Serendipidus
India was flooded by the melted ice of the mountains. There was no way of knowing what city or town lurked beneath them. They sailed across the lake, seeing flowered garlands floating in the water and decorative temple spires poking through the water’s surface, while the smell of curry lofted in the air.
“Yes, we must be in India,” said Sullie. “I always loved Indian food.”
They continued as far as they could until the sleigh hit mud and could go no further. With wobbly knees they fell out of the sleigh and onto soggy land. Once again, not a soul was in sight.
“They must have escaped to higher land,” said Captain Namouth.
“If they made it to higher land,” replied Father Seppi. “God save their souls.”
The group walked through a small village, even daring to enter homes looking for human life, or at least proof that human life once existed. Jimmy entered a house and ran outside screaming. “It’s Merlin! I found Merlin! Merlin is here!”
“Merlin?” Sullie questioned, running to the house.
All rushed to meet this magical Merlin, only to find an aged yogi levitating in the lotus position.
“What in the world is he doing?” asked Captain Namouth.
“Levitating, meditating,” said Sullie with wide-eyed fascination. “I never knew it was possible.”
“It’s not,” said Poindexter. “It’s scientifically impossible.”
“Yes, but with our minds we were able to make plants bloom?” retorted Sullie. “Explain that, Doctor.”
“Look lady, I am tired of you challenging everything I say and do. You’re just some crazy witch who believes that concocting some spell or rubbing beads and crystals will save the world. You, lady, are a hack.”
Sullie put her hands on her hips. “I’m a hack? I’m not the laughing stock of the entire scientific community.”
Captain Namouth lit his pipe and puffed. “If you ask me, you’re all on the wrong side of loony.” He nodded at Father Seppi. “Except you father, you travel with the good word of the Lord.”
Father Seppi clenched his drenched Bible. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Oh please!” argued Sullie. “That’s his problem; he uses it as a shield, too afraid to truly face the problems of the world. That’s what Anzor has been trying to tell you, but you’re too scared.”
“I’m here on this ill-conceived journey. I did believe in you people, but you are reaching in so many directions, like that of a jagged old tree,” Father Seppi replied.
Captain Namouth approached the yogi. “I wonder what this old codger’s secret is?” He felt around the yogi’s body. “There are no strings, no ropes. There is nothing keeping him up.”
“Devilish tricks, I suspect,” said Father Seppi. “What defies nature, defies God. Must be the work of the Devil. This is all the world of the Devil.”
Venetia turned to them all. “We have no idea who he is, or how he is doing it. Open minds, good hearts and best intentions got us this far. We cannot lose our minds over something we cannot understand.”
“For God’s sake, shut up!” echoed a voice through the room.
The group silenced themselves, glanced around the room and then at the motionless yogi.
Venetia turned toward the man and smiled prettily. “Hello.”
The yogi did not respond.
“Excuse me, Sir,” continued Venetia. “I am supermodel Venetia De Mille. These are my friends Poindexter, Captain Namouth, Jimmy, Sullie and Father Seppi. We have traveled around the world in search of answers to save the world.”
The yogi did not flinch.
“Good wise Sir, we have tried science, magic, prayer and meditation. We have after all this time made a connection to the Earth and believe we have the ability to start healing, but we must get home to tell the others…if the others are still alive,” explained Venetia.
The voice radiated through the room, “Yet the Earth still does not move.”
“Sorcery!” replied Father Seppi.
“I bet this is just a hologram and there is some wise one lurking behind one of these walls. It’s like that movie Oz. Somewhere behind these walls is an old man with a sense of humor,” said Captain Namouth.
Venetia gestured for Captain Namouth to remain quiet as she too looked around to see where the voice was coming from. “You’re right. The Earth is not spinning.”
“What do you expect us to do—the whole world jog in one direction to get it jump started?” joked Captain Namouth.
“You know, your remarks are not just disrespectful, they’re stupid,” said Sullie.
“Too bad there was never a man to put you in your place,” Captain Namouth retorted.
Sullie scoffed. “No woman would have you on land, so you took a plastic doll with you out to sea.”
