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| ;6. MY APPRENTYCESHIP | | ;6. MY APPRENTYCESHIP |
| When I was aged fourteen Yeares, my Father, feeling I shoulde discover some better Skill or Trade sensible to my Habits of Mind, Apprentyced me to a Master Carpenter-Joiner call'd [[Jonathan Davenport]] of Boston. Master Davenport had then many [[Slavery|Slaves]] and two other white Boyes in his Emploie;—one a Bricklayer by trade and the other a Carpenter, bothe not terrible Clever. But seeing in me a certain Spark of Intelligence and Wytt, Master Davenport was all too keene to place me as a Joiner;—and I was happie to oblyge, the Position earning me some 2 Pound a Year and grate Satysfaction of Spirit.<br><br>A Joiner’s work requires a nice and steadie Hande, and a grate Taste in Ornament;—both Qualties Master Davenport tolde me I hadd in large Measure. And so it was with grate Pryde that, well pryor to the customarie seven Yeares, I tooke leave of my Master after only five, and set out on my owne at nineteen Years of Age to seek my Success, now a Man and Master in my owne ryght. My Master was not sadd to see me go, but bade me goode Fortune, for he knew in his heart that I was the greatest Talent he had yet apprentyced.—"For there is something of a natural Genius in you, Ladd;—A Wisdome beyond your Yeares."<br><br>And so packing a Kitt of all my worldly Possessions, I bid my Mother and Father much Love and Farewell, then took Passage on a Merchant [[Brig]] bound for [[Jamaica]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], where need for Carpenters of Skill were grately needed... | | When I was aged fourteen Yeares, my Father, feeling I shoulde discover some better Skill or Trade sensible to my Habits of Mind, Apprentyced me to a Master Carpenter-Joiner call'd [[Jonathan Davenport]] of Boston. Master Davenport had then many [[Slavery|Slaves]] and two other white Boyes in his Emploie;—one a Bricklayer by trade and the other a Carpenter, bothe not terrible Clever. But seeing in me a certain Spark of Intelligence and Wytt, Master Davenport was all too keene to place me as a Joiner;—and I was happie to oblyge, the Position earning me some 2 Pound a Year and grate Satysfaction of Spirit.<br><br>A Joiner's work requires a nice and steadie Hande, and a grate Taste in Ornament;—both Qualties Master Davenport tolde me I hadd in large Measure. And so it was with grate Pryde that, well pryor to the customarie seven Yeares, I tooke leave of my Master after only five, and set out on my owne at nineteen Years of Age to seek my Success, now a Man and Master in my owne ryght. My Master was not sadd to see me go, but bade me goode Fortune, for he knew in his heart that I was the greatest Talent he had yet apprentyced.—"For there is something of a natural Genius in you, Ladd;—A Wisdome beyond your Yeares."<br><br>And so packing a Kitt of all my worldly Possessions, I bid my Mother and Father much Love and Farewell, then took Passage on a Merchant [[Brig]] bound for [[Jamaica]] in the [[Caribbean|West Indies]], where need for Carpenters of Skill were grately needed... |
| |-|7= | | |-|7= |
| ;7. ON LEAVING HOME | | ;7. ON LEAVING HOME |
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| ;10. FINDING STEADEY WORK | | ;10. FINDING STEADEY WORK |
| Reaching Jamaica I push'd all idle Thoughts and Fantasies from my Minde and set about finding myself Employment. A Letter of Endorsement from my Mentor, Mister Davenport, hasten'd my Success and within a Fortnight I was abel to secure an Interview with an Agent working for the esteemable Mister [[Peter Beckford]], a Man knowne wyde acrosse the West Indies as a One of Honour and good Intelligence;—as, I must say, was his Agent, for the Man hyred me on the Spot, and within a two Days’ time was I set to work upon the Slaves Quarters;—fitting them with sturdier Doors and tighter Rooves.