Note: The book, Mystical Fables, contains stories encompassing human history. It pursues themes such as the origin of true love, the power of the Spoken Word, and why human beings fight over land. The following chapter is from a series of stories relating to a mythical kingdom called Ubarim. In that part of the book, there are great bards, warriors of the heart, a high priest who possesses the greatest healing power ever offered to a human being, and a magnificent king who, in spite of his virtues, has a secret alliance with a cosmic dragon.

This chapter on Komio is meant to be light and humorous. Still, when I work with gnomes like Mentifil, Muscar, Erami in the Bardon training system, it is easy for me to imagine someone like Komio. These gnomes possess an inner silence of soul that easily in one sitting can recall all the ages of mankind--our process of discovery and the development of our civilizations. It is a kind of encounter I do not find anywhere in Western or Oriental literature. And so I am sure you will understand as I go on and improvise my own literature.

As for the idea of a thief, love is sometimes compared to a thief, for it steals the heart. Christ said, “I shall come as a thief in the night.” Hermes or Mercury was something of a thief, for he alone could get by Argus by telling stories until a thousand eyes fell asleep. The hermetic arts deal with revealing secrets. And, for some computer gaming fans, the games, Thief I and Thief II, are their favorites because they require you to think.

Komio is like an archetype of a thief developed to perfection.

Komio: The Master Thief

Our understanding of the process of social change in the Kingdoms of Ubarim would not be complete without discussing Komio. How can Komio be described? Master Thief? Yes, he is that. Alchemist? That he is also with skills perhaps unequaled in human history.

Scientist? When it comes to the social sciences, Komio invented a discipline we might call Cultural Engineering. Some suspect that human history is shaped by Komio's experiments.

Three well-known sayings of Komio:

I pursue desire in order to become wise

By bringing light to what is hidden inside.

You feel most alive not when your longings are denied

But when they are satisfied.

What others conceal--I reveal.

Darkness is my home.

I am the underground.

Your secret desires are my business--

Absolute gratification guaranteed.

It is never too late

To alter your fate,

For the right price,

I will spice up your life.

As the Master Thief of eight kingdoms, Komio heads up the thieves’ guild. Carefully conceived and administered, working in isolated cells with highly professional standards, Komio's thieves are the best in the world. They do not steal at random or to put food in their mouths. Komio has turned stealing into a high art, a life long vocation.

Still, Komio has many upset. There is a king's ransom offered for his head--fifty thousand pieces of gold. Yet no one knows where he lives. His face is unknown even to his mother. If you ever meet him in person, you can be sure he is wearing a disguise.

The priesthood of the temples has a great dislike for Komio. He is one of the few topics upon which they all agree. They are obsessed with his capture. This is because Komio steals their secret rituals and their magic books from their temples and sells them to the highest bidder.

How does Komio manage this, to single-handedly run a vast covert organization? The answer is that the service he provides is essential. Komio has many sympathizers and his network of spies includes even priests. Some believe Komio's clandestine operations keep the world from falling into stagnation. This is because each temple has its own magical and scientific knowledge which it hoards like a dragon. And dragons are not very sociable and definitely not good at sharing.

A few kings also need Komio’s assistance in peeking behind temple veils. Take King Irkoman. The king is an important client of Komio’s. These two have completed a number of mutually satisfying transactions. If he could, King Irkoman would steal the wind from the sails, the fire from the kettles, and the incense from the alters of all eight temples.

And even Kamhia, the priest to High King Yuharna, has found Komio’s services to be most beneficial. It was Komio who sold to Kamhia the original recipes for making beer from hops. Komio obtained the formulas, let us say, under suspicious circumstances on another continent far away. Given his skills in sales, market development, and lucrative trade, it is understandable that Komio’s merchants have shown up in every market on earth.

And Abstrek, the Imperial Censor? Recall that Abstrek too set up a network of spies in all eight kingdoms. To whom do you think he turned in the beginning for help and advice? It cost a small fortune, though, just for the information. But then again, Abstrek had a very large expense account. And Komio is no fool when it comes to serving his clients. Komio has always been very shrewd in making friends or at least satisfied customers out of those who end up ruling the world.

