The Cosmic Logos (16 page)

‘Fallon
is
our secret weapon,' Viper advised his sister, his look daring her to push the issue and incur his wrath later for her defiance. ‘So, if you don't mind, we must retire to quieter quarters to devise our next move.' He took Fallon by the arm and guided her away from his troublesome sister.

‘She will betray you.' Gazelle raised her voice to warn Viper, and then smiled confidently as she watched the Chosen traitor step onto a teleporter with her brother and vanish. ‘And she won't be the only one.'

Gazelle suspected that once Fallon discovered that Viper was in lust with a vile rotting demon, the Chosen
One would return to her kindred to warn them and hopefully take the informant back to Kila with her. Gazelle wanted off this ship of fools before it was sucked into the dark depths of Density. Fallon was her ticket to a better life.

 

Viper was currently inhabiting the private chambers that had once belonged to the Nefilim Lord Marduk — the creator and father of the Chosen Ones. As with most quarters constructed for Nefilim occupation, the rooms were huge and sparsely furnished, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows that allowed for sweeping views of the vast expanse of space in which their vessel was adrift.

‘I haven't spent a lot of time in space.' Fallon gazed out the window, trying to hide her nervousness at being alone with Viper at this moment.

‘I have spent my whole lonely life here.' Viper came up behind Fallon and wrapping his arms about her waist, he began to kiss her neck.

He wanted her so badly. He wanted to smell her fear, hear her scream, see her bleed and taste her innocence before stealing it from her. He wanted to tie her up and torture her with every perverse act he'd ever endured as a child — and he would, once this Orme raid was over. And once he destroyed everything pure and wholesome about her, he would murder her. When Fallon suffered a mortal death, her immortality would kick in and Viper would make a gift of her immortal body to Mahaud. With the crone inhabiting Fallon's physical form, Viper and Mahaud planned to derive much pleasure from the eternal violation of the girl. To caress Fallon gently like
this made Viper sick to his stomach; the only thing that made this seduction bearable was the knowledge that he was defiling the daughter of his enemy.

For some reason Viper's touch made Fallon shudder. ‘It's cold in space,' she commented to hide her reaction and slipped away from him to conjure forth a jacket to put on. ‘We haven't got any time to waste,' she advised Viper as she slid into the garment. ‘We really should get cracking on a plan of attack.'

‘You're not going to get all professional on me now, are you?' Viper pulled her close once more. He wanted her to give up her virginity to him voluntarily, just so he could see the look on her face after the Orme raid, when she discovered that he hated her guts.

‘How am I to take your cause seriously, when it is clear you do not?' Fallon removed his hands from her behind. Beginning to feel a little pressured, she began to consider fleeing.

Inside, Viper was furious, but he couldn't risk losing her trust before he got his hands on the dark Orme. ‘I couldn't have you thinking that I brought you here just for your expertise.' He backed off, and placing both hands behind his back Viper leaned over to give Fallon a peck on the cheek. ‘Thanks for your help.'

Fallon found his schoolboy antics a bit extreme and so kissed his lips to reassure him. ‘You're welcome.' With a smile, she let Viper go and slapping her hands together she took an official stance. ‘Now, for a strategy.'

 

On the way to meet up with Bast and Sparrowhawk on Numan, Avery dropped by his Otherworldly office on
Gaia to pick up his messages from Templeton and make his apologies to the Count for being detained so long from his tuition.

Reports of the Aten have been coming in, young master.
Templeton began his rundown on affairs.
It has been spotted moving through the ethers en route to ancient Gaia and was also reported visiting the early twenty-first century of this planet a couple of times. But the Aten is currently residing in your present day reality.

‘Templeton!' Avery was furious. ‘Why wasn't I told this sooner?'

I was told you were in Lahmu's senate.
The old willow tree sounded most defensive.
Uncontactable until otherwise informed, that was the impression I got.

‘I was finished with the senate ages ago,' Avery informed.

And I am expected to know this?

Avery bowed his head, conceding that the oversight was his own damn fault. Fallon's defection had his thoughts and guts in a knot, he should have checked in sooner.

You need not even make an appearance,
Templeton continued to lecture.
All you have to do is drop me a thought.

‘All right, Templeton, I'm sorry,' Avery snapped, although it was intended to be an apology. ‘Can we do anything to stop the Aten passing through our realms?'

