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Arthur Twilight
What is, never was, what was, will never be again, A rthur Twilight is dedicated to the land of the Westlands, these United States of America. The title for this work of fiction refers to a brave young man, his friends and their parents, who appear in the evenings twilight to save this great land in 'a nick of time' from the loss of it's soul forces. The result is a standing up for our Nation's expressed resolve to be a beacon for the free and wondrous world we all share together, while also understanding that reasonable thought should never be considered a treasonable act here in America. The quote by Merlin that Jesus came to Earth 'to spread joy and revolution' refers to a revolution of thought and nothing else. Thomas Paine's 'Common Sense' is included in this story because it is an American classic, well written, and I think should be read by all thinking, open minded Americans before reaching the age of 60. A consequence of this classic work was the social compact entered into between the people of these United States of America and our elected government representatives, consummated with the writing of the United States Constitution in 1789 and our Bill of Rights adopted in 1791.Dominic A. Daley Lewis Spence's Encyclopedia: “the Grail is always visible to one who is worthy and qualified to behold it," suggests an inner search rather than an outer one. "And what in wavering apparition gleams
Anonymous [ This King Arthur was at Camelot at Christmas with many a lovely lord, and they were all princely brethren of the Round Table, and they made rich revel and mirth, and were free from care. And betimes these gentle knights held full many a tournament, and jousted in jolly fashion, and then returned they to the court to sing the Christmas carols. And the feasting was for fifteen days, and it was with all the meat and mirth that men could devise. And glorious to hear was the noisy glee by day and the dancing by night, and all was joyous in hall and chamber, among the lords and ladies as it pleased them, and they were the most renowned knights under Christ and the loveliest ladies that ever lived, for all these fair folk were in their first age, and great were they
in mirth Arthur Twilight drama with a chorus What is, never was, what was, will never be again,
As Kings and Queens we sleep and dream of our soul's powers,
So in conscious sleep dream of health, our well being restored, Introduction Arthur and his Knights of the Round
Table are like ‘shadows of dreams in the minds of the old’ for many today. Yet the ‘Bardic lore’, myths and fairy tales continue to flow
though ‘the waters of the Clyde’ (1) since the first King Arthur epic poem Gododdin composed around 600 A.D. by Welsh bard Aneurin. With
us since the 6th century through the 9th 12th and 14th centuries then with vigor renewed into our 19th, 20th and 21st centuries and most
probably right on into our futures. Movie screens and television sets entertain people around the world with this brave and romantic
mystery legend cycle of the West. It is our unique gift from the folks and peoples of our homeland to all the folks and peoples of the
world. It is Western Civilization’s heart felt story- a Book of Man as it was and is experienced. Living in our vivid adventures seen
by our mind’s eye and felt in our hearts while going our ways into our own futures, our own Camelot’s! Here we are all flying and
swimming around our mind’s Book of Knowledge, as if the souls of angels, meeting at the white round stone table.  Arthur was born in the year 473 A.D. parented by Uther Pendragon and Ygerne of Cornwall. Merlin called ‘Caledonian’ the magician and sage was his teacher at Tintagel Castle in Cornwall, Arthur’s birthplace and home. Scholarship and history inform us that “Arthur lived primarily in the borderlands between Scotland and Northern England.” (3) In the year 512 his father died. The knight leads the fight against the Saxons whom he and his army defeats. He then begins his quest for the Holy Grail and in the year 513 he marries Guinevere. Arthur was crowned King of Britain in A.D. 516 and he returns once again to do battle with the Saxons in the same year of 516. In 517 Arthur defeats the Saxons in the Battle of Mt. Badon and peace reigns through out the lands again. In 535-37 at the battle of Camlann both Arthur and Modred his fellow countryman and mortal enemy are critically, then mortally wounded. These are some of the historical facts we have come to accept about the history of King Arthur. The scholarship I use is listed in my references at the text end. One I use with great appreciation as a primary reference source and duly noted throughout this work is Eleanor C. Merry – English, (1873 - 1956). She is coal, diamonds and stars all mixed together for me! I am most appreciative of her Herculean labors as well as her scholarship done with a love for the subject matter. That is a study of our ‘internal history as a culture', (1) a ‘once and future once again’ story. Arthur Twilight is a story written in the hero's tradition. I use the white stone table as a symbol for one of the very precious stones in the crown of our Western Civilization’s cultural heritage. The legends of the King Arthur and those Knights of the Round Table are an ancient wisdom tradition bequeathed to the West. They are the spiritual/philosophical jewels of our cultural heritage, a tradition that has been tended for thousands of years in the West. The lamp passes on the sea's of time into ancient Troy of Turkey to the holy island Iona and the British Isles to be in England to be in Westland to be in the United States of America. (1) It is our sacred duty and trust to keep this spirited tradition alive at all costs. 537A.D. Somerset, in Southwest Cornwall and the Isle of Avalon It was during the gray dark seasons of 535-37 A.D. at the battle of Camlann where both King Arthur and Modred his countryman and enemy were mortally wounded. He and his fellow Knight Gawain escape the battlefield riding Gawain's steed to the shoreline. They get into a small boat and row across the bay to the Isle of Avalon. They stumble out of the boat and limp to a bear cave lost in the tangle of great Oaks, fallen timbers and high brush. Gawain builds a small fire just inside the cave then wraps the king in some deer skins he has packed to the cave on his back, then lies down next to King Arthur his Excalibur and his shield. Here he is watched and cared for by the knight Gawain. It was a slow death, like a great lion torn in battle and now bleeding to death. Gawain applies pressure to the king's wound with some undergarments he has ripped from his own clothing. It was dusk, the dim part of twilight that comes before the dark of night. They fall fast into dreaming sleep, awaiting the moment, the fire burns bright now. As they lay there many of his knights continue fighting the battle back in Camlann. The sounds are still swirling about them as if a grim harbinger had followed them to the isle. As the sun sets into the evening's twilight a healing wind blows through their small camp. They dream of silver blades striking, loud rings echoing across the hills. All of it flowing like a wide shallow river spreading out across the battlefield. The air in the cave was choked in ash from the fire, death was present. Screams of war carried in the air up the hillsides to the cloaked horizons lost in an ire darkness. Voices could be heard singing in the courts of Camelot, sounds of lively humans and cheerful angels...
