The Bazaar is aflutter with speculation about the Masters and their names… and of the unfortunate Mr. Eaten, of course. If you’d like, feel free to discuss it here.
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cl0ckw0rkings 
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 9:44 am
Even though this is not entirely private — all walls have ears, here in Fallen London — I will explain my bizarre, totally outlandish but freakishly pertinent ideas about what the Masters truly are if anyone wishes to know.
woogawoman said,
August 18, 2010 at 9:58 am
Arriving on a bit of stationery bearing the letterhead of Benthic College, with a few scratch out annotations regarding the Correspondence on one edge, as well as at least one tea stain:
‘My dear,
Rumor has reached me that you have been entertaining discussions on the provenance and history of the so-called Mr Eaten. I am extremely intrigued to hear your theories, as my own research has of late kept me from keeping up with the entirety of the matter.
I have, as yet, only received dribs and drabs of what may be purely scurrilous rumor. Please reply earliest post, so I may assure myself that all is well, and that you are not endangering yourself with these explorations!
Fondly,
Eleanor Smythe
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:27 am
Reply sent via Direct Message/Post — do please come at once.
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:05 am
Well — do explain. When last I asked, you told me that you’d thought that they were machines inhabited by rats.
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:16 am
That is precisely what I do believe. Rattus faber, or clusters of them — factions, one might say — each controlling an exquisite mechanical apparatus that they operate. The cloaks and gloves would conceal the truth. The high-pitched whispers, the use of the collective first-person when speaking.
Rats will eat anything. Anything.
And if I look harried, mad, actively horrified — it is because I am.
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:22 am
Frankly, it would be nicer if they were fallen angels.
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:26 am
If my thoughts were nicer, I wouldn’t feel so terrified.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:57 am
Your hypothesis does match their appearance, perhaps, but… the biblical references seem to suggest another truth.
As horrible as the thought of the Masters being some hive-minded plague of Rattus faber is… I would almost prefer it to the other.
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:00 am
Rats have also been around forever…
I do wonder at the origin of rattus faber, however, and the promise that was spoken of by Mr. Cups.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:05 am
“Curiously… there is no mention of rats in the Bible, neither testaments old or new. Nowhere. Not a mention. Not a hint. As if they were forbidden from mention.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:14 am
Paging through the concordance, she gasps, “You are right – not even as vermin.”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:20 am
Even Merri’s eyes widen at this. “That is strange, don’t you think? Not a single mention anywhere? Rats have gone with mankind, wherever man has gone — except in scripture, it seems.”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:14 am
These are the ravings of a madwoman.
The serpent… Mirrors and Cups both said “Ware serpents.” The serpent in the Garden, the tempter — eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. It’s not a literal apple, it never was.
Some scholars of my previous acquaintance suggested that Jesus himself was the fruit of that tree. The explanations that followed were, I confess, a bit too erudite for my understanding, but they all seemed to agree on that point — Jesus was the Fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
The fruit was eaten. Jesus is ritually, symbolically eaten every Communion Sunday, a re-enactment of the Last Supper before his crucifixion.
The search for Mr. Eaten’s name is characterized by hunger. The hunger is not for food, for the food of the Neath does not suffice — except for roasted chestnuts, if you catch it early enough.
Early Christians though the chestnut a symbol of…. chastity. They remain to this day a symbol of Christmas, our celebration of Christ’s birth.
The hunger leads you in search of the name. The name is a symbol of the Correspondence which has been erased.
The serpent in the Nephrite lens says “parabola.” In old pagan wisdom, the serpent was a symbol of wisdom, and of the reaffirmation of the renewal of life.
In modern Christian tradition, the serpent is evil and Jesus Christ symbolizes the renewal of life.
All those counterfeit heads of John the Baptist, speaking of a crime committed in water… and to sleep with the head by your bed invokes that hunger, every time.
In Fallen London, the church is a corrupt shadow of its former glory. The Traitor Empress is still the head of the Church in all its corruption. When the Masters made the deal for London… did they tell the head of the church something about the Name? Something they knew, and could prove?
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:44 am
And in my own experience with hunger I find that I am hungrier than anything to know, for good or for evil — what is the search for Mr Eaten’s name, if not a search for knowledge? There is nothing else to gain. Indeed, much may be lost, and I have been warned so severely that I might as well have been told ‘for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die’ —
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:52 am
“…which is to say, be expelled from the Garden. From Eden.” Merri shakes her head at this, reaching for her tea and drizzling it with laudanum. “Or perhaps literal death was meant, ’tis difficult to say. If I’m correct about the true nature of the Masters, they might just carve you up and serve you at a feast, at that.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:16 am
“I dream often of a garden,” he murmurs. “I know that it is the same garden, because in it I once taught a silver-eyed prince as though I were teaching your ward, and there was a fountain there I loved. I do not know why I loved it. But when I dreamt of it again, I saw it topple and smash while the ground opened and red fire flowed far below … I could have been looking into Hell …”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:24 am
“Steady,” Merri murmurs, placing a cup of tea before him. “There is laudanum nearby if it will help. I find just a drop or two steadies the nerves without dulling the senses.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:25 pm
“You are right, of course,” he says with a thin smile reflected (darkly) on the surface of the tea. “It does not do to throw one’s self headlong into a pursuit. I would not run the Flit without the security of a cabinet of tinctures at home, and I should not inquire too closely into dreams without a drop of laudanum.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:09 am
Scarlet tilts her head, her cupid’s bow of a mouth forming into a thoughtful moue.