To put it simply, Komio is an institution in himself. Since in Ubarim, scientific investigation and discoveries are kept secret, Komio feels an ethical obligation to steal what would otherwise remain under lock and key. In a world where religious traditions are rigid and built on secrecy, Komio fills in the gaps and offers inspiration where research loses its momentum.

As hard as it may be for us to understand, unbelievably, many of the priests in this ancient society actually possess genuine spiritual power. But priests, even the best, tend to be unduly conservative when it comes to authorizing new experiments which may alter our understanding of the world.

Recall that the temples are build over eight places of power in the land. But there are a few power places which do not fit into the plan. Two or three wizards' towers, for example, stand on distant islands or in inaccessible jungles. Komio is the one who sees that these wizard’s special needs are met. In return, the wizard’s like to insure that Komio acquires the rarest formulas of hermetic alchemy.

The best tribute to Komio is this: After all is said and done, it was Komio's ratlike operations which preserved civilization. The scientific and magical knowledge enabling the civilization of Atlantis to arise was perhaps something only Komio could devise.

Komio had been supplying, even funding, with a grant and an endowment or two, some secret research projects in a far away land. But with the political revolution which swept through Ubarim, Komio became too busy to make further investments or to participate in administrative decisions. But his ideas took hold. The Atlantians’ knowledge still outranks our own when it comes to science as well as the powers of the mind. Komio was definitely a man ahead of his time.

An Alchemical Shop

Shall we drop in on Komio? Today Komio is indulging himself by engaging in one of his favorite activities--he is entertaining a few VIP’s by showing them around a very special shop. But Komio is not just giving a tour for potential business associates. No, Komio always has two or three other agendas being played out beneath the obvious. In this case, Komio is running an experiment that he has carried on for ages--he is trying to figure out the source that gives birth to the desires of the human heart.

By the way, some of the items Komio sells may seem rather strange, but truly, this whole tale is in part a legend told to you by a gnome magician named Muscar. On the other hand, legends, when well told, carry their own weight even when their authenticity and factuality are highly questionable. But you can decide for yourself the terms by which reality and myth negotiate.

I will only say this by way of disclaimer: Myth is not history. It does not tell you about what is or what has been. It tells you rather about something more essential--it speaks of possibilities. Myths spell out the way to unite irreconcilable opposites and resolve conflicts that can not be solved. You live the myth by imagining what can be and then turning it into reality.

Its time now. Let's go through the door and join in the tour. A word of caution though--do be careful. Do not touch or taste anything. And do not try to concoct any of these items on your own at home.

Ah, you notice the exotic smells in the air? This is neither the coarse whiff of cinnamon nor the seductive invitation of liquor. This is the smell of flower blossoms sprouting on vines at the top of jungle trees combined with Nightblooming Sirius and sprinkled with the crushed leaves of mountain ravines.

The odors seem to conjure up visions of maidens dancing in courts in unauthorized kingdoms. If you let your imagination go for a moment with another sniff of the air you might be able to hear celestial choirs--their faintest of cords can easily smash to smithereens the sounds of any modern rock band.

Leave it to Komio to add ambience and atmosphere. Ah, here is Komio now wearing clothes fit for a prince. His shirt is silk with blended colors of tan and citrine. His pants are woven from fine, long haired wild sheep found only one mountain peak in Ubarim. His white, leather gloves are so well-crafted they flex like a second skin. And his felt hat with an eagle feather has the note of gypsy and troubadour mixed together.

All in all, Komio is a very friendly man though with an outrageous sense of humor. He also has the uncanny skill of conveying to you that you and he are co-conspirators on the verge of a wonderful discovery.

I smile as he approaches and say, “Tell us Komio a little about your profession before you start your tour.”

Komio’s voice is sobriety and pleasure mixed together. He answers, “I have learned that in life there are no boundaries, no limits, no solid and unyielding outlines. There are no drawbridges before the gates of the spirit and no castle walls defending the secrets of the soul. The entire universe is open and ready to be explored. Well then, isn't it obvious? When set before the truth, all religions fall down like a house of cards.

Take for example the greatest of human sages. I have noticed that they appreciate above all else the mind of the beginner--the one whose heart is so open and empty he is continuously ready in each moment to be filled. All these separate temples with their secret rituals and mystical powers cater only to human fears of insecurity and mankind's obsession with authority.

