By Perima
[An extract from the book Perima, from Chapter 4, On the Hatreds’ Trail, in Part II: Tepi and I. (pages 171-174. Perima and Tepi are fairies and Augustine is a human accompanying them on their search to rescue part of Tepi’s soul from the underworld. Perima is giving the following account.]
Tepi was the generator of the seeker-ray that was being used and there was little that we could do to help him.
As we could get nothing but a downward re-action, we decided to make a tunnel. No tools or mechanical contraptions were used – only rays and concentration. Before beginning, we moved away from the Cavern, because it could be dangerous to make a real opening leading downward which could also be used as an entrance by undesireable denizens of the nether regions and thus cause harm to the beasts in the vicinity.
We traveled for many days down subterannean passages and along sluggish near-empty river-beds. Alternatively we were hurled on our journey by raging torrents until eventually we reached open country once more: a vast tract of wilderness where nothing grew and no beasts roamed; the sole evidence of life being rocks and fire.
This was the terrain we were seeking, so we lay down to rest close to Augustine and the protection of his light. How comforting it was. How safe we felt. We dreamed of clear, sparkling waterfalls and lush grass and the memory of these sleep-images were to sustain us for many weeks.
We awoke to reality and set in motion our inner-breathing technique as the air was stifling outside Augustine’s aura. We scanned our surroundings and chose a site from which to start the hazardous enterprise to which we were pledged.
We used a boring ray, which thrummed its way downward, scattering the resistant earth in all directions, until we reached impenetrable rock. We then sent splitting rays which probed and revealed any weak point or points. One penetrated deeper than the others, so we returned to the borer again. We made slow but steady progress following both rays through each aperture produced, pausing only to replenish ourselves with power beamed towards us by the group, before continuing the work.
Eventually we heard a clattering, crashing roar and we knew that the rubble displaced by the rays was falling into a large crater. The beginning of our search was ended.
After we had rested, Tepi again used his Seeker-ray in a further endeavor to find his Hatred’s direction. This time he helt a pain below his solar plexus when he was facing north. We marked the direction on the rock-face and went gratefully to sleep and our dreams.
Our journey continued. Sometimes we traveled up steep and stony paths, at others downward, and Tepi’s pain became increasingly severe as we drew nearer to our goal. The conditions steadily worsened and we were forced to take longer and more frequent periods of rest.
At last we knew we were nearing our goal. We could hear nerve-shattering screams, rattling groans, pitiful shrieks and whining, pleading cries in the distance.
To my horror Tepi joined in the barbarous chorus. Augustine endeavored to soothe him but he bared his teeth and screeched “I hate you, you vile, sanctimonious soul-saver. I hate….. hate ….. hate you.”
Augustine took him in his arms and cradled him like a child. “Well done, Tepi beloved. You have achieved what we could not. You have found your Hatred, but you must not give it dominion over you again. You know that it cannot seize control. It can only possess it as a gift from you.”
Tepi was sobbing in great, choking gulps. “Augustine, what has happened to me ? How could I revile you when, apart from Perima, I love you more than anyone I know.”
“And that is what will save us. Love. Alas, one cannot conquer Hatreds with Love at this level, because they are surrounded by their own kind and are generating their malevolence in a free-moving, magnetic circuit. Even though we are but three to their many, our love is both indivisible and indestructable. It is our strength and with this strength we will prevail.
We made direct contact with our Teacher-Lord asking that a large volume of power should be generated through the group, in order to build a barricade around us; this could be taken forward with us when making surveys of the conditions in which the Hatreds lived. It was essential to know whether they were incarcerated in an enclosed area, or were free to wander in the vicinity at will. We felt rather than saw the light, and its presence both comforted and re-assured us.
Our progress was slow because we knew that the area ahead might be filled with embodiments akin to the Hatreds in nature.
Our fears seemed to be justified when red eyes peered at as from all directions. We were not attacked, but we were followed by snorts and snuffles wherever we went. We wondered whether they were made by sentries, who would warn the Hatreds of our approach, or were members of a separate group. We sent out a testing ray, which caught several of them in its beam. There was no re-action, which proved that they were not evil, but merely denizens of the Dark in their normal evolutionary sphere.
Augustine told us to stay where we were while he endeavored to gain their confidence in the hope that they could be used to aid us, should the necessity arise.
He moved towards them and began to intone wordlessly in a low, soothing voice. The red eyes blinked and heads were cocked first on one side and then on the other. The creatures could obviously hear and liked what they heard.
Slowly, they crept forward on their bellies until they reached Augustine’s feet. He bent down and fondled those nearest him. “Welcome, little brothers,” he said gently as he held his hands over them with the love-ray beaming from his fingers. They rolled on their backs in a similar manner to Tepi’s beasts when we played with them. Augustine called to us and we joined him and rumpled their fur and tickled their ears. They wriggled and yelped with pleasure and we began to laugh. They shot to their feet in instant alarm and assumed defensive positions with their heads down, teeth bared and back legs bent, ready to spring.
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