the favor of my hosts.</p> + +<p>To my chagrin, however, the Canitaurs, led by Wagner, were +buxom, seeming to find great humor in what had happened. Turning +to them in a zealous perplexity, I said spiritedly, “How +can you laugh? You may have escaped, but your brethren are +doomed, and you yourselves will not last long around enemies +without the protection of the other Canitaurs.”</p> + +<p>But my rebuke only seemed to make their laughter and mirth +more hearty, and they raged on without ceasing for a time. After +a while, when they were reduced to a smiling remnant of their +former pleasure, Wagner turned gravely towards me and said, +“Forgive me, Jehu, for not explaining it to you. You are +right to chastise us, but the situation is not as you seem to +think it, for the map they found was a fake, and will lead them +to nowhere of importance, while we affect our escape. We are +lucky that they left no guard, but come, let us not tempt fate +and remain any longer in this compromised outpost, to the +fortress we go!”</p> + +<p>He finished and met with the approbations of the others, and +accordingly, we exited the cubby hole and made our way through +the rummaged room, up the stairs, and out of the tree. It was now +early evening, and the temperance of twilight, with its soft and +mellow splendors, only increased the pleasantness of the area. A +slight breeze prevailed and rustled the leaves and boughs of the +giant trees just enough to render it pacifying and comforting. +Being quickened by the breeze, the lake danced on in its earlier +smoothness, only in a faster tempo, improving the ruggedness of +the watery wrinkles. The last visiting rays from the sun were +congregated on the eastern shores, saying their good-byes to the +glowing trees, and giving their parting respects before being +whisked away to their native lands of fire, to come again in +great numbers on the morrow.</p> + +<p>We set off around the lake, making our way northward towards +the rugged mountains rising before us in a grand show of might. +Wagner and Taurus walked before and behind us, respectively, +Wagner leading the way and Taurus erasing the marks of our +passing, and both watching for any signs of ambush. Bernibus +walked abreast of myself, keeping me in pleasant company, for he +was a very enjoyable companion.</p> + +<p>During our walk, Bernibus and I had an insightful +conversation, of which I will relate to you the following, as you +may find it interesting:</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” I said to him, “You seem to be a +jovial people, despite the war that you find yourselves in, but +are all of your people of the same attitude?”</p> + +<p>“Very nearly, yes,” he replied, “For though +we do not wish war, the principles at stake here are important +enough for us to sacrifice an easy life for them. We’ve +grown used to it, everything is done in such a way as to promote +secrecy and stealth, those being our main advantages in the +conflict. Out of hundreds of outposts like the one we were just +in, for example, only four others have ever been discovered, and +the Zards still have no clue where our fortress is.” This +he said in a boastful manner, but as he did a faint spirit of +sorrow spread across his face for an instant, as if in memory of +one of the raids of previous times.</p> + +<p>“That explains their rapture when they found the false +map,” I returned, “But I must admit that I am still +ignorant of the cause of the wars. It was said that it was +conflicting ideologies, yet that is self-evident, as all conflict +is at heart just that. I don’t mean, either, the actions +that caused the most recent inflammation, but what exactly your +conflicting ideologies are? What is it that keeps you from +harmony?”</p> + +<p>“You have a knack for hard questions,” he said +with a smile. Then he paused for a moment to collect his +thoughts. At length, he continued, “The Canitaurs have a +profound respect for all that has gone before us, we honor the +traditions of our ancestors and revere their beliefs and their +ideas of truth. The past, in the guise of history, is the key to +the future, we believe, and we hold strictly to the worship of +Onan, the Lord of the Past,” at this my attention was +perked. He continued, “Our adherence to the ways of our +ancestors is based on the idea that what has continued throughout +the ages has continued because it is right, that it has remained +steadfast because it is based on the immovable foundations of +reality. We follow Onan because he is real, because the past has +existed, and it is certain that it will continue to exist, and +because that existence dictates the operation of the present. +Although we may seem ritualistic and entrenched in tradition to +the outside observer, we enjoy the comforts of knowing that we +are on a well tread path, that we are not alone in time but in +company with our forebears. We are called the Pastites because of +our beliefs, because of our tradition based lives that instill in +us a reliance on history, on the events of the past as a light by +which to guide our own actions, as a road paved by the flesh and +blood of our forefathers which leads to happiness and +peace.”</p> + +<p>Bernibus paused for another moment, as if in contemplation +once again, before he continued, saying, “The Zards are +followers of the future, or Futurists as they are called. They +believe that the past is just that, the past: the ignorant and +selfish times of the unenlightened who were too shrouded by +prejudices to understand the world clearly. Instead they place +their faith in the scientific and philosophical ideas of the day, +believing that while history and the past were delegated to the +control of the unsophisticated whose ways were superstitious and +outdated, the present contains truth in its pure form. Reform and +revolution are their watchwords, for they tinker with the very +foundations of society and life in an attempt to cultivate it. +Zimri is their Lord, of the Future, and they follow him loosely, +for he doesn’t require the strict adhesion that Onan does, +which suits their independent and relaxed world view very +well.”</p> + +<p>He went on, in summary, “In a word, the Pastites believe +that history, the reality of the past, governs the present and +the future, while the Futurists believe that the future defines +the present and the past.”</p> + +<p>“I begin to see the differences,” I replied in a +humble, questioning manner, “And yet they seem to me to be +passive, secondary differences, the kind that result in a +conflict of subtle disagreements here and there, argued over +dessert like tariffs or taxes, not at all violent. How is it that +they take such a prominent role in everyday life that they can +only be resolved by force? What is it that takes it from the +fireside to the battlefield?”</p> + +<p>Here I was slightly taken aback by the expression on +Bernibus’ face, it was one of surprise mingled with +apprehension and questioning. He said, “Then you do not +know?”</p> + +<p>“Know what?”</p> + +<p>He laughed, “I take it you do not.” Becoming +solemn again, he continued, “Our land, Daem is on the edge +of ruin, and has been for all of my life and those of many +generations before me. About 530 years ago there was a great war +on earth, one in which no restraint was used, no mutually assured +destruction, for nuclear weapons came into the hands of those who +cared not for any life, not even their own. Tensions were high +for a decade, and in the following segregation, the peoples of +the earth lost their personal connection with their enemies, and, +as always happens, ceased to view them as equals, but instead as +evil ones bent on their destruction. Things came to such a crisis +that at last a little flame was lit and it grew and grew until it +became a full scale nuclear war. The destruction was total: no +one was exempt, as almost everything, and everyone, was +destroyed. The only surviving place was this island, which is the +sole habitat of the delcator beetle, a small insect that digests +nuclear waste and neutralizes it. The first few decades were +horrible, before the atmosphere recovered enough to return to +normal, and in that time things mutated and grew gigantic. The +trees and foliage, as you see, are an example of this, even the +redwood trees of old were nothing compared to the trees of Daem. +And the Zards and Canitaurs grew and changed as well, and, as we +lived on either ends of the island, as we do now, our forms +morphed into the separate forms that they now take.</p> + +<p>“And that is where our conflict turned violent,” +he continued, “For it is our desire, on both sides, to +return the earth to its previous state. The Pastites want to +return through time and stop the destruction before it happens, +because we believe that the past is what must be changed in order +to change the present and future. It is the actions of the past +that brought about the present woes, and it is they that must be +undone. For their part, the Futurists want to change the present +through the future, to go into the future and bring back its +completion, in the form of restored RNA cells, which is congruent +with their belief that the past is the past and all that matters +is that which is yet to come, that which still has the hope of +existence.”</p> + +<p>I looked at him as he finished and said, “But, why not +do both. Wouldn’t that be more effective than fighting each +other? How can continued destruction revert previous destruction +inflicted in the same manner? Could not both ideas be +tried?”</p> + +<p>“If only they could,” he replied. “It goes +back to Onan and Zimri, you see, for we ourselves cannot do such +things, but the gods whom we follow can. Shortly after the +worldwide destruction, we, meaning both the Zards and the +Canitaurs, received the prophesy of the kinsman redeemer, who +would be sent to help us change the earth to its former majesty. +He was to be one from the time right before the beginning of the +final firefight, one of the ancients who still kept the pure +human form. Our hostilities broke out in an attempt to control +the entire island, so that when he should come, the dominant +force would have him. Each side was convinced that theirs was the +right way, the only way through which the end of restoring the +earth’s ecosystem could be reached. You are the kinsman +redeemer, Jehu, for you fit the prophecy perfectly, and I am glad +that you have fallen in with us.”</p> + +<p>After his discourse, Bernibus fell into a silent meditation, +as did I, and the rest of our walk through the now dark +wilderness was one of silence and solitude. Given the cessation +of action in my narrative, I will take this opportunity to +describe the circumstances of my arrival on the island of Daem, +about which you are no doubt wondering.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 4: Onan, Lord of the Past</h3> + +<p>Not wishing to delve too far into my past or relate what would +be mundane and disconnected with my story, I will summarize with +brevity what my situation was. I was a military man, an Air force +pilot to be exact, and was on active duty patrolling the no-fly +zones off the coast of China, it being, at that time, an area of +very high tensions. The situation was grim, as any small incident +promised to set the pendulums of war into motion, but the worst +had subsided, and things were beginning to look as if that +incendiary incident wouldn’t come after all. The main part +of my story begins on a cloudy night of what was to me just a few +weeks back, though it seems like many ages ago now, and indeed, +it was.</p> + +<p>I was flying over an area that was littered with small +volcanic islands, the type that rise above or fall below sea +level continually, so that what one year is above water is later +below. Some of them have even been known to only rise above the +waves for a short time, and then vanish from the sea completely, +worn down by wind and waves. The night was murky, and the air was +thick with water and dust, the result being that there was no +natural light whatsoever, and any artificial light that could be +mustered was largely reduced to nothing, visibility being no more +than twenty feet.</p> + +<p>The wind was calm and the flying, though strenuous from lack +of sight, was without turbulence. I was doing well, until out of +nowhere I heard a loud crack of thunder, followed by a bolt of +lightning that hit the plane. At once I lost all of the +instruments, excepting the actual control of the plane in manual, +meaning that the radar and all the guidance systems were +crippled, and I could see nothing. Not knowing what to do, and +not being able to radio for help, I pulled down and slowed until +I was just barely remaining airborne, and began looking for an +island to land on.</p> + +<p>Once below 200 feet, the clouds gave way and I saw an island. +I aimed for it and slowed more, preparing to land on it. I did, +though just barely, for it was extremely small, being one of +those inconsistent volcanic islands. Getting out of the plane, I +was greeted by a strong blast of wind that was dripping water +from its cold grip, and I was instantly chilled to the bone. +There was nothing on the island at all, except for the hole in +its center, from which, no doubt, came the lava that had formed +it. It was on a slightly elevated hill, and looked as if it had +not erupted for many thousands of years. With nothing to do at +that moment except to get an idea of the island that I had landed +on, I walked over to it and knelt down beside it, peering blankly +into its depths. It seemed to be absolutely devoid of light, and, +as often happens, its darkness was mysterious to me, for I +wondered what lay hidden in it, and my curiosity got the better +of my common sense. I leaned slowly forward. Then, as I did so, I +heard a loud and terrible voice, personified in the crashing of +the waves and the moaning of the wind, and it said in a +monotonous and unending refrain, “Enter.” Nothing +more nor less than the continual repetition of that word. This +alarmed me, and as I did not want to do that, I began to stand +upright and back away from it, to return to my plane. But as I +raised my knee from the ground in order to stand, my other knee +slipped under the increased pressure, and in the ensuing +instability, I completely lost my balance and fell forward into +the hole.</p> + +<p>There are certain events in our lives that change the whole +course of our existence, and falling forward into the hole was +one for me. Its immediate effects weren’t injurious to me +at all, but it matured with time, like a good wine, and grew +until it overcame me, starting the chain of events which would +result in my demise. Yet not only mine, but that of everyone.</p> + +<p>Let me continue, though, and I will explain what I mean and +not confuse you more. I landed with a thud on a pile of soft dirt +some twenty feet down, in a dark place which seemed open, not +cavernous and cramped as I would have expected. My eyes adjusted +to the darkness, and as they did, I realized it was not now +totally lightless, for there was a faint glow coming from +somewhere in the distance. Looking up through the passage I had +come down, I saw that there was no way to climb up it, and, +accordingly, set off to find the source of the faint light that +came from the distance. After walking cautiously through the +darkness, I reached a curve and then a tunnel-like exit to the +spacious cavern that I was in, and as I turned it I saw the +source of the light: lava flows. The room, or area, I had entered +was rather thin and round, with a river of lava flowing downwards +and a small ledge of rock winding along its edge. Together they +descended spirally downwards at a gentle angle, taking the form +of an intelligently designed ramp. As I followed it down I soon +broke out in a sweat, for the gurgling, fiery plasma heated the +area up to a warm degree.</p> + +<p>I found myself looking intently at the flowing fire beside +which I walked, its strangeness stealing my meditations from +other things, and I looked at it absorbingly, not paying +attention to the path that I walked on, so entranced was I with +the feeling that its boiling character gave to me.</p> + +<p>As I walked along the lava preoccupied with my meditations and +not paying conscious attention to the path, my subconscious was +carefully monitoring my way, and when once my eyes glanced +upward, I quickly saw that my surroundings had changed. The +narrow, spiral descending tunnel had given way to a very +cavernous area where the lava flow formed a large lake of fire. A +domed ceiling crowned this great room, though not exact and +polished, having instead a rough appearance as it stretched from +wall to wall, a semi-chasm of a hundred yards, more or less, with +its uppermost height being not less than twenty yards. On the far +walls were two lava falls, trickling from raised tunnels in the +wall into the body of lava, which covered the whole bottom of the +room. There was a platform that sat in the middle of the fiery +lake, connected to the tunnel I had come from by a walkway of +stone. This room was different than the other two, also, in its +fashion, for while the previous had vague evidences of +intelligent design, this one was very obviously artificially +decorated. The walkway above mentioned was of ornate stone with +an intricate design of circles, squares, and triangles carved +into it, and on each corner of the center stage was a long pillar +that reached from floor to ceiling, each carved like a totem +pole, with a variety of animals and shapes stacked upon one +another. The dome was done ornately as well, for I saw as I +walked further into the room that what I had thought had been +imperfections in the dome proved to be an elaborate three +dimensional sculpture that stuck out from the ceiling, depicting +an intricate scene of figures and telling a story of some great +saga of war and peace, pride and prejudice, love and hate, faith +and betrayal, all combined to make the greatest mural: history, +the story of time itself.</p> + +<p>As I looked in awe upon its beauty, I was startled by a voice +coming from an unseen figure somewhere on the center platform. It +said, “Jehu, you have come at last. Welcome.”</p> + +<p>The voice was very gentle and pleasing to the ears, slowly and +confidently spoken, meticulously articulated. I looked around in +its direction and saw a short, elderly gnome with a long white +beard reaching to his chest and a short crop of hair on his +oblong head, which was outfitted with a sharp, angular nose, a +pair of sparkling eyes, and two protruding ears. He was no more +than four feet tall, and no less than three, with a dignified +poise to him, and was dressed in a dark robe with a black and +gold design on it. We looked at each other for a moment, he +smiling pleasantly and me expressionless, for though I felt that +I should be surprised, or at least bewildered, at the sight of a +gnome in an underground cavern, I was not, it was as if I had +almost been expecting it to happen, as if in the back of my mind +I had already been there and done that. Perhaps it was only a +case of predestined deja vu, or maybe it was something less +tangible. Either way, the gnome then broke the silence again, +saying:</p> + +<p>“Let me introduce myself, Jehu. I am Onan, the Lord of +the Past, and these are the Chambers of History.”</p> + +<p>He then paused for a moment, waiting for my reaction, which +was, again, not too much surprised, but rather complacent, +thought I didn’t look bored or snobbish, as is sometimes +the case in that situation. Instead I became as genial as +possible, realizing that whatever force was behind this, it was +greater than I.</p> + +<p>“Hello, Onan, it is pleasure to meet you,” I said, +advancing with a proffered hand extended towards him, which I +realized belatedly made me appear oafish, but he took it +good-naturedly, and with his pleasantness eliminated my unease at +shaking the hand of one half my size. He then beckoned for me to +follow him, and turned and walked to the center of the platform, +where he unexpectedly laid down on his back, facing the muraled +dome. I did the same, somewhat hesitantly, though I found it to +be quite comfortable once I was down. He saw my sluggishness and +by way of explanation said to me:</p> + +<p>“Do not be troubled, my dear Jehu, for we lie on our +backs to bring about clarity of mind.”</p> + +<p>Then he continued speaking, calling my attention to the +sculptured dome:</p> + +<p>“That is history,” he said.</p> + +<p>“What do you mean,” I asked, “I’ve +always viewed history as an organic being, constantly growing as +it devours the present.”</p> + +<p>“It is an organic being,” he replied, “A +monstrous beast of sorts. But that (meaning the mural on the +dome), my friend, is the genetics of history, its code that +dictates what it is and what it will become, the master +plan.”</p> + +<p>Allow me to take a moment to describe the mural for you. +Firstly, its form: it was spread out across the dome like the +painted ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, its whole being a broad, +harmonious picture that complimented itself, telling a story +throughout its united branches. It was much more than a painting, +though, because it stood out from the dome like a group of +completely independent sculptures, but placed so as to tell the +combined story with a sort of native ease, not stressed or +artificial, yet seeming as natural and beautiful as water in its +flowing grace. Now I will endeavor to describe its content, +though I realize that in this case the picture must be worth many +millions of words.</p> + +<p>The center of the mural was its beginning, and there a man was +standing proudly upright, dressed in splendid clothes of fine +linens. He held in his hand a magnificent cup of gold with a row +each of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and pearls running along its +breadth. It contained a dark red liquid, which appeared to be +boiling, and the man was holding it out to a fierce lion whose +shoulders were four feet across and whose mouth was like a +cavern, with stalactites and stalagmites of the most terrifying +nature. With an evil glare in its eyes toward the man, the lion +drank thirstily from the cup. Around the man and the lion there +was a ring of blazing fire, leaping out of the dome like great +pillars of flame, entrapping them within its narrow circle. On +the outside of the fire was a group of mighty lizards and beasts, +the smallest of which was larger than several elephants. Their +whole attention was paid to a great fight in which they were +engaged, yet their foe was naught but the reflections of +themselves on the great sea which surrounded the island that held +these strange sights. Several of them were dead or severely +wounded at having been accidentally mauled by their fighting +brethren. Across the ocean from the island there was another +landmass, whose far edges were not in sight. On it were many +ape-men bowing down in worship of a gigantic White Eagle which +was soaring far above them with a multitude of lords and ladies +gripped in its massive talons. The lords were dressed in silken +robes and adorned with many pieces of fine jewelry, and the +ladies were clothed in skirts of crimson; both groups had upon +their faces looks of pleasure, and contempt towards those far +below them.</p> + +<p>Onan continued speaking, “You see, Jehu, the whole of +history, both that now written and that yet to come, is planned, +executed according to its own power, for the course of time is +marked as clearly as the tides: by its own coming and going it is +revealed. Revealed, however, only in an abstract and undefined +manner, so that while its marks are clearly seen, it is only by +special revelations that it is shown in a comprehensive and +detailed light. And that is why I have summoned you here, my dear +Jehu, for you are the chosen one, summoned to help me.”</p> + +<p>I was skeptical and asked him, “You summoned me? But +how, I was to forced to crash land on the island by the weather, +and accidentally fell into the volcano’s mouth. It was by +my own freewill decisions that the circumstances of my arrival +here were fulfilled.”</p> + +<p>Onan laughed quietly and said, “History is not an +unstoppable machine, allied with fate to control the destiny of +all things past and future, nor does it nullify the power of +man’s freewill, yet the force that acts upon the minds of +men to form them is history itself. You see, men are not the +opponents of history and fate, for they do not impede its +progress with their freewill decisions, instead they are its +minions, its slaves, building up its strength and carrying out +its dictates by its influence, so that they become history as +they serve it, adding to its organism their own consciouses. +While you were brought to these Chambers by circumstances of your +own choosing, your desires in choosing those circumstances were +dictated by the experiences of the past. But never mind how I +summoned you, for you are here now.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” I said, not wishing to disagree with +the Lord of the Past. Still, I was in a stubborn frame of mind, +and asked, “But if the past is as powerful as you construe +it to be, then why does the Lord of the Past need the help of a +mere mortal like myself? Or do you mean you need a more direct +agent than those you control only by influence?”</p> + +<p>“Something like that,” he answered. “You +see, there was a great disaster once, which was blamed on me, and +in order to atone for it, I promised to send a kinsman redeemer +before anything so devastating happened again, and I believe you +are the perfect choice.”</p> + +<p>“What devastating event hasn’t been blamed on the +past in one form or another?” I said, “But why not +just go yourself?”</p> + +<p>“It is against the rules,” Onan told me.</p> + +<p>“How typical.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, indeed, I sometimes wonder what good it is to be a +god if you can’t do anything yourself,” he said with +a sigh.</p> + +<p>“What do you want me to do there, then?”</p> + +<p>“I cannot tell you, unfortunately.”</p> + +<p>“Against the rules?” I asked.</p> + +<p>“Very much so. All that I can do is send an agent with a +slight understanding of the situation of history and physical +existence to the people, but he must make the judgments of how to +proceed all on his own. If I did tell you, it wouldn’t be +much different than going myself, and then there would be no +human resolution to human problems.”</p> + +<p>“Our lives serve as a spectator sport to the gods, +then?” I inquired of him.</p> + +<p>“I am afraid not,” he said, “It is much more +serious than that. The Greeks were not all wrong, you +know.”</p> + +<p>“Who else, I wonder.”</p> + +<p>“Not many,” he sighed, “But tell me, are you +ready?”</p> + +<p>“As I’ll ever be.”</p> + +<p>“Then I will begin. The understanding of life begins +with the understanding of physical existence,” Onan said, +“And by physical existence I mean the quality of being +materially animated. Not to confuse it with consciousness, which +is the ability to think and reason, it is rather the realm in +which one has substance and continuity. I will call the elements +of physical being time and matter, those words representing +widely known concepts. Matter provides the raw substance and time +gives those lifeless objects a plane of being to exist in. +Without time, matter can do nothing except sit in a sterile +state, in a vacuum in which nothing could occur; and without +matter, time would flow, but nothing would move with it. Thus, +the basis of physical existence is time and matter, each being +useless separately, yet together being the perfect combination of +a tangible object and the fluid, forward movement to animate it. +Imagine it as a three-dimensional painting, matter given depth by +time.”</p> + +<p>“Not so complicated,” I said cheerfully.</p> + +<p>“Not yet, you mean,” he laughed.</p> + +<p>“Exactly, tell me more.”</p> + +<p>“Not just yet, Jehu. First you must help me.”</p> + +<p>“The time to begin has come then?” I asked.</p> + +<p>“Yes, you must go now,” he said, “And +remember, I’ll be watching. Good-bye.”</p> + +<p>And with that, not even standing up, Onan put me into a deep +state of comatose and sent me through time to the unknown lands +and people whom I was to deliver. I awoke, as you will remember, +in the center of the savanna. Now that you know the circumstances +of my arrival on Daem, I will go back to where I was before: on +the way to the Canitaur’s hidden fortress.