Journey From Atlantis

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JOURNEY FROM ATLANTIS

The Perilous Adventures of a Citizen from the Lost

Continent

by

Theodore J. Nottingham

Published electronically by Nottingham Publishing

copyright 1998

CHAPTER ONE

A mammoth, crimson sun emerged beyond the sea, lighting up the serene coast of

the continent of Atlantis. The exquisitely clean, vast avenues of the capital city --

Samlios -- were still empty at this hour. Slowly, lazily, the soft light illuminedgrandiose temples perched high on the hills of the great metropolis and fell upon

intricate aqueducts and majestic marble architecture. As the giant eye looking over

the ocean waves changed colors, the huge bells of the city's highest tower began to

echo across the city. Families of doves, pigeons and sparrows flew out of the dome as

the resonant sound gained momentum. Far below, at the base of the tower, a small

figure tugged at the rope with great enthusiasm. He was the bell-toller, and

considered it a great honor to announce the birth of a new day to the proud citizens

of the capital city.

He was known as Mada and his destiny was to send reverberations down through

the history of humankind. His early years, however, were rather unspectacular. Hewas neither handsome nor heroic and the young ladies of his community paid little

attention to him. Facing life as a lonely young man, Mada would occupy his

evenings with all sorts of scientific experiments. The citizens of Atlantis were well-

known for their mechanical skills and advanced understanding of the laws of the

universe. Theirs would have been a glorious legacy for posterity had an unfortunate

cataclysm not wiped out every shred of evidence that they had ever existed.

It was our unlikely hero's fate to grow up as a bookworm, assimilating much of his

doomed world's knowledge. This turned out to be a wonderful boon for his

descendants as every page of the ancient manuscripts he came to know ended up

some twenty thousand feet under water in the belly of some early fishform that laterbecame extinct along with its exotic meal. The Atlanteans were rumored to have

made contact with beings from other planets and developed extraordinary

philosophies and technical skills that might have moved the history of the world up

by some five thousand years. Had the Alpine mountains not suddenly risen to their

icy heights and caused a devastating chain reaction which shattered the continent's

foundations, the human species would have been spared the invasions of barbarians,

the Dark Ages, the misunderstandings between religions, and the whole notion of



fossilized plankton juice as the fundamental source of power to run civilizations,

thereby creating the dangerous paradox of incredible wealth in desert wastelands.

So Mada grew and evolved as a lonely bookworm. Greatly influenced by the ancient

manuscripts in whose company he spent his evenings, the budding scientist began

fooling around with all sorts of trinkets which, once assembled, he dubbed

inventions. Soon, he had the family basement, attic, and two closets full of his "time-

wasting stuff" as his mother so aptly called them. It wasn't until he began working

with explosives that his parents paid any attention to his after-hours recreational

activities. In fact, it was on the day he blew up the laundry room that the head of

the household decided to take decisive action. The misunderstood young man was

sent for a two year spell in the Regional Militia.

Thus our studious would-be scientist entered the first stages of adulthood in most

unfriendly surroundings under the wicked thumb of sadistic individuals of rather

low caliber, referred to in manuscripts of the time as petty officers. He was all the

more harassed because of his complete incompetence in matters of strategy,

brutality, assimilation of facts extracted with tactical monstrosity from unlucky

captives, and other time-honored heroic skills.

Mada was put to work as assistant to the Chef, and his chief responsibility was

wringing the bell for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The enthusiasm he brought to his

work finally won him the heart of his fellow soldiers, most of whom lived only to

hear that tinkling sound which always caused their salivary glands to activate.

Among the few who did not come to appreciate Mada's musical gifts was the general

of the Militia. In that far-off epoch, general was the title granted to the tamer of

these young men torn from the bosom of their families, and the holders of such titles

were not the dignified, silver haired gentlemen we know them to be in our time.

Rather, they were taken from an elite corps of highly tested individuals who gained

their posts through fierce competition. Many did not survive the examinations.

There were countless cases of damaged vocal cords from the rugged hollering test

known as "Fundamentals of Military Expression." Then there were those who were

mentally broken from the "How to Discipline" course which was comprised of

lessons in various forms of martial arts.

These mental breakdowns were often the result of fractured skulls, a very common

occurence in that class since the instructors made no bones about explicitly

illustrating their theories on beginners' bodies. Those who survived, however, looked

back upon the experience as the good old days and, overall, had no regrets. After all,

were it not for their positions of authority, most of them would have ended up aslaborers in the great sewer system which had been under construction for the past

twenty years. Certain esteemed antropologists uphold the theory that it was the

construction of this very sewer system which aided in the tragic catastrophe which

befell the ill-fated continent. But that's all water under the bridge now.

Mada became a private in the mighty Militia. But he continued his studies in secret,

often reading by moonlight while the regiment snored a monotonous melody. One



fateful day, as was inevitable, he was found out. The accomplished sergeant who

caught him red-handed whisked him over to the general's tent. General Omar Z.

Fhaul was elated.

"You, Mada Thor, are a spy!"

Greatly intimidated, Mada did not know what to answer. The General leaned overhis enormous wine keg which served as his desk, and exhaled a horrid breath into

the young man's face.

"You, Mada Thor, are a spy!!"

Mada forced a smile. "You said that, sir."

"Well, what have you to say for yourself?" the bear-like man shouted, his cheeks

turning scarlet.

Mada suddenly realized this could mean serious reprisal. He fell to his knees, hands

outstretched toward the black spaces above, begging for mercy. The general staredat him sadly. He had a soft spot for terrified people.

"Rise, son..." Mada rose. The general sat back in his chair. "I'm really not as mean

as I look, and I'm willing to let you live if you can explain to me what the meaning of

all this scribbling might be."

With that, he dramatically let fly all the scientific papers on which Mada had been

dilligently working. The young man wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Do you know anything about atomic subdivision, sir?"

General Fhaul scratched his left earlobe nervously. "Go on..."

"Well, according to the principles set forth by the eminent physicist Q. B. Kull,

there can be no question in my mind that the atom is not the smallest

materialization of lifeforce in the universe. In fact..."

"Woe, boy, woe!" the general cried out. "Not so fast. Let me ask you this. If there's

anything smaller than the atom, what difference does it make since nobody can see

it anyhow?"

Mada's reaction to the Fhaul opinion was instantaneous. He burst out laughing.

Then, with an effort at great solemnity, the young amateur scientist raised a fingerand stated:

"It all depends on how you look at it!"

Unable to respond with any flash of intelligence, the general suddenly realized that it

was two in the morning, that he was in his nighty, that the hairs on his tibias were

hardened with frost, and that all this was terribly boring. Mada was ordered to

spend the remainder of the night in the infamous "Hole" as punishment for



possession of subversive and incomprehensible material.

It was during that long, cold night in the despised Hole in the ground that young

Mada was seized with a surge of understanding that would herald the awakening of

his true self so long hybernating in his inner depths. All night long a raging

thunderstorm tore through the forest, uprooting trees and hurling them into the

heavens only to be flung back to earth as horrific rain. Locked in blackness within

the innerds of the earth, the prisoner contemplated. It was to be remembered as the

"Night of Terror" or "the Night when a forest fell from the heavens."

No one ever knew what demonic spirit had so angered Nature, but for the isolated

young man the winds spoke to him of injustice, folly, and the ultimate revenge of the

Divine Mother so raped by human imperfection. Why was it that, already, at the

very first rise of reasoning society, the children of the Universe fell so short of their

Creator's expectations? Mada knew then, in an overwhelming awareness of things

to come, in an illumination of his tempestuous destiny, that the hope of the

inhabitants of planet Earth would rest in his thin, weak hands!

CHAPTER TWO

When a pale sun finally crept into the morning sky, announced by melancholic birds

searching for their vanished nests, an ungodly sight was revealed to the now

peaceful countryside. The destroyed camp of the valiant militia men lay under tears

of dew. Not a tent remained in the small, devastated clearing. Shreds of canvas were

strewn high in the branches of the few trees that had not been uprooted by the

infernal winds. Not a man had survived. Of General Omar Z. Fhaul, so happy-go-

lucky the night before, there was left a purplish, bloated cadaver.

The poor fellow, in a crazed attempt to save his petty existence, had sought refuge inhis huge keg. It wasn't such a bad idea at the time, for the keg only rolled a few feet

and got stuck under a low-hanging ledge. But there was enough wine left in the

barrel to drown him as he was tossed and turned.

"Is anybody there?" A cry came from within the humid, scarred earth. Mada had

survived! Mother Nature had cradled him in her womb while her wrath scattered

his friends across the land. A mud-covered hand appeared between the bars which

kept him entrapped in the infamous Hole. He was hanging onto the grill for dear life

because he stood in six feet of dirty water, and unfortunately was only five feet tall.

Having never done those push-ups so recommended by the family physician, his

arms could not hold his weight for long. He desperately tried sticking his headthrough the bars, but his cheekbones, ancestors to contemporary Indian and Asian

features, were just too wide. He began shrieking. He was amazed at the power

generated by his diminutive lungs and listened with a touch of pride at the wild

echoes of his shrill voice bouncing from ridge to ridge.

Then, as pessimism began to set in, he suddenly came to a realization. Why, he

asked himself, why would he be spared the merciless fate of his companions only to



be stamped out like a vulgar sewer rat? That, in his rather brilliant mind, made no

sense at all. A flash of hope returned but it faded almost immediately. The water

was rising over his lips! Again, he thanked Mother Nature for having the

forethought of blessing him with an extensive, beak-like organ that allowed him to

breathe vital oxygen as the murky waters licked his earlobes. He was positive that

something could be worked out. What was the point of being granted a vision of thefuture if he would never get to live it out? His nose was unfortunately limited in

length. He decided to resort to wild shrieking again. But his eyes were now

submerged and he could no longer call out without swallowing a most distasteful

amount of liquid. Suddenly, from the thick brush of the partly denuded woods

appeared a darling little puppy. It noticed the disorderly camp and, with typical

curiosity, decided to investigate.

The little wolf trotted merrily through the wreckage, sniffing overturned pots and

pans. But the military food was so putrid that the smart animal checked his appetite

and moved on in search of more interesting refuse. That's when he saw it. His little

ears percked up. "Now that definitely has got to be the strangest thing I've everseen," he thought to himself. Slowly, cautiously, he approached. It didn't move. As

the tiny occupant of the wilds sneaked up the last few inches separating them, the

oblong formation suddenly came to life and turned to face him. The little wolf

dashed off. But, within seconds, he was peeking out from under a fallen branch.

"Wolves don't scare that easy," he observed to himself. In fact, they usually scare

everybody else! Growling as sincerely as he could, he returned toward his adversary.

The Thing impassively watched him approach. The closer he got, the more the

courageous pup knew that this creature could not be from his part of the woods. So

he growled louder.

When in doubt, bite, he had always been told. A yell of intense pain crashed through

the dormant landscape. This time, the beginner wolf was gone for good. He knew at

his young age that nothing that small could make such a roar. There had to be more

to it. And he wasn't that curious. Unbeknownst to the sassy canine, he had served a

great purpose in the complex choreography of Fate. His sharp baby teeth were

instrumental in the saving of the endangered citizen from Samlios. An old hermit,

residing in a nearby cave, was rudely awakened by the roar. Although flatfooted, he

quickly found the clearing from whence the stinging vibrations had come.

It was no easy matter locating the nose, until he stepped on it and again brought to

life the unpleasant cry of agony, this time followed by a string of shocking

obscenities. The tough old man broke open the grill and freed a very frustratedMada.

"Thanks."

"Might I inquire as to what you were doing in such a strange place, young sir?"

Scraping the mud from his face, Mada related his story to the kind hermit who



could scarcely conceal his joy at having done his good deed for the day. Shortly

thereafter, Mada was seated by a wonderfully warm fire in the sparsely decorated

cave, sipping an equally wonderful concoction from the hermit's personal brewery

which he claimed generated a rapid cure for the common cold. To Mada, it tasted a

lot like chicken soup without the chicken.

"Nilerm's the name. What might yours be?"

"Mada..." "How quaint. Mind if I call you Mad? I like abbreviations."

"Sure. I'm use to it."

"Just call me Nil." Thus began a close interpersonal relationship. Nil soon realized

that he had found himself an avid listener and, as he was a past master at

loquacious confabulations, the rest of the day was filled with a fascinating

dissertation on the meaning of everything, or, as he dubbed it himself, a short

analysis on why we are not what we think we are. It goes without saying that this

was the beginning of Mada's real education. He promised to return every day if thewise old hermit would trim his mustache in order that his speeches be less muffled.

The Regional Militia being temporarily defunct, young Mada was free to spend

most of his days with his cherished occupation. But studying technical literature

began to lose its importance as he became more involved with Nil-the-Recluse who

only believed in that which was not man-made. The old man had become Mada's

full-time spiritual mentor.

"I ask you, why is it that man cannot fly?"

The hermit smiled and leaned out from the humid shadows, his sparkling eyes

burning into those of the young man.

"Sir Arro Pleyn may have discoverd where to put the bolts on his funny-looking toy,

but that's not the answer to flying!"

Nil-the-Recluse closed his eyes, put out his wiry arms, and entered the mind of a

soaring eagle. Mada wasn't sure whether it was a childish prank or senility.

Suddenly, the bird-man opened his eyes and pointed a crooked finger at his student.

"Man can fly! He is not chained to the laws of gravity. How could he be if he is

indeed conceived in the image of his Maker? Did your teachers every lecture on the

Kedja body, or astral body as laymen call it?"

"Of course," Mada responded. "It's an important part of spiritual cognizance. I

shall have to instruct you better than those learned parrots they call teachers. Lay

down!"

Mada relaxed on the thick carpet of moss and carefully adhered to his guide's

instructions. He promptly found himself floating near the stillagmites, looking down



at his body.

"How do I get back in?" he whispered, a bit terrified. "Fear not, the golden chain

never ruptures, no matter how far you may travel." On the wings of his

subconscious will, he soon found himself floating in the newly remodeled laundry

room at his parents' home. He swam through the gentle air currents until he

reached the living room. His father was seated on a large ancestor to the bean bag,

breaking in a new pipe.

"Hey, Dad, how you doin'?" His father looked up, surprised. He was not the kind of

man to appreciate anything that wasn't clear cut, straightforward and far from any

weirdness. But, oddly enough, he seemed to perceive the disembodied voice of his

audacious son. He looked around and then, with as much dignity as possible, sat

himself back down into the bean bag. Just in case, he decided to answer.

"I'm just fine, thank you." Mada was elated! The impossible had occured. He had

communicated through another dimension. Nil shook him and Mada returned to his

body with a jolt.

"Pretty wild, eh?" the aged sage stated.

"Can I do it again?"

"Are you mad?"

"Of course! Who else would I be?"

"This is not a game to be played recklessly," he warned.

* * *

Four seasons came and went, as they always do. Mada learned the secret of the

stars, finding out that he was a Libra with moon in Leo and, good Lord, rising in

Pisces! But Nil quickly taught him that human beings can overcome their natal

influence if, and only if, they consciously put their efforts into spiritual evolution.

Mada put his heart and soul into it, sitting in lotus position for hours, lulled by the

murmur of moon breeze, and bitten by angered ants disgruntled by this immovable

object. Nil-the-Recluse was very proud of his student and often drank to his health

in the late hours of the night.

Then, one quiet spring evening, as the sky seemed to burst with diamonds, Mada

found his old mentor in a state of immense depression, aggravated by a severehangover. The hermit lay over a large rock, his beard hanging in the cold ashes of

the fireplace. Mada hurriedly warmed up a revivifying concoction -- after removing

the beard from the ashes -- and forced it down the wise man's throat. When the

colors returned to his retinas, Nil grasped his young friend by the arms.

"Take...Take me to the observatory..."



"Sure, Nilly, anything you say." Mada carried his friend up to the top of the hill

where the part-time astrologer's rusted telescope was kept. Nil aimed it at the

brilliant stars.

"They seem closer than usual tonight," the young man whispered.

Nil turned to him, eyes widened in terror.

"They're sending us a message, Mada! If my calculations are correct, which they

always are...well, see for yourself." Mada squinted into the telescope.

"Amazing...Uranus has never been this near to us...What do you make of it?"

"Look at Jupiter," the wise man stated somberly.

Mada searched the heavens. "It's not out there!"

Nil put a trembling hand on his student's shoulder. "No, it isn't!"

He pulled out a thin papyrus scroll from his tunic. Mada looked at him intensely, a

strange sense of impending doom creeping into his being. Nil unfolded the

parchment which was covered with mathematical equations. His crooked finger

scanned the scribbling and rested on E=Mc2.

"That's nothing new," Mada stated to Nil's dreadful disillusionment.

"This is only part of it. Look here." Mada studied the sketchy ephemeris, then

hurried back to the telescope.

"What does this all mean, Nil?"

The old man took a deep breath to steady himself.

"There's no doubt about it. Our star-crossed homeland is in for a double whammy."

Mada well knew the meaning of this infamous astrological term. It stood for an

imminent irreversible cataclysm.

"You mean..."

"Our dear Atlantis is going to sink to the ocean floor!"

A deadly silence fell over them. Mada was in a state of shock. Suddenly, old Nil-the-Recluse began to laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Don't you see?" the hermit giggled, "For all our highly developed science and

superior objective reasoning, there's not a damn thing we can do about it!"

Beads of sweat forming on his brow, Mada stuck his eye to the telescope again. Of



all the great Truths he had come to understand, the greatest was that the stars do

not fib.

"Holy sacred Theomertmalogos!" Mada cried out. Nil watched his beloved pupil

tremble in the moonlight.

"Don't panic, Mada. It won't happen tomorrow." Mada turned to him, tearswelling up in his eyes. "What will become of us?"

"Well, most of us will be returning to the source you just called out in vain."

"You mean, we're all gonna die?"

"It's inevitable in such circumstances."

Mada dropped to the ground, his legs too weak to hold him. "That's not fair! How

come you get to live a century and a half and I hardly get two decades?"

"What can I say?" the hermit responded with self- satisfaction. He sat next to hisyoung friend.

"I don't even know the meaning of true love yet..."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be. A lot of misguided energy." Mada began to weep.

"Listen to me, Mada Thor. Listen carefully!" The sage suddenly grabbed the young

man's hand and turned it palm up. "Look at your lifeline. It's even longer than

mine!"

"So?" Mada said with a sniffle.

"Maybe it's a scar."

"What am I? A beginner? This is no scar. You've got a lot of healthy years ahead of

you. I'm not saying you won't get rheumatism, but you're going to be around for a

long time."

"But if there's no land to stand on...Am I gonna grow fins?"

"There are plenty of other continents on this planet. Just because they're infested

with dinosaurs and savage beasts doesn't mean they are uninhabitable."

"That's easy for you to say."

"What happened to your faith and hope?"

"I'm too scared for that..."

"But that's when they really work!"

Calmed by the gentle voice of the hermit, Mada gathered his thoughts. He flashed



onto that psychic moment in the Hole, precisely four years ago to the hour. The

memory soothed his cowardice.

"How 'bout a drink?"

On Nil's suggestion, they returned to his cave and imbibed themselves like two

lushes. They began to discuss the future. Nil observed that it would be at least amonth before the known world ended. He advised his youthful companion to return

to the city, get a job, and take off as soon as he could buy himself some travel gear.

Mada decided to adhere to the wisdom of the older generation, even though it

meant going their separate ways. But as they stood face to face in the dancing light

of the fireplace, they both knew that they would be together again some day and

laugh at all this. Thus ended their terrestrial relationship.

CHAPTER THREE

Unemployment being unheard of, Mada had little trouble securing a decent

position. He quickly learned the ropes as assistant bell-toller in the great tower of Samlios, the center of culture in humanity's first civilization. His parents had

disowned him for frequenting the antisocial Nilherm-the-Recluse, and Mada lived in

ecstatic solitude high up in the tower. The energetic young man soon became chief

bell-toller thanks to his inherent musical talent and the fact that his predecessor had

slipped while climbing down the tower.

Mada's dedication to his work was all the more enhanced by the symbolism he

brought to the ringing of the bells. They echoed across the valley and the seashore

with a foreboding quality that created a mysterious disturbance among the easy-

going citizens of the great city. He rang them twice a day, sunup and sundown. His

free time was occupied with exhaustive studies of maps and geological theories, aswell as with baby dinosaur training, a rare and often demanding skill. He soon felt

ready to face a savage and untamed world. Knee-bends were especially important to

his preparations as he realized that the current public transportation system would

become obsolete under water, and he would have to depend on his lower extremities

to get about. A month went by, slow and restful for vacationers from the isle of

Lemuria, while much too rapid for our knowledgeable bell-toller.

Then, to his bewilderment, another month went by. And another, and another.

Could Nil's calculations have been wrong? He dared not even think it, knowing the

wrath he would generate upon himself in case his strange friend were reading his

mind. As the fourth month came along, Mada began to get really tired of ringingbells. He had not anticipated such a lengthy career. On the other hand, neither had

he managed to collect enough monetary matter to sail off for distant Gemchania.

Perhaps Destiny was awaiting a raise in his salary to allow him the possibility of

escaping the doomed continent. Finally, he found himself rich enough to afford a

one way ticket to the East.

