Hellenic Immortal (33 page)

I’d seen this sort of thing before. There was a cult of Christians who called themselves Ecstatics who spent the better part of the fourteenth century having public fits in front of confused townspeople. Back then I could understand somebody labeling it the work of a divinity, but I expected modern man to be beyond such hoodoo. I had a name for it, and I know next to nothing about medicine. It was a
grand mal
seizure, and Gordon was having them because he’d been poisoning himself. How that wasn’t obvious to everybody else in this bastard Mystery Cult was anyone’s guess.

The Greeks were accustomed to drink that was lethal except in extreme moderation; their wine was cut with water, and their kykeon was only drunk once a year. Gordon Alecto imposed no such limitation on himself and now his mind was being rotted out from the inside. And as far as I knew, there was no going back.

Once the fit had passed he was led to the cot. As he lay down, Gordon whispered something to Boehan.

“We must prepare you for the coming of the Great Protector,” he said.

“Shouldn’t you get him a doctor first?” I asked. “That looked pretty bad there.”

“The divine spirit inside of him is sometimes too great for his physical form to bear,” the satyr said gravely, without giggling or cracking a smile or anything. Religion is still the very best way to get someone to accept something unabashedly ridiculous; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

*
 
*
 
*

“So what’s the answer?” Ariadne asked. We were sitting in a tent in semi-darkness, as we had been for hours. They’d been kind enough to bring us some food and water, but beyond that, nothing. We couldn’t even tell if it was sundown yet—when the ceremony was scheduled to begin—because the guard had zipped the door closed.

“The answer to what?” I asked.

“Why the kykeon tastes the way it does. I know it doesn’t have the same properties when the grain is kept elsewhere. I just don’t know why.”

“No hallucinations.”
 

“Yes. And the fruits we store in there have the same property. I never understood why.”

I lay down on my back and tried to stretch my legs. I hated this waiting. “That manual you’ve got,” I began. “The one where all the old ceremonies were written down. You’ve seen it, right?”

“You know I have,” she said.

“Right. You gave me a page of it.”

“That was from the copy made for our California branch. What about it?”

“The kiste is mentioned there?”

“It is.”

“Including how to open it.”

“A series of metal bolts have to be slid into place in a specific order before the lid can be opened. It’s a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.”

“Thanks.”

I couldn’t see her expression, but she sounded impressed. “You built it?”

“I designed it. Someone else built it. Is that the only procedure you can remember?”

“That’s the only procedure at all. Are you saying there’s another way to open it?”

“No, I’m not saying that.” I smiled to myself.

“So answer my question.”

“The question being what makes the foodstuff stored in the kiste special?”

“Yes.”

I answered. “It’s a gift from the gods.”

She sighed. “Look, if you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”

I smiled again.

*
 
*
 
*

From The Tragedy of Silenus. Text corrected and translated by Ariadne

SILENUS WALKS ALONE THROUGH THE WILDERNESS.

CHORUS:

THERE HE IS, POOR OLD SILENUS.

HIS CLOTHING RAGGED, HIS BACK STOOPED.

PRAY THAT THE GODDESS DEMETER MIGHT END HIS WOEFUL SUFFERING.

HE SPOKE TO THE WIND AND TO THE SEA.

TO THE SUN-KISSED CITY OF ATHENS HE BEGGED PLEASURE,

AND FOR SOLACE FROM THE SATYRS OF THE WILD.

HE SANG TO A DRYAD AND SCALED OLYMPUS,

FOR NAUGHT.

DELPHI IS CLOSED TO HIS ENTREATIES,

THEBES LAYS SILENT,

AND SPARTA HAS NEVER KNOWN HIS GODS.

O LAMENT! WHERE DOES SILENUS GO NOW?

IS HADES WHERE HIS QUEST WILL END?

BUT LOOK! THE GODDESS APPROACHES!

(DEMETER ENTERS FROM THE CHORUS)

SILENUS:

GODDESS!

(SILENUS FALLS TO THE GROUND.)