Not unless you can remove the elestial smart rock from the drive system of the Aten, or dispense with every deposit of elestial crystal in the Otherworld.
Templeton listed the options.

Otherworldly smart rocks came in all different varieties and each variety had different abilities.

The rock in question, Eli, has your ability to come and go between the material world and the etheric world at will. Because Eli is installed in the Aten the craft moves with him.

‘Then why would destroying every elestial crystal deposit in the Otherworld prevent Eli from using the ethers to hop all over history?'

Eli tunes into the vibratory rate of his kindred in the Otherworld and thus achieves his safe passage through the ethers.

‘And do all these smart rocks have the ability to manifest on the physical plane?' Avery queried.

No, young master, only those hunks that have been granted leave … Gwyn ap Nudd granted Eli the ability in order to aid the Lord Marduk.

‘Did he now?' Avery was starting to become very angered by his mentor's convenient disappearance. ‘Then surely I have the power to take the ability back.'

One would think so.
Templeton's willow branches were bowed lower than usual, as he attempted to humble himself and avoid the brunt of the young lord's aggravation.

‘One does not award a gift and then take it back.' The Count finally spoke up to draw Avery's frustration away from Templeton. ‘How would you like it if I took the same ability away from you?'

Avery brought his surging emotions into check as he considered the master's point. ‘I am not aiding the Dark Lodge,' he argued.

The Count smiled broadly at this. ‘No, Avery, you
are a complete angel and would never abuse your authority here in the Otherworld.' The look of guilt on Avery's face said it all. ‘And how do you know that Eli is not performing his function in the Aten under duress?'

Avery opened his mouth to argue, and finding he had no comeback, he sighed heavily instead. ‘I am failing my initiation, aren't I?'

‘You're young … and the first human to take up this Otherworldly office,' the Count allowed. ‘Still, being angry at others for your own shortcomings is not going to make your mistake go away.'

Avery held up a hand in truce. ‘No offence, Count, but I seem to have had so many lectures lately, that I couldn't possibly absorb another.' Avery floated over to take a seat on a nearby rock.

‘Fair enough,' the Count conceded. ‘Let me see if I can be more constructive.' He glided over to be seated beside the young Lord of the Otherworld. ‘I am going to do you the courtesy of just telling you straight … a dark spirit is aiding your foe. You know it by the name of Mahaud.'

Avery was shocked into a standing position. ‘How?
The Aten
!' he answered himself. ‘Goddamnit! But how did Viper learn about Mahaud?'

‘He disguised himself as you,' the Count enlightened. ‘And then visited the Institute of Immortal History and did a little research.'

‘Goddamnit!' Avery repeated as he began to float to and fro in a frustrated manner.

‘Viper is going to need an immortal agent to play host to this spirit,' the Count suggested and seized Avery's full attention.

‘Not Fallon, please!' the lad begged.

‘It's a possibility,' the Count granted, ‘but we cannot say for sure, as Viper's inspiration is drawn from the realms of Avichi which is beyond the comprehension of the Brotherhood of Light.'

A panic, unlike any he'd ever known, rocked Avery to the very core of his being. Anger and fear had always been strangers to him, but now that he'd made their acquaintance Avery seemed unable to shake their company and, compelled to fight them off, he lashed out. ‘You could save her!' Avery knew the Count had the power and the know-how.

‘If I take this test for you, then what will you learn?' came the master's calm response.

‘Fallon's spiritual wellbeing is more important than any old test!' Avery stressed out. ‘Please make my initiation something else, anything!'

The Count had to suppress a laugh. ‘Your initiation was of your own design, Avery, not mine. Only you can stop the wheels that you have set into motion.'

‘How?' he insisted.

The Count rose from his seat and floated over to place a hand on the lad's shoulder to calm him. ‘Lirathea has already told you what you must do. And now that you know how high the stakes are, you have the conviction to achieve your goal. I hold no fear of that not being the case and neither should you.'

All the anger left Avery upon being touched by the master and he felt his attitude begin to improve and his confidence in his own abilities strengthen. ‘Any other advice?'

‘Your foe is seeking to steal the dark Orme,' the Count warned. ‘They must not get hold of it.'

‘But why?' Avery was confused. ‘It is lethal to ingest. It kills not only the body but the soul as well.'

