Genuflect

by Tracy R Twyman

  AsIponderedthis,thephantomoftheoperationmadeitselfknown.Thepiebald twinhermaphroditenowsneakedupbehindRosenberg,whowasapplyingmore Lyle’stoitssibling’srectum,andstealthilyremovedalargepairofsurgical scissorslyingnexttothesewingmachineonthetable.Thenitopenedthemup, andspoke.

  “OhPaternoster!”itsaid,vibratingtheairintheroomwithavoiceofmany waters.Everyoneelseintheroom,mostofwhomhadnoticedthechildmoments earlierbutreactedveryslowly,begantobackawayfromthedissectiontablein fear.

  “Ah?”saidRosenberg,spinningaround.

  Hestillhadn’tachievedpenilepenetrationofhistarget,andinfactthechildstill seemedrelativelyintactinthatregard,judgingbywhatIsawperipherallyfrom myvantagepoint.NorwouldRosenberggetanotherchancetodeflowerit.The instantheturnedaround,thechild’sbrother/sisterremovedRosenberg’s manhoodexpertly,asifithaddonesoathousandtimesbefore,atthebirthofa thousanddifferentaeons.

  Ittookasecondforhimtorealizewhathadhappened.Hewasstillholdinghis peniswhenhenoticedthatitwasnolongerattachedtohim.Atfirsthejust droppedhisjawsilently,withhiseyeswidewithhorror.Thenhedroppedthe umbrellaonthedissectiontable,whereitgotcaughtupagainstthesewing machine.Finally,hedroppedtohiskneesashescreamedinpain,andhis attackerburiedthescissorsin‐betweenhisshoulderblades—afatalblow.The instantheletgoofthechildonthetable,thegreenlightfromabove,andthe

  horriblebloodsuckingcreaturesitrevealed,vanishedfrommyvision.

  Then,asiftobethorough,asiftoensurethatthispenisofterrorcouldnever againbeusedasaweaponagainstanotherchild,thepiebaldhermaphrodite caughtthegenitalsinitshandbeforetheyhittheground.Itbitoffbothtesticles, swallowedthem,andthrewthepenisintothepitwherebothtwinshadbeen born.Next,itgrabbeditssiblingaroundthewaistandbeganhelpingitdown fromthedissectiontable.IsawRosenberg’sbodystopmoving.Hewasgone.

  Atthismoment,thethreemenholdingtheGradalisallactedatonceonapre-arrangedsignal.

  “Go!”IheardLeopoldshout.

  Allthreeofthembeganattemptingtostandup,whichwasquiteastruggle.

  Theweightofthefluid‐filledvesselmusthavebeenenormous,plustherewas counter‐pressurecomingfromitsattachmenttotheceiling.Thentherewas anothercomplication,whichIhadn’tseenbeforebecauseofthehoodsdraped overtheirheads.Butwhenthosehoodsgotliftedupabitastheywere struggling,Isawthatallthreeofthemactuallyhadtheirnecksattachedtothe Gradalisitself.

  Theirbrainstemswerebeingleeched? Ithought.

  ThenLeopoldgaveanothersignal.“Three,two,one!”hesaid.

  Theyroseupsharplyinunison,heavingandsighing,withtheGradalisstillon theirnecks,untiltheglasscylinderatthetopconnectingittotheVortexabove theceilingcrackedandshattered.Afloodoffluidsimmediatelybeganraining downlikefromthesluicegatesofHeaveninthedaysofNoe.

  “Gonow!”Leopoldshouted.Allthreemeneachreachedupwithonehandto detachthemselvesfromtheneckvalvesastheysimultaneouslypushedthe Gradalisbackwardswiththeother.By“backwards”Imeanthattwoofthem pusheditoffofthemselves,and,necessarily,inLeopold’sdirection,ashealso pusheditforward.