<br><br>For my owne accommodations, I am well pleased to tell they were fine. Three windows had I, two of which look'd upon the [[Sugar|Cane]] [[Plantation|Fields]]. When open'd, a light Breeze fill'd my Room, one scent'd with the raw Perfume of the nearby [[Caribbean Sea|Sea]], and the distant Sound of a hushing Ocean Surf. Often too the spiritual Songes of the Negros hard at worke enter'd, and gave me a deepe calm. It was pleasant there, only this Comfort could not mask the Dread I felt at the Thought of catching the {{Wiki|Yellow fever|Yellow Fever}}, or another of the innumerable Ailments that often struck those newly arrived to these Parts. For my Parte I saw well over seventeen Men and Women perish from the Disease within six Months of my Arrival. <br><br>It seem'd, then, that for every success I hadd, another two or three potential Hazzerds lay in waite. And as tyme would tell, this proved most unfortunately True... | | Reaching Jamaica I push'd all idle Thoughts and Fantasies from my Minde and set about finding myself Employment. A Letter of Endorsement from my Mentor, Mister Davenport, hasten'd my Success and within a Fortnight I was abel to secure an Interview with an Agent working for the esteemable Mister [[Peter Beckford]], a Man knowne wyde acrosse the West Indies as a One of Honour and good Intelligence;—as, I must say, was his Agent, for the Man hyred me on the Spot, and within a two Days' time was I set to work upon the Slaves Quarters;—fitting them with sturdier Doors and tighter Rooves.<br><br>For my owne accommodations, I am well pleased to tell they were fine. Three windows had I, two of which look'd upon the [[Sugar|Cane]] [[Plantation|Fields]]. When open'd, a light Breeze fill'd my Room, one scent'd with the raw Perfume of the nearby [[Caribbean Sea|Sea]], and the distant Sound of a hushing Ocean Surf. Often too the spiritual Songes of the Negros hard at worke enter'd, and gave me a deepe calm. It was pleasant there, only this Comfort could not mask the Dread I felt at the Thought of catching the {{Wiki|Yellow fever|Yellow Fever}}, or another of the innumerable Ailments that often struck those newly arrived to these Parts. For my Parte I saw well over seventeen Men and Women perish from the Disease within six Months of my Arrival. <br><br>It seem'd, then, that for every success I hadd, another two or three potential Hazzerds lay in waite. And as tyme would tell, this proved most unfortunately True... |
| |-|11= | | |-|11= |
| ;11. PETER BECKFORD THE ELDER | | ;11. PETER BECKFORD THE ELDER |
| Of my Employer I must say Something, for it was owing to his Connexions that I came to find such troubled Dealings. Peter Beckford was a Man of grate Charisma and Pryde. In 1662, he had come to Jamaica and in just 10 yeares had fast-procured himself a sizable Portion of Land which he sow'd with Cane as early as he was able.<br><br>Upon my coming into his Orbit, he own'd—claim'd all about him—one of the largest private Holdings of Land in all the World, rivalling only Kings and Emperors for his Largesse. This same Surpluss applied to the Number of slaves in his emploie;—whereas he had arrived in Jamaica with a compliment of three, he now own'd the better part of three-hundred.<br><br>A shrewde and relentless man of Business, Mister Beckford was known also be subservient to a Temper of cyclonic Power;—Wrath and Fury and Enmity were his primary means of settling Arguments that could nott be concluded in Mister Beckford’s immediate favor. He was however always kinde to me and as gracious a Man as one could hope an Employer to be. But this I put down to my Status in his eyes;—he was a traditionall Man with a Respect for Rank and Breeding.<br><br>In earlier Tymes he hadd been the Governor de facto of the Island, and though a Statesman no longer upon my Arrivall he still bore all the Sines of a man who felt it his natural Dutie to lead. Further, his political Connexions he valued as deeply as his Sugar and the Money it brought him;—and it was in this Capacity, following the arrival of a Spanish soldier, that I met the man who would change my Lyfe for the worse, forever;—a young man named [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano Torres]]. | | Of my Employer I must say Something, for it was owing to his Connexions that I came to find such troubled Dealings. Peter Beckford was a Man of grate Charisma and Pryde. In 1662, he had come to Jamaica and in just 10 yeares had fast-procured himself a sizable Portion of Land which he sow'd with Cane as early as he was able.<br><br>Upon my coming into his Orbit, he own'd—claim'd all about him—one of the largest private Holdings of Land in all the World, rivalling only Kings and Emperors for his Largesse. This same Surpluss applied to the Number of slaves in his emploie;—whereas he had arrived in Jamaica with a compliment of three, he now own'd the better part of three-hundred.