‘Only in large doses,' the Count added. ‘In small doses it just retards the soul, filling it with darkness and negativity.'

Avery had gone very pale. ‘And it will grant immortality for those inclined towards the dark cause?'

‘It will.'

‘Then Viper could spawn a whole army of evil agents.' Avery was aghast. ‘Does Lahmu know this?'

‘Lahmu, and a select few others, who dealt with Mahaud last time she reared her ugly head.' The Count let Avery go upon feeling him ready to face the quest at hand.

Avery had not felt such clarity and confidence since the day he'd graduated and Viper began undermining his life. ‘I should make haste to Lahmu to report and then go on to Numan to prepare.'

If Viper was after Orme Charichalum then Numan had to be his target.

‘You are our front line of defence, Avery.' The Count smiled, confident that the forces of light would overcome. ‘All the powers of creation go with you. Don't hesitate to seek our counsel or aid, should you need it.'

His attitude much improved, Avery bowed to the Count in gratitude. ‘You have been of great aid already, my lord.'

P
ast the little bridge the paved track rounded a curve, and built into the cliff face was a stone archway in which a door was set.

‘Welcome to my museum,' Kuthumi bade Tory and Maelgwn, and placing his hand on the door it vanished.

They entered a structure that was entirely lit by a smooth crystal-like substance of which the walls, floors, arched halls and domed ceilings were composed.

Inside was a vast system of subterranean halls, chambers and antechambers that were filled with artefacts, occult treasures and scriptures. Some of the halls were entirely covered in ancient hieroglyphs, and Tory recognised the language as ancient Sanskrit. The glowing blue text was offset against the white illuminated surface.

In the beginning, the causeless cause spat forth seven great waves of energy, which sped out in all directions into fathomless pure Space. When the points of these Rays condensed, hardened and materialised, atoms were formed. An atom is a dance of Rays in which is locked the spark of living fire. And with this spark, implanted in every atom, is the will to be a Sun.

‘The secrets of the cosmos have been committed to these walls, as a reference for those human souls ready to advance upon their spiritual service,' Kuthumi advised Tory.

‘It's beautiful,' she uttered, tracing a finger over the glowing text and feeling nothing but the smooth crystal surface. The text was not in any way written, printed or embossed; it was like a glowing blue gas that could not be felt or disturbed. ‘It's almost as if the characters are formed from etheric substance.'

‘The Otherworld has many advantages,' Kuthumi explained how the illusion was possible.

‘The Otherworld?' Tory queried, noting that she was floating instead of standing. She looked closely at her hands and found she could actually see the frenzied motion of the atoms that composed her subtle body. ‘This is an astral projection experience?' When the Count nodded, Tory was amazed at how oblivious she'd been to the fact. ‘What was in that tea?'

Kuthumi laughed, delighted by her surprise. ‘You left your physical forms under my brother's watchful eye and protection. The fact that you didn't notice your physical form missing is a very positive sign in this instance,' he assured Tory and Maelgwn. ‘We thought
we'd see how you liked functioning without your dense body, for if you are to fulfil your role in the forthcoming event, it will be beneficial for you to leave your Chosen forms behind.'

‘Shame … I've grown rather attached to it.' Tory attempted humour. She no longer feared death and yet she felt a twinge of remorse at the idea of letting life go.

‘We all give a heavy sigh at the thought of such sacrifice, but once the commitment is made you shall discover that the sacrifice is, in fact, the experience that you have just lived through,' the master encouraged. ‘However, should you grow tired of the comparatively blissful life and liberation of the subjective world, there will always be a superior race developing a few thousand years from now into which you can incarnate and perform an objective role once more.'

‘Any chance of you telling us what our role in the subjective world might be?' Maelgwn's curiosity was driving him insane.

‘That is exactly what this excursion is all about. Please.' Kuthumi indicated that they should follow him further into the subterranean maze.

‘You know what this reminds me of?' Tory posed to her husband as they trailed the master.

‘Taliesin's Otherworldly labyrinth,' Maelgwn replied, having made the same observation himself.

‘Taliesin was a Master of Time and so his collection was comprised of historical antiquities and technology,' Kuthumi granted. ‘My interests tend more towards esoteric doctrine.' The hallway opened into a huge library with a high domed roof.