What is, never was, what was, will never be again,
As Kings and Queens we sleep and dream of our soul's powers,
So in conscious sleep dream of health, our well being restored,
"Knowest thou what thou are Not long ago…in a land not far from where they now laid, King Arthur is dreaming of laying in some tall grass as a boy at twilight watching the stars ”climb out of shadowy abysses’(1) as his father Pendragon points to the constellation of the great Bear the place that he is to soon return. He felt himself "ascend the invisible stairways of the sky" (1) until he stood at the edge of the constellation Arth-Uthyr the Great Bear. He saw the "Light of the North" a group of illumined figures standing at 'a circular abyss of darkness'.(1) Seven Lords with stars upon their foreheads stood there, Arthur recognizes himself as the King of the Seven Kings. Then he hears a voice in the great silence, "Comrades in God, the time has come when that which is great shall become small."(1) As he fell back falling away from the vision he goes into a deep sleep. After a fitful nights sleep he awoke speaking, half delirious now, to Gawain of his father’s visit and the 'Light of the North'. As King Arthur points to the sky Gawain takes Arthur into his arms and speaks to his beloved King. “Better there than this God forsaken dust bin we find ourselves in now good King. May I too have the courage of heart to "climb out of shadowy abysses" following this ‘better way’ back into the starry round.” “From service to others and merry making with our wives and ladies in this 'circular abyss of darkness' on to the school of the stars my good Knight Gawain, that’s really all there is. Paradise lost, 'that which is great shall become small' then found once again. Run through on a battle field to once again rise victorious, ascending the invisible stairways of the sky” he breathes hard, he is dieing. “Yes Arthur we tried to build a heaven, a paradise here on Earth for the folk. A ‘better way’ of life for the poor and hungry, a Camelot for all. Guess we were ahead of our times good King. The ‘forces that be’ of good Dame Mother Nature and the wealthy do not care about such dreams of the Knights of the Round Table, do they good King Arthur?” “We angered a number of the nobles through out the lands, we did Gawain. From cannibals and wandering clans foraging for roots and red berries to civilized Christians, from gentle nomadic brutes to Brits on into the mist of future glory. My good teacher and sage Merlin told me of all that has been and will be along this journey we travel upon this earth. So make your amends to any ladies who’s hearts you have broken Gawain as they could be, my gallant knight, any one them, your mother next time around this once and again beauteous sphere!" They smile at each other through the dust and ash floating through the air. They cover their mouths with torn undergarments. Mice, rats, rodents unclassified, scurry about in the faint obscured glow of the moon light. The days of sunlight and moonlight are for now things of the past, both seemed dark. A volcanic ash cloud filled the air, death was all about. The sulfuric acid and ash obscured both the moon and the sun. Slowly life was dieing, tilled back into the earth now anew with spent life. In the dark cold cave they were illumined by the small fire as they spoke to each other. “Do you know what I miss Arthur? I miss seeing the yellow and red roses. None like the other, the blossoms, the smells, then their fruits falling to the ground.” They were silent as Gawain added some sticks to the fire. The skies overcast darkness was oppressive, the rising sun looked like a rising moon, strange, even foreign. “What is, never was, what was, will never be again.” King Arthur says this softly, it is mixed in with the sounds of the rodents rustling around them. “Seems all like a dream now Arthur. Merlin, Camelot, Guinevere. Those who see the yellow rose, only see it in their dreams found in the lands of the 'never wintering sun'.” (5) Arthur slowly takes a crystal out of his pocket and holds it up to the fire catching its light in the crystals latticed planes producing a flood of color. The sky began turning light. He catches the light of the fire and the new sunlight in his crystals planes, reflecting the colors of the rainbow. They look at the colors of the crystals reflected light fall onto their surroundings, their skin, the ground and in the air around them. Arthur then said to Gawain, “the laws of nature obeyed in the rose and crystal Gawain are like the steps of a cat with hardly a missed step, in continuous change and movement. Through the crystal's fractures and faults the light is slowed in it's space and then filled with beautiful colors. Like paths of knowing leading to the very soul, then on into the spirit of the universe, like our Camelot and the good knights Gawain.” He reflects the colors of the crystal onto them running it up and down their faces and bodies, like a ray of colored healing it fills their gray cave with some much needed color. He fell silent a few moments, rodents swarmed over them running wildly over the fields as caught in a huge wave they had no control over seen now in the morning twilight. He whispered once again as the crystals colors fell on his chest, “filling a need of the heart” the smells of death and gas were overwhelming, they covered their mouths and noses with rags. Many bandits and mercenaries, weak and desperate, roamed the lands. Arthur held some beads in his other hand. His breathing was labored, he was sweating and cold. As Gawain looked about him he said nervously even excitedly, “Our hearts good King will lead us, our ‘question is our quest’ like Merlin taught us King Arthur. We will such to present itself to us! This’ little lamp of Christ’ will lead us King Arthur! The’ little lamp of Christ’ it will lead us on!” The sky was becoming light outside. “How I miss the music of the court. The mandolins, lutes, guitars and tambourines, mixed with the voices of many fair maidens, they ring in my ears still. The angels could not have made prettier music I feel.” "Yes I agree good knight." The suns daylight rays poured into the cave and warmed them. Soft strains of medieval music fill the air as the two knights are quite the dreams of last night still with them, filled with the events of the past ten years. Battles fought and won, the peasants freed from the tyranny of greedy land owners as women and children laughed and danced around the May pole. Then as night turns to day, as life turns to death, an approaching gray cloud overtakes the light, suddenly the joyous voices turn to cries of suffering and despair... The new light warmed them to more talk. Laying next to each other Gawain says to King Arthur, “Good Christ Arthur colors still exist in the dreams. I saw the summers red of victorious battles, and the fall sky blues of the fair maiden's gowns touching the beautiful gardens of Camelot...Ah the peaceful whites of water and winters snow cover returning again to yellows and greens found in the springs air. We live four square in this world of dreams far away from the three pronged fork of the devil that we now find ourselves impaled upon here in this brutish state of affairs. Good King Arthur the dreams are now as the language of angels.” “We are as the two sides of one coin now good knight and must bear up under the weight of this duo world we find ourselves in. Like the white stone pulled along the rivers bottom we are tumbled, our sharp edges broken away, replaced in the roundness of time." Gawain gets up now, adds some limbs to the small fire then starts boiling some water for a tea. He gathers some grubs, beetles and what few green leaves he can find for a salad of sorts, all gathered within 15 feet of the caves entrance. They were both slowly starving, their hygiene was breaking down as a result of the campaign they have been on. It has left them without clean water for bathing. It was an ignoble and painful death but somehow they retained their dignity and humor about themselves. Then as out of a dream Merlin, also known as the ‘Caledonian’ appears in the morning twilight walking towards them out of the brush. He was a tall, long bearded man walking barefoot using a walking stick. He is wearing a tunic and hooded coat. In his hand he carried a branch of mistletoe, hanging from his belt was a pouch. As he approaches them the songs and music of Camelot heard not so long ago are heard filling the air once again.
In our lives joyful as sad events run like rose colored threads yet "Here put this in your fire" pulling a hare out of his coat and handing it to Gawain. "Morning, I see you are ready good King Arthur to meet our good maker. You, my good King, will be in Paradise soon after the lark sings it's sweet song come tomorrow morning". He pulls some red berries, vervain, cress and wort out of his pouch and along with the mistletoe he was holding puts them all in the small pot that sits boiling on their fire just inside the caves entrance. “I can see that I am not a minute to soon good King Arthur.” “It does my heart good to see you again Merlin,” Arthur says weakly to his old friend and teacher. “Yes King Arthur it is good to see you once again as well." Turning to Gawain he says, "and how I wished you had joined us at the round table Sir Gawain. We were like the signs of the zodiac complete with a sun, a moon and all the planets too, as in the great round of lives so beautiful and full of change. From brutes to Brits in just 8 thousand years as I like to say!” “My path was of my own making Merlin, you understand. I was very much part of the Round Table even though I, with my trusty stead, was out in the fields and hills defeating the dark Draco and the Green Knight with many others through out the lands. The oppressors of people are like the evil spells used by the criminal minded among us for their own gains, all while living respectable lives, resplendent in dazzling riches. Yes I was away from the Round Table but sending those lost souls back to you Merlin and to King Arthur for your judgment and justice meted out was a great reward for me.” “Yes Gawain you did the lands a great service as later on the ‘Goose’ Parsifal will do for the lands as well. Civilized humans, such a great undertaking you and Parsifal seeded. You did the once and future king a great service and great merriment was had as well! Yes! From the royal King to kings, from folks to persons of equal worth” the old teacher exclaims in a subdued voice. "'Christus verus Luciferus' Christ is the true light-bearer, the little lamp of Christ that allowed us to love one another. The spiritual love of community beyond blood, brothers and that dark magician Draco." Pausing for a moment he continues, "what is, never was, what was, will never be again.” Merlin looked at his beloved King Arthur. “From 485 to 496 good King Arthur you won “twelve battles” during which you gained the reputation for being