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Brother Paul shook his head. "I appreciate the necessity, but I am appalled at the means!"
"Now we'd better mate," she said. "They will get suspicious if we stall any longer or if we leave without
doing it. If they decide to make a general investigation, they could discover the truth, and that would wipe
us all out. The colony cannot afford even the suggestion of suspicion!"
"But casual sex-"
"Casual, hell! This is serious."
"Politically or economically motivated-this is against my religion!" he protested.
"You don't have the right to come here from Earth with your irrelevant standards and place our survival
as a colony in peril," she said.
Shocked, Brother Paul realized she was correct. This pseudo-religion of the Hyades colony of the future
was valid on its own terms, alien as they might be. He could not accept it-but he also could not condemn
it.
Yet if he could not eliminate this type of religion from consideration, how could he eliminate any
religion? All were valid on their own terms. He could continue his survey for the rest of his life and never
be able to choose between them. He was no closer to his answer than before.
Who was the God of Tarot? He needed some more direct means of finding out.
But first he had to dispose of the matter at hand. These Animations were to a certain extent under his
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control, despite the constant pressure of precession. Presumbly he could turn them off when he wished.
But if he did that, quitting the game as he tired of it-of what validity would be any answer he might
eventually obtain through these Animations? He suspected he really had to play the game through by its
own rules to protect its relevance. Which meant that he had to resolve the dilemma here before leaving.
How could he protect both his own integrity and the welfare of this Hyades colony?
Ah-he had it. "Ruby, you should be making love to your brother-husband, your brothub, not me. You
aren't really mad at him, are you?"
She frowned prettily, loath to answer directly. "He's not here, and the Naths-"
"He is here. I am the one who is not here. There is no freezer-ship from Earth. I am a ghost."
She laughed. "Oh, come on! That isn't in the script!"
"It is now."
"All right. I'll play along. I've always been curious about how a ghost made love."
"In a moment I shall assume my true form: that of your beloved brothub, who shall turn out to have been
with you all the time. Are you ready?"
"This can't-"
"Now." And Brother Paul made an effort of will, hoping Precession would not abort it, and faded out of
the picture.
As the scene disappeared, he wondered: who played the part of her brothub?
IV Time: 12
The Sphinx, crouching a little distance away from the foot of the Great Pyramid, is carved out of the
granite plateau itself; there is no break between its base and the original rock. Its height, about 75 feet,
gives some idea of the enormous labour it must have entailed to free it of unwanted stone and to level the
base. Its total length is 150 feet; its height from breast to chin is 50 feet and from the chin to the top of the
head 25 feet; the circumference of the head, taken round the temples, is 80 feet, the face being 14 feet
wide and the head 30 feet long. The layers of granite from which it has been carved divide its face into
horizontal bands in a curious way; its mouth is formed partly by the space between two of the layers of
stone. A hole several feet deep has been drilled in the head: this was probably used for the placing of
ornaments, such as the priestly tiara or the royal crown.
This carved rock, reddish in colour, has a tremendous effect as it stands overlooking the desert sands. It
is a phantom that seems keenly attentive; one would almost say that it listens and looks. Its great ear
seems to hear all the sounds of the past; its eyes, turned towards the east, seem to look towards the misty
future; its gaze has a depth and fixity that fascinates the spectator. In this figure, half statue and half
mountain, can be seen a peculiar majesty, a great serenity and even a certain gentleness.
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-Paul Christian: The History and Practice of Magic, New York: Citadel, 1969.
Brother Paul stood in front of the Sphinx. The stone creature was impressive in the light of the full moon,
the more so because its nose was intact: this was evidently before Napoleon's gunners had shot it off.
What an animal it was, crouching there like a living thing! Brother Paul felt a prickle at the back of his
neck. This was an Animation; could he be sure this monster was not alive?
But it was absolutely still. No breathing, no heartbeat, no motion of eyes. Inanimate, after all.
Fortunately.
Still, he would test it, just to be sure. "The sexual urge of the camel is stronger by far than one thinks," he
said aloud, quoting the poem from a memory that predated his entry into the Holy Order of Vision. "One
day on a trek through the desert, he rudely assaulted the Sphinx."
He paused, listening, watching, No reaction. Was the monster truly inanimate or merely waiting? "Now
the posterior orifice of the Sphinx is washed by the sands of the Nile-which accounts for the hump in the
camel, and the Sphinx's inscrutable smile."
Still nothing. No doubt about it: if the thing stood still for that verse, it was dead.
He contemplated the parts' of it. A woman's head, suggesting human intelligence, aspiration, and strategy.
A bull's body, signifying the tireless strength necessary to pursue human fortune. Lion's legs, indicating
the courage and force also needed, that is to say the human will. And eagle's wings, veiling that
intelligence, strength, and courage until there came the time to fly. Thus the Sphinx as a whole was the
symbol of the concealed intelligence, strength, and will possessed by the Masters of Time.
Famous Greeks had come here to study at the feet of the Masters: Thales, Pythagoras, Plato, and others.
Thales had been the first to embrace water as the primary substance in the universe, explaining change as
well as stability. Pythagoras, known for his doctrine of the transmigration of souls and the Pythagorean
Theorum. Plato, primarily known for his Dialogues, presenting his mentor Socrates and the thesis that
Knowledge is Good, Ignorance Evil. Giants of philosophy, all of them. Now it was Brother Paul's turn to
meet the Masters those famous Greeks had met-if he dared.
Time to proceed. Brother Paul walked to the front of the Sphinx. There between its extended forelegs was
the outline of a door into its chest. The door was made of bronze, weathered to match the stone of the
statue. He walked up to it, took a breath, and put one hand forth to touch it.
Nothing happened. The metal was neutral, neither cool nor hot, and it was solid. He felt around the edges
to find a handle or niche, but there was none. He could not open it.
He sighed silently. He lifted a knuckle and rapped, once. There was no response. Did he really want to
enter this structure? He rapped again, and then a third time. Theoretically, the ancient Masters had
possessed all knowledge and could answer his question-if they chose to. But first he would have to
undergo their rite of passage. That, according to whispered legends, could be hazardous to health. Yet he
continued knocking, half hoping no one would answer. Then, at the fifth rap, the door silently opened. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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