<br><br>A shrewde and relentless man of Business, Mister Beckford was known also be subservient to a Temper of cyclonic Power;—Wrath and Fury and Enmity were his primary means of settling Arguments that could nott be concluded in Mister Beckford's immediate favor. He was however always kinde to me and as gracious a Man as one could hope an Employer to be. But this I put down to my Status in his eyes;—he was a traditionall Man with a Respect for Rank and Breeding.<br><br>In earlier Tymes he hadd been the Governor de facto of the Island, and though a Statesman no longer upon my Arrivall he still bore all the Sines of a man who felt it his natural Dutie to lead. Further, his political Connexions he valued as deeply as his Sugar and the Money it brought him;—and it was in this Capacity, following the arrival of a Spanish soldier, that I met the man who would change my Lyfe for the worse, forever;—a young man named [[Laureano de Torres y Ayala|Laureano Torres]]. |
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| ;12. THE TEMPLAR ARRIVES | | ;12. THE TEMPLAR ARRIVES |
| It was in April of 1673 when I espy'd the [[Man O' War|Galleon]] in [[Kingston]]’s Harbour, flying the Colours of the Men of [[Netherlands|Holland]], which I thought queer but not unlikely. This was a Ruse, however, for the Ship’s Cargo was most assuredly [[Spain|Spanish]];—a Gentleman call'd Torres, once a soldier in the Spanish army, now an Emissary on behalf of his King. Or so said he to Peter Beckford. I learn'd later that he call'd himself a [[Templars|Templar]], and had made his Visit to Beckford’s Plantation to look upon Master Becford's straynge collection of collect'd [[Voynich manuscript|Manuscripts]].<br><br>Torres was two Days with Mister Beckford when another Object took his full Attention;—namely, me. The Syght of my Face stirr'd in him a strange sort of Excitement, which I found altogether untoward at first, until he ply'd me with Questions that shock'd me to the Core of my Being. Said he to me, one evening after Supper—"Hear you voices, Mister Kavanagh?"—"How is that?" I answer'd, feigning Ignorance, though shaken in Truth. "Voices. From the dark of your Minde. Or [[Genetic memory|Memories]], to be clearer, as if from another Lyfe entire." And here I was terrified;—how was it that this man knew the odd Riddle of my Lyfe as if it were a banal Fact of History?<br><br>"I know not what you mean, Master Torres" said I, and took my Leave of him, so anxious as I was. "Goodnight to you, Sir" said he, as I depart'd. "We shall speake again when you are rest'd and ready to talk." Still shaken, I bade him good Night and made for my Bedchamber, feeling another Reverie coming strong upon me. When I reach'd my Bed, I fell into bothe... | | It was in April of 1673 when I espy'd the [[Man O' War|Galleon]] in [[Kingston]]'s Harbour, flying the Colours of the Men of [[Netherlands|Holland]], which I thought queer but not unlikely. This was a Ruse, however, for the Ship's Cargo was most assuredly [[Spain|Spanish]];—a Gentleman call'd Torres, once a soldier in the Spanish army, now an Emissary on behalf of his King. Or so said he to Peter Beckford. I learn'd later that he call'd himself a [[Templars|Templar]], and had made his Visit to Beckford's Plantation to look upon Master Becford's straynge collection of collect'd [[Voynich manuscript|Manuscripts]].<br><br>Torres was two Days with Mister Beckford when another Object took his full Attention;—namely, me. The Syght of my Face stirr'd in him a strange sort of Excitement, which I found altogether untoward at first, until he ply'd me with Questions that shock'd me to the Core of my Being. Said he to me, one evening after Supper—"Hear you voices, Mister Kavanagh?"—"How is that?" I answer'd, feigning Ignorance, though shaken in Truth. "Voices. From the dark of your Minde. Or [[Genetic memory|Memories]], to be clearer, as if from another Lyfe entire." And here I was terrified;—how was it that this man knew the odd Riddle of my Lyfe as if it were a banal Fact of History?<br><br>"I know not what you mean, Master Torres" said I, and took my Leave of him, so anxious as I was. "Goodnight to you, Sir" said he, as I depart'd. "We shall speake again when you are rest'd and ready to talk." Still shaken, I bade him good Night and made for my Bedchamber, feeling another Reverie coming strong upon me. When I reach'd my Bed, I fell into bothe... |
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| ;13. ANOTHER FRYGHTFULL REVERIE | | ;13. ANOTHER FRYGHTFULL REVERIE |