invincible. You were as the invisible egg!” King Arthur speaks, “as if protected by the influences of the angels and Christ we brought down the new way to earth for a civilized world to experience. We were ahead of our times, such a great gift the world has been given. "What is, never was, what was, will never be again.” “Yes, you King Arthur, Camelot, the Knights of the Round Table, to be followed later in time by the Grail Castle and the Parsifal legends with the Knights of the Holy Grail. Like visions in the night for all the folk to treasure and share. Like waking dreams, the union between our day selves and our sleeping night selves were joined together in a mystical marriage. We were as the morning twilight of humanity awaking to the joy that only love brings." "We asked questions in the dream and awoke to the answers surrounded by maidens of beauty, beautiful music and food for everyone. Spreading joy and revolution of a new thinking along the way like Master Christ Jesus before us." "Yes good King, not since Iona then to Britain to the unknown secret land of the Westlands, the Americas, would better be known of man." Gawain spoke saying, "the inbiber of learning" (1)Gall Power brought us to our minds and knowledge and away from the old dragon's witches clairvoyance and tricks." "Yes Gawain an end was put to human sacrifice and 'vital changes in civilization which ushered in intellectual knowledge as distinct from the old instinctive knowledge'(1) was brought in by the teacher Gall Power." The three men gathered around the fire as the sun rise began to light the dark gray sky. They started eating the leaves, berries and bugs gathered earlier, while waiting for the now skinned rabbit to burn to a roast atop the fire. Merlin took out a small vial of honey from a deer skin pouch he carried under his coat and poured it over the ingredients held in their small wooden bowls. A quickening of brotherhood moved through them as they shared the meal together. Through the pain and suffering of the times and their love for each other and their fellow human beings, the knights and their teacher were able to experience inner forces that had built in them an inner space filled with grace and music Their lives filled from the spiritual worlds while still in this physical world. King Arthur seemed buoyed by the visit from his old teacher Merlin, both the knights were revivified in the renowned Sage’s presence. ”I feel in my heart that it is found here among us now. The grail cup allows us to overcome all obstacles, to find family among others who become as brothers and sisters to us in a ‘new way’. It is born in the heart. The Templars of Jerusalem understood this ‘new way’. A thousand years from now in the year 1413 the 5th post Atlantean cultural age will begin. The seeds of this 'new way' will bear fruit with the belief that ‘freedom is a mission’ while living on earth with our fellow human beings. It will travel from Europe to be exemplified by the Westlands in 1776 establishing the United States of America the greatest Christian Nation to ever be seen in this world's future. Then later in the 6th post-Atlantean cultural age a people called the Russians will realize this ‘new way’ too. Many will return to earth as Russians in their future life times around 3000. A strong Will of Christos light will predominate in both these distant future lands. You my good knights have tilled the fields and spread the seeds for these great times ahead.” Merlin looked at King Arthur and shone a light on him with his hands. It was a yellow, green hue. The King looked so young, white as an Easter Lilly. Merlin continued talking to the knights. The King listened, smiling, eyes shut. “The star wisdom of the East comes to Glastonbury legend tells, with Christianity being brought to Iona by Joseph of Arimathea and his faithful. Celtic religious centers grew there long before the Roman occupation of future England this small island among islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Christians sought out these ancient pagan sites while establishing Glastonbury as their first monastic settlement in the West. Joseph of Arimathea the legend continues brought the chalice that Jesus Christ used at the last supper. It took place in the upper room of an Inn. This Celtic wisdom Gall Power brought us called a ‘new way’ is what we have protected as the ’Knights of the Round Table’ at Camelot.” “So these trials we find ourselves burdened with now are a part of this ‘new way’ Merlin?” "These gases, dust and darkness are of the earth good men, a great belching as from the very bowels of hell. As we slip the chains of darkness we must pass through this valley of darkness. Evil is not asleep, volcanoes, earthquakes, are part of the earth’s waking up. Hot like the soldier in the noonday sun wearing his armor and helmet, then becoming cold as he marches through a cold winters grasp, his armor freezing to his skin." "Through the valley of death and the many foolish things we have done during our lives, a wisdom is born out of our compassion for ourselves, others and even this beautiful earth.” The noble king did not open his eyes as he spoke. “That’s right Arthur, wisdom is connected with the heart. Our origins are tied to the earth as well as the stars. We must know where we come from in order to get back to where we came from. Able then to continue in the starry worlds. Like the family of Kheeberi (Heber), the Phoenicians and the Jews (Hebrews) are joined at the hip. Sailing the oceans of the world they colonized and inhabited every country on the earth founding its civilizations.” (4) “The world upon this rock is now dusty and our arms are not embracing maidens rather they are slaying the unrighteous pagans. Tell us Merlin how do we ever find a balance in this world of ours that sees ‘the golden rule’ 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' as a way for all to abide by?’ “Love the earth Gawain it is part of our soul’s fabric. Now more than ever love the earth and help to heal it. As Christ said ‘take my blood and eat my bread’. Life is an initiation and humans are the test we all face in this unfolding but the earth is our stage that we must stand upon.” Merlin thought for a moment then continued. “It is most important not to cry over spilt drink. Remember Joseph of Armithena spent 40 years in prison with nothing but the Grail to sustain him before traveling to Somerset. Our good King Arthur was imprisoned three times during his own lifetime. Did I ever tell you Gawain that I found the Round Table in the Phonessesian Islands? It is at least four thousand years old, a huge white round stone. It had the seven epochs of world history starting with India after the last great flood on to Persia, then to Egypt then the Graeco- Roman cultures to the 5th post Atlantean age which the world will see a thousand years from now. All carved into it atop the 12 zodiac signs. We would sit at the Round Table with the Grail amethyst cup drinking and regenerating our blood with fine wine and song." "Yes Merlin" Arthur began to speak, "and this regeneration you speak of we realized by questioning authority within our hearts and minds and the world at large while living in this world. Many died without questions asked so must return anew and good God willing will have the heart and hot flowing blood of courage to ask the questions. What did we expect really! So in the question is the quest, this the soul's adventure that we all have embarked upon.” “It seems that evil is the force that keeps the world in such confusion about these matters of life and death. The dark magicians of Draco entered falsely into our world, so well prepared to breed with as many mortals of this material world of slow moving forces as possible. As in a cloak of spell binding where true wealth is misunderstood and most oddly their seeming enjoyment at watching human's sufferings. I see these forces of the Dragon and the Green Knight all the time when I ride through the country side. They roust the country folk of their crops, pennies while spreading great fear!” Merlin replied, “They play their hand to the hilt. All the while they are members of their secret societies, empowering themselves in the ways and means of the material world. Yes that is right. In the Parsifal story that I will inspire in the 9th century there are characters named Klingor the black magician and the King Amfortas. The King Amfortas who lives on the island of Sicily has a wound on his testicles that cannot be healed. His inability to discriminate between love and sex is what wounds him mortally. I am afraid that the human being does not seem to be evolving as a forward thinking and long viewed phenomenon but rather has come under the dark spell of this dragon that we slay with our swords 'the shaper of Europe.” (1) “That is why it is so important for us Knights of the Round Table to live by a code of chivalry and respect for all women and children, to honor all human beings as the children of the Creator. These brutish folk so need this lamb of Christ! Look how the Druids make folk bob for the apple in Ceridwen’s Cauldron boiling, or kill folk as sacrifice to their pagan gods and this dragon god! At a knight's sword they did accept Christ or die! We cut many throats and boiled them in her own “boiling vessels” their large cauldrons!” “Yes Gawain from cannibals to Christians by way of the sword!" saying this with some reservation in his voice before continuing. "Remember good knight Christ Jesus took the pagan grail rituals and transformed them into the Mysteries of the Christian Grail. 'Christus verus Luciferus' Jesus of Nazareth bearer of the Christos Sun Spirit, passed through the Threshold of Death and transformed death into life, wholly and fully, for all mankind.”(1) This ’little lamp of Christ’ leads the way out of here and not even hell has the power to stand in the way of it's light. The blood of Christ falling upon the Earth enlivened it for all who choose to follow this 'little lamp of Christ' ”. “Exactly King Arthur and when this code is not honored it can lead to the retarding of the soul life and hold us back from our future destinies. Knight Parsifal will not be popular with the established church then as he will encourage people to think for themselves. We are not ‘beast of burden’ finding salvation solely by the sweat of our brows. We are rather questioning individuals on the quest of our immortal souls. The future state of mankind will not think much of this quest to communicate with our soul lives. As you both know this has gotten many a person bobbing for the apples in the hot cauldrons of my fellow Druids and pagans of the dragon in the very resent past and will see many more killed in the distant future of humanity as well.” “Yes and many of these rituals we stopped before their faces were burned from their skulls! The Druids, we cut their throats and cut their hearts out of their chests, boiling them in their own cauldrons. This church you speak of Merlin appears to want to think for the folks and persons. But it seems to me that this thinking can wound the wisdom of the stars.” Merlin responds, “thinking with the will through the heart is the threefold way crossing in the heart like the figure 8. Independence and the spiritual love which unites those not related by blood.” He walks around the fire taking out a copper figure 8 and hands it to the Knight Gawain. “King Arthur and before him Saturn seen as the Father of the seven periods of planetary evolution. In Welsh he is “son of Saidi” one of three sovereigns in King Arthur's court. In the court of King Arthur he is the door-keeper and Guardian of the seat of wisdom. That’s what you have told us Merlin, stars as souls at the round table of Christ in the evening twilight. 