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 5: The Treeway</h3> + +<p>I was walking in silence through the rugged forests of +northern Daem alongside Bernibus the Canitaur, with his fellows +Wagner and Taurus before and behind us, respectively, the former +leading the way, the latter covering our tracks, and both on the +lookout for an ambush. An entire lifetime of guerrilla warfare +and privations of all kinds had instilled in the Canitaurs a +strong and prevailing sense of caution, which sometimes rendered +their lighthearted and almost spiritually frivolous nature to the +casual observer a dense, deceiving demeanor used to conceal their +true selves. But that was not the case, I believe, for they were, +or at least Bernibus was, truly amorous in personality.</p> + +<p>The sky was then in its deepest dark, and in the few breaks in +the canopy above large enough to be seen through, there were few +celestial lights to illuminate the depths of that mountainous +forest. The forest itself sprawled like a great metropolis along +the lands above the large central lake of Daem, Lake Umquam +Renatusum, which was close beside the Canitaur outpost where we +had narrowly escaped discovery and capture. However deficient in +sight the forest was, it was abounding with sounds, everything +from the call of the owl to groan of the bull frog, it was as if +the whole of the forest had congregated about us, drawn to us by +some unknown scent of interest and intrigue.</p> + +<p>Continuing on for some time in the same way, I found myself +growing weary, nodding my head slowly towards the oblivion of +sleep, until I was brought to an instant liveliness by +Wagner’s announcement that we had reached our destination. +I looked around carefully, yet I saw nothing at all to indicate +the entrance to a large, covert military establishment, much to +my companions delight. Their whimsical sense of humor surfaced +once again as they laughed with seemingly infinite pleasure, both +at my wondering expression and with a sense of satisfaction at +their own cleverness. After the outburst had been subdued and a +certain level of solemnity had been reached, Wagner approached +the nearest tree and knocked on it with a rhythmic +rut-tut-tut.</p> + +<p>Expecting their old trick to be replayed, I waited for the +tree to open, but to my surprise, it didn’t, instead a +strong rope ladder dropped down from a tree several yards to the +east. This we climbed, and I found that I had been mistaken as to +the height of the ancient wooden towers, for they proved to be +even loftier in dimensions than I had imagined. Accordingly, it +took us a good five minutes to reach its top at a quick and +steady pace, and all through the climb I was terrified at the +long drop, from which the ladder offered no protections. Yet I +made it to the top safely, and found that there was a large +platform built securely among its upper branches, with enough +room to hold a few dozen persons, and there was even comfortable +seating in the center. There were four guards stationed on the +platform, each equipped with a long bow and a quiver of metal +tipped arrows, and though they were hardly visible through the +dim light emitted from the covered lantern that lit the platform, +I could see them quietly conversing with Wagner and Taurus while +Bernibus and myself reposed on the seats provided for that very +purpose.</p> + +<p>They conversed for awhile, though I could not hear them, nor +could I see them well enough to judge their facial expressions, +but Bernibus waylaid any anxious thoughts I had with his +encouraging tone, and also by giving me a drought of ale and a +loaf of bread to overcome my fatigue and hunger, both of which I +quickly consumed. He gave me more bread, but wouldn’t allow +me another glass of ale, for safety’s sake. At first I +thought he deemed me easily overcome by spirits, but I soon +discovered his reasons and thanked him.</p> + +<p>Wagner returned from the guards and, finding that we were +ready to proceed, led us to the far corner of the platform, where +we were joined by Taurus. We then set off on a road that ran +above the lower levels of the canopy, made from jointed platforms +that were attached to the massive limbs of the trees, meeting the +branches of the next tree half way across, forming a continuous, +snaking path far above the ground. Traveling on those paths we +made our way criss-crossingly to the west. The walking was no +more difficult than on the ground, for the boards were firmly +secured to the great branches, which were at least five or six +feet wide, and there were short rails as well.</p> + +<p>After no more than half an hour of travel on the +‘Treeway’, we reached another large platform in the +center of a great tree which was very much like the first one, +excepting that the trunk of the tree came up through its center +and there was a door leading into the trunk. There were eight +guards on this platform, but they let us pass without more than a +friendly gesture, their scouts having, no doubt, seen us long +before and ascertained our identity and intentions. They seemed +to have been expecting the return of Wagner’s group, though +the addition of me they appeared to eye curiously.</p> + +<p>Wagner led us directly to the door, which opened into a set of +circular stairs that wound down the inside of the tree like the +insides of an old world lighthouse tower. The stairs descended +further than the tree ascended, wrapping around almost +infinitely, at least to my wearied senses, which were depleted of +vividness by the treacherous toils of the proceeding day. Down, +down, down went the stairs, until at length we reached the bottom +and found ourselves in a cave, the stairs ending in a small foyer +area which opened out into the cave, it being delved into the +bedrock layer, indicating that we had indeed passed below the +surface on our descent. The passage was really a narrow defile +with high walls on either side, impenetrable due to the fact that +they were the foundations of the earth above. It stretched on for +a ways, its whole length commanded by little, turret like +stations which stuck out from the upper wall, in which were +stationed groups of archers, and though they now stood in a +solemn, dignified manner, any opposition that attempted to force +a way through would have been decimated. Yet they stood at +attention and made no noise or movement at our passing, instead +being the essence of well disciplined soldiery.</p> + +<p>This narrow chasm led onward for about three hundred yards, +the walls stretching upwards in such a fashion that it brought to +mind images of Moses crossing the Red Sea, with great walls of +water suspended in air on either side, ready at any moment to +come crashing down upon them, their lives in the hands of +another. So did I then feel, the Canitaur guards being able to +slay me on the slightest whim of fancy that struck their minds +into a sadistic mood. Yet I was not afraid, instead I was +overcome by a feeling of relaxation, where all cares and worries +are given up as frivolous burdens, not necessary and not helpful, +being, in fact, harmful to the mind.</p> + +<p>The defile, or narrow passage, led to a great abyss, crossable +only by a drawbridge controlled on the other side, which was at +this time lowered and ready for us to cross, which we did, +accompanied by four honor guards who were dressed in all the pomp +and pleasantry known by the Canitaurs. It was a custom among them +to greet newcomers with an honor guard which escorted them to the +body of dignitaries and aristocrats that would be waiting to +welcome them in style. This was done for us, and we were led into +the fortress’ great room, which was used for discussions +and debates, via another winding stairway that took us even +further below the surface. It was a splendid room, equipped with +all kinds of luxuries and embellishments and spreading out like a +quarter circle around a central stage with a podium upon it. +Seats were arranged in arching rows, with a sort of cluster of +seats around a wooden desk being allotted to each of the members +of the council and his aide de camps; there were two hundred such +clusters. Sitting there like they had been woken from sleep to +attend to us were the delegates, looking tired and untidy, a rare +state for a Canitaur to be in, with their clothes ruffled, their +hair uncombed, and their eyes glazed with a discordant state of +mind.</p> + +<p>Wagner, who turned out to be a high official among them, led +me to the top of the stage where the podium was, with a sofa, +desk, and several chairs behind it, concealed from the council by +the raised floor and walls that formed the base of the podium, +creating a small, private anteroom for those at the podium. I +laid myself down tiredly on the sofa to rest while Wagner took +the stage and began to speak.</p> + +<p>“Friends, comrades, associates,” he said to the +council, “I thank you for neglecting your beds at this late +hour to join with us here in the Hall of Meeting, for there is +something very important to be shared. You are all no doubt +familiar with the ancient prophecy of the Externus Miraculum: +long ago it was told that in our extreme need, when hope no +longer exists in the hearts of many, an ancient would be sent by +Onan our lord to redeem and deliver us from the evils of this +world, for as our doom was wrought in their times, so would our +hope originate. The past cannot be changed except by those who +first made it, and our present is dictated by the happenings of +the past, so that for a better future the past must be changed, +and only then will we be freed from the burdens of +history.”</p> + +<p>He continued, “We have therefore long awaited the +arrival of our kinsman redeemer, who will change the past and +prevent the cause of our current woes from happening, for without +its roots, what evil can grow and flourish? Our redeemer was to +come on the Kootch Patah, when our adversaries the Zards are not +watchful, being drunk with celebrations at the turning of the +year. Myself, Taurus and Bernibus went to the shores of Lake +Umquam Renatusum, as is our custom, to watch for the coming of +the promised one, and this time we were not disappointed, for he +came to us, even as the prophecy says, as we sat hidden in the +living tower. Seen by the Zards, we were almost discovered, until +the promise of the hidden fortress drew them away, even as the +prophecy says. And now we are here, delegates of the Canitaurian +people, safely within our fortress with our kinsman redeemer, so +what shall be done? Let us decide.”</p> + +<p>At this point he cast a glance towards me, as if desiring me +to speak before the council, but I was in the last throes of +wakefulness, where sleep has crept so far upon you that arrival +in the land of dreams is only a matter of moments, and +wakefulness is not desired, nor is anything else. I looked at him +with my eyes glazed with that sweet, savory taste of sleep, and +though I was conscious, I was not in control, only an audience to +actions of my subconscious whims, and even that passed beyond my +reach as my eyes fell shut, isolating me in the realm where +worldly concerns mean nothing. And so I was when my exhaustion +overtook me, leaving me sound asleep on the sofa behind the +podium.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 6: The Fiery Lake</h3> + +<p>When I woke I was no longer in that room but in another, a +small homely room where I was laid on a bed, the room being +located, as I found out later, not too far from the Hall of +Meeting. Though the depth of the fortress prevented me from +knowing the time, it felt to be early afternoon by that strange +internal clock that so seldom errs. It was correct, as usual. +There was a quaint fireplace on the far wall of the room with a +small, unadorned and unpretentious mantle, decorated like the +rest of the fortress in a practical and experienced way, finding +just the right flavor between the ornate, the practical, and the +quaint, and avoiding all the while the clutter brought by +superfluous material possessions. A table in the center of the +room was furnished with a steaming meal, beside which sat my new +friend Bernibus, smiling on me with a benevolent and almost +paternal affection.</p> + +<p>“Good morning, Jehu,” he said, “Or should I +say afternoon, for the morning has quite passed by +already.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, and it has left in me a great appetite, my good +man.”</p> + +<p>“As is shown clearly in your eyes,” he jested, +“Come and eat.”</p> + +<p>Needing no further urging, I leapt from my bed, sat down +across from him at the table, and began partaking greedily of the +hearty breakfast of hash browns and pancakes, which were pleasing +to my mouth and stomach, for the tastes in food are controlled +more by the condition of the body than by the time of day. When I +had satisfied my needs, we reclined in our chairs and began +conversing:</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” I said, “Did my untimely slumber +yester eve cause any irritated prides?”</p> + +<p>“Quite to the contrary, the council was well humored and +followed your lead to their bed chambers.”</p> + +<p>“I am relieved to hear it, for I was anxious of +appearing lax in ardor or animation.”</p> + +<p>“Not so, my friend, you are quite exonerated from +doubtful thoughts. There is a session planned for this evening +though, so may yet feel yourself put on trial.”</p> + +<p>“Unfortunate,” said I, “But surely they can +mean no harm, am I not the kinsman redeemer, after +all?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, you are,” Bernibus said with a look of +subdued apprehension, “We have an end in view, though the +means are as yet not wholly decided. It is a complicated +situation.”</p> + +<p>I smiled softly, “So is always the case.”</p> + +<p>“In truth it is: time reveals all things yet do all +things reveal time?”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean?” I asked him.</p> + +<p>“Our situation is complicated by differing views of +time, and I was wondering aloud if history and the present +reality disclose the truth about time in the same way that time +reveals the truth of the present. If our way were more +illuminated, the journey would be easier.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps that is why men look to the well lit paths of +history, or to the dim conjectures of the future rather than the +dark, yet detailed ways of present.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps,” he said, “But the present is so +fleeting that it holds little intrigue”</p> + +<p>“Even so, it is the stage, not still waiting behind the +curtain, nor already performed.”</p> + +<p>“Yet the past controls by influences and prejudices, +justified or not, and it will doubtless be the view of the +council that the past must be redone, that the problems be +addressed at the source,” Bernibus replied.</p> + +<p>“I am still in the dark about all your +inferences,” I said.</p> + +<p>“My apologies, I forget myself. But let us not dwell on +subjects which may become quite exhausted in the near future, for +better or worse,” he told me.</p> + +<p>“Fair enough,” I returned, acceding to the subject +change, and jumping on the opportunity to steer it in a different +direction, “I know little of you, Bernibus, so tell me +all.”</p> + +<p>“There isn’t much to tell,” he coyly +responded.</p> + +<p>“Nonsense, Bernibus, tell me or I shall get very +angry,” I jested, imitating some mythological god’s +wrath.</p> + +<p>He smiled discreetly and yielded to my request, “Very +well, I will tell you. I was born in the year 490 D.V. (that is, +Durante Vita), to a poor couple from the northernmost pier of +Daem, the Gog.”</p> + +<p>“Wait a moment, Bernibus,” I interrupted, “I +didn’t mean in that fashion, for when I say I know little +of you, it is because I literally know little of +‘you’, not the circumstances that make up your past. +I guess it goes back to the interpretation of the past and its +powers, and since we can’t seem to escape discussing it, +lets embrace it willingly. You seem to believe that the events of +your life have shaped you in such a profound way that their mere +description is sufficient to explain your personality; I will +grant that their influence has effected you subtly, but history +is not the scapegoat of the present. The circumstances do more to +define the character of an individual than to shape it, for even +siblings with the exact same experiences can be greatly different +in personality and achievements. But what I mean is this: your +past has influenced your present, yet it is gone and your present +remains, show me Bernibus, not his previous forms.”</p> + +<p>You, who are now reading this, may think this statement of +mine to Bernibus to be hypocritical, in light of the very purpose +and intent of these memoirs. You may be thinking that I am +relating this whole happening in order to justify my actions and +decisions. But that is not the case, for I understand that you +have no power over me, I have long been dead in your present and +your sentiments mean naught to me. In fact, I wish to tell of the +circumstances I found myself in as much as of myself, so that you +may have a retrospective clarity in visions of the future. You +will understand that statement later on, but for now let me say +that I wished to know the essence, the person, the consciousness +of Bernibus, whereas I wish to impart to you my story, though ere +its end you may come also to know me. I have no ambitions of +material immortality.</p> + +<p>Bernibus understood my meaning, and though he disagreed with +its theoretical imputations, he humored me and did as I +suggested. He pulled back his brow in a reflective demeanor, +brought his eyes to mine and began:</p> + +<p>“You desire me to tell you about myself without +literally telling you of myself. I suppose you mean that we +discourse on some variety of subjects, so that you can see who I +am discreetly,” he said.</p> + +<p>“Exactly,” I replied, “You say it better +than I.”</p> + +<p>“Perhaps it is for the best, as you will draw your own +conclusions rather than be given mine, and instead of my telling +you what I would like to think I am, you would see what I am in +truth. Strange, isn’t it, that though we think we know +ourselves, we very much do not, and it is only the unbiased +observer who sees us as we are. You know, I was once thinking of +writing my memoirs, and I would have, except that I was afraid +that if I read them afterward I would be forced to see myself as +I am and be horrified at the truth.”</p> + +<p>“Damn the truth,” I said.</p> + +<p>“You’re starting to sound like a +philosopher,” he laughed.</p> + +<p>“And you a psychologist,” I rejoined.</p> + +<p>“And where would that place us on the scale of +artificial intelligence,” Bernibus jested.</p> + +<p>“Following the footsteps of Jeroboam,” I +returned.</p> + +<p>“Hmm?</p> + +<p>“Oh, nothing. Tell me,” I asked more solemnly, +“What position does Wagner hold among the +Canitaurs?”</p> + +<p>“He is the Khedive Kibitzer, our ruler in that he leads +the council.”</p> + +<p>“And you?”</p> + +<p>“I am his brother-in-law, a relationship that our +culture places great importance on, especially as he has no blood +brothers. I become, in effect, his partner, though he +doesn’t accept me emotionally as one, only in +etiquette.”</p> + +<p>“Why is that?” I inquired.</p> + +<p>“Because, I am of weak heritage. His sister loved me, +and I her, but to him there is no such thing as love, only +business, the destruction of the Zards at any cost. No price is +too high,” he told me with almost a vengeful scowl on his +usually pleasant features, it soon passed, though, and left no +trace when it had.</p> + +<p>“You sound bitter, Bernibus.”</p> + +<p>“My feelings betray me, yet I am not bitter, only +disillusioned.”</p> + +<p>“You sympathize with the Zards, then?”</p> + +<p>“Not at all, I do sympathize, however, with peaceful +solutions,” he said.</p> + +<p>“Which is why Wagner disapproves of you, no +doubt.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, mainly, but don’t misunderstand me. I am not +a closet Futurist, nor am I a strict pacifist, I just can’t +help feeling that there is another way. But I understand the +selection of ideologies, how the stronger breaks the weaker to +submission, and while one flourishes, the other diminishes, and I +understand focus points, but I cannot justify their +marriage.”</p> + +<p>“What you mean by focus points?” I asked.</p> + +<p>“They are the culmination of conflict, where two sides +meet and the battle takes place, not meaning necessarily an +important or strategic military, civil, or commercial place, but +one on which the fighting occurs, the result ending in the defeat +or victory of the whole campaign. The focus point of the Zards +and the Canitaurs exists both on the philosophical and martial +levels. On the philosophical level, it is the question as to what +is the proper solution for remedying our current catastrophic +situation. On one side the Pastites wish to correct the root of +the problem by stopping its realization in the past, the +Futurists, however, would venture into the future and brings its +stabilization and completion back. On the military level, our +forces collide in the forests around Lake Umquam Renatusum, the +northern mountains belonging to us and the southern plains to +them. The lake itself is of little importance, yet whoever +conquers it will conquer all.”</p> + +<p>“Interesting,” I said, “But I do not +understand how you seem to imply that I am your ancestor, while +Onan seemed to mean the opposite, that you are my +ancestors.”</p> + +<p>“It is strange and complex, and we understand very +little of it, ourselves. The time for the council has come +though, for our talk has dwindled away the afternoon. Perhaps +some of your questions will there be answered. But come, let us +go.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” I said, “Take me to your +leaders.”</p> + +<p>From that room, the one I had awoken in, it wasn’t very +far to the council room. Exiting it, we turned down a short, +closed hallway that opened into the concealed area behind the +podium that I spoke of earlier. On the sofa where I had fallen +asleep was seated Wagner and on a circle of smaller chairs around +the edges of the area were seated about ten stately looking +Canitaurs, clean and well dressed, according to their customs. +They greeted me amorously, with a mixture of eagerness, +excitement, and hope painted on their purloined countenances, +taken from the sleepless spirits of several departed generations +of war-hardened veterans.</p> + +<p>Standing as we entered, they greeted me cordially, and, once +the formal greeting of a short bow and a blessing was finished, +we all sat down, they in their previous seats, I next to Wagner, +and Bernibus in a small chair in the corner, away from the circle +of the delegates. He, that is, Wagner, then opened our +dialog:</p> + +<p>“Welcome to the council, Jehu,” he said.</p> + +<p>“I was under the impression that the council was much +larger,” I replied candidly.</p> + +<p>“It is, but this is the leadership; we felt that the +clamors of a full legislature would be overwhelming to you at +first. I know it still overwhelms me sometimes,” he +laughed, and the others with him. That explanation sufficed at +the time, but I later found that Wagner had taken control of the +council himself, and that it had no real power: it never met for +more than ceremonial matters, the Khedive Kibitzer, Wagner, +controlling the rest. But I get ahead of myself.</p> + +<p>One of the others then interjected, “Our purpose now, +Jehu, is not so much to make decisions as to inform you of the +decisions we have already made, not that we mean to exclude you +from our counsels, but we’ve been preparing for this +moment, your arrival, for many years, since it was foretold long +ago.”</p> + +<p>“Decisions with what end?” I asked of them.</p> + +<p>“The reestablishing of an efficient and healthy climate, +both naturally and philosophically, one in which tradition, +history, and experience reign supreme,” Wagner said in such +a way that I couldn’t help but think that it had served as +an idiom of his for many years.</p> + +<p>“A termination of the Zardovian conflict, +then?”</p> + +<p>“Essentially, but not wholly, as there are other, more +complicated ends in view, less integrated with the format of a +completely ideological conflict.”</p> + +<p>“Meaning?”</p> + +<p>“Meaning that we wish to return to our original +forms,” Wagner said.</p> + +<p>“Those being, I assume, the same as my own.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, you see after the Great War, the atmosphere was so +filled with radioactive materials that all life was destroyed, +except for that on Daem, which was protected because of our +distant and isolated location, and the presence of a group of +insects that neutralize radiation. They were overwhelmed in the +first few decades, for though they were able to reduce the amount +to make it habitable, we degenerated into what we are now, Zards +and Canitaurs, based on our habitats, we being mountainous, +forest dwelling folk, and they plains people. At first our +ancestors grew to immense proportions, as did the vegetation on +Daem, but we slowly returned to normal size as the radioactive +material was consumed. I am surprised that Onan did not tell you +about it all,” he said, looking at me with a slight tinge +of confusion creeping into his wayward eyes, formerly filled only +with hope and excitement.</p> + +<p>“I wish he would have,” I responded, “But he +said that it was against the rules.”</p> + +<p>“Ah, yes, I forgot about the rules there for a +moment,” he laughed, his countenance returning to its +former gleeful appearance.</p> + +<p>“A foolish law, no doubt, and from whom?” I said, +availing of the apparent intra-personal deja vu, that is, the +converging of the presents of our two minds into one idea, +between Wagner and myself to cultivate a bit of sympathy in my +difficult situation. But there would be no harvest, for Wagner +checked his mirth and said:</p> + +<p>“It was necessary, and the Council of the Gods did well +to govern themselves more strictly.”</p> + +<p>“How so?”</p> + +<p>“Well, during the Homeric period the gods really went at +it, using humanity as players in their battles, like a game of +chess, actually. Come to think of it, chess did originate in the +realm of the gods after the laws. Things were quite a mess back +then, though, with a whole horde of demi-gods walking the earth, +and it ended up snuffing out the first flames of democracy and +leaving monarchies for the longest time.”</p> + +<p>“Homer’s stories were true, then?” I +asked.</p> + +<p>“Very much so, but after the laws of physical abstinence +were adopted things mellowed out considerably, and men went back +to their self-obsession, their material minds weren’t yet +weaned from the physical realm.”</p> + +<p>“So the very men who claimed mental superiority because +they were free from superstitions and divine disillusionment were +themselves victims of their own sophism, and while they thought +themselves crowned with enlightenment, it was naught but the +Phrygian caps of their prejudices toward the material +state?” I asked, with more than the average dose of irony +and feeling, both for my subjects and myself.</p> + +<p>“Exactly, upon disinterested examination one finds the +theater of human history to be one defined by a ludicrous +melodramaticy, the soap opera of the gods,” he answered. +“But we digress far from our point, Jehu, which is a +discussion concerning the implementation of our plans of action +formed in preparation of our current situation.”</p> + +<p>“So I had surmised,” I smiled at the reminder, +“But tell me, what are your plans, and what is the current +situation?”</p> + +<p>“This is a time of fulfillment, with the events of many +of our prophecies coming to pass. Now is a time of action and of +hope. You, our kinsman redeemer, have come, and the time is ripe +for victory and domination, ripe, in short, for a return to +natural existence, harmony between forces interior and exterior. +Our plan, my dear Jehu, is to attack the Zards swiftly and +fiercely and break their strongholds like the walls of Jericho, +literally.”</p> + +<p>“It sounds daring, certainly,” I said, “But +is it not overly so? I was under the impression that the Zards +were much superior in force than the Canitaurs.”</p> + +<p>“In the southern regions, where you landed, yes, they +are, but we rule the northern sphere of action. Our forces +actually form a soft equilibrium that keeps fate’s pendulum +from straying from its neutral position, so that a military +action previously would not have been predictable, with either +side being capable of winning. Under such conditions war is +avoided, but now you have arrived. The Zards, as well as +ourselves, have been expecting a kinsman redeemer, you see, and +our war has been kept from raging by the belief of each side that +their god would propel them to victory with certainty by the +sending of one such as yourself. Your arrival changes things, it +marks the beginning of our dominance,” he told me +vaingloriously.