The very day he boarded Sir Pleyn's invention, the first tremor was felt on the



continent. It did little damage other than bring the great tower of Samlios crashing

to the ground. So off he headed into the wild blue yonder, pondering the future of

humankind. The trip was a pleasant one, except for a few tidal waves moving in the

direction of his homeland which grew to such heights that their foam splashed the

belly of the flying machine. Several hours into the flight, Mada looked out the back

window and saw that the skies had turned a violet-black, split by colossal lightningwhich exploded like great cries of sorrow over the martyred horizon.

* * *

Gemchania, Pearl land, Lemuria's first colony...Haven of worshipers of Nature and

her cosmic Creator. Its natives were nothing like the technical wizards of Atlantis,

who were hard working, mechanized, and very dull. There was nothing dull about

the bronze-skinned beings populating that garden of paradise. Their weaknesses

were easily forgivable. A dab overindulgent in sexuality, a touch debauched by the

marvelous herbs of nature, but all in all sincere in their adoration of their Maker.

The Almighty might have looked upon them as mischievious children, certainly a far

cry from the wickedness of later generations.

Unfortunately, this genial land was not to be Mada's new home. As the flying

machine came upon the wilds of the unknown continent breaking the expanse of

ocean between the sinking center of culture and the dreamy world of pearls, opiates,

and temples, the first great shift of the planet's axis occured. It would have been a

most grandiose, magnificent sight to the travellers in the winged machine, had the

surrounding atmosphere not reacted quite as drastically. Sir Pleyn plainly saw what

had to be done. As they were sucked into a monstrous hurricane, he leaped from the

driver's seat and dashed into the facilities.

Mada, keeping cool as old Nil had instructed him to do at all times, hurried afterhim and dragged him back to the controls. The man fought valiantly, terrified at the

thought of having to look out the window and witness unbridled Nature at work on

his machine, but Mada managed nevertheless to return him to his seat, imprisoning

him there with the help of his belt. He would later improve the device and leave it as

a legacy to posterity for use in similar situations. But Mada's efforts were in vain.

They were twirled about for what seemed like hours, entering every so often the said

"eye" of the hurricane, only to be pulled out again by the titanic winds.

"This is the last time I get into one of these things," Mada said to no one in

particular.

But it was too late for remorse. The little machine was flung down upon the earth in

a petrifying crash. Nature's howl could now be heard clearer than ever. It was as if

She cried out for her dying continent. Mada looked up from under his seat. He

could see nothing at first as his head was spinning too fast. For awhile, he was

certain that they were still moving, which in fact they were since the land was

splintering all around them. He gazed into the twisted metal encaging him.



The pilot of the first flying machine was as disfigured as his invention, a most gory

sight which absolutely ruined any appetite Mada might have had at the moment.

When the spinning in his head had slowed to near normalcy, he began searching for

a way out. He struggled with a wing that had bent back over the carcass of the now

worthless invention, and managed to force a passageway to freedom. Upon seeing

the state Nature was in, he was forced to rub his eyes and blink several times.Having never pictured to himself the formation of his planet, he could not possibly

fathom what lay beneath its apparent gentle, pleasant exterior. Putrid gaseous

fumes hissed from the gaping fissures in the soil. Flames shot out with stupendous

force from the mountains on the horizon. Volcanic activity rumbled beneath his feet,

heating up the ground.

"How am I going to get out of this one?" Mada thought to himself. "First, I must

locate myself." Upon considering that deduction, he realized that he was thousands

of miles from anything vaguely familiar to him. He felt, of course, very lonely. But it

was only a "passing sentiment" as Nil would have called it. That made him think of

his life back home. How much worse things must be over there! This was a mild,faint echo of what was really happening.

"What a mess!" he cried out, hoping Nature would blush with embarrassment at

showing her innerds with such a disgraceful lack of delicacy. But Nature was too

busy wailing in agony. He decided to sit it out, which proved unsuccessful as soon as

his backside touched the steaming ground. The smoke was beginning to choke him

rather alarmingly and he resolutely marched off inland. Volcanoes were erupting as

far as he could see to the north, so he figured south would be the smartest move.

However, there was little south to march toward as the land was already a few

hundred feet under the invading ocean.

East was the only answer. In fact, he could distinguish a dim rainbow behind the

veils of fire and smoke. That was indeed a good sign. So off he went, giving no

attention to his melting shoes though he swore he would never again purchase cheap

shoes, that is, if ever shoesalesmen repopulated this pitiable earth. Along inundated

valleys, over hills dripping with seething lava, through smoldering woods ravaged by

great fires, across meadows buried under fuming ashes, around tempestuous

waterways, up newly-formed ridges still shivering with the pangs of birth, Mada

hiked on...The rainbow seemed forever at the edge of a new horizon beyond the

horizon he reached.

He thanked his lucky stars that the wilderness had been laid waist, as if apassageway had been cleared for him. Bottomless crevasses forced him to make

endless detours, but he marched at a leisurely pace, taking in the desolation around

him with bewilderment and wonder. There was no sign of life anywhere. As dusk

approached, he decided to search for a place to spend the night. Darkness fell over

the earth quicker than anticipated and he was forced to stop at the edge of a dense

forest climbing up the side of a small mountain apparently unaffected by the

cataclysm. Caves punctured the slopes and he chose one as a resting place. It was a



rather hospitable room. The floor, though glistening with humidity, was softened by

the thick moss in which crawled millions of pre-historic insects.

However, they were so shaken by the outrageous bellowing of Mother Nature that

they remained inactive during the night. The craggy ceiling was very high and giant

drops of water dripped from the stillagmites, crashing in deep, vibrant echoes all

around him. He laid his head on a hump of moss in a corner of the cavern. Mada

was truly a product of urban denaturalization. Any child of the wilds would have

known better than to enter an unexplored cave, the possible dwelling place of

famished beasts, either human or animal, for it seems that every time an innocent

traveller encounters such a beast, it is always famished.

As Mada floated into the dimension of dream consciousness, his pillow began to

breathe. It was a raspy, hollow breathing. A low, powerful breathing. A breathing

that sounded much like snorting. A snorting which suggested a nasty temperament.

A really nasty temperament! The young man opened one eye, realizing that moss

did not make such sounds as far as he knew.

Suddenly, his pillow stood up.

Mada jumped to his feet and peered into the shadows. Two glowing eyes stared

back at him from three feet above. He could distinguish the smoke of breath

dancing in the illumination of the eyes. Mada had never seen such strong electricity

in a living thing before. He suddenly remembered a matchbox he always carried

with him, just in case something like this were ever to happen. He pulled out a

match and struck it against the wall of the cave. A flame came to life.

"Hello there...And what species do you belong to?"

Not even in the Samlios zoo had he ever beheld such a creature. How to describe it?

Well, first there were these incredibly big, and even more incredibly sharp, horns on

top of an amazingly oversized cranium. They bore remarkable resemblance to the

characteristics of a bull. Lit by the golden, reddish glow of the eyes, the facial

features were much like one might imagine those of the famed missing link. The

massive body was fully covered with fur. Something moved from behind the thing.

It was a tail! Looking down, Mada saw hooves, the biggest hooves in the Universe!

Suddenly, the thing smiled. It was an awful smile, more like an arrogant smirk,

revealing magnificent fangs. Mada could clearly see that they were made of the

finest ivory.

"I don't belong to a species."

Mada's blood turned to ice. The thing could talk! He tried to play it cool.

"Oh...How interesting...I'm Mada Thor, retired bell-toller."

"No kidding?"



A flame burst out of nowhere and lit a torch stuck in the wall. The thing looked even

bigger in the flickering light. Mada's eyes bulged out of their sockets as he noticed a

pair of mighty wings flattened against its back like a feathered cape. They were

easily seven feet long.

"Definitely an unusual specimen," the amateur scientist thought.

"I certainly am." It smiled again. The thing had read his mind! "You may wonder

who or what I am. Well, I shall satisfy your curiosity."

The voice, which was as resonant as the bells in the great tower of Samlios, shook

the air around him.

"My friends call me Avrak." "How do you do, Avrak..." "That's your Lordship to

you, human!"

"Yes, your Lordship...Listen, if I'm disturbing you, I can find another cave. There

are plenty for everyone." Mada backed toward the entrance.

"Don't move another inch!"

Apparently, the unearthly creature was versed in mathematics as well. Mada did

not move another inch. Lord Avrak lit several more torches. The cave lit up like a

town square on a holiday. It was a large chamber leading back to other entrances.

"Sit!"

Mada sat.

The huge thing leaned back on an inclined rock and crossed its legs.

"You are very privileged to make my acquaintance."

"Thank you."

Mada immediately recognized the stupidity of his answer.

"I happen to be here on leave and I thought I'd hang around to enjoy the fireworks.

Rather spectacular, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, yes, your Lordship...Quite."

"I think so. It must be really something where you come from."

"Most assuredly, your Lordship. A circus...But, how do you know from where I

come, your Lordship, sir?"

"Your face is as red as my derriere. Like all the rest of your people."

"I didn't know you had a red derriere, your Lordship."



"It's very practical back home."

"And...Where might back home be, if I may be so bold to inquire?"

"Back home?" He closed his feline eyes. "Back home is far away..."

"Are you here on business or pleasure?"

"Pleasure is my business!" he snickered. "You wouldn't understand."

Mada forced a neighborly expression. "I don't want to keep you, really..." "Have

you got an appointment somewhere?"

"Oh no, not at all. My time is my own. I've always liked it better that way."

"Yeah, me too." Mada cleared his throat nervously. "I thought you might want to

get back to your state of dormancy which I so rudely interrupted."

"No, I'm wide awake now. Anyway, I want to talk to somebody."

"Have you been lonely out here in the wilds?"

Before Mada could ask himself why in the world he had asked such a question,

Avrak jumped to his hooves. His left leg raised slightly, tightening a huge muscle as

it scraped the ground. The horns lowered instinctively.

Mada wondered if the creature was mad.

"Yes, I'm mad! No one has ever pitied me and I will not have it now!"

"I'm terribly sorry...I didn't mean it..." Avrak seemed to calm down. He sat back onhis rock, his long tail curling up to rest over his shoulder. He scratched his ear with

the pointy, reptile-like tail and yawned. Suddenly, to the young man's overwhelming

amazement, the huge thing began to sniffle. Then a soft whimper shook its body.

Mada held his breath. He looked up at Mada as green colored tears glistened in his

eyes.

"I'm not such a bad thing...I've never hurt anybody, really."

Mada was hesitant to show sympathy, fearing another fit of anger.

"I'm not as mean as I look. So I've got big horns. I can't help it."

Mada was still a little doubtful. Avrak snorted and held his head up.

"I command you to believe me!"

"I believe you! I believe you!" Avrak slumped his shoulders and sighed.

"I've got a bad temper, I'll admit it...It's all the Taurus vices I've inherited." He

picked a flea from his chest. "I do have a few good qualities...I'm soft-hearted,



generous, and I like a good time...I'm really an insecure extravert."

He looked at Mada who stood there, frozen to the moss.

"You can leave if you want. I'll understand." Mada caught himself as he was about

to turn around and bolt out of the cave.

"Well...I have nothing else to do. I might as well spend the night here."

"I'd like that," the creature responded, his amazing eyes sparkling with friendliness.

Mada awkwardly sat on a rock.

"Come closer, I don't bite. I roar a bit, but I don't bite."

Mada approached with as much nonchalance as possible, and sat several feet away.

"How did you get down here?" he asked the unearthly beast.

"From where?"

"From up there."

"To here?"

"Right. From there."

"What do you think? That I flew or something?"

"Well...With the wings and all."

"I thought you guys in Atlantis knew something about space."

"Uuuh..."

"I came by ship. How else?"

"You have a ship?" Mada asked as he peered into the shadows.

"You won't find it here. We're not that perfected. Although the beings on Uranus

have a shrinkable model in the works."

"Your ship can go anywhere?"

"If you take good care of it, sure."

"How long would it take to, say, get up to the Moon?"

"Why on earth would I want to go there?"

"I don't know...Curiosity."



"There's nothing interesting up there. Just a piece of your planet that mutated."

"I don't understand."

"Well, everybody knows that the comet Kondoor collided with Earth in its early

formative years and broke off two fragments. The Moon and Anulios."

"Anulios?" Mada queried.

"Your high priests knew about it. They called it Kimespai."

"Kimespai? That means Never-allowing-one-to-sleep-in-peace.' But I've never seen

it."

"Of course you haven't. No one ever will again. It's so small that they'll mistake it

for a big aerolite. But it doesn't matter. You humanoids don't have the slightest idea

what reality is anyhow. You're probably better off that way. You can hide from

your true inconsequentiality."

"I...I really don't think I'm inconsequential..."

"Listen, I am also, even though I live a good many centuries according to your time

calculations. We are all materialization of spirit blinded by the reflection of our

planetary coatings. Some to a greater degree than others."

"Is there any way to fully perceive the spiritual self?"

"Sure, when you are released from that vile formation." Avrak pointed with disdain

to Mada's body. The young man looked down at himself, humiliated at the

meekness of his exterior compared to that of the powerful being seated across fromhim.

"You never did tell me where you were from."

"The land of Vrak. You wouldn't know it."

"No, I'm not familiar with it. Is that anywhere in the vicinty of Mars?"

"Are you joking? It's a good twelve solar systems away, one quarter of the way to

the center of the Megalocosmos."

Mada looked out at the stars twinkling above the cave entrance.

"I never imagined it quite that big."

"Why do you think you call it infinity?"

"Tell me...What color is the sky in your neighborhood?"

"A rich green."



"Incredible!"

"Not really. The All-Wonderful, Holy Creator can do it all. You should see the

Milky Way. Blew my mind."

"I envy you, your Lordship."

"I don't blame you." He yawned a thunderous yawn. "I'm sleepy now. Don't bother

me anymore."

And with that, he curled up on the moss and fell fast asleep. Mada watched him for

awhile. Avrak wasn't that fierce- looking after all. When his anger was dormant, he

seemed like an all around nice thing. Sure, he had a few hang-ups, but who doesn't?

Mada relaxed and decided to hit the moss as well. In no time, the cave was echoing

with harmonized snoring.

CHAPTER FOUR

The sunrise promised a beautiful day, as if offering its condolances to the ravaged

planet. Mada opened a bleary eye, awakened by a strange humming sound.

"Auummm....Auuummmm....Auuummm...."

Mada peered up from the moss, worried by the sound. At the cave entrance,

welcoming the glorious sun, sat Avrak, contorted in some odd yoga position. His

humming made the stones vibrate. Mada observed the bizarre scene in reverent

silence. Avrak brought both legs over his horns and grimaced in pain.

"Darn it! I still can't do that one!"

Mada thought he'd offer some advice. "I think your horns are too long for that."

"I know. I file them every day but they keep growing back. My distinguished

cousin, Kavra, never has been able to keep them under control. He's had to bend

them backward so they can grow downward. Poor Krav."

Avrak stretched and went outside to do what all species on all planets have to do. He

returned shortly. "Are you hungry, human?"

"I could eat..."

"Let me warn you right now, I'm not a cannibal like you. I can't stand seeinganything eat flesh. You'll have to stick to fruits."

"That's fine. I like fruits. Do they have bananas around here?"

"You people sure make it easy to take seriously the one about your relationship to

monkeys," Avrak said sarcastically.

Mada was shocked. "I never heard of such a theory!"



"It's an in-joke among us superior beings."

"Oh? I don't see the humor in it," Mada stated, rather insulted.

"You must have some Pisces in you."

The young Atlantean was amazed. "How did you know?"

"You take everything I say with such defensive hurt."

"Why shouldn't I? I have to have some pride in myself!"

"Why's that?"

Mada had to think for a second. "If the baboon can feel comfortable in his skin, so

should we humans. Besides, some of us try very hard to perfect ourselves."

Avrak waved a claw at him. "Don't waste your time. It's a lost cause."

"Oh really? You're not that perfect yourself, Avrak!"

The creature lowered his horns menacingly. "But I'm bigger than you are and I can

say whatever I want, you spunky little carnivor!"

Mada had to agree with the truth of that statement. "I think I'd better go," he

stated as he headed out of the cave.

Avrak suddenly threw himself at his feet, though he still towered over him. "Please

don't go! Pleeaase!"

Mada realized he'd never cease to be amazed by this outer space character.

"Listen," Avrak pleaded, "you need something my size to protect you in these parts.

There are all kinds of beings out there who could swallow you whole as an

appetizer."

Mada was touched. He felt friendly vibrations emanating from big Avrak.

"That's very kind of you, but I can't hang around something that is continually

putting me down. I'm also insecure, you know. It's a hereditary social disease."

Avrak took his shoulders in his claws. "I promise I'll say nice things about humans

from now on. I'll try hard at least."

"Well...Allright...I can't expect more than that."

"And you don't have to call me your Lordship anymore, unless another creature is

around." Mada smiled. Avrak sure had a lot of Leo in him. But he would make an

interesting travelling companion for awhile. So they agreed to be friends as best they

could in the limitations of their imperfect natures and unstable temperaments. As

the awesome colors of dawn faded from the sky, the two comrades of fortune headed



off into the unknown wilderness. It was to become a long and enriching association

for both of them.

* * *

The violence of the previous day had left the jungle tattered, barren, and upturned.

Smoke grimly rose from the ashes of once majestic forests. The earth still shiveredfrom its underground torment, but the great explosions had receded. Mada and

Avrak walked in silence. For the first time, the young man felt sad for the fate of his

kind. Remorse gripped his throat for he had not even thought of the dreadful end of

all the people he had once known. He might have warned them, or brought some of

them with him. But he recogized that such an effort could not have worked out. His

father would never have gotten along with Avrak.

Mada looked at his companion. What a presence! He felt proud, honored even, to

have won the friendship of such a strange, fiersome creature. If only he'd met him

when he was in school where the other boys constantly picked on him. He would

have been the king of the hill for sure. Avrak's horns alone would have kepteveryone a good twenty yards away from him. His gaze suddenly caught an

extraordinary sight. Avrak was stretching his wings! They widened and widened as

the great beast extended them up toward the heavens from whence he had come.

A breeze caught the heavy feathers and bulged them out as it would a sail. They

spread some ten feet on each side of the noble being from beyond. And they rose

some six feet into the spheres! Had he been a composer of musical sounds, Mada

would have imagined songs of angels fill the atmosphere. The bullish head raised

itself proudly and inhaled a good wisp of scented oxygen. A smile revealed the ivory

fangs as he closed his luminous eyes to enjoy the sweet vertigo of sensual

gratification.

The perfumes of this planet were as magnificent, as inspirational as those anywhere

in the endless Cosmos. And the colors! The bright colors shimmered like a

resplendent dream upon which to feast the eyes. At that moment, Avrak felt the

Creator's presence here on this lost, turbulent little bit of creation. The Giver of All

Things was in the blueness of the cloudless sky, in the redness of giant flowers, in the

breeze rustling through young leaves, in the rich greenery of the soft grass, in the

being walking alongside him who was the privileged caretaker of all this poetry.

Avrak knew that the Creator was here despite the natives' absurd unawareness and

inability to sense the Mighty Presence pulsating in their bloodstream, humming in

their often vacant brains, and looking out of their eyes.

Avrak felt close to the little lifeform next to him who was struggling so hard to find

his higher self. The great wings gracefully, with a loud swish, folded across the

massive back. The visiting creature grabbed a clawful of crabgrass, studied them for

their radioactive content, and tossed them into his cavernous orifice. Enchanted by

Divine Nature as well, Mada began humming a gentle tune. Avrak raised a horn in

amazement. He listened, entranced, as a sailor would under the spell of a mermaid's



song.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Humming a tune."

"But...It doesn't sound like humming."

"It's a melody."

"A what?"

"A melody. You know, Lalala lala..."

"Fascinating.." Avrak whispered. "But you shouldn't do that while walking."

Mada laughed. "I can do two things at a time."

"Sound is sacred! You must use it with reverence!"

"Haven't you creatures heard of singing?" Mada asked in astonishment. "Of course

we have. But we chant. We know the source of sound vibration. In our meditation,

it's the doorway to transcendence."

"Well, we take after the birds, I guess. We do it as a recreational activity or as a

reaction to moments of emotional satisfaction."

"Like a release, you mean."

"Something like that. A way of nonverbal communication, with ourselves and with

others."

Avrak reflected on this new information as they walked along. "Does it have the

power to drown you in bliss?" he asked after a moment.

"Sometimes."

"Well, that's all that counts. Take my word for it." He stuck a claw into a coconut

and yanked it out of the tree without as much as a blink. He swallowed it whole.

"Yuck," Mada said with a grimace. "Is that how you eat coconuts out there?"

"What's a coconut?" Avrak inquired.

"The hairy thing you just swallowed."

"Not much taste to it, is there? I like spicy things myself. Do you have red peppers

on this planet?"

"Not that I know of."

Avrak stopped in his tracks and turned to his companion. "You mean to tell me that



you don't even know what grows on your own planet?"

"How could I? Most of it hasn't been explored yet."

"What makes you think it ever will be?" the bullish creature asked sarcastically.