“Isn’t the shape of a parabola that of a lens? Interesting that a being in a lens made of jade would state ‘parabola’….
“But this is not wholly disconnected from scripture either, for the Greek that parabola stems from means ‘parable’.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:24 am
And Theodor is man of measured and thoughtful reserve — but he cannot help exclaiming, “You brilliant creature! How did I not think –“
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:29 am
“Well, more accurately, the Greek means ‘to compare’ or ‘a setting alongside’, and is connected with the word ‘parable’…I hope that does not ruin your excitement.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Immediately he looks down as if in embarassment, adjusting his glasses in order to have something to do as he composes himself. “It is, nevertheless, a connection, and one I had not made. Not long ago, when she began the study of it, Ms Fawkes observed that many languages share the word ‘parabola’ — and to look at the root of it and other words that share that root is, I think, an elegant proposition.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Scarlet makes no reference towards Theodor’s outburst, but cannot conceal a crinkle of delight at the corners of her eyes. “Of course, Ms. Fawkes steals my breath away with her insights- it was only a matter of time before this connection would have been made in the face of last eve’s entreating of the Masters, and the new ideas being bandied about. I feel /very/ lucky to have happened upon it.”
She pulls back her had, and gestures mildly,” But Yes, ‘parabola’ comes from the same word – paraballein, meaning to throw alongside – that ‘parable’ comes from.”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:28 pm
“You must call me `Merri,’ dear,” the aforementioned says, leaning over to kiss Scarlet’s cheek fondly. Other than that she does not speak, but retires to her place by the window with her tea. Looking out. Listening within.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:32 pm
Scarlet’s dark eyes follow Merri to the window, and says, “I am delighted to be invited to do so.” A flash of something crosses her visage – concern? uncertainty? – before she buries her eyes back into the tome.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:43 am
Milton did refer to the fruit as an apple, which is where I’m told the misnaming of the fruit began. /I’m/ still completely riveted by the thought of the fig in the Museum of Mistakes.
But the idea that Jesus is the fruit of the tree? Condemning us to death, as well as giving life? That seems an odd thought, to me at least.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:15 am
“The slip by the respectable Mister Wines – and the attempt by the others to shush him – certainly seems to suggest in a certain direction, especially with Mister Paulsen’s observation of one of Adam’s tasks.”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:00 am
“I am given to wonder – it is made clear by the Masters that they are creatures who appreciate the material,” he muses, the tooth’d hat perched upon his head glancing furtively about as if expecting the neddy-men – or, horrors, even a hooded figure – to appear, “The sweet of prisoner’s honey, the sport of iron on flesh, the taste of wine and the pleasure of the form and view of words upon paper… and I am reminded of the Book of Enoch. The fall of the Grigori, the Inim – the angels who were set to watch over mankind but who grew overly close to things of the material…”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:11 am
“You’ve put it better than I could — but I had wondered the very same thing. Of course, the temptations of mortal female flesh are also classed among the matters to which the Masters attend.” He pauses. Even to his ears, that sentence sounded convoluted. “What I mean to say is– the temptations to which these angels succumbed were not in regulating the material, as the Masters do, but in experiencing it. What have you to say about that?”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:24 am
“It is also to be observed,” he observes, rustling the papers he’d brought with him to draw up one in particular, “That – here, allow me to quote from a fragment of the Book of Enoch. And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all colouring tinctures. And there arose much godlessness, and they committed fornication, and they were led astray, and became corrupt in all their ways. Semjâzâ taught enchantments, and root-cuttings, Armârôs the resolving of enchantments, Barâqîjâl, taught astrology, Kôkabêl the constellations, Ezêqêêl the knowledge of the clouds, Araqiêl the signs of the earth, Shamsiêl the signs of the sun, and Sariêl the course of the moon.”