</p> + +<p>“The muted felicity I have witnessed about my arrival is +explained, then,” I ventured, “Excitement that the +end is near and victory close at hand, yet that feeling subdued +by the realization that a period of deeper darkness must first be +gone through.”</p> + +<p>“Your words are true,” Wagner replied, “And +yet I have a great confidence in our plans, which have been +matured through many years of careful deliberation. As the time +will never be more ready than at the present, in the present we +must act.”</p> + +<p>“What is your plan, then?” I asked.</p> + +<p>“It is calculated to end in the conquering of the Zards, +and as such, only an unexpected and unrelenting attack at the +very heart of their strength will succeed. Anything less will +only bring them to a full alert, and then any battle will have to +be drawn out with excessive casualties on both sides. Therefore, +we have decided upon an attack on Nunami, their capital city and +main strength, being the center and majority of both their +population and economy. Yet an outright siege of the city is +impossible for those very reasons, it being so self-contained +that it can resist bitterly, and its military is so clustered +that it can be brought into action almost instantly.</p> + +<p>“Considering those problems, it was deemed necessary to +draw the Zards away from the city and destroy it in their +absence, so that they are left destitute of the means of war and +sustenance, and rendered weak. To do this, we have spent the last +several years stockpiling huge quantities of liquid fervidus +flamma, an extremely combustible substance. It is stored in an +underground reservoir in the foothills of the mountains, +connected via aqueduct to Lake Umquam Renatusum. When the time is +ripe, we will empty it into the lake and set it aflame, and our +calculations show the flames reaching a height of five miles for +a length of six hours, which should be enough to gain the +Zard’s preponderance,” Wagner explained.</p> + +<p>“But wouldn’t it catch the forest on fire and burn +down your whole empire in the process?” I asked, alarmed at +his apparent lack of vigilance.</p> + +<p>“We have been treating the trees on a ten mile radius +with an anti-flammatory solution for several years as well, and +it is quite impossible to set them on fire.”</p> + +<p>“Which explains why you dared to have a fire pit in the +trunk of a tree outpost.”</p> + +<p>“Yes,” he laughed, “We aren’t so +foolhardy as we may seem. Appearances can be +deceiving.”</p> + +<p>“The exodus of the Zards from Nunami is almost +guaranteed by the mortal’s natural curiosity and delight in +the calamities of others,” I said, “But how do you +plan on leveling the town before the remnant raise the alarm and +the mass of the people return?”</p> + +<p>“Atomic anionizers,” he returned.</p> + +<p>“Which are what? They sound like they are beyond my +level of understanding.”</p> + +<p>“Not at all,” Wagner told me, “Do not be +fooled by the technically complex sounding name. An atom is the +smallest form into which matter can be broken down into while +still retaining its identity, and an anion is a positively +charged ion, or in other words, an instance of an atom in which +there are more electrons than protons, resulting in a charge of +negative electricity. An atomic anionizer is just what its name +would imply: a device that morphs normal atoms into atoms with an +extreme negative charge by emitting massive amounts, to the tune +of many millions of moles, of solitary electrons into the air +through a bombing device.”</p> + +<p>He went on, explaining the consequences of the weapon, +“An atom, and therefore all matter, which is made up of +atoms, is engaged in a constant revolution around the nucleus, in +the same way in which our solar system revolves around our sun, +and our sun around the black hole in the center of the galaxy. +This revolving motion is the basis for the formation of all +matter that we know of, both in its smallest form, like the atom, +or its larger forms, like the galaxy. The electrons emitted from +the atomic anionizer are drawn into an orbit around the nuclei of +the atoms of all the matter near which they are detonated, much +like the way planets catch satellites and space debris into +revolving rings around them. This addition of electrons gives the +atoms such a powerful negative charge that the poles of the atom, +which regulate its rotations in much the same way that the +earth’s axis, or poles, regulate its rotations, are thrown +from their natural equilibrium, causing the poles to reverse. +This, in turn, changes the direction in which the atoms rotate, +and in the brief instant in which the force of the revolving +movement, or gravity, is not strong enough to retain the +atom’s shape, it lapses, bringing the materials they make +up crashing down in disarray.</p> + +<p>“We will plant some of these ‘atomic bombs’ +inside the city of Nunami, and when they go off, the buildings +themselves will implode and tumble to the ground. One hand-sized +capsule can easily level almost ten square miles, and we have +enough of them to bring the Zards to their knees, with plenty to +spare for any circumstance.”</p> + +<p>“Wouldn’t the bombs kill those who set them off, +though?” I asked him anxiously.</p> + +<p>“We have electron deflecting suits that negate the +effects of the anionizers.”</p> + +<p>“I’m glad to hear it.”</p> + +<p>“And well you should be,” he grinned, which, as +out of place as it would seem, looked completely natural on his +countenance, “For you and I shall be among the bombers. Our +meeting must end here, though, my dear Jehu, for we each have +things to attend to in preparation for the attack on Nunami. I +will see you soon, until then, farewell.”</p> + +<p>“Farewell, Wagner,” I replied, and we each stood +and bowed as we prepared to depart, each to our own +occupations.</p> + +<p>With that our council ended, and, in the company of Bernibus, +I was sent to another area of the fortress to be measured for an +anti-electron suit, in order to protect me from the effects of +reverse revolution. We didn’t converse in the beginning of +our walk, for my mind was too busy subconsciously thinking over +what Wagner had said to have any conscious meditations.</p> + +<p>We walked through the fortress towards the northern section, +which held the technological rooms, so as to get an anti-electron +suit in the making for myself. Realizing that the fortress has +been little described, I will do so now. It was broken into six +different sub-divisions, each branching from the only entrance, +which was in the center of them all, the different divisions +connecting to it through long, narrow defiles, or gorges, like +the one at the entrance. This was for security, each area being +independently contained within the whole. The six areas, or +departments, as they were called, were as follows: the Northern +was the technological and industrial research and production +facilities; the Eastern was the residential department, +containing also the civil services, such as medical care and +distribution centers; the Southern was the agricultural and other +food production areas, though there was little besides +agricultural, for the Canitaurs were strict vegetarians; the +Western was for mining minerals and other raw materials to be +used by the other departments. The other two departments were +below the others, being differentiated between by the names Left +and Right, the Left being the governmental offices, and the Right +the military headquarters, providing protections both civil and +foreign (this was, incidentally, the beginning of the expression +of the terms Left and Right to denote ideological preferences, +but I digress). Uniform in all the fortress was the architecture, +it being a strange mix between elegant and gentle arches and +curves and brute practicality, for while the ceilings were high +and open, and the walls wide, they were rendered homely by their +plain surfaces and the absence of small triflings, conditions +that were necessitated because of its identity: an impregnable +fortress containing a highly organized and self-sufficient +governmental society, each citizen having a particular duty for +the common good, and each kept from an unfarcical personal +identity by the means of a statist society.</p> + +<p>From the lower, governmental offices we went up a flight of +stairs that wrapped round and round a tower-like tunnel, and soon +reached the departmental portal. Once there, we took the northern +tunnel, which opened into a large hall that stretched on almost +endlessly, with hordes of tunnels branching off to the various +agencies. There were a great many Canitaurs working busily, +preparing for the attack on Nunami and its possible results, +which, though long prepared for, had a few last moment components +to be finished. Walking down the central through way, we went to +the far end of the hall, which, as it was a walk of at least two +miles, afforded plenty of time for observation and reflecting, +two things that I am naturally given to. Accordingly, I turned to +my companion, Bernibus, and offered in an almost philosophical +way:</p> + +<p>“Your society seems to be flourishing, though I am not +surprised, as you all seem vigorously industrious. I am amazed, +however, that no one shirks from their job, no matter how menial +or trifling.”</p> + +<p>“We all have our assigned jobs, and all know that one +slovenly job may cost us dearly,” he said.</p> + +<p>“I suppose I am prejudiced by my conceptions of personal +liberty, but it is contrary to my conscience that the state +should have more duty than to enforce the individual liberties by +common force.”</p> + +<p>“But we are at war, and we must do as we do, or be +trampled underfoot.”</p> + +<p>“If all states went no further than justice permits, +namely the protection by common force the rights of +individuality, liberty, and property, than there would be no room +for conflict between states, and hence, no war.”</p> + +<p>“Yet it is our ideologies that bring war, besides, do +not the ends justify the means?” he asked.</p> + +<p>“Your ideologies may cause conflict, yet it seems that +your behemoth states facilitate it into war. About the ends and +the means, I don’t know: I am no philosopher,” I +answered.</p> + +<p>I sighed and was silent for a moment as we walked along, then, +after a moment or so, I said quietly to myself, “I’m +not much of a kinsman redeemer, either.”</p> + +<p>We continued on through the hall without further conversation, +and I paid little attention to my surroundings, so that while my +eyes saw and my mind displayed, my subconscious was not present +in the effort, and thereby no memory was retained. This may seem +to be the plot of an unimaginative writer to escape the use of +that faculty, but as these are nothing but my written memories, +and I make no claims of producing good fiction, I will leave that +hall primarily to the minds of the reader.</p> + +<p>Soon after, we arrived at our destination, which was very +nearly at the end of the hall, and entered to find that we were +expected and a space open for my fitting, which was soon +accomplished, and my suit promised to be at my quarters the next +morning. That would be just in time for the departure of the +raiding party, which was set to cut out and embark for Nunami a +little after that, in order to be in place in the hidden treetop +posts surrounding the city before nighttime, as the operation was +to begin at midnight. At first I thought that the attack was +pushed forward in haste, but as I came to realize that my coming +had been prophesied and a great amount of time had been spent +preparing for this day, it seemed only natural that they should +want to bring the hostilities to a close after such a long time. +There were other considerations as well. The weather, for one, +had to be dry and not at all windy for the fire to be safely +attempted, and also the possibility of the Zards making the first +offensive could not be ignored, for they had knowledge of my +arrival and may have felt forced to act to prevent the very type +of thing that we were about to attempt.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 7: Down to Nunami</h3> + +<p>When I awoke the next morning I found Bernibus and Wagner +conversing quietly in the corner of my bed chambers, and as I +first opened my eyes I saw Wagner looking at me with a blank, +glazed expression, while Bernibus’ was one of apprehension, +apparently on my behalf. It seemed odd to me, but as Wagner +became livid again quickly after his split-second lapse and gave +me a hearty “Good morning”, I thought nothing more of +it. After his greeting, he continued:</p> + +<p>“The day is ripe for victory, my friend, and the time is +come for battle. We both have some preparations to complete, and +so must separate, but we will meet again at noon in the entrance +hall. Farewell until then,” and with that he quit the +room.</p> + +<p>I looked at Bernibus, yet before either of us could speak, we +heard a low, hollow grumbling, like the shaking of some building +or foundation. He looked in my direction for a moment with an +alarmed countenance, before I said defensively, “Tis but my +stomach.”</p> + +<p>“Then we must get you some victuals,” he laughed, +“And I have just the thing to satisfy you and keep you so +for a day or more: some mirus. It is our traditional energy food, +for though its taste is bitter, its after-life is +pleasant.”</p> + +<p>“And what is food except a servant to the body?” I +said, “Let us eat.”</p> + +<p>“Very well,” he replied.</p> + +<p>And eat we did, for it was brought by a food service Canitaur +on a tray, and I was surprised to see that it was a mixture of +broccoli, spinach, and mushrooms, with a flavorless, glowing +sauce. He was right, incidentally, for it was both bitter before +and pleasant after its consumption.</p> + +<p>“I know of the solids, but what is this sauce?” I +asked of him.</p> + +<p>“Carbon” he replied.</p> + +<p>I looked at him and questioned, “Pure carbon? I have +never heard of its having this use before.”</p> + +<p>“Your civilization was long ago and had not developed it +yet.”</p> + +<p>“That has perplexed me, now that you mention it,” +I said, “Onan seemed to mean that I was going back in time +to help my ancestors, but you say that I went forward, that I am +one of the ancients.”</p> + +<p>He was wary for a moment, though if it was because of the +apparent conflict, or because I was on a first name basis with +his god I couldn’t tell. He soon recovered his countenance +and said, “It is a complicated question, and I believe you +should ask Wagner the next time you see him, after the raid +though, of course. The time of departure is nigh now, however, so +you should put on your anti-electron suit,” he said as he +picked it up from the corner and brought it to me.</p> + +<p>It was a subtle dark brown and looked more like a normal suit +of clothes than an electron reflecting suit, but then again, I +thought, why would it be a strange looking apparatus? Why would +an advanced technological age necessarily be devoid of any sense +of fashion, although that would be assuming that any civilization +had ever had one. Fashion is more a characterization of a culture +than a basic and unchanging principle, for a desert people would +wear clothes that would be most uncomfortable to a people who +lived in the snow. Clothes may not make the man, but the man +certainly makes the clothes, and you can judge a person by what +they wear so far as it is in their power to decide what that +is.</p> + +<p>After putting on the suit I found that it fit perfectly, and +above that, I found it to be very comfortable, including the head +piece, which formed closely around the skull and was not at all +noticeable or obscuring. In fact, as it was made of a plasma that +allowed everything through except lone particles, it was so +uninhibiting that a moment after I had put mine on I had +completely forgotten about it. The only other part of the suit +that stood out at all was the long, metallic buckle that secured +the belt, it having a bowie knife hidden within it in an +unnoticeable and inconspicuous manner. Bernibus had put on his as +I had put on mine, and as I looked away from the mirror that was +opposite the door, I saw him dressed the same as myself, yet +because the suit so blended with his fur, it was hard to tell +which ended where.</p> + +<p>Finding that we were both ready, we repaired to the entrance +hall. Along the way I asked Bernibus of his wife, Wagner’s +sister, of whom I had heard little and seen nothing. He was quiet +for a pause, and then said:</p> + +<p>“She was an angel, what else can be said?”</p> + +<p>“Was?” I asked hesitantly.</p> + +<p>“Yes, she was killed by the Zards on a border raid, as +we were at that time living apart from the Canitaur mass with a +few friends. She was less aggressive than her brother, and, much +to his disapprobation, we lived with a group of separatists, +believing that war, physical conflict, is never the right answer +to ideological conflict. Wagner excommunicated us in his anger, +though his sister was very dear to him, and after she died he was +struck with remorse and made me his deputy Kibitzer. He felt that +it would somehow do her honor, as it would recognize us as having +been married and make me his brother-in-law, which is an +important relationship traditionally, as he has no other +siblings. So here I am, technically second-in-command, but +because of my soft lining, I have no real command.”</p> + +<p>“You would not attack Nunami, then?” I asked.</p> + +<p>He chose his words carefully, saying, “More pain will +not negate the pain already in existence, yet war is not always +avoidable, and sometimes it is even necessary.”</p> + +<p>When we reached the entrance hall, where the raiding party was +to meet, we found that there was already assembled a majority of +the force, including Wagner. The party was only twenty strong, as +the atomic anionizers were to do the main work and the planned +raid required stealth and secrecy, not force or might. Within a +quarter of an hour all the stragglers had arrived and all the +anionizers were accounted for, so Wagner gave a short debriefing +to ensure that all the members were on the same page. We were to +sneak into the city when the populous was distracted by the fire +on Lake Umquam Renatusum, which was to be started at midnight. We +would plant the atomic anionizers at the right spacing so as to +bring down the whole city once we were escaped, using the remote +control provided for that very purpose. The suits would protect +us from the blasts, and, as a precaution, the remote had an +automatic five second delay between being pressed and exploding +the bombs, though it was more for form than practicality. After +he finished we set off, being arranged two abreast per row, there +being ten rows. Bernibus and myself were partners, for we had +become close friends in the few days that I had spent among the +Canitaurs, while Wagner was once again the leading guide and +Taurus the rearguard.</p> + +<p>After crossing the chasm that separated the hall and the +entrance tunnel, we came to the long defile that formed the +latter and passed through it swiftly, the lofty archer guards +remaining as stern and immovable as when I had first come +through. We then came to the winding stairs that occupied the +hollowed innards of a massive and ancient tree, of which kind +many were to be found in Daem, being at least fifty feet thick +and 700 feet high, such gigantic trees that were never seen +elsewhere, yet constituted the whole forests of the northern +lands. I found that the stairs were as long as I had remembered, +taking us a great while to ascend to the top of the tree, and +when we had made it, we, especially myself, were dazzled by the +effulgent light of midday. After having been out of the +sun’s reach for the last few days I was completely +unprepared, though the shock helped me by curing me of the +disillusionment that comes from not seeing sun, moon, or stars +for any length of time. Taking a rest for a few moments on the +seats on the platform, we collected our strength. After our brief +repose was completed, we set off again with renewed vigor across +the treeway on which I had first come to the Canitaur’s +fortress. You will remember that the road was made by the +securing of five or six foot platforms to the intertwined +branches of those great trees, over which one could travel with +ease and be safe from exposure to those below by the thick +foliage that grew on the trees and was carefully manicured for +that very purpose.</p> + +<p>Soon we reached the first platform I had seen, which we had +come upon from below, but we did not descend there, instead +keeping on by the treeway in the direction from which we had come +that night, that being southward, towards the lake, the savanna, +and the Zardovian capital, Nunami. The air was warm, with a +slight breeze as we went along, and that, mixed with the +plentiful flora about us and the songs of the treetop dwellers, +rendered the whole feeling of the walk peaceful and happy, though +its end was not to be such. I soon forgot the worldly concerns +that plagued me as I was soaking in the simplicity of nature, not +a simplicity of form, for all things are incomprehensively +complex, but simplicity of meaning.</p> + +<p>After a time I began noticing changes in our surroundings that +indicated we were drawing nearer to our goal, namely, the trees +lessening in proportions, the terrain becoming flatter, and the +air growing moister and more vibrant. Still, the trees continued +to spring up from the ground like great earthen tentacles, for +while their size diminished, it was not by enough to change their +demeanor, the trees anywhere on Daem being great in size.</p> + +<p>The sun journeyed with us, and by the time we reached Lake +Umquam Renatusum, twilight’s last agony was being performed +in the heavenly theater, and the rippling waters mirrored it, +adding only a strange, flowing texture. The lake’s current +caught my eye with its subtle oddity, for it was amiss and it +appeared upon close inspection that there was an undertow, as if +there was an underground river flowing into the lake and bringing +about its swirling currents.</p> + +<p>Bernibus saw me looking down at the waters from the lofty road +with a puzzled look, and asked me if I was wondering about the +water’s current. I replied that I was, and he told me that +it was the fervidus flamma being pumped into the lake through the +underground aqueducts, which, of course, was for the purpose of +igniting it to decoy for our raid. Once it was explained it made +sense, yet I looked at it anyway, for it was still a gorgeous and +inspiring view.</p> + +<p>We were moving quickly, however, and it soon was out of sight, +and I again turned towards our destination with apprehensions of +failure. They seemed to place great faith in my presence, as the +emissary of Onan, and while I was, I was also Jehu, and I +wasn’t confident with my own abilities. But it was upon +those the situation mostly rested, it being the resolve of the +gods after the Homeric period to take a more removed role in the +lives of men. I wonder how many from my own times were divine +agents, for better or worse. Either way, my main concern then was +making the correct decisions, for I rightly believed that my +involvement would decide the matter, although not in the manner I +had anticipated. As I looked about myself to reconnoiter the +feelings of my comrades I was fruitless, for they all wore +impermeable countenances, though that was itself an indicator of +their resolve.</p> + +<p>Within an hour after the fall of darkness we reached the +outskirts of Nunami, or rather, its edge, for it was walled in +with massive stone walls and battlements, with a sturdy gate of +twenty foot width being placed at the northern, southern, +eastern, and western ends. The trees hung right over the walls, +and as such we were able to take positions from which we could +descend into the city when the time to do so came. Yet we were +still rendered invisible by the thick foliage.</p> + +<p>Night’s zenith blew in slowly on the wind like the +belabored breaths of a dying man, and after a period of worry, it +came: midnight, the appointed hour. No sooner had the moon +reached its utmost height, shrouding the lands in a shadowless +vortex, than a great blaze erupted from the northern lands, and +it rose almost instantly to its estimated height of five miles. +It was a terrible sight to behold, for any flame is a captivating +display of inorganic life, but a pillar of flame several miles +high is more than just an enlarged specimen, for it plays host to +a great horde of phantasmal apparitions that wrestle ferociously +with one another. As the flame shot upwards it cast a great light +down on everything that rivaled the illumination of midday. At +first I feared lest the light should show our silhouettes to the +Zards, as we were between them and it, but it did not, or at +least they took no notice of it if it did, for we were quite +undetected in our hiding place.</p> + +<p>Our worries were far from over though, for now came the +crucial point in our plans: in order for our small force to +infiltrate the city and place the atomic anionizers, the Zards +must not only have been distracted and preoccupied with the +blaze, but they had also to leave the city almost empty and go to +the lake itself, for if a cry was raised, or any substantial +resistance attempted, the complex procedures to detonate the +anionizers properly, so as to level the city but not the +surrounding country, may have been hindered. There were several +factors on our side though, the element of surprise being the +foremost, for in their excitement the Zardovian resistance would +likely mistake us for a regular sized army and flee in fear at +our supposed superiority, especially since the presence of me, +the kinsman redeemer, was known to the Zards. Also, the Zards +were known to be curious and careless and ruled by the desire for +excitement, meaning that if an entertaining undertaking was +possible, they would pursue it, no matter how dangerous or +ill-advised.</p> + +<p>Within a moment after the flame was lit, all of the Zards +outside, which were many, were gazing with silent wonder at it, +and in the second moment, all the rest had joined them in their +confused contemplation. But the third moment witnessed a drastic +change in their behavior, for their initial bewilderment wore off +and suddenly, with a united prelude of the drawing in of a +breath, they all began speaking at once, resulting in a clamorous +din that lasted for a few moments, before things hushed again and +we could hear a few individual voices discussing loudly. Though +we couldn’t make out their exact words, they were +apparently conferring with one another about what action to take. +Our breathing became slow and heavy and our brows were knit +tensely, for we knew that the fate of our mission rested on what +they did then, whether or not the long planned decoy would +work.</p> + +<p>It was an anxious moment, and one with a heavy burden attached +to it. Fortunately, though, as our fate was decided, it was done +so in our favor, for the Zards began exiting the city in a great +multitude of scales that swept along the savanna like a tidal +wave over a sandy coast. They came out fast and strong, and +through each of the four gates, though only the northern was +fully visible to us, the others being too far to be seen +distinctly. Still, we could see them rushing out of Nunami at a +quick pace, not hurried, as if frightened or finicky, nor slow as +in deliberation and meditation, instead it was a steady trot that +they took, allowing them to move safely and swiftly.</p> + +<p>The tide of Zards swept steadily past us, and it was a good +half an hour later that the final ones had left the gates and the +city far behind. Most had taken some type of weapon, a pitchfork +or club or occasionally a sword, for the threat of war was a +constant, but none of them had any idea that their only danger +was behind them. It was not all in the clear though, for a patrol +of guards equipped with long spears and clothed with a tough, +leathery armor were making their way to and fro along the tops of +the walls, where there was a platform of about five feet across +that served as a road to the soldiers in their watches. It was +evident by their countenances, though, that the guards now on +duty were more interested in the fire than in their immediate +vicinity, thinking, no doubt, that the laurels were to be won +there and not at Nunami, and as such, they paid little heed to +the walls, instead walking with their necks craned precariously +to the north.