  TheGradalistippedoverandlandedontopofLeopold,shatteringandspilling itsloadaround.Mostofthecontentsfelldownintothepitwherethecreature

  withPindar’shead,Philippine’storso,andmyfeet(amongthoseofothers)stood evisceratedandpresumablydead.Leopoldtoonowlayface‐downand motionlessontheconcretefloor,soIassumedhewasdeceasedaswell.The twinshadrunoffsomewhereandwerenolongervisible.

  ChesterfieldandParislurchedforward,freenow,butwithclearfluidnow dribblingoutoftheirnecks.Theybothtooktheirhoodsoffquicklyandpressed themagainstthebacksoftheirneckstostoptheleaking.Thentheyeachfell forwardontotheirhandsandkneesinthefull‐genuflectposition.Whetherby pre‐agreeddesignorinstinctIknownot,butthetwoofthembothbegan praying.

  “Kyrie,eléison,Kyrie,eléison,Kyrie,eléison…”Chesterfieldchanted.

  Thatwasthe realChristianprayerformercy,andinGreek,too,whichwas uncommonbutnotunheardofinhisnativeAnglicanchurch,and,I’vealways thought,muchmoreauthenticthantheEnglish‐translatedversions.Paris,nextto him,mutteredaMohammedanequivalentinArabic.

  “Bismillah,ar‐Rahman,ar‐Rahim….”

  Rosenbergwaskneelingnexttothemtoo.Buthewasn’tpraying.Hewascrying, screaming,andbleedingtodeath.

  Whilethiswashappening,theothercongregantswerequicklyfilingoutofthe roomviatheexitramp.Butwhentheoneatthefrontofthelineopenedthedoor, anoceanofbloodandotherhumansewagegreetedthem,floodingintothe room.Itwashedthepeopleontherampbackdownintotheroomandbegan fillingthefloor,makingitswaytowardsthepitwiththeFrankensteincreaturein itthathadmyfeet.

  Myfeet! Ithoughtagainwithapangoflonging.

  Iwheeledmyselfclosertothepitandleanedoverinmychairtogetabetter view.Thepitwashalf‐fulloffluidsandbrokenglassnow,butthechimera creaturewasstillstandingonitslegsofvariousorigins.Icouldn’tseeany breathing,though,andtheheadwasfloppedforwardindefeat.

  Isawthatthediamondhadlandedpoint‐downdirectlyinPhilippine’sexcoriated pelvis,whereitwasslowlysinkingintotheflesh,whichseemedtocollapseand partiallyliquefyunderitsweight,capturingitlikequicksand.Nexttothis, Rosenberg’sseveredpenishadlanded,halfwayontopofthecreature’sbackside, wherethevaginaandanushadbothbeenrippedopensobadlyastoformone largehole.Thatholenowbegantocollapseinside,swallowingthepenis,tip first.

  Theentiretorsodissolvedintoafleshy,bloodypinkmassresembling Playdough.Thenitcoagulatedaroundthediamond,formingathinmembrane overit.Thismademethinkofthesimilarityofshapebetweenthesideprofileof thediamond,thissacred“keystone,”andthehumansacrumboneatthecenterof thepelvis.Itoccurredtomethatthisboneactually doesactasakeystoneforthe pelvisand,inaway,fortheentirehumanbody,positionedinthecenter, dispersingtheweightoftheupperhalfevenlythroughthelowerhalf.

  Infact,ifyoubentoverontoyourhandstoformanarchwithyourbody,I thought, eitherforwards,likeNuit,theEgyptiangoddessofthenightsky,or backwards,likeUranus,theOuroboros(andPindar’sbody,andBaron Carrickfergus)—theplacementofthesacrumbonewouldbepreciselyinthe keystoneposition.