| Here I relate another Reverie...<br><br>MYSELFE AND A WOMAN;—<br><br>"Beloved," said she, a voice so intimate and familiar, "[[Capitoline Triad|Our Colleagues]] conspire against us. They dither and sigh, resign'd to their Fates, content to champion the Humans. But there is Hope for us; there is a chance we might inure our Bodies to the chilling Worlde, the poison'd Atmosphere, and the war itself. Will you aid me? Will you submit?"<br><br>And here, I hear my owne Voice in answer;—"Yes, Beloved. What must I do?"<br><br>"Tranference," said she "The shuttling of our Mindes from these old Bodies into new Forms. Mechanical bodies perhaps, or into those of our Instruments, our Humans. In short, I believe there may be a way to transfer all we knowe and all we are into other forms... in this way we may survive the [[Great Catastrophe|coming Cataclysm]] and live to see our People repopulate the Earth, and recover her from those we foolishly set loose upon it."<br><br>"Tranferance," I said aloud. "Our minds into alternate Vessels? A dangerous Prospeckt, but reasonable."<br><br>"Yes!" said she, "And who better to make this Leap than you my beloved Husband. With a Minde unparallel'd. A Constitution unrivall'd. Arckitect of the [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatorie]], Overseer of [[Eden]]’s tools, the brightest light in our Civilization. If you are not capable of making this leap, perhaps no one is..."<br><br>And here replied I;—"I will do this for you, Beloved. For us and our people..." | | Here I relate another Reverie...<br><br>MYSELFE AND A WOMAN;—<br><br>"Beloved," said she, a voice so intimate and familiar, "[[Capitoline Triad|Our Colleagues]] conspire against us. They dither and sigh, resign'd to their Fates, content to champion the Humans. But there is Hope for us; there is a chance we might inure our Bodies to the chilling Worlde, the poison'd Atmosphere, and the war itself. Will you aid me? Will you submit?"<br><br>And here, I hear my owne Voice in answer;—"Yes, Beloved. What must I do?"<br><br>"Tranference," said she "The shuttling of our Mindes from these old Bodies into new Forms. Mechanical bodies perhaps, or into those of our Instruments, our Humans. In short, I believe there may be a way to transfer all we knowe and all we are into other forms... in this way we may survive the [[Great Catastrophe|coming Cataclysm]] and live to see our People repopulate the Earth, and recover her from those we foolishly set loose upon it."<br><br>"Tranferance," I said aloud. "Our minds into alternate Vessels? A dangerous Prospeckt, but reasonable."<br><br>"Yes!" said she, "And who better to make this Leap than you my beloved Husband. With a Minde unparallel'd. A Constitution unrivall'd. Arckitect of the [[Observatory (Isu)|Observatorie]], Overseer of [[Eden]]'s tools, the brightest light in our Civilization. If you are not capable of making this leap, perhaps no one is..."<br><br>And here replied I;—"I will do this for you, Beloved. For us and our people..." |
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| ;14. THE ASSASSYN | | ;14. THE ASSASSYN |
| Lost as I was in my Reverie, I fail'd to see the Envelope slipp’d ‘neath the Door to my Bedchamber. It read thus: "Dear Sir, forgive the Alarm I must have raised with my Queries, but you have the exact Likeness of a Man my Colleagues and I have long'd to meet. Allow me an Audience and I will explain all. Your Friend, Laureano Torres."<br><br>I ponder’d this Letter for some time that Evening, wondering what it could mean that I had the "exact Likeness" of a Man he knew, and why it should raise so much Intrigue. I wonder'd at this for hours, Pacing about the Room with a Minde to slip from my Chamber, when of a sudden I hearde a rapide Succession of Reports from Pistols and Rifles, outside in the Garden. To my Eare it sound'd as if a Warr had begun, with me a Bystander at its Center...<br><br>I dropp’d to my Knees and hid on the far side of my Bed, away from the Window, and shutt my eyes. But as I did this, a voice call'd out to me from my Chamber door. "Mister Kavanaugh!" it said. I raysed my head and open'd my eyes and there saw a Figure cutting a terrible Outline;—hood'd and robed in dusky Sienna, the Man lift'd a [[Blowpipe|small Pipe]] to his Lipps and blew. I felt a Sting upon my Neck, as if from a Mosquito. I open'd my Mouth to Protest, but thereupon a Wave of Fatigue took me and I fell fast asleep... | | Lost as I was in my Reverie, I fail'd to see the Envelope slipp'd ‘neath the Door to my Bedchamber. It read thus: "Dear Sir, forgive the Alarm I must have raised with my Queries, but you have the exact Likeness of a Man my Colleagues and I have long'd to meet. Allow me an Audience and I will explain all. Your Friend, Laureano Torres."