</p> + +<p>We were able to jump unto the wall silently from our concealed +roost on the treeway when the nearest patrol had passed by. From +there we went along the wall a short way until we came to a +battlement, there taking the downward leading steps that brought +us to the ground. Once there we were pleased and hopeful at what +we saw: everything was abandoned, and no Zards were in sight save +those on the walls, whose gaze was cast elsewhere. We set to +work, then, according to our preset plan, which was to break up +into groups of two and cover the city with our atomic anionizers, +so as to spread the destruction as evenly as possible. Wagner and +myself were partners, and we took the central district, near the +government’s center, the palace, and the Temple of Time, +which rose above the city like a great tree amidst a desert. It +was, in fact, the very structure that had so stood out to me +during my journey through the prairie upon my arrival, and once +again its sobering sensation struck me, and I found myself +staring up at its top, a full 800 feet high, the bottom being an +ornate and elaborate temple. The middle, which supplied most of +its height, was a long, round tower, and at top there was a +spherical pinnacle which had what looked to be a room in it.</p> + +<p>Wagner soon called my attention back to our work, and we +busied ourselves with planting a bomb at the base of the palace, +using a smaller type anionizer, which, I noticed, was set just +right so that while all of Nunami would be leveled, the temple +with its great tower would be beyond the impact and left +standing. Just as we had set it correctly, we heard a +high-pitched whistle, which was the preconcerted signal among the +raiders to use if any danger was nigh. We looked up directly and +saw its reason: a squadron of Zards had been garrisoned inside +the palace and had not left like the others, apparently because +its sole purpose was to protect their king, who did not leave the +city, being preoccupied with business and not seeing the flames. +When he did go to the window, he saw the fire, and rushed to see +what was about, but instead of finding out, he ran into us, who +were right outside the palace.</p> + +<p>Wagner dashed wildly through the streets in an impressive show +of dexterity, and did a wall-jump between two lofty buildings to +gain the wall. The others had done likewise, having been trained +by a lifetime of conflict to have nerves of lightning speed and +earthly strength. Their instincts had come in subconsciously when +they had seen the cause of the alarm and they escaped, without +thinking of me in the critical moment. I lacked such strength and +speed of mind and was caught as soon as I had seen the squadron, +aided, probably, by the fact that upon seeing me the king had +become excited and rushed at me with great speed. When Wagner had +first turned around and saw me their prisoner, he looked +crestfallen and hopeless, for he had no way to rescue me. He held +the remote control for the atomic anionizers in his hand and was +about to set them off and make good the plan, but before he +could, our eyes met for an instant, and we connected beyond time +and space, experiencing a strange intra-personal deja vu. All was +silent and still in that instant, and I saw him struggling +inwardly: would he detonate the anionizers and make good his long +awaited plan, or would he retreat and leave the city unharmed, +for though I was wearing the electron reflecting suit, the +collapse of all the high rise buildings would litter the ground +with debris from them, and all on the ground would be crushed. +Would he spare me from death, or his people? In that instant his +face spoke more than many others’ do in their entire +lifetime. It was cut through with a contrasting countenance, and +yet inside of his eyes there was something foreign to them +shining through, something that I had never seen on his fretless +features before: evil intent. I could not tell if it was natural +to them and simply well hidden, or if it was an alien expression, +but it was fearfully expressed, and his eyes seemed to say, even +at that great distance, that he took a third course, that he +would save me, but not for my sake, instead for his +peoples’. And then it passed, for he looked away, replaced +the remote to his belt, and leapt to the ground, where the other +Canitaurs were awaiting him. I saw him no more until the +situation was much changed.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 8: The Temple of Time</h3> + +<p>I turned slowly away from where Wagner had disappeared over +the side of the wall and faced my captors, the Zards. Chief among +them was the King, he being a foot or two taller than the others, +with a graceful and powerful pose that struck awe into the eyes +of the beholder with its innate command and dignity, both of +which flowed from it as naturally as water from a well. There +were about twenty guards in the squadron that protected the King, +but it was not so much from the terror of them that the Canitaurs +fled, nor was it because of the guards that patrolled the walls +and were sure to join any fray attempted, it was instead an +apparent fear of the King, and rightly so, for his demeanor was +fierce and sophisticated, as if he were not just a warrior nor +solely a scholar, but a mixture of the two that gave him an aura +that inspired fear, some unseen presence that filled the air +around him and sent his neighbors into a reverencing awe +reminiscent of a lover’s sacred euphoria, intangible yet +undeniable.</p> + +<p>As I turned to him, he smiled and greeted me softly and +pleasantly, in such a way that seemed contrary to his nature. +Instead of being terrible and glorious like the crash of thunder +or the din of waves, his voice was melodious, subtly so, like a +soft summer rain affecting the dreams of a slumbering child as it +falls gently on his face. There was a rhythm that ran through it, +like poetry, yet not like average poetry, where the rhythm is +forced and the lines deformed to its ungainly warble, but like +heavenly poetry, where the rhythm is beyond the conscious and +into the subconscious, where it inspires a feeling of quaint +remembrance of itself, as if it were there and not there at the +same time. And while it was soft and pleasant, it was not +feminine, for it was a strong baritone, reinforced by its own +superiority and strengthened by its wit and sobriety.</p> + +<p>“Greetings, o’ chosen one,” he said to me, +“I see that you have arrived safely.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, quite soundly,” I replied, a little taken +aback on two fronts: firstly that he was not angry or indignant +that I had attempted to destroy his kingdom and take his life in +the process, and secondly that he seemed to expect me, as if I +were his midday tea partner.</p> + +<p>“I am glad, for I would wish you no harm, though your +Canitaurian friends obviously felt no such concern. But just as +well, for they always were unpredictable. I’m sorry that +there is no one here at the moment, or we should have a great +welcoming parade for our newly arrived kinsman redeemer, but they +are off at the lake, inspecting the fire I suppose. I must admit +it caught me off guard for a moment or two, and at first I was +actually quite surprised. I soon remembered, though, that our +friends the Canitaurs would have gotten some notions in their +heads of a battle, at your arrival. It must be a grand sight in +any case, and not one to miss.”</p> + +<p>I gave him a strange look, for I was a bit confused myself at +the attitude he donned towards me, very friendly, as was Wagner, +as I recalled, though it seemed as contrary to his nature as it +did to the King’s. He saw the expression of my eyes, and +seemed to read right through my thoughts and see my apprehension +of punishment, for he beckoned to his guards to leave us alone. +They moved quickly and uniformly, a well-trained unit, and +positioned themselves in a line formation along the street. The +King and I then strolled down their midst, they walking along +with us at a distance of a few yards, which was all that the +closely built buildings would permit. In a moment or two we +reached the Temple of Time, which was on the far side of a large +square plaza that opened up between it, the palace, and the +government center. Once we reached it, he led me inside and the +guards took up post around its outside.</p> + +<p>“You need not fear,” he told me when we were +alone, “You are among friends here. You see, the Canitaurs +were not the only ones waiting for a kinsman redeemer, the Zards +were as well. That day that you were seen going into the +Canitaur’s outpost was a big disappointment for us, I had +almost begun to think that you were beyond our reach. I am sure +you know all about the conflict between us, and the circumstances +of your time that brought its beginning about?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I do,” I responded as we walked through the +great entry hall of the temple, lined with bookshelves and a rich +red carpeting. He was silent for another moment as we crossed +into another room that led to a chamber with a long table in its +center and a great many statues and works of art scattered +throughout its whole. There was an altar at the far end, built +into a giant statue of a White Eagle that graced the entire wall, +it holding the altar in its giant claws.</p> + +<p>He saw me look at it and told me, “This is the Hall of +Time, and that is the altar to Temis, the God of Time. It is a +very sacred place, to both us and the Canitaurs, for it was built +by Temis himself, before the race of man inhabited the earth. By +the time any men came to live on Daem, it had been buried by the +dirt and debris of thousands of years, but when the Great War +took place, the shock uncovered it and revealed it to men, a sort +of revelation that came only as it was needed the most. +Daem’s war started over the control of it, and to a point +still is. To a certain extent is has helped us greatly, since the +Canitaurs are afraid to lay siege to us in the regular fashion, +for fear that it will be laid to ruin, and then our fate sealed +in flesh and bone as well as earth and stone. But come, there is +something I want to show you,” he told me.</p> + +<p>With that he started over to a door in the wall adjacent to +the entrance, which, as there were only two doors, was the only +other exit. It led to a long, winding stair that went up to the +top of the tower that I had seen from below. We walked up it in +silence, more from awe of its magnificent construction on my part +than fatigue in climbing its steep stairs, which wound on and on +almost indefinitely. There were no windows in the tower, and only +a few paintings to liven up the sparsely decorated walls, yet +they needed no adornments, for they were beautifully constructed +from a strange stone that split and colored in a marvelous +twisting pattern.</p> + +<p>At last we came to the top. It was much like it had appeared +to be from below, for it was a large glass sphere that sat on the +tower, like the dome on top of a light pole. It was divided in +two, and the stairs went right through the bottom half and opened +into a circular foyer that then had a small flight of stairs +running up to the main room. There were little closets and such +in the empty spaces on the bottom floor. The upper room was a +good thirty feet in diameter, and the walls and ceiling were all +made of glass, very sturdy and insulating, yet completely +transparent. On the floor was an odd carpet that was smooth and +thin, like a silk or fine linen, yet very strong. There was a +rounded table on the side of the entrance hole opposite the +stairs, and a curved couch that sat against the wall behind it, +cut perfectly to its circular outline. Two cushioned chairs sat +at the table and a small end table leaned up against the couch, +on top of which there was a medium sized spyglass, that is, a +telescope.</p> + +<p>The sun was just coming up and shining its golden hues on the +surrounding lands, which were beginning to darken as the fires of +Lake Umquam Renatusum died down to a faint glow in the center of +the forests of the near-north. It was the first time that I had +gotten a bird’s eye view of Daem, and I was amazed at its +beauty. The plains stretched on one side of Nunami like a broad +field of gold in the morning light, its dew drizzled grasses +waving in a solemn and dignified manner to and fro like the +constant beating of the earth’s heart, and when looked upon +abstractly it moved as if one great beast of benevolence, holding +itself in unison as it chorused back the silent tones of life. +Its edges draped down to the ocean like a curtain of woven +sunlight on the eastern and southern sides of the island of Daem, +and on the western side of Nunami the great forest came up right +to its edge. There was a little of the forest between the ocean +and the city on that side, while to the north there was a great +stretch of trees, all the way until the ocean again came into +sight in the far, far north. On the ground the trees of Daem +seemed like mighty towers and battlements of nature, and on the +treeway one felt suspended in air hundreds of feet above the +ground on a cloud of green and growing foliage, but from afar and +above they were revealed in their true splendor, shooting up from +the earth as if they were the arms of the ground itself, grasping +huge clusters of leaves and branches far above in their tightened +fists. Some way into the forest, the ground sprang up into +mountains that were as fierce and behemoth as the trees that +clothed them. They were terrible to the eye and mind, as +evidences of the power that exists outside of oneself.</p> + +<p>The city of Nunami was also revealed to me for the first time +in depth. As I have said, it was surrounded by a thick, tall wall +made of stones and precious jewels, with four gates, one at the +furthest extreme in each direction. It was a circular city, made +mostly of the same materials as the wall and temple, which were a +plain, silvery stone; a dark rock with inherent patterns; a +mixture of cobblestone and a colorful compositor rock; and a vast +array of metals, everything from brass to silver to platinum. +Made in an ancient style, the buildings were tall, the average +being what was equivalent to at least a dozen or two stories in +the pre-desolation times, and they were close together, built +along roads paved with cobblestone and lined with trees whose +girth, though not as monstrous as those in the wild, was still +great. There were farm fields and vineyards and orchards and +meadows for grazing animals all within the city walls, and not +just congregated around the outside, for there were buildings all +around the wall’s perimeter, but scattered among the other +buildings in a natural and pleasing way. In the southern part +there was a lake that was of fair size, and a fleet of fishing +boats anchored at its shore showed that it did its part to +contribute to the city’s well-being. Several of the trees +throughout the city were especially conspicuous in their +grandeur, for they rose hundreds of feet from the ground and had +great waterfalls flowing down from their tops, as if they were +crying great torrents of tears down from their aged faces, though +if in sadness or joy, I couldn’t tell.</p> + +<p>To the east there was land visible from the height at which I +found myself, though in the distance it became hazy and I could +not make out its distinct features. It was evidentially +corrupted, however, for it had an uneasy look about it, as did +the ocean, which was a faint, pale shadow of the rich blue it was +in my childhood days. The sky as well was tainted, and it looked +to be filled with the accumulated atrocities of countless +generations. The clouds were thick and bluish, and the spherical +mural of the sky itself had been greatly dried, cracked, and +crumbled since my time, for it bore the marks of pain, the marks +of the labor pains of the earth’s last gestating doom. And +well they should, I thought, for in the years since my natural +life it had seen much suffering and much destruction.</p> + +<p>The King broke the silence, saying, “Lovely, isn’t +it, Jehu? And it is all yours for the taking.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean,” I asked him.</p> + +<p>“Exactly what I said, the whole world is yours, if you +want it.”</p> + +<p>“But how?”</p> + +<p>“All you have to do is join us, the Futurists, and we +will reward you with all the power and glory that you can +imagine.”</p> + +<p>At that I sobered up and replied, “But what of Onan, of +my quest to stop the doom of humanity from materializing in this +final juncture. He is the one who sent me, and he is the Lord of +the Past, whom the Canitaurs follow. I am his agent, why would I +turn from him to serve mere mortals?”</p> + +<p>He laughed a slight, sarcastic laugh, “Tell me, Jehu, to +whom did he send you, your ancestors or your +offspring?”</p> + +<p>“To my ancestors,” I said slowly, “Though +the Canitaurs seemed to imply that my time was long ago. To be +candid, I do not understand.”</p> + +<p>“Of course you do not understand, and how could you, +when no one has told you? You see, Jehu, the question of time is +not so linear as you would think. You know full well that the +conflict between the Zards and Canitaurs is over how to address +the renewing of the earth: they would send you, our kinsman +redeemer, back into time to prevent the nuclear wars, while we +would send you to the future to bring back its completion. They +hold to traditions as if they were the foundation of life, while +our people have no traditions in the traditional sense, if I may +use that oxymoronic phrase, but we look to what will come instead +of what has passed. History is unimportant to the present, Jehu, +because we have advanced to the point that we do not make the +same mistakes as our ancestors. In the past, they waged war +needlessly and did so in the name of humanitarian deeds. But +today, we are advanced enough that we use peaceful and just means +to reach our ends. In your day there were many absurd beliefs, +for example the so-called ‘fats’ that were so +vehemently avoided, are actually quite healthy, while on the +other hand, protectionism and socialism are quite absurd ideas, +and yet they were held dear. But today we have no such +presuppositions, today we understand the world and know justice +where your society knew only its shadows. We do not need to be +bound by the mistakes of yesterday, for we have the enlightenment +of today, and while the Canitaurs cling to the old time’s +ways, we have progressed to the point where we have no need of +such traditions.”</p> + +<p>He continued, “It may seem to you foolish to follow +Zimri instead of Onan, because Onan’s realm has already +been established and grows greater everyday, while Zimri’s +doesn’t exist and never will, but you miss a very important +point in the understanding of these matters. For, as you probably +know, time and matter are the foundations of physical existence, +and while the two components are independent, they are also +parallel. Matter is always revolving, from its simplest form in +the atom to its greatest in the universe, everything is revolving +and rotating. So is time. Imagine time as a galaxy, revolving +continually around the black hole at its center, that is, an +enigma that is actually devoid of all matter. Time is revolving +around a great enigma as well, which is devoid of time, that +enigma being eternity. Eternity is not a place where there is +infinite time, but rather a place where there is simply no time, +it is the counter-part in the temporal realm of a black hole in +the material realm. And just as a galaxy in the material realm +revolves around the black hole at its center, in the temporal +realm, the flow of time itself revolves around eternity. That +means that time repeats itself over and over again, just as on +earth a year is the amount of time it takes the earth to revolve +around the sun once, in the temporal realm, an age is the amount +of time that it takes the time continuum to revolve once around +eternity. Just as every year the climate on the earth is similar, +every particular day having its usual temperature and weather, +and every general period having the same seasons, so is time. +While every age is completely new and original, they all follow +the same pattern, and through every age the same general events +happen, though a few of the small details change from one time to +the next.</p> + +<p>“So you see, it is true that Onan sent you to both the +past and the future of your original time. The Pastites would say +that you were sent forward in time, because you existed in our +past, while the Futurists would say that you were sent backwards +in time because you existed in our future. While this would seem +an unimportant question, it is not, for we have to choose one or +the other. You, the kinsman redeemer have to choose one or the +other. That is why you were sent, you have to decide. Our fate +must be decided by a mortal because the gods have vowed to never +interfere directly in our ways again. You must decide, Jehu, for +you hold the fate of humanity in your hands: in all the other +ages before us, the wrong decision was made, and every time some +great calamity came that somehow threw the earth into a great ice +age that destroyed all life for many millenniums. We know that +the wrong decision was made, but we cannot tell what it was that +was done. Tell me Jehu, will you join the Futurists? Surely you +can see that the Pastites are just that, stuck in the past, with +their obsession with traditions and legends. They are of the +past, but we are of the future, we are the progressive ones. Dear +Jehu, choose the future, and when the earth is spared from the +great impending doom, we will set you up as ruler of the world to +show our gratitude. Will you join us, friend?” he asked me +with the most entreating eyes, though of somewhat doubtful +sincerity.</p> + +<p>There was a deathly silence that followed, for I was thinking +long and hard about what I should do, until at last I spoke, +“Your majesty, I am afraid that I will have to turn you +down and remain with the Pastites. Onan sent me, and it is Onan +whom I shall follow.”</p> + +<p>The King shook his head and sighed dejectedly, for a moment he +looked disheartened and crestfallen, but then he again resumed +his former prideful pose and said to me, less humbly and +entreating than before, “Very well, I was afraid that you +would do that. I have no choice now but to keep you here +indefinitely as a prisoner, until such time as you realize the +error of your ways and repent. It may seem improper to refuse the +decision of the kinsman redeemer, but I must, for I will not +allow my people to be destroyed by your ignorance.”</p> + +<p>With that he turned and walked quickly down the stairs to the +door, turning to me just as he reached it and adding with an +almost spiteful intonation, “But then again, what clarity +of mind can be expected from someone from the unenlightened +past.” He then left the room, closing the door with a +powerful thud, after which I heard a small metallic click and his +strong, commanding footsteps fading down the long stairway. As +soon as the sound had died away and he was no more to be heard, I +ran down to the door and tried to open it, but to no avail, for +it was locked. There was no way to escape: I was a prisoner of +the Zards.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 9: Mutually Assured Deception</h3> + +<p>The light of the newborn sun rose that instant far enough +above the horizon to shine directly into the tower’s upper +dome-like room, and I was awe struck by the texture that the +lights created on the glass of the walls, for when it shone +through at just the right height, a previously invisible picture +came to view. It was of a towering clipper ship with sails that +stretched across their masts like skin over the bones of a +pleasantly plump fellow, the wind billowing them about at a +leisurely rate. Waves broke gently upon the ship’s side as +the crew rested peacefully on the various cables and nets, all +except for the one-legged captain who was busy looking at the map +and accompanying charts. It was a quaint and beautiful scene, +though it soon passed away as the sun moved upwards in the sky, +and I wouldn’t have mentioned it, except that as it +disappeared, I found myself looking at where it had been, but +instead of the ship, I saw directly through the glass the +inhabitants of Nunami arising and beginning their daily business, +a scene which I might have missed since I was previously wholly +absorbed by the picturesqueness of the sky.</p> + +<p>Usually the Zards would arise before dawn and be about their +business, but because of the great flames of the night before, +they had no doubt had trouble sleeping, and therefore slept later +than usual when they finally did fall into the lands beyond +consciousness. They hustled and bustled about the streets of +Nunami, each doing their own business, and there was much +business to be done in a city in which all provisions are +provided internally, with no trade or commerce outside +whatsoever. There were merchants and stores still, yet they were +not traders but producers, each making their own wares as they +sold ones they had already made. Butchers sat in their shops with +their blood-stained aprons already donned, cobblers and tailors +were busy with the day’s repairs and new creations, the +milkmen paraded the streets slowly and methodically, somehow +getting their products to the citizens before 8 AM. The farmers +and herdsmen were also at work in the fields that were spread +throughout the city, plowing and sowing, and being joined by +those who had just finished distributing the milk.</p> + +<p>All was commonplace and normal, I thought, and I was +surprised, for the Zards were not at all martially minded, a +great contrast to their Canitaurian brethren. Of course, I had +never actually met any of the Canitaurian commoners. It seems to +me that the only ones who really are martially minded are the +leaders and politicians, everyone else seems to mind their own +business, and sometimes I wonder if there would even be any wars +if there weren’t any governments with the power to wage +one. There was a group of Zards by the government center, which +was close to my involuntary quarters, and they were leaning over +an opening in the aqueduct that ran down into the lake in the +southern section of the city, branching off from there into all +the various sectors. They were dumping a barrel of a fine, white +powder into the water that was running down into the lake, and +after the first had been poured in, they added another and +another until they had put a good five barrels into the water +source. Once they had finished, they took the empty barrels to a +large cage that was down the road a bit, inside of a small grove +of trees and shrubs. Inside the cage was a multitude of little +beetles that crawled around every which way and were evidentially +feasting on a large chunk of glowing material. For a moment I was +surprised, and wondered what it was they were doing, but then it +hit me: they were the delcator beetles that Bernibus had told me +of earlier, the ones that absorbed the radioactive material and +stabilized it. As I learned later, they had two good uses, one +was that they consumed the unstable materials and neutralized +them, but the other was that their droppings, when mixed into the +water supply, also gave all that consumed them a greater +tolerance for nuclear material. It was almost ironic that their +whole way of life was dependent on the feces of another life +form, but I will refrain from turning it into a metaphor.</p> + +<p>The female Zards wore a black headpiece that mostly covered +their faces, and at first I found it strange that for all his +talk of progress, the King’s people still oppressed their +women, perhaps there wasn’t as much progress as he had +boasted, or, more likely, he was unaware that there was no such +thing as progress, just different manifestations of oppression. +History repeats itself, they say, and indeed it does, both +literally and figuratively.