“Does this not… somewhat sound like what the Masters do?”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:32 am
“My God,” he murmurs, peering over the behatted fellow’s shoulder. “It’s been years since I was chasing down anything to do with the Book of Enoch — my tutor convinced me that it was a dead end. I wish I hadn’t listened.” He thinks a moment. “Wasn’t one of the … what was it called; the segments of the book of visions — wasn’t it to do with the destruction wrought by the flood?”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:39 am
“Indeed,” he affirms, glancing to the other man with a serious expression, “And interestingly… there was a section called ‘The Lights and the Thunder’ that referred to judgements brought down by such.”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:44 am
His eyes are scanning further down the page to which he has been directed, though, and his lips move as he traces a second translation: the giants turned against them and devoured mankind. And they began to sin against birds, and beasts, and reptiles, and fish, and to devour one another’s flesh, and drink the blood. Henrik doesn’t mention what he reads there, but it rests heavy upon his heart.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:50 am
“What I find also interesting,” he adds, fingertips rattling to the table in a light tapping, “Is that in the Book of Enoch… the direction of north is quite significant. I think we may be on to something here.”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:50 am
“How so, significant?”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:58 am
“Let me see – the nephilim were said to have come from the north – ” Papers rustle, and then he ah-has, setting one atop, “And this – From there I advanced on towards the north, to the extremities of the earth. And there I saw a great and glorious wonder at the extremities of the whole earth.I saw there heavenly gates opening into heavens; three of them distinctly separated. The northern winds proceeded from them, blowing cold, hail, frost, snow, dew, and rain….”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:52 pm
“All forms of precipitation, of water,” Merri murmurs from her place by the window. “In the dreams, the war being fought is often posed as being between the forces of fire, and those of water, or ice.”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:11 am
“Have you ever seen or heard of the Masters directly partaking in any of that?” Merri asks. “I have not — they provide it, they tax it, but never once have I seen any of them directly involved.”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:18 am
“I have heard of it – I forget which, but one of the Masters once gossiped that Mister Spices had become addicted to his own wares, by which he referred to prisoner’s honey, I believe,” he muses, brow furrowing, “I shall have to check my notes to remember who.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:12 am
“I know not that book of the bible.” She flips to the front of the tome in front of her, scanning the contents. “Is it part of the apocrypha?”
“The connection you make seems similar to the original idea that the Masters once did not need names, in reference to their existence before Adam…”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:16 am
“It is,” he affirms, “The Book of Enoch is not used as canon by any Christians or Jews – although a reference exists to the book itself in the Letter of Jude.”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:19 am
“I seem to remember another reference in Genesis itself,” Merri muses. “But I am no bible scholar.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:32 am
[Theodor is, of course, a dedicated scholar, but for his scholarship he often creates a great many lists. On a page are the first rough notes for one, taken from conversation outside the tea room, and should anyone in the tea room require it to remember what has been said, he will pass it to over.]
Once the Masters did not need names. Those are times are gone and the Masters are desirous to forget. (Forget the times, or what ended them? Mr Wines referred to troubles. Mr Spices spoke of Progress.) They were promised (by who?) ‘all manner of things shall be well’ which, it has been observed, was said to Julian of Norwich by God.
Now consider that the animals were unnamed before Adam and naming them he was given dominion over them. Consider that God’s name is unpronouncable. Consider the fig in the Museum of Mistakes, the garden in the Nephrite lens. Consider the rumor that the Masters are fallen angels. Mr Cups and Mr Mirrors have both said to ‘ware serpents’, the pagan symbol of wsidom, the temper of scripture and in Genesis. It was a serpent’s reflection that hissed ‘Parabola’.
Now consider, as Ms O has bade us consider, the possibility the Masters’ current monikers may be found in scripture.
Mr Wines —
Changing water into wine. Significant because water is something Mr Wines is said not to ‘bother with.’
‘And see thou hurt not the oil and wine’ is said in Revelation 6:6. Significant because some have identified the figure that speaks it as Famine, and it speaks of financial matters like the matters the Masters concern themselves with.
It speaks also of wheat bread and barley, and Mr Barley is a former title of Mr Apples.
Mr Spices —
Spices are mentioned in the Song of Solomon, with honey; Mr Spices is most popular for his trade in honey.
Mr Cups —
The Grail may be referenced. A cup is said to be said to be use for divination in genesis. It can symbolize death.
Mr Apples —
The fruit of the garden of Eden is unspecified, but popular mythology calls it an apple.
Mr Eaten —
I can only repeat Ms Fawkes’s question here. In Communion, of whose body and blood do we partake? Who is thus consumed – eaten…?
[But conversation is continuing at a clip, and that is all Theodor has written for now.]
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 10:48 am
[Written in haste there are, of course, errors in need of correction. ‘Those times are gone,’ one line should read. Another ‘tempter of scripture.’]
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:01 am
“I found one! I left the priest with something more…pressing to consider.” Scarlet pulls her had from her head like the largest nuisance, and it dangles down her back since the ruby ribbon remains tied at her throat. Clutched against her sober, plain dress is a large book with gilt edges to the pages – a Bibile with a concordance. She is somewhat out of breath, cheeks flushed and the crimson smeared slightly on her lips.