DEMETER:

PLEASE RISE. YOU OWE ME NO ALLEGIANCE.

(SILENUS RISES)

SILENUS:

BUT I WILL GLADLY SWEAR IT.

DEMETER:

I EXPECT NONE. YOU ALLY WITH DIONYSOS;

I WOULD NOT CONTRADICT THAT.

SILENUS:

IT IS TRUE THAT MY JOURNEYS BEGAN AT HIS NOBLE FEET,

BUT MANY DECADES HAVE PASSED SINCE I ENJOYED

MY LORD’S RADIANCE.

I FEAR MY ALLEGIANCE IS FOR BARTER

IN THESE, MY LAST YEARS.

DEMETER:

YOU ARE A STURDY BREED. YOU HAVE MANY DAYS LEFT.

I DO DEMAND AN OATH OF YOU, BUT NO LOYALTY.

SILENUS:

WHAT OATH WOULD YOU REQUIRE?

DEMETER:

YOU HAVE SPENT MUCH OF YOUR SPAN SEEKING ME OUT

AND I HAVE DECIDED TO HEAR YOUR WORDS

FOR I CAN NO LONGER BEAR WATCHING YOU SUFFER.

BUT THE PRICE FOR MY RESPONSE IS YOUR OATH:

NEVER ARE YOU TO RETURN TO DIONYSOS.

SWEAR THIS.

SILENUS:

BUT THAT MY QUEST IS OF TWO PARTS.

FIRST, TO FIND THE GODDESS DEMETER AND ASK A QUESTION.

SECOND, TO RETURN TO DIONYSOS WITH HER REPLY.

THIS OATH WILL BRING ME NO PEACE

AND I WILL GREET CHARON UNFINISHED.

DEMETER:

I KNOW THIS.

WOULD YOU RATHER SATISFY ONE PART KNOWING THE SECOND

WILL NOT BE DONE? OR COMPLETE NO PARTS

WHEN THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST IS IN YOUR HAND?

SILENUS:

THEN I SWEAR YOUR OATH.

FOR I SHALL NOT WILLINGLY CHOOSE IGNORANCE.

DEMETER:

THEN ASK.

SILENUS:

I HAVE SOUGHT ANSWERS FROM ALL MEN AND CREATURES,

GODS AND BEASTS.

THREE TIMES HAVE THE ORACLES ENTERTAINED MY QUIZZES,

AND RESPONDED WITH THREE QUIZZES OF THEIR OWN.

BUT NONE CAN ANSWER THIS:

DEMETER WATCHES DIONYSOS FROM AFAR

BUT DOES NOT APPROACH. WHY IS THIS SO?

DIONYSOS, WHEN SPYING THE GODDESS,

DOES APPROACH. AND THEN DEMETER IS ABSENT.

WHY IS THIS SO?

DEMETER WOULD SEE THE GOD BUT NOT BE SEEN.

DIONYSOS WOULD APPROACH THE GODDESS BUT IS NOT APPROACHED.

TELL ME, GODDESS, WHY IS THIS SO?

DEMETER:

THERE ARE THINGS YOU MUST UNDERSTAND FIRST, SILENUS THE WANDERER.

THE ONE YOU CALL DIONYSOS STRODE THIS REALM

LONG BEFORE THERE WERE GODS. AS DID I.

HE IS NOT AS HE SEEMS.

SILENUS:

IN WHAT WAY?

DEMETER:

LOOK AROUND YOU. SEE THE DEATH.

SEE THE VIOLENCE THAT MAN BRINGS WITH HIM,

AND TO OTHERS LIKE HIM,

AND TO THE TREES AND THE BEASTS YOU CLAIM TO SPEAK TO.

LOOK AT ALL OF THE THINGS YOU WOULD CALL TERRIBLE OR EVIL.

UNDERSTAND THAT DIONYSOS IS THE BRINGER OF ALL THESE THINGS.

SILENUS:

BUT THIS IS NOT SO!