</p> + +<p>There suddenly arose a great commotion in the square between +the Temple and the palace, and as I looked, I was surprised to +see that there was a large crowd gathered. In the middle of the +square there were two groups of ten Zards facing each other, with +a single Zard in between them, and around the outside of the +plaza area stood a hundred or so spectators, apparently watching +those in the middle. A moment after I started watching, the +solitary Zard, the referee as I found out, walked to the edge, +and each of the groups walked to one of the opposing sides and +then turned about to face the other. The referee let out a loud +yell and in a flash, the two teams ran at each other headlong, +until converging somewhere in the center of the field. As they +met they dived upon one another and pushed and shoved until the +left team had isolated one of the right’s players, who was +the only one on his team wearing an orange jersey. They dived on +him and jumped until the whole field was piled high with them, +and then they slowly began to disembark. Once all of the opposing +team’s players were off of the orange shirted Zard, all was +silent and still as the referee held his hand aloft and began +counting with his fingers. Everyone held their breathe and stood +tensely by as they watched. Just before the referee’s tenth +and final finger was counted, the orange shirted player rose from +the ground, amidst the screams of joy from his team and about +half of the crowd, apparently their fans. The two teams then +returned to their respective sides, and again the referee yelled +loudly, signaling them to rush at each other once more, and more +of the same ensued, this time it being the other team’s +orange shirted player to get pounced on. Once again there was a +high pile on top of him, and once again, as they crawled off and +he was exposed, the referee began to count. Except that this time +the orange shirted one never got up. The other team cheered again +and so did the other half of the crowd. The referee went to a +pole on the sidelines and put up the number ‘1’ on it +while a few bystanders picked the Zard up and carried him off the +field. They continued to play in this fashion for awhile, going +until one team or the other had no longer any players to be +jumped upon, but I was too disgusted at their violent nature to +watch, and instead walked over to the end table and picked up the +telescope, taking back as I did my thoughts about the innocence +and gentleness of the common folk.</p> + +<p>With the telescope in hand I went over to the eastern side of +the room and began to closely inspect the savanna in an attempt +to get a bird’s eye view of the point of my entrance in +Daem. It looked rather the same from above as it did from below, +though the smells and sounds were missing, and I found that it +was rather bland once the initial excitement, surprise, and +respect of its novelty had worn off. Indeed, it was quite too +dull for me, even in my state of boredom as a prisoner, though I +suppose that that isn’t a proper description of my +feelings, for I wasn’t free from excitement or intriguing +events, but rather, I was in the middle of a campaign of new and +anticipated things, but simply unable to participate. Stuck in a +room 800 feet from the ground with walls of glass that allowed +observation of the whole island of Daem, which I assumed to be +the only civilization in the world, while great events unfolded +around me, of which I was supposed to be the primary actor, was +very disconcerting, though I find in retrospect that fate worked +so mysteriously in my situation that it is quite puzzling to +think about, meaning, of course, my relationship with the doom of +humanity as preventer and provoker, as savior and condemner.</p> + +<p>My writing of this manuscript may be considered quite a big +cheat, as it details my direct involvement with Onan, the Lord of +the Past, and the general circumstances of the end of life on +earth, for the current age at least, but still I am allowed to +write it. Onan told me just a few moments ago that I could write +it and tell all that I want, to which I was taken aback. When I +asked why he would allow me to break the law of the council of +the gods, he replied that there was no rule against a human agent +from detailing his involvement in the actions of the divines. It +was allowed, he told me, because it would never make a mite of a +difference, for even if it were able to survive the bitter ice +ages and all the evolutionary periods in this TAB (Temporal +Anomaly Box, which I will explain later, since I get ahead of +myself and have not told of them yet), and even if it is found by +humans, and even if they are capable of understanding the text +contained within it, even then they will take no gain from it. I +was again taken aback when he said this, for though I know humans +to be stubborn and foolish, in general, I would think that they +would at least mind the warning when the conditions of its +completion came to pass. But he dissuaded me, telling me that my +coevals of the next age would no doubt take it as a novel.</p> + +<p>At this I took your defense quite personally upon myself, and +demanded in as not so humble a tone as would be thought proper, +though as I am about to die within the next day or two, I have to +admit that I don’t give much of a damn for politics or +manners. And yet, with all my ardor I was quickly subdued by a +curt rebuke by my interlocutors (for Zimri was there as well), +which was, quite simply, that you hadn’t taken Homer for +any more than a creative poet, even after a few thousand years of +study, so why should my meager manuscript make such a large +impact. At that, I acquiesced to them and admitted that on that +end my attempt to save humanity one way or another was +contemptible, but I still write, as you see, for the +story’s sake, and possibly for my own material immortality. +But never mind that, for it is high time that I went back to my +story.</p> + +<p>I was looking through the spyglass at the various areas of +Daem where my adventures had so far taken me. After I had +examined them all for a few moments, I felt a strange urge to use +the telescope to look closely at the mainland that I had seen +before, to see what the effects of the Great War had been there. +As I turned the telescope’s sights toward it, I was at once +surprised and flabbergasted at what caught my eye. There were +living beings on the mainland, not too far from the coast. And +not only that, but they were standing upright, though stooped, as +if by weariness and the wiles of life, and they seemed, in +general, to resemble humans, not directly, but as much as the +Zards and Canitaurs did, and with the effects of the radioactive +instability greater on the mainlands, it would seem natural that +they would be further removed from normality than those on Daem. +The land itself was barren and flat, with sparse vegetation in +the forms of small, deformed shrubs and a short, weak looking +grass. As I looked closer I saw that there were about six of the +strange, stooped humanoids, and they were gathering the fruits of +some of the shrubs for consumption. In a few moments they +finished their task and began to walk further inland, and I +followed their progress with interest until they finally +disappeared behind some of the small plateaus that were scattered +here and there among the wastelands.</p> + +<p>Putting the telescope down, I walked over to the couch and +laid down on it, with indignation filling my every move, for I +was almost enraged that the Zards and Canitaurs both should fail +to tell me, whom they claimed to respect as kinsman redeemer and +whose decisions would seal their fate for good or ill, that there +were other survivors from the Great Wars. I was also shocked by +their selfishness, for while they fought pettily amongst +themselves over how they would change their lands for the better, +a seemingly important question about past and future, they +completely ignored the sufferings of other humanoids, to whom +their way of living no doubt seemed like a paradise. But there +they were, stuck across the sea on their desolate lands, unable +to cross to Daem and enjoy its plentiful resources and luxuries, +yet not at all unaware of them, for as they labored in their +hopeless ways, they could see Daem shining like a heavenly vision +before them, one which they were not able to touch or grasp, but +instead one that must infuriate them to no end in their heart, at +the knowledge of fate’s unfairness and their utter +hopelessness and complete poverty, not because of their laziness +or their ignorance or anything involving their actions +whatsoever, but simply because they had been born on the wrong +side of the sea.</p> + +<p>At that moment I was embittered against both the Zards and the +Canitaurs for their selfishness and their pretensions of +morality. There is no morality where one sees another starving +and suffering and does not help, when one sees a whole race of +people living on a land where nothing but sorrows dwell, but will +not let them share the wealth that was given one by no doing of +oneself. There is no morality in selfishness, and when I saw +those wretched people, I no longer felt like redeeming those on +Daem from the impending doom of humanity. Whatever plans they had +for me they never told, I sensed, for there was something deeply +wrong about the way they looked at me and talked about me, +something deeply wrong about the way they patronized me and +treated me like a silly child, while I was the one who was to +decide their fate. The Canitaurs and the Zards both looked at me +with a subtle sense of deceit and ill will, all that is, except +Bernibus, which is why our friendship flourished so swiftly. As I +laid there with thoughts of Onan and the decision that I was to +make, and of all the responsibility that was put upon me +involuntarily, as I thought of the conflict of past and future at +the neglect of the present, as I thought about the self-obsession +and overindulgence that come with wealth, and the desire for +still more that accompanies it, I fell to sleep and into a place +where no troubles lay, for my long day and night had left in me +no energy for dreams.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 10: Devolution</h3> + +<p>When I awoke the sun was once more out in its morning glory, +at the height it assumes at about the 9 o’clock hour, and +the room was warm and cozy because of it, as it shone in through +the glass walls. My first sensation upon waking was one of peace +and bliss, the feeling experienced when you wake up late to a +nice warm resting place, especially so when all the rest of the +world is hard at work and you are not. I breathed in the air +deeply and contentedly while stretching my arms, legs, and back +in a most relieving fashion, and then turned towards the table in +the center of the room, from whence I smelled an extremely +appealing smell, that of a hearty breakfast.</p> + +<p>As I did so, however, my joy was sent to a bitter, premature +death, for there sitting at the table and smiling sardonically at +me was the King, arrayed in all his pomp and splendor with his +powerful pose, which, while it had impressed, and even to a point +overwhelmed me, before, did no such thing to me now, for I was +fresh with indignation at the exclusion of the humanoids across +the sea from the paradise of Daem.</p> + +<p>He saluted me in a polite manner, and I him, though there was +little affection behind it. Then, without any more ceremony, I +sat down and began to eat, repulsing any attempt of his to start +a conversation with persistent vigor, until I had finished, when +I stood and demanded where exactly I was to make my toiletry. He +laughed and said that he was wondering how long I would last, but +as I was still too unpleasant to respond with any familiarity, he +showed me to a little room that was tucked off of the side of the +bell that formed the entrance to the domed chambers of the upper +tower. The top of the tower itself was a half complete sphere, +while the room only occupied the upper half, so that the bottom +was divided between the entry way and the toiletry room. I spent +a few moments grooming and washing myself and preparing for the +day, and then rejoined him in the room. He was still sitting on +his chair and I took the other. The meal had been carried +away.</p> + +<p>He began the conversation by saying, “My dear Jehu, I +must apologize for keeping you in this position, but you must +understand that the outcome of this war is very serious, and I +will not risk it to your sensationalism.”</p> + +<p>“Sensationalism!” returned I, “Is that how +you would describe a touch of humanity?”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean?” he questioned, apparently +interested in what I said.</p> + +<p>“Well,” I began, regaining myself, my former +indignation being exhausted by the spirit of my opening comments, +and my normal sober reasoning returning, “I have been +observing your society, which you suppose to be enlightened, but +I have seen some things, which, I am afraid, are evidences of the +opposite.”</p> + +<p>“Go on,”</p> + +<p>“For one, your common folk engage in the most violent +entertainment. I saw a vicious game being played not far from +here, in the plaza below. There were two sides, and they rushed +at each other in a rage and clashed when they met until one side +tackled the other. This went on for some time, the evident point +of the sport being to gain points by making it so that one of the +opposing players cannot get up at the end of a round. It was so +brutal that I was disgusted and could watch no more.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I see what you mean,” the King replied, +“I myself would much rather that such games would be +forsaken, but the people really enjoy it. I must remind you, as +well, that your society had the same type of thing, as did every +other before it. It was football for you, gladiators for the +Romans, and so forth.”</p> + +<p>“But I thought that you had no traditions? That you were +more enlightened than those of the past? You can hardly excuse +your misconduct by reminding one of the misconduct of another, +especially when you claim to disclaim the errors of history, or +at least, that altered and redefined thing that you call +history.”</p> + +<p>“You are right, I have to admit,” he conceded, +“But let me remind you that it is a static characteristic +of humanity to confuse the ends with the means. When an intense +effort is applied, the melodramatic tendency is to honor that +effort, despite its uselessness, instead of honoring the product +of the effort rather than the effort itself. But, you are right, +I admit, for we have still a few places left to refine in the +common folk.”</p> + +<p>Feeling vainglorious at my victory, I pursued him further, +“I also observed that your womenfolk wear face coverings in +public, which is most certainly a thing of the past.”</p> + +<p>“I must disagree with you there Jehu,” he said, +evidentially regaining his confidence and sense of moral footing, +“For even in your own time the womenfolk all wore masks and +face coverings.”</p> + +<p>I was taken aback and cried, “Most certainly they did +not, your history books may say so, but I, dear sir, was alive +and would know best!”</p> + +<p>“What, then,” he coolly replied, with a sharp grin +that reeked of self-confidence, “Would you call all the +messes of make-up and perfume and other such things which they +were virtually forced to wear? I see nothing different between +wearing face coverings and transplanting an entirely new face, +hair, and body on oneself everyday. In fact, our women got +together and decided voluntarily to do so, for the very reason +that if an artificial covering must be put on, it might as well +be one that is easy, for why spend an hour or more a day to +change one’s appearance, when it can be done in moments +with a head covering? That is a great time saver for us. And why +spend the resources to research, produce, and market massive +amounts of facial paint to cover up the face when it is possible +to put a covering on and get the same effect much, much easier? +It is only logical.</p> + +<p>“And in general, Jehu,” he pursued, warming to the +subject matter, “I find the oppression of women in your +time to be quite appalling. You seemed to think that the +liberation of women consisted in transforming them into loveless, +materialistic thugs, into workaholics whose only desire is +wealth, into aggression driven beings that possessed little shred +of real humanity, into, in a word, men. I think it would have +been a much better endeavor to have attempted to change men into +women.”</p> + +<p>I was taken aback by his eloquent defense of the treatment of +women in his society, and felt, I must admit, a little impressed +by his arguments, seeing as how it did make more sense to wear a +head covering than to paint on a face every morning. Still, I +desired to let him see that traditions aren’t all that bad, +just as they aren’t all that good, and, as I had still won +one point out of two so far, I felt it safe to move on to my main +argument against his humanistic preponderance.</p> + +<p>“You are right there, I admit, but tell me, your +majesty,” I said with a slow, scoffing voice, meant to show +that I had a powerful point to make, and as if I had to go slow +enough for him to comprehend the eloquence of my speech, +“Why, if you are so enlightened and progressive, so +humanitarian and merciful, why do you keep a whole race of +people, of human beings, stranded on the far shore, able to see +the goodness of Daem’s plush lands, but unable to visit +them? How can you justify the keeping of people in such +conditions when it is in your power to relieve them?”</p> + +<p>He sobered up more than he already was and answered in his +most dignified voice, one calculated to stop opposition by its +very graces, “Their plight is unfortunate, but as they are +not my subjects, it is none of my concern.”</p> + +<p>“So you knew of them, but did not care. How typical of +powerful men. What are they called?”</p> + +<p>“Munams,” he answered, “Is what we call +them, though people of your time had a different name for them, +Neanderthal, if I am correct.”</p> + +<p>My intrigue superseded my conviction and I asked interestedly, +“But, how is that possible? The Neanderthals were the +ancestors of men in my time, and the men of my time were the +ancestors of the men of this time, how could they be living +now?”</p> + +<p>“Very simply, for your scientists and philosophers did +not understand the revolution of time, and what they thought was +evolution was in fact devolution. You see, when they found all +the fossils and other such evidence for evolution, they +interpreted it to mean that they had evolved from lesser +organisms. Since they didn’t know that time repeats itself +over and over again, ages of time being like the years of the +earth, it was actually the remains of the age before them that +they thought were the remains of their ancestors. In truth, +instead of a great comet hitting the earth and destroying the +dinosaurs and many other living beings, it was the Great Wars, +the nuclear wars, that caused all the damage. And since their +perception of the events was backward, instead of the blasts +destroying the dinosaurs and the wholly mammoths, it was what +actually created them, for, you see, after the nuclear weapons +had all been used, everything in the world died, or came very +close to it, all that is, except Daem, which thrived, because of +the delcator beetles.</p> + +<p>“There were no ‘dinosaurs’, only Zards, for +when the radiation levels were still high and unstable, we grew +to enormous sizes, and likewise there were no wholly mammoths, +but Canitaurs. And the Neanderthals that appeared shortly after +were not the precursors to humans at all, but the Munams, who +survived on the mainland near Daem because of the corrected +atmosphere, but who were mutilated more than we by the increased +corruption across the sea. The Ice Ages, also, were not as you +thought, but instead mark the position in the last age after the +doom of humanity was played out and everything destroyed. The Big +Bang, also, was not at the beginning, but at the very end, being +somehow related to the onset of the Ice Ages. Your evolutionary +theories were close, but the time tables were rearranged to fit +the facts, since time was thought to be linear.</p> + +<p>“That is where our main trouble lies, Jehu, for through +geological and biological evidences, even more advanced than +those collected during your times, we can tell that something +happens at this very period of history that will wipe all life +from the face of the earth for a long period of time, many +thousands of years, until somehow they start to reproduce and +grow once more into what they are now. Something very powerful +happens, even more devastating than the nuclear wars, when all +the nations of the world used their entire stock of weapons. Our +problem is how to prevent it, and a great problem it presents, +indeed. You see, while we would wish to be confident of success, +since we know generally what to expect, we know through research +that there have been many, many ages before us in which the same +thing has happened. That is why the geological layers have always +been found to be strangely misaligned, with fossils from an +earlier period here and with a later period there. That is why +things like tree fossils are found in coal mines, where they +shouldn’t be, and why in general, the evidence found in the +ground doesn’t fit a consistent pattern.”</p> + +<p>As he finished, I could say nothing, for his revelation was +sobering to me, bringing me suddenly back to the realization that +our doom was impending, that every decision I made had the +potential to either bring us to safety, or to supply the +necessary force to hurl us viscously off the cliff of mortality. +He was silent as well and allowed me a few moments of meditation +to turn his speech in my mind. As is my tendency, I looked +abstractly out the window as I thought, fixing my subconscious +focus on the road that ran from the northern gate down through +the city, the road which formed half of the plaza beneath the +temple. A moment or two passed like a solemn parade of mourning, +then, suddenly, or at least quite unexpected by myself, a party +of Canitaurs came walking down the northern road, unharassed and +unescorted through the heart of the city. Since they came freely, +I knew that they were not prisoners, but still I was perplexed at +how a party of them came to be allowed in Nunami at all under +such pretexts, especially as they had attempted to bring it to +ruin but a few days before.</p> + +<p>The King saw their coming and my interest in them, and said in +a way of explanation, “There is to be a council today +between the Zards and Canitaurs, with you present, of course. Our +war has rampaged for quite some time, but we are forced to peace +in light of our impending doom, brought by circumstances outside +of ourselves. We will decide tonight, or tomorrow, what action to +take. It is a grim time, you can be sure, my dear Jehu, when +Zards and Canitaurs meet in peace, a grim time indeed.”</p> + +<p>He said that very importantly, with an air of fright in his +voice, as one who knows his end is near, for both him and his +loved ones. There was another moment of silence as he reflected +on the meaning of his words, and then he rose and beckoned me to +follow him. We made our way through the bottom half of the room +and down the long flight of stairs that wound down the great +tower in the Temple of Time. When we reached the bottom, we went +again into the long room with the bookshelves, the table, and the +altar to Temis. Already there waiting for us were the Canitaur +emissaries, Wagner and Bernibus.</p> + +<p>They rose to greet me, bowing low in a deferential manner, +more out of forced respect than awe, at least on Wagner’s +part, and after the customary blessing that followed, we all sat +down at the long wooden table that stretched lengthwise through +the room. Wagner and Bernibus took their chairs on one side and +the King and myself on the other, he and Wagner being opposite +each other, and Bernibus and me being the same; the King and I +were facing the altar and the White Eagle that held it.</p> + +<p>There was a moment of silence as we took our seats, and it +continued for another moment as everyone sat in an awkward +situation. As there was no one else in the room besides the four +of us, and as Wagner seemed disinclined to begin, the King opened +up our conference with the following statement:</p> + +<p>“Well, dear sirs, what can I say, except that I am glad +that you have finally condescended to seek a mutual agreement on +the actions which are about to ensue, and that I hope that our +conference will be productive and informative. Before we begin, I +will outline the rules of the debate and of the conference, which +were agreed upon before the military action of the recent +past,” here he looked at Wagner with the look of a judge +who supposes himself morally superior to the criminal in his +holding, “And by which we will still govern the council, +despite the sudden change in circumstances. The rules are as +follows: The decision shall be made by the votes of the three +parties involved, namely the Zards, the Canitaurs, and Jehu, the +kinsman redeemer. A majority of two votes is required to decide +which of the paths will be taken: the Futurist or the Pastite. As +is clearly obvious, my dear Jehu, I shall vote Futurist, and +Wagner shall vote Pastite, and it is up to you to cast the +decisive vote. You are the kinsman redeemer, and for all intents +and purposes, you will be the sole decider of the fate of +humanity. It is a great responsibility, but one that you were +chosen for by the child of Temis, the God of Time. Wagner and +myself will each make our cases, though you know them by now, and +then you will have all night to decide and you will tell us your +decision in the morning,” thus concluded the King’s +opening address.</p> + +<p>Before anyone else could follow it up, I interjected, +“But I was sent by Onan to do his work on earth, +wouldn’t it only make sense for me to choose the way of +Onan?”</p> + +<p>The King answered me, saying, “You were sent by Temis, +the God of Time, Jehu, for Onan and Zimri are his children who do +his work for him, but they only have the powers that he gave +them. Onan is the only one able to speak to mortals, for he is in +the past, while Zimri is in the future, but Onan also speaks for +Zimri, because he is told what to say by Temis, whose agents they +both are as much as you are Onan’s. Isn’t that so, +Wagner?”</p> + +<p>Wagner sighed in the affirmative, and when he had done so, I +asked him pointedly, “Why didn’t you tell me? You led +me to believe that Onan was the one who sent me, and by his own +power.”</p> + +<p>Here the King put in, “He merely wanted to prejudice you +to his own side, Jehu. He attempted to by-pass our peace treaty +of long ago when he tried to attack us and capture this very +temple for his own plans. We agreed twenty-five years ago to do +it this way, because enough blood had been shed, and no good had +come from it. He violated it when he took you into hiding, using +our pursuit after his treachery as justification. But come, in +the face of impending doom we cannot squabble over past wrongs, +but must move to prevent future disaster from +striking.”</p> + +<p>“What is so important about this Temple of Time, +though?” I asked.</p> + +<p>Wagner and the King mumbled together that “It was an +essential part of the restoration of Daem”, but would not +elaborate, saying that it was unimportant to the present +troubles. They looked guilty as they said it, though of what I +did not know. I was reminded of my indignation at their ignoring +of the sufferings of the Munams and became once more impatient +with their self-importance, so I yielded the floor and they began +to make their cases. In order to decide who went first, they drew +lots, and as the shorter was drawn by Wagner, he went first. His +speech is as follows:</p> + +<p>“The past is constant, Jehu. It has happened and is +secure in its place, explored and known. The traditions and +customs of our people are steadfast and immovable, for they have +survived the ages like a mountain that is untouched by the +weather. They have lasted so long not because of the mere +namesake of tradition, but because they work, because they have +worked thousands of times before, and because we know they will +work a thousand times in the future. What was good enough for the +generations before us is good enough for us and our children. A +tradition, or taboo, is not formed by the decision of some +contemporary council as a means to control others via social +restrictions, for if it was it would never have lasted, instead +it is formed because of experience, because when something goes +beyond it the result is temporary pleasure, the nectar of the +fruits of rebellion, but when the rebellious desires have faded, +what is left is rotten and decayed.