Speaking for myself, I do not like to crawl or grovel before another's authority. I realize, of course, some people are uneasy making up the rules as they go along. But for me, religion can only be a support group for exploring the universe. Other than this, everything else in religion is no more than a hickey on your neck--it is either a symbol for bonding with others or a real pain in the ass.

But then again, many criticize me because of my profession. They point out that I am no more than a thief. They say that I prosper selling black-market items, that I grow rich only because I break the rules. I disrupt the productivity of the economy by undermining legal patents, franchises, and monopolies. Though this is true, my response remains the same--life tastes best when it is lived in freedom.

Wisdom is no one's possession. There are larger issues at stake: after all, the destiny of science is to understand the totality of the universe. The destiny of the heart is to embrace that totality with love. I, Komio, Master Thief, I am the bridge and the link between these two.

When I offer to satisfy the darkest desires within the human soul, when I provide secrets of knowledge only known by high priests, I only affirm the truth which lovers already know--that in their love, they pass through the center of each other's heart. And it is the center of the heart where wisdom, love, and power join as one.

“I would empower each and every lover to fulfill the vision and dream hidden at the core of their being. After all, this is my greatest skill: I tailor universal and cosmic wisdom to meet individual needs.”

Noticing that the group of VIP clients are gathering around our conversation, Komio raises his voice slightly and goes on,

“Take the deepest obsession or infatuation lurking within yourself. Follow it down to its secret roots and you shall obtain liberation--every one of you knows this truth on some level. Therefore, I am pleased to offer you my services as your guide. Let me show you some of the items I can provide.”

Reaching under the glass showcase and bringing a small jar out Komio says, “This, for example, is a very special concoction. I call it, The Essence of Poetry. It is a remarkable perfume though some would consider it an elixir. It is very rare and expensive as you might suspect, but well worth the price.

“I obtained it, shall we say, in a most unusual way which I am not at liberty to discuss. The Essence of Poetry, think about it--just a little dab of this on your neck, behind your ears, or if you are a woman, on your breasts and presto, like magic, poetry at your beck and call:

Instant hypnotic images with enough beauty to make you scream or at least to take your breath away as one metaphor unfolds its wings. And there is more--all the wonder found in a dream, the serenity of a white swan descending from the moon and a contentment so complete the rest of the world seems hardly worth a yawn. Yes, this recipe is called the Essence of Poetry.

I can see that some of you are more than curious. Am I not right? And I sense that you appreciate the finer things of life. For this reason, I will let you in on the secret of how I obtained it. It comes from the Guardian Pigios who reigns over the fifteenth degree of Gemini. His sigil is like a sower's thread which strings together the heart, the hand, the eye, and the ear in one enchanting design.

Pigios is as the patron of all poets on earth though oddly enough those who teach literature do not even know his name. In my opinion, Pigios’ greatest gift is in enchanting others so their minds are put aside and the light of pure perception illuminates them from within.

I not fooling you when I say, with this concoction, if you speak about waves, women will feel the spray on their face. And if it is laughter, tears, or bliss you would provide, be assured, my elixir evokes physical effects as moist as breath or the warmth of a lover's palm on your skin.

I may be a thief my friends, but when it comes to fulfilling your deepest dreams through magical will, I have a role to play--when truth spills over because others’ hearts are already full, I catch that truth in my goblet. I am the spider whose web is the

world. I occupy the nitch left vacant by all religions and philosophies on earth.

“Now if poetry does not appeal to you, and not everyone has a taste for it, let me suggest another fine recipe I also sell.” Komio opens a cabinet door after unlocking three locks. He reaches in withdrawing a silvery box containing a small object wrapped in silk. Carefully removing the silk, in Komio’s hand is a small bottle glowing with lunar light.

Komio goes on, “This potion here, it is a true work of art. It was a special order but the owner is a no show. I think he lost his head somewhere else. In any case, I do not believe he will be in need of it anymore.

“It can be yours for substantial savings. You would not believe what it took to produce it--a very exhausting procedure. There were whole monasteries...well, I won't bore you with the details.

“This lunar radiance can light up your room on a dark night. And see how at the center of the bottle is suspended a blue crystal.

“I call this masterpiece, this wonder of wonders--The Essence of Feminine Beauty. For women it grants irresistible appeal--their lives now an enchantment with passion beyond reason. For men, it fulfills all their dreams. Men of power, as you have always suspected, are surrounded by beautiful women. This accomplishment is the least of this potion's capacities.