“Oh, good, you’ve started without me. Shall I consult this concordance and call out things that may be of interest.” She stands a bit taller now, sweeping the stray dark tendrils from her face and back into her coiffure, as if realizing she is unkempt and in a fine parlour. But her smokey eyes glitter with exquisite curiosity. Scarlet surveys the room for a seat, and opens the massive tome.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:09 am
“Welcome, my dear,” says the behatted fellow, straightening with a warm smile shadowed only by the tension of the moment – and the dreadfulness of matters under conversation. “I was hoping you’d make it… you look as lovely as ever. Moreso, perhaps, given the terrible subject at hand. Please do, it may be of use. I believe that Theodor is cataloguing our musings and discoverings.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:24 am
“Gladly. I’m sorry – It did take longer than I had ventured. Priests can be so…wooden at times.” She gives all in the room a pleasant nod, and flashes a smile towards the behatted fellow, moving her chair closer to his. “My dear sir, you are too kind to ignore my unkempt self – I daresay I did not take the most direct route back here.”
Then turning to the room, “Also, I heard whispers by others who overheard some of my questions regarding the name of God, and how the Jews may not speak of it. They said:
‘[to speak the name of god] makes it tangible, I am not sure on speaking it, but they do not write it down as is can be easily destroyed.’
Asher stated, ‘if Im remembering correctly, my tutor told me that the Hebrew word for God has no vowels so’s it can’t be pronounced anyhow. Yahweh, I think is what it is after addin’ some vowels in.’
And another individual stated, ‘Don’t forget the 99 Most Beautiful Names, though I guess it’s really all titles to avoid a name, just like with Judaism.’
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:31 am
“Ha! Unkempt,” he chuckles in a voice drenched with rue, “We are all unkempt here, mentally if not physically. You but give a vision to the chaos of our thoughts as we seek to order them…” A wink, then, a private lean closer as he murmurs, “Although a certain dishevelment has its appeal, I can’t deny.”
Back he leans, musing, “Names have always had power… and that one, of course, the most potent.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:49 am
A small, sinful smile spreads her lips at her compatriot’s soft words. She lifts her gaze from the book to connect her gaze with his, drops her glance towards his lips before raising her dark eyes back to his. Silently, she returns to the onionskin-thin pages of the book.
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:54 pm
“I was, on the surface, a scholar of folklore,” Theodor explains to preface his musings. “The power of the name is a common theme in tales throughout Europe. In Norway, for instance, there is the story of a king who wished to have built a church of unparalleled size and so made a deal with a giant, who would take only the sun and the moon — or the king himself — as payment. Later the king discovered that the giant’s name was Vind och Veder, Wind and Weather, and called that name to destroy it as the steeple was set into place. There is also a belief in Germany that the nightmårt, the spirit that sits on one’s chest while one’s asleep, may be an acquaintance transformed, and it will transform back if you speak its name to it. Which may be of significance, since in one of the rhymes sung by the urchins in Fallen London, it is said that the starveling cat ‘lies on your chest when you’re sleeping flat.’ But nevertheless — if there’s power in the name of Mr Eaten, it is curious, that it should want it tattooed to people’s skin. Why should he not guard it? It is already hidden, and we know that the Masters would rather it remain hidden.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Scarlet regards Theodor as he discusses his surface past and the folklore. A couple of times she glances at the book before her, and back to him.
“It does make me wonder that perhaps too much focus is being made to one type of folklore, that of the Bible. How unlikely is it that the Masters might be of various sources. Truly, how far from Bacchus is Mr. Wines? The symbols that are used in tattooes seem reminiscent of folklore as well- many sources of folklore. And aren’t there ‘hells’ in various belief systems?”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:39 pm
“We must cast a broad net, to apprehend our prey when it is hidden and elusive,” he agrees. “They are hells of other names, but even the hell of the Bible is not of one name — it is Sheol, or Gehenna, or Tartarus. And Tartarus is indeed in Greek legend. Let me see what else I can recall …”
Arthur said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:10 am
What puzzles me is why so many seek Mr Eaten’s Name but do not question his Plan, even as his hunger eats away at the core of them. “A reckoning is not to be postphoned indefinitely,” indeed! Sounds like dangerous rabble-rousing at best, a threat to the health of the city at worst.
woogawoman said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:27 am
A short rap at the door, followed by an entry before anyone need respond. In steps Eleanor, in what may be her second best dress, glasses sliding down her nose, the habitual ink stains along the sides of the fingers of her right hand. She carries an expanding folder with sheafs of notes, somewhat disarrayed.
With a brief glance about, she steps forward and immediately inserts herself into the nearest group with a slight nod of the head and a quick smile. She listens for a moment or two, then when a lull occurs, pokes at finger at the bridge of her glasses to seat them more properly.
“Two perhaps divergent ideas to stir the pot, my dears. One, if there truly is a character for ‘love’ in the Correspondence, does it signify for this debate? And two, do the Snuffler, the Eater-of-Chains, and the Empress’ unusual dogs relate?” She pauses, head tilted to the side slightly. “Hmm, perhaps that last is a subject for another day, however. I have not yet completed indexing my cross-references.”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:52 am
“Welcome, welcome,” greets the fellow in the hat, “Please, join us. Is there a character for ‘love’ in that script? I doubt the Snufflers – for there are more than one of them – or the Eater-of-Chains relate, although… one never knows.”
woogawoman said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:02 pm
“Oh, yes, my recent research is leading me to believe there must be. I might draw it for you now, but it’s a bit early to risk setting the guests’ hair on fire, don’t you think?” She gives a soft, somewhat awkward chuckle.