"You're a real pessimist, Avrak," Mada retorted.

"Well, the way things are looking right now, you've got a long way to go."

"All we have is Time," Mada remarked philosophically.

"You're right about that. In fact, those words are inscribed on the main entrances

to our temples."

"Really? Wow..."

"By the way, human, I don't recall the sound which identifies you."

"Squire Mada Thor, at your service," the young man stated with a smile as he

bowed low.

Avrak flinched. A strange glaze invaded his large eyes and his extremities began to

tremble. Mada looked up

"What's happening to you?" he cried out in terror.

Avrak stuck his claws into his sides, trying to regain control. "Don't ever do that

again if you want to live long and prosper!"

Mada stared at his new friend, perplexed.

"When you shake your red head...It affects me."

"What are you talking about?" Avrak seemed rather embarrassed. He bowed his

head in shame. "You know about bulls...I can't control myself when I see something

red shaking at navel level. That's just the way I am."

For a second, Mada thought his big friend would start sniffling again. But Avrak

mastered his emotions.

"Just be careful from now on...Dig?"

"Dig what?" Mada asked, confused.

"What I just said."

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"It really isn't that complicated, is it?" Avrak retorted in an irritated tone.

"They never taught us how to do that..."



"With your brain, stupid!"

Mada threw his arms up in frustration. "How do I dig with my brain?"

Avrak raised a horn in contempt. Was he to have communication problems with this

biped mammal ad infinitum? Yet what else could he expect fifteen thousand yearsbefore pre- history began for modern humanity? The creature from Vrak would just

have to be patient.

* * *

After they had walked a good distance, Mada decided to inquire what their

destination might be.

"I have no idea," Avrak replied. "I thought you might go hunt for your food while I

sit under a tree and eat grass."

Mada humpfed and walked on ahead. As they moved further inland, they found theearth less scarred than the coastal regions. They knew they would soon be meeting

various forms of life, most probably unreasonable in nature. It didn't take long for

their intuition to come true.

They weren't three feet into the dense jungle when a giant snake slipped out of a low

hanging branch to greet them. It was in the course of digesting a baby elephant and

moved rather slowly. Avrak patted it on the head, instructing it to stay out of trees

because its new weight would definitely hinder any passers-by if it happened to drop

on them. A huge wacko bird -- part eagle, part bat -- flew down upon them,

shrieking in a most unpleasant high-pitched sound. It landed on Avrak's shoulder

and carefully inspected the unfamiliar specimen.

Avrak smacked it sharply across the beak and the bird fell to the ground,

unconscious.

"What did you do that for, you big brute?" Mada scolded.

"The dirty thing peed on my fur!"

"Maybe that's the way it communicates..."

"I have my standards!" Avrak bellowed. "That low-class creature is an insult to the

winged race!"

Mada shook the bird and brought it out of its daze. The ugly beast looked up and,

seeing Avrak, quickly decided that it wanted nothing to do with such a bad-

tempered insult to the winged race. Without further notice, it flew off and in no time

was screeching merrily amid the twisted vines of the dark jungle. The two

companions continued their journey.

Suddenly, Mada jumped, startled by his fellow traveller who was scanning the air



with his great nostrils, sorting out the multitude of perfumes.

"I smell onions!"

Mada sniffed the rich fragrances. But his inferior sense of smell did not perceive the

malodorous note in this symphony of aromas.

"I smell onions cooking, I tell you."

"That's not a logical possibility, Avrak."

"Don't tell me about logic, you of all beings!"

Suddenly, he put his claw to his lips and commanded Mada to be silent. He tip-

hooved into the bushes. Mada swiftly followed him. Avrak continued sniffing the air

as they scurried along the path leading to the onions. Then he ducked abruptly.

Mada almost fell on top of him. They peered into the bushes.

In a little clearing, two silhouettes sat around a firecamp, cooking onions. Avrak grimaced as he noticed that they were eating ants a la onion tartare, a notorious

barbarian brunch. One of them stirred the stew, throwing in a few victims to sizzle

in the sauce. The rising flames revealed his face. He had a huge beard, thickened

with crumbs of previous meals, twigs caught along the way, and grease accumulated

over the decades. His tiny, rodent eyes peered from under a protruding forehead

and his nose stuck out grotesquely in the middle of his face like a deformed potato.

Without question, Avrak thought to himself, these must be the forefathers of the

noble Aryan race so overlauded in later centuries. The early form of the human

species placed his index finger in the fire to make sure it was still hot. He grunted

painfully, observing that it was indeed still hot.

"Not too bright," Avrak snickered.

The creature then punched his companion in the temple, apparently to let him know

that dinner was served. The other being acknowledged the call to eat by snapping at

his hand, which his companion fortunately retrieved in time. They began to slurp

and slobber over the mortified ants.

Avrak shook his horns. Where did the Creator go wrong? he wondered. But he

instantly reprimanded himself. The Creator does not go wrong! Yet he couldn't help

pondering what monster had induced humanoids to live off dead life. Anyway, there

was no time for philosophical reflection, for the creatures were quickly done withtheir meals. As one of them put out the fire by natural means, the other suddenly

felt the urge from another kind of fire. He began to pick fleas off of his companion

with fingers that trembled with passion. The pickee smacked the picker across the

earlobe. But the latter was not discouraged and his picking became more frenzied.

Mada couldn't watch. Different strokes for different folks, he thought, remembering

the ancient proverb from time immemorial. Finally, the weird creatures scurried off



into the shadows, probably in search of the evening's dish. Avrak turned to Mada.

"Those are your relatives, " he stated grimly.

They went on their way again, Mada dragging his feet, deeply depressed by what he

had witnessed. But it wasn't long before he perked up again, alarmed by a

movement shaking the surface upon which he trodded. Avrak smiled at his friend'snervousness.

"You're about to meet a dinosaur, I believe."

Mada gulped. He didn't feel ready for this. But, having little choice, he decided to be

brave about it. A terrifying scream burst through the stagnant jungle. Mada's hair

stood on end, as if electrified with horror. Avrak rubbed the tip of his horns as a

crashing sound echoed all around them. Something very big was charging from

somewhere.

"Brace yourself, human."

Mada froze, every muscle in his body tightening into one big knot. And then it

appeared! Towering over them, jaws wide open, ready to crunch whatever moved

before it. Its freaky little front arms waved like those of a traffic cop gone insane.

Mada had never seen such a sight, not even in his worst nightmares. Avrak filled his

chest with air and let out a roar which visibly shook the tree in front of him. The

dinosaur stood still. Though it was ferocious, it still retained the heart of an

overgrown lizard and wasn't use to rebellion from its meals. It had never met a

fellow creature who was not intimidated by its looks.

"This thing must be raving mad," the dinosaur thought to itself, knowing that one

swing of its tail would crack every bone in its adversary's body. Avrak lowered hishorns, glaring at the ugly lizard.

"I dare you!" yelled the being from Vrak.

The dinosaur snickered. This was going to be fun. It took a giant step forward. But

before its foot hit the ground, Avrak had leaped forward and stuck his mighty horns

into the monster's lower abdomen. The dinosaur shook in a frantic convulsion.

Avrak whipped his tail and stung the side of the beast just for sadistic enjoyment.

No one challenged him without paying dearly for their foolish mistake. He then

rammed his claws into the poor reptile's chest and plowed wide furrows along its

scales.

Mada looked away.

"Will you be of some assistance, please!" shouted a frustrated Avrak. He could not

get his horns out of the shivering carcass.

"But it's still alive and flailing away!" Mada protested in terror.



"It won't be as soon as I'm unstuck!"

Mada pulled on his friend with all the strength he could muster. Avrak finally

wiggled out.

"I warned you!" Avrak said to the beast as he slammed it to the ground andstomped on its head. When the dinosaur finally turned rigid, Mada opened his eyes.

Avrak was wiping off his horns. Mada felt sick.

"These are the facts of life on your planet, Mada," the noble being stated sadly. The

young man stumbled to a nearby stream and refreshed himself in the cool waters.

This was going to be harder than he thought.

CHAPTER FIVE

The morning went by uneventfully as the two companions moved deeper into the

inhospitable jungle. Mada's color had turned to an orange tint, as a result of the

events of the previous day.

"How can you do that?" Avrak wondered.

"Do what?"

"Change colors."

"Oh, it happens all the time. When I'm in the sun, I usually turned violet. Needless

to say, I try to keep out of the sun."

Avrak shook his head. These humanoids had more strange peculiarities than he

could ever have imagined, even after studying the Akhostic records, the cosmic fileon souls sent to this out of the way planet. Their march was suddenly halted by a

massive precipice cutting the great forest in half. Avrak looked over the steep,

jagged side that led several hundred yards down through the crust of the earth.

To his surprise, he distinguished a little green valley at the bottom of the colossal

crevice. Beings were moving about like lazy ants. There was a village in the valley!

"Let's take a closer look," Avrak suggested as he slid over the edge and proceeded

to descend the sheer cliff.

Mada, being an experienced climber thanks to his bell-tolling days, knew that there

was no way they would make it down in one piece. Avrak noticed his hesitancy. Heglanced below and immediately perceived the logic of Mada's deduction. He climbed

back up over the edge, to the young man's great relief.

"Too bad," Mada stated rather hypocritically. "It would have been interesting to

investigate."

"Would have? Are you kidding? Get on my back!"



"Do what?" Avrak bent down and suddenly brought his huge wings to life. He

pointed to a spot on his shoulders which would make a comfortable seat. Mada

desperately tried to think of an argument against this improvised mode of

transportation.

"Maybe some other time..."

"Jump on, human!" Avrak had such a way with words that there was simply no

debating with him. Mada climbed onto the powerful shoulders and wrapped his legs

around the live flying machine's neck.

"Enjoy the ride!" Avrak shouted as he dove off the edge of the precipice.

The breeze of the flapping wings shook Mada to and fro as their descent increased

in speed. Avrak apparently felt like showing off for he dropped in a petrifying nose

dive, only to swing back up and glide through low-hanging clouds. Mada closed his

eyes and tried to imagine himself back home, sipping a cool fruit drink, and sitting

on that beloved firm ground. Avrak dove again, as an eagle would upon its prey.

"What's the hurry, Avrak?" cried the human, hanging onto the horns for dear life.

He thought he heard the creature cackle but attributed it to his overworked

imagination. Avrak slammed on the brakes and spun in a circular motion as he

continued his descent. Almost thrown out of his precarious seat, Mada wrapped his

arms around his transporter's cranium. Avrak shook his head in anger. Mada had

covered his eyes! Unaware of what he had done, the young man hung on with all his

might. Avrak gropped the air with his claws.

Once again, Mada's lucky stars shone through. Just as they were headed into the

other side of the precipice, he released his grip and Avrak swung at a sharp angle. Awing scratched the walls and Avrak snorted in pain. He whipped his tail over his

back to punish his passenger. But, to his great shock, the tail found no one on his

shoulders. Avrak wildly looked into the emptiness around him. Sure enough, Mada

had fallen off and was barreling toward the village, head first.

With an explosive roar, Avrak threw himself in pursuit. He sliced threw the air with

a whizzz-like sound. But the law of gravity seemed against him. Mada was falling

very rapidly. However, in his youth, Avrak had placed first in the high dive

competition, a favorite entertainment for the beings from Vrak. Just as Mada was

about to crash into a giant banyon tree, which seemed to await him with open

branches, Avrak caught his left foot. He hurled the human back up into the skiesand collared him on the rebound. Panting and shivering, Mada curled up in his

savior's arms and began humming a tune to relieve the glacial terror immobilizing

his limbs.

Avrak licked his forehead, a sign of affection among his fellow Vrackians. He gently

glided to the earth, feeling great remorse for having shown off in such a precarious

manner. Upon reaching firm ground, Mada dropped in the grass and began



laughing hysterically. Avrak shook him to his senses.

"Well, how was that for a thrill?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

Mada didn't answer. He was too busy tearing up the grass, making sure there was

plenty of solid earth beneath it. A silhouette suddenly appeared from the bushes.

Avrak turned around. A full grown man, dressed in a loin cloth, stared at themcuriously.

"Nice day, isn't it?" Avrak pointed out, feeling friendly. The man looked at him

rather stupidly.

"Looks like a shaven gorilla to me," Avrak whispered to his friend. Mada, who was

now a light pink, turned his attention from the vegetation and noticed the native.

The man suddenly dropped to his knees, arms raised in worshipful adoration.

"He must have seen our antics. He thinks we're gods," Avrak observed.

"Really?" Mada responded, pleased at the unexpected deification of his person.

The man put his head to the ground and began to grunt.

"What'd he say?" Avrak queried.

"I don't speak grunt unfortunately."

"Well, let's see if he'll lead us to his village."

They approached the prostrate man. Avrak grunted and pointed in the direction of

the village. The man shook his head affirmatively and scurried ahead of them.

Avrak smiled, pleased at his linguistic talents. He would be grunting fluently in notime. The two companions followed the gorilla-like being across the dry river bed.

They soon came upon a conglomeration of crude huts. Human beings of all sizes

gathered along the side of the path to stare at the newcomers. An enormous man

came forward to greet them. He wore a short skirt made of animal skins and a huge

necklace at the end of which hung a cracked skull grinning at the strangers.

"Nestor's the name," he grunted cheerfully. "My people call me Nestor the

Conqueror. I understand you dropped in for a visit." He took a close look at Mada.

"You almost look like one of us. But I've never seen us in pink before."

Mada adlibbed a few grunts which somehow communicated his answer. "Actually,

my natural color is red."

"How very fascinating," Nestor remarked. "And where might you come from, big

fellow?" he asked Avrak.

"I am from the heavens."



Nestor turned to his people crowding around them, some fifty strong.

"This one's a god, fallen to earth," he announced solemnly. Everyone fell to their

knees, including Nestor.

Mada noticed that his friend seemed pleased at the adulation.

"We're a bit theatrical," Nestor stated with due respect, "but it saves us from

boredom. There's not much to do in this valley."

Mada stared with amazement at the four hundred pound chieftain. The barbarian

grunted with dignity, wit, and even intelligence. Mada was soon to learn more about

this early form of philosopher-king over a plate of skinned lizards dipped in

applesauce. As they lunched in Nestor's hut, the self-proclaimed conqueror, who

never did say just what it was that he had conquered, related to his guests what

might be described as his life story.

Like all the others, he had been born in the valley, a descendant of fourteengenerations of valley dwellers. It seemed that human life had come into being while

the valley was still in the form of a swamp. When the stagnant waters finally

evaporated, most creatures flew away, leaving behind the non- winged beings who

were suddenly forced to adapt to permanent isolation.

Nestor had single-handedly brought about law and order in this desperate land. All

offenders of his many decrees were strung up in the giant banyon tree, the very one

which had so eagerly awaited Mada's descent, and left overnight to the twelve

million bats who occupied the caves in the walls of the precipice. The next day, the

dried corpses were cut down and offered to the sun god who promptly reduced them

to even drier skeletons which were then used as tools or building material forvarious constructions.

Nestor was quite proud of the effectiveness of his law. He felt he had a genuine

understanding of human nature and knew exactly how to get its attention. Both

guests found their appetite severely curtailed as they listened to the chieftain. They

sat back and learned how Nestor had invented many other laws. There was the

neighbor-relation law which demanded that everyone work for the common good.

Any animosity was harshly punished and the guilty party was served as the main

course at the weekly banquet. Sexual deviation was an unacceptable alternative to

their strict lifestyle since the main goal of the community was reproduction. They

figured that eventually some bright kid would come along and figure out a way outof this valley!

Everyone had a place in the village, even the village cretin who was dubbed "Artist"

and left in the caves to paint whatever went through his disturbed mind. Every

event was a source of celebration. Sunrise and sunset called for an official gathering

in which the village chorus would sing some kind of primitive national anthem to

the glory of Nestor and the tribe. The jovial tyrant smiled a toothless grin.



"How's that for a structured society, eh?" Avrak looked away, sickened to the bone.

Mada attempted a response. "I guess everyone knows his place..."

"I modeled it after the way of Nature. I did a lot of research before formulatingwhat I like to call my 'inspired legislation.' I plan to make this valley the craddle of

civilization."

"You're a very ambitious barbarian, Nestor," Avrak observed.

"I tend to think so. No one else around here has my brains. If they do, I usually eat

them for desert."

Outside the hut, a group of women had gathered and were grunting some

unpleasant chant. Nestor looked at them and yawned.

"Here we go again. They just never tire of protesting. I have a new ordinance whichdemands that they wear furs over their entire bodies so that the men can keep their

attention on their work. We never get anything accomplished here."

"Why are they protesting?"

"Oh, they say that the furs attract more bugs than regularly swarm around them. I

think it's simply an attempt to overthrow me."

He stood and walked onto his little balcony. He raised his arms and the voices

quieted.

"Ladies...You too, Wock! Keep it down! I'm tired of all your dissident grunting! If you don't go back to your huts, caves, or holes right now, I'm going to have you

enlisted in my harem!"

In seconds, the women had disappeared. Nestor returned triumphantly to his guests.

"You sure know how to handle them," Avrak muttered.

"Thank you, creature. Would you care for some more liver? It belongs to my

cousing Gorry. He took very good care of it."

Avrak excused himself from the table and went out into the sunshine.

"Not overly friendly, is he?" Nestor whispered to Mada.

"He has his moods."

"Listen, I could use a human like you. How would you like a high position in my

government?"

Mada tried to look honored.



"It's easy work. You can head the family planning department."

Mada headed for the door, walking backward. "I...I have to consult with my

friend..."

"Sure, I understand," the Conqueror grunted. Mada hurried after Avrak who waswalking off toward the gruesome banyon tree in which hung several ripened

cadavers.

"We gotta get out of here, Avrak!"

"You're telling me! I feel like going home to Vrak. If other humans are like this, I

don't want to know about it."

"I'm sure they're not," Mada retorted. "This is a special case, being so isolated and

all."

"Let's go," Avrak insisted. "Anyone you care to say goodbye to?"

Mada looked around. A little girl was standing nearby, staring at them. Mada

kneeled and looked back at her. He didn't dare approach for fear of frightening her.

The child's eyes were so large and melancholic that Mada felt an immense sadness

over her fate in this lost valley. He smiled at the little girl. Slowly, she smiled a sweet

grin.

"Come on!" Avrak said impatiently.

"She's so beautiful..." He was enchanted by her sparkling eyes. "Maybe we can take

her with us."

A powerful claw suddenly grabbed him and whisked him onto the massive

shoulders. The little girl waved as they rose into the deep blue sky. Mada waved

back, a tear sliding down his cheek.

CHAPTER SIX

They flew over the great ocean of forest which spread to all corners of the horizon.

Mada was delighted by this new view of the world. Birds of all sizes and shapes

appeared and disappeared from the dense rolling foliage. An endless chorus of

shrieks, roars, whistles, and howls echoed across the sky. They reached an area

where the forest abruptly stopped at the edge of a barren, rocky landscape.

Avrak landed in a dried river bed. Mada jumped off and stretched his legs.

"I wonder if any humans inhabit this region," he queried as he cupped his hand

over his eyes and scanned the cliffs and caverns breaking through the dry mud.

"Humans can manage to live anywhere," his large companion pointed out. "They

don't usually have much choice in the matter. Some day they'll begin migrating and



probably cut down that entire forest to make room for themselves."

"Get serious! There's more space here than we'll ever need."

Avrak's features darkened as his third eye saw a vision of a wretched urban

wasteland where the mighty jungle know stood. He had no idea how right he was.

They were standing in the future square of a great city where centuries of politicianswould mesmerize and manipulate the minds of their fellow beings, precisely on the

issue of wiping out their natural resources.

Mada heard his tummy growl and realized that he hadn't had a decent meal in the

last two days. Big Nestor's delicacies did not appeal to him in the least. He noticed

that Avrak had the same problem, for he was searching the bushes for his beloved

crabgrass.

"Did you find something?" Mada called out, seeing his friend peering into the

leafless foliage.

Avrak lifted a foot and pulled up a partially decomposed human skeleton. He

examined it carefully.

"This poor individual was beaten to death. The skull is completely splintered."

Mada approached cautiously. The corpse's empty eye sockets stared at him intently,

as if attempting to communicate the story of its sad fate. Mada looked away.

"It's only a bunch of bones, Mada. Why get so emotional?"

"I'm not used to seeing skeletons face to face."

"What's so special about a skeleton? The being who dwelled in it is gone. It's like an

empty house, that's all."

"But it used to be a..."

"It used to be nothing. So it had meat and hair on it. Its only value was as a conduit

for the soul. Believe me, I'm sure the tenant doesn't miss it."

"Do you have any idea where he might be?"

"Way out there, in another dimension where there are no veils of illusion, no limited

senses, no barbaric attitudes. And he'll be back in a few generations, never knowing

that someone smashed his head in one day, though he might have recurring

migraines."

"You mean, there's no reason to be nostalgic when you die?"

"Of course not! All you lose is the opportunity to understand who you really are,

and what you're here for. Most humanoids don't particularly care anyhow." "



Well, I do! And I know why I'm here," Mada stated proudly.

"Oh, really?"