“I could enumerate for days the virtues of this elixir--its qualities, its properties, its powers. But let me just give you my sale’s pitch in a nutshell. There is a place where male fantasy stumbles into the most profound mystery--

“Consider two questions, What is the mysterious power in women? and, What force unfolds the universe? This elixir reveals that these two questions are actually the same.

Do not ask me to verbalize the answer to these questions--they cannot be found with the mind alone. But let me just give you a hint. When you taste my elixir you will be so transformed you will have difficulty remembering the person you once were. The reason for this is that this elixir satisfies hungers so deeply hidden within yourself you will see the world as one who has been reborn.

By the way, did I mention? There is a side effect which is very useful--the beauty in women contains a love which, when refined to this level, heals any disease on earth. You may question how this is possible and I can understand your doubts. But I think if you search you hearts deep down you all already know that both death and life serve a purpose most profound. For those who taste the essence of feminine beauty, this mystery is fully revealed.”

And then, as if pausing for effect or because he is struggling to find the words to express, Komio goes on like a priest reciting a hymn with a resonate voice surging forward, “Beauty is a most remarkable thing. To taste it is to fly with divine wings. When its light fills you eyes, you see sights hidden from the wise. When it touches your skin, you are freed of all sin. And if it ever should anoint you, its cool, soothing tenderness flowing through you, then all that you have ever lost is again found and impossible hopes and dreams will soon come around.”

“Now if we can move on, I have a few other items to sell. You will notice that I have alluded to love only indirectly with my first two potions. But this next potion contains love both human and divine. I have sealed it carefully so its contents will remain uncontaminated for at least a thousand years. There are five doses within it and they are effective even for those who are so stricken in life, so cursed by fate, that they are forced to live without love. I highly recommend that if this bottle should become your own, that you only take two doses. I believe that is all anyone will ever need.

“I call this magnificent fluid The Essence of Ubarim--yes, it is named after the Guardian who is the namesake of our kingdoms. Take the first dose only during a new moon. That very same night both you and your unknown soul mate will appear to each other in a dream. This in itself is worth all that you have paid, for now you will know that in life you are not alone. There exists another whose heart at the very core is designed to embrace your own.

“Take the second dose when the moon is full then wait until the moon passes through another cycle. Oh sweet bliss. The world will conspire and assist you and your soul mate in finding each other.

“I am not saying it will be easy. Sometimes even the gods and goddesses like to entertain themselves by setting up obstacle courses and tests of the psyche to bar our way to finding love on the human plane. Jealously is not just a human vice--the gods do not like to share their bliss with mankind without charging a fair price.

“But fear not. I Komio have taken all of this into account. This elixir has mixed within it a superb herb which will heighten your cleverness to an immense degree. Consequently, you and your lover will be able to fool even an Imperial Censor when it comes to finding time to be together.

“This is all anyone will ever need of this potion. The other three doses I have only included in honor of the Guardian Ubarim. Technically speaking, I could not manufacture this drink without including within it the entire path leading to love divine.

“Please, if you buy this do not even think of taking the third dose. I cannot forbid you, of course, but still, my warning should not go unheeded.

“But for those of you who have an academic interest in matters of the heart, let me just say that the third dose has an unusual effect. In accordance with Ubarim's own inner essence, it will enable you and your lover to feel a part of each other to a profound degree.

“There is bonding and then there is bonding--but this is the genuine article, calibrated so you taste divinity in its full ecstasy. When you take a breath or sigh or stretch or close your eyes as you fall asleep you will feel your lover is right there with you comforting and sharing his or her presence.

“Do you wake up in the middle of the night and want to cuddle your soul mate? With this elixir, when you reach out to touch love, it is there for you to find--the air itself is not more fragrant or fine in flowing through the secret chambers of your heart than is the art of love Ubarim has designed.

“Sounds nice, no? But consider the price. You will feel so much a part of each other that you will not even need to be together. The feelings of love are that complete. The heart, no longer feeling separate, experiences one of the greatest freedoms on our planet--joining your heart completely with another’s. Again, beware. The side effects are overpowering for all but the most daring adventurers.