MY LORD IS THE GOD OF MADNESS AND MISCHIEF,

BUT ALSO WINE AND SONG AND STAGE.

HE DECEIVES, BUT THERE ARE MANY GODLY DECEIVERS.

AND THERE ARE GODS THAT ARE RIGHTLY CALLED EVIL,

OR WHOSE ACTIONS BRING IT ABOUT.

DIONYSOS IS NO SUCH GOD.

DEMETER:

I SPEAK ONLY OF THINGS THAT ARE TRUE.

YOU COLOR YOUR ARGUMENT WITH LEGENDS AND THE SPIRITED DREAMS OF MORTALS.

NAME A GOD AND TURN HIS FACE,

AND YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF STARING AT YOUR LORD’S COUNTENANCE.

SILENUS:

HE DOES NOT SPEAK THESE FACTS, OR EVEN CLAIM TRUE GODHOOD.

I WOULD EVEN CALL HIM HUMBLE, IN HIS WAY.

ARE YOU SURE WE SPEAK OF THE SAME BEING?

DEMETER:

WE DO. AND HE IS MORE A CREATOR OF THIS WORLD

THAN ANYONE ELSE YOU COULD MEET.

SILENUS:

MORE SO THAN YOU?

DEMETER:

INDEED. AND MY INFLUENCE WANES DAILY AS HIS GROWS.

SILENUS:

BUT, EVEN IF TRUE, THIS DOES NOT ANSWER MY QUESTION.

DEMETER:

CAN THE WINTER MEET THE SUMMER?

OR THE SUN MEET THE MOON?

SILENUS:

UNLESS YOU WOULD ALSO BE SELENE AND MY LORD HELIOS,

OR BOREAS AND AURA,

YOUR COMPARISONS OFFER NO ILLUMINATION.

DEMETER:

EVEN NOW I SEEK TO EVADE YOUR QUESTION, FAIR SILENUS,

FOR I DO NOT WISH TO HEAR MY OWN VOICE SPEAK THESE WORDS.

BUT I WILL TALK MORE PLAINLY:

I WATCH HIM ONLY TO WITNESS HIS DOWNFALL.

SILENUS:

HIS DOWNFALL? YOU WISH THIS UPON HIM?

DEMETER:

I DO.

SILENUS:

BUT WHY?

DEMETER:

I HAVE ALREADY TOLD YOU.

THIS WORLD IS HIS, AND IT WAS NOT MEANT TO BE.

I WOULD SEE HIM FALL BY HIS OWN HANDS SO THAT I MAY KNOW PEACE MYSELF.

SILENUS:

AND HOW DO YOU SUPPOSE THIS WILL HAPPEN?

DEMETER:

I DO NOT KNOW, BUT IT WILL ONE DAY.

YOU AND YOUR ELDER HAVE SPOKEN FOR HIM FOR MANY YEARS.

IS THIS NOT TRUE?

SILENUS:

IT IS.

DEMETER:

AND YOU HAVE SPREAD WORD OF HIS GREATNESS ACROSS THE LANDS.

THROUGHOUT THE WORLD NOW, WHEREVER HE STRIDES,

HE IS SAID TO POSSESS TRUE GODLY POWER.

A DAY WILL COME WHEN HE MUST EMPLOY THIS POWER

AND IT WILL BE HIS UNDOING.

SILENUS:

DO YOU SPEAK PROPHECY?

DEMETER:

PERHAPS I DO. PERHAPS I SIMPLY KNOW OF OLDER GODS THAN EITHER OF US.

GODS WHO REJECT THIS WORLD HE HAS CREATED

AND WHO WILL MAKE THEIR DISPLEASURE KNOWN.

SILENUS:

YOU UTTER THE WORDS OF ONE ENRAGED

BUT NOT SO IN TONE. DOES YOUR HATRED BURN SO SOFTLY THAT IT NO LONGER ANIMATES YOU?

DEMETER:

I AM MORE AT PEACE IN HIS WORLD THAN HE IS HIMSELF.

BUT DO NOT MISTAKE MY INTEREST.