‘Oh, my Goddess,' Maelgwn uttered upon sighting the collection, as he'd always been a keen scholar himself.

‘This is most impressive.' Tory echoed her husband's appreciation. ‘It's even bigger than Taliesin's library.'

‘I have collected esoteric literature from every author in every dimension of this universe's development.' Kuthumi tried not to make this sound like a boast, though he was obviously proud of his efforts.

‘Are Noah Purcell's
Chronicles of the Chosen Ones
here?' Tory couldn't help but test the master's boast.

‘Both the fiction and non-fiction versions,' Kuthumi teased with a smile, immediately teleporting them to the section of the library where the texts were stored without even touching those he teleported.

‘How can you have the fiction version of our history?' Tory frowned, as the master retrieved from a shelf a thick paperback novel and placed it in her hands. ‘
The Ancient Future
.' She read the title out loud. ‘What's this?' She flipped it over and slowly turned pale as she read the blurb on the back cover, dumbstruck that it referred to her by name. She looked to Kuthumi for an explanation.

‘Take your life story and relate it to someone in a dimension apart from your own and it becomes just a “thrilling Celtic fantasy that wreaks havoc with history”.' The lord quoted the catchphrase on the front cover of the book. ‘We do it all the time,' Kuthumi assured. ‘King Arthur has been a muse to just about every historian cum fantasy writer that ever there was, and a few spiritualists as well.'

‘But Arthur never existed?' Maelgwn argued.

‘Not in the dimensions you have frequented, but in many other alternative realities he did become the legend that has inspired a million tales,' Kuthumi clarified. ‘In the dimension that gave host to the late twentieth century existence from which Tory originally disappeared, none of what you have achieved in your current reality has taken place. A completely different inter-dimensional reality and evolution is unfolding there, and Tory Alexander no longer exists … except in fiction.'

Tory quickly opened the front cover of the novel in her hand, to discover the date and place of publication. ‘First published in Australia in 1996. That's three years after I vanished.'

‘The author to whom you are to be a muse is a little hung up on the filmmaking business at present. It will take her higher self a few years to swing her round to writing a book.'

Tory read about the author in the front of the book.

Traci Harding was born and raised in Sydney. Her ultimate dream of making a high budget Australian science-fantasy film took her to England and Scotland where she visited the sacred sites and saw the fairy lights. This journey was her inspiration for
The Ancient Future
.

‘Interesting,' said Tory at last. ‘Does she ever get to make the feature film?'

‘What do you think?' Kuthumi began handing Tory all manner of recorded software, disks, videos, thought recorders, some tiny plug thing and a pyramid crystal
with a small chip inside it. ‘As the ages go by the written legend will be adapted to many different formats and mediums.'

Maelgwn gave a chuckle, and Kuthumi and Tory turned to find him already absorbed in the novel. When the Dragon felt their eyes upon him he looked up to explain his distraction. ‘She's really got your character pegged,' he taunted his wife playfully, before addressing Kuthumi. ‘Can I borrow this?'

‘By all means.' The master manifested another five books of the same thickness and piled them on Maelgwn. ‘Here, have the whole series. You'll find this instance on page 199 of the last book.'

‘Really?' Tory put all her software back on the shelf to sort through the books her husband held. When she found the third book of the second trilogy, Tory turned to the nominated page. ‘It's true.' She read her response from the text.

‘Of course it's true.' Kuthumi was amused, as Tory pointed to the dialogue of the book.

‘You say that and then I say this.' She slammed the book shut. ‘Best not get too caught up in that scenario … I wouldn't want the book to get boring.'

‘Ugh!' Maelgwn cringed after reading the blurb on the back of the second book of the first trilogy. ‘This one is all about your quest to Atlantis, after I got yellow plague and screwed up my life in Gwynedd … I think I'll skip that one.'

‘Awesome covers,' Tory commented as she looked over the book her husband had rejected. ‘So, who is this Traci Harding anyway?'

‘She is an incarnation of yourself who is not so prone to adventure as you, but she does have a grand imagination and would not discount the fantastic details and events of your story.'

‘So, how I am going to aid the event ahead by inspiring an author in a different reality?' Tory didn't understand the supposition.