"Yes! I am here to help my fellow humans in these times of tribulation," Mada said,

stretching out his arms across the vast expanse as though embracing the world.

"And how are you going to help them?" Avrak asked with a smirk on his face.

"I will keep alive the knowledge we gained on my continent. Without it, men like

Nestor will be ruling the entire planet some day."

Avrak dropped the skeleton back in the bushes and continued his search for

crabgrass. Mada noticed that his friend was not impressed by his grandiose mission.

"Don't you think that's important, Avrak?"

"If you really want to go through with it. I doubt if too many of your fellow bipeds

will be able to relate to it, however. Their mindset may never be what it once was on

Atlantis."

He suddenly spotted a silhouette on a nearby cliff.

"Look! There's one over there on the cliff. He doesn't even look as intelligent as

your average turtle. And he's much more dangerous because of his cowardice and

bloodthirstiness."

A hairy man was indeed on the cliff opposite them, involved in some kind of pagan

ritual, bowing before the rising sun god.

"Avrak, as long as my species maintains its awe for Divine Nature, we'll have a

chance to overcome our blindness," Mada asserted with a smile.

Avrak shrugged. He didn't feel like arguing on an empty stomach. Suddenly, three

other men appeared, quietly approaching the praying man. Mada's whole being

tensed. He knew he was in for another rude awakening. Sure enough, the three men

pounced on the innocent victim and began beating him with their clubs. The thuds

could be heard across the plateau where the companions stood. The poor man yelled

and screamed with pain, but that only enticed his killers to hit harder. Then,

abruptly, all was silent. A final crack assured the men that their vanquished enemy

would never bow before the sun again.

Mada's blood curdled and he suddenly felt the urge to punish the murderers. He

picked up a heavy branch lying nearby. Avrak grabbed his arm.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to strike for justice!" Mada cried out in righteous indignation.



"You want to offer them fillet of Mada, dipped in blood sauce maison?"

"I...I was hoping you would assist me..." the young man said with hesitation.

"No! I didn't come to this planet to seek justice. Forget it!"

Mada suddenly pointed to the cliff. The killers had spotted them and were

scrambling down the hillside in their direction. Avrak slowly raked his left hoof over

the ground.

"But if I find myself in circumstances where there is no alternative, then I'm most

willing to lend a horn!"

With that, he smiled and moved toward the attackers. The men slowed their charge

upon noticing that their prey was preying on them. Indeed, Avrak's horns were

lowered and gleaming menacingly in the sunlight. His tail whizzed around him,

eager to strike. Mada ran up behind him, not wanting to be left out. The men were

foolish enough to keep coming and soon were circling Avrak some ten feet away.Their huge foreheads virtually covered their dumb little eyes. They were more

gorilla-like than human.

One of them headed for Mada, but jumped back when Avrak charged him. They

grunted hoarsely, hoping to intimidate the mighty creature. But to their great

disappointment, it didn't work. Mada came to stand beside Avrak.

"Get back, you fool! I'll handle this!"

Mada didn't move. He was determined to fight. Suddenly, the biggest man attacked

him. The others followed immediately, forcing Avrak to deal with them. Mada

evaded the blow and hit his assailant squarely on the head with his heavy branch.Unfortunately, that only made him angrier. Mada tried to run, but his adversary

was much faster. So he turned to face him, swinging his weapon. His attacker's

expression was like nothing he had ever seen in a human face before. He was

foaming at the mouth, his eyes widened in an uncontrolled overflow of savage rage.

Mada faked a low swing and came up to wack him on the jaw.

"Hey, I'm good at this," he thought to himself. But he promptly learned that one

must not take time to flatter oneself when the adversary is still standing and foaming

at the mouth. With a fierce roar, the man lept at him. Mada slid out of the way, but

tripped. His assailant's club hit the dusty ground inches from his face. Mada felt the

power of the blow and realized that the weapon would have gone right through him,as though squashing an overripe fruit.

He rolled away and jumped to his feet, but the man grabbed his arm. The grip cut

off his circulation. Mada dropped his branch and crashed his fist on the large nose.

The man hardly blinked. He seemed to observe his catch with curiosity before

extinguishing it. Mada felt a shiver of terror spread throughout his body. The icy

presence of his mortality stood before him. He was about to close his eyes when the



man suddenly rose in the air.

He released Mada as Avrak lifted him off his feet and threw him against a rock with

all his might. The man shook his head and tried to rise but was met by a hoof hurled

sixty miles an hour into his forehead. The man fell flat on his back, not to rise again.

Avrak turned to Mada. The youth was frozen in horror. A shade of sadness dimmed

the brilliance of Avrak's eyes.

"I don't enjoy this either, Mada. Only on this planet have I ever had to do this kind

of thing. These horns of mine are treasured decorations on Vrak, not weapons."

He walked away from the corpses. Mada picked up his branch and followed him,

the taste of near death still lingering in his soul. He noticed that the colors of their

surroundings were strangely brighter and the air smelled better than ever. It was

good to be alive in spite of it all.

* * *

The heavens were slowly covered over by a crimson blanket. The golden orb of life

sank into colored mists as the two travellers entered a magnificent region, made up

of crystal-clear lakes and gentle hills. The air was light and cool, filling them with

vibrations of peacefulness. The memories of the day were put aside in favor of a

delicious savoring of this new Here and Nowness. Even hunger was forgotten for

awhile.

A graceful gazelle leaped out from nearby woods. She stopped to observe the strange

visitors, a questioning look in her eyes. She scurried off, finding them too base to

give them attention. The friends watched her bounce swiftly through the darkening

countryside, enchanted by her presence. A flair of brilliance lit the horizon,

announcing the final descent of the sun. Night would soon hover over the land once

again.

"We'd best stop here until tomorrow," Mada suggested.

"Why? I can see in the dark," Avrak pointed out, always pleased to recognize his

superiority.

"Well, I'm tired," Mada insisted.

"I'm not stopping 'till I find some good grass!"

"We may have to cross over those mountains for that!"

"Fine."

"Why don't we fly then? My legs hurt."

"Sorry, I don't fly at night," Avrak announced.

"What?" Mada exclaimed, surprised.



"I don't fly after dark. Unless absolutely necessary."

Mada stopped walking, a big smile on his face. "You're afraid of the dark, aren't

you?"

"Me?" Avrak cried out, puffing out his substantial chest. "Me afraid?"

"Yes, you!"

"Don't make me laugh! Ah! Ah!"

Mada stared at him with a knowing smirk. He had finally found a weakness in his

mighty friend.

"Then let's go up in those black clouds and glide through the gloomy obscurity.

What do you say?"

"Not tonight...I have a headache."

"Suuure, I understand."

"You don't understand anything, human!" Avrak stated, embarrassed and angered.

"Why is such a big creature like you afraid of flying at night?" Mada asked,

unwilling to let him off so easy.

"I'm not a night creature, that's all. I don't like all those strange things that come

out in the dark. Especially in the sky. The night brings out the worst in them."

"Well, I'm not afraid," Mada said proudly as he walked off. Avrak hurried after

him.

"You really want to go up there? Okay, I'll take you up there! But don't blame me

when I tell you I told you so."

He bent down and Mada jumped on the furry shoulders. The wings flapped loudly

as they ascended into the black heavens. Soon they were gliding in the cool evening

breeze. The moon was hidden in a mass of thick clouds, but starfields pierced the

darkness with sharp, glittering rays.

"See, that's not so bad," Mada observed. Avrak breathed deeply and felt the

pleasurable sensation of stretched wings. With one smooth motion, they rose high

into the dark spaces. Mada clasped his hands behind his head and relaxed. What a

unique experience! They floated, weightless, in the darkness. Every so often, a cloud

would reveal a slice of pale moon and the winds would wrap them in their cool

robes, carrying them along across the sky. The stars seemed to aim their brilliance

at them, lighting up the marvelous show.

Below, the shadows of earth appeared remote and uninteresting. Mada wanted his

friend to head off for the other side of the galaxy, in the direction of those million



diamonds shimmering above them in gaseous streaks of gold and orange. Avrak

looked up.

"That's the Milky Way!" Mada saw a bright haze of stardust seeping into their

world from beyond. His mouth dropped open with awe. Suddenly, one of the stars

moved! Mada watched it descend then rise again, twinkle and glow.

"What's that?" he called out.

"Wave at them. They're watching us and taking notes. I'll bet they think we're one

creature, another freak of this planet."

Mada waved enthusiastically.

"Hello out there!"

His voice echoed through the empty spaces. The moving star flashed an orange light

several times. Excitment gripped the young man as he realized that he was indeed

communicating with "them."

"Where do you think they might be from?" he asked his companion.

"No telling. Far from home, that's for sure. Smile, they must be taking your

picture."

"Taking my what?"

"Never mind."

Avrak rose higher and headed south. He pointed out a strange gleam covering the

northern parts of the earth. It looked like a bald spot on the planet. He explained tohis inquiring friend that this was ice covering nearly a third of the globe. He eased

Mada's fears by assuring him that it would not fully cover the earth until many

years after his passing. He further explained that Nature seemed to schedule a

general sweep of its surface every several million years, forcing humans to

reconsider the importance they place on power, ambition, wealth, and other

trivialities which, upon the occurence of a full-scale catastrophe, prove worthless.

Avrak then let Mada in on a cosmic secret: no civilization would ever last. They

would come and go, dying and being born like living organisms. But that was no

reason to despair, for civilization was not necessarily the high point of humankind's

possibilities. In fact, it would often be its lowest, depending upon who was in chargeof the so-called civilized society.

As Avrak swept down toward the earth, a giant shadow suddenly appeared behind

them. It was an infamous Howler, the original carnivorous bird, resembling the fish

family, somewhat like a shark with wings. The two friends felt the evil presence

coming down on them.



"Hang on!" Avrak yelled as he dove for the earth.

The monster thundered after them. During the wild descent, Avrak kept repeating

over and over again: "I told you so! I told you so!", adding that he could not fight in

the air, a problem faced by most bulls. The Howler snapped at Mada's head, slicing

off a chunk of curls.

"Faster, Avrak!!"

He grabbed on to Avrak's tail and whipped at the ugly bird. The thing seemed to

smile at the pathetic attempt at self-defense. It began to howl, an eery tenor howl

that vibrated through the night sounding much like a sick opera singer of future

generations who'd eaten too much spaghetti. Then it opened its jaws, revealing a

five foot diameter surrounded by jagged teeth. It barreled down on Mada who fit

just right in the deadly orifice. There was no time to think or panic. Mada did the

only thing that came to his mind. He began singing an old Atlantean lullaby, the one

his mother sang for him when he was feeling bad. The Howler's eyes immediately

reddened with some strange nostalgia, a silly smirk wrinkled its scales, and it began

to howl melodiously to itself, forgetting all about its prey. It disappeared into the

night, blasting the countryside with a pleasant arrangement of well-tuned howls.

Despite the Howler's grotesque appearance, it was kind-hearted when it came to

nurturing young ones regardless of their genetic origins.

Avrak landed softly on the ground and pulled Mada from his shoulders.

"Next time, we walk like everybody else!"

* * *

A thick mist of fog rolled across the landscape as dawn yawned across the mountain

range. The heavy landlocked clouds seemed to emanate from some unnatural

chimney somewhere below the earth. In its path, all became silent. The birds were

quiet, anticipating some unpredictable act of Nature. A huge dinosaur trampled out

of its swamp and pounded across the land, apparently hoping to evade the

incoming, ominous vapor. The two travellers noticed the front sentinels of the

approaching sea of mist. Little clouds glided right through them, resembling spirits

out for a morning stroll. Mada pointed to the opaque horizon.

"I've never seen such thick fog before!"

"We'd better find a place to settle in before it gets here or we won't be able to seeour limbs in front of our faces."

They headed toward a wooded area as the fog approached. Just as they entered the

darkness of the forest, the heavy mist came upon them, masking everything in sight.

Mada turned around, frightened by the strange sensation of finding himself inside a

glowing cloud.



"Where are you, Avrak?" Avrak tapped him on the shoulder, causing the young

man to shout in terror.

"It's only me. No need to get dramatic."

Mada grabbed his tail to make sure he wouldn't lose him again. They wandered inthe forest, groping along blindly. Nothing could be seen more than a few inches

away.

"What do we do now?" Mada asked.

"Follow me."

"Where to?" he inquired, still holding his friend's tail.

"What are you jabbering about?" Avrak muttered in a bad mood.

"Didn't you just say follow me?"

"Of course not. Where could we possibly go?"

"Follow me."

This time, Avrak also heard the voice. The two companions looked at each other,

which was pointless since they could only distinguish a grey outline of their features.

Avrak cleared his throat.

"Who's out there?" he questioned, attempting to sound nonchalant. They tried to

pierce the fog to no avail, waiting for an answer.

"Would you please follow me."

"Where are you?" Mada asked in a trembling voice.

"Behind you."

The companions turned around swiftly, but still saw nothing. Suddenly, a silhouette

revealed itself. It was an old woman, hidden under long straggly hair, wearing a

long gown of fur and a necklace of animal teeth. She moved off into the woods.

"We've got nothing to lose," Avrak whispered. The woman led them to a small

plateau, well concealed by the trees. Mada slipped on a slimy substance that

resembled blood.

"Please wait here." The woman disappeared, leaving the friends alone on the barren

plateau.

"There's something eery about this place," Mada whispered.

"It's just the fog," Avrak assured him. But he wasn't so sure himself.



The woman soon re-appeared with a large torch.

"Come."

She led them to a small opening in the ground. A steep stairway cut out of the stone

descended into utter darkness. Down they went, passively following their guide. Theflicker of the torch created strange shadows on the walls of the black hole. A

subterranean river could be heard flowing somewhere in the granite as they moved

deeper into the bowels of the earth. The stairs finally came to and end at the

entrance of a narrow tunnel through which they had to crawl.

Avrak's wings scratched against the wet stone, giving him a terrible case of the

tickles. The tunnel brought them to a large chamber, illuminated by torches. They

stood and stretched their sore backs. The place was carpeted with animal furs. An

incredible amount of skulls, decorating the walls, grinned at them. The woman

turned around. Mada muffled a gasp. She had to be the ugliest old woman he had

ever laid eyes on. Warts covered her bony features, her eyes were of a grey fabric,

and one lone, crooked tooth hung over her lower lip.

"I am Lufituaeb, Princess of the Underworld," she stated with pride.

"How do you do?" retorted Avrak, untangling the cobwebs from his horns.

"You look like a human, redface," the woman said to Mada.

"Yes, I am," Mada stated, blushing under her glare.

"And where are you from, horny?" "The land of Vrak. I don't believe you know of

it..."

"Isn't that east of Antares?"

"Why, yes!" Avrak answered, quite surprised.

"As you can see, I'm no barbarian. In fact, we are the highest form of intelligence on

the planet, now that Atlantis has sunk."

"We?" Mada wondered.

She clapped her bony hands. Two silhouettes appeared from holes in the rock. They

were sisters of the Princess, but much more beautiful and well preserved.

"My sisters. Say hello to our guests, sists."

Two "helloes" echoed from the shadows.

"They're rather shy as you can see. After a century of living in darkness, that's

understandable, wouldn't you say?" The guests agreed. "Are you gentlemen

hungry?" the thoughtful host inquired. "Yxes, will you ready a little something for

our visitors?" The princess pointed to mounds of fur for the guests to sit in and



relax their tired hooves/feet. She sat on a large ribcage.

The third sister began playing a strange discordant melody on a tibia which served

part-time as a flute. Mada had never seen anything quite as bizarre before and felt

somewhat horrified by these underground sisters. However, his curiosity took the

best of him.

"May I ask why you choose to live under the earth?"

"For the same reason as the fox, the rabbit, and countless other animals do," the old

woman said. "Why? Don't you like our little home?"

"Oh, I do, I do...It's very...quaint...with the skulls and all."

Avrak closed his eyes, hoping to blot out the embarrassing awkwardness of his

human friend.

"Which one of you is the interior decorator?" Mada added, further shoving his foot

in his mouth. Avrak decided to interrupt this conversation before trouble started.

"How do you happen to know where my planet is?"

The old woman took on an air of mystery.

"Magic, my dear creature, magic."

Avrak realized they would find out soon enough what sort of magic she was

referring to. The third sister, Yxes, returned with a dish of warmed-over tripe. Just

the nourishment the exhausted travellers needed.

"You wouldn't have any crabgrass per chance?" the beast from beyond asked indesperation. The princess insisted that this food would do them good and that the

grass did not have the necessary protein for such big boys. So the guests attempted

to swallow the broiled innerds with as little grimacing as possible.

Avrak was the first to give up, explaining that this food was contrary to his

vegetarian principles. When the dishes were cleared, the ladies brought out huge

pipes and soon filled the room with acrid smoke. In a gesture of fellowship, Mada

accepted an offer to sample the tobacco and was soon grinning back at the skulls, his

head spinning nearly as fast as the planets circling in space.

"So where are you boys headed?" the princess asked.

"We're just touring the countryside," Avrak answered.

"Tourists, eh?" The three sisters looked at each other. Even then, tourists were a

prime source of additional income for the locals. "There's really not much to see

around these parts. If you head south, however we have some wonderful swamps

that might interest you. The wildest beasts on the planet reside there."



"I'm more of a bird watcher myself," Avrak emphasized.

"We've got plenty of birds in these regions," the head sister pointed out.

"Do you fly as well?" Mada wondered. Lufituaeb aimed a crooked finger at three

well-polished early broom forms standing against the corner.

"Can you really fly on those things?" Mada inquired in amazement.

"Certainly. But only at night. The sun heats them up too quickly and they get real

uncomfortable." The three sisters giggled.

Mada, no longer thinking very clearly, asked if he could try one sometime.

"Well, it's usually not permitted...But, since you're our special guests, why not!

What do you think, girls?"

The two other women nodded their heads eagerly. Avrak's tail twitched, a sure sign

that this was a bad idea. His little buddy was going to get himself in trouble again if

he wasn't careful.

"If you boys can stay with us for a few days, we'll show you around, right girls?"

The two old hags nodded eagerly again. Avrak didn't seem too pleased by that

proposition. But Mada answered first.

"Great!" The third sister, Feelyne, began playing her flute again with enthusiastic

zest. To the visitors' astonishment, Yxes stood up and danced. At first, it looked

rather ridiculous since the flutist was not playing any kind of recognizable beat, but

it quickly grew into a mesmerizing, graceful movement.

"Pretty good for a hundred and eight year old woman, wouldn't you say?"

Lufituaeb asked. She winked at Mada who choked on the smoke from his pipe and

turned a dark shade of purple.

"Enough for tonight, Yxes. I'm sure our guests are tired and would like some rest."

"No, not at all!" Mada assured her. Avrak pinched his arm painfully. "Well, maybe

a little," he added, trying to smile as the claws remained stuck in his flesh.

"We sleep in the adjacent rooms," the oldest sister said, pointing to one of the many

holes in the back of the cave. "You can stay right where you are. Yxes, fetch some

pillows for our visitors."

Yxes quickly returned with two thick bundles of braided hair whose true identity

the two companions never did uncover.

"Feelyne will play you a lullaby which she composed herself. Sweet dreams, boys."

She smiled at them and crawled away into one of the black holes, followed by her

sister. The flutist began to play some kind of awful, off key sound which kept them





aimed her fingers at the crocodile. Crash! The jaws shut, crashing together with

such force that the reptile knocked himself unconscious. The older sisters hurried to

the scene, laughing.

"How's that for excitment, eh, redface?"

But poor redface had fainted in the arms of his friend.

"I think we've seen enough," Avrak stated emphatically.

"Oh no, there's much more!" Feelyne insisted, adding that this was only the

suburbs of the real wilderness.

"Enough for today!" Avrak said with fire in his eyes. The old woman realized she

had best not press the matter any further.

Yxes placed a gentle hand on Mada's forehead and soon brought him out of his

faint.

"Are you allright, little guy?" Avrak asked in a worried tone.

Mada looked up at his saviors, sweat pouring down his cheeks. His eyes met Yxes's

purple pupils. She smiled at him, hypnotizing him with her ageless charm. The

crimson returned to his features but his head was dizzier than ever, though not from

terror this time.

"Take a deep breath," Avrak suggested, feeling the weakness in the young man's

limbs. Mada was helped to his feet and took a few steps.

"I'm fine...I'm fine..."

Yxes held his hand to steady him. How warm that old hand was! Healing energy

gushed up Mada's arm, filled his being, and quickened the flutter of his heartbeat.

"We'll take you to a quieter place," the princess said, leading the way through the

dense brush. The small group left the grim boggs without further delay. They made

their way toward peaceful meadows enlivened with resplendent, gigantic flowers.

Yxes still held Mada's hand which was now as hot as glowing coals. Avrak walked

behind them, knowing there was nothing he could do. His friend was hopelessly

under the spell of the youthful centenarian.

Several wacko birds flew overhead in the cloudless sky, as if monitoring their

promenade, which caused Avrak great concern for his splendid fur. The earth was

like a romantic paradise now, galaxies away from the dismal swamps. Even the

dinosaurs scurrying off in the distance seemed harmless, even cute and full of joie de

vivre. This was more like it! Here was undoubtedly the creation of an inspired,

poetic Creator. Here nothing could be dangerous or evil, everything could only be

an intrinsic part of a masterful work of Art.