THE REASON I DO NOT SPEAK TO DIONYSOS

IS THAT I DO NOT WISH TO.

I DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK TO HIM BECAUSE OF MY HATRED FOR HIM

AND FOR THE THINGS HE HAS DONE.

SILENUS:

AND DOES HE KNOW THIS?

DEMETER:

HE KNOWS. BUT HE MAY NOT REMEMBER.

SILENUS:

A RIDDLE.

DEMETER:

KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS NEED NOT BE THE SAME.

NO MAN KNOWS ALL THAT GOVERNS HIS ACTIONS,

BUT THAT GOVERNANCE STILL COMES FROM WITHIN.

DO YOU NOW UNDERSTAND?

SILENUS:

YES.

BUT GODDESS, WHAT CAN I DO NOW?

I AM SWORN TO GET YOUR ANSWER, AND YOUR ANSWER IS THAT HE KNOWS THE ANSWER HIMSELF.

YOU TELL ME HE HAS DONE THINGS HE DOES NOT KNOW HE HAS DONE

AND CREATED A WORLD HE DOES NOT ACT AS IF HE CREATED.

YET IF HE IS A CREATOR GOD, HE IS SOMEHOW ONE WHO WIELDS NO GODLY POWER

AND WHO CAN BE FELLED BY MORTAL HAND

OR BY THE WILL OF THESE UNNAMED OLDER GODS.

NOT ANY OF THIS MAKES SENSE.

DEMETER:

IT IS ALL THE PLAIN TRUTH.

AND I ASK YOU AGAIN TO REMEMBER YOUR OATH.

SILENUS:

I REMEMBER. BUT THAT I HOPED YOUR ANSWER WOULD GIVE ME SOME MEASURE OF PEACE.

INSTEAD IT HAS INFLAMED MY CURIOSITY.

I BURN TO RETURN TO MY LORD FOR ELABORATION

AS I NOW HAVE AS MANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM AS I HAVE STILL FOR YOU.

DEMETER:

I WILL ANSWER NO MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS.

IT IS AS CLEAR AS I CAN MAKE IT.

NOW GO, SILENUS.

SILENUS:

BUT WHERE?

DEMETER:

I DO NOT CARE. LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS HOWEVER YOU WILL.

ONLY DO NOT RETURN TO DIONYSOS AND SPEAK MY TRUTH TO HIM.

NEITHER WILL ANY OF YOUR PROGENY,

FOR I WILL KNOW IF THIS IS DONE, AND MY VENGEANCE WILL BE TERRIBLE.

(DEMETER EXITS)

SILENUS:

O GODS! WHAT IS THERE LEFT FOR SILENUS

EXCEPT TO CARRY THIS BURDEN TO DEATH?

DIONYSOS:

I AM HERE AS PROMISED, ON THIS, THE FINAL DAY.

LET ME SHAKE MY THYRSOS,

AND BLESS YOU WITH MY MADNESS.

From The Tragedy of Silenus. Text corrected and translated by Ariadne

Sunset on Azure Lake made for a beautiful picture, though it was slightly marred by a small army of eco-religious fanatics—and their kids—in brown robes, chanting ancient Greek blessings and stomping up and down in what I believe was an effort to exhaust themselves into a state of ecstatic frenzy. Or, they were trying to keep warm in unison.

   
The crates before the altar had been opened. Out of the first came crude wooden bowls, which were passed around to the celebrants. Then the men, women, and children waited for their bowls to be filled with the contents of the other crates, mainly kykeon. It had been prepared beforehand and shipped in vats. The ancient priestesses of Eleusis could be heard rolling in their graves.

It was so far removed from any proper Mystery Ceremony I had ever witnessed as to be something entirely different. For starters, it’s warm in early October in the Attic region, warm enough for all of the celebrants to be naked on the final night. Brown robes covering parkas, heavy pants and hiking boots didn’t come close to being correct. It also made the whole crowd look like a monastic football team, but that’s more of a sartorial observation than a religious one.