“You all know the saying, ‘The one who has found true love is the luckiest person on earth.’ And as you know, true love originates here in Ubarim. But it is not just luck that is involved. True love is the expression of sacred power. And it is not for nothing that it takes a high priest, priestess, seven temples, and the Great Rite to manifest it once every ten years.

“But what the priests won’t tell you is that true love is found in every heart. It only needs the right circumstances to awaken. But this elixir I hold in my hands now grants the experience of true love. There is no question about this. I will stake my entire reputation on it. But who among you is so bold and daring that you will cross the line and taste love divine? I will accept sealed bids for this item later this month when the moon is dark.

“By the way, the faint of heart must avoid the third dose at all costs. I have to issue this warning. The result would be a loss of personal identity. All familiar orientations in life would dissolve. Strange obsessions would arise to blind the mind in an attempt to hold on to a familiar world. Love is nothing to fool around with folks.

“Like I say, this elixir is best used for those whose lives are so overshadowed by fate that love is nearly impossible for them to find. In such cases, a third dose can alter the destiny of the soul. Do not ask me about the last two doses. Ubarim has sworn me to secrecy.

“By the way, regarding the first three doses, if you find that this or any other recipe does not work for you, I will give you quadruple your money back. My word is my bond in all eight kingdoms. Even my enemies will tell you straight out that my honor in matters of business is without blemish.

“And as a special offer to those of you who are already enrolled in my Komio’s Secret Society, I offer recipes and formulas not available to the general public. I have for example, a very nice word of power which, when spoken aloud, is guaranteed to calm any storm at sea. It is under warranty and I also will renew it free of charge for the first two years you travel abroad. It has become one of my favorites, a spell I often use when there is peril to be found as I travel around.

“And I also have a beautiful talisman, finely engraved on a metal alloy called Electrum Magicum. Wear this talisman as an amulet around your neck and it is sure to bring the best of winds when under sail.

“And last but not least, here is remarkable sigil engraved on a small, silver plate in the shape of a nonagon. Now some people can only imagine that wishes are fulfilled in fairy tales or myths. You know the stories--wish-fulfilling gems on mysterious islands found only by heroic quests, genies in laddin's lamps, leprechauns wanting their gold back--that sort of thing.

“But you see, my mind has the precision of a laser when it comes to burning away fantasy and revealing the reality hidden at its core. I am not fooling you when I say there are magical designs with such influence over the elements of nature and over the human beings that the world gets down on its knee and surrenders before their charm.

“This talisman is one such power. When carried on your person during the seventh mansion of the moon, any material thing you may wish for you shall gain. Its potency is that great!

“You ask me, ‘Why do you sell things which can produce such wealth? Why not keep them to yourself? No one can offer you anything that could possibly match them in value.’

“My answer is, ‘Buying and selling, acquisitions and barters, are part of my art of Cultural Engineering. When I am trading, I feel most alive. Interactive negotiation is what I live for. Without the encounter, without this kind of connection to another, I would have very little dealings with mankind.

“Oh, and by the way, in another age after Ubarim is long gone, I shall reveal the formula for nuclear fission and fusion to another civilization along with antigravity devices. And for those apparitions who are present in this room visiting from the far future, I notice that in your world you have not learned to manufacture electricity from nuclear fusion at an affordable price.

“If any of you are interested, drop me a line. I can save your scientists centuries of futile research if you are so inclined. I am sure we can work out some sort of arrangement. I am very flexible when it comes scheduling payments, exchanging goods, or bartering services.

“Now, you will have to excuse me since I have to rush off to attend to other business. But I do have time for one question. Anyone?”

The lady dressed all in forest green asks, “You offer the sacred mysteries for a price. Isn’t this a contradiction? Shouldn’t these experiences you offer arrive naturally after years of training in a monastery or when one’s karma is ripe?”

Komio replies with a smile and a nod, “This question is asked of me every time I give a tour or have a clearance sale, but it is indeed an excellent question. Many say that I am toying with the mysteries. They say I bargain and sell items best left unknown and kept out of the reach of human hands. My answer is this: My work encompasses eons of time and what hangs in the balance is nothing else than the fate of mankind.

“It is not for nothing that I have been called the father of cultural engineering. I learn from others. I watch and observe. I borrow. I refine. I gather and crystallize the essence of all that life hides. And though many consider me but a thief and a scoundrel, the wisdom I place in human hands is precisely what leads civilizations to their heights. When I get the blue prints on my table just right, you end up with a Golden Age. And I find another piece of the puzzle, part of the answer to my question, ‘What is mankind?’”