Mada felt happy, happier than he'd felt in a long time. The harmonizing birds

displayed feathers that were the colors of rainbows, offsetting the rich hues of the

landscape to perfection. And in the midst of it all was Yxes, whose beauty blossomed

by the minute. She had no wrinkles like her sisters. She was eternal sensuality, the

hostess of Nature's garden. Even Avrak had to acknowledge that the old lady was

quite an eyefull, and he wondered at the kind of magic she must have in herpossession. Perhaps each sister had a different type of sorcery whose spell was

unique to their particular personality.

He cringed at the thought that all this could be a malicious mirage, a means of

entrapping them, or ensnaring them for some devilish purpose. But in this moment

he was game for anything. Besides, he didn't really believe in evil per se. From his

perspective there was no such thing as good and bad. All that could be found in

Nature were cosmic forces through which proceeded the process of reciprocal

maintenance.

As Avrak studied the beauty around him, a beauty unmatched anywhere in thegalaxy, he recognized the primal forces from which all Creation arose according to

the wise ones of his world: The first force issued from the Prime Source itself; the

second force being that which the first became when, after having spent the

momentum which it received, it strove to blend again with the source of its arising.

Carrying the germs of everything existing, this was the force that humans saw as

"Good." The second, the backward-flowing effects actualized by the first, was

ignorantly perceived as "Evil" in relation to the first.

Beyond these active and passive forces, Avrak believed that Good and Evil were

manifestations emanating from humans only. Avrak knew that his observations of

the human psyche were sharp enough to tell him what he was dealing with. Andthese old sisters had nothing truly sinister about them. Their taste in decoration was

perhaps a bit gruesome, and their diet somewhat shocking, but he could not hold

that against them. So he inhaled a good dose of cool oxygen and, without further

reflection, fell in with the gang's merry stroll.

* * *

They came to a small lake nestled between golden hills. The water was pure and

clean, revealing the tiny universe of fish and plants co-existing in the gentle habitat.

The group sat on the soft banks, wetting their feet in the still waters. Princess

Lufituaeb lit her pipe and became lost in some mellow meditation.

Feelyne brought out her tibia, which apparently never left her side, and played a

tune which was, surprisingly enough, sweet and melodious. Avrak cooled his horns

in the lake and watched the strange fish fulfilling their daily duties. Mada and Yxes

sat apart from the others, in a bed of moss under a majestic red tree whose shade

would cover that part of the earth for centuries to come.

Again victim of his infinite curiosity, Mada asked his companion how she had



managed to save him from the hungry crocodile. She blushed and attempted to

evade the question, but after a bit of prodding, told him of her magic. She waved to

a tiny bird whistling in the branches above them and the friendly musician fluttered

timidly down to rest on her shoulder. They seemed to understand each other, as if

engaging in telepathic communication.

"Can you speak to it?" Mada wondered, enchanted.

"She tells me it will rain tonight."

"But there's not a cloud in the sky."

"This little creature knows much more about Mother Nature than we do, Mada. I

don't question her instincts. She also says that she has a nest in the highest branch

of this tree. She must leave us to keep her eggs warm."

The friendly bird flew off with a charming whistle, as if bidding them farewell.

Mada waved to her."Goodbye, little bird. How I wish I could talk to you also."

"You can! Aren't you as much a part of Nature as she is? The life that animates her

is the same one that makes your heart beat. Our planetary coverings may differ, but

don't let that fool you."

"But, I have a soul. She doesn't."

"How do you know?"

"I'm so much more...intelligent."

"Can you tell if it will rain tonight?"

Mada smiled. Indeed he could not.

"What is your secret?" he asked the beautiful sorceress.

"No secret. It's a question of being a part of the life which surrounds us, at one with

the vibrations of all that exists."

Mada felt goose bumps on his arms. It was so amazing that Yxes had managed to

achieve such a relationship with the vast spirit alive in all things. Would he ever

share in that delicious ecstacy? She had many years to contact the essence of Beingand perhaps his time would come as well. Suddenly, almost involuntarily, he kissed

her warm cheek.

"Great wondrous Cosmos!" he thought to himself. He had never thought that this

simple act of communion could bring such a soar of bliss! The sensation he felt

blended perfectly with all that was around them, as though he was encountering the

Life that pulsated in the grandiose tree above them, colored the flowers watching



them, and could be heard in the song of the joyful motherbird warming her nest in

the highest branch.

He had never felt so real, so fully alive in the Eternal Now. The heavy veil of

confusion that encaged human perception was lifted, bringing his soul to the

surface. "Blessed be the Creator!" he shouted within himself, tears of uninhibited

happiness sparkling in his eyes. He caressed Yxes'long, beautiful hair, looking deep

into her eyes.

"Can this be, or am I dreaming?" he whispered. "Have you put me under a spell?"

"I have no magic that powerful, Mada."

"I wish this moment could last forever..."

"But it does, it does! There is no past, no future. All is now. Nothing exists but

Now."

"But...I cannot stay here forever..."

"I know. And when you hear a little bird chirping above, or look into a cloudless

sky, you will live this again, forever."

"I am alive, Yxes, for the first time in my life!"

Again, he kissed her with trembling lips, melting into her soul, evaporating into the

Sacredness of Love, of Life.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The following day, the companions took leave of their gracious hosts. Mada wouldhave drowned in melancholy had Yxes not convinced him that it was in the best

interest of all concerned that he depart. She presented him with an amulet she had

been given at birth by her grandfather, a distinguished wizard from the wilderness

of the north. She had worn it every day of her life and assured Mada that the little

golden square in which was carved a triangle would keep them close for Eternity.

The travellers flew for many hours, scanning the countryside in hopes of finding

traces of human activity. They encountered several volcanoes still bubbling with

molten lava, passed over a sea of arid desert where the only shadow was their own,

and finally came across rich vegetation in which were hidden crude monuments

revealing the existence of human beings.

They landed on one such construction. It was made of crudely chiseled stone and

served exclusively some kind of religious function. It was built in the midst of thick

tropical foliage and formed a high platform on whose sides long steps were carved.

Mada stretched his legs while Avrak investigated the architecture.

"What purpose does this thing serve, Avrak?"



"Beats me..."

The creature from Vrak wasn't telling the truth, for he sensed something ominous in

the vibrations of the stones. But why worry his little friend? He kneeled down to

study the simple carvings along the side of what seemed to be a large table rising in

the middle of the platform. He sniffed the stones carefully.

"Could this be a colony from Lemuria?" Mada wondered, always willing to guess at

something he knew nothing about.

"I doubt it. Too primitive."

"Could it possibly be a civilization which has flourished here, isolated from the rest

of humankind?"

"I don't know if I'd call it a civilization," Avrak muttered disdainfully.

"Why's that?"

"There's nothing very enlightened about this structure. Besides, it smells like a

butcher shop."

"A butcher shop?"

"That's what I said. Look here." Mada came up to his companion and kneeled

beside him.

"What is that?" Avrak picked up a small oval shaped object which resembled an

oversized fig.

"It's a heart."

"A what?"

"It's a human heart, Mada."

"Now what would a human heart be doing up here?" the young man asked, trying

to fend off his horror. Avrak scratched his horn, contemplating the dried meat. He

didn't quite know how to put it.

"I've heard of a custom among your species, a hideous ritual, but I awlays thought

it was a myth. A joke in bad taste."

"What custom?"

"It's called human sacrifice. Some pathetic beings of your kind apparently imagine

in their morbid fantasies that cutting out the hearts of their neighbors will appease

dreamed up gods with bizarre appetites. But I never believed it. Until now."

Avrak handed him the dried fig. "Take a good look."



Mada didn't have to take a good look. Up close there was no doubt as to what it

could be. He tossed it over the side of the monument and wiped his hand on the

stones in disgust.

"Humans are the bad joke, Mada," Avrak said with contempt.

The young man looked into his companion's luminous eyes. A terrible apprehension

seized his whole being.

"Why are you staring at me like that, Avrak?"

"We've reached our destination," Avrak said solemnly.

"What destination? I thought we were just taking a tour. Why would we want to

hang around here?

Avrak stood and went to the table, leaning his great bulk against it. He seemed sad.

"Have I missed something or what?" Mada cried out, more and more worried.

"You haven't missed anything, Mada Thor." Mada approached his friend who was

now downright forlorn.

"What is it, Avrak?"

Avrak turned to him and placed his mighty claws on the young man's shoulders. He

hesitated for a moment, staring down at his hooves, then raised his proud head with

determination and looked Mada square in the eyes.

"This is where we part, my little friend."

Mada didn't understand. "Part?"

"I've brought you to where you were to be taken."

"Are you kidding? Who said I was supposed to come to this horrible place?"

The grand being pointed a claw to the heavens. Mada looked up and saw nothing. It

then began to dawn on him.

"You mean...you mean...Him?"

Avrak shook his head affirmatively.

"Are you telling me that this was all a set-up?"

"Mada, you should know by now that nothing is accidental. We were meant to meet

in that cave. You could not have chosen any other one."

"And...And your job was to bring me to this unholy jungle?" Mada shouted,

turning as white as snow.



"That's right."

"Why? What am I gonna do here?" Avrak shrugged his shoulders sadly.

"How should I know? My inside information is limited."

Mada angrily backed away from his friend. "You're not really going to leave me

here all alone and fly away, are you? Are you, Avrak?"

"You won't be alone."

"You're telling me that I'm supposed to co-exist with maniacs who cut out live

hearts for laughs? You can't do this to me!!"

Avrak looked away to hide a green tear.

"Answer me, Avrak! You wouldn't do this to me, would you?"

"It's out of my claws...I'm a pawn in the sacred cosmic Dance of Destiny, just as youare."

"Well, what if I don't want to play?"

"You have no choice."

Mada sank to his knees, speechless. The two friends remained in grim silence for

awhile. Only the fearsome sounds of the jungle disturbed the distressing quiet.

"I'll die..." Mada murmured, his frail body shivering.

Avrak came up to him and knelt at his side, wrapping a wing around him.

"You're a very courageous young man, Mada. I've come to admire your strength in

our time together. You're as mighty as I am. Maybe more."

Mada began to whimper, unable to hold back tears of fear and despair.

"However strange or impossible it may seem, there is a plan, a purpose to

everything. And I know that you are here on this out of the way planet for a most

grandiose reason. In your heart you know it too."

"My heart! Hah! It'll probably end up in the bushes like that other one!"

Then the dam broke. Tears poured from the young man's soul. Avrak embraced

him in his powerful wings, trying to swallow past the great knot in his throat.

"Be strong, Mada. Your fellow humans need you." Mada wrapped his arms around

his friend's furry neck.

"Don't leave me, Avrak! Please don't leave me!"



The majestic being could take no more. He wasn't about to melt into tears like a

ridiculously sentimental humanoid. He pulled himself away from his friend.

"I must go."

"Where to? Where are you going?"

"Back to my ship. Then on to my homeland."

"Take me with you..."

"No, I can't do that. You wouldn't survive the voyage. Besides, it's against the order

of things to take humans to other galaxies."

"You're evil, Avrak! You're leaving a friend to die in the wilderness!"

"Don't say that, Mada. You're the only human I've ever grown attached to. Let me

go with pleasant memories."

He stood up and stretched his prodigious wings. Mada looked up, realizing he would

never see the great Avrak again.

"Wait! Wait!"

With incredible will power, he managed to get hold of himself.

"If it must be, then let us say farewell correctly."

Avrak's magnificent eyes glazed with a haze of emotional dew. He smiled and

opened wide his wings. Mada rushed up and embraced him.

"Farewell my wondrous friend! You have taught me so much!"

"Farewell my valiant little human! You too have taught me much."

"I'll never forget you, Avrak. Never!"

Avrak pulled Mada's head back and looked at him. Both beings were now shedding

great tears of tenderness.

"Will we ever meet again, somehow, somewhere?"

Avrak smiled a mysterious, knowing smile.

"Yes, Mada. Everytime you look into the night sky, know that out there, beyond the

Milky Way, I'm keeping a close watch on you. And when your duty here on this

obscure sphere is accomplished, I'll be the first to welcome you on your ascension to

the Creator's doorstep."

"Will you know me then, Avrak?"



"Will I know you? I'll be the one to point you out as a being worthy of your share of

the Universe's glory!"

With that, Avrak licked his forehead and cheeks, a sign of great affection on the

planet Vrak.

"Take good care of yourself, Mada Thor. You are a cherished child of Divine

Nature's earthly garden."

"You too, Great Avrak! Have a safe journey home, and say a few good things about

the dwellers of Earth!"

"I'll tell of your courage to the entire cosmos. I'll shout it out to the stars!"

Avrak flapped his majestic wings and rose gracefully into the sky. Mada waved with

all his might as his beloved friend disappeared into the clouds.

* * *

Mada looked at the jungle surrounding him, and wiped a tear from his cheek. He

closed his eyes and slowed his breathing, attempting to relax and clear his head. The

sounds bursting from the shadows were coarse and threatening. He looked into the

bit of sky visible through the dense foliage. Massive clouds rolled by, obscuring the

sun. He was all alone.

He sat up on the table and reflected upon his new situation. His body was cold,

colder than the chunk of rock on which he sat. He noticed that his chest remained

warm however, and he put his hand upon it. The amulet! The amulet radiated an

imperceptible glow of heat. He lifted it up and studied it. The lines were a perfect

geometric shape. A square holding a triangle within it. Obviously, it had to be somegreat symbol.

In an effort to ward off his fear and sooth his agonizing feelings, he decided to figure

out its meaning. The cosmic puzzle would help him forget his environment long

enough for him to recuperate. He knew that it could not have come from Lemuria

without containing truths which that land had long known and lived by.

The square...Mada reviewed all he had learned from his days as a bookworm. Of

course! Square: four sided, four elements. It represented the four elements of the

physical world, fire,earth, air, and water. Being a master of analogies, Mada had

come to understand that everything in the world was constructed according to thesame laws, the same plan.

The four elements could be found in the magic world of spirits: elves, water-spirits,

sylphs, and gnomes. And then, of course, there were the four states of every

substance in the Universe: carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen. They expressed

the active principle, the passive principle, form, and result. Every phenomenon and

every object consisted of these four principles that came from Divine Nature.



The triangle could only be the symbol of the three cosmic forces emanating from the

Absolute, the symbol of the Creator. Mada was pleased with himself at being able to

decipher the ancient amulet, though he realized that his understanding of it was

only superficial. It held within it the great secret of the unity of all that is, and could

be grasped only by those who had reached the highest degree of objective

consciousness.

What a special gift Yxes had given him! Mada's contemplation was abruptly halted

by a crashing noise in the nearby bushes. He jumped off the table and hid behind

one of its heavy legs. Footsteps echoed on the long stone staircase leading to the top

of the monument. Mada bit his fist, suddenly realizing that he had no weapon!

A sihouette appeared on the platform. The young man peered out from behind the

table leg to catch a glimpse of the intruder. It was a woman. A young, gorgeous

woman. She was dressed in simple ornaments. Her hair was blacker than the

darkest night, thick and straight, cut to shoulder length. She walked in his direction,

so he held his breath. The young woman fortunately stopped on the other side of thetable and stared up at the heavens. She raised her arms and spoke in the language of

the ancients, the world language of old, sanskrit.

As coincidence would have it, he had taken it as an elective over woodworking in his

teens. Mada listened intently to her strange prayer. It was whispered as if she did

not even want the creatures of the jungle to hear her words. He could only catch

fractions of sentences but could tell that they were burning with emotion. She spoke

of treachery, evil, war, helplessness, annihilation. It all sounded pretty serious and

Mada was almost overcome with the urge to jump up and offer his aid and/or

condolances.

Mada felt an itch and looked down to see a huge bug crawling over his foot.

"What an ugly looking creature," he thought to himself. He had never seen a bug

with fangs before. As he was about to flick it away, the tiny fangs sunk into his big

toe.

"Ooouch!!" he screamed, slapping his foot in agony.

He then felt something cold, ice cold, on the back of his neck. He turned around and

saw the beautiful young lady standing over him, holding a sharp stone dagger

against his skin. He tried to smile gallantly.

"Hello there..."

The dark jewels she had for eyes sparkled with rage.

"Who are you spying for?"

"I beg your pardon?" The knife sliced a line across the side of his neck. "Hey! That

hurts!"



"Who paid you to spy on me?"

"I'm not a spy!"

"I'll cut your throat if you lie to me!"

"Hold it, lady! I haven't done anything wrong!"

A burst of irritation shot through his nerve endings. He'd been through too many

emotions to put up with anymore unfair treatment. Turning violet, he suddenly

slapped the dagger out of her hand and tackled her. The young woman fell on the

stone rather ungracefully. Mada leaped on top of her and pinned her arms down.

She stared at him with fierce pride.

"Go ahead. Kill me!"

"Listen to me! I'm not from around here. I flew in about twenty minutes ago."

Her perplexed look revealed to him that her civilization hadn't gotten off the ground

yet.

"My name is Mada, Mada Thor. I know it's a strange name, but blame my parents,

not me. I'm an ex-bell-toller from the great city of Samlios on the dear, departed

continent of Atlantis. I know nothing of spying, I have never been a spy, nor do I

ever expect to become one. Is that clear?"

The young lady stared at him silently.

"What is your name?" he asked, trying to ease the tension.

She said nothing and looked at him suspiciously.

"Do you know the meaning of Fate? Well, it's my fate to end up here, don't ask me

why. Now, since I have nothing else to do, I think I'll lend you a hand because you

seem to have so many problems. And it'll be a lot easier to do that if I know your

name."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"I'm not too sure. But who am I to question the Master Plan?"

"You don't make much sense." "

You're quite right. But I'm not a bad guy, really."

"Would you mind getting off my stomach then?"

Mada realized that he was still holding her pined to the ground.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry."



He helped her up and handed her the dagger. She took it graciously and abruptly

stuck it against his chest.

"I still think you're a spy!!"

Mada sighed with frustration. "Will you cut it out! I don't even know what countryI'm in, what continent I'm on, or what civilization you come from, if any!"

"Why is your face so red?"

Mada smiled at her naive curiosity and knew he had broken through the ice.

"Actually, my whole body is red, from the top of my head to the tip of my toes,

particularly the little toe on the left foot since that nasty bug bit into it. That's the

color we're dyed in over in my corner of the world. Humans come in many colors.

Some even come in fur, and perhaps a few may still have scales."

"You talk funny, redface."

"The name's Mada."

The young woman slid the knife into her belt, confident that the stranger was

relatively harmless.

"My name is Nettik, and I'm a princess."

"How old are you, Nettik?"

"I'm sixty-four seasons and two moons."

Mada quickly calculated with the help of his fingers.

"That makes you sixteen years old by our standards."

"What does that mean?"

"That means that you're not suppose to look the way you do yet..."

She suddenly slapped him. A powerful slap for such a little lady. Mada didn't react.

He just looked at her sadly. How ugly she could be when anger contorted her

delicate features.

"I can have you buried alive if I choose!" she shouted at him.

Mada stared deeply into the dark, fierce eyes. "Oh, Avrak!" he cried in his soul,

"you've left me among savages!" Not even dinosaurs had the cruelty this mere child

was revealing. And the adults must be worse! Why did he have to be brought here,

to a land where he did not belong?

He could already sense the atrocities he would have to witness in the future while

fulfilling his unknown mission. His strength seeped out of him. He would never be



able to go through with it. The little woman still stared at him with a hard

expression.

And then it hit him! He had to deal with these people for they were the new breed of

humans who would some day rule the earth! They were the depraved descendants of

the enlightened colonists of Lemuria and Atlantis, the ancestors of civilizations,

History, and progress. And some day they would even tame, denude and enslave

Nature. These were the people Mada had to live with because the fragile future was

in their hands!

"Give me strength!" he begged his Creator from his depths. If he was already

weakening before this bad-tempered girl, what would he be like in the face of

warriors and chaotic masses? He wrapped his hand around the amulet and its

warmth soothed him. The shadow of Avrak's great horns filled his inner vision. He

would find the strength!

CHAPTER NINE

Walking through the wilds alongside Nettik, he learned of her terrible situation. She

was the daughter of a tribesman who had gained power by meticulously killing off

those who opposed him, a system to be used by humans as long as the planet Earth

remained in the solar system. He had been captured by another tribe which was

now claiming dominion over all others. This tribe of bloodthirsty nomads had come

out of the desert in search of new water wells.

The continent was apparently drying up and formerly fertile lands were turning into

sand dunes. Little Nettik was attempting to free her daddy but her people were too

cowardly, satisfied with fishing, herding sheep, and sacrifing others to various

deities. She was, according to her own opinion, the most beautiful female of hertribe and had caught the eye of the evil shepherd who had conquered his fellow

nomads.

The fearless girl told him of men who called themselves priests and whose job it was

to manage the sacrificial ceremonies and other pompous occasions. There were also

wizards, who competed with priests for the people's loyalty and offerings, and whose

primary task was the performance of fertility rites over the land in hopes of keeping

the water from evaporating. Then there were landowners who enslaved the

shepherds and used them for the cultivation of their property. At the head of this

budding social structure were the warriors whose hobby it was to wage war on

themselves when there were no enemies to fight.

