The Gay Icon Classics of the World
Page 6
I am sorry, dear father,” Halo responded, “my fields, though dry, were still bringing forth in plenty every manner of grain, fruit, and vegetable, when lo, not two weeks past I arose at first light to discover all my fields, trampled and torn by angry hooves!” At this point, Marr interjected, seeking to avoid blame for his brother’s fields. To his father Marr said, “Halo should have tended to his fences, father, guarding against trespassers as I have done with my pasture of animals. A man is not wise, who does not guard his wealth against strangers.” Niac agreed with this advice, and left his son, Halo, with his misfortune, inquiring no further. Niac then announced that he would thus praise his son Marr for the bounty of his beasts. At this, Halo fled to his ruined fields, and wept bitterly.
God, seeing the sorrow of Halo, spoke to the beautiful and innocent Aliesha through her reflection in a stream. As Aliesha sat by the streambed, washing her hair, she saw her reflection in the water illuminate, and a voice spoke to her, asking her to seek out the pitiable Halo and to console him in his grief. Aliesha, though she dearly wished to help Halo in his misery, was afraid that if her husband were to discover her, he would visit further ruin on both of them. She thus asked her reflection if one from the blessed realm might be chosen, for she knew that the sorrow of Halo was so great that only the music of heaven could restore his weeping soul. She then noticed in the reflection of the water an angel bearing a large golden harp. As she lifted her eyes upward, the harpist descended on translucent wings, to land before Aliesha. Knowing that she and Halo shared a bond, but not able to go to him, she anointed the harpist in her own perfume and pedals.
So the harpist, upon revealing itself to Aliesha and receiving her anointing, was sent by God to alleviate the woes of Halo. As the harpist approached Halo he began to sing and strum his harp, creating beautiful music that washed over Halo, so that he instantly forgot all his misfortune. The harpist’s voice surpassed the music of his harp, filling Halo with joy. Halo fell immediately in love with the harpist. Aliesha, viewing the pair from a distance, saw the care disappear from Halo’s face, to be replaced with elation, and was herself happy that her gifts and that of God’s messenger were so well received.
Meanwhile, from the feast, Marr listened to Halo’s joy-filled voice, speaking to the harpist, and heard faintly the plucking of a harp. Coming upon the pair in Halo’s field, Marr could only hear the voice of his brother, while that of the harpist remained silent. He drew very near to the harpist, hoping to hear even a whisper, but none was forthcoming, for the ears of sinners could not hear the spiritual words that came from God’s emissaries, their ears having been deafened by sin. Just as a river is dammed by a build-up of wood and stone, so does sin block the most beautiful music from the ears of sinners.
Nevertheless, Marr was eager for the praise of this handsome harpist, believing still that Marr himself was most worthy of all praise for his bounty. He stood and announced his station before the harpist, thinking this would prompt the harpist to laud him. But the harpist made no sound, even ceasing his dextrous strumming on his harp. Marr again attempted to solicit the harpist’s praise, describing his accomplishments, and all the wealth and plenty he raised, but it was to no effect. Feeling defeated and angered by this anonymous harpist, Marr swore before God, his wife Aleisha, and all of mankind that if no song or music was heard from this harpist at his father’s feast that Marr himself would slay the harpist.
Marr then advanced on the harpist, attempting to force him back to the feast so that he may perform in praise of Marr. In desperation, Halo cried out in God’s name, beseeching the heavenly Lord to save the harpist. God heard his cries, and through one of his heavenly servants, spoke to Halo. God spoke unto Halo and told him to pull from his plants and flowers all that was necessary to build a wreath, that this completed wreath would signal the completion of Halo’s union with the harpist. Upon gathering the plants and flowers, he need only encircle the harpist and himself in the wreath, and lay a kiss upon his beloved harpist before sleeping. With the sealing of their lips, God would seal their union and ensure their eternal protection.
Halo, upon receiving these instructions, made no delay in carrying them out. Travelling many miles through his trampled fields to gather the necessary plants and flowers, after many long hours, Halo had gathered enough for a wreath that signified his bond with the harpist. He then journeyed back to the feast of his father, which was drawing to its end. Grabbing the harper’s hand, he lead him to a small clearing near his fields, a small area just out of sight of the feast. After encircling the harper and himself in the wreath, he and the harper lay beside each other. So exhausted from his journey to gather flowers for the wreath, Halo quickly fell asleep, forgetting God’s last command to kiss the harpist.
Meanwhile, Marr’s anger continued to grow. Although his father had heaped praises upon him at the feast, the harpist never uttered one word of praise. And now, as Marr looked around, he noticed the absence of both the harpist, and his brother, whose defeat he had wanted to gloat over. Marr left the feast in search of his brother, suspecting that he had taken the harpist from the feast to deprive Marr of being praised, being spiteful in defeat. Marr’s wife, Aliesha, thinking that Marr sought to harm his brother, secretly followed her husband. Before long, Marr reached the small clearing, where he found Halo and the harpist, lying in a fast embrace, surrounded by a beautiful assortment of flowers. Suddenly overcome with rage, Marr unsheathed his sword and slew both Halo and the harpist where they lay. In a final outburst of anger, Marr kicked both bodies until their battered forms both lay outside the golden circle of the wreath.
While Marr approached the slumbering couple, Aleisha took shelter behind a tree, from which she might see what was happening. Before being able to react, her husband had attacked the pair with his murderous sword. Marr swiftly departed after his fratricide, and Aleisha went down to the clearing, and picking up each body tenderly, she gently placed them back inside the golden circle, the symbol of their love. God, seeing the misfortunes of Halo and taking pity on him, lifted up both bodies, granting the loving pair holy ascension into the kingdom of heaven.
In the time following Halo’s ascension, his fields lay barren. With the fields producing no food, the beasts of Marr soon withered, starved, and died. Niac saw the desert that had become his estate, and asked his son’s wife, “where is Halo?” Aliesha made no reply. Niac then turned his eyes upward, asking God why his lands suffered so. God answered, now through the voice of his blessed angel Halo. Halo said, “father, seek no further than your own son.” Niac, seeing that his beloved son was no longer among the living, eagerly sought his second son, Marr. Upon confronting Marr, Niac called upon his second son to tell him what has happened to his son, calling God to bear witness to Marr’s testimony.
With this invocation, Halo once again descended from the heavens, and Marr confessed to all that he had done. Aleisha, who was near, also pleaded with Niac to forgive her for the sin of her unwillingness to help Halo and her silence concerning his death. Both Marr and Aleisha were banished from Niac’s estate, and were made to work distant fields that were perpetually barren. Following this banishment, the beasts of Marr faced drought, disease and starvation for what they had done to Halo’s fields.
And to Halo, because he forgot God’s last command to kiss his lover before sleeping, ensured that no union existed between two men on earth. Such love was left only for the heavens.