In your dream, you meet an odd character named Komio.  It is said
that Komio was once a gnome who blended with a human soul.  No one can say
for sure when the magick is this deep.  But on the astral plane you can
meet him or in this dream. 
   It is said that Komio was a thief during Atlantis and organized the
thieve's guild.  It is said he is far more ancient.  It is said he is a
master magician in his own right.  Too much is speculated about him but
the wares of his trade are found in every civilization. 
  Whatever the case, you now find yourself entering a little shop along
the road. You join with others in a tour he is giving. 

     .  
A well-known saying of Komio: 

What others conceal--I reveal. 
Darkness is my home.   
I am the underground.  
Your secrets desires are my business--
Your pleasure is guaranteed. 


The best tribute to Komio is this:  After all is said and done, it was
perhaps Komio's ratlike operations which preserved civilizaton.  The
scientific and magical knowledge enabling the civilization of Atlantis to
make its rise came in large measure from Komio. 
     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.  

The Alchemical Shop

Komio has 
opened  up his shop today just to give us a tour.   Some of  these  items 
which he sells may seem rather stange, but truly, this whole tale 
is a legend told to you by a gnome magician named Muscar.   Think 
about that!
     Over  here  is the door.  Let's go in.   A word  of  caution 
though--do be careful.   Do not touch or taste anything.  Ah, you 
notice  the  exotic smells in the air.   This is not  the  coarse 
whiff of cinnemon 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 Sirus and sprinkled with 
the crushed leaves of mountain ravines. 
     The  odors seem to conjure up visions of maidens dancing  in 
     "Tell  us  Komio a little about your profession  before  you 
start your tour."
     Komio  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 
hickie  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 blackmarket 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  no  one's possession.   There are larger  issues  at 
stake:   the destiny of science is to understand the totality  of 
the  universe.   The  destiny  of the heart is  to  embrace  that 
totality in love.   I,  Komio,  Master Thief, I am the bridge and 
the link between these two destinies.  
     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.   
     Take  the  deepest obssesion 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 already curious.  Am I right?  
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  communicate,  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 heart's 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.  
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  get  into  the 
details.  
     Komio  opens his palm and reveals a light glowing  within  a 
small  bottle.   He says,  "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 essence of  femininity?  
and,  What  force  motivates the unfolding  the  universe?   This 
elixir reveals that these two questions are one and the same.  
     Do  not ask me for the answer--it can not 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 this?   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. 
     I  have  alluded to love only indirectly with my  first  two 
potions.   But this next silver container reveals the mystery  of 
love. The reason this bottle is so carefully sealed is that it is 
very potent.  It contains five doses for those who are so striken 
in life they are forced to live without love.  I highly recommend 
that the owner only take two doses.  I believe that is all anyone 
will ever need.  
     I call this magnficient 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  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 does.   I can not forbide you,  of course,  but  still,  my 
warning should be heeded. 
     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.   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?  Do not be so sure.  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  anothers.   Again, 
beware.   The  side effects are overpowering for all but the most 
daring adventurers. 
     Needless  to say,  such an elixir should only be taken under 
the direction of a highly skilled alchemist.   The faint of heart 
must  avoid the third dose at all costs.   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 said,  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.  
     As  you suspect,  this elixir also is very  expensive.   But 
since  my  experiments  with it are  not  yet  complete,  I  will 
consider  reasonable  offers.   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 quadrupple 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. 
     Now  there  are  those who say that I  am  toying  with  the 
mysteries.   They  say I bargain and sell items best left unknown 
and  kept out of human hands.   But my work encompasses  eons  of 
time  and what hangs in the balance is nothing else than the fate 
of mankind. 
     I  learn from others.   I watch and observe.   I  borrow.  I 
refine.  I gather and crystalize the essence of human experience.  
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.
     By the way,  for those of you whose names are on my  special 
VIP  list,  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.   It has become one of my favorites, a spell 
I often use when I travel abroad.  
     And I 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 talisman 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  soul  that  the world gets  down  on  its  knees  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.   Intense negotiation is what I live 
for.   Without the encounter, this connection to another, I would 
have very little dealings with the human race.
     "Oh,  and  by the way,  in another age after Ubarim is  long 
gone, I shall reveal the formula for nuclear fision and fusion to 
the Atlanteans.  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,  just give me a call.   I can 
save your scientists a few decades 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.  This completes my tour."


You also asked Komio to tell me about his long range plans.   Komio 
takes a deep breath and sighs.  Then he says: 
     "You  must understand the time frame of my plans.   Ages and 
millenia  mean  nothing  to me.  A man  reaches  his  fifty-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 is 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 the Milky  Way 
with  all of its many magnificient cultures and races,  only  one 
living  creature has ever held conversation with the Lord of  the 
Universe.   This  was  a  human being who onced 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  which 
are  meant  to be.   Saturn,  the lord  of  time,  proclaims  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 which 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  soley  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  which 
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 archetect 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 ask?  It can not be 
bought nor 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 to find it. 
     But I would ask every soul on earth to journey along with me 
toward the One Light which shines throughout the universe.  And I 
would ask each to do so solely out of the freedom,  joy, and love 
which  is part of the celebration which 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 entire galaxy. 


Now, back to the plot.