It seemed that fighting was the basis for what they called education and both men

and women were versed in that dreadul activity. The most revered animal on the

continent was a creature known as cat, especially the so-called siamese cats who

were feared for their superior intelligence and envied for their natural elegance.

They were considered deities and no one was allowed to touch them, expect for the

very privileged. All this information boggled Mada's mind and he tried desperately



to find some kind of logic to the strange psyche of these people, ultimately

concluding that there was none. As for their religious views, anything unexplainable

was a god, such as their one stream which flooded its banks when least expected.

Their culture consisted of weaving baskets and cooking the best racks of lamb on the

planet. They came out of the jungle and found themselves in a peaceful, green

landscape sliced in two by a trickling stream which the natives called "Nile." On the

horizon could be seen the first signs of the invading desert. Nettik pointed to a

cluster of primitive buildings made of dried mud and said with affection that this

was Tabu, her village.

As they approached the stream, Mada realized that when the stream mysteriously

expanded, the whole countryside turned into one giant mud puddle. Nittek picked

up a mound of earth and dipped it in the water. She then slapped it on the young

man's face.

"You must look like a Nilote or they will put you on the sacrifice list as soon as you

enter the village. We will have to find a more suitable wardrobe as well."

"How do I look?" Mada asked, after she had finished the make-up job.

"Your hair is not black enough, but I've got just the thing at home."

They headed for the huts. Mada looked up at the sky. He knew he would come to

like this country for he had never seen a sky so clear and near to earth. It would be

perfect for his astronomical studies, if he ever had a chance to resume them. They

came upon a flock of sheep grazing in the dirt. The animals were odd-looking, with

long, horizontal horns and big teeth. Mada tried to pet one and was kicked in the

shin.

"They don't like strangers," the young woman mused. "It will take awhile for them

to get used to your smell."

A shepherd appeared from nowhere, hoping to shoot the breeze with them, a

favorite hobby of all Nilotians. Nettik offered him a kiss for his tunic. The man

immediately began to bargain and, after agreeing on three kisses, disrobed.

"You must give him your tunic, Mada." "

I...I'm not going to change out here!" the young man stuttered.

"Why not?"

The shepherd stood nearly naked before them, waiting for his new clothes. Mada

resigned himself to the natives' lack of shame and undressed. The man's outfit was a

bit short for the Atlantean and he felt more naked than he would have without any

clothes on.

"We'll find you something more fashionable when we get to Tabu," she promised



with a giggle.

The shepherd skipped off into his flock, elated with his new costume. Mada followed

his hostess, pulling down on his tunic, ears redder than ever.

The town was a drab one, sunbaked and colorless. Nettik's home was larger than the

others, surrounded by huge plants that gave it a semblance of decor. An olderwoman greeted them at the doorstep and eyed Mada suspiciously.

"Say hello to my mother, Mada. Mother, this is Mada. Isn't he cute?"

The woman shrugged and went off into the garden.

"You'll find her delightful when she gets used to you."

Inside, the rooms were spacious, colored only by the reddish mud which was used

for walls, floors, and ceiling. She led him into her room.

"Here, try this on." She handed him a garment of delicate fabric.

These primitive people had already mastered the art of weaving. Mada adjusted the

outfit and found it very comfortable. Nettik then offered him a drink of their

homemade wine and proceeded to crush black olives in a bowl.

"What are you doing?" Mada asked.

"I'm making a dye for your hair." Before he had a chance to protest, she had

dunked his head in the bowl and was merrily scrubbing his curls.

"You're going bald already. You must be older than I thought," she said mockingly,

noticing the small hairless spot left by the Howler's attack during Avrak'snightflight. Mada chose not to explain how that had occured. It was too

complicated. Thus began his first day in his new homeland. Had he known that he

was to remain there for the remainder of his planetary existence, he might not have

been so pleased witht he way things were working out.

* * *

Tabu was the home of some two hundred farmers, shepherds, and toothless old folk.

The young usually moved to the nearby community of Bethes, a sprawling center of

activity for warriors, priests and other restless types. The ruling nomads lived there

under the dominion of the wicked Dratsab, the man who had imprisoned Nettik'sfather. Terror and oppression were the law and entertainment of the sovereign class.

Beatings and pillage were all in a day's work for these malefic shepherds who had

left their camels and herds for the pleasures of urban life.

And all the while, Nettik's father, Sesmar, wasted away in a dark, humid well,

awaiting his moment of execution. Mada spent the first few days in Tabu learning

the customs and mannerisms of the people, getting used to their food, except for figs



which would always remind him of what he had beheld on the sacrificial monument.

Nettik was kind to him, knowing that he was her only hope for saving her father

and, perhaps, for becoming the most

powerful woman in the known world. The little lady had an overabundance of

ambition. Her mother, Cleo, soon got used to Mada's presence in her home and

found him to be quite a pleasant guest and a marvelous partner in midnight

conversations, for she happened to be an amateur astrologist. She always made sure

there was a full bowl of dates on the kitchen table as they were the young man's

favorite snack.

Mada's third morning in Tabu was the beginning of troubles that would haunt him

for a long time to come. He was walking down the main path on his way to the

market when a muscular youth accosted him.

"So you're Nettik's live-in boyfriend now, eh?"

Mada turned to the inquirer and smiled his usual friendly smile.

"I'm her guest, yes."

He would have continued onto the market had the agitated young man not grabbed

his arm.

"I want a word with you, olive breath!"

"That's my hair, not my breath," Mada stated, correcting him.

"I don't like strangers!"

"You all take after your sheep, or what?"

"What does she see in you?"

"She sees me, that's all."

"Well, I don't like your manners!"

"Listen, I don't want to cut short our conversation, but I'm on my way to the

market," Mada said with a smile.

"So you do woman's work too? What kind of pervert are you?"

"What's wrong with purchasing dates, my friend?"

"I'm no friend of yours!"

"I gathered that. Say, why don't we continue this interesting discussion some other

time..."

The aggressive youth suddenly threw him against a hut. "I'm gonna rip your head



off your shoulders, that's what I'm gonna do!" "

I had a crocodile try that once. It didn't work out the way he planned," Mada said

calmly, sure that if it didn't work out for a giant crocodile, it wasn't going to work

out for an obnoxious shepherd boy.

The youth swung at him. Mada swiftly moved out of the way and the fist went flyinginto the wall, causing a crack halfway up the building.

"Did you hurt yourself?" Mada asked sincerely.

The overgrown boy let out a kind of roar that reminded Mada of a wacko bird's

mating call, and charged at him. Growing impatient with this rather antisocial

behavior, Mada grabbed the oncoming head with both hands and smashed it into

his raised knee. The boy fell in the dust, a severe migrain throbbing between his

ears.

Mada walked on to the market, whistling the merry tune he had learned while

ringing his beloved bells in a far off place and time. He greeted several kindly old

ladies who lived in the neighborhood, bought his dates, talked with a flower vendor

about the weather, which was a short conversation since the weather was always the

same, and headed back to his current dwelling place.

He hadn't walked ten feet into a picturesque side street when he was met by five

young men, among whom was his recent acquaintance holding his bruised forehead.

They surrounded him before he could spit out his date seed.

"Nice day, isn't it? I was just discussing how blue the sky was with Pilut, the flower

vendor. She's a nice lady. Do any of you happen to know her?"

Four pair of hands grabbed him and pinned his arms behind his back. Mada

choked on his date.

"What's all the excitment, boys? Is this a holiday?" he queried.

The boy with the multi-colored forehead kicked him in the stomach. Mada

grimaced.

"Careful there. That could be seriously damaging," he pointed out, trying to regain

his breath.

The boy took him by the hair and pulled his head back.

"I want to ask you a few questions before stomping your face in. Where are you

from? What part of the desert did you crawl out of?"

"I'm a citizen of Samlios. It's west of here."

"Well, we want you to go back there tonight, or you won't survive another day here!

Understand?"



"That might prove a bit difficult. It's about fifty thousand leagues under the sea.

My bells are probably all rusted by now."

"I don't think you get the message! We're going to hurt you real bad in a moment."

"I'm telling you the truth, friend."

The boy smashed his left fist against Mada's jaw.

"How did you meet Nettik?"

Mada worked his jaw back into place. "That's a very interesting story, but it's

rather involved. How much time have you got?"

A big foot pounded him in the stomach.

"You're the one with no time, freak!"

As Mada breathed deeply, his antagonist noticed the amulet.

"What's this?" He yanked it from Mada's neck and studied it. "This must be worth

a lamb or two."

Mada' eyes glazed. He felt a formidable anger rush through his metabolism. In an

unnatural burst of power, he tore himself loose from the grip of his captors and

jumped onto the thief. His elbow collided with the boy's teeth, knocking four of

them loose. He grabbed the amulet and threw the limp body against the oncoming

assailants. His whole being shivered with an uncontrollable rage.

"You sheep herders want trouble? Then come on! I'll give it to you!"

He charged the four astounded boys, three of whom ran off as fast as their legs

could carry them. The fourth one, unfortunately, wasn't as quick, and found himself

thrown to the ground by a thunderous blow. Mada would have run after the others,

but the first boy choked him from behind. Mada tossed him over his shoulder, how

he would never know, and twisted the poor boy's arm inside out. He was about to

break it out of its socket when the rage suddenly vanished as quickly as it had come.

He stood there for a moment, looking at the contorted arm, wondering what had

happened to him. Perhaps it was the memory of Yxes which would have been

marred by the loss of the treasured amulet. Whatever it was, he certainly didn't like

the acrid sensation of savagery that had permeated his being. He let go of the armwhich fell like a broken twig by the boy's side.

"Why don't you go home and take a hot bath. You'll feel much better."

The dumbfounded youth looked up at him, blood dripping from his mouth.

"I'm sorry about your teeth. It shouldn't impair your eating habits, though." He

tore a piece of cloth from his tunic and wiped the dazed boy's face. "Hold it against



your gums. It'll stop the bleeding."

He took the boy's hand and pressed it against the cloth on his mouth.

"Please don't bother me again. I don't like getting mad."

He picked up his spilled dates and walked off, a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach.

CHAPTER TEN

Nettik was in the habit of getting up at sunrise and scurrying to her rooftop where

she would play her sistrum to the delight of somnolant neighbors. Her lovely

melodies were a daily expectation as enchanting as glorious Amon Ra himself. Even

the independent cat-beings looked forward to the alluring event. Several of them

would gather on the edge of the roof as the first colors of dawn illuminated the

horizon, and await the little woman-child.

She would appear without fail, greet her admiring spectators, and settle on a

cushion facing the sun which respectully displayed its magnificence for her alone.

This particular morning, she came upon the rooftop and found that none of her

friends had shown up for the romantic concert. This disturbed her greatly and she

was about to go back to bed and let the sun rise all by itself when she sensed the

presence of a most unexpected visitor.

A shadow stood patiently in the vanishing darkness. No wonder her audience had

taken a rain check! For the creature, with its haughty posture and gleaming eyes,

was none other than the revered siamese cat. It waited, motionless, to find out if the

rumors it had heard about this marvelous human were exact. Nettik did not

approach it but sat on her cushion as if nothing were there and began to run herdainty fingers over the magical strings.

The great sun god was unusually inspiring that morning and, with the guest of

honor, motivated the musician to compose a spellbinding lullaby. She sang of a

heroic stranger from an unknown world, who had come to save her people,

enlightening them with the mysteries that had been revealed to him from above.

Golden rays illuminated the rooftop as if covering her with blessings sent from the

Creator himself. The graceful feeline was obviously overwhelmed. It left its perch

and came to sit at the side of the beautiful songstress.

Nettik had never seen a deity up close before and was amazed at this unprecedentedshow of appreciation, of affection even, from this most independent of creatures.

The sublime cat, back erect, stared at her with its large sapphire eyes. There was no

doubt that Nettik had broken through the communication gap between her species

and this prized treasure of Divine Nature.

Then a most wondrous happening occurred, one that caused a shiver of bliss to

tingle through the young woman's being. The impassive listener snuggled against



her thigh, kneeling submissively in a show of respect and friendship. The serene

creature remained in silent communion with Nettik until the heavenly colors had

turned to radiant gold and illumined every existing thing on that part of the globe.

The young woman moved her fingers with the lightness of a butterfly, sending off

crystal sounds to blend with the mellow vibrations of the new day. As the heat

became too powerful, she finished her song of praise and brought a hand to rest on

the soft, warm head of the proud cat. It looked up and purred. Nettik knew that she

had found a most befitting companion who would remain by her side for many

sunrises.

Mada stepped onto the roof, awakened by the charming music. Nettik motioned for

him to stay away, for she thought the sacred cat would not accept the presence of a

lesser being. Its ears twitched and it peeked over Nettik's knee to observe the

intruder. Mada smiled at the cat and bowed in jest. That was all the animal needed

to be assured of the vassal's allegiance. Nettik motioned for him to approach. He

came within a few feet of the revered creature.

"May I pet her?" he whispered.

Nettik placed a protective hand on her new confidant and nodded. Mada slowly

stretched out his arm. Claws appeared from the velvet paws, but the cat did not

move. His hand came to rest upon the delicate head. He had apparently won her

approval and he caressed her with the utmost gentleness.

"What will you call her?" he asked Nettik.

"Isis..."

"Isis?"

"Doesn't that sound like a sacred name?" Mada agreed as he ran his hand along the

smooth, light brown robe.

"Where did she come from?"

"I don't know. I've never seen her in the village before. Her kind doesn't mix with

humans. She must be a sign from the heavens."

"Quite possibly...She'll be very useful here. I have a family of mice in my room."

Nettik and Isis abruptly turned to him, equally insulted. Mada realized he hadplaced his foot square in his mouth again. He tried to make amends by offering her

the cup of milk he had brought with him. Isis sniffed it, dipped her whiskers in it,

and licked it up avidly.

"We'll have to keep an eye on her. We wouldn't want her to get hooked on coconut

milk," Mada said jokingly.





"There he is!" Nettik whispered.

Mada and Isis looked out to see Dratsab and his retinue come into view. The tyrant

was seated on an open carriage held up by twenty slaves. Six women sat at his side,

fanning him with large palm leaves. The man must have weighed some five hundred

pounds judging by the pained expressions on the features of the slaves, and waspreoccupied with a giant bowl of dates that he devoured with unabashed vulgarity.

A finely combed and chiseled little beard covered his triple chin and brilliant earings

hung from his grotesquely stretched ears. Every one of his fat stubby fingers was

ornamented with rings, and an undersized vest barely contained his huge chest. His

hair was sparse and stringy, and he had no eyebrows. His body was much like that

of a discolored rhinoceros. But it was the eyes that caught Mada's attention. Beady

and rat-like, they were sunk into deep slits through which they peered with

menacing wickedness. A sinister sight indeed!

His cortege passed within three feet of the box in which Mada and Nettik were

seated. The ogre caught a glimpse of the beautiful young woman and knew that this

was the girl he had always been looking for. He raised a flabby hand and the

procesion stopped abruptly. A hungry smile wrinkled his face and he pointed to

Nettik. Mada looked on helplessly as a fearsome, battle-scarred warrior opened the

door of the box and invited Nettik to step out. Isis hissed and her back curved into a

knot of tension. But the young woman took her in her arms, covering her with

soothing caresses, and came out into the open. The throngs of onlookers sighed in

awe. She bravely approached the plump rhino and stared fire into his eyes.

"So you have come at last," he said in a whining voice. "I knew you would change

your mind."

He cackled and his retinue immediately imitated him. "Make room for her, girls!"

He waved his stubby hands and the women moved away from him, jealousy raising

the hairs on their necks. Nettik was helped up into the carriage.

"Come closer, my little honeybee," he murmured hungrily as he motioned to her.

Nettik complied. She came within a foot of the tyrant, clutching Isis against her

breast.

"Put your kittycat down and let me take a look at you."

The young woman froze, staring holes into his forehead. But the huge man had verylittle patience. He repeated himself, raising his voice a bit, causing every palm

around him to sweat. She did not flinch. Mada bit his lips.

"Take that cat away!" Dratsab ordered. But the fierce warriors hesitated. No one

dared touch the sacred animal. Dratsab threw such a venimous glare at his men that

one of them found the courage to fulfill his command. The soldier stretched out a

trembling hand to grab Isis by the neck. A lightning-fast paw scratched the side of



his face. The man shrieked and covered his bloody cheek.

The crowd instinctively moved in one synchronized backward motion. The evil

tyrant smiled, amused.

"Your kitty has a spirit like yours. Perhaps I should eat it for lunch."

Isis hissed at him. The warriors raised their spears.

"Wait!" Dratsab ordered. "I like sassy temperaments. Listen to me, little Nettik. If

you refuse to comply with my demands, I shall have to put your daddy to death."

The proud young lady felt like letting Isis loose on him. But she cherished her new

friend more than the thought of hearing Dratsab yell in pain.

"I will cover you with jewels if you come to live with me. I'll give you anything you

wish."

"I wish for the release of my father."

The man howled a freakish laugh. The retinue attempted a pathetic imitation.

"That's impossible! But I'll make a bargain with you. I keep your father alive and

you become queen of all the desert tribes. I will build you a palace the like of which

the world has never known. What do you say?"

Nettik thought for a moment. A deafening silence fell over the crowd as everyone

awaited her response. She knew that there was little hope of freeing her daddy.

Mada was a nice kid, but certainly no superhero. And it would take an awesome

deed to get past the five hundred cobras guarding the entrance of the Court of

Captives. Then she thought of the magnificent clothes the horrid caliph would dress

her in, and the exquisite luxuries she would own. That was hard to resist for an

ambitious young woman.

She looked down at Isis as if asking for advice. The cat seemed to feel that as long as

her mistress could play the sistrum, it made no difference to her.

"I accept, Dratsab. As long as I am free to do as I please."

The tyrant almost jumped for joy, a feat otherwise impossible for a man his size. A

gasp burst through the crowd, and Mada, poor astounded Mada, almost fell to

pieces."You have my word," the monster said in a voice trembling with anticipation.

"And my cat must be treated as equal to the queen."

"Certainly. I decree that whosoever shows disrespect to your cat will be strung up

by his or her thumbs over the ravine of the Court of Captives. Your word will be

command to every man, woman, and child in my kingdom and any other lands I



may acquire during my glorious reign."

"I am yours, then, Dratsab."

He clapped his hands in ecstacy. "Get these girls out of my sight! Make room for

your new queen, empress and goddess!"

Warriors hurled the women from the carriage. Nettik sprawled out on the soft

cushions. The procession shook into motion. She glanced back at Mada as they

departed, making it clear that his services were no longer required.

* * *

Mada spent the night consoling Cleo. She could not accept what her beloved

daughter had done. The proud woman was ashamed and felt that she could never

show herself in the marketplace again. And what would her Sesmar think when he

heard of this? He would most surely die of mortification. Mada assured her that

Nettik had to have an alterior motive. It had to be a trick of some kind, aimed at

setting her father free.

But his intonation betrayed doubt. No one could presume to know what lurked in

the heart of a young lady. Perhaps the opportunities were too great to turn down.

Perhaps she was tired of living with shepherds and wanted something more befitting

her exquisite looks. That final glance she had thrown him actually frightened him.

He had not seen that expression in her repertoire before. It contained the harshness

and conceit of a true queen. But he had to give her the benefit of the doubt, in order

to maintain some peace of mind.

In the early hours of the next morning, after Cleo had finally cried herself to sleep,

Mada went up to the rooftop. A lonely cat sat there, awaiting a concert that wouldnever come again. Mada seated himself by its side, finding solace in the company of

a fellow sufferer. He decided to meditate until an inspiration filled his vacant mind.

He would not allow this turn of events to undermine his mission or his spirit. But

nothing came.

He kept picturing Nettik in the arms of the hideous tyrant. He could see Isis taking

it all in stride, quickly getting used to the vanities and pleasures of the good life.

There was nothing he could do if Nettik found satisfaction among the rulers of her

people. Everyone was now at her beck and call, for she was surrounded by

subservient flatterers who would only reinforce her outrageous sense of self-

importance. Mada wondered how it was that she could not see the perversion of thislifestyle. Could she be that empty headed, that vain and cold- hearted? Could she

forget him that easily? He shivered in the cool of dawn, knowing that the answer

appeared obvious.

He hadn't realized how much her action had ruffled his pride. What an insult to an

upstanding citizen of Samlios! He looked upon Dratsab as a personal enemy and was

overwhelmed by a surge of hatred for the man. He had to act! Nothing would ever



bring happiness into his soul, not even dates, if he did not do something. He

imagined himself at the head of a massive army, charging into the palace, destroying

everything and everyone in his way, and saving Nettik from the monster's clutches!

He saw himself swinging a great club as he galloped with the speed of a hurricane on

the back of a crazed camel. Then, suddenly, he opened his eyes.

Sweat poured from his forehead as his whole being convulsed with revulsion. He was

thinking like a vile, bloodthirsty beast of the wilds! How easy it was to fall prey to

the infectious disease that would forever ravage the inhabitants of the planet! For an

instant, he could have been a warrior, a killer of living things, a wretched insult to

the Creator.

