The Sylph stared at me. “Aren’t you scared of dying?”
“No,” I said, “because first I will have the happiness I’ve desired for so long.”
“Kaliskiki,”172 the second Sylph shouted. “Be careful what you are doing. This man is different than common mortals. The law orders us to cast everyone who is met on the Laeteecaklak173 way into the Ceolbhaume,174 but whoever is found on the Zi-al-bis175 way does not fear death and thus he is special and in this case the law says that every foreigner shall live if does not fear death.”
My Sylph guards gave in to the sage advice of the one who seemed to be protecting me. They went a little ways off and held a kind of council. It was decided that they would purify me in the Lakindakis176 and during my ablution they would tell the Sovereign all about me. Then, one of the Sylphs left and the others carried me higher into the sky. When I had climbed hundreds of leagues into the sky, the extraordinary brightness of the stars was so strong that I could not stand the fire and I had to close my eyes in spite of my overwhelming desire to see the marvelous beauties that filled the Heavens.
Oh Lamekis, I cannot describe this brightness except by saying that it was stronger than anything you can imagine and despite veiling my eyes I saw through my eyelids the greatest spectacle the mind could ever dream of. What words could describe this magnificent sight? Only a divine mouth could express it and if it did, what mortal could understand?
Try to imagine, if you can, the combination of everything the human mind can conceive along with everything that fiction can imagine. The sky was violet purple, transparent and bold, and shining like with a million suns, each brighter than the next. Great starry circles of different colors seemed to support the vast immensity of the Heavens. In every direction there was no end to be seen because there was no end. Extension was followed by space and space by extension.
I looked straight up over my head and saw an extraordinary, opaque mass in the shape of a bee with outstretched wings. It was as big as the biggest whale and its back was covered with scales, moving as it breathed. It had countless feet in perpetual motion and when they rubbed against each other it sounded like the clatter of swords. As for its head, it is hard to say. It was like no other species of animal. Its face was long and square, shaped like a trapezoid, wider on top. In each of the angles near the collar were swellings in which were housed octagonal eyes whose visual point was a kind of sharp arrow that darted in and out like the swinging pendulum of a clock. At the other end of the head was a wide beak like an ostrich. The animal breathed so heavily that the beak opened and closed to pump the air in and out. The feet of this enormous bee had three claws that each had a human head hanging from it and each of their faces was twisted into a different expression of despair. Instead of hair on the animal’s belly it was covered with crystal plates layered like roof tiles, but shining brightly and each with an image of a star on which you could see land, cities and people but all of it quite strange and far different from ours.
I was so astonished by all this and especially by the hideous hanging heads, whose desperate expressions were constantly changing, that it took a long time for me to realize my situation. Feeling all wet and starting to lose courage, I opened my eyes. You can’t imagine how horrified I was. I was swimming in a river of blood and being raised up steadily by a column of the same liquid. I looked up in the sky and what did I see? The beak of the hideous bee was opening. I thought it was just breathing, but it was actually trying with all its might to suck me in and swallow me. I lost my head then and started wriggling around and waving my arms in fear, like a drowning man. I struggled to escape the looming danger, but my efforts were useless. The column rose higher and I was soon in range of the deadly beak. Then the monster shook its huge head, moved forward, opened its mouth wide, sniffed and swallowed me whole.
I closed my eyes in horror. I felt myself being ground up, like wheat grain in a mill, by a rack of teeth that were as sharp as razors. My soul was soon separated from my body, but by an unheard of marvel every part of my hacked up body felt its own pain. Only my eyes remained whole and slipped through its teeth. They watched the gruesome dismemberment of the body that they had once belonged to and recognized the soul that looked like a coiled spring, struggling to escape the bee’s crop engulfing it like a pocket closed tight, but in vain.
Besides their normal abilities my eyes seemed to have taken on those of my other senses, which had so often affected them. Worried about what was happening to their body they looked around in the huge belly of the fly. Since there was light filtering through everywhere it was easy for them to see what was happening inside the animal’s stomach. The limbs were not yet ground up enough to be unrecognizable, but the animal’s muscles, like a thousand hammers, were beating them so hard that they were gradually losing their distinctiveness and were being mixed up with the boiling blood that was thickening and changing color.
My eyes could find no trace of my head in the munching belly of the awful bee, but found it near the heart. It was full of holes spitting out a red, fiery spirit that slowly seared the skull. The brain looked as black as ink and throbbed as wildly as the flank of a steed after a long run.
I was astonished at how my eyes could think without a soul, but I soon got over this surprise when I saw that there was a fiber at the end of my pupils that was connected to other lineaments coming from my soul, which stiffened as it struggled to escape.
I was still in wonder at all this when my eyes were attacked by a horde of insects that were obviously born out of the putrefaction. They were so small that if there were not so many to make a thick cloud of them, it would have been hard to see a single one of them. They were round with a stinger that kept pricking my eyes, which were missing their eyelids that could have warded off the repeated assaults, but instead the liquid in my eyes poured out into the animal’s beak. Despite its being emptied, the liquid could still feel in horror the animal’s tongue licking it and sucking it down into the stomach where it finally lost all feeling, or better said where it became lethargic.