“What is mankind?” a lady repeats softly mocking Komio with her sarcastic smile. “You act like you know so much but inside I know you are so vulnerable. Why else all this obsession with desires and possessions?”

Placing his hand gently around the woman’s waist as others began to wander off talking quietly among themselves, Komio guides the woman off to the side. You can tell something is going on by that the peculiar light in his eyes and the intonation in his voice that is both formal and intimate in the same breath.

Komio says, “Young lady, you must know that you are ravishingly beautiful. Perhaps I can best answer your question by reciting a poem told to me by a wizard who spoke to me through a magick mirror I own. He belongs to a civilization that has not yet appeared on earth. It goes like this:

The Wizard and the Lady

The wizard said to the lady:

“I need your sensual beauty

To perfect my magical art

For as you must know

There is no greater power on earth

Than a man and woman joined in love.”

The Lady replied:

"Gold and silver I have

And diamonds and emeralds I have too many.

What could you possibly offer me

To justify this union?”

Spoke the wizard:

“By my will treasures I reveal

Neither gods nor mortals can find

I recreate the world anew

According to my will and design:

Peace in the air

Like incense in a temple so fine

Harmony and justice triumphant

With enough light

To fill every heart with infinite Delight

Even as the sun at dawn filters down through forest leaves

Annihilating dark shadows of despair.”

The Lady replies with empathy and dry humor combined:

"I can see how you feel.

You have a most noble ideal

Yours is most fine, even divine.

Still, my body is not for sale,

For magic I care not

But I will make you a deal:

If you can charm my heart for a start

Your hands might find a way

To caress this soft, succulent body

As your eyes burn gazing upon my naked form

As you hold me in your arms,

As you explore and unfold my charms.

But it will not be easy--

I would not even dance for Krishna if he played his flute

Nor would I flirt with Orion if he came down

From his starry abode and took on mortality

To unloose his bands for the sake of my beauty.”

The wizard said:

“According to your words, I have just the spell

For of charms, talismans, and sigils I have too many.

But I have a word of power I have made just for you.”

And so saying the wizard chanted a sound most profound

A word forged in an abyss

Before the foundations of the world were laid

Before the separation of night and day

Or the waters were divided from the dry lands.

And then immediately with the utterance

The lady found herself floating naked

In a vast lake beneath the ground

In a magical cavern

Luminous and radiant, shining and bright

With soft indigo and violet light

The opal waters sparkling in delight

Her bliss was so great

She no longer cared that the wizard’s beard was gray

And that he had hair growing out of his ears.

She felt serene and free

As the peace that flows between the stars at night

Or between two hearts that forever unite.

She felt her body merge with a secret sea

As she felt the Earth when it first gave birth to life in ecstasy.

And when she looked into the eyes of the wizard

She spoke these words:

“I am yours,

Take me, ravish me,

For now I see:

Every soul desires to be transformed by love,

And for the sake of Love I too will yield

My sensual beauty shall join with your wand of will:

Let Light fill the earth

Let peace be unleashed

Let Love be unbound and free.”

When Komio was done reciting the poem, the woman looked into Komio’s eyes and said, “You are such a flirt. If I didn’t know that you are in disguise, if every story about you did not tell me otherwise, I ....” She paused taking a breath and then said, “I have a previous engagement and I must go now.” She kissed Komio on the cheek and then turned and walked away taking her beauty and her sensuality with her from out of the shop that suddenly turned dark as the door closed behind her.

But we are not done with this chapter. An interview is not over until the last question is answered. I am still here. And so I say to Komio, “Tell me about your long range plans.”

Komio takes a deep breath and sighs. Then he says:

“You must understand the time frame and the windows of opportunity I devise. Ages and millennia mean nothing to me. A man reaches his sixty-sixth birthday. He snaps his fingers and says, ‘All the years I have lived are gone as quick as that.’

“But I recall having conversations with the best minds from ancient civilizations as if I had breakfast with them this morning. Now they are gone. Not a trace remains to celebrate their nobility or to honor their many accomplishments.