<br><br>I ponder'd this Letter for some time that Evening, wondering what it could mean that I had the "exact Likeness" of a Man he knew, and why it should raise so much Intrigue. I wonder'd at this for hours, Pacing about the Room with a Minde to slip from my Chamber, when of a sudden I hearde a rapide Succession of Reports from Pistols and Rifles, outside in the Garden. To my Eare it sound'd as if a Warr had begun, with me a Bystander at its Center...<br><br>I dropp'd to my Knees and hid on the far side of my Bed, away from the Window, and shutt my eyes. But as I did this, a voice call'd out to me from my Chamber door. "Mister Kavanaugh!" it said. I raysed my head and open'd my eyes and there saw a Figure cutting a terrible Outline;—hood'd and robed in dusky Sienna, the Man lift'd a [[Blowpipe|small Pipe]] to his Lipps and blew. I felt a Sting upon my Neck, as if from a Mosquito. I open'd my Mouth to Protest, but thereupon a Wave of Fatigue took me and I fell fast asleep... |
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| ;15. RESTE AND REPASTE | | ;15. RESTE AND REPASTE |
| I awoke some Days hence in a bustling [[Tulum|Native village]] in the Presence of that same man, many Leagues from where I had call'd my Home. A Native himself, with a strong and serious but gentle Face, he named himself [[Bahlam]], and bade me nott be fryghten’d.<br><br>Strangely, I was not;—for his demeanor was calm and his words were kind. I ask'd him why he had brought me to this Place. His Surprise seem'd genuine, and he told me, "You are a Sage. Your face tells it plain;—your Eyes most of all." I did not know what to make of this Suggestion. He went on;—"You are but one of a long Lineage of identical Men;—men born outside their original Tyme. Your Likeness and your Soul are a Pattern, repeat'd through the Ages. Oftentimes a century or more passes without the appearance of a Sage; other times, Two are born in the same Decade. We know not why."<br><br>And dash my Brains, but all he spoke was knowne to me in some intrinsick Way, and yet it frighten'd me all the same. How could it be that I was a Man reborn? How could it be that I had already lived one Lyfe, and had plodd'd through a second, still pondering the first? I spent many a Day with this man Bahlam, and in that time he told me all he knew, then ask'd questions of his own he hoped I might answer... | | I awoke some Days hence in a bustling [[Tulum|Native village]] in the Presence of that same man, many Leagues from where I had call'd my Home. A Native himself, with a strong and serious but gentle Face, he named himself [[Bahlam]], and bade me nott be fryghten'd.<br><br>Strangely, I was not;—for his demeanor was calm and his words were kind. I ask'd him why he had brought me to this Place. His Surprise seem'd genuine, and he told me, "You are a Sage. Your face tells it plain;—your Eyes most of all." I did not know what to make of this Suggestion. He went on;—"You are but one of a long Lineage of identical Men;—men born outside their original Tyme. Your Likeness and your Soul are a Pattern, repeat'd through the Ages. Oftentimes a century or more passes without the appearance of a Sage; other times, Two are born in the same Decade. We know not why."<br><br>And dash my Brains, but all he spoke was knowne to me in some intrinsick Way, and yet it frighten'd me all the same. How could it be that I was a Man reborn? How could it be that I had already lived one Lyfe, and had plodd'd through a second, still pondering the first? I spent many a Day with this man Bahlam, and in that time he told me all he knew, then ask'd questions of his own he hoped I might answer... |
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| ;16. THE OBSERVATORIE | | ;16. THE OBSERVATORIE |