“Enough!” scolded the voice. “Is this the best humanity has to offer? If so, then we are all doomed.
Sullie and Captain Namouth lowered their heads.
“And you, Doctor and Father, separating yourselves with theories and ideologies and stealing from one another for self-gratification. What is this?”
Father Sappi and Poindexter bowed ashamed.
“Sir, we apologize, it’s been a long, exhausting trip. They are good people,” said Venetia.
“And you,” echoed the voice.
“Me?” asked Venetia.
“Your heart is bitter with distaste. You spread love around with the creatures of the world, but you have chosen a life of isolation, away from those you fear and judge.”
Venetia jerked her head to the side. The yogi’s magical words struck her core, seemingly knowing the distance at which she positioned herself from the nuns at the convent, the girls at the home, her fellow models and even, at times, her own group. Why do I do this? How does the yogi know?
“We are one. With universal consciousness the impossible becomes possible,” the voice echoed. “If you cannot reach a state of utter oneness with each other, how do you expect to solve anything? Separated the world will crumble; together the world will thrive.”
“So, we’re to meditate on the universe, like we did with the plants?” asked Sullie. “We brought plants back to life; we can bring the universe to order.”
“No,” bellowed the voice. “What brought you to me? What brought you together?”
Venetia and her group looked dumbfounded. It was the riddle of all riddles; the riddle that would save mankind. Venetia walked outside the house, followed by the others. She looked up at the setting sun and reflected on her journey. It began at sunrise on the other side of the Earth and here she was with the sun about to set. Is this the end, or is it just beginning?
“Now what?” asked Jimmy.
Venetia closed her eyes tightly, trying desperately to meditate. A tingling sensation suddenly came over her body and she found herself enveloped in a warm white veil of peace. She opened her eyes. She couldn’t believe it; it was a vulture circling in the sky.
Daringly, Venetia raised her arm to the sky. The vulture soared downward and landed firmly on her wrist. She looked into the vulture’s eyes. “Consciousness is the core of humanity. It can be a curse or it can be a cure,” said the vulture in the voice of the yogi. “Only humanity can decide how to break the curse and be the cure.
“But how?” asked Venetia.
“It only takes one to break the spell.” The bird soared away into the sky, disappearing from sight.
“Yes, we must be in India,” said Sullie. “I always loved Indian food.”
They continued as far as they could until the sleigh hit mud and could go no further. With wobbly knees they fell out of the sleigh and onto soggy land. Once again, not a soul was in sight.
“They must have escaped to higher land,” said Captain Namouth.
“If they made it to higher land,” replied Father Seppi. “God save their souls.”
The group walked through a small village, even daring to enter homes looking for human life, or at least proof that human life once existed. Jimmy entered a house and ran outside screaming. “It’s Merlin! I found Merlin! Merlin is here!”
“Merlin?” Sullie questioned, running to the house.
All rushed to meet this magical Merlin, only to find an aged yogi levitating in the lotus position.
“What in the world is he doing?” asked Captain Namouth.
“Levitating, meditating,” said Sullie with wide-eyed fascination. “I never knew it was possible.”
“It’s not,” said Poindexter. “It’s scientifically impossible.”
“Yes, but with our minds we were able to make plants bloom?” retorted Sullie. “Explain that, Doctor.”
“Look lady, I am tired of you challenging everything I say and do. You’re just some crazy witch who believes that concocting some spell or rubbing beads and crystals will save the world. You, lady, are a hack.”
Sullie put her hands on her hips. “I’m a hack? I’m not the laughing stock of the entire scientific community.”
Captain Namouth lit his pipe and puffed. “If you ask me, you’re all on the wrong side of loony.” He nodded at Father Seppi. “Except you father, you travel with the good word of the Lord.”
Father Seppi clenched his drenched Bible. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Oh please!” argued Sullie. “That’s his problem; he uses it as a shield, too afraid to truly face the problems of the world. That’s what Anzor has been trying to tell you, but you’re too scared.”
“I’m here on this ill-conceived journey. I did believe in you people, but you are reaching in so many directions, like that of a jagged old tree,” Father Seppi replied.
