Memories are the ones that keep my mind working. Inner I am dead already. I have learned since my best friend died. There is a movie where's someone saying that everybody deserves a second chance. I will not give that chance myself. The blood on the floor was real, and the blood in my memories is, too, as this dialogue will express the relationship between Jade and me.
LOVELY: Cursed be yon twisted hieroglyphs! Obstructions upon obstructions! Arcana over arcanum!LOVELY: Truly, all my learned life I have spent in attempt to decipher you, to wring you out of your secrets, to reconstruct the language of ancient hebrews, and this has been all my bounty: naught upon nothing, loss of eyesight over lackless figures, and a piercing stare to frighten the children. I have not approached the elixirs of immortality, nor the stones of power, and the wonders of the damned, still flickering like mirages in the horizon have not come closer; on the contrary, do I not see a first grey string, perching on my brow? Surely this must be a cruel jest, a lash from the whip of fate; or worse, perhaps a vengeance from an envious god? Gods! have I not indeed blasphemed? Rebitten the forbidden apple, as it was put in one particular work? Perhaps I should repent, am I still not handsome and strong, gifted with the love of many a noble lady?
LOVELY: No! I will not repent, and neither lay down my work, which however vain might appear, has indeed proven its worth. Hark! My pride will provide a justification, and my logic acclaims: 'all under the sun must be vindicated,' and this is mine; that the god of the monks and the bishops, the serf-god of peasant-folk, has neither meaning nor logic or consistency, so certainly He of mine, the god of numbers and logic, must be the one to exist. Or perhaps there is no god... No! I must not damn myself further! But here we are again, Ms. Lovely, once again distracted... But gods! would I not accept divine help here, devilish even. You devils of corruption and might, will you not appear? Have I not yet sold my worthless soul for a penny? Won't you make sense of this thrice-damned work for me?JADE: Here I am Lovely, you have called me.
LOVELY: Gods! How did you appear there?
JADE: That I shall reveal to you at some later date; you need not to concern yourself with it. What is more important is that I have come here to fulfill all your desires, and to bring to you those powers whose lack of you have recently bemoaned; and all this for a paltry price, indeed, for a price of a soul!
LOVELY: Ah, I hear you Jade. I did indeed make such an offer, which I now see was not entirely misguided, but while I would not like to appear regretful, I must ask you what is it exactly that you can give to me? The price is indeed as cheap as I have ever been or heard offered, but is it not on such occassions that a bargain must be enforced most vehemently and sceptically?
LOVELY: Ah, I hear you Jade. I did indeed make such an offer, which I now see was not entirely misguided, but while I would not like to appear regretful, I must ask you what is it exactly that you can give to me? The price is indeed as cheap as I have ever been or heard offered, but is it not on such occassions that a bargain must be enforced most vehemently and sceptically?
JADE: Your words are wise. I see you have not become a doctor for no issue. So let me present you a brief list of my services. I shall begin with the most desirous, that is, womanly love: I will bring you that so coveted vessel, Helen of Troy, of whose love epics are sang; and mind you, she will be no eidolon, as I have heard some scholars claim, but be of both sound soul and mind, and heart even, which is so full of love, that we must keep her under surveillance at