| For severall Days, I stay'd with my Captor, Bahlam, asking him all mannor of Questions and he asking the same of me;—and all the While I wonder'd what Fate he intend'd for me. At last, on the seventh Day I reveal'd what lay heavy on my Heart.<br><br>"What do you want of me, Sir, that you keep me prisoner so?" And at this, Bahlam, laugh'd and answer'd "You are no Prisoner, Sage! You may take your Leave at any Point. Only tell us where you wish to be dropp’d, and if it be in our Power, we shall transport you thence."<br><br>This Answer surprised, then anger'd me;—"Why then did you spirit me away with such a diabolical Method? Kidnapp'd, no less!" And said he in Answer "Your Master host'd a Templar, and may now be one himself. Such Men are not to be trust'd with a Prize so valuable as you. Steer clear of them, for they seek the Knowledge that hides in your Minde. Your Dreames, your Memories, and the Location of a Place once dear to you... The Observatorie."<br><br>This word rang in my Eares, for I had heard it before. Another Memorie from a Tyme long ago. "And what do YOU desire of me, Sir?" I ask'd him. "Would you Steale the Secrets buried within me too?" Bahlam smiled;—"I would not shun them, but to share them is a Point for you to decide. Your Secrets are your own... and yours alone to Lend..." | | For severall Days, I stay'd with my Captor, Bahlam, asking him all mannor of Questions and he asking the same of me;—and all the While I wonder'd what Fate he intend'd for me. At last, on the seventh Day I reveal'd what lay heavy on my Heart.<br><br>"What do you want of me, Sir, that you keep me prisoner so?" And at this, Bahlam, laugh'd and answer'd "You are no Prisoner, Sage! You may take your Leave at any Point. Only tell us where you wish to be dropp'd, and if it be in our Power, we shall transport you thence."<br><br>This Answer surprised, then anger'd me;—"Why then did you spirit me away with such a diabolical Method? Kidnapp'd, no less!" And said he in Answer "Your Master host'd a Templar, and may now be one himself. Such Men are not to be trust'd with a Prize so valuable as you. Steer clear of them, for they seek the Knowledge that hides in your Minde. Your Dreames, your Memories, and the Location of a Place once dear to you... The Observatorie."<br><br>This word rang in my Eares, for I had heard it before. Another Memorie from a Tyme long ago. "And what do YOU desire of me, Sir?" I ask'd him. "Would you Steale the Secrets buried within me too?" Bahlam smiled;—"I would not shun them, but to share them is a Point for you to decide. Your Secrets are your own... and yours alone to Lend..." |
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| ;17. TAKING MY LEAVE | | ;17. TAKING MY LEAVE |
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| ;18. MY SEARCHE | | ;18. MY SEARCHE |
| After leaving Bahlam, I set out in a Sloop of my own and travell'd for nigh-on one Yeare about the West Indies, sailing with a small crew to all mannor of Jungles and Playas and Beaches, looking for a Sine, or a Landform that might spark in me a Memorie.<br><br>Along my Way I met many a fine Peoples who did me great Kindnesses, and offer'd Work in exchange for more Provisions. In this way, I came to know the people of the new World and of the old, and found in all of them the same Hopes and Desyres. To travell is truley the finest education.<br><br>Then, after my thirteenth Month a-roving, I found my Object well-inland on a known Island;– here it was, the place Bahlam had call'd The Observatorie. O, what Memories the Location aroused! Well prior to clapping Eyes upon its Structure, I knew I had come to the correct spot. Leaving my men on shore, I pass'd alone through Jungles and deep Ravines, coming at last upon the Spot, and there marvel'd at its straynge and forboeing Presense.<br><br>Without prompt, I knew what do;—I press’d my Finger into what I knew to be a Portal, and upon its opening, I pass'd inside. What I saw there, however, shall remain a Mystery, for the World is not yet readie to hear my Tales, which should sound like Sorcery to all but my Friend, Bahlam, and perhaps the Templars who likely chase me still... | | After leaving Bahlam, I set out in a Sloop of my own and travell'd for nigh-on one Yeare about the West Indies, sailing with a small crew to all mannor of Jungles and Playas and Beaches, looking for a Sine, or a Landform that might spark in me a Memorie.<br><br>Along my Way I met many a fine Peoples who did me great Kindnesses, and offer'd Work in exchange for more Provisions. In this way, I came to know the people of the new World and of the old, and found in all of them the same Hopes and Desyres. To travell is truley the finest education.<br><br>Then, after my thirteenth Month a-roving, I found my Object well-inland on a known Island;– here it was, the place Bahlam had call'd The Observatorie. O, what Memories the Location aroused! Well prior to clapping Eyes upon its Structure, I knew I had come to the correct spot. Leaving my men on shore, I pass'd alone through Jungles and deep Ravines, coming at last upon the Spot, and there marvel'd at its straynge and forboeing Presense.<br><br>Without prompt, I knew what do;—I press'd my Finger into what I knew to be a Portal, and upon its opening, I pass'd inside. What I saw there, however, shall remain a Mystery, for the World is not yet readie to hear my Tales, which should sound like Sorcery to all but my Friend, Bahlam, and perhaps the Templars who likely chase me still... |