She picks up an errant paper or two from the floor. “Ah! Here it is. I found this amazing inscription on a recent outing. Do you see, here, in the rubbing, where a name has been chiseled away? (You can tell it’s a name by the superscript notation here.” She taps the indicated character with the tip of her finger. Some of the charcoal rubs off.
Narcissus said,
August 18, 2010 at 4:55 pm
“Oh, there’s a character for more than love.” Narciso’s place in the discussion has been sit at a window and listen with avid fascination, drinking his tea. “Did you take a look at the Correspondence-like sigils Mr Bagley made in the margins of his opera? ‘The Bell loves the Candle; the Candle hates the Bell but can’t resist her …'”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Scarlet turns towards Narcissus. “What is this? And opera?”
Narcissus said,
August 18, 2010 at 5:40 pm
“The Bell and the Candle. If you’re an aspiring Marveller, you might see the manuscript yourself,” he says with a broad smile. “Unfinished, unperformed, but the imagination of it — ! The orchestra was to be played upon glass instruments. That might’ve led to trouble with the drums, of course, but think how they would gleam …”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Scarlet smiles ruefully. “Alas, I am not yet through the Maladies of Goats.”
“Glass instruments you say? Glass seems to play an oddly recurrently theme here.”
Narcissus said,
August 18, 2010 at 6:02 pm
“Certainly, certainly. Mr Mirrors doesn’t deal just in Mirrors, you know — he deals in everything frangible and fine. Glass, secrets and — some have been whispering — souls.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:35 am
“Upon Apple or Apples in the scriptures:
It appears that most of the mentions of apple or apples are in reference to the phrase “apple of thine eye”. There is one reference in proverbs of ‘A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.'”
Scarlet pages through, and shrugs.
Asher Wilsford said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:33 pm
“Isn’t, ah, isn’t it King David ‘at God calls the apple of ‘is eye?”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Scarlet pages back, into the text itself. “I believe it is. Although it is mentioned throughout a number of books.”
woogawoman said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:51 am
Eleanor steamrolls ahead, her comments somewhat out of sync with the flow of the conversation. She’ll catch up eventually.
“Have we discussed how Egypt fits into the puzzle yet? I seem to recall an obscure note that was where Mr Eaten may have lost his name…”
She begins riffling through her papers, one or two falling to the ground in the process.
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:55 am
“Theodor has mentioned that Mr Eaten has an unusual affinity for Egypt, for a Master,” remarks Henrik, passing her the relevant document.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:03 pm
“An affinity for Egypt. That sounds as if we might focus within the Old Testament.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 11:56 am
“Upon Cup or Cups in the scriptures:
Cup: a wine-cup is mentioned in Genesis 40:11,21, various forms of which are found on Assyrian and Egyptian monuments. The art of divining by means of a cup was practiced in Egypt (Genesis 44:2-17), and in the East generally.
The “cup of salvation” (Psalm 116:13) is the cup of thanksgiving for the great salvation.
The “cup of consolation” (Jeremiah 16:7) refers to the custom of friends sending viands and wine to console relatives in mourning (Proverbs 31:6).
In 1 Corinthians 10:16, the “cup of blessing” is contrasted with the “cup of devils” (1 Corinthians 10:21). The sacramental cup is the “cup of blessing,” because of blessing pronounced over it (Matthew 26:27; Luke 22:17).
The “portion of the cup” (Psalm 11:6; 16:5) denotes one’s condition of life, prosperous or adverse. A “cup” is also a type of sensual allurement (Jeremiah 51:7; Proverbs 23:31; Revelation 17:4).
Also of the “cup of astonishment,” the “cup of trembling,” and the “cup of God’s wrath” (Psalm 75:8; Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 25:15; Lamentations 4:21; Ezekiel 23:32; Revelation 16:19; comp. Matthew 26:39,42; John 18:11).
The cup is also the symbol of death (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Hebrews 2:9).
Specific references in Revelations, book 66 of the bible, – which I’m paying extra attention to, in addition to Genesis – are:
66-14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
66-16:19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.
66-17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:
66-18:6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.
Finally, we cannot ignore the talk of a grail, a cup of Jesus that may have been a cup, or may have been a reference to something else – some have inferred it means a womb.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:02 pm
“Also,” he notes, “As regards to Mister Cups – it is said that he is, in some way, a reflection of Mister Mirrors…”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:11 pm
Scarlet twists a tendril of hair that just won’t stay in place. “Hmmm. A cup may have a parabola-like shape. Just as a lens does…A bent miror perhaps? Or…another perspective: A cup may be named a ‘glass’, just as a mirror may be called a ‘glass’…
“Or what about divination? A mirror is purported to show you yourself, just as perhaps reading tea leaves from a cup.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:21 pm
“If I may — listening to you speak, it has just occurred to me –” He turns through the pages of the Bible to a passage in Corinthians, and reads, “‘For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.'”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:54 pm
“Just so – excellent find. My resources did not notice Corinthians. That is a very apt verse.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:25 pm
“Upon Fire – I daresay this one has implications, but the word fire itself could reference many strong ideas:
Fire for sacred purposes – The sacrifices were consumed by fire (Genesis 8:20).