</p> + +<p>“It brings only more desires for rebellion and more +thirst for the forsaking of traditions, and it will not be +satisfied. Then another taboo will be broken, but this also will +not quench the desires of the rebellious, who do what they do not +for any independent purpose, but only from a desire to break +traditions and taboos and to be different than their forebears. +But there is no satisfaction in rebellion, only in obedience. +Obedience not to some alien divinity, not to some social +supremest, not to the blind devotion of parental mandates, but +obedience to common sense, to practicality, to morality. For a +taboo is not formed by any one person, instead it is slowly built +up upon the experiences of many, experiences which show that when +one thing is done, suffering is what follows, and when another +thing is done, happiness is what follows. Of course there are a +few, isolated taboos that are based instead on human prejudices, +but that doesn’t translate into the abandonment of all the +experience of precedents. What comes when there are no longer any +taboos and traditions to break? Destruction. For as is seen time +and again, the rebellion of societies gains momentum, and while +their consequences are slow in gathering, in the end they +multiply and force those societies over the edge of power, +bringing only suffering and ruin.</p> + +<p>“And not only are the experiences of the past wielded +together into that euphoria that eludes the rebellious - wisdom - +but its constant state controls the present and the future. What +men have seen in the past leads them in their future actions, and +as a result, it is not the future that controls the present and +defines the past, but it is the past which controls the present +and defines the future. What sense is there in abandoning the +mountain of wisdom that the past has built up and leaping blindly +into hazy, unknown actions and institutions? The past is steady, +Jehu, and it is known; it is the only sensible way.” Thus +spoke Wagner.</p> + +<p>It was then the King’s turn, and he said as follows:</p> + +<p>“The past is the past, not the present nor the future, +its time has been spent, its part in the theater of life is over, +it is extinct. Jehu, Wagner speaks of us as rebelliously breaking +taboos that were formed by our forefathers, but that is not true. +In the present more is known than was known in the past, they had +outdated views and opinions, and their ideologies were vulgar and +unsophisticated. At present we are more knowledgeable, more +refined than what has gone before. The people of the past waged +unjust wars. They had superstition and prejudices that clouded +their visions of morality, and the product of that is a large +amount of taboos and precedents and traditions that are immoral +or meaningless. Now is the age of enlightenment, now and never +before is the future at hand, mixing with the present as we learn +more and more about our world. We are progressive, learning and +growing in philosophy and lifestyle.</p> + +<p>“If those of the past were so upright and wise, than why +are they not still among the living? If they were so powerful, +then why are they now extinct? The past is gone, but the future +is yet to come, it still holds tangible pleasures, not memories, +it has promise and potential, while the past is only the ruins of +the same. When the past is looked back upon, it is small and +immaterial, it is like time crumpled up into a wad of memories, +and a time yesterday or a thousand years ago looks the same, for +it is past, it is no more. Life is not short, but in retrospect +it seems to be, and its memories are distant, as they float like +fish in the oceans of time, lacking both definition and scale, +and hanging lifelessly around in random arrays. Every moment is +of the same length, but a moment in the past is nothing, its +thoughts and emotions are nothing, they are gone and useless to +the present, while a moment in the future is long and touchable. +A thought that is past is as nothing, and it is forgotten, for +the past and the future are like a one-way mirror, you can look +forward into the future, but looking into the past you can see +only the present reflected back at you. What good are the joys or +sorrows of yesterday? They are as far removed as those of a +thousand years ago, but it is the joys and sorrows of tomorrow +that loom the largest. Why look into the past for completion, +when it is found only in the future?” Thus spoke the +King.</p> + +<p>Once both of them had finished there was a short pause, each +reflective and absorbed with his own thoughts. At last the King +broke through the still waters of the moment and sent his +rippling voice across its formless surface, which revived at once +and was joined by many others, until the outward expression of +consciousness sent the waters of the mind again into their +complex and interwoven dances. He spoke in the department of host +and concluded the short session with these words, “Now the +cases are stated, though but briefly, for they were already +well-known. As planned prior to the infractions of the treaty, we +will adjourn for the night, and in the morning Jehu will deliver +his verdict, whether we undo our problem through the future, or +through the past.”</p> + +<p>We all rose and Bernibus, my only friend on the island, came +up to me and warmly embraced me, while Wagner and the King +conversed formally a few yards away. When they were not looking +and our backs were turned to them, Bernibus slipped me a piece of +paper that was rolled up into a tight scroll. Seeing his caution +and secrecy, I quickly stashed it in the inside of my shirt, +where it could not be seen. I was alarmed at the momentary +expression of his face, which showed that he was greatly worried +about me, and made me very interested in what the paper would +contain. His face quickly returned to its original countenance, +an impermeable barrier to his insides, and no one except myself +had any inclination about what had happened. The other two turned +towards us, and quickly made their farewells, Wagner and Bernibus +departing for their quarters, and the King to escort me back to +my prison.</p> + +<p>He took my arm in his genially, though only superficially so, +for he still had a subdued sense of distrust about him, and we +went through the door to the long, circling stairway from whence +we had come. As we ascended we engaged in small talk, the usual +meaningless pleasantry, which I assume you have probably had +enough of in your experiences to allow me to dispense with +relating it, for it was of no weight in any of the circumstances +that I found myself in, and I especially was not interested in +it, as the paper given to me by Bernibus claimed my whole +attention, and filled me with an anticipation and mystery of what +it might contain. I kept up the small talk with the King merely +to allay any suspicions he might have had, though he had none. +After a seeming eternity we reached the top, and once there I +stepped into my chambers, as the King jestingly called them. We +bade each other goodnight, which was followed by the metallic +click of the door locking, and the sound his footsteps as he +descended and made his way to his palace.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 11: The Land Across the Sea</h3> + +<p>I waited reluctantly with my ear against the door until his +footsteps could no longer be heard, and then waited for fifteen +minutes more, listening carefully for any noises. There were +none, and once I had convinced myself that I was completely +alone, I dashed swiftly up the stairs and jumped onto the couch. +My sudden movements caused the top-heavy tower to sway slightly +for a few moments, giving me quite the scare, for I didn’t +realize what it was at first. But then my pilot’s instinct +kicked in and I mentally calculated the height and width of the +tower and the mass of the dome that rested upon it, and came to +the conclusion that it was stable, for while a swift movement +caused it to sway, it would take a prolonged and deliberate +pendulum-like motion to cause any real damage, and even the +fiercest wind would not upset it, for it would only blow in a +single direction at a time, and only a rocking motion must be +feared.</p> + +<p>Confident once more of my safety, I took the rolled piece of +paper from the folds of my clothing and opened it carefully. +Inside was a note from Bernibus, written in a legible cursive +that flowed from an obviously educated hand. It read as +follows:</p> + +<p>“My Dear Jehu, it is I, Bernibus, your friend and +comrade, who writes to you. Wagner and myself are soon to set off +for Nunami for a council with the Zards about the resolution of +our conflict. It was decided in a cease fire treaty twenty-some +years ago that whomever first came upon the kinsman redeemer was +to have a council with the other side and the ancient one to +decide which course to take, since either course needs the +support of both the Zards and the Canitaurs to succeed. When you +first came among us, Wagner seemed to break the terms of the +treaty and keep you with us in an attempt carry out our plans +independently of the Zards, using an attack plan that had been +held in readiness since the treaty, to ensure a defense if things +went wrong. When the Zards attempted to capture us upon your +arrival, Wagner declared the treaty violated, and I assumed that +it was to be entirely abandoned. I was under this impression when +I befriended you, and once our friendship had strengthened, I had +no fears for you, thinking as I did that new methods were to be +tried.</p> + +<p>“After the attack on Nunami failed and the council was +once again to be held, each having violated it equally, my fears +were suddenly aroused on your behalf. It was only then that I saw +that it was the intention of Wagner not only to destroy Nunami +and the Zards, but to capture the Temple of Time, which was the +only part of the city to be left intact. When I confronted my +brother-in-law about this, he only laughed at me scornfully and +told me that I was soft, that I was a fool to put one man’s +life ahead of the salvation of the whole earth. I was filled with +wrath at him and still am, but I have decided that it was better +to feign compliance and let you know by letter what it was that +is being planned for you. I am only sorry that it should come to +you at so late an hour, when I could have warned and helped you +before if I had only known. There is not much that you can do +now, but still I must warn you, for whatever it is worth, if only +to prove my affections.</p> + +<p>“You see, my dear Jehu, the Pastites and Futurists +interpret the prophecy to mean that the kinsman redeemer has come +to renew the earth, as you have no doubt heard, although there is +strong evidences to the contrary. I myself have been brought up +to this interpretation, as it is more acceptable than the +alternate theories that exist, though I have been for a time now +doubting its accuracy. According to the Externus Miraculum view, +the Temple of Time is crucial to the implementation of either +plan, in fact it is the crux of them both, the one issue that it +is of as great importance, or greater, than the presence of you, +the kinsman redeemer. There is an altar in the center room of the +temple, a great diamond White Eagle that is grasping an ordinary +altar in its talons, and this altar is where the kinsman redeemer +is to be sacrificed. If only I had suspected so before and could +have warned when there was yet time!</p> + +<p>“But there is no time now for such reflections, so I +will continue. The method of sending you back or forward in time +is to sacrifice you on the altar of Temis, the God of Time. It is +not a traditional, atonement sacrifice, nor of any kind that +involves the cutting of the flesh with a knife. Instead it is a +molecular one. You are to be set on the altar and then the White +Eagle will start to spew forth either protons or electrons, +depending on which is chosen, past or future. When your +body’s cells absorb all of the floating matter, they will +be either positively or negatively charged to such an extent that +their revolutions will be rapidly accelerated. According to +theory, the increased speed of the revolutions would cause a rift +in the time continuum, or in other words, would change the +proportion between your existence in the temporal and material +realms and change your location in time, thereby propelling you +into the past or the future, depending upon which was chosen, +electron or proton, past or future.</p> + +<p>“There has been much experimentation with this process, +each person sent through time being equipped with a matter-proof +box that is basically an advanced time capsule, lasting for +millions of years. Into this box (or TAB, Temporal Anomaly Box) +each person was supposed to write an account of their temporal +journey and leave it on the island that is presently Daem, at +specific locations decided on for that purpose. We would search +for those boxes in the present, to see if they had been +delivered. None have yet been found, though there are other +possible reasons than death, such as a failure to find the +island, or the box’s removal by someone in an intervening +time. Still, I am greatly afraid for your life Jehu, especially +so after what I discovered just hours ago in the classified +archives of the Canitaurs: there was strong evidence that the +process simply disintegrated those upon whom it was tried, +instead of sending them through time. This was kept from the +public, and was forcefully forgotten by those who knew, their +reason being that Temis would guide your travel better than the +others who were not called as his servants. If it were anyone but +you, Jehu, I would probably have deceived myself in the same way, +but I cannot let you be destroyed like this. You must escape and +not let them throw away our only chance of salvation in such a +way. I only wish that I had known sooner, I only wish that there +was a chance that you could escape,</p> + +<p>“Your Devoted Friend, Bernibus”</p> + +<p>For a moment I could do nothing except sit in silence and +ponder over this new revelation. After I had reread the letter +twice, so as to be thoroughly familiar with its contents, I ate +it, so that if I did escape, or was apprehended doing so, +Bernibus would not be found out and suffer because of it, though +I doubt not that he would have gladly done so. When I had done +that, I ran down to the door and attempted to force it open, but +to no avail. Neither could it be picked. And even if it had, it +would have done me no good, for there were at least two guards +always stationed at the foot of the stairs, and many more between +them and the temple entrance, and even if, by some miraculous +intervention, I made it that far, that left me stranded +conspicuously in the center of Nunami. My only hope was to escape +from the island completely, for I would be found soon enough by +the cooperating inhabitants if I remained upon their own +lands.</p> + +<p>The land across the sea then entered my mind, and its +degenerate inhabitants, but that was across a wide channel that +would be hard to cross even if I had infinite time, freedom, and +materials to make a boat which would withstand the waves, and I +had none of the three. What little hope I had, then, was out of +reach, lost to me like the golden days of the past. It was then +that I was overcome by despondency, the hopelessness of my +situation weighing my spirits down. It is a peculiar trait of +mine that in times of distress and in situations that seem to +have no possible favorable outcome I act rashly and without +reason. You will remember how I leaned forward and peered into +the dark hole when I was stranded on the tiny island in the sea, +and how I struck the tree with a limb on the shores of Lake +Umquam Renatusum. Likewise, I again did something which would +seem illogical and vain: in my frustration, I pushed the table +that I happened to be standing against with as much force as I +could muster. It slid softly along the carpeting before coming to +a halt a few inches from the glass wall. It made no noise or +jarring of the floor, but the sudden shifting of weight in the +room caused the tower to sway once more, as it had when I had run +up the stairs to the couch.</p> + +<p>And, as had happened on the previous occasions, the result of +my senseless actions was good, as if guided by some external +force, for an idea came suddenly to my mind that would not have +been there otherwise, an idea that was outlandish and +far-fetched, but was at the time my only hope.</p> + +<p>I lost no time on preparing my efforts, for there was none to +be lost, and set out immediately to remove the carpeting from the +floor. Upon examination I found that it was not attached to the +ground at all, but only fastened into a wooden frame at the walls +that held it tightly in place. It stretched in a circular fashion +around the whole of the room and into the center until it came to +the stairs that led downward, so that once removed it formed a +circle about thirty feet in diameter with a three foot circular +hole in its center. In case I haven’t mentioned the type of +the carpet yet, which I must confess that I cannot remember, I +will do so here: it was not a traditional carpet, that form being +apparently lost after the great wars, instead it was a silky +sheet-like carpet, no more than a quarter inch thick, and in fact +greatly resembling the sail of an old clipper ship, the painting +on the glass that I saw earlier probably attesting to the fact +that it had been designed with that appearance in mind. Like its +prototype, the sail, it caught a lot of wind and acted in the +same general manner.</p> + +<p>Using the bowie knife that was built into the large frontal +buckle of the anti-electron suit, which, by the way, I was still +entirely wearing, I cut the carpet down its center, making two +semi-circular pieces, each with a moon shaped appearance, much +like a wing. I based my idea in part on the observation that the +Canitaurs and Zards had apparently lost, or disregarded, the +springs of my time and instead used a hammock of springy, elastic +cords that spread across the face of the furniture. Simply put, +they stretched elastic ropes across an empty frame, almost like a +trampoline made of individual cords. This created a very +comfortable springing feel, for they gave enough bounce to render +the surface pliable, but not overly soft. Taking the bowie knife +again, I thrust it into the couch, and cut away the cushioning to +reveal the support. To my great relief, I found that it was +constructed in a manner similar to the other couches that I had +seen. There were about two score of the cords, each being between +three and four feet long. These I unattached and laid them down +in a pile.</p> + +<p>Next, I took the four main support beams for the couch, one +running along each side and two down the center in a crescent +shape, with the same curve and slope as the carpet, as they were +designed to contour the same wall. Then I disassembled the table +and took from it two of its main beams, which were about a foot +shorter than their curved counterparts. These I did not fully +remove, instead loosening their screws and swiveling them to +extend outwards from the table at a right angle, tightening them +again afterwards so that they were secure.</p> + +<p>Once that was accomplished, I went to the frame that had held +the carpet down and took the pins and fasteners which were used +to secure it. These I placed on the crescent beams from the +couch, which used the same standard size. Once I had secured the +carpet sections to the beams, I attached the couch’s beams, +via the cords, to the long beams sticking outward from the table, +running the ends of all the cords through another cord that +could, upon being pulled, adjust their height by pulling or +releasing, thus controlling the distance between the upper and +the lower beams, and changing the amount of slack in the carpet +that was stretched between them. I then removed the legs from the +tabletop, leaving just it and the beams together, the carpet +being attached to the beams.</p> + +<p>Thus my plan was completed, it being, in case you hadn’t +guessed, a primitive hang glider, the carpet being a sail and the +beams the wings, the whole being steerable by either raising or +lowering one side or the other, and the altitude being adjustable +by raising or lowering the two simultaneously. I felt keen joy at +my skills in air travel at that moment, and as I stepped back to +admire my work, I felt that peculiar satisfaction of having made +something and finding that it was good.</p> + +<p>But that moment was short lived, for another problem quickly +presented itself, namely, how would I remove the hang-glider from +the tower and launch it. It was far too large to go down the +stairs and needed to be propelled to a high speed or dropped from +a high altitude to become airborne. Since I had no way of +propelling it, I needed to launch it from the top of the tower, +which provided plenty of altitude, but then the problem of how to +remove it from the tower arose. For a moment I was stumped and +almost admitted defeat, but then it came to me.</p> + +<p>The tower’s only weakness was in its lack of protection +against a deliberate rocking motion. If I was able to swing it +back and forth fast enough by slowly gaining speed and +multiplying the momentum, it would be possible to get it to lean +far enough that the dome would snap off, leaving the room open to +the air. This was possible, though rather unlikely. But I tried +anyway.</p> + +<p>Starting on one side I began to move from one edge to the +other until a faint rocking motion could be felt. Then I +increased my speed in proportion to the speed of the tower +itself. It was a slow start, but the momentum began to grow, and +as it did each successive sway became faster and faster. Soon it +was going so fast that I began to have unstable footing, the +whole tower creaking like a tree that it is blown by a heavy +wind. The speed kept increasing until it reached its fastest, +swooshing to and fro with all of its accumulated force.</p> + +<p>It was then that the break happened, for on one of the thrusts +the top snapped off and the upper dome was flung downwards to the +ground. As soon as it was off I shoved the hang-glider with all +the force I could muster towards the edge. At first it fell, but +a few feet from the edge its wings caught the wind and it was +brought up to a stable soar, and just at that instant I landed on +it, for I had jumped right after it. I hit with a thud and felt +the craft bounce downwards a little as I hit, but it soon +regained its stability and sped on through the air as behind me I +heard a great crashing sound.</p> + +<p>I pulled the left wing down and the glider began to turn in +that direction. Since I had launched into the opposite direction +of the mainland, I needed to wheel around completely, and as such +I held the wing down until I had done an about face towards the +east. What I saw was a striking picture: the sun had just begun +to rise, and under the influence of its soft textures the city of +Nunami looked as it had before: quaint, picturesque, and +inviting. But there was a great difference now, for the tower +itself had completely collapsed under the momentum, and its ruins +had fallen down upon the Temple of Time, demolishing it and +leaving only ruins. It had also fallen on a strip of the city, +taking with it several buildings and leaving only rubble. The +King, Wagner, and Bernibus could just barely be seen amongst the +crowds that had dashed out of doors to see what was going on, and +I could tell that Bernibus was smiling at my escape as he looked +at my wind sailor a thousand feet in the air. A friend who +rejoices in your advancement, even at his own cost, is rare +indeed.</p> + +<p>Turning my gaze upwards, I left Nunami and its troubles behind +me and looked ahead to my promised land, and though it was barren +and devoid of any significant foliage, it still held something +equally dear to me as landscape: safety. The wind currents were +strong and my speed was about 30 miles per hour. Great expanses +of grassland sped by below me like the memories of yesteryear, +and within half an hour I found myself over the ocean.</p> + +<p>There is something very refreshing about the sunrise that +correlated very well with my present feeling of emancipation, for +it is a symbol of the new and fresh, and of the forgetting of the +troubles of the past. This was true in my case, at least, for I +was soon carefree once more, secure in my freedom. As the wind +rushed across my body, I was relaxed in my adopted element, air, +though it was slightly difficult to keep myself firmly on the +glider, as I was lying unfastened to the tabletop. Below me +passed the ocean, looking generally the same as ever, though +paler and less alive, like a ghost of its former self, but still +close enough to bring the calm of reminiscing.</p> + +<p>Soon even the ocean began to give way to the fast approaching +mainland, and I abandoned my restive meditations to solve the +problem of how to land. I had not made any contraptions for that +purpose, having not thought about it in the hurry to leave my +prison. I decided to use a traditional circling approach, in the +same way scavenging birds descend on their prey. When I was a +mile or so inland, I began to circle about in wide spirals, +narrowing them as I drew closer to the ground. In this way I had +slowed down enough by the time I made contact with the ground +that neither I nor my craft was injured in the landing.</p> + +<p>The terrain proved to be as desolate as it had appeared from +the distance, for the main vegetation was a weakly sprouting +grass that was only a few inches high, though not mowed or chewed +down. Every few dozen yards there was a single stunted shrub or +small tree, or in some cases a group of the same, and the spaces +between these was littered with scattered rocks and occasionally +a smaller, flowering plant. The topography of the land was mostly +flat, though not in the sense of a plain or savanna, instead it +was merely a gentle slope, so that the immediate area seemed +flat, but in the distance it was seen to rise considerably. There +were also a few small hills that were no more than twenty feet +high across their whole length, but in the obtuse slopes of the +land, even that seemed to be almost mountainous. Brown was the +prevailing color of it all for as far as my eye could see, though +I cannot say if that condition prevailed inland further, since I +had forgotten the telescope, which would probably have proved a +useful tool.</p> + +<p>A slight wind blew from seaward, scattering the dry top soil +about like a cloud of gnats, though there were very few actual +insects, and no animals that I could see. The only sound that I +could hear was that of the wind howling gently past my ears. I +had landed in a sort of valley, which, though not at all deep, +was surrounded on all sides by slight hills that prevented me +from getting an extensive look at the landscape beyond. Before +making any decisions as to which direction to set off, I decided +to climb to the top of one of these hills to ascertain my exact +situation, and although I was generally reluctant to start off +into unfamiliar territory, I also wanted to put as many miles +between me and the coast as possible, in case the Zards and +Canitaurs came after me, which was still a cause of great anxiety +to me.</p> + +<p>As I rounded the top of the hill that was directly east of my +landing point, I suddenly came face to face with two small +people, gnomes by appearance, one of whom I recognized as being +Onan, the Lord of the Past. He greeted me familiarly as ‘My +Dear Jehu’, and introduced me to his partner, who turned +out to be Zimri, the Lord of the Future. Onan was dressed the +same as when I had last seen him, and Zimri was close in +appearance, though his hair was long and his beard short, while +Onan’s were the opposite. Zimri wore a little blue-green +frock that fit rather snuggly but not enough to be considered +tight. I started our ensuing dialog by saying this:</p> + +<p>“I am more than a little surprised to see you upon such +good terms with your rival, Onan,” giving Zimri an +inquisitive glance as I did. “I had just assumed that you +two would be bitter enemies, as your followers on Daem seem to +be, but I can tell now that that is not at all the +case.”</p> + +<p>He laughed, as did Zimri, and replied, “We are brothers, +and as such there is always a strong rivalry, but at the same +time there is the closest bond. There is no real conflict between +us, but only a trivial and jovial mock conflict, the kind that +means no harm and does none, to those involved, but rubs off on +others who are less informed, who take it seriously and have a +real conflict.”</p> + +<p>“What do you mean by that illustration?” I +asked.