‘You have a karmic debt to repay to the inter-dimensional reality that you abandoned,' Kuthumi replied. ‘Had you remained in your rightful dimension, you still would have become an agent of the Logos and had vast leaps in spiritual understanding, and the humans developing in that reality would have profited from your wisdom.' As Tory seemed sceptical about being referred to as wise, Kuthumi added, ‘Wisdom is knowledge, gained by experience and implemented by love.'

Tory was touched by the definition. ‘I can see what you're saying,' she warranted, ‘but surely people will just write off the outlandish spiritual principles as fantasy.'

‘Some will,' Kuthumi granted. ‘But others will see glimmers of truth and inspiration in your tales. And then there will be those who dare to put your beliefs into practice. When they discover that they can create their own reality, perform miracles, bring out the best in people and heal their bodies through the power of the mind, then the reality that once spawned you will have benefited from your experience and knowledge.'

Tory smiled in a semi-vexed fashion. ‘So, Jesus had to die on the Cross to pass his initiation, but all I have to do is pour my heart and soul out to some disillusioned film writer to achieve the same feat?'

‘Hopefully, your fiction version of cosmic law won't cause as much trouble as many of the non-fiction texts have, like the Bible for example.' Kuthumi explained the logic of it. ‘People are not so prone to change the details of fiction and they are not compelled to believe it and so will draw only as much truth from your story as they are prepared to believe at the time. The Master Djwhal Khul has offered to act as an advisor to you during your time as a muse. DK and the Count have a vested interest in the fusion of science and religious belief, and around the turn of the century in the reality you left behind this cause is to be furthered. Due to the esoteric nature of your adventures, I, the unifier of Eastern and Western thought, have also taken a personal interest in this cause. Your aid and role will be a very subtle one, but your tale will open the minds of many and thus further the cause of light in a dimension that is even more needy than this one. As every reality in every dimension leads to the house of the great creator, whether you aid evolution here or there is neither here nor there in the great scheme of things. The Count, as the Lord of Karma and the Lord of Time, feels this is a fair exchange for granting Taliesin's request to misplace you in time and create a breakaway dimension that has spiritually evolved more rapidly than most. The reality you created is to the great credit of you both, but the fact remains that Tory is indebted to the dimension that spawned her.'

‘I am happy to repay that debt.' Tory reassured him that no further explanation was necessary.

‘So what is to be my role?' Maelgwn tucked all the books under his arm.

‘You are to be the inspiration of your sons during the event ahead.' The master clued Maelgwn in. ‘The Count will serve as your advisor.'

Any other time, the news that they were to be separated would have saddened Maelgwn and Tory, thus they were both shocked to discover that they were not at all disturbed at the proposition. This confused the couple; were they falling out of love?

‘Not at all.' Kuthumi addressed their unspoken concern. ‘You have just transcended to a level of awareness whereby you have mastered your relationship with each other and are no longer glamoured by the fear of losing the love of your soul-mate. Mastering relationships and glamour are the first two esoteric initiations. The third initiation involving the mastery of direction, integration and science, you both passed with flying colours during the downfall of the Nefilim and the birth of the Immortal human races of the Delphinus, Falcon and Leonine peoples. Now, you approach the fourth initiation; the test which you will execute via a mental perspective only … this is why you suddenly feel so emotionally detached. Once you have completed your service of selfless sacrifice, you shall be ready for the Great Renunciation and you shall again be joined as one. This glorious whole soul shall transcend the ring-pass-not of the lower triad of planes to which your soul has been bound for an eternity. At the causal level of creation you shall be reunited with your kindred among the host of Dhyan Chohans. They will welcome you
home with open arms and bring you up to date on the progress of the great plan. The part you decide to play in evolution from then on will be for you to decide.'

Their bodies awash with excitement and awe, Tory and Maelgwn could do naught but smile for the longest time.

‘So … where do we start?' Maelgwn voiced his eagerness to roll with the program.

‘Right here.' Kuthumi held his arms wide to imply his whole museum and teleported them back to the hallway of text that Tory had begun reading. ‘You two have a bit of doctrine to absorb.'

 

Avery mentally announced his arrival to Lahmu. His appearance interrupted the meeting taking place in the Governor's private office — no matter what Lahmu was discussing the news Avery bore was more urgent.

‘Avery! Praise the Logos!' Brian was in the lad's face before he'd fully manifested. ‘We have learned that Viper plans to raise Mahaud.' The Governor motioned to Noah as his source.