The ever-burning fire on the altar was first kindled from heaven (Leviticus 6:9,13; 9:24), and afterwards rekindled at the dedication of Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 7:1,3). The expressions “fire from heaven” and “fire of the Lord” generally denote lightning, but sometimes also the fire of the altar was so called (Exodus 29:18; Leviticus 1:9; 2:3; 3:5,9).
Fire for a sacred purpose obtained otherwise than from the altar was called “strange fire” (Leviticus 10:1,2; Numbers 3:4).
The victims slain for sin offerings were afterwards consumed by fire outside the camp (Leviticus 4:12,21; 6:30; 16:27; Hebrews 13:11).
Fire for domestic purposes, such as baking, cooking, warmth, etc. (Jeremiah 36:22; Mark 14:54; John 18:18). But on Sabbath no fire for any domestic purpose was to be kindled (Exodus 35:3; Numbers 15:32-36).
Punishment of death by fire was inflicted on such as were guilty of certain forms of unchastity and incest (Leviticus 20:14; 21:9). The burning of captives in war was not unknown among the Jews (2 Samuel 12:31; Jeremiah 29:22). The bodies of infamous persons who were executed were also sometimes burned (Joshua 7:25; 2 Kings 23:16).
In war, fire was used in the destruction of cities, as Jericho (Joshua 6:24), Ai (Joshua 8:19), Hazor (Joshua 11:11), Laish (Judges 18:27), etc. The war-chariots of the Canaanites were burnt (Joshua 11:6,9,13). The Israelites burned the images (2 Kings 10:26; R.V., “pillars”) of the house of Baal. These objects of worship seem to have been of the nature of obelisks, and were sometimes evidently made of wood.
Figuratively, fire is a symbol of Jehovah’s presence and the instrument of his power (Exodus 14:19; Numbers 11:1,3; Judges 13:20; 1 Kings 18:38; 2 Kings 1:10,12; 2:11; Isaiah 6:4; Ezekiel 1:4; Revelation 1:14, etc.).
God’s word is also likened unto fire (Jeremiah 23:29). It is referred to as an emblem of severe trials or misfortunes (Zechariah 12:6; Luke 12:49; 1 Corinthians 3:13,15; 1 Peter 1:7), and of eternal punishment (Matthew 5:22; Mark 9:44; Revelation 14:10; 21:8).
The influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire (Matthew 3:11). His descent was denoted by the appearance of tongues as of fire (Acts 2:3).
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:28 pm
Scarlet lifts her gaze to the room. “The ones I might point out here are the “God’s word is also likened unto fire” and “the influence of the Holy Ghost is likened unto fire”. And also, the references in the Old Testament of the “Fire of the Lord” being a term for lightning, and how the first altar fire came from heaven.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Also lines in Revelations pertaining to Fire:
66-Revelation
66-1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
66-2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
66-3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
66-4:5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
66-8:5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
66-8:7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
66-8:8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
66-9:17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
66-9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
66-10:1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:
66-11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
66-13:13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
66-14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
66-14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
66-15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
66-16:8 And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.
66-17:16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.
66-18:8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
66-19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
66-19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
66-20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
66-20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
66-20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
66-20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
66-21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I note a mention of a ‘sea of glass’ – Glim can be found in the Unterzee, correct?
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:43 pm
Scarlet leans back in the wingback chair, away from the book.
“I wonder if I’m not adding items to the fray that are just unconnected but sound plausible. I am not very knowledgable of even a third of the things you have all uncovered.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 12:51 pm
“Upon the Heart:
Heart: According to the Bible, the heart is the centre not only of spiritual activity, but of all the operations of human life. “Heart” and “soul” are often used interchangeably (Deuteronomy 6:5; 26:16; comp. Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30,33), but this is not generally the case.
The heart is the “home of the personal life,” and hence a man is designated, according to his heart, wise (1 Kings 3:12, etc.), pure (Psalm 24:4; Matthew 5:8, etc.), upright and righteous (Genesis 20:5,6; Psalm 11:2; 78:72), pious and good (Luke 8:15), etc. In these and such passages the word “soul” could not be substituted for “heart.”
The heart is also the seat of the conscience (Romans 2:15). It is naturally wicked (Genesis 8:21), and hence it contaminates the whole life and character (Matthew 12:34; 15:18; comp. Ecclesiastes 8:11; Psalm 73:7). Hence the heart must be changed, regenerated (Ezekiel 36:26; 11:19; Psalm 51:10-14), before a man can willingly obey God.