"No, that would not do at all," Mada thought to himself. There had to be another

way. And with the easing of his inner turmoil came inspiration.

He hurried back into the house, leaving the depressed cat to its lonely

contemplation. He awoke Cleo and in no time was readying his plan of action. The

family's lamb was quickly sheared, a paste was soon boiling in the kitchen, and ahandsome beard trimmed for the young man. Before the lamb had figured out what

had happened to its wool, Mada was turned into the spitting image of an old beggar,

complete with wrinkles and white hair. A ragged tunic was rolled in the dust and

shredded in the right places. A crooked staff was found in the barn, adding a final

touch to the costume's realism. Once again, Mada headed off for Bethes, his heart

pounding with the excitment of foolhearty daring.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

A great celebration was taking place in Dratsab's grand home. Merchants from the

farthest regions had raced to the palace in hopes of selling their wares during thefestivities. Decorations covered the town with flamboyant colors. Music and dancers

filled the streets. All work, forced and otherwise, was halted for the week-long

merriment preceding the coronation. The despised tyrant himself was in a good

mood, even quite merry, and the townspeople cheered him with great enthusiasm at

every opportunity. It was unanimously agreed that a man with such a lovely queen

couldn't be all bad. Bethes was entering its golden age.

Children were taught hymns of praise for their glorious leader and sang them at

every street corner. Wine was imported from distant shores to fill the thirsty party-

goers. Artists were hired to sculpt statues and monuments representing the royal

couple. The best storytellers in the land were searched out to make up all sorts of exciting legends about them. Countless birds were brought in from the jungles to fill

the skies with grace and melody.

Never had the Nile valley shone with such civilized culture or echoed with such joy.

The people seemed reconciled with their oppressors and warriors were urged to stop

their daily pillage in deference to the momentous occasion. Dozens of sacrifices were

made to the gods in a show of gratitude. Every morning and every evening, the



future queen would come out on the balcony and wave to the throngs of loyal

subjects. Isis the cat was proclaimed head goddess by the high priests and her image

was cut into every available block of marble.

The prisoners in the Court of Captives were given royal meals and allowed to come

out of their wells for a bath so that they too might partake in the atmosphere of

detente. A lamb was returned to every man, woman and child from their stolen

herds as a show of the coming age of benign dictatorship. In that one week, the

Nilotes had forgiven their conquerors and come to consider them a blessing in

disguise.

All young girls were given free sistrum lessons so that they might grow to imitate

their queen in every possible way. Largess was declared beautiful in reverence to the

oversized ruler and thin was frowned upon as a possible sign of rebellion against the

status quo. The people could ask for nothing more to fulfill their joy. Nature herself

seemed to bow to the magnificent couple, for the Nile did not overflow that year, nor

did the drought come to dehydrate the flocks. The crescent even began to turn

fertile.

Nettik seemed to blossom in beauty day by day. Her clothes were of the finest

material and she sparkled with precious stones. Her retinue numbered in the

hundreds, including a whole regiment of warriors who stood at her command. She

was indeed a natural for the part of deified empress. She had quickly wrapped

Dratsab around the proverbial little finger and the vicious despot turned into a

passive hippopotamus whenever he was in her company. But all the glitter and

praise had made her forget her daddy who was turning suicidal at the bottom of his

well.

The day of the coronation finally arrived. It was to take place on the constructionsight of her new palace which would be ten times larger than the sultan's home.

Torches were placed for miles along the little river, messengers were dispatched to

the farthest corners of the desert to insure that every existing tribe present a gift to

their future queen. Thousands upon thousands gathered around the demarcation

points of the soon to be constructed palace which would stand watch over the Nile.

Nettik made her appearance in a blaze of music.

She came upon a boat rowed by fifty imported slaves. A shower of flowers filled the

air as she passed by the adoring onlookers. Dratsab, who had lost fifty pounds for

the occasion, awaited her on a giant carpet sprinkled with gold dust, and was

dressed in a flowing gown of silk. She was carried from the boat on a throne that theslaves held up with outstretched arms. A deafening roar burst from the crowd as she

descended from the chair and took the hand of the proud tyrant. Isis was carried on

a no less magnificent chair and placed upon an altar behind the couple. She sat

there, chin raised, eyes half-closed in self-satisfaction.

Twenty priests performed the ritual that had been thought up for the occasion. In

two hours, it was all over. Nettik was an empress! A feast then began that was to last



for another week. There could not be found a living thing in the entire city that

wasn't stone drunk by mid-afternoon.

Well, maybe one, but who paid attention to an old beggar wandering solemnly

through the streets? He made his way past hordes of drunken soldiers and entered

the palace completely unnoticed.

"You there! What do you think you're doing?"

An intoxicated guard approached him, holding himself up with the help of his spear.

"I was just visiting..." replied the beggar.

"There are no visiting hours today! Begone!"

The old man cupped his ear, being hard of hearing. The guard came closer and

would have repeated his statement in a louder voice but, as he bent down to speak

into the extended ear, the old man kicked his spear out from under him and thesoldier fell flat on his face. The beggar lifted up his head and found him quite

unconscious. He continued his way through the empty palace. Here and there,

guards and servants lay sprawled on the floor, celebrating in their own way the

coronation of their empress.

The old man scratched his beard and hurried up the twisting stairway. He found

himself in the royal chambers. Giddy laughter emanated from one of the rooms. It

could belong to none other than the emperor himself. Footsteps suddenly slapped

the stone floor and the beggar slipped into the shadows. Dratsab stumbled past him,

wearing only a towel. The beggar could not resist. With one swift motion, he landed

his staff against the back of the balding head. A dull thud greeted the wood, andDratsab went down, bouncing onto the floor. He immediately began to snore.

The old man scratched his beard and dashed off into the chambers. He threw open a

door and found the new empress combing her hair at the side of her giant bed. She

turned around and was about to shriek when the beggar put his finger to his lips. "

It's me, Mada!"

She held back her yell and stared at him, dumbfounded. He approached her with a

big smile.

"Remember me? I've come to save you."

The little empress, still in shock, asked in a bewildered voice:

"Save me from what?"

Mada didn't have a ready answer. He looked at the luxury around her.

"From all this!"



"You've got to be kidding! What are you doing with lamb hair all over your face?"

"It's a disguise, to get through the guards."

He came within a few feet of her.

"Stay away from me! Why did you have to ruin a perfectly good day?"

"What are you talking about? You don't really take all this seriously, do you?"

"Of course I do! Coronations are a serious matter."

"Nettik..."

"It's Empress Nettik, fella!"

Mada's confidence began to dwindle. "Come now, Net...Empress. I thought you

wanted to save your father."

"I did. The emperor has lifted the death penalty."

"But he's still going to spend the rest of his life in a well!"

"Well? You can't expect miracles. He's an enemy of the state."

Mada leaned on his staff to keep himself up.

"I knew you'd want to use our old friendship to get some kind of favor out of me,"

she stated haughtily. "Get it over with. What do you want?"

Mada wiped the icy sweat from his brow.

"This is your only chance!" she insisted. "Tell me what you want and get out of here

before I call the guards!"

"Do you enjoy sharing the same bed with that monster?" Mada cried out.

"How dare you call your emperor a monster, you ungrateful traitor! I could have

you..."

"You're the traitor, Nettik! You've betrayed your father and your people!"

"Don't abuse my patience! What do you know about my people? You're a

stranger!"

"I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes," Mada said

with great sadness. "I'm sorry for you."

"Our short friendship does not give you the right to insult your empress! Go away

before I have you thrown to the cobras!"



Mada backed away, tears in his eyes. "You won't like what you see when you wake

up."

"I am awake!"

"Maybe so...Maybe I misjudged you completely. Goodbye, empress."

He headed for the door, but turned back again. "I would have brought you your

mother's blessing, but I'm afraid she would take it back if she found out what

you've turned into."

As he left, a heavy brush whistled by his ear. He hurried out of the chambers.

Dratsab was still sprawled on the floor. Mada hesitated for a moment, wondering

whether he should end it all right then and there, but the thought of crushing the

man's skull all over the floor repelled him so that he turned away without further

reflection. He walked through the town, terribly depressed.

He didn't have the heart to return to Tabu and tell Cleo what he had witnessed. Hisaimless wandering brought him into the vicinity of the Court of Captives. He

stopped and stared at the high walls. Suddenly, he realized that there was no other

solution. He would have to free Sesmar if he hoped to overthrow the oppressors. But

how? He was all alone!

A guard on the bridge swallowed a mug of wine and passed out. "If I'm going to do

anything, it's got to be now," Mada thought to himself. He took a deep breath and,

banishing all fears from his mind, walked up to the bridge. The streets were empty,

for everyone was celebrating on the other side of town.

Quickly, he took the keys from the guard's belt, unlocked the gates and stepped onto

the bridge. It was covered with dozing cobras. Beneath him, the deep ravine crawled

with serpents searching for something to bite. He tried to convince himself that if his

vibrations expressed goodwill toward the reptiles, they might not feel the need to

sink their fangs into his legs. So he headed across the bridge as though taking a

stroll on a nice, quiet afternoon.

Thirty snake heads immediately popped up, inflating their backs.

"Hi there," Mada said in a friendly voice," nice day for sunning the scales, isn't it?"

The first cobra he walked by looked at him with a puzzled, suspicious expression. Hehad to step over the next one, but since it was digesting a huge rat, it paid no

attention to him. Several feet further, four snakes, backs erect, blocked his way.

"How goes it? Family doin' allright?"

These cobras didn't seem to appreciate the intruder. Mada stopped and stared into

the first one's evil little eyes.



"You're a handsome fellow. Why don't you go sun yourself in a corner. I need to get

by..."

But the serpents remained motionless, waiting for him to make the first move.

Suddenly, Mada pointed to his right.

"Will you look at that gorgeous rat!"

The four heads spontaneously turned in the direction indicated. Mada swiftly

jumped over them and moved on without looking back. He expected four pairs of

fangs to cut into his hamstrings, but apparently the cobras were still looking for the

rat. He tiptoed by several others who seemed too lazy to bother with him.

He was soon at the entrance, unlocking the heavy doors. A guard sporting a

luminous red nose looked at him in amazement.

"How did you...?"

"Don't worry about it. You're seeing things."

"Oh...I thought so," the guard responded with relief as he leaned back against the

wall and returned to his intoxicated dreams.

Mada looked across the large courtyard. There were at least a hundred wells dug

into the ground. How would he ever find the right one? He turned back to the

dozing guard.

"Excuse me, sir. This is the man in your dreams again. Could you tell me where I

might find the prisoner Sesmar?"

The guard yawned and kept his eyes close. "Fifth well to your left."

"Thank you kindly."

"Don't mention it."

Mada hurried to the well. He looked into the darkness.

"Is anyone down there?" he called out. His voice echoed several times on the way

down.

A faint "yes" echoed back.

"Are you Sesmar?"

Another affirmative echo replied. Mada threw in the rope used to lower food to the

prisoners.

"Come on out of there."

"Say what?" asked the baffled echo.



"I said come out of there. You'll catch your death of cold."

Soon the rope tightened as a heavy weight pulled on it. Mada gritted his teeth and

held on, hoping the man wasn't another rhino type. Fortunately, the prison food

was condusive to weight loss and it wasn't long before a hand appeared at the edge

of the well. Mada pulled the man out. The prisoner held his hands over his eyes,blinded by the light he hadn't seen for ages.

He was a tall, handsome man with a thick grey beard and long wavy hair. He looked

very much the part of an imprisonned heir to the throne. Sesmar finally opened his

eyes.

"Who are you?"

"Your savior."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Look, I'd love to chat but now's not the time. We've got to get out of here before

that guard over there realizes that he isn't dreaming."

The dignified prisoner seemed perplexed. "Say that again."

Somewhat impatiently, Mada grabbed the solid forearm and dragged him toward

the gates.

"Hold on there! That bridge is full of cobras!" "

So? You're bigger than they are!"

Figuring he must be having the same dream as the guard, Sesmar shrugged and

followed obediently. Mada led him onto the bridge.

"Imagine these serpents as beings evolved from the same source of life as we are and

basically not out to hurt anyone. Believe me, there's a lot less nastiness in them then

there is in many humans I've met. Come along."

He tiptoed ahead, talking to each cobra along the way. Sesmar pinched himself and

realized to his horror that he was indeed awake.

"Talk to them. Be neighborly," Mada insisted.

On Mada's advice, Sesmar engaged in conversation with the sleepy reptiles who

seemed to accept the theory that humans were simply insane cousins, to be pitied

more than feared. They came upon the four cobras still looking for the rat and

stepped over them without drawing their attention.

They were soon on the other side of the bridge. As Mada locked the gates behind

them, the drunken guard awoke. Sesmar grabbed him in his powerful arms and

lifted him in the air. He was about to hurl him into the ravine when Mada



reprimanded him. "

Will you put him down! That's a terrible thing to do!"

Sesmar blushed with shame and put down the terrified guard. Mada smacked the

man soundly over the head with his staff. He fell back back into his stupor.

"See? No need to get rough," Mada pointed out. He hurried off into a narrow,

desolate side street, closely followed by a most confused Sesmar who could not help

but pinch himself again. They found themselves walking along the banks of the

gentle stream, leaving Bethes behind them. Sesmar stopped to cool his head in the

soothing waters. He looked up at the immense sky, rubbed his hands in the beloved

dirt and reveled in the bliss of his newfound freedom.

He turned to Mada and found, to his astonishment, that the old man was now

young.

"Are you some kind of wizard?"

"Oh, I wouldn't put it quite that way."

"Why did you risk your life to free me?"

"I figured that since I'm stuck in this forsaken mud hole, I might as well lend a hand

to those who are a little less savage than the rest."

Sesmar didn't know how to take that. "How...How can I thank you?"

"Don't worry, I'll let you know when the time comes. First of all, I think you best

hear the latest news concerning that cute little daughter of yours."

As they returned to Tabu, Mada told Sesmar what had happened to Nettik. The

man refused to believe that the apple of his eye had turned so sour. In fact, he got

rather temperamental when Mada insisted on forcing him to accept the truth. By

the time they reached the village, Sesmar had come to appraise Mada as a most

valuable ally and then and there named him adviser/confidant/right hand man on

the team that he intended to put together to defeat the dastardly Dratsab. Mada

recognized in Sesmar the same headstrong, ambitious, and somewhat ruthless

character that he had noticed in his daughter, but knew that the man ultimately

wanted the best for his people.

On the dusty road to Tabu was born a partnership which would have a lasting effecton the history of humankind.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Thunder roared in the heavens that night. A dozen rugged shepherds sat around a

dim oil lamp in the home of their newly freed leader. They whispered of warfare

tactics, the rallying of courageous men, and of the possible outcome of a bloody



revolution in the making. Mada sat in the corner, savoring his dates, quite

uninterested in the dangerous conversation.

He felt that they were going about it the wrong way, but how could anyone deter the

rage of angry men out to bring something they called justice at any price? These

were the ancestors of countless generations of men and women who would kill in the

name of peace. Maybe bloodshed was the only answer to the likes of Dratsab; maybe

Mada should have caved in the tyrant's head when he had the chance; maybe he

should have taken the skills of fighting more seriously in his formative years. Mada

clutched the amulet and immediately realized that all those maybes were but

pathetic self-doubts. It was simply not in his nature to crush the bones of living

things regardless of how the motives could be justified.

In a flash of clear consciousness, he knew that human history would forever be made

up of crime, successions of bestial massacres rationalized by religions that claimed to

worship the All-Loving Creator! This was the fate of this unhappy planet. How he

fit in this sordid scheme of things, he hadn't the slightest idea. Were he to choke to

death on one of his beloved dates, the way of the world would go on unaltered. What

exactly was his contribution to be? He studied at the intensity of the plotters. If they

could only see the futility of their actions!

According to the wisdom of his lost civilization, Nature and the needs of the universe

were making use of this intense energy for their own purposes: humans were mere

puppets fulfilling the needs of the infinite cosmos without the slightest idea of why

they were made to breathe on this planet. Their incredibly oversized egos kept them

blind to this vaster reality. They could only dream of glory and riches, forgetting

that every day their organisms died a little and their stay in the realm of matter

further diminished. There wasn't much time for humans to awaken to their true

value and the real purpose of their brief lives.

Did Eternity care whether the Nilote tribes were ruled by Dratsab or Sesmar?

Eternity knew only of a little twirling orb at the edge of this extension of creation

transmitted through the sun, somewhere in the suburbs of the Milky Way, lost

among countless galaxies. The little blue planet and its inhabitants existed according

to and for the purpose of fundamental cosmic laws that fed it and fed off of it. And

yet, humans would always live with the astounding illusion that the world was made

for them, as if they had any importance whatsoever during their ludicrously short

lifespan in the universe. Only in the consciousness of their limitations could they

come in touch with their genuine, wondrous importance. Mada didn't know

whether to laugh or cry for these blind shepherds so caught up in their plans.

At that moment, as a colossal streak of lightning illuminated the sky, Mada

understood his purpose here among these angry men, forebearers of countless

generations of other angry men. He must leave them a sign, a hint of the real Truth

and Meaning of their existence! Who else but he, a knowledgeable citizen of the once

enlightened center of wisdom, could leave a momento for the misguided descendants

doomed to roam the earth in blindness and confusion? Undoubtedly, some



spiritually inspired individuals would appear in the following centuries and attempt

to awaken those who would listen, and perhaps the Creator might make a special

effort to break through the dimness of human understanding, but these would be

few and far between.

Left in the hands of self-centered, hateful, seekers of power, the planet would most

surely suffer disastrous consequences. Mada closed his eyes and lost himself in the

indescribable ecstacy of enlightened awareness, of a greater consciousness that

revealed to him the way of all things. Heat burned up his spine as his inner universe

crystallized into the higher centers of his being. He felt the presence of the All-

Knowing Creator within him, in his very heartbeat. He felt the sacred vibrations of

cosmc life shiver in the recesses of his fleshy covering as though asserting its true

nature and revealing its unity with all that emanated from the Primal Source.

The heavens trembled with explosions of thunder, suddenly linking Mada to that

strange sensation he had experienced long ago, on that memorable night of Terror,

when he felt himself craddled in the arms of protective Nature. By the oddest of

circumstances, he had been brought to the place where his promised mission was to

be materialized. In a blazing vision, he saw Nil-the-hermit and mighty Avrak, his

parents and his scientific experiments; he heard the great bells of Samlios ringing

once again and saw the star that announced the end of Atlantis; he felt the amulet

given him by tender Yxes, burning into him, filling him with infinite awareness.

"Mada, are you allright?"

He opened his eyes and saw Cleo leaning over him. The dazed light of his eyes filled

her with wonder, for she was one of the few humans who could sense the miracle of

spiritual experience. He smiled at her and looked over toward the men who were still

absorbed in their scheming.

"I'm fine, Cleo. I've never been better."

She looked deep into his eyes, as if wishing to partake in his privileged inner bliss.

"Have some more dates," she said, handing him the bowl, happy to have him back

with them again. Mada shook his head to clear it and looked out the window. Huge

raindrops beat down upon the mud, quickly turning the land into a swamp. He

stepped outside and stood in the rain, staring up at the dark sky.

Lightning ripped through the obscurity, illuminating the flat horizon of the

surrounding desert. He felt the presence of countless worlds above and below him,as though craddling him in a motherly embrace, and began to sob with the joy of

being truly alive.

* * *

Sesmar had decided on a plan of action. He realized that he would never manage to

round up a sizeable army since the people had been so duped into accepting their



oppressors. The only hope was to infiltrate the palace and attack at night. They

could count on thirty men, including Mada. But the young man made it clear that

he would not take part in any violence. However, he had some plans of his own and

felt confident that things would work out.

There was no time to lose for the tyrant's army swelled day by day, incarcerating

every available male.

"And what will you do with Nettik?" a worried Cleo asked her husband.

The men looked at their leader, acutely aware of the inner struggle he was waging.

"I will lay her over my lap and give her the soundest spanking she's ever had! She

won't feel like an empress when I'm done with her." With that, the men began to

play backgammon, waiting for the rain to move on.

Shrouded by thick clouds, the sun sent its rich colors into the morning sky,

announcing a hot, dry day. Within hours, the ground would return to its old crustyself. Mada, who had fallen asleep in the corner of the room, awoke with a snifle. He

had caught a nasty cold as a result of his spiritual experience. Cleo insisted that he

swallow a remedy which she guaranteed to be fool-proof.

The bowl of steaming sweet wine helped Mada greet the day in a merry mood as

well as with clear sinuses. The men gathered a herd of sheep that they planned to

take to Bethes as a cover. They picked their best animals to insure that the guards

would let them by, knowing they could always count on the greed of their

oppressors. They each carried sharp stone knives and slingshots in their tunics.

Every man had a heavy staff topped with huge knots whose only purpose was to

crack skulls.