  AsIwaswatchingthecreature’sbodilytransformationinfrontofme,Inoted thatthesacrumbone,whendetachedfromtheotherbones,includingthecoccyx below,alsocloselyresemblesthekeystonereferredtointheMasonicRoyal Archdegree—theonethatwasusedastheofficialsealforPennsylvania,

  “theKeystoneState.”ThenIrememberedsomeofthethingswrittenina1922

  bookbyMasonicwriterManlyP.Hallentitled TheInitiatesoftheFlame,in whichhestatesoutrightthatthesacrumboneandtheRoyalArchkeystoneare oneandthesame.Hefurtherassertedthat“theheadoftheSphinx”couldbe seenin“theinvertedsacrumbonewhenitisturnedupward,”andalsoin“the invertedMasonickeystone.”Thenheelaboratedevenmore:Itissaidthatin ancienttimestheSphinxwasthegatewayofthepyramid,andthattherewasan undergroundpassagewhichledfromtheSphinxtoCheops.Thiswouldmake thesymbolismevenmoreperfect,forthegatewaytothespiritisthroughthe bodiesaccordingtotheancients.

  Thesepassageswereaccompaniedbyanillustrationofthesacrumboneinside theMasonickeystone.

  AccordingtoEgyptologistE.WallisBudge,asIrecalled,thesacrumbonewas therootofthesacred djed pillar,the“spineofOsiris”whichwasthoughttohold

  thedifferentlevelsofexistencea
part.Healsosaid:

  …Therecanbelittledoubtthatthe djedisaconventionalrepresentationofapart ofthebackboneofOsiris,namelythesacrumbone,whichonaccountofits proximitytothespermbag,wasregardedasthemostimportantmemberofhis body….

  ThenIrememberedthattheancientMayansreferredtothesacrumboneasa

  “portaltotheunderworld”(thatbeing“thePlaceoftheSevenGods”).They comparedgoingthroughittogoingintothemouthofaserpent.Presumablythis isbecauseoftheserpentineshapeoftunnelsoftheintestines,considered analogoustotheinfernalcavernsbymanycultures,includingtheGreeksandthe Hindus.Infact,goingbacktoancientBabylon,thespiralemblemfound throughouttheworldhasbeenusedtorepresentthesetunnels.Thisassociation isoneofthereasonsthatintestinesweresocommonlyusedfordivination—as maps,indicatingthepaththatliesahead.

  Imusedaboutthefactthatalchemistshavecrypticallydescribedtheir“red stone”(aproductofthealchemicalprocess)asbeinga“bezoar,”awordfora clumpofundigestedfoodthathasbeencaughtinsidealivingcreature’s intestines.Theycalledthisstonethe“redsun,”andthe“lesserstone,”as comparedtotheultimatealchemicalproduct,thePhilosopher’sStone,which wasbelievedtobemanufacturedwithin,orotherwiseutilizing,thebrainhuman rather.AccordingtotheoldestEgyptianalchemists,Iremembered,theredstone wasformedinthehumanbowelsthesamewaytheythoughtofgoldasbeing createdwithinthebowelsoftheEarth.

  ThisisthesamethingasthestonethatRheagavetoChronostotrickhim,I thoughtastheunderstandingrusheddownuponme. Andit’salsohowhewas poisoned,throughtheanus,blockinghisintestinesandcausingfecalvomiting.

  RecallingthisbroughtmebackinmymindtotheMayanbeliefsregardingthe sacrumbone,whichtheysometimescalla“secondskull,”oreven“theinverted skull,”becauseitsortoflookslikeonewhenyouseparateitfromtherestofthe skeleton.ThenIthoughtabouttheTemplarsymboloftheskullandcrossbones, andthefactthatitbasicallyshowsaheadin‐betweentwothighs.Iwonderedifit mightbeconnectedtotheirallegedriteofinductioninvolvingthe Osculum Inflame(“ObsceneKiss”).Thesameritualwasallegedlypracticedbywitchesat sabbats,involvingakissontheDevil’s“secondmouth”underneathhistail.

  ThisbroughttomindanarticulatedreadsomewherestatingthatsomeJews believedthatthisiswhereadeceasedperson’ssoulisstored,hibernatinguntil theResurrectionattheEndofDays.Atthatpoint,supposedly,allhuman bodieswillregeneratefromtheirsacrumbones,ifthey’reluckyenoughforthat partoftheirbodiestostillbeintact,andtheneveryonewillbepresentedfor FinalJudgment.