The process of salvation begins in the heart by the believing reception of the testimony of God, while the rejection of that testimony hardens the heart (Psalm 95:8; Proverbs 28:14; 2 Chronicles 36:13). “Hardness of heart evidences itself by light views of sin; partial acknowledgment and confession of it; pride and conceit; ingratitude; unconcern about the word and ordinances of God; inattention to divine providences; stifling convictions of conscience; shunning reproof; presumption, and general ignorance of divine things.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:24 pm
In specific, a mention in Revelation of heart strikes…well, fear into my heart. Do listion:
Revelation 18:7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
We should perhaps peruse the verses around that verse.
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:32 pm
You’re entirely right as to the aptness of this verse — and thus we must return, however improbably, to Ms Smythe’s speculation on the Empress’s dogs.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I have…found them in Revelations 18. Do have a listen, and check all the references to our…Masters:
And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.
And he called out with a mighty voice, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
For all nations have drunk of the /wine/ of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the /cup/ which she hath filled fill to her double.
How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.
Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with /fire/: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of /brass/, and /iron/, and marble,
And cinnamon, and /spice/, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and /souls of men/…
…at which point, Scarlet stops, as her reading had been growing louder and much like that of a preacher shouting with the fury of the Lord’s word. A pallor has come over her cheeks where rosy life once flourished.
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:57 pm
“Hail, Babylon,” Merri says softly into the silence. She turns her eyes from the window and brings a cup of tea to Scarlet.
“The Masters are Masters of Commerce, as they’ve said repeatedly.” She squeezes Scarlet’s shoulder once, comfortingly, then again resumes her place at the window. “Does anyone recall, offhand, the rumor about which pope it was who wrote the letter that dissuaded the Masters from claiming Rome as the home of the bazaar?”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:11 pm
Scarlet gladly takes the cup of tea, taking a warming sip. She leans back from the book into the plush cushion of the chair, closing her eyes, dark lashes like two tiny smiles on her pale cheeks.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:53 pm
“It is interesting that you should mention Rome. Another item that is noted in the concordance – as it has some notes in here. That the original text used a Latin word for chariots, showing that St. John was referring to the luxury and excess of Rome.
In fact, most of this merchandise – especially slaves, could also be said of Rome.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:24 pm
“My God,” Theodor swears aloud. “Wines, cups, fires, spices, iron, fine linen and beasts for slaughter and … brass and the souls of men. Is there nothing the Masters have a trade in that was not traded, too, in Babylon? This is an incredible discovery — worth every effort you have made, to plumb this text listening for the echo we would comprehend –“
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:30 pm
“What, then, of Mr Sacks?” asks Henrik, who has been more quiet than is his custom during this conversation. “We might puzzle out an allegory for the rest, but its position in this narrative leaves me mystified.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Perhaps slaves? I have heard something of a riddle of “how many people did Mr. Sacks put in his bag?”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:47 pm
“When I was perusing accounts of dealings with Mr Eaten, I found other accounts, of visits from Mr Sacks. He comes at Christmas, and no other time of the year — my theory –” And it is a somewhat embarrassing theory to hold, but one must press on. “My theory is that he is one of the Masters we know in disguise, like a father who pretends the presents were left for the children by a tomte.”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:51 pm
“It’s as good a theory as any,” he says, with a shrug (because to put Scarlet’s theory in conjunction with Theodor’s — to think that more children than grown-ups would fit into a sack, and that the promise of Father Christmas is perhaps the best lure of all to use upon children — may well drive him to madness). Rather than speculate aloud, he shuts himself off once again, arms folded over his chest as though to keep warm.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:48 pm
“Theodor – there is more, that speaks of the end of the great city of Babylon. First the merchants lament her loss, but then an angel says:
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.
And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.
And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:20 pm
“Upon Iron in the Scripture:
Iron: Tubal-Cain is the first-mentioned worker in iron (Genesis 4:22). The Egyptians wrought it at Sinai before the Exodus. David prepared it in great abundance for the temple (1 Chronicles 22:3:29:7). The merchants of Dan and Javan brought it to the market of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:19). Various instruments are mentioned as made of iron (Deuteronomy 27:5; 19:5; Joshua 17:16,18; 1 Samuel 17:7; 2 Samuel 12:31; 2 Kings 6:5,6; 1 Chronicles 22:3; Isaiah 10:34).
Figuratively, a yoke of iron (Deuteronomy 28:48) denotes hard service; a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9), a stern government; a pillar of iron (Jeremiah 1:18), a strong support; a furnace of iron (Deuteronomy 4:20), severe labour; a bar of iron (Job 40:18), strength; fetters of iron (Psalm 107:10), affliction; giving silver for iron (Isaiah 60:17), prosperity.
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:22 pm
“Upon Mirror in the Scripture – this one is rather interesting. I was unable to find mirror or mirrors, so I searched under ‘glass’.