| |-|19= | | |-|19= |
| ;19. ON BEING A "SAGE" | | ;19. ON BEING A "SAGE" |
| I remain'd alone at the Observatories Location, plumbing its Secrets, all the while besieged by such an influx of Reveries it would require a Tome twice the size of a Bible to relate them all. Let it suffice to say, that I came to understand the Nature of the two Souls within me, and I am now content.<br><br>After near on a Week there, I was visit'd by a [[Guardians|Group of Natives]] from the Island, people of the [[Taíno|Tiano]] tribe, I believe. They spott'd me first, and might have kill'd me straight away, had my utter surprise not widen'd my Eyes to such a Degree that their unusual qualities were seen by all. At seeing me thus, the Natives stopp'd and and dropp’d to their knees with slow Gesticulations. I understood at once that these men were sworn to protect this place, and in my further Conversations with them since, I have made out that it was a PREVIOUS Sage who had employ'd them so;—or more precisely, I should say employed their Ancestors thus, for nearly 150 years had pass'd since the [[16th century Sage|last “Sage”]] had come this way. I am told his Grave lies nearby, but is unmark'd and inaccessible.<br><br>It has now been over four Decades since my Arrival at this sacred Place, and onlie one Question yett lingers in my Minde;—how many more of my Sort have been here in Total? near eighty Millennia have pass'd since our Inception, and I am apt to believe the Number quite high. But I cannot knowe for certain.<br><br>But let that not trouble you, Reader;—for if you have followed my Storie entire, look you for my final Missive in the Playce where I will soon surely lay. Hidden near the Observatorie, where I have instructed the Guardians of this place to burie me when my Passage across this mortal Coil is at it's End. Therefore, fare thee well, until then. | | I remain'd alone at the Observatories Location, plumbing its Secrets, all the while besieged by such an influx of Reveries it would require a Tome twice the size of a Bible to relate them all. Let it suffice to say, that I came to understand the Nature of the two Souls within me, and I am now content.<br><br>After near on a Week there, I was visit'd by a [[Guardians of the Observatory|Group of Natives]] from the Island, people of the [[Taíno|Tiano]] tribe, I believe. They spott'd me first, and might have kill'd me straight away, had my utter surprise not widen'd my Eyes to such a Degree that their unusual qualities were seen by all. At seeing me thus, the Natives stopp'd and dropp'd to their knees with slow Gesticulations. I understood at once that these men were sworn to protect this place, and in my further Conversations with them since, I have made out that it was a PREVIOUS Sage who had employ'd them so;—or more precisely, I should say employed their Ancestors thus, for nearly 150 years had pass'd since the [[16th century Sage|last "Sage"]] had come this way. I am told his Grave lies nearby, but is unmark'd and inaccessible.<br><br>It has now been over four Decades since my Arrival at this sacred Place, and onlie one Question yett lingers in my Minde;—how many more of my Sort have been here in Total? near eighty Millennia have pass'd since our Inception, and I am apt to believe the Number quite high. But I cannot knowe for certain.<br><br>But let that not trouble you, Reader;—for if you have followed my Storie entire, look you for my final Missive in the Playce where I will soon surely lay. Hidden near the Observatorie, where I have instructed the Guardians of this place to burie me when my Passage across this mortal Coil is at it's End. Therefore, fare thee well, until then. |
| |-|20= | | |-|20= |
| ;20. A SECRET INCOMPRHENSIBLE | | ;20. A SECRET INCOMPRHENSIBLE |