“But this is not all. My experience and clairvoyance are not limited to the human race. Throughout our galaxy there are countless civilizations, many far more advanced than our own. But I tell you, among these billions of stars in this galaxy with all of its many magnificent cultures and races, only one living creature has ever held conversation with the Lord of the Universe. This was a human being who once walked upon our planet earth. His name was King Sustarna. His conversation with the Lord of the Universe inspired my dreams.

“In my dream, I awoke and raised my hands up to the sky and spoke a magical word of power. The blue of the sky faded for three hours as it radiated a soft pink.

“I felt happiness sinking down into every cell of my body. At long last, the loneliness and separation which haunts mankind finally dissolved. We became a race in which all are connected to each other directly from heart to heart. The drive toward survival, knowledge, and power are recaptured by the greater governing principle of love.

“In my vision, Uranus like a sun hangs above in the sky bright and brilliant. I sense his presence and his rays of light streaming down through my eyes with visions of the future that are meant to be. Saturn, the lord of time, proclaims that the movement of the world rides upon those causes set in motion from the past. Who, Saturn asks, would dare defile tradition and lessons taught by history with visions that have no foundation other than a pure will of steel steeped in magic?

“But, of course, we Aquarians have this as our very task--to bargain with Saturn using a magical will to accomplish our work. How? you ask. I have sacrificed my personal life countless times. Hidden in obscurity, I have pursued dreams of the future.

“I have savored and drawn nourishment not from temples nor traditions based in the past nor even from friends or a lover's hand, but solely from my inner convictions. My faith is confirmed every time I behold the stars at night, every time I walk at sunset and dawn.

“I drink in Uranian inspiration for from Uranus comes all magical knowledge. His bliss saturates the body and soul so deeply all tension and need releases; it is his skill that weaves a pattern so deep two hearts know each other better than it is possible to know the self alone. It is his mission to watch over the world and to transform it to such an extent that henceforth the human race will be known throughout the galaxy in a different way:

“We will be known not for our violence, lust, greed, and blind fanaticism. Rather, this planet whose Soul is more beautiful than a billion worlds, yes, those from our world, the members of humanity, shall be called the Children of Light. Our entire planet will become enlightened.

“This is my master plan which arises from out of the dream of the Earth. Her beauty is immense and true beauty harmonizes all conflicts and fuses all opposing desires. And so to fulfill my quest, I steal from scientists, wizards, and priests. I study all civilizations on earth. And then I weave all that knowledge and wisdom together so that I can fulfill my mission.

“My experiments as a cultural architect to transform the deepest instincts within the human soul are engineered solely for this purpose: to fulfill the dreams of the Earth and to transform the world.

“And what is the cost of this Wisdom, you may ask? It cannot be bought or sold. Though I know personally its cost, I would not ask any other soul on earth to pass through the darkness where I have journeyed alone.

“But I would ask every soul on earth to journey along with me toward the One Light that shines throughout the universe. And I would ask each to do so solely out of the freedom, joy, and love that is part of the celebration that all life was created to

enact. The song I sing, as I have said before, gathers the joy in the heart of every star in the universe into a vision of all-embracing love.

“And so my prophecy is this: One day a bardic tradition will be established on earth in which the poets are also alchemists, healers, astrophysicists, and spheric magicians all at once. And in that day our eyes shall be opened--

“Each shall see the rays of light streaming forth, interconnecting and joining into one living pattern, one Song, the minerals, the plants and trees, the animals, the human beings, and the entire biosphere. I tell you with absolute conviction based upon the words of power Uranus has revealed to me--in that day, the members of the human race, millions upon millions, shall become the healers, guides, and Guardians whose work encompasses the galaxy.”

Well, I think it is time to bid Komio farewell. The air in this shop of magical elixirs is rather thick. Its intoxicating scents can easily go to your head producing dreams and visions that have nothing to do with everyday life. Still, I suspect Komio is lurking about in our own age making offers, deals, bartering, and negotiating with the leaders of the world or with anyone in fact who can trade a desire so great it reveals a new way into the depths of the human heart.

I will make one historical, that is, mythological note about Komio’s legend in Ubarim. He later became known, over the objections of all eight temples, as the high priest of the Temple of Uranus. It was never formal, you understand. Rather, it began as a suspicion, turned into a rumor, moved on to a legend, and finally was forged as a common belief held by the masses in honor of Komio’s mystique and the fact that no one could ever catch much less bind him.