Read Online Watson, Ian - Novel 08 by The Gardens of Delight (v1.1) - Free Book Online Page B

           Sean
ignored her. “That’s pure coincidence.”
                 “What
is a coincidence? It’s a coming together. I am a coincidence—of opposites, who
nevertheless belong together. Coniunctio
Oppositorum! And who is this nigredo lady?”
                 “This
is Muthoni,” Jeremy said.
                 “Yes,
now I can tell you what a nigredo is,” whispered Sean to her. “God almighty,
this man Knossos is responsible for something! If it’s all
his doing
                 “Best
be on your way,” advised the hermaphrodite, “or you’ll never catch him till
nightfall.”
                 “You
see, there’s no night here,” explained Jeremy superfluously. “Night reigns
over Hell.”
                 “Make
a change from all this sunshine,” said Denise airily.
                 “He
means that if you don’t catch him here you’ll have to die and go to Hell first. n
                 “It’s
so hot in parts of Hell that people’s hair can all fall out,” laughed the
hermaphrodite, eyeing Sean’s bald pate.
                 “I
should worry,” said Sean.
                 “It
might grow back as feathers. You’ve the makings of a splendid owl: full of
earthly intelligence, which is fine for ordinary science . . .No ,
no,” ‘herself interrupted ‘himself. “He’d be an egret or a stork. His urges are
for higher, whiter things. He’s
Athlon: he’s the Work. Yes, I can just see him as a stork. Not one of your
ordinary egrets down there in the pool.”
                 “I’ll
be damned if I’m going to turn into a bird for your amusement,” snapped Sean.
                 “Yes,
you’d be damned.” The hermaphrodite giggled. “Quite true.”
                 Jeremy
chewed his lip. “Is it really true, Double- one, that
people are transformed into birds, if they have to devolve before they can
re-evolve?”
                 The
hermaphrodite folded his/her arms across those pert breasts and winked. “Maybe, maybe not. Everyone’s course is special to them.”
                 “But
have you ever been a bird or a beast? It’s said that people become birds and
beasts but I’ve never actually met anyone who—” He broke off. “Of course, I
seem to be immune,” he said sadly.
                 “Hey,”
cut in Muthoni, “is this some sort of racist utopia? ‘ Higher, whiter things’? Why should the
color white be so special?”
                 “You
misunderstand me, fair nigredo.” Unfolding his arms, the hermaphrodite bowed to
her, breasts bobbing. “The nigredo is an honorable estate. You see the ravens
perched upon the shoulders of the ladies down there?”
                “Yeah. Blackbirds.”
                “Ravens. Those are birds of wisdom: a wisdom beyond the
ordinary senses. Yet that wisdom has become darkened and has to be reconquered,
do you see? This darkened wisdom has the color nigredo. It is the first stage
of one route to wisdom. Do you see how some of the women down there are nigredo
too? They are a little further along that path than their white sisters.
Consequently ravens ride them. When the egret darkens, it is rehatched as a
raven. Don’t tell me that you’re only mocfc-nigredo? You may need to become
white before you can become black again!”
                 “You’re
mad,” said Muthoni. “Go copulate with yourself.” The hermaphrodite grinned.
“Oh, I do intend to. Believe me. One day I shall fertilize myself and give
birth to myself. Then the work will be done for me, and I shall be perfect.”
He-she made a circle of thumb and forefinger and blew through this little hoop
mischievously; then the hermaphrodite scampered away into the shrubbery.
                 “Wow.”
Muthoni flapped her hand before her face as though to divert the air