</p> + +<p>“Nothing. Nothing at all,” he sighed, “I +have said too much already, it is against the rules, you +know.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, yes, the rules. Tell me, though, how would you say +I am doing so far, am I at least doing fairly?”</p> + +<p>“Of course, Jehu, you are doing excellently.”</p> + +<p>“Is it true about the revolutions of time and matter, +then?”</p> + +<p>“Yes, in fact, it goes even further than that... Say, +Zimri, do you think it is allowable to tell him about the +physical and the spiritual realms?”</p> + +<p>Zimri said nothing, for he can say nothing, but he did nod his +head in the affirmative. Thus sanctioned by his brother, Onan +continued to speak, “Well, you know that physical existence +is comprised of time and matter, and that both of these are +involved in a revolving motion, from the minutest foundations to +the largest additions. While they both are revolving within +themselves, they are also revolving together, around an enigma +which, as other of the centers, is completely devoid of the thing +which revolves around it, but is found plentifully in them. In +the case of matter, it revolves around a black hole, in which +there is not found any matter, but there are places of emptiness +inside of the matter, in fact, most of an atom is empty space. In +the case of time, it revolves around eternity, an enigma where +there is no such thing as time, even as there are certain areas +where no time exists in physical existence, such as a book. +Likewise, physical existence, which is a combination of time and +matter, revolves around a place in which there is no physical +existence, namely, the spiritual realm. There is no physical in +the spiritual, but there is spiritual in the physical. Physical +existence is not whole without the spiritual, which binds it +together in such a way that gives it life, the ability to think +and reason.</p> + +<p>“There is spiritual matter in everything, but it cannot +be seen or sensed physically unless it is revealed to one by a +force on the spiritual side. Or rather, it cannot be understood +unless revealed, for it can always be seen through its effects. +By this I mean that it leaves a trace in the physical realm, like +a jellyfish that leaves a glowing trail in its wake. When the +brain of a human thinks, it is not the actual brain that is +thinking, instead it is the spiritual matter that exists in the +brain, and this spiritual matter leaves a trail where it goes of +electric signals and such. When someone feels a certain emotion, +such as love or depression, it is felt in the spiritual realm, +but its traces are seen in the physical, such as certain +chemicals, but these are not the cause of the emotion, only the +effect of them. It is possible, through certain drugs, to induce +varying emotions, such as happiness or laughter, but these are +not the actual emotions, only their physical counterparts, so +that while it appears to be happiness, it is not, like the shadow +of a man in a field: his form keeps the light from striking the +ground beside him, but the shadow is not him, only the trace of +him. Making a shadow like the man does not make the man, only the +appearance of the man. While the how of a situation may be +inferred through physical means, the why is an entirely spiritual +matter, and any attempt to observe life without taking into +account the spiritual matter behind it will end in the same +result as evolution, as the scientists of your day generally +imagined it, but which was, in fact, devolution.</p> + +<p>“The laws of the physical realm are called science, such +as the fact that energy and matter are neither created or +destroyed in any natural or artificial process, or that +everything left to itself tends toward disorder, or that life +cannot come from non-life by natural or artificial processes. The +laws of the spiritual realm are called morality. You have no +doubt observed that when one does a certain thing, the end result +is always good, and when one does something else, the end result +is always bad. That is because there are spiritual laws that +govern life, and just as there is gravity on the earth that +always pulls things down to it, so there is a spiritual law that +whenever someone steals something, the result is suffering for +both of the parties involved. Just as it is a physical law that +man must have oxygen to live, so it is a spiritual law that when +someone murders another the end result is always suffering. Why +is this, one may ask, but that is a foolish question, or at least +a pointless one, for the law of gravity states that on the earth, +all things fall downward towards the center of gravity, there is +no reason why, except that it is, for it is observed continually +to be the case.</p> + +<p>“Since men cannot accept that there is a power over +them, they deny it, and in the process they misinterpret the +various things of life as physical things, not the spiritual +things that they represent. For instance, love: men in many +“advanced,” that is to say, self-obsessed, +civilizations, view it only in its physical materializations, but +not in its spiritual context. When they see the results of love, +romance especially, they do not understand that the romance is +only the fruit of the spiritual essence of love, but instead +think that the romance is love. There can be so-called romance on +the physical level without its spiritual counterpart, but it is +only the shadow of love, which will never fulfill and will never +be complete, because, by definition, it is only a mocking of the +true force of love. On the other hand, true romance is not, as +some would seem to think, a certain action or set of actions, +such as the gift of a precious metal or some colorful piece of +foliage, instead it is whatever is the result of the spiritual +love, for the physical manifestation of the spiritual essence of +love is not confined to certain objects or actions, but to any +that are sanctioned with its blessings. The daily toil of a poor +man shows far more love than a lavish gift from a rich +man.”</p> + +<p>When he had finished, I gave him a big grin and thanked him +for his lecture, and then asked him how it was that this did not +break the rules, but other things did. To this he replied that it +affected my task only indirectly, while the other things were all +direct concomitants. Then he asked me if I had any other +questions for him, and I replied that I did indeed have one. +Which was as follows, “I know that there was a great war +directly after my departure from my native temporal zone, and +that it was very devastating in its reach and effect, and while I +know that the situation was very tense at the time, I was under +the impression that it was starting to cool down once more. What +was it that set it all off?”</p> + +<p>“The disappearance of an American fighter jet off the +coast of China,” he replied straight-forwardly.</p> + +<p>My interest was suddenly aroused, for that was the very +section where my squadron was stationed, and anyone who was lost +would have been a close friend of mine. “Go on,” I +told him.</p> + +<p>“The Americans claimed that it was shot down by the +Chinese, and demanded an official apology. That the Chinese would +not do, insisting that they had done no such thing, and instead +of the whole situation diffusing, as you thought it would, both +sides proceeded to war stubbornly, each thinking itself in the +moral superiority. But that is as always.”</p> + +<p>“Do you have any idea whose ship it was that went down? +They were all my comrades,” I said.</p> + +<p>“Of course I know, Jehu, for it was your +plane.”</p> + +<p>“But how? I wasn’t shot down, I crash landed on an +island.”</p> + +<p>“But you came to me and I sent you here, and since your +radios went out, they had no idea that you were safely +landed.”</p> + +<p>“Still, they must have found the plane!”</p> + +<p>“No, you know perfectly well that those islands are +brought above and below sea level at different times. After you +left, the island was brought below the water, and your plane was +lost in the sea, no traces were found.”</p> + +<p>I was confused, “Onan, does that mean that I was the +cause of the war?”</p> + +<p>“From a certain point of view, yes.”</p> + +<p>He was about to say something else to me when we saw in the +distance a group of about ten Munams coming toward us, being at +that time a few miles away. He then told me that he must leave me +again for the present, as he could not interfere directly with my +mission. They bid me goodbye and I did the same to them, and then +they walked down the opposite side of the hill that the Munams +were approaching from. As they walked, they slowly disappeared, +until they were gone without a trace, for even their footprints +had faded to nothing.</p> + +<p>During the time between Onan and Zimri’s departure and +the Munam’s arrival, I was left to myself for a period of +inward meditation, an activity that you have probably concluded +that I am often given to, which is entirely the case. This new +revelation was very troubling to me, that somehow I was the very +cause of the destruction of humanity during the great wars, while +also the kinsman redeemer over 500 years later, who was +prophesied to be the one to bring humanity back into balance with +nature, or to thrust it forever off the edge of existence into +the damnation of the ice ages. As I told you in the beginning, I +am written in the pages of history as the destroyer of humanity, +though if it is just or not, I am not able to judge. The name of +Jehu will forever be a ripple on the surface of the waters of +life, and when it is heard or spoken, the only feeling that it +will bring will be hatred and disgust. If only mortals could see +below the surface of the waters of life, for just as the ocean +can be deceiving on its surface, so can life. Time is like an +ocean, but when one looks upon it, what often happens is that all +one sees is the present reflected back in its surface, and the +eyes are shielded from what lies below, focusing instead on the +surface, which is so trivial compared to the abyss which supports +it. When one only sees the surface reflected back, then history +and its wisdom lose their meaning, and one sees not the past but +only the present. What I mean is this: if you look to the past to +justify your actions rather than to guide them, you will not see +the truths contained therein, but only what your presuppositions +already were before you looked, and your ignorance will be +reinforced rather than repudiated. Wisdom is the ability to see +the past separate from the present, but when one sees the +destruction of humanity, he will see only me, his vision being +shielded from the true cause of it all, history.</p> + +<p>The actions or inactions of one solitary soul cannot bring the +end of life, only the accumulation of the wrongs and injustices +of a whole race, the human race. Forever I will be eyed as the +assassin of humanity, and yet that is not the truth at all, for I +am the father of humanity, I am the beginning as well as the end. +If you view me only as one or the other, you do not see me at +all, but only a pale shadow of my true self. I am Jehu, past, +present, and future, I am the concentration of humanity in all +its forms and reproductions, I am the creator and destroyer of +every age of this temporal maze. Why am I the defender and +executioner of the race of men? Why am I the protagonist and +antagonist of humanity? Why am I the father and the son, the +beginning and the end? Such a question is futile to ask in the +physical realm, for here there are no answers to the why’s, +they are only to be found in the spiritual realm. The physical +realm is left only with the how’s, and it is those which I +am attempting to clarify.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 12: The White Eagle</h3> + +<p>It was only a few moments after Onan and Zimri left me that +the Munams arrived, for they had run, spurred on, apparently, by +their great desire to meet me. In appearance they were like I had +seen from afar: hairy and stooped, almost using their arms as +legs, but not entirely. Their skulls were large and oddly shaped +and their mouths were pushed out from their faces like an +ape’s. A limp, furry tail hung down from their lower backs, +and their hands had a tough, leathery appearance.</p> + +<p>There were eight of them, and when they drew near, the +foremost hailed me with an eager gleam in his eyes, like one who +has long hoped and long been denied. His voice was low and +gravelly, but not at all uncivilized sounding, as one would have +expected by his appearance, and his facial expressions were +equally as livid and distinctly humanoid. He began:</p> + +<p>“Hail, the White Eagle, sent by the gods to deliver us! +Hail the redemption from paradise, coming to bring us +home.” With that he held out his arms and embraced me in a +very warm, heartfelt manner.</p> + +<p>“Hello,” I replied, somewhat embarrassed by my +lack of authority.</p> + +<p>“I am Ramma, leader of the Munams,” he told me, +“And I welcome you in the name of us all.”</p> + +<p>“Greetings, Ramma,” I replied, “I am +Jehu.”</p> + +<p>“We are joyous at your arrival, oh Jehu of the White +Eagle.”</p> + +<p>When he said this I had a flashback, a moment of memorial deja +vu, when the present and the past are morphed together by one +thought, when one idea from the past and the present exists in +such a way as to connect the two times around it, forming a nexus +between the two moments. I was brought back to two separate +times, the first being my initial meeting with Onan, when I saw +the muraled dome, the genetics of history, and its depiction of +the events which were symbolically representative of Daem: the +deformed man, the warring races, the worshipers of the White +Eagle. The other was my arrival in the Temple of Time, when the +King showed me the altar to Temis, the God of Time, depicted as a +great White Eagle, wrought in diamond and grasping the altar in +its talons. There was something about the White Eagle that +connected itself to me inseparably, something that converged us +into one form. I had a sense that it was somehow a key to the +mystery of the end times, but I could not make the connection. I +thought back to what Onan had said to me just a few moments +before, that he and Zimri were close friends, and not enemies at +all, while those on earth believed their rivalry was a serious +conflict. Yet while I had two separate memorial deja vu’s, +I could not make the connection between them to figure out what +they meant.</p> + +<p>“Tell me,” I asked of Ramma, “What do you +mean when you call me the White Eagle?”</p> + +<p>“The prophecy said that our kinsman redeemer, who would +bring us out of the lands of desolation and into paradise, who +would come to us like a giant eagle, soaring high above the sea. +Across the ocean there,” he said, pointing to Daem, +“Is Daem, the paradise land, wherein dwell our enemies the +Zards and Canitaurs. They keep us off of the island and on the +mainland by force, and here we have suffered ever since the great +wars, in these desolate and barren wastelands, where there is +neither life nor death, but only a hazy in between. An ancient +one with wings like an eagle was to come and rescue us, the White +Eagle, and under his guidance we are to be led to victory against +our enemies.</p> + +<p>“To them he would be sent first, humbly he would come to +redeem them from the woes of their own causing, but they would +receive him not. Instead they cast him away, and he was to come +to us, to bring us to the promised land. What a blessed sight it +was when we saw you soaring through the sky on your white wings, +and now you have come, my dear Jehu, you have come at last, in +the hour of our greatest need. Come, oh White Eagle, and let us +go to Kalr, our city. Tonight is the Feast of the Hershonites, +celebrating the night that the prophecy was received, and on the +same day shall it be fulfilled!”</p> + +<p>With that he turned and set off with a step of exuberance to +the northwest, the other Munams and myself following him. He +walked quickly, and it was all that I could do to match his pace, +so that I was left without breath enough to ask any more +questions. From what I saw on our journey, the landscape was the +same across the whole mainland that was near to the coast, and +there was neither change enough nor any landmark conspicuous +enough for me to take any bearings. Without the Munam’s +company, I would have been lost.</p> + +<p>Ramma led us on a straight course for about half an hour, +there being nothing to steer around, and when that time had +elapsed, we found ourselves in a small, battered city. There were +no great buildings or infrastructure like in Nunami, nor any +complex labyrinths like the Canitaur’s military base. +Instead there were only weak, unsound huts, built with a +framework of oddly shaped driftwood and covered with a thick +layer of insulating sod. A road ran through the center of the +city, only distinguishable because it was packed down by constant +use, and on either side were groupings of the huts in +semi-circular patterns, with no space between them left unfilled +by soil. This created a wind barrier, preventing the strong winds +that whipped across the desert lands from harassing the +inhabitants as they worked and played in their communal yards. +Each such grouping had a field of a strange, potato-like plant +that spread across the back ends of the houses, where the fierce +winds piled up loads of nutrient rich top soil from miles and +miles around. In the center of the protected areas, each of the +communities, for such they were called, had a well that reached +hundreds of feet downwards, bringing them almost unlimited +supplies of fresh water. Using these two major systems, they were +able to live in a comfortable manner, not comfortable in a sense +of comparison with the Zards or Canitaurs, but comfortable in the +sense that they had food to eat, clothes to wear, and shelter to +protect them. Under such conditions humanity can thrive, for +happiness is not found in the accumulation of excess comforts, +but in the accumulation of excess love. This the Munams had +plenty of, and from that point of view were more the evolutionary +form of humanity than the devolutionary.</p> + +<p>The Munams all wore a sort of close fitting frock, a plain +colored one piece suit that displayed their practicality and +modesty. It is a hobby of mine to observe the clothing worn by +different groups of people and compare it to their +characteristics. As I have said before, clothes do not make the +man, but the man certainly makes the clothes, and it is possible +to judge a person’s character by the type of attire that +they wear, in that it is an expression of their tastes. The +Munams were shown by their clothing to be a very friendly people, +for their frocks were hung gently about the body in a manner that +was at once both carefree and conservative. This is perfectly +analogous to their personalities.</p> + +<p>When we came down through the center street, which was really +the whole city, for there were no other roads, the people rushed +out to meet us, and when they were told that it was the White +Eagle, they began to dance joyously about in the streets. There +was laughter and play going on all at once, and it was like a +great burden lifted from my heart to see them rejoicing, for it +almost reconciled their sufferings with the Zard’s and +Canitaur’s ease of life, in that they seemed to be much +more happy, in spite of the circumstances.</p> + +<p>Ramma gave a short speech to the people, in which he detailed +the prophecy and its fulfillment and, in general, encouraged +everyone to hope for what was to come. When it was over, he and I +retired to his home, which was rather larger than the others and +formed its own semi-circle, containing as it did both his private +quarters and the official offices of the government, which, while +extremely limited in number, were well outfitted. The door of +this building opened into a short hallway that had several doors +adjacent to it. He led me down one of these and it proved to be a +dining hall, though it was not as commodious as most, with only a +round wooden table with a few chairs around it and some cupboards +and cabinets.</p> + +<p>Pulling my chair out for me to sit in, Ramma went through all +the normal duties of host with great ease, and within a few +moments we were eating heartily from a great dish of boiled +potatoes that had been brought in by a servant, or rather, a +deputy minister of state, for such was his title. We did little +talking before we ate, because I was greatly famished and as such +was ill-inclined to be jovial, not that I was sullen, but I found +it hard to be completely relaxed without a full stomach. Yet when +that was remedied and I found myself satisfied and comfortable in +a warm dwelling, I opened up to Ramma and we had a long and +entertaining discussion, some of which I will record here, as it +shines a little more light upon the mysteries of my story:</p> + +<p>“So, my dear Jehu,” Ramma began, “I trust +your stay on Daem has so far been enjoyable.”</p> + +<p>I chuckled quietly and told him, “No, not entirely, for +there is a war afoot on Daem, or at least there seemed to be, and +it made quite a bit of trouble for me.”</p> + +<p>“I’m sorry to hear that,” he replied, +“But also gratified, for it will help us in our offensive +if they are against each other as well as us. Still, it will be +hard.”</p> + +<p>“What offensive is that?” I asked, my interest +being perked.</p> + +<p>“Our jihad, to capture the lands which were meant for us +and reclaim them from the filth that now inhabit them. You are +our kinsman redeemer, Jehu, but it is not with your presence +alone that we will be brought victory, for we also must act. Ever +since the prophecy was given we have been preparing for a strike +that will catch the Zards and Canitaurs by surprise, for those +are our only advantages: time and surprise. The carrying out of +the surprise attack is the hardest part, and we decided long ago +to dig a tunnel under the sea to bridge Daem and the mainland, +for if we had made a fleet of ships, or attempted anything on the +surface, they would have seen and known what we intended to do. +The tunnel is very long, and it was an arduous task to undertake, +but with much patience we prevailed, and now it is complete. In +fact, it was only completed yesterday, though it was started more +than 500 years ago.”</p> + +<p>“How is it that you started so long ago and only +finished just before I arrived? I asked.</p> + +<p>“Fate,” he answered, “All the happenings of +the world are controlled by a force much greater than us, and it +brings everything into completion when it is needed, no sooner +and no later. Many civilizations try to out wit fate, but they +cannot, and in the end they do its bidding. Not, however, in the +way they had planned, and with more consequences than they would +like, at which point they try to change fate again and undo those +consequences, and soon they are in a downward spiral of such +deeds. We recognize that we are controlled by fate, and instead +of fighting it, we go along with it. We know that things will +happen as they are meant to happen, and we knew that 500 years +ago, so it was no great trial for us to work at our task for so +long and not to know when things would be brought to completion. +You see, if we had worried about it and attempted to change to +course of events that history dictated, than we would have only +given ourselves more work for the same end. Stress is the only +thing that is created when you try to alter fate, so it is our +philosophy to take things as they come and trust to the powers +that be. You may think it unsophisticated, but that is just as +well, for what matters is not appearances, but reality, and we +have the two things that matter most in life: peace and +joy.”</p> + +<p>I agreed with him, for I had found the same to be true in my +own experiences. I then asked him, “When will this grand +offensive be undertaken?”</p> + +<p>“Tomorrow,” he said bluntly.</p> + +<p>“Tomorrow? Isn’t that rather soon?”</p> + +<p>“Why? Fate has been fulfilled so far, why wait when it +is time to act? Maybe you misunderstood my meaning: it is not our +philosophy to simply let things go as they will. Instead we relax +and let things take their course when it is not in our power to +do anything effective, but when the time comes to act, we act +swiftly and do not delay. In a word, we do not force fate, either +by forcing action where patience is needed, nor by forcing +patience where action is needed.”</p> + +<p>“That sounds well enough,” I said, “But the +difficulty lies in the correct classification of the situation, +or in other words, deciding if patience or action is +needed.”</p> + +<p>“Yes, of course, but in this case it has been decided to +attack tomorrow, and there is nothing left to do but to attack +tomorrow. But do not yet let your spirits be dampened by the +onset of war, for tonight is the Feast of the Hershonites, and +there will be great celebrating and rejoicing this evening. +Forget about the troubles of tomorrow and enjoy the celebrations +of today, as I always say. And it is now time for the celebrating +to begin, so let us be off.”</p> + +<p>And with that we both rose and took our plates into the +kitchen that was connected to the dining hall on the opposite +side as the hallway and deposited our plates to be cleaned later +(for even the leaders of a society must do their fair share of +the work). Then we walked back through the dining hall, down the +hallway, and out the door.</p> + +<p>Outside we found that the people had already began to assemble +on the road in front of their communities and were preparing for +the festival by chattering with one another as loudly as one +would think possible. A hush began to fall upon them like a +descending fog when we came out, though, and within a few moments +it had died down to a ghostly silence, for all that could be +heard was the wind’s constant blowing. Ramma took the head +of the procession of Munams that had formed on the road, and I +took the place next to him. With a sort of quiet anticipation of +the joys to come, there was little movement, and what little +there was, was hushed by a sense of subdued excitement. Then, +with a somber gait, Ramma began the parade down the road, in the +opposite direction as we had come from, that being northwest, and +all followed him as he did.</p> + +<p>The sun at that time was just beginning to set, and once we +had crossed one of the larger hills we came face to face with the +coast, the sun’s great red form half sunken beneath its +surface. A faint cloud layer floated by and was illuminated by +the twilight so that it stretched haphazardly across the face of +the sun. Never have I seen so profound a scene as that which then +presented itself, with the desert sands and the ocean’s +still surface reflecting the last agonies of the sun’s +descent into the underworld with such a subtle emotional +undertone so as to render it a subconscious delight. Its +recognized superiority to mortal life forms left us all mute and +somber, but at the same time the freedom felt from the same gave +us joy beyond reckoning.</p> + +<p>The march to the sea was slow and steady, and when we finally +reached its shores it was just at the change of day and night. +Several large bonfires were lit and by their light a great +communal dance began, everyone jumping around, running, and doing +whatever their lighthearted desire may have been. Under stars +that shone like the twinkling in a newborn’s eye, we had +such a joyous time that it can hardly be described. We were no +longer within the reach of civility or social duty, but without +it we were not mean nor hurtful to one another, but were playful +and joyous, like children without a care in the world. Our little +games and frolics cannot be described with any accuracy, because +outside of the moment’s happiness, they cannot be +understood, as it was a spiritual happiness, existing only in the +spiritual realm. All that could be described is the physical +actions that were taken because of that spiritual enjoyment, but +that would do nothing to describe the feeling of the night. It +was one filled with more joy than anything I have known as an +adult, because we became as children in our trusting to fate, and +it was natural, befitting to our natures. Man is not meant to +worry, man is meant to be free from all boundaries, inward and +outward, man is meant to be ruled by only one desire: love of +others.