Meanwhile my soul, which was still trying to escape and reunite with its body, suddenly felt itself drawn up and enclosed again in the brain it had left. Then my eyes opened and I saw they were attached to the head and the head to the body, which seemed to wake up as if from a deep sleep. On closer examination, I found that I was back to myself and instead being inside that awful place, I was sitting on the back of the bee whose carnivorous beak was doing all it could to swallow me back down. Scared of this I kept moving around to escape from it, but the bee’s neck was so flexible that my efforts to avoid becoming prey were in vain. The moment finally came when I was about to be gulped back down and suddenly a Sylph appeared, thundering out, “That’s enough! Scealgalis is satisfied.” With that the animal disappeared and losing my support, I tumbled in the air.
But there was nothing to fear! I was in the arms of the Sylph. He became invisible in an instant, but reappeared when he sneezed and smiled at me. “I got the mercy of the Island’s Sovereign and after the customary preparations I will introduce you to him.”
His words made me happy deep down inside. Lamekis, I cannot express how delightful the spiritual goods are. When I got to the foot of Scealgalis’ throne, I could not stand the divine sight. My soul felt like it was soaring off in pleasure, all my senses were lost and I became lethargic.
I was drawn out of the peaceful state by the melody of a chorus of divine voices. Why couldn’t I stay like that for a minute longer? But I opened my eyes and then closed them right away in horror. I was being skinned alive and my blood was pouring out of all my pores. Four Sylphs were there, wringing out my stripped skin like a wet sheet. Even though it no longer belonged to my flesh, I felt everything they did to the skin with convulsive pains.
I screamed so loudly that I quivered. A fifth Sylph came up, armed with a steel stylus whose point was as red as if it had just come out of a burning forge. “Dehahal,” it said, looking at me prou
dly. “There’s still time. You are suffering impatiently, but you can still stop your torments. The hide of your wretched body has not yet received the sacred marks. It’s up to you whether you want them or would rather go back to crawl on the Earth that your virtue pulled you off of. Think about it. But realize that you are the only one who has been given this royal gift from our divine Monarch without passing through the trial of 12 tables. This favor is worth more than a thousand lives. And realize, too, that if you go back to your old self, which he wants to strip you of completely, you will forever lose the goods that you aspired to for so long.”
“No, no,” I cried out in sorrow. “I’ll go back into nothingness before I think or act so cowardly. Do it! Skin me a thousand times, as long as I can rejoice in the supreme happiness of sharing in the sacred goods.”
I had barely finished speaking when the four Sylphs beat their wings and the air rang out with cheers. Silence followed and the four Sylphs stretched out my skin, each one pulling their side tight. The Intelligence with the stylus went up and with the burning, sharp point imprinted the following privilege, which was painfully engraved on my heart at the same time:
Privilege of Initiation:
“Scealgalis, by the grace of the Great Being, Ruler of all created Intelligences and all that will be, Dispenser of the divine rays that give life and take it away, hidden Creator of all the insects and reptiles, Driver of the great circles of the Universe, Primary Instigator of the internal and spiritual movements of earthly animals, Protector of sentiments, Alembic of all the natural and metaphysical sciences, Sole Possessor of the Great Work and of the liquefaction of all the fluid planets, Creator of all elixirs. For all the Sylphs, both white and black, emanating from the Great Being. Greetings. Our dear and well-beloved Kaagilgon, having humbly shown us that in the earthly formation of the Phoenician animal Dehahal, he would have been summoned, called and chosen to be his guide and spiritual leader and therefore he would have carried it out with so much care and diligence that the breath of the black spirit never would have tarnished the napping of Dehahal’s heart unless Kaagilgon had been fortunate enough to get hold of it so that he could inspire it with the desire to see us up close without any outside help, as was fitting. For this he prayed that we look upon his applicant’s grand character and more than human courage, trying to get us to grant our letters of grace to be received bodily on our divine Island under the conditions that conform to our laws, ways and customs and that he will never return to Earth, according to our just policy, for fear that our secrets will be revealed and profaned.
“For these reasons, wanting to treat Kaagilgon well and to recognize the vigilance, talent and zeal in his spirit, as well as to give him the signs of my wholly royal kindness, through the sealed gifts of my breath I grant him the right to bring the said Phoenician Ladinkakis, his student, and in addition, by special favor, I let him be eaten by the great bee, my honored insect that I hereby command to digest him but only on the condition that after the kneading is done it give up the applicant in one piece to Kaagilgon to skin him alive and afterwards to teach him my laws, ways and customs so that he can enjoy all the privileges that my unmatched gentleness grants to my subjects, except for invisibility and immateriality, which will only be granted to him three days after his death on the condition that this privilege be inscribed all along the applicant’s skin and this skin be handed over and hung in the treasury of my archives to be used accordingly. I command, entreat and order all the officers who are living on this Island and who are envoys to the earthly world to recognize Dehahal as one of my third class subjects and to take him by the hand so that he will enjoy all the favors that I have granted to him. I order my Loug-hou-kou177 to have all this published by my Laniska178 so that no one can pretend to be ignorant, despite the desperate shouting of the black spirits to oppose it. Given in my fantastic palace on the Island of the Sylphs with no date or year.”179
SCEALGALIS,
By the King without counsel, LOUG-HOU-KOU.”