Glass: was known to the Egyptians at a very early period of their national history, at least B.C. 1500. Various articles both useful and ornamental were made of it, as bottles, vases, etc. A glass bottle with the name of Sargon on it was found among the ruins of the north-west palace of Nimroud. The Hebrew word zekukith (Job 28:17), rendered in the Authorized Version “crystal,” is rightly rendered in the Revised Version “glass.” This is the only allusion to glass found in the Old Testament. It is referred to in the New Testament in Revelation 4:6; 15:2; 21:18,21. In Job 37:18, the word rendered “looking-glass” is in the Revised Version properly rendered “mirror,” formed, i.e., of some metal. (Comp. Exodus 38:8: “looking-glasses” are brazen mirrors, R.V.). A mirror is referred to also in James 1:23.
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Merri starts at this, turns to gaze at Scarlet and her book thoughtfully. “Mirror as looking glass. The Wars of Illusion — Lamont, you should share with everyone what you’ve experienced of late in the Flit. Then I’ll relate what I know of His Amused Lordship, so that it is all known and in one place.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:05 pm
The mention of a person by the name of Lamont causes Scarlet to furrow her brow a moment until she realizes that Merri is speaking to her curious friend next to her. She blinks and turns towards him.
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 2:55 pm
A private smile is offered to Scarlet briefly, a wink, and then he leans back. “I have… dabbled in the Great Game in the past, but of late such dealings have drawn me into another matter, the so-called War of Illusion. I have listened in on stage magicians whispering secrets to rooms that had ought but a mirror… and their missives mention mirrors often, and Parabola.”
“I suspect,” his brows raise, gaze sweeping the room, “All here have heard the name whispered, if not in the waking world, than in their dreams? Misters Mirrors and Cups claim it to be but a dangerous superstition, but I believe that these magicians, mesmerists, and mediums have found some way to access the Parabola – or seek access to it, at the very least. They walk behind the mirrors…”
A clearing of his throat, “Mister Inch, who I believe often works with the Labyrinth of Tigers, recently involved me in the kidnapping of a stage magician that he claimed the scholars of the Labyrinth discovered was ‘under a malign influence’. I saw his act. There were many mirrors, and people disappeared from a mirror-lined cabinet. We were instructed to destroy all mirrors about him, and indeed, when accosted he attempted to produce one… it was smashed, and he was handed over.”
“Merri? You spoke of His Amused Lordship…”
cl0ckw0rks said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:14 pm
She listens to his expanded account with great interest, then nods, her own cheeks having grown extremely pale.
“There is a man, a powerful nobleman here, known only as `His Amused Lordship, several of you likely know him. We attended the same burlesque show one night and though he greatly enjoyed most of it, he got up and left when the stage magician appeared. Later I had occasion to visit him in his apartment in the palace. There was much to remark upon there, and there was one thing missing which I did not fail to note: Mirrors.
“He’s since asked me — and several others of like mind and spirit — if we would undertake a journey for him,” Merri adds as if in conclusion. “But as he did not elaborate on the particulars I am at a loss to say where, or for what purpose. What I find most interesting at this juncture is the lack of mirrors about his person.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:26 pm
“Forgive me, for this may be an irrelevant or impertinent question,” Theodor says after a space, voice even and slow. “But upon hearing your tale and Merriwether’s, I cannot help but wonder … Sir, have you been to the palace’s cellars?”
curious_fellow said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:32 pm
A pause, a breath– “Yes. There are… there are terrible things done in the depths of the palace. Things that change men. Some of them know a mirror may be their only way out.”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:34 pm
“The cage-gardens,” he murmurs at once. “Dear God, what a place that was — and all for the amusement of a few wealthy patrons; I could tear them all apart for what they do –“
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:51 pm
There’s a moment of hesitation, before Theodor lays a hand on Henrik’s arm as though to caution or to calm him — he means to calm him, and says to quietly concur, “It is appalling.”
Henrik Paulsen said,
August 18, 2010 at 4:57 pm
It’s good to have someone doing something that’s comforting, in this incredibly discomforting conversation; he catches Theodor’s hand briefly in his own, squeezes hard, and lets go.
Gabriel said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:40 pm
Gabriel murmurs over his tea, “I was… exploring… one night beneath the palace and came upon a door with a vast thing moving beyond it, whose voice scraped, “Bring me a mirror.”
Theodor said,
August 18, 2010 at 3:47 pm
“And have you brought it one?”
Gabriel said,
August 18, 2010 at 4:19 pm
“I was given no opportunity to. The sound of the voice alarmed me and my candle had extinguished itself. I retreated, intending to come another day. As we have been reading scripture today and I believe it was behind the fifth lock, made of rat-made steel…
9When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”
Scarlet O said,
August 18, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Scarlet listens intently. Unlike the others, parabola was a mystery that she had not yet encountered. But she was aware of its important to the others. While she had certainly believed she was moving along quite apace in Fallen London, Scarlet now realized just how much more the others had experienced…
…and what she was hearing did not give her reason to rush headlong into the same fires. She laid a soft hand on the tome in front of her – could so much of this be connected with the mythology of the church? Her eyes scanned the room to each individual, and what little she knew of all of them but how much she now understood of their nightmares.