</p> + +<p>As the night dwindled away, we grew tired, but instead of +returning to the city, we laid down wherever we were when we felt +that we could remain awake no longer, and fell to sleep instantly +when we did. It was not at all uncomfortable, for the sand was +soft and a warm breeze blew in from the water, and though as an +adult I would have feared sleeping so openly in the unknown, I +was not at that time an adult.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 13: The Big Bang</h3> + +<p>The Munams and I were all awoken at the same time late the +next morning by a loud trumpet blast that shook the very air +around us with its intense bass. For the first moment of our +consciousness we were all dazed and could not fully comprehend +the situation, and for a brief time we all sat unsteadily around +the beach where we had fallen asleep. As we grew more awake, we +began to understand what had happened, or at least I did, and I +was frightened when I looked around and saw where the trumpet +blast had come from: the entire Zardovian and Canitaurian armies +were assembled around us, having somehow crossed over to the +mainland in the night, while we slept peacefully, unaware of +their presence.</p> + +<p>My first thought was for myself, and what would become of me +in the wrath brought on by my escape, but that soon vanished when +I thought of the Munams, for they were the enemies of those on +Daem, even more so than those on Daem were to each other. We were +completely surrounded, with the ocean on one side and the Zards +and Canitaurs circling us in the front, the former on the left +and the latter on the right. All of them were equipped for war, +with swords, spears, and shields held firmly in their hands, and +thick, leather armor stretched across their chests. The Canitaurs +had especially come prepared, for they had brought all of their +atomic anionizers with them, enough combined fire power to level +the entire world several times over.</p> + +<p>Within five minutes, all of the Munams had assembled behind me +and Ramma, who stood between them and the Daemians. They huddled +closely together and quaked slightly in fear, for they evidently +thought that their plans had been discovered and their enemies +had come for revenge. I, myself, thought that they had come for +me, and Ramma’s opinion could not be guessed, for he was a +statesman first and foremost, and when his people were in need he +rose to the occasion with all the power and grace allotted to +mortal beings.</p> + +<p>Wagner and Bernibus broke the Canitaur’s ranks and drew +near to us in the center, as did the King from the Zard’s. +They reached us in silence, and for a long moment there was no +talking, for all present knew that something grave was about to +happen, something that would decide the fate of the men of this +age, whether they would pass or fail the test. Bernibus looked at +me with entreating eyes, showing his sorrow at my recapture and +asking for forgiveness, but I had none to give him, for he had +done no wrong to need it. He had no power among the Canitaurs, +but was only a titled commoner, more like Wagner’s groom +than counsel.</p> + +<p>I noticed that the Canitaurs were not wearing their +anti-electron suits, which was strange, for they had brought a +few hundred atomic anionizers, though I didn’t question +them about it, for the answer was evident enough when I had given +it some thought: the Zards had no such suits, and were afraid +that the Canitaurs would destroy them and Munams at the same +time, for while they were allies against foreigners, they still +did not trust each other. I still wore my suit given me for the +raid on Nunami, though I had forgotten about it due to its +comfort. That made me the only person on the earth still wearing +one, the only one safe from the anionizers.</p> + +<p>It was an overcast morning, and the air was damp with a cold, +wet wind that blew in forlornly. The ocean’s steady swoosh +added to the scene, making it as depressing as the night before +was joyous, and in the bluish half light all was colorless and +hopeless. At length the King spoke, saying, “My dear Jehu, +I am very disappointed in you. Not only did you flee from us +irresponsibly, but you destroyed the Temple of Time and the altar +to Temis. Without the White Eagle, the prophecy says that there +is no hope for humanity.”</p> + +<p>Wagner added, “And now the only way left to bring about +the completion of the world once more is to sacrifice you using +the old methods.” This he said with evident pleasure, no +longer feigning to be my friend.</p> + +<p>Here Bernibus entered the dialog, throwing away his timidness +with one quick motion and saying to Wagner, “You scoundrel! +You said that we came to retrieve Jehu, not to sacrifice him. How +is it that you lied to me in such a manner?”</p> + +<p>“You fool,” Wagner said, “If I had had my +way, you would have been dead long ago. You have no authority +here, so begone.”</p> + +<p>Bernibus grew angrier, a terrifying state for a Canitaur to be +in, and he was a strong and powerful one at that, though his meek +nature had hidden it before. “You would never dare to kill +me in the open, you coward, the council would banish you,” +he said.</p> + +<p>Here the King joined in once more, laughing, “He +wouldn’t, no, but I would. Do you really think that we +found your outpost on our own, oh Bernibus the ‘deputy +kibitzer’? You know that we have no tracking ability, and +least of all in your own territory.”</p> + +<p>Bernibus grew more enraged, and the King was spurred on by +it.</p> + +<p>“Oh yes, you know what I speak of. Your brother-in-law +told us where you and your wife were living, and not only that, +for he also told us when you would be there.”</p> + +<p>Bernibus became even more flushed with anger and vehemently +asked Wagner, “Why, you heartless brute? What could you +possibly value more than your own sister’s life?”</p> + +<p>“It was a pledge to the Zards of our intention to abide +by the agreement, what more precious thing could I give then my +own sister?” He spoke calmly and spitefully, enjoying the +end of his long charade of nicety, “Besides, the council +was falling for her peace talk, as they always give great heed to +every member of the royal family, and I was not strong enough at +that time to control them, as I do now. Unfortunately for me you +were out at the moment of the attack and able to escape, but +still it was a favorable outcome,” Wagner said, sneering at +Bernibus’ outrage.</p> + +<p>But Bernibus was not to be taken lightly, and neither was he +to let the love of his life go undefended. He leapt at Wagner and +grabbed the remote to the atomic anionizers from his belt, where +it was always clipped. Wagner tried to get it back, but Bernibus +was too strong and hurled him to the ground. Then he took a few +steps backwards and stood his ground far enough from everyone to +have at least a moment to react before they could reach him. He +held the remote out towards Wagner, pointing it at him as if it +were itself a weapon, with his thumb and forefinger in position +to set it off at a moment’s notice.</p> + +<p>“Bow before me now, Wagner, or I shall destroy us +all,” he demanded with a grim smile that showed his +resolution.</p> + +<p>Wagner did as he commanded and fell to his knees in front of +Bernibus, saying in the same gentle, appeasing voice that he had +first used on me, “My dear Bernibus, do not be rash, do not +act in anger. Let’s talk this over, and see ... and see if +we can’t find a peaceful solution,” his fear of death +evidently caused him to stammer.</p> + +<p>“You fool, do you think that I haven’t heard that +voice a thousand times before? Do you think that I will fall for +your same trick once more?”</p> + +<p>Wagner put his face to the ground and groveled like the filthy +swine that he was, for he knew full well that if Bernibus set off +the atomic anionizers he would die. His life was completely out +of his hands and there was nothing that he could do to reclaim +it, except to beg for forgiveness. This he did, saying, +“Bernibus, you do not understand, the situation was more +complex than you realize, and I had no choice but to act as I +did. Do you not think that it was as hard on me as yourself? She +was my sister, my only sibling. But there was no other way, I had +to put the advancement of our people over the life of anyone, +even my own sister, as you must do now, putting the advancement +of our people over petty differences.”</p> + +<p>Here the King interjected, “Bernibus, do not act rashly, +I beg of you, for if you set off the anionizers, than all is +lost. Do you not realize that if you do that, all that we have +worked for all of our lives is lost?”</p> + +<p>It was Bernibus’ turn to sneer, and he did, raising the +skin above his teeth and scowling fiercely at the King. +“What is it that we have worked for all of our lives? Do +you still not understand? You and Wagner plot to return the world +to its former glory, each by his own way, but take a look around +you. The trees on Daem are taller and stronger than any known +before, the grasses are thicker and livelier, the waters are +purer and cleaner, the wind is fresher. You know no suffering. +The prophecy had nothing to do with you, and nothing at all to do +with the restoration of the world! Can you not see that what you +have is far more than you have need of, that there is no desire +left unfilled in your lives, except that of ultimate power? This +world does not need to be restored. Only your hearts have need of +that.</p> + +<p>“The prophecy was given for the Munams, who were left +stranded here in this desert wasteland, while across the ocean +they could see the great paradise of Daem, the great paradise +that you took for granted. There is to be no restoration of Daem +to its original form, but a restoration of the Munams to Daem. +You struggle to restore Daem, but have no compassion for the +suffering of humanity across the sea. You are the fools, not me, +and you are the ones who have brought us all to the very brink of +destruction, to the ice ages which you have tried so hard to +prevent. Do you not see that Daem is already the paradise, that +the only thing that it needs for completion is the residence of +the Munams? Jehu is not our kinsman redeemer at all, he is +theirs.” Here Bernibus seemed to lose his anger and passion +and become meek once more, saying humbly, “You have +destroyed the life of one whom I held more dear than myself, but +that is past, and I will not destroy us all for vengeance.</p> + +<p>“Zards, Canitaurs, and Munams, hear me now and listen to +my words,” he continued, speaking to the amassed groups of +the armies that had been listening closely to his words, +“We are not separate people at all, we are not different +races. We are not Zards, or Canitaurs, or Munams, we are +Daemians, and it is time that we came together, to help each +other instead of hindering. Look at how much blood has been shed, +how many lives have been lost, must we all be drowned in the +blood of our brothers before we realize that we are one people? +Must we suffer more than we already have in an attempt to undo +what has already been done? More pain will not negate the pain +that has already been felt, it will only result in more suffering +than we have known up to this time. My friends, we need not look +for our redemption in the past, for it has gone and though it +influences us, we are not bound to its suffering. And we need not +look for our redemption in the future, for it is not yet here, +and when it comes it will only be what we make it. Instead let us +look for our redemption in the present, where it can be found, +let us put aside our hate and our divisions and become one flesh +and blood, one body. People of Daem, let us live in peace!” +As he said this, the Zards and the Canitaurs and the Munams all +let out a joyous shout of agreement, and there was seen on every +face a remnant of the happiness that had so long alluded them in +their wars.</p> + +<p>To emphasize his point of harmony and trust, Bernibus dropped +the remote to the atomic anionizers to the ground. But it would +never land. Wagner leapt forward from his groveling position and +grabbed for it as it fell, reaching out with all his strength. +There was a sudden silence that overtook everyone as they saw +what was happening. Bernibus looked down and saw Wagner leap, but +he was too late to prevent him from reaching the remote. There +was no noise at all, for everyone looked in horror at +Wagner’s plunging form. As if in slow motion, his hand +wrapped around the remote and he squeezed it so as not to let it +go. But as he did so, there was a loud beeping sound that came +from his fist: he had triggered the anionizers.</p> + +<p>The eager faces of everyone there, of everyone alive on the +earth, was turned towards Wagner. The remote had a five second +delay built into it, and those five seconds were the longest of +my life. Bernibus’ eyes met mine, and we experienced an +intra-personal deja vu, the converging of the presents of two +minds. His face showed the depths of his being in that split +second, and he was peaceful. Though he was about to be destroyed, +he had no fear, no regrets, and in those five seconds, while +Wagner and the King were frightened and frantic at their +impending doom, Bernibus was as calm as ever. As I looked +Bernibus in the eyes, I could hear Wagner break the dead silence +with a shrill scream that echoed across the horizon and ripped +through the hearts of every hearer. When faced with death he had +no courage, no strength to face the unknown beyond the veil that +separates life from death.</p> + +<p>As I turned and cast my eyes across the horizon, I saw the +faces of hundreds of men, whether Zard, Canitaur, or Munam, and +written on everyone of them was a great despair, for they stood +unprotected in the presence of death. It was like the calm before +the storm, those five seconds, and through them time seemed to +stop, to be non-existent, and there was not a sound to be heard, +except for Wagner’s scream. Oh, what anguish was written on +the faces of all around, standing defenselessly before the end +with neither will nor way to stop its terrible approach, oh, what +fear filled their eyes as their mortality was made manifest +before them like a vulture’s approach, oh, the pain, as +fate stood before their distraught faces and silently whispered, +“And to dust shalt thou return.”</p> + +<p>But then even that was silenced. There was no noise. As I +looked upon them they were destroyed, before my very eyes they +breathed their last and were no more. One moment they were normal +and healthy, and the next they disintegrated, falling into little +heaps of limp skin and bones. In that moment I felt a horror such +as I have never felt before, a complete loneliness, like a night +that never ends. There was no one, nothing, around me. The force +of the blast had leveled the already flat terrain completely. The +ocean was suddenly solidified into the same lifeless, inorganic +mass that the land had become. Across the channel, Daem was no +more. There were no more trees, no more grasses, no more cities, +no more mountains, everything was leveled, decimated. The sky +began to turn a dark, bloody red, and the sun was hidden behind +it. Like a disease it spread across the horizon, devouring the +light hearted blue and leaving only red: lifeless, deathless red. +There was no wind, no sound. I was all alone, I alone had +survived the blast because of my anti-electron suit. I gazed in +absolute horror across the field where only seconds before +thousands souls had been congregated. I looked at its emptiness +and I saw nothing, for there was nothing. They were all dead. +Every single one of them.</p> + +<hr> +<br> +<br> + + +<h3>Chapter 14: Past and Future</h3> + +<p>I have no recollection of how long I stood there staring +blankly into the void, for the sun was hidden behind the darkened +sky. I have no memory of that period until I saw two short forms +coming towards me in the distance. They walked slowly and +methodically, as if they were not hurried on by any physical +concerns. As they drew near, I saw them to be Onan and Zimri, the +Lords of Past and Future. When they arrived I was awakened from +the trance that I had fallen into, and I gave them a slight bow, +for I was still standing upright. The look on their faces was one +of sorrow, for no matter how many times they had seen the +destruction of humanity, each time it brought only fresh, +poignant sorrow.</p> + +<p>Onan was the first to speak, breaking the silence with a long, +hopeless sigh, “My dear Jehu,” he said, “This +age has come to a close.”</p> + +<p>I could say nothing, for Bernibus’ face was still gazing +at me in my memory.</p> + +<p>“Do not be saddened by grief or guilt, Jehu, for it is +what has always happened. It is not your fault, for the events +that you have witnessed do not have their roots in your time or +in this one, but in the very foundation of the world. It is not +your actions that caused this, but rather the accumulated +momentum of all the ages of humanity, for they are history, and +history reigns by influence. There were no right choices and no +wrong choices for you, for the power of the kinsman redeemer is +not in himself, but in the way that those around him react to +what he signifies. In every age before this you have done the +same, as you will in every age after this as well. You were +humanity’s last chance, yet it is not up to you to change +their course: it is up to them to change their own.”</p> + +<p>Here I raised my head from its dull droop and looked +questioningly into his eyes. “What do you mean,” I +asked, “That I did not prevent it in any of the other ages? +How could I exist in any other age but this?”</p> + +<p>“Then you do not understand?”</p> + +<p>“Why else would I ask?” I faintly smiled.</p> + +<p>“These are the Ice Ages, the end of an age of history. +Every time that the temporal continuum revolves around eternity, +it has a new age, much like the years of the earth as it revolves +around the sun. When the atomic anionizers went off, they did on +a large scale what they were designed to do on a small scale: +reverse the poles through an extreme electric charge, by +injecting countless solitary electrons into the atoms. But with +so many of them exploded at once, they did this to the earth +itself, reversing its poles. It was a theory at your time that +the poles reversed about every 170,000 years, this is because +that is how long an age is.</p> + +<p>“When the earth’s poles were reversed, it brought +all to desolation, excepting you, for you were protected by the +suit. But while this is the ending of all life on earth, in a way +it is also the beginning, for you see, Jehu, you have just +witnessed the Big Bang. In a few days, at the longest, you will +die yourself, for there is no food or water for you here, but +inside of your anti-electron suit, your remains will be +protected. Slowly the earth will regenerate, and when conditions +suitable for life have been once more returned, your suit will be +blown against a rock somewhere and broken open. From that little +hole, the atoms of life, your life, will escape into the +atmosphere and grow and evolve until they become like what things +were before you were born. Then the process will be repeated. You +are not only the one who symbolizes the destruction of humanity, +but also the one who symbolizes the rebirth of humanity. You are +the beginning and the end, in a sense, a descendant of yourself, +simultaneously the father and the son. You will be born again +through your own descendants, and will once again become the +kinsman redeemer. It is your destiny, there is no other way. You +are the White Eagle.”</p> + +<p>“You only confuse me more, what is this White +Eagle?”</p> + +<p>“Do you remember when we first met, in the Chambers of +History? On the dome of the ceiling there was a sculpture mural, +and in it was a White Eagle, holding many lords and ladies in its +talons while it soared far above the lands, and those on the land +were worshiping it. You are the White Eagle. You hold all of +humanity in your hands, for you are the father of all men, they +all descend from you, including you, yourself. You were the White +Eagle, for the altar had no power, the power was only in you.</p> + +<p>“Those who worshiped you were those who worship time, in +either of its forms, past or future. Those who worship the past +recognize the influence of history, and they understand that +there are taboos and traditions created through mutual +experience. These traditions reign in humanity by keeping men +from actions that lead to pain and suffering. But they do not +understand that while it influences mankind, the past does not +control them, for it is gone, and it will never come again. In +their strict keeping of traditions, they focus on the physical +act of the tradition, while neglecting the spiritual principle +behind the tradition. If you keep only the physical form of the +principle, you have nothing.</p> + +<p>“On the other hand, those who worship the future neglect +the past and the valuable lessons that it teaches. They believe +that there is some moral advancement that places them above those +that have come before, they believe that the people of the past +were blinded to the truth, and that the revelation of the truth +in the present supersedes the traditions of the past. But they +are wrong as well, for humanity is humanity, and those of the +past were no more ignorant than those at present. The people of +the past fell into the same traps as the those in the present, +and both suffer the same consequences.</p> + +<p>“While one group remembers only the physical display of +the spiritual truth, the other rejects the spiritual truth +because of its physical display. Those who worship the future +break taboos because they recognize that the mere physical +manifestation of the truths is not their entire essence, but they +reject the spiritual truth as well. When taboos are broken, there +is nothing gained, but everything lost, for the physical +traditions at least lead to the knowledge of the spiritual laws +to those who seek such wisdom. One taboo is broken, but as there +is no satisfaction in the breaking of taboos, every one of them +is broken in succession. Then there is no limit to the immorality +that is left to freely roam the hearts of men, and when +immorality, the breaking of the spiritual laws, is widely +propagated, there is spiritual suffering. When this spiritual +suffering begins to accumulate and is translated into physical +suffering, the people see what is happening, how their very +society is crumbling to ruin around them. Yet instead of +recognizing the truth of what is happening, they see the +traditions of the past as the cause of their problems, and +continue to make their plight worse. This downward spiral +continues until at last we find ourselves where we are now, at +the end of an age.”</p> + +<p>“But what else is there to do?” I asked Onan, +‘If both the past and the future lead to ruin?”</p> + +<p>“The answer is in the present, my dear Jehu, for if one +focuses on the spiritual laws that bring good or evil, and acts +according to them, instead of their physical counterparts and +manifestations, then things will thrive and become prosperous. +What is evil brings evil consequences, and what is good brings +good consequences, over time. The ends define the means, just as +the fruit shows the tree to be either good or bad. These +spiritual laws become known and remembered, not why they are so, +but simply that they are so. No one can question why, for +morality is observed through its effects, just as science is. +When people observe that one thing brings good and another bad, +they remember to stay away from the bad things and cling to the +good. Over time these evolve into taboos and social restrictions, +not meaningless laws enforced by tyrants for their own reasons, +but rules that are observed by all because the are the laws of +the spiritual realm and govern physical life. But when the people +forget what the traditions represent, then all is lost, and +either of the two paths that present themselves lead to +ruin.”</p> + +<p>“But why do not men see?”</p> + +<p>“Because they are rooted too strongly in the physical +realm, and cannot, or will not, see the spiritual. What they see +as happiness is not the spiritual matter that is happiness, but +the physical actions the represent happiness. What they see as +love is not love in the spiritual sense, only its manifestation +in the physical realm. When they see the happiness that comes +from a spiritual connection, they seek after it. But they do not +seek after the actual essence of the spiritual connection, yet +after its physical counterpart, marriage. This they take and +defile, and when they go through the physical actions of the +spiritual marriage but forsake the very thing that makes it bring +happiness, they are left without any real sense of satisfaction, +without any real happiness.</p> + +<p>“You must understand that the physical manifestation of +the spiritual force is not the spiritual force at all, only a +bland deception. If you only focus on what you can see directly, +than you chase after only the representation and not the object +desired. If a bird is flying through the sky at noontime, casting +a shadow on the ground below him, and a man comes along, and in +the hope of catching the bird chases after its shadow, it is +evident that he will never catch it, for when he does reach it, +he will find that there is nothing there at all, only the shadow +of what it was he desired. So it is with the +spiritual!”</p> + +<p>“Yes, I think that I am beginning to +understand.”</p> + +<p>“Excellent. If only I could tell you more, but I must +go, my dear Jehu, for Father Temis is in mourning for his +children, and I must go to comfort him.”</p> + +<p>“I thought that you and Zimri were his children?” +I asked.</p> + +<p>“You are all his children. He is patient, ever so +patient, but still they fall by the wayside, too caught up in +their false perception to rest in him. Fare thee well, Jehu, may +you be blessed ere you must die.”</p> + +<p>And with that, Onan and Zimri turned and walked away in the +other direction, never to be seen by me again, in this age. I +took a look around me, and could not bear to remain any longer in +a place of such ill remembrance. Turning slowly and despondently +to the westward, I began to walk over the lifeless mass of what +had been the ocean not too long ago. For how long I walked, I +could not tell, but in due time I reached Daem, though it was no +more hospitable than the mainlands, for all was laid to ruin by +the Big Bang, all was equally devoid of life.</p> + +<p>When I came to what had been the center of the savanna, I came +across something that had survived the blast, being unearthed +from its previous burial hole by the force of the +anionizer’s explosion. It was a two foot by two foot box, +made of a strange metallic substance with an intricate etching +along its top. Written there in its center were these words:</p> + +<p>“Temporal Anomaly Box, Number 12, Location: Central +Savanna”</p> + +<p>I took the lid off carefully, though it was in perfect +condition and I did not need to treat it so, and looked inside of +it. There was a notebook and a pen there, both capable of +producing a large of amount of enduring text. This was one of the +boxes that had been taken back through time in the experiments of +the Zards and Canitaurs, designed to withstand any conditions, +and to hold its contents for countless ages, until they should be +retrieved and studied. I sat down on the ground and began to +write my story down, in order to assist whoever takes the job of +kinsman redeemer in the next age. I knew that it would have all +been forgotten, so I made sure to carefully record it, for it +could mean the difference between the life and death of +humanity.</p> + +<p>This was only hours ago, and now I have reached the end my +tale. If by any chance you come upon this in some subsequent age, +I beg you to take heed, for what I have written will surely come +to pass once more if something is not done to prevent it. There +is nothing else for me to say, for this is the end of my story, +and within the next day I will also pass over to the spiritual +realm. What, then, can I say to bring this to a close, for this +is neither the end nor the beginning. I suppose all that can be +said is this:</p> + +<p style="text-align: center"><strong>DEJA VU (THE +END)</strong></p> + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Revolutions of Time, by Jonathan Dunn + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE REVOLUTIONS OF TIME *** + +This file should be named rvtim10h.htm or rvtim10h.zip +Corrected EDITIONS of our eBooks get a new NUMBER, rvtim11h.htm +VERSIONS based on separate sources get new LETTER, rvtim10ah.htm + +Produced by Jonathan Dunn + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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