'Like John at the River Jordan healing folk in the long healing moments of the evenings sunsets' ".(1) “Yes Gawain that is right. So you both see now that the world has at times needed to be emptied so that it could once again be filled. Like that figure 8, these are times of great sacrifice, great transformation and our rewards are of a celestial nature.” As Merlin continued talking the King Arthur looked very young and so white. The battle waged on across the channel yet Merlin remained fully present to King Authur and the good Knight Gawain. The sky was gray but rays of sun light broke through the haze to illumine the three men. “Long ago there was a land called Atlantis that sank to the bottom of the ocean. Then you Arthur like Parsifal after you, had to lead the world in the Initiation rites of a new civilization. It was the light and warmth from your hearts at Camelot while helping those in need through out the countryside that allowed the world to be a civilized and better place to live. Transforming the darkness to light, you can see in now! You Arthur and our Knights of the Round Table rose above the negative and shone this light in the world that helped transform our land far and wide. From Brutes to Brits, yours was and will be again a great mission, ‘freedom as mission’ a worthy task for all and future Knights of the Round Table.” Gawain removed the rabbit from the fire and pealed the skin off. He then tour off a leg for King Arthur then for Merlin and finally himself. When certain people come together the results could be ascension of potential within the group. Relationships with others develop, the soul realm is found once again, where we discover our goals in life and as a result discover ourselves. The will to serve others can then be firmly established. The three men ate the rabbit legs quickly as the rodents were caught in the suns rays seen running across the caves floor. As they sat by their fire they closed their eyes, an afterglow filled their minds eye, filling the surrounding space, it was the soul of the world at large that they had come to know and experience. The dirty air filled all space it seemed yet this light within created space anew. Merlin then receded into the dark gray day as he could be heard saying to the knights, “Ask the question and you will be on the quest”. He stopped, turned back to look at the knights one last time, “ask the question and you will be on the quest good King Arthur and good Knight Gawain.” He turned and walked into the dusk, a healing with every step he took in his bare feet until he was gone from their sight.. The Knights of the Round Table had transformed the outer world through their experiences and actions. They then entered the light of the inner world. Their senses quickened, as their souls were united with the world’s soul. The world was caught between the world of God, the angels and hell with its accompanying retrograde entities of Draco the dragon, butchers and thieves. Born on this boarder in the fine ethereal substance of life is a future created with our thinking for a better world for all. As the day passed into night and the moon and stars broke through the clouds of dust they shone a healing light upon the dieing knights. With the morning twilight a lark sings it's sweet song. “Hold me Gawain, I am going home now. From the world of duty and pleasure I take my leave for the school of the stars.” Gawain held Arthur in his arms. "In the light of God and all the angels I am victorious!” As a white center opened up in the sapphire blue sky above him King Arthur sees 12 ships awaiting his arrival. A ray of light, 'the little lamp of Christ' guides him home as he "ascends the invisible stairways of the sky" (1). King Arthur sails into the deep blue sea of the Creator's creation as a thousand angels sang an ascension song for the noble King Arthur's return. Gawain could feel his King’s breathing slow, the light in his eyes dim but remain open as he slips away in to the blue sky that has opened up around them now. Gawain sheds a few tears for his King and brave gallant knight then sets a brush pile on fire and kneels to say some prayers for his beloved friend under a great Oak tree, limbs laden with mistletoe and trunk covered with tumor like galls. The fire rose in intensity billowing black smoke as the flames began to flash up the small pyre. The dead yet still green limbs soon bore flames of a soft peach color as the spirit of Arthur rose to the heavens in the now white smoke as the fire turned a bright red. Arthur’s soul found it's rightful place in the yellow glow of the spirits land. Gawain left King Arthur's armor on and wrapped the king in deer skin. Across his body he laid his green shield and blue steel Excalibur. Here the body would lay until a proper burial spot could be established for King Arthur. Word of his death spread quickly. Folk were shouting his praises with not a bad word heard of him in the valleys, on the hills or from the plains of Avalon that day. As...
"Remember as Odrun told us 'there is no wonder in death
"Through the sun risen in your heart's thinking (1) What is, never was, what was, will never be again, Long Island, New York, September 2000 It is an overcast evening. Ever so faint the sounds of a song are heard carried along on the winds. It is a chorus tune, louder now yet heard long ago, returning again on the waves of time. Heard now on the horizon of twilight's healing time. It was a song heard in the Westlands and went like this. What is, never was, what was, will never be again
In our lives joyful as sad events run like rose colored threads yet
As Kings and Queens we sleep and dream of our soul's powers,
So in conscious sleep dream of health, our well being restored,
Secrets within, secrets without can make society for answers seeking. The beach is empty. Off in the distance you can hear a 'whirring', droning sound approaching. Suddenly a wave of pebbles and stones break the air. A crushing sound gets louder, deeper then slower as the meteors became meteorites, silent now with the shower of stones fanned out atop the stone covered shore. A voice calls out: “Dude you got them.” The same sound is heard again and then another voice calls out: “Got them.” Arthur Twilight and his best friend Wain Wright were going out to the local nuclear power plant to spread some crushed amethyst and smoky quartz around the perimeter of the plant. It is a protection from the evil forces that might want to do the plant and people harm. Arthur and Wain were 18 years old. The only sons of married couples, their fathers worked as a Policeman and Fireman in New York City. They did not fear too much in their immediate environment, so to speak. Wain got the semi- precious stones at Mr. Gallo Lenz's jeweler’s shop where he worked cleaning up three evenings a week. What he swept up off the floor, as long as it was not a diamond or some other precious stone and inspected by Mr. Lenz first, then if he wanted to keep the sweepings he could. In his small pouch he had a mix of rose quartz, clear crystal fragments, amethyst flacks, and iron pyrites. They were going to spread the stones and metal shavings on the land around the nuclear power plant for protection from evildoers and misguided souls. “Lets go.“ They biked for 10 minutes to the outskirts of town. It was not fenced off and only one sleepy guard who spent most his time reading to just stay awake manned the entrance gate. They had little problem getting on the land and then close up to the plant building. “Here Arthur take the sack.” Wain pulls it out of his jacket. It is as big as a grapefruit. Author took it and immediately held it out to Wain. “Hold it with me. ‘Christ and the Angels of Light surround this place in your light.’ Now hold you hand out, take the dust and spread it around the plant going that way. I will meet you around the other side. Say the prayer as you spread it on the ground.” “Right.” Like two deer they were off. Meeting at the half waypoint in 30secs. They then fell back, running along Arthur’s route back to their bikes. In another minute they were off the grounds biking home. “See ya” “Yep, see ya.” The Twilight’s were a close-knit family. Abe and Merry Twilight had been married 25 years. Arthur was an only child. They had lived their entire lives in Long Island, New York. They lived in a red brick, two-bedroom house with perfectly tended gardens and lawns that overlooked the Long Island sound. Arthur parked his mountain bike on the side of the garage when he arrived home and walked into the house thought the garage. His mother was preparing dinner. “Hi mom how are this fine evening?” Merry Twilight was preparing dinner for them “Just fine, and you Arthur?” She was fixing a salad, took a drink of water from a large clear glass that she had sitting on the counter. Before Arthur had a chance to answer his mother she asked him: “Excuse me Arthur but by chance have you been out to the plant again?” She could see the mud caked on his boots. “You know how empathic your dad is about your staying off that property.” “Believe me I know mom so I’m coming clean with you. I was there not more than five minutes. No harm really, we just spread some blessed stone dust around the place that's all.” “Oh Arthur please don’t mention that to your dad. You know how he is about that kind of metaphysical stuff.” “So you went with Wain Wright too! Listen honey don’t be getting your erstwhile friend in trouble along with you. That old Irish bulldog dad of his Cain Wright and his mom Ann would be calling us in front of the chief downtown it that happened, you know it. So please promise me one more time." ‘No more power plant or I will incarnate into a toad upon my first step on those forbidden lands.’ "Please Arthur stay away from there, your going to get us all in trouble if you don’t. O.K.?” “Sure mom. Say is..” “Arthur!” “O.K. I promise. That good enough or do you want the frog part too?” “Toad, toad, toad, and yes it’s o.k. but remember it’s a darn toad your turning into if you screw up while running around that place.” “Got it. Dad home?” “He will be home soon. Just called before you got here. See, think of him and he’s here.” Just then Officer Abe Twilight a New York City Police Detective walked into the kitchen from the garage. He walks over and hugs his wife. Then after greeting her he turns to Arthur ask him the same question his wife asked their son earlier that evening. “You been out to the plant today?” “What is this F.B.I. school or something. Lets see, the mountain bike tires, right?” “Right. So where you?” “Dad you a cop or something? O.K. busted. I promised mom upon death I would not go there again. I will promise you the same. I promise not to go there anymore.” “Somehow that was a little to quick for my suspicious nature Arthur. Lets see here. Oh I know. What was your reason for going out to the nuclear power plant after we both, your mom and I, asked you specifically not to go there again?” “Uh…just looking for bad guys? Seeing if we could spot any leaking. You know checking up for waste problems and such.” “O.K. Einstein, one more time. Don’t go there. Got it!” His father did not hesitate to raise his voice to Arthur as he had come to understand a long time ago that Arthur always had his reasons for anything he ever did and he sure had a reason for visiting the power plant. “Got it Sir!” “Good son, now how are you?” “Great dad and you now that the old, sorry, the blood pressure is slowing on down how are you?” “Do you really want to know?” “No but thanks for the offer. Listen I have something I want to talk to you about. Do you think after dinner we could take a drive?” “Got some snoopin' and scoopin' or you just playing explorer?" “No nothing like that. It’s a geological feature I found out at the old rock quarry. I want to show you these quartz crystals I located out there last week with Wain. I think we got something, so I need your advice about the legal aspects of this find. Interested?” “Sure Arthur sounds good. We can take the lamps if we need them.” “We will need them.” That night after dinner Arthur and his dad left the house, picking up Wain heading out of town about 3 miles. It was an abandoned piece of property adjoining a small rock quarry operation next door. There was a run down old mansion on it with lots of empty rooms. The building did not interest the three of them very much; it was the tunnel they found at the back of the property that they were there for. Abe looked at his map, speaking then to the young men. "From my map here we are on private property. These lots look to be abandoned. We are trespassing but it does not look like anyone is around so I think we will be alright. Let's go see this cave and what it is that you and Wain have uncovered in there Arthur.” The three of them park Arthur’s black 1964 Dotson behind the house. They lock its doors, standard with Arthur and his car, then head on into the back forty of the property. In no time they were into a patch of thick pines and overgrown berry bushes. Then they were there at a big overgrown cave opening. It had a sweat smell, ripe. The large white quartz cream colored stone was large enough for 3 or 4 people to stand on. It was flat on top and perfectly round. They jump up on the rock. “Look!” Arthur points to a break in the rock's center. This could be the stone that Arthur pulled the Excalibur our of.” The three of them laugh. Abe Twilight speaks up unexpectedly. “Arthus’s sword the Excalibur, is the power bestowed by the “white stone” in which, as a legend tells us, the sword was embedded and from which he had to draw it forth. Its name (Excalibur) means that it is made or created out of the darkness. And a legend tells how in order to reach it he had to cross a narrow bridge of iron and steel- i.e. to pass over and beyond the blood and nerves of his inner experience to the very citadel of his being.” They were quite for a minute. “Just because I’m Welsh and a cop does not mean I can’t do some snooping on my own about Arthur and the knights and lore.” He looks at the two young men who shake their heads in agreement, smiling at the 53 year old New York City Policeman. “Anyway it’s what we found inside dad that we want you to look at. I think we found like a serious artifact. I did not go into at home as I did not want to bring Mom into it. You understand with her museum interest and all.” “Sure Arthur take the dumb one along on your questionable ventures, I understand! No it is understood about your mother. Let’s see what we got here, o.k..” They step off the rock continuing into the cave all while putting on their hard hats with battery powered electric minors lamps. The tunnel is well lit with the lamps. They hurry to a place that Arthur and Wain found last week. It is a quartz formation with lots of smoky quartz in it. The lapidary stone cutter that Wain works for will give them 10 dollars for 20 pounds of clear smoky quartz crystals. They though it would be best to check with someone first before taking the rock. So Arthur asked his dad. “Look at this dad, smoky quartz out the wazo!” “Got that Arthur, look at the seams that run off down the tunnel. You follow that Arthur?” “Yes and again now is as good a time as any dad now that you bring it up. And by the way do you think we could mine 20 lbs of this quartz and not get in trouble for it?” “Looks safe enough. It is owned by someone but for now I don’t think they are going to mind a little quartz being removed from their property as long as you don't make a habit of it, then you might run into some trouble.” “Lets get down this tunnel and we need to show you what we think is an ancient artifact.” Arthur takes the lead as they start to walk further into the caves tunnel. He turns to Wain: “you remember the entrance?” “Sure want me to go ahead and find it? Probably save us some time.” He runs down the tunnel out of sight. Within 30 seconds he calls out to them. “I found it, just ahead!” When the others arrived Wain and Arthur lead Abe Twilight down into a narrow crack in the tunnels wall. It ran parallel off the main tunnel for 15 feet before it opened up to another wider path that now ran in the opposite direction from which they had just come. Then they had reached their destination. A form locked in the rock of the stone cave. “Look at this, oh my God Arthur look at this! Definitely a hominid.” In the bedrock was a 7 to 8 ft. figure of what looked to be a human fish. It has extra digits in the fingers and its toes. It had small horns protruding from the top of its head. It had an extra row of teeth seen in the wide-open mouth that appeared frozen. It looked like a combination of dolphin, shark and a human of sorts. “If it were a monkey form I would guess 5 to 10 million years old, but this fish form I’m going 10 + million years old. What do you think dad?” “Definitely fish form, old, how old I’m not sure. Listen we will come back this weekend and take some pictures. It is strange what ever it is or how old it is that's for sure. Look at the color, almost copper green. dame thing glows! Look at it, the color is totally different from anything I've ever seen before. I think its time to get out of here. What do you guys think?” “I agree let’s book,” says Wain. Arthur agrees as they turn back on the path they had taken from the crack in the tunnels main passage wall side. Their little lamps burned in the dark lighting up the pathway. “We take some pictures as proof. Do you think we have something here dad?” “I sure do Arthur! I heard about something like this on talk radio awhile back. Can’t remember….called them… ‘cryptid’s as in Cryptozoology. That’s it this thing is an ancient artifact called a ‘cryptid’ short for findings like this. We have to keep our mouths shut on this, understand!” Looking at the two 18 year olds he suddenly felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly realized that he was the weak link in this chain, as it would kill his wife if he did not tell her about the incredible find. “Lets get out of here now.” They quickly got out of the cave and drove Arthur’s 1964 black Dotson two door coupe back to their neighborhood. After dropping Wain off Arthur then drove back to the Twilight residence. The moon was full and the neighborhood was aglow in its light. Father and son retired to their bedrooms, soon the lights were out and the two Twilight’s joined Mrs. Twilight in deep sleep. A small candle burned on the window sill in the living room. Like angels singing these words could be heard softly floating over the neighborhood.
In our lives joyful as sad events run like rose colored threads yet
As Kings and Queens we sleep and dream of our soul's powers,
So in conscious sleep dream of health, our well being restored,
Secrets within, secrets without can make society for answers seeking.
"Knowest thou what thou are Wain’s mother Ann was preparing breakfast, ham and eggs, with some pancakes and caned peaches. It smelled good. The TV. in the living room was on as was his mother’s habit to do while she prepared the morning breakfast. Wain got to the kitchen first. His mother served him, he said his grace quietly and then began eating his meal. His father came in soon after, sat down poured himself a cup of coffee and then began filling his plate with pancakes from the platter on the table. Before he took a bite he bowed his head and said grace quietly to himself then began to eat his meal. “Can smell that bacon in Caladonia woman, smells great.” Wain continued eating and thinking about his night out last night. He could hear Mr. Twilight telling them to not tell anyone. He so wanted to tell his dad about it but held his peace. As his appetite was being satisfied his resolve began to, well wain and he began to speak to his dad. “Dad if you were sworn to secrecy about a significant scientific discovery you and some others had made, would you tell anyone about it, or would you honor the vow to hold your peace about it?” “I would remain silent, your word is your bond type thing son, why you and Arthur find the 'fount of youth' or some alien type thing. You guys should start an adventure school, take people around to all the interesting stuff you guys come up with. The alphabets will be calling you guys for help. In answer to your question though I would hold my peace and see what happens.” Wain laughs at his Irish fireman dad's remarks and continues eating his breakfast. He drank his juice and then turned to face his dad. Cain and Ann Wright had been married 20 yrs and Wain was their only child. They thought he was a prince of boy and encouraged him in all ways conceivable. “I think we found a ‘cryptid’ out by the old white cypress quarry.” “You think you found what?” “I think we found an ancient artifact out at the rock quarry. We are going to take some pictures of it tonight. I’ll show them to you when I get them developed.” “Son you got it going! Keep it up, those things are worth a lot of money. School still in the picture? Classes for the semester have started and you like your school right? You are still the kid on Long Island and not Indiana Jones yet?” “Right dad school is fine. I have some