| As I wryte, the Yeare is now neare upon 1706, and I am sicklie and in poor Condition, and so must tell what little else I can of my Condition;—all I tell here, I have dredg'd from the dark Voide of my Memorie. I cannot confirm or prove what I argue, but perhaps if some Others like me were to see this, they too would understand, and feel not alone as I so often have.<br><br>In my originale Lyfe, I died in the midst of my Beloved’s experiment. This Method of which she spoke—of the Transference of Mind into Machine, and from thence into a Human Body—was a Failure. Yet an instructive one, I believe. For in my last Moments, I Recollect her comforts to me, and a cleare Promise that my death would not be an end, but a beginning.<br><br>"There is another Way, Beloved," said she to me, "Imperfect, yet possible. Firstly, I will agree to carry out Minerva’s experiments, her terrible Gift to the Humans. Yet my purpose will be contrary;—my purpose will be your Immortality! In collecting Samples of the Code in the Human’s blood, I will add my own Augmentations;—Samples of your Code, transfigured in such a way that when the proper Pieces come together, it may further transfigure the Zygote of a newly conceived Child. In this Way, you shall be reborn, again and again throughout the Ages. With luck, this recessive Recurrence shall never die out, but travell on like a Raft downstream along the Tide of Inheritance."<br><br>I was dying as she spoke, there in my Beloved’s Arms, but I understood her Meaning well. "Look for me, Beloved! Your Death will not be in Vain. For I WILL be with you again. Entomb'd. Lying in waite! Ready to emerge again [[Second Disaster|when the Tyme is ryght]]!"<br><br>She then pierced me through the Heart, thus ending my Lyfe. How trulie bizzare it is;—that I can claim to have Memorie of my own death is a Ludicrous idea. And yet I know know thatt it happen'd, and that I now live again, many Centuries from that Tyme, waiting for the final piece of this Riddle to reveal itself... yet how this will be, I cannot say.<br><br>Thus, to any and all who have read this and understood little;—be not upset. For there is more Mysterie than Sense in the World, and our only Purpose is to endure it!—T.K. 1706 | | As I wryte, the Yeare is now neare upon 1706, and I am sicklie and in poor Condition, and so must tell what little else I can of my Condition;—all I tell here, I have dredg'd from the dark Voide of my Memorie. I cannot confirm or prove what I argue, but perhaps if some Others like me were to see this, they too would understand, and feel not alone as I so often have.<br><br>In my originale Lyfe, I died in the midst of my Beloved's experiment. This Method of which she spoke—of the Transference of Mind into Machine, and from thence into a Human Body—was a Failure. Yet an instructive one, I believe. For in my last Moments, I Recollect her comforts to me, and a cleare Promise that my death would not be an end, but a beginning.<br><br>"There is another Way, Beloved," said she to me, "Imperfect, yet possible. Firstly, I will agree to carry out Minerva's experiments, her terrible Gift to the Humans. Yet my purpose will be contrary;—my purpose will be your Immortality! In collecting Samples of the Code in the Human's blood, I will add my own Augmentations;—Samples of your Code, transfigured in such a way that when the proper Pieces come together, it may further transfigure the Zygote of a newly conceived Child. In this Way, you shall be reborn, again and again throughout the Ages. With luck, this recessive Recurrence shall never die out, but travell on like a Raft downstream along the Tide of Inheritance."<br><br>I was dying as she spoke, there in my Beloved's Arms, but I understood her Meaning well. "Look for me, Beloved! Your Death will not be in Vain. For I WILL be with you again. Entomb'd. Lying in waite! Ready to emerge again [[Second Disaster|when the Tyme is ryght]]!"<br><br>She then pierced me through the Heart, thus ending my Lyfe. How trulie bizzare it is;—that I can claim to have Memorie of my own death is a Ludicrous idea. And yet I know know thatt it happen'd, and that I now live again, many Centuries from that Tyme, waiting for the final piece of this Riddle to reveal itself... yet how this will be, I cannot say.<br><br>Thus, to any and all who have read this and understood little;—be not upset. For there is more Mysterie than Sense in the World, and our only Purpose is to endure it!—T.K. 1706 |
| </tabber> | | </tabber> |
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