Captain Namouth approached the yogi. “I wonder what this old codger’s secret is?” He felt around the yogi’s body. “There are no strings, no ropes. There is nothing keeping him up.”
“Devilish tricks, I suspect,” said Father Seppi. “What defies nature, defies God. Must be the work of the Devil. This is all the world of the Devil.”
Venetia turned to them all. “We have no idea who he is, or how he is doing it. Open minds, good hearts and best intentions got us this far. We cannot lose our minds over something we cannot understand.”
“For God’s sake, shut up!” echoed a voice through the room.
The group silenced themselves, glanced around the room and then at the motionless yogi.
Venetia turned toward the man and smiled prettily. “Hello.”
The yogi did not respond.
“Excuse me, Sir,” continued Venetia. “I am supermodel Venetia De Mille. These are my friends Poindexter, Captain Namouth, Jimmy, Sullie and Father Seppi. We have traveled around the world in search of answers to save the world.”
The yogi did not flinch.
“Good wise Sir, we have tried science, magic, prayer and meditation. We have after all this time made a connection to the Earth and believe we have the ability to start healing, but we must get home to tell the others…if the others are still alive,” explained Venetia.
The voice radiated through the room, “Yet the Earth still does not move.”
“Sorcery!” replied Father Seppi.
“I bet this is just a hologram and there is some wise one lurking behind one of these walls. It’s like that movie Oz. Somewhere behind these walls is an old man with a sense of humor,” said Captain Namouth.
Venetia gestured for Captain Namouth to remain quiet as she too looked around to see where the voice was coming from. “You’re right. The Earth is not spinning.”
“What do you expect us to do—the whole world jog in one direction to get it jump started?” joked Captain Namouth.
“You know, your remarks are not just disrespectful, they’re stupid,” said Sullie.
“Too bad there was never a man to put you in your place,” Captain Namouth retorted.
Sullie scoffed. “No woman would have you on land, so you took a plastic doll with you out to sea.”
“Enough!” scolded the voice. “Is this the best humanity has to offer? If so, then we are all doomed.
Sullie and Captain Namouth lowered their heads.
“And you, Doctor and Father, separating yourselves with theories and ideologies and stealing from one another for self-gratification. What is this?”
Father Sappi and Poindexter bowed ashamed.
“Sir, we apologize, it’s been a long, exhausting trip. They are good people,” said Venetia.
“And you,” echoed the voice.
“Me?” asked Venetia.
“Your heart is bitter with distaste. You spread love around with the creatures of the world, but you have chosen a life of isolation, away from those you fear and judge.”
Venetia jerked her head to the side. The yogi’s magical words struck her core, seemingly knowing the distance at which she positioned herself from the nuns at the convent, the girls at the home, her fellow models and even, at times, her own group. Why do I do this? How does the yogi know?
“We are one. With universal consciousness the impossible becomes possible,” the voice echoed. “If you cannot reach a state of utter oneness with each other, how do you expect to solve anything? Separated the world will crumble; together the world will thrive.”
“So, we’re to meditate on the universe, like we did with the plants?” asked Sullie. “We brought plants back to life; we can bring the universe to order.”
“No,” bellowed the voice. “What brought you to me? What brought you together?”
Venetia and her group looked dumbfounded. It was the riddle of all riddles; the riddle that would save mankind. Venetia walked outside the house, followed by the others. She looked up at the setting sun and reflected on her journey. It began at sunrise on the other side of the Earth and here she was with the sun about to set. Is this the end, or is it just beginning?
“Now what?” asked Jimmy.
Venetia closed her eyes tightly, trying desperately to meditate. A tingling sensation suddenly came over her body and she found herself enveloped in a warm white veil of peace. She opened her eyes. She couldn’t believe it; it was a vulture circling in the sky.
Daringly, Venetia raised her arm to the sky. The vulture soared downward and landed firmly on her wrist. She looked into the vulture’s eyes. “Consciousness is the core of humanity. It can be a curse or it can be a cure,” said the vulture in the voice of the yogi. “Only humanity can decide how to break the curse and be the cure.
“But how?” asked Venetia.
“It only takes one to break the spell.” The bird soared away into the sky, disappearing from sight.
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