  AsIcontemplatedthesethings,Isawthepelvisofthecreature,pregnantnow withthediamond,falldownwardastherecentlyandartificially‐formedsinews connectingthetissuetothevariouslegsbegantomelt.Itslidslowlytothefloor whilethelegsremainedstanding.Theheadfelloffandintothesurrounding goop.

  Thewaterlineinthepitstartedtorapidlyriseasthefloodoffluidsfromabove floweddowntherampandacrossthefloortojointhepoolbelow.Butwhenit roseuphighenoughthatthefluidsreachedthetopofmyfeet,Isawthemcome alive.Theybegantotwitch,andthentostomp.

  “Cometome!”Ishoutedtothem.

  Andtheyobeyed.Theyjumpeduphigh,freeingthemselvescompletely.

  Then,oneatatime,theyleap‐froggedoffthetopofwhatwasleftofthe monster’smainbody,whichwasnowre‐congealingarounditsremaininglegs.

  Theysailedthroughtheairdirectlyintomylap,slimyandbloody.

  LiketheflyingfeetofMercury,Ithoughttomyself.

  Asdisgustingastheywere,theywereapartofme,andIwashappytoseethem.

  Theyseemedtofeelthesameway.Ihadtoholdthefeetdownastheycontinued tohoparoundmylapinexcitementforourreunion.

  ThenIheardsomethingsloppingaroundinthepileofcoagulatingfleshand bloodatthebottomofthepit.Ileanedoveragainforalook.Iimmediately regrettedit.

  Freshsinewshadjustformedbetweentheremainingthreelegsandthetorso, whichwasnowatriangle.Tentaclesofbloody,rubberymeatreachedoutfrom

  thestumpstomergewithit.Pindar’sheadfellbackwardsanddissolvedintothe mess.Buthisfacialfeatures,withhismouthcurledinagony,nowappeared withinthetriangle.

  Withinlessthanaminute,Iwaslookingatareal,livingtrinacria,withareddish-pinktriangleinthecenter.Thefreakishcreaturewassurroundedwiththe presentlyknee‐deepandever‐growingpuddleofsludgethatwasstillpouring intoitdowntherampfromthefloorsaboveus.Theeyecaughtmygazeasthe grimaceturnedintoadelightedsmilethatsentashudderingchillthroughme.

  Thankyou,thevoiceofmyinformantsaidtomeinmyhead. NowAlbion can riseagain.NowIcancomehometoJerusalemontheThames.

  Butthenthefacetwistedinpainagain,anditsbodyconvulsedoncemore,just asithadduringthebirthofeachtwin.Wellasitturnedout,itwasnotjustaset oftwins.Theyweretriplets.Athirdsiblingnowbegantoemergefromtheplace wherePindar’sheadhadbeenattachedtothebody.

  Itwascoveredinapinkmembranesac,butthroughitIcouldseetwodark hooves.Bythetimehalfofitwasout,Icouldtellthatthe“membranesac”

  arounditwasactuallyahumanstomachandattachedesophagus,thelatterwith thefronthoovesstuckthroughit.Theoutlineofatinyhorseheadcouldbeseen atthetopofthestomach,twitchingsidetoside.

  Butatthispoint,thebirthseemedtostall.Thebabyhorsewasstuck.Thefacein thetrianglehowled.Itsvoicesoundedso…ancient,andloud.Itreverberated throughthewholeroom,perhapsthewholebuilding,perhapsthewholeworld.I heardarumblingsoundallaroundus,alongwithatremblingsensationcoming throughthefloorsandwalls.

  TheninthecornerofmyeyeIsawsomethingstirringfrombehindthepit,amid thebrokenglassoftheGradalis.ItwasLeopold.Hewasgettingup.

  Icouldn’ttellhowbadlyhewashurtbecausehewascoveredinfilth.Buthewas abletogetupontohisfeet,takeoffhishood,pressitagainsthisleakingneck, thenwalkovertothepitandslidedownintoit,allwithoutlookingupatme.