good classes this year, it should be o.k... So you would not tell a soul right? I think the state has an antiquities law about these type of things so we will just have to find out about that. But in the mean time what do you think about it?” “Right, not a soul. Find out what laws are involved and keep your mouth shut. Son your mom and I need grades right? We have an understanding on that one, right?” “Right dad, the grades will beee.., I promise.” His dad gave his bright son a big smile and then continued eating his breakfast. They did not say another word as they finished their meals. Around the corner, over on the next block from the Wrights home Blossom Rosenkreutz is just arriving at Arthur Twilight's home. Knocking on the Twilight's front door she is greeted by Merry Twilight warmly, having heard so much about her from Arthur. She sits her down in the living room, lights a candle on the small lamp stand and goes back into the kitchen continuing to prepare the mornings breakfast. She starts to talk to her guest asking her first if she would like to stay for breakfast. Having just eaten at home before dropping in on the Twilight's Blossom calls back to Merry Twilight. "No thank you Mrs. Twilight, I just ate." "I've heard so much about you Blossom, I hope you know that? Arthur tells me you are going into Medicine?" "That must be hard I bet." "No actually Mrs. Twilight I like it a lot. Not hard at all really. Medicine made easy I guess. Enjoyable is a better way to describe my experience with the program." Merry had stepped back into the living room as Blossom was speaking. She watched the candle flame burn as Blossom spoke. The little flame sprung up dancing happily, as if it was in a cloud of sustenance feeding the flame. It was a happy flame with the air producing answer that Blossom Rosenkreutz was now sharing with her. She was read by the candle to be speaking the truth. Merry Twilight liked this young woman of such forthright honesty. No longer had she been there than she bolted for the door. Just before opening the door to leave she turns to Merry Twilight and said: "your son Arthur is a gentleman and a scholar, you probably know that already, you and your husband must be very proud of him?" "Yes we are Blossom, thank you so much for saying that. And for stopping in. Stay longer next time, o.k." She left then with Arthur following a few minutes later skipping his breakfast, grabbing a bagel instead as he left the house. Arthur got in his 1964 Dotson coupe for the first day of school. He was picking up Wain at his house. As he drove along the car’s vibrations within the coupe were so loud you could not hear the radio that was playing. "Blossom came by. I think I love her Wain. The good lady is most lovely good knight." The two knights laugh out loud as the radio blasts some rock techno tune, they smile at each other as Arthur drives them to school that morning at Chardin High on Long Island. Pulling into the parking lot they met up with Ira and Kanu who were walking to the ROTC center on campus. They were both 18 years old and had ambitions of joining the military as soon after graduation as they could. They were being smart about it seeing what they could set up for options and programs offered them after their graduations from Chardin High. “Say hey dudes, you guys going to the bonfire Friday night?" “Sure dudes we will be there, you guys going too?.. Say who do you have for U.S. History? “ “Mr. Baulder second period. You? Cool! See you there. Peace out.” “Peace out.” Arthur and Wain walked on to their first period class, World Civilization. As they were about to walk into the classroom Arthur turns to Wain and says, “This should be good. Miss C. Downs presents herself to us my good knight Wain for discussions of the world's civilizations. That being western civilizations of course, our presses, our money and our interpretation of the way it was, starting with the Greeks on to the land of the free.” They smile at each other as they walk into the classroom. “Power of the pen..or was that the power of the printing presses you were referring to my good Arthur? Now presenting the good knight Arthur to Miss C. Downs, ” Wain says under his breath as they take seats in the back of the classroom. The classroom was fresh and clean, seemed to shine. The two took seats in the very back of the classroom. They were 5 minutes early and the only ones in the classroom accept the teacher. She was Ceridwen Downs in her 50's, black haired and very tall. She was strikingly beautiful with her long ravens black hair and sea green eyes. She did not look at her two students seated now in the classroom as she busied herself preparing notes while keeping her eyes down. She turned to write her name on the blackboard catching their eyes. After a moments deliberation on her part she spoke to them. “Hello I’m Miss Downs. You must be let’s see.. Well I’m not really sure who you are or if I could even figure it out. Never mind, why don’t you just introduce yourselves?” She wrote her name in excellent, large Palmer correct cursive on the blackboard that filled up the entire front wall of the classroom. Miss C. Downs. From the back of the room Arthur called back to the tall, long black haired teacher: “Sure I’m Arthur Twilight and this is my trusty knight Wain Wright.” “Knights you are?” she replied to Arthur. “Why yes fair teacher, are you in distress?” the young knight bandied back to her. “First day, new semester jitters, if you must know my inner most thoughts. So bold you are Arthur, I hope you like World Civilization, so many facts, names, battles, places, you know?” As if they had stepped into another time suddenly Arthur and Wain were as on a reflecting lake, on an island mirror. They saw Miss Ceridwen Downs holding what appeared to be a visible then slowly disappearing egg. Merlin appeared out of a dark as pitch evening lakeshore and spoke to them. “Here you are once again, remember ‘the cell of Ceridwen’ that was covered by the flat stone of Echemeint?(1) ‘To be initiated means, in more senses than one, to “know the beginnings’. In the shadows of the dark mirror and the shadows of the stones a perception of something is seen where the physical sun is missing.” He faded over the Island's mirror lake. (1) Ira and Kanu walked in the classroom wearing their fatigues, looking buff and ready for the day. They took seats next to their friends. Miss Ceridwen Downs was relieved to see two new faces in the room, now others began filling the seats in the classroom. Over the next ten minutes the students would continue arriving until about 33 students were seated in the classroom. Miss Ceridwen Downs control that first morning was completely lost. Arthur stared through the confusion and just looked at the new teacher. As the students were catching up on the summer's news she would just stare at him. It seemed the two of them were in another world. Lutes and flutes softly playing from where unknown but could be heard by the two of them. Suddenly it was very quiet in the classroom as all attention turned to the two now locked in a stare that was unawares of all around them. Wain hit Arthur on the arm; “hey good sir the business at hand is at hand.” Arthur kicked out of it and the students all laughed at the two entranced figures. Miss Downs was a new World Civilization 1 teacher at Chardain High School in Long Island, New York. She tells them about her academic credentials, her many years teaching World Civilization and what she will expect from them during the semester. She asks if any one has questions, no one does, so she ends the class early. As the students are leaving Arthur walks up to the teacher and says, “Hello, I was not sure if you wanted us to read the Arthur tale tonight or if...” “I never said anything about Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. You must have been hearing things.” She smiled so wide he thought he was going to be swallowed by her charm. She was so captivating and now up close to her he noticed that she wore a hyacinth blue eyeliner. He felt as if he had come under a spell similar to the frog being hypnotized as it's belly is being rubbed. “I was hearing things.., music. Did you hear it?” “Of course Arthur I heard it, did you want anything?” “No.. no.. just wanted to know… ah, what does the ‘C’ stand for in your name.” “Ceridwen, see you Wednesday Arthur. Look forward to this semester with you.” “Yes see you Miss Downs, see you Wednesday morning.” The four friends walk to the second period class that they are taking together. It is U.S. History with Mr. Ben Baldur. He was a well-liked teacher at the high school and really enjoyed teaching his subject matter. He had been teaching at Chardain High for 20 years. As the boys walked in he greeted them. "Welcome young soldiers, welcome in these hallowed halls of the great Republic. Please sign the register for funding purposes and then have a seat.” The boys signed in and took seats in the front of the room, continuing their conversations until it was class time. “Students rise please and say with me the pledge of allegiance.” The class in a haphazard fashion said the pledge. It would get better over the year. It was a goal of Mr. Ben Baldur's that the pledge of allegiance would sound better at the term’s end than it sounded at the term’s beginning, due in large part to his students new found appreciation for living in the United States of America. “O.K. homework for the semester is getting a copy of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and start reading it. First quiz on chapter one is a week from Friday, that’s two weeks for you mathematically challenged out there. Two weeks, first quiz on Thomas Paine’s Common Sense. Class dismissed.” The students pour out of the classroom and spread out across the campus like quail heading only who knows where. As the school day ended Arthur asked Ira and Kanu if they wanted to see a white rock they found at the cypress quarry. They said sure and the four of them were off one following the other as they drove their cars out to the cypress rock quarry. “It’s back here, followed me and Wain.” They walked past the abandoned house and went straight into the woods. Soon they were standing at the white rock next to the cave entrance. They jumped up on the rock just large enough for the four of them to stand on and marveled at how smooth and round it was. “Look here in the center of the stone. It looks like a crack, as if something was embedded in it, see the crack, looks like the blade of the Excalibur could fit right into it.” Wain points out the crack as he bends down to have a closer look at it. “Look Arthur, it is in the perfect outline of a blade that was at least 5 inches wide at the butt or hilt of the sword. This was a serious weapon if that’s what it was.” All four of the young men were now studying the indentation in the milky white stone. They were quite now looking at the strange stones features that made it seem so out of place. Then