Mada did not encumber himself with such things, preferring to use his mind rather

than his brawn in the coming ordeal. One of the shepherds suggested that they take

time out to perform a quick sacrifice for good luck, but Mada asserted all his

influence over Sesmar to deter the primitive behavior. He threatened to leave and

never come back if they ever talked of such nonsense again. No one contested

Mada's importance to the group so they dropped the suggestion and headed for the

city without further delay. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that they were in

for a rough afternoon. Dratsab was particularly unfriendly to his servants that

morning. The discovery of Sesmar's escape had made him quite cranky. His generals

huddled in corners of the palace, trying to remain unnoticed by their fearsome

leader as he paced endlessly through the corridors.

The lump on the back of his head didn't help his mood in the least. He attributed it

to some mishap while under the influence because he couldn't imagine that anyone

would have had the gall to strike him and leave him alive. The empress had not told

him of her visitor. But Isis thought otherwise and tried to get the message across by

hissing at anyone who smelled of sheep. Nettik's reaction to the news of her father's

escape was one of intense worry. She knew full well that her daddy would be



foolhearty enough to come looking for Dratsab, swinging the heaviest staff he could

get his hands on. It wasn't that she cared for the tyrant's health so much as the fact

that she didn't want to lose her newfound position in high society. How could she

ever go back to living as a normal human being, having to wash dishes, make beds,

clean the cat litter? Those thoughts sent shivers of revulsion up her spine. She was

simply not made for such dull work.

The whole night through she had invoked numerous deities, including Isis the cat,

just in case there was truth to the people's cat-worship, but not one of them had

responded. She would have to work this out by herself. It didn't take her long to

figure out that Mada was instrumental in freeing her father. She bit her lips

painfully at the remembrance of having thrown her brush at him. But, just then, she

looked out her window and saw her regiment wabbling in the courtyard, suffering

from a severe hangover. Her troubles left her for she realized that there was no way

Sesmar could overcome so many armed men. He would be destroyed on the first try.

This eased her mind and she went back to combing her luscious hair without further

anxiety. Dratsab paced out into the courtyard and yelled at his warriors. The mencame to attention as best they could, hoping that he would lower his voice and ease

their headaches. But the bulky man only shouted louder, being truly devoid of pity.

Guards were posted everywhere, patrols were tripled and sent out to scour the town,

all gates were locked and a new batch of cobras was dumped into the odious ravine.

No one was allowed to enter or leave the town, unless they were bringing sheep to

market, and a harsh curfew was imposed on every household. By mid-morning,

Dratsab was in a better mood, confident that any subversive raid would be quickly

annihilated. He ate a copious lunch of raw meat to stimulate his aggressiveness and

ready himself for any upcoming massacre. In no time, Bethes was a silent, deserted

metropolis, crushed by an impending sense of disaster. All the merriment of theprevious days had vanished as fast as it had appeared. Things were back to normal.

The prisoners of the Court of Captives were ordered to be executed at noon to

insure the impossibility of future escape and the town intelligensia was forced to

witness the proceedings in case they thought of getting out of line. After a short

siesta, the emperor and his empress were transported to the central square and the

executions began. A smile lit up the tyrant's face, for such events were his favorite

hobby and nothing brought him more satisfaction. Nettik and Isis were somewhat

repulsed but maintained an air of haughty indifference quite befitting to their

image.

The thud of the ax echoed throughout the desolate streets of the capital, ruining theappetites of merchants, farmers, and slaves alike. It was during the bloody ceremony

that a group of poor shepherds entered the town, herding their sheep to an empty

marketplace. Scratching his false beard, one of them suggested that a stampeed

directed toward the main square might put an end to the hideous proceedings. The

others voted down his idea, insisting that this would only call attention to them and

result in their joining the ranks of the executees. At that moment, a patrol came into





conquered. All servants and surviving warriors were locked in the basement, safely

tied and gagged. The courtyard was cleared of corpses which were piled in various

rooms of the remodeled palace.

With great effort, the rams were rounded up and hidden in the kitchen. The victors

took no time to celebrate, knowing that soon Dratsab and the bulk of his army

would be returning.

"They'll be in for a surprise," Sesmar announced. But they all knew that the hard

part of their plans was yet to take place. The shepherds put on warrior's clothing

and took the posts of the extinct guards. In the main square, the last prisoner was

executed and the assembly applauded the work of the exhausted executioner.

Dratsab was in such a good mood that he ordered the execution of the intellegensia

as an encore. Refreshments were served and another hour of death-dealing went by,

accompanied by cheers from the elated army.

Nettik began to wonder if she really enjoyed her job after all. Isis had fallen asleep

and was curled up comfortably on her mistress' lap. Finally, everyone headed back to the palace, looking forward to a good meal. As they approached, Dratsab felt the

urge to kiss his gorgeous empress who lay on the cushions beside him.

"Not now, Drat, I don't feel well."

The tyrant looked at her, worried.

"What is it, my little avocado? Do you have another headache?"

"No, it's just that I'm allergic to sheep odor..."

Dratsab sniffed the air. "It does smell rather strongly of lamb poop. I'll have mymen plant some flowers around the palace. That should take care of the problem."

The man had indeed kept his promise to make her every wish come true. As the

palace gates opened, Dratsab ordered his favorite general to take a regiment down

to Tabu and search for the escaped prisoner. Nettik reminded him that her father

was not to be killed.

"Don't you worry your cute little brain," the tyrant assured her. "We'll just put him

back in his well. He'll have a court all to himself."

They entered the palace courtyard. The warriors went off to their barracks and the

retinue followed the emperor into the main corridor. Nettik sneezed several timesdue to the unusual amount of sheep odor in the ozone layer. Dratsab ordered

another regiment to purchase flower seeds immediately. The royal couple went up to

their chambers to rest before the evening banquet. The tyrant followed Nettik into

her bedroom, hoping to fulfill his burning desire. He spread himself out on the bed

which creaked in resentment. Suddenly, the door slammed shut. Nettik jumped.

"Tis only the wind, my little fruit," the tyrant said. Isis hissed and the young lady



turned around. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Come lie next to me."

"Get your hands off her!"

Dratsab opened his eyes and looked at Nettik, surprised.

"I never noticed that your voice was so deep, my little..." He saw that her expression

was frozen in horror. "What is it? Is your allergy that bad?"

He closed his eyes and continued his caresses. She tried to whisper

"Drat..." but he only took it as an affectionate sigh. Isis suddenly let out a pained

meow and came flying past them.

The tyrant turned around. Sesmar stood in the shadows, rubbing his scratched

hand. He stepped forward.

"If you don't take your fat little hands off my daughter, I'm going to smear you all

over the room!"

It took a moment for Dratsab to fully comprehend what was happening.

"I won't ask you how you got in here, Sesmar, but you're going to make it hard for

me to keep the promise I made to my empress. Guaaards!"

The door opened and Mada stepped in.

"You called?" he asked with a sarcastic smirk. Dratsab realized that he was in

trouble. He pulled out his long double-edged dagger.

"Your daughter is my wife, Sesmar, and I'll touch her as much as I please!"

The enraged father approached slowly. "Your reign of terror is over, Dratsab!"

The evil man laughed a sinister laugh which shook his belly from one side of the bed

to the other.

"You're surrounded by five hundred warriors. You're in no position to threaten me,

sheep herder!"

The noble shepherd circled him. Dratsab, unafraid, raised his knife to strike.

Suddenly, Isis leaped upon Sesmar, clawing at his face. The tyrant struck him in the

chest.

"Call her off!" Mada shouted to Nettik, running up to the struggling men.

Nettik hesitated, but as she saw blood flow from her father's wounds, she shrieked

for Isis to leave him be. The cat hurried back to her mistress and proceeded to clean

her whiskers. Sesmar managed to grab Dratsab's arm and blocked a deadly blow.



They grappled over the knife. Mada watched helplessly.

With a savage grunt, Sesmar found the strength to overcome the weight of his

adversary and, in a powerful motion, broke the man's arm. Dratsab dropped the

knife but held on to the wounded shepherd's neck, choking him with all his might.

Sesmar faltered and fell under the colossal bulk of his enemy. His face turned purple

and he heaved for oxygen. Suddenly, Nettik plunged her dagger into the tyrant's

flesh. The man cried out and loosened his grip.

Sesmar pushed him off and rolled on top of him. He grabbed the man's head in his

powerful hands and smashed it against the stone floor again and again. Mada closed

his eyes. Finally, the tyrant lay motionless in a widening pool of blood. Sesmar fell

beside him, breathing hoarsely. Nettik hurried to him but Mada grabbed her and

threw her aside. Gritting his teeth, he lifted the bleeding man onto the bed and

began nursing his wounds. Nettik tried to push Mada out of the way.

"He's my father! I'll take care of him!"

"You've done enough damage already! Get a basin of water! Quickly!"

She began to cry and hurried off for the water. Mada slowed the blood flow and

wiped clear the man's eyes. Sesmar looked at him with a dazed expression.

"What happened?"

"You killed Dratsab. You are king now."

"Where's Nettik?"

"Save your strength," Mada counseled.

The young man strained to bring back the lost memories of healing taught him long

ago on the lost continent. There was little time if he was to save his friend's life.

Meanwhile, the palace cook had discovered the rams in his kitchen only to be

trampled under their thunderous hooves as they burst out into the courtyard. The

shepherds herded them toward the barracks and unleashed them on the surprised

warriors. Staffs swung through the air once again. The tyrant's retinue surrendered

almost immediately and were locked in their barracks.

The shepherds set fire to other parts of the palace and mauled every fleeing guard.

Seeing the smoke rise, the regiment outside the palace walls hurried to the gates only

to find them solidly bolted. The shepherds climbed to the ramparts and sprayedthem with expertly aimed stones. Never in their pastoral existence had they felt so

exhilirated. Some of them wondered why they had not gotten into the business of

war long ago. Upon learning that their leader had been killed, most of the soldiers

fled for their beloved desert, sick of the lifestyle of professional murder. Shouts of

joy announced the glorious victory.

At first, three courageous townspeople peeked through their shutters to see what



was going on, but soon the news raced through the freed city and crowds poured

into the streets to celebrate their day of deliverance. With Mada's care, Sesmar held

onto his tottering existence. Nettik crouched in a corner, whimpering and pushing

away her cat who couldn't understand why no one was paying attention to her.

When Sesmar's strength had returned, he pulled Mada to him and, in a weak voice,

asked to see his daughter. Mada motioned for her to approach and stepped away.

The happy father stared into his daughter's sparkling eyes.

"You saved my life, Nettik...A little, weak girl saved the life of the great Sesmar..."

He embraced her, tears of joy filling his eyes. "The gods have truly blessed me.

While in my well, I thought only of you. I longed to hold you close to me. And not

only have my prayers been answered, but you are the one who made them a reality.

I'm so proud of you...I could ask for no greater happiness than this very moment."

Nettik wet his shoulder with salty drops. "Oh, daddy! I missed you so...I felt my life

had ended without you...I knew the gods would hear my prayers..."

They cried in unison. Mada realized that his presence was no longer necessary. He

also knew that Nettik would be forgiven and would even maintain her stature

among the people. He walked down the empty corridor, feeling quite disgusted in

the midst of all the jubilation. He made his way through the courtyard littered with

bodies. The rams had been rounded up and were waiting to be sacrificed as a show

of gratitude to the gods.

Mada pushed his way through the already drunken crowds who had gone from

cheering the emperor to singing about their freedom.

"Freedom from what?" Mada wondered. They were certainly not, nor ever would

be, freed from their ignorance and blindness regardless of who controlled their lives.

The young man left the town unnoticed and sat on the banks of the river. The

stench of death did not seem to affect Mother Nature. She simply offered another

peaceful day to humankind whether they deserved it or not. A little frog hopped out

of the water and stopped to observe the melancholic young man. It seemed to ask

him what the cause of his sadness was.

"You wouldn't understand, little friend. It doesn't make any sense. Just go about

your existence enjoying the cool water and warm sunshine. Don't worry yourself

over us. We're hopelessly misguided."

The frog leaped away, merrily chasing a fly. Mada looked into the river andwatched the inhabitants quietly performing the duties given them by Divine Nature.

The planet turned, the fish laid their eggs, the frog ate his fly, and the humans

dumped their dead in massive graves to the tune of victory songs.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Sesmar ruled with an iron, although paternal, fist. The region prospered, culture



blossomed, and sacrifice was looked down upon. This was due chiefly to the

influence of the sovereign's chancellor, Mada Thor. He insured a certain amount of

civilized behavior in the way the government conducted itself. Every attempt was

made to curb the barbarian attitudes of the people. The good of the community as a

whole became the basis for all law.

Nettik grew more graceful with each coming season and, by the age of eighteen, was

a stunning sight to behold. Her character improved as well and she gradually came

to accept the chancellor's presence, allowing even a cool relationship to develop

between them. Isis retained her claim to deity and lost no importance in the change

of leadership. The ruling family was deeply loved by the people of the Nile and

enjoyed a peaceful reign.

Mada was the only man who didn't share in the general contentment. He became a

recluse, spending most of his waking hours in the strange observatory which he had

demanded as a condition for his chancellorship. He advised the king who in turn

gave him all the material and manpower he desired for his projects. No one had the

vaguest idea as to the purpose of the triangular-shaped building, and no one was

allowed to enter unless they wished to spend the rest of their days trying to find a

way out of the intricate labyrinth.

Legends of all sorts found their way through the desert countries concerning the

eccentric chancellor. Some called him a wizard, others an alien from beyond, and all

agreed that he was completely off his rocker. The most displeased of all were the

slaves and architects who were forced to sweat endless days in the merciless sun

constructing the bizarre structure. And it came as no surprise that a revolt got

under way when the mad chancellor ordered another mammoth construction. This

one served no particular purpose at all other than to represent some deep symbolic

riddle that was to keep humankind guessing for the rest of eternity.

The king himself questioned the value of such an expensive undertaking but was

soon convinced of its necessity when assured that his name would go down in history

as a divinely inspired leader. Mada seemed in a great hurry to finish these

monuments as though time were running out. It took almost twenty years of

Sesmar's reign for the observatory to be completed. It provided employment for

thousands of tribes and became instrumental in enlarging the town of Bethes and

offering job opportunities for every able person.

During these decades, while the kingdom filled with nomads and sprawled out along

the Nile, Mada pursued intensive studies of the heavens. Within his observatory, alarge pool reflected the stars, and strange equipment seemed to capture the light of

the distant diamonds. The chancellor allowed himself little rest and age took its toil

at a rapid pace. In a matter of years, his hair turned silver and his body, constantly

bent over mounds of papyri in the recesses of the dark monument, shriveled and

became crippled with rheumatism.

By the time the construction was ended, he had come to live only for his studies,



residing day and night in the humid observatory. Queen Cleo, who often brought

him baskets of dates, was the one person with whom he had any contact and who

seemed to understand the aim of his work. People wondered why the chancellor

never appeared in public, never voiced his opinion on matters of social concern,

never had any affairs with the various women who became infatuated with the

mysteries of his occupation. Many feared him and disturbed the kingdom withrumors that he was a maleficient shadow over the lives of decent people.

One fine spring day, several years after the passing of Queen Cleo, the king came to

pay a visit to his old chancellor. It took an hour of trumpet sounding to rouse his

attention and get him to show himself at the hidden entrance of his observatory. He

seemed pleased to see his sovereign and scrambled down the side of his monument

as quickly as his stiff legs could take him. They embraced fraternally and spent a

good while simply looking at each other in silence. King Sesmar had grown old as

well, but had lost none of his vigor.

Mada was a sight for sore eyes. The redness of his skin had turned a greyish orange,

his straggly beard reached down to his chest, and the top of his head was as bald as

an egg. Since he never came into town, his hair had not been trimmed in years and

hung from his ears to the middle of his crooked back. But a youthful glow still

illuminated his gentle eyes and he seemed happy with the way his life was ending.

"You've aged more than I have, my friend," the king said with a touch of emotion

in his voice.

"Don't be fooled by outward appearances, Sesmar. My soul is filled with more

energy than ever before."

"I won't ask you to come to my new palace since you've refused my invitations forso long, but I want you to know that our city has become the jewel of the desert."

"I'm happy for you."

"Our fields provide food for some two hundred thousand subjects. The children are

educated in the manner you suggested.."

"All the children?"

"Well...Many of them. You can't expect miracles."

"Why not?"

"Let's not argue over this again. We're both too old for it. But I think we are a

legitimate civilization now, one that even you would approve of."

"Do your priests still perform sacrifices?"

"That is strictly forbidden"



"It's about time!"

"We've come a long way. I'm very proud of the accomplishments of my reign, you

know."

"I'm sure you are. Tell me, how many gods do you pray to?"

"Only a dozen now. We still cannot accept one all-encompassing Creator as you

would have us do."

"You will in time," Mada said with a knowing smile.

"I doubt it. But tell me about yourself. What have you been doing in there lately?"

"Oh, the same old thing," Mada stated, pointing a crooked finger toward the

cloudless sky.

"Have you invented a chariot that will take you up there yet?"

"No, I've given up on that idea. Not enough materials. But I won't be needing a

chariot to get there anyhow."

"You're not leaving in the near future, I hope," the king asked with concern.

"I've made no plans. You know me, I go from moment to moment."

The old friends smiled at each other. How they had drifted apart since those

glorious days of Sesmar's early rule!

"Are you in need of anything, Mada?"

"Nothing at all. The villagers bring me my food and writing tablets."

They stood face to face in awkward silence. There was little to talk about.

"Nettik is very frustrated with her latest husband. She says he's giving her white

hairs."

"I'm sure that only makes her all the more beautiful."

"Quite true. Oh, did you know her cat died?"

"I figured it would eventually."

"We've built a great monument to her. It took eight years to complete it. Nettik

never liked it, though. She wanted it larger than yours."

"Is she jealous of my sphinx?"

"We all are. It disturbs us whenever we see it on the horizon."



"That's the whole point. Did you know that I've given it a name?"

"I hope you've named it after someone I know."

"No, I haven't actually. I've called her "Conscience".

"What sort of a name is that?" the king asked impatiently.

"I don't expect anyone to understand it. I'll give you a hint, though. Look at it as a

reminder that it is possible to attain freedom from all those undesirable factors

present in every one of us, if we only compel ourselves to think, feel, and act

according to that which is expressed in the sphinx."

He looked at the great statue rising a short distance away.

"Notice its trunk. It is that of a bull, meaning that only through untiring labors can

we approach the work toward awakening to our true Selves. The legs are those of a

lion, meaning that our labors must be performed with courage and faith in ourmight. The wings of the eagle remind us that during these labors we must meditate

continually on questions of a higher order not related to our ordinary existence. And

the head, why the head expresses that Love which should predominate in all our

actions. The same Love which was placed within us by our Creator and in which lies

all His hopes for us. Does that clarify anything, Sesmar?"

The old king scratched his majestic beard. "Not really. I think you lost me

somewhere."

"I haven't lost you. He has."

"Who?"

Mada stretched out his arms as if encompassing everything around them. Sesmar

tried to smile, pretending to understand what his old friend was talking about. "

Well, I've got to get back to the city. My kingdom needs me."

The chancellor seemed a bit saddened that his words had reached deaf ears. But he

had not expected anything else, despite his hope in the miraculous.

"Farewell, King Sesmar. I wish you a happy reign in the twilight of your years."

The king was helped onto his camel.

"You talk as though I'll never see you again. Do you know something I don't?"

"Would that surprise you?" Sesmar laughed. His escort immediately joined in their

king's merriment.

"No, that would not surprise me at all, my dear chancellor, not in the least. Farewell

then, and if you leave before I do, I hope you find peace in whatever world you find



yourself."

"I will, Sesmar, I will!"

He waved as the king's caravan headed off toward civilization. They were soon a

tiny black shadow in the desert. Mada closed his eyes and listened to the silence

around him. His old, feeble hand came up in a familiar motion to clutch the ancientamulet that never left his neck. He was free to go now, his mission on this planet was

accomplished.

He looked up at the magnificent structures he would be leaving behind. Some day,

they would be covered by the desert, only to be discovered and rediscovered by

countless generations. He hoped that a few among them would come to understand

something of the legacy he left them. Most of them would not, of course. His

observatory would be desecrated, used for all sorts of odious purposes, but it would

always remain. At least he was certain of that. And if no one remembered who built

these structures and what their true purpose was, someone would still have to reflect

on their presence, and in that silent contemplation just might come upon a glimmerof their meaning.

With great difficulty, he climbed up the side of his observatory. The blocks of

limestone burnt his wrinkled flesh, but he took no notice. He stopped to rest at the

hidden entrance. From his perch he could see forever. The silhouette of his great

"Conscience" crouched motionless before him, looking beyond the horizon at the

mysteries of ever present eternity. The sun struck the desert sands, filling the planet

with life.

The old scientist/mystic studied the cosmic event and understood that out of death

life would always return, like a desert flower blooming in the wasteland. Madaraised his head to the sky. It would not be long before he met Avrak again. He knew

that his friend awaited him somewhere over the tender blue atmosphere. Together,

they would soon share the bliss promised to all children of the universe. His

struggles were over, and the time had come for the citizen from the lost continent to

journey toward the one home that would never be lost.

THE END

Copyright 1998

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Journey From Atlantis