  Next,hewentovertowherethelittlefoal,aboutthesizeofasmallcat,wasstill strugglingtobeborn.

  Hegrabbeditsfrontlegsandyankeditstraightout,thencaughtthewholething withbothhandsbeforeitfelldown.Hewalkeduptotheedgeofthepit,sloshing throughthesludge,andliftedthefoalupovertheside.Heplaceditdownonthe floorinfrontofme,stillinsidethestomach,whereitcontinuedtotwitch.After lettinggo,hefellbackwardsontohisbuttandsatsilentlyinthepoolofsewage.

  Thenthetwinscameoutfromhiding.Theyhadbeeninsidetheemergency shower,andhadapparentlyuseditjustnowwithoutmenoticing,thenoise drownedoutbyalltherest.Thepiebaldonewasnowclean,andtheblueone hadwashedthesyrupoffitself.

  Theywerebothquitebeautiful.Iwashappytoseethemlookingrelativelywell.

  Silently,inmyownmind,Iutteredaprayer,towhatgodIcouldnotsay,asking thattheyshouldbeallowedtosomehowsurvivethisordeal.Iknewthefutureof existenceitselfsomehowdependedonit.

  Bothchildren,whofrombirthhadalwaysknowninnatelywhattheyneededto do,nowgatheredaroundthemembrane‐coveredfoaland,usingtheirclaws, rippedopenthestomach,freeingit.Thehorse,whichlookedlikeitwasprobably white,butwascoveredingoo,continuedtotwitchonthefloorforaminuteor so,whilethepiebaldtwingrabbedthetubof“Peepee‐roni”fromtherefrigerator.

  Thenthetoddlertoddledbackovertothefoalandkneltdownnexttoitshead.

  Thechildtookthecoveroffofthetub,revealing,asIhadsuspected,small preservedhumanpenises.Thefoalsmelledthemeatandthensatupeagerly.The childfeditone,thenanother,withth
echildanditssiblinghelpingthemselvesto afewaswell.

  Thehorsebegantogrowbeforemyeyes,justlikethetwochildrenhaddone, anddidevenmoreastheytooatethepenises.Thenthehorsebeganstretching outitswings.Yes,ithadwings.

  Maybeitneedssomewater,Ithought.

  Iwheeledmyselfovertotheshelvesoverthefridge,whichwasnoeasytask nowthatthefloorwasflooded,andlookedforanuncontaminatedvesseltoput waterin.Atfirsttherewasnoluck.Everybeaker,jar,andbottlewasfullof eitherbiohazardmaterialorharshchemicals.ThenIfoundalargebeakerlabeled

  “H20”onthebottomshelf.Itwashalf‐full.Itwas.Icouldreachit,justbarely.

  Igrabbeditandbroughtittotheeyewashstation,whereIfilleditupsothatI hadaboutaliterofwater.Iwheeledthebeakerovertowherethechildrenwere feedingthehorse,andhandedittotheblueone.Thechildlookedupatme andsmiledingratitude.Eachofthekidstookalongdraught.Thentheygavethe resttothehorse,whodrankitgreedily.

  Theywereallabitlargerbytheendofthis.Thefoalstoodupfinally,and exerciseditswingsabitmore.Isawthatitwasmale.Bothchildrenledthehorse overtotheshower,wheretheywashedofftheafterbirth.Whenthefoalcameout oftheboothaminutelater,helookedmuchbetter.Icouldseethathisfurwas definitelywhite.

  Thetwochildrennowwalkedthefoalovertothedissectiontable,whichthey werebothabletoclimbontopof.Thisenabledthemtomountthebackofthe horse.Thepiebaldonesatinfront.Theblueoneturnedaroundtowaveatme andsmile,asthepiebaldoneleanedforwardandpattedthehorse’sneck.It neighed,whinnied,rearedup,andthentookoff,uptherampandthroughthe exitdoor.Iknewwhereitwasheadednext.

  Therampwindsallaroundthebuilding,Ithought. Thatwillgiveitplentyof runwaytobuildupspeedsoitcantakeoff.