Kanu spoke up. “It’s Merlin's magic carpet, he surfed it over here after the knights were disbanded. He got it originally while in the south seas drinking some ambrosia with the Phoenician shamans and their ladies thousands of years ago. He broke it out for the Knights of the Round Table and then after Camelot was finished it ended up here, like I said, Merlin's magic carpet.” “O. K. like we were not going to ask. What’s in the bear’s lair, like you have not been exploring that place” he says pointing towards the entrance” Ira said. “Athur blurts out: ‘forgot the lamps’. He continues with his protest: “it’s real dark in there, nothing really”. “Little quartz, dank water, lots of bats, not much else really.” “Hey dude its o.k. I won’t trespass on your find, whatever it is. I was just curious.” Ira looks at Kanu: “Sure Ira I understand. It’s not real exciting in there, just another cave really.” “I don’t know why but my gut level feeling is that you in fact found something in there and this strange rock table has something to do with it. Do I get a read on that Ira?” “That’s a loud clear read K. what’s up Arthur? You guys on to something here?” Just then the big white clear rock begins to move under their feet. “Oh man what is it an earthquake or something” Wain calls out. Ira says “I just hope it isn't that power plant over there”. “Man I think it’s this rock we are standing on” Arthur says. The boys stayed put and waited for the rock to steady which it did when all four of them were paying attention to the movement while looking down at the rock. Several seconds later they looked up at each other and together said “wow”. “That was strange. I have never seen any rock like this before.” Arthur jumped off the rock, Ira followed, then Wain leaving Kanu to do his best surfing imitation on the white round stone. “Listen you guys we will meet you here tomorrow at twilight or around 7 which ever is first. We want to show you something in the cave. Bring your little lamps.” “So we nailed them” Ira says turning to Kanu who laughs. “Ira and Kanu can smell rats man, we busted you guys.” They all laugh in agreement “up to no good but the truth comes out. We have our lamps dudes, see you tomorrow evening, 7’s twilight is a good time for us, right Ira?” They all agree, ‘see you two tomorrow then’. “High adventure is about to start for the Knights of the Round Table again Wain.” “Sounds of it good Knight Arthur, tomorrow then to see you two good knights once again in the evening twilight..” “Sure Wain see you and the good Knight Arthur in tomorrow’s eve.” “Let’s get out of here Ira.” Arthur says as they run out to their cars: “It’s a pitch twilight now, be a hand’s black real quick now!” “We agree good knight, lets get out of here before that rock decides to come with us as well.” They all laugh and scamper out of there like four young hares on the way to their warm burrows. It was warm inside the Twilight house that night. Merry was baking some beer cake and practicing her recorder. A candle burned on a small end table in the living room. She enjoyed sitting in front of her music stand playing Telemann on her recorder while watching the flame dance to the pitch of her notes. Over the years she even learned to watch the flames of candles respond to visitors as they would be visiting the Twilight's home. She observed that those who were truthful had an expansive effect on the flames size and those who had not the truth in them seemed to smother the candle's flame. She was baking when Arthur came down stairs from his bedroom. He went into the living room, sitting on the couch to read his copy of 'Common Sense' by Thomas Paine. The first chapter was short enough and relatively painless to read. He seemed to even enjoy the cadence of the writer’s 1776 language and what it was that Thomas Paine was saying way back then at the Nation's founding. When he had finished the first chapter his mother had already gone to bed. He turned the lights off downstairs and went off towards his bedroom, stopping off to brush his teeth, then it was off to bed quickly and sweet sleep. A small candle burned in a clay candle holder that was set on the front window sill of the living room. Next day it was raining hard. As children were running into the buildings at school Arthur and Wain sat out in the Datsun just waiting for the rain to break. They were not listening to the radio as the electrical storm overhead was in full force. Wain pretending says: “How about a little electric guitar about now” faking a move for the radio knob. They laugh with Arthur saying back to his friend “electrifying thought” but I think we have enough ‘lightning in a bottle’ for today.” “Electrify thought my good Knight Arthur. Does school sound its call to us now?” “Yes I hear it afar calling out to me.. ‘help’ so our duty calls good Knight Wain.” “Yes our good duty calls Knight Arthur.” They slowly get out of the Datsun, lock the doors and run for the school buildings. It was as a gray black pitched morning, looked more like evening. The friends walked into their classes patiently waiting until the bell rang for dismissal at 2:45 that afternoon. It had rained on and off all day and was still looking like a pitch gray afternoon. As they were leaving Luna and Blossom catch up to them. They looked at the two young men and smiled. The young knights smiled back and asked them how they were. “We are fine and yourselves, how are you guys doing?" "First few days of school can be bad or good depending on how you look at it I guess. " The 'Social /Medical - Physician program' is great, I think I'm going to like it." You Arthur you got any good classes this semester?" "Well it's hard not to like Mr. Ben Baldur’s U.S.History." “O.K. my favorite teacher, excellent! I will see you there good man.” They laugh together and Arthur says to them: "you want to go to the New Links Cafe?" They pounce: “sure enough, lead the way good men.” Off like the free spirits they are they drive off into downtown Long Island. “Oh my full name is Blossom Rosenkreutz and you are a knight Arthur.” Arthur heard it clear as a bell. “Blossom Rosenkreutz that’s a nice name very templar sounding, your dad a bond salesman or something?" he says back to her in his mind. "Yes" loud as bell, it reverberated in his ears for a few seconds. "Like it, Blossom Rosenkreutz, the rosy cross." " Thanks. My parents are big on flowers, told me my color reminded them of a pink rose when I was born.” “Sounds like you have nice parents Miss Blossom Rosenkreutz..” “I do.” And you Arthur your parents?” “Fine as fine!” “So good talking to you this way Blossom Rosenkreutz, I must say it is invigorating. I have never had E.S.P. with anyone before. My parents but that doesn't count because you like want that to happen. That's stacking the deck a little bit, but you, you are talking to me as we are driving to the New Links Cafe right now and that, good lady Blossom Rosenkreutz, is unique.” They pulled into the parking lot of the New Links Café, parked next to each other, got out, locked their cars, and walked into the cafe. The first thing Arthur noticed about Blossom when they sat down was her mouth and her beautiful full lips. She seemed to be speaking with them while she smiled at him. Once seated they ordered herb and green teas along with some hot buttered whole grain bran muffins. “What do you think of Thomas Paine?” Arthur was taken back by the question momentarily then said, “I like him very much. You obviously got through the first chapter, what do you think of him?”“I like him. I look forward to reading the work for Mr. Baldur's class. You?” “Yes, ten fold! I must say good lady I look forward to this shared academic experience with you as well.” “Mutual good knight Arthur Twilight. By the way, that is quite a ‘sir name, ‘Twilight’ you say?” “Old Welsh my Lady.” “You say, the old Welsh?” After a moments reflection she said: “Why Arthur you must be the lad eternal found on the borderlands in the Westland’s.” “Must be my fine lady. And you are you the Blossom of the sun come to brighten my life, yes?” “I am fine knight Arthur and you are such a pleasure to behold. You must come, sweet man, to my cabin out on the point of Long Island. My parents won’t even know your out there. It’s out on the sounds tip, 5 miles from here.” Arthur could have died right there but he knew it was only twilight with the night soon behind. “I am here to serve and to do your bidding good lady. I must call my parents and let them know I will be running late tonight.” Arthur felt as if he was in a dream as he looked into her bright shining face. He felt at peace with the world. They left the New Links Café leaving Wain and Luna to drive home in Luna's car. They spent the twilight evening sitting on the porch of Blossom's cabin that was set off from the main house. They talked into the dark night. "Is that Plum Island out there Blossom?" "The one and only, bugs central." "Hope security is better there than at our power plants. Tough occupation lately. The D.N.A. sequencing and vaccine knowledge base is under assault around the world, the world press has picked it up finally. Guess they got a bug in their ear." they laugh then are quiet looking out on the evening dusk. After a few minutes Arthur said, "The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta is a mess. We need to get that place together or it could be a big problem for us, asleep at the wheel of fortune." "Could be, good knight, but you will protect me from such phlegma, The corpus of industry in all its glory is very uncontrolled and very powerful. Seems to me that business runs most the governments of the world today. And checks and balances of government have nothing on change in the business world. Dangerous mix... Arthur, hold me in your arms." Laughing, they hugged, touched and kissed each other as they drifted out into the far distances of the starry night. They saw a falling meteor, it seemed to fill them with courage, as their blood ran thick. They reminisced about old friends, parties, while laughing into the night out on the Long Island sound. It was a special night for them and was over as quick as it had come, gone like a dream ending or the glow of a fire's embers fading to cool. "I must take leave of you now good lady. My parents are expecting me home now. I do hope to see you again very soon." "You will Arthur, my good man, you will." A fine mist filled the night and covered the waters of the sound. Like a dew from heaven or a hot pool of molten lead splashing into the cold waters Arthur Twilight takes leave of Blossom Rosenkreutz. The rush of love he felt for Blossom was fixed in his heart like a lode stone found and treasured. The next day at Chardain High Arthur was talking to his good friend Wain. Together they sat at the black stone the air full of chivalrous talk of maidens and new friends made. In truth telling tales filled with the beauty and honor found in life for them all. They are like islands on the mirrored lake, these 24 Knights of the Round Table and their band of friends. Walking into Miss Ceridwen Downs’s classroom they noticed that she was not standing up front rather she was walking in the back of the classroom. As they took their seats in the back of the classroom she walked by them. “My good knights with the lively imaginations. How are you both this dark, cold morning?” Arthur feeling decidedly uncomfortable with her comments and close proximity took out his smoky quartz and set it on his desktop. She did not bat an eyelash walking over to his desk to look at the quartz rock. “Smokey quartz, an excellent subtle occulting occlusion quality, even transparent but occlusion with a very faint trace of smokiness. Very nice specimen. Get it just north of town? The old rock quarry?” Arthur was non-pulsed for a moment, catching his breath and composure he replied to the tall, raven-haired teacher. ”No east over the highlands out by the swamps.” He knew, she knew he was lying about the location but he did not care. He did not want to tell her where he found the crystal or anything else for that matter. “The occluded yet transparent qualities are very nice Arthur. You are a very interesting specimen Arthur. Do you like the Ancient Greeks, I so hope you do. I just love Plato. Perhaps we will read the Republic this semester. I have read it many times. And you my good knight have you read the philosopher yet?” “By time I was 16.” “Oh you are something else Mr. Arthur Twilight, I am going to have to keep my eye on the philosopher ruler as well as the round table knight this semester.” She walks to the front of the class calling it to order. The rest of the morning in her class was like time in a refrigerated meat locker. At the bell they booked out of there heading for their U.S.History class with Mr. Ben Baldur. As they walk along they meet Ira Johannes and Kanu Wavs in the halls moving along to their next class. “U.S.History, long live the Republic” Ira calls out to his friends as they approach each other. They responded with, “long Live the Republic.” It is the anthem for the young knights. They walk into the classroom together. Mr. Ben Baldur gives them a wide broad smile as he stands at his desk watching his classroom fill up like a warm tub of water spiraling in like a torrent of life, rushing to the river of life. “O.K. troops pull the dangerous book out. Anyone not having a copy could be lined up against the wall and given a vaccination.” The class laughs. “And you think I’m kidding do you?’ Saying nothing more on the subject of mandatory vaccinations he moves on to the task at hand. “Anyone get a chance yet to break this thing open?” holding the book up to the class, spotting Amy raising her hand he says: “yes!” The class laughs and once again another school year unfolds as it had for years in his class’s. Learning was safe here in this classroom today. “I like him. Really I do and I think it is going to very informative to read this book.” A few of the students could be heard laughing at what they had just heard but for the most part Thomas Paine and his Common Sense had captured one more of Mr. Ben Baldur’s classes. Outside the fall colors of the tree's leaves mixed in the mornings still gray pitch of an overcast morning.. “I think it is a great work.” It was Blossom speaking up, then Jasmine raised her hand and said the same: “I liked it too”. A few other students called out that they thought it was hard to read due to the vernacular of that 1776 era. The class erupted into a torrent of opinion and descent. Mr. Ben Baldur called out to his class, arms raised over his head, the class slowly coming to repose.. momentarily, in a minute or so. “As you can see this is a work that gets people worked up. Remember a week for this Friday, next Friday right? We are having a pop quiz. Got it? Now anyone want to volunteer to read the first paragraph, you can read more if you wish.” Blossom raised her hand immediately and Mr. Baldur called on her. He could recognize students who got it immediately and never failed to draw them in to the round of the class’s learning curve. They were a class’s pulse, if they did not show the whole ordeal was for naught. The chargers were the leaven of the classroom and Mr. Ben Baldur knew this. She started reading from the introduction to Common Sence as the class fell into a near total silence, the words now ringing true once again as they have for hundreds of years. Thomas Paines 'Common Sense' “Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.” Blossom looked up at Mr.Baldur, smiled wide and sat down. Hands flew up to read the next paragraph. Mr. Baldur flashed a big smile at his enthusiastic class and called upon another student to read aloud. Thomas Paines 'Common Sense' "As a long and violent abuse of power, is generally the Means of calling the right of it in question (and in matters too which might never have been thought of, had not the Sufferers been aggravated into the inquiry) and as the King of England had undertaken in his own Right, to support the Parliament in what he calls Theirs, and as the good people of this country are grievously oppressed by the combination, they have an undoubted privilege to inquire into the pretensions of both, and equally to reject the usurpation of either." Ira Johannes raised his hand. Mr Baldur called on him. "'They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety'. What about Ben Franklin wasn't he even more influential Mr Thomas Paine. He was an inventor with discoveries that we still benefit from today and he was a thinker, prided himself in being a patriot and was after all a founding father of this Democratic Republic the United States of America. Mr. Paine on the other hand does not even come close to these accomplishments of Mr. Ben Franklin." The class broke out in open discussions among themselves. Mr. Baldur smiled at the class, smiling at them is sheer joy because the enthusiasm of the class was for him what teaching was all about. He found the classes response to Ira's comments exhilarating. Someone could be heard saying, "Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead." Laughing, a student calls out to his classmates 'hey that sounds like a motto for the Hell's Angels but it was old Franklin who coined that phrase wasn't it Ira?" 'That's right' now Ira and several of his friends were having a Franklin quote fest as Mr Baldur patiently waited for the classes attention to return to him as he patiently stood at the front of the class listening to the students exchanges. 'Opportunity is the great baud.' I thought that was" in a faint Welsh accent Wain Wright says, "Lady Anna I presume." The class laughs at his theatrics. Mr. Baldur joined in at this point saying, "I'm looking". The class laughed at his comment and liked the fact that he was with the class in spirit enough to chime in with the witticisms as well. 'What is serving God? Tis doing Good to Man' or 'better to say prayers than to say no prayers at all' - 'that's my quote man' Kanu says to Ira, not bad huh?" "He that lieth down with Dogs, shall rise up with Fleas." "1962-63 Whiskey a Go Go Sunset Bl. Hollywood, California was the epicenter for the dope dogs. It was a mix of government, organized crime and entertainers that came up with a plan to make some extra cash. It boomeranged on a lot of people, stringing out thousands of artists, middle class parents, kids and anybody else in the way." 'That's Franklin?' someone asked. 'No that's what my dad told me. He was around those parts back then working for the government. Says a lot of lives, ambitions and abilities were diverted, via this altering." 'The worst wheel of a cart makes the most noise' that is a Franklin quote. I think it has some connection to what you just said about the narcotic ride of those years. Lines of white powders connected to cables of white noise to railroaded in paradise." After a minute of the classes fermenting he raises his arms and starts waving the class down, like a conductor calling an orchestras attention to quite. "Ira makes a good point and as you can hear his quotes are remember today though often people don't even know who coined them to begin with. Rest assured we will cover Mr. Ben Franklin with our study of the founding fathers. Mr. Franklin was and is a lynch pin of the great Democratic Republic of these United States of America. Clearly from your demonstrative outpouring I think we can all agree on that." Arms shot up across the classroom. He thought to himself this is going to get started into something that will take us away for the task at hand. I think we better head on with Paine or we will be with Franklin for the rest of the period. Ira must have been talking about this with his fellow patriot R.O.T.C. brothers and sisters. Patriot American youth, great to see, he thought to himself. If he could only bottle it and give it back to them when they hit their 50's and would then need this jet stream of fresh and enthusiastic energy. "Alright back to 'Common Sense' and Mr. Thomas Paine please class. Yes Jim would you like to continue with the reading?" "Yes sir I would." "Head on good man." They were off and running, education and America were in full stride that morning. The chimes of freedom were ringing like wisps of clear winter air, chilled by the wind, nipping now at the ears, it could be heard, it could be felt. As the student finished reading his or her paragraph hands would fly in the air to do the next reading. The students would read paragraph after paragraph and so it went for the rest of the 45 minute class getting well into the body of the text. Thomas Paines 'Common Sense' "In the following sheets, the author hath studiously avoided every thing which is personal among ourselves. Compliments as well as censure to individuals make no part thereof. The wise, and the worthy, need not the triumph of a pamphlet; and those whose sentiments are injudicious, or unfriendly, will cease of themselves unless too much pains are bestowed upon their conversion." Thomas Paines 'Common Sense' "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. Many circumstances hath, and will arise, which are not local, but universal, and through which the principles of all Lovers of Mankind are affected, and in the Event of which, their Affections are interested. The laying of a Country desolate with Fire and Sword, declaring War against the natural rights of all Mankind, and extirpating the Defenders thereof from the Face of the Earth, is the Concern of every Man to whom Nature hath given the Power of feeling; of which Class, regardless of Party Censures, is the THE AUTHOR. "P.S. The Publication of this new Edition hath been delayed, with a View of taking notice (had it been necessary) of any Attempt to refute the Doctrine of Independence: As no Answer hath yet appeared, it is now presumed that none will, the Time needful for getting such a Performance ready for the Public being considerably past." |