When the privilege was engraved on my skin, the Sylph Kaagilgon was carried away with joy. He gave me the spiritual accolade and split his tongue, the greatest of all favors.180
But, Lamekis, I hope that what follows will show you how sweet it is to purchase bliss.
Hardly had my old human skin been deposited in the treasury of the archives181 when my wasted muscles were suddenly covered with a new one. And as soon as I was decked in this bodysuit my mind understood things in a completely different way than they had before. My once spellbound eyes saw clearly now and knew the truth.182
Only one essential formality was missing for my initiation: the sacred reading of the customs, laws and manners.183 Since it was the basis on which an aspirant had to rely and I had the right to share these treasures (when one is made worthy by the steadfastness shown in the trial of the 12 tables), and since I have the right to tell my story so that it might serve as an example and introduction,184 I will tell it accurately so that you can meditate well on it and make the right decision about what you still have to suffer before reaching your goal. For, as happy as you will be to get there, as much and more will you have reason to groan if you have qualms about such a divine state in your time of temptation. Then unhappiness will fall upon you and rage and desperation and an eternity of evils and suffering.185
After the extraordinary renewal of my skin, I was led in pomp to the Opaque Palace186 (where we are now) by Loug-hou-kou, flying at the head of countless Sylphs singing a divine hymn. After the first group came the semi-Sylphs on foot on the cloud Kikizigambis.187 In their mouths they had a kind of Triton horn instrument188 that made a sweet, melodic sound. Kaagilgon was at their head carrying a flag with a picture of the great bee vomiting out a mortal. The painting was transparent and drawn with sublime skill.
I followed the second-class inhabitants189 of the Island, dragged along by four semi-Sylphs by my hair with my belly to the ground. The march lasted 15 painful hours during which time I could not help silently cursing all philosophy and philosophers.190 However good we are deep down, the human always shows itself somewhere.
From where the procession began up to the avenue of the Opaque Palace, the third-class inhabitants191 of the Island lined up on the side of the road. In their hand they held a dish,192 like a chafing dish, that gave off a pleasant, fragrant smoke forming a big, thick cloud around them. The sound of the horns came from far enough away that it was no bother. Behind the row of citizens were the Sylph women193 covered with their Cankragard.194 Even though their form was different than our women, I could not help finding them attractive. The third line was formed by the mortal Peu-plau-keki195 of our species. I watched these beauties wantonly and if it were not for the painfully awful way I was being dragged, which was torturing me, I would have been very sorry to give up this eyeful. But it is terribly difficult for a soul to have sensual thoughts when the body is steeped in suffering.
After the Peu-plau-keki the march was closed off by the big Sylphan horses. The species astounded me: the animal’s head was like a stag but instead of ears it had two transparent wings; no neck, a perfectly round belly and instead of a tail it had a fan of feathers that opened and closed like wings. The horses were ridden by a different kind of semi-Sylph. I could not see their head, but they had an eye in each of their shoulders and their mouth was placed above their belly button. When they stretched out their arms I could see their ears covered by a bell-shaped layer of skin. Their hands were normal except that the fingers were attached with pliant flesh that let them move every which way. The strange bodies ended in large, fat thighs with rounded points at the end that made them jump instead of walk.
In the middle of their chest was a large nose whose nostrils were on the back, which they used as a trumpet—the different ways of touching it made different sounds.
I learned later that this strange species came from a people who lived on one of the nearby planets. One of their chief ministers had revolted against the fundam
ental laws, wanting to believe in a higher power than theirs, and was thrown off the planet and received by a Sylph who accepted him and his followers on this Island.
When we got to the gates of the grand avenue of the Opaque Palace, the parade stopped for an essential ceremony whose strict observation I thought would destroy the fulfillment of my happiness because I got so impatient.
The people were not allowed to go any farther. I had to separate from then at this moment and accept their compliments, though some decided to rant and rave at me. The Loug-hou-kou, a strict observer of custom, was very pleased to do me the honor of showing me to the assembly. He grabbed me by my ear196 and lifted me in the air while giving a heartfelt, elegant speech as a defense of my behavior during the trials and the reasons why I deserved the glorious benefit of initiation.
It was terribly hard for me to listen to my own panegyric. The orator would not stop and to make matters worse his bombastic speech was punctuated with such wild gestures that my poor ears were livid and flayed.
When the speech was over, the people applauded.197 It’s true, however, that I caught a glimpse of the cabal of critics and a few of them were protesting some of the bold compliments and daring rhetoric used by the orator. But they got over it and everyone approved the novelties.
I was put back down on the ground to accept the farewells from the audience. Each of the classes sent their deputies to congratulate me on becoming one of their members. The ceremony that went along with their compliments was not one of the least painful experiences I endured up to then. It was, however, a distinction that had to flatter my vanity since it was a sure sign of consideration that tickled me as delicately as you could when you want to make someone laugh, but which hurt me no less than the former pains.
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