About a certain return

Part 18

– Aunty, can you teach me some of the secret words?

– When I'll be about to die, I'll tell you all. Stay close, don't go away...! You, mummy's charm!

I still keep a vision of her. Up, "Oh, my..., I needed to be at Natan the Arcount... Oh, poor me, how he'll scold me! I've never seen such a clumsy but exigent individual. Oh, how late I am! Peace be with you, my child...!" And she rushed! I didn't hear her last words. But I understood. I think I was somehow able to forecast things. It seemed I could feel things undergoing somewhere else. I could see and hear far beyond the area where I was. Or it was just a feeling. The garries didn't have such qualities. Sometimes I had unbelievable dreams, along with beings with indescribable features... How can't you find the words to describe this? I knew a saying about it: "The world, a multitude of things and of things' statuses, is reflected in my brain. To describe it, I use logical sentences of a certain shape. What I cannot describe, it means it doesn't exist". One of the baiting ones, Liveanu, the maestro. He spoke to the youngsters about the world's reality. It was the memorable speech of the maestro. But he was only a tempting one. We all knew that, and master Orian tempered my admiration. He was initiating us in the art of illusion. How can you believe, being conscientious, what someone labelled like this tells you? You will be tempted to believe exactly the opposite of his assertion, but, wait! Isn't this what he wished? That's what the temptation is all about. How can you discover its subtlety? What's the matter! I couldn't know myself. I digressed. I spoke maybe... about the old lady. Let's return!

I followed the prophet. Where were the soldiers taking him? Into the guards' office. "What do you want?" asked me the guards' leader.

– I only want to speak to him.

– Speak to him, then!

– You're the only one that follows me, mournfully ascertained the teacher! The wave of change will sweep away all the unworthy. Because there's no greater power that the steadiness. It's not me who will trigger the oncoming unrest, but them. You, said he, addressing to the gramon.

– We are in the people's service, mumbled the gramon chief guardian. I have no knowledge of politics.

– Do you know me? Asked the old man with grandeur, stroking his beard that got to his feet (he was sitting). You do not recognize me, do you? Who am I?

The man crooked: "If he doesn't know who he is, how could I know?" and he went out of the room.

– "Empty skulls" said the old man with disdain. My dear, he told me, you must get inside the oracle's house and save my belongings. Hurry up! The key is in the niche above the entrance, deep in, on the right-hand side. You must climb on something as you are a bit short. Hurry up! After that we can talk.

I ran to the oracle's house. It was an isolated dwelling, surrounded by the red waters. Those who came to have their fortune told used to wait on the other side, there were chairs and benches... In the back there was a wall where different signs and advices had been scribbled. Adverts... The oracle got in touch with the world of passed away. These wanted to see again thinks that belonged to them and Mother Garia, who was mediating the connection, asked for offerings. And the people came back bringing all sorts of petty things and scattered them all over the place, with dedications, as if it were a mass grave. The house was mostly built underground, to get in you should get down a few steps... When I got there, a few women were waiting outside; women have a more keen intuition as they use their brains less, like the gramons. „Where is the prophet?" asked one of them.

I didn't chat with them, they are schemer, whimpering, disgusting, foppish, and they live in ignorance in their small world. I went down the stairs and tried to find the crack in the wall. I couldn't get to it. I climbed on the door handle and hold myself on to the door frame. There really was a niche and I grabbed the key with my fingers. The old man was pretty tall. But I don't think he could get there anyway. I opened the door and quickly closed it behind me. The lobby and one of the rooms were well known to me, but what were the other rooms hiding? Specially one: "the forbidden room". What a great opportunity was been offered to me! KEEP AWAY! IF YOU GET IN, YOU'LL DIE ON THE SPOT! It was a warning that suddenly changed into: COME IN! WHY ARE YOU STANDING THERE MOTIONLESS? I'M WAITING YOU FOR A LIFE TIME... I pushed the door... then pushed it again... the door... I opened... I pressed the door handle and the door opened... squeaking, the door... it squeaked... "Where am I?" The door was a bit cracked and opened it wide. The prophet often set there. I saw him many times getting in there. But I never saw him coming out. That door... there was something about it... Then I heard the prophet's voice... "Oh!" I said: "the old man has been set free!" I could hear him singing. He was singing a hymn... at low voice, from the throat, incomprehensible: Baart-em-baal aastuiuleeaaa oooha yeeeea... Caart-e-laan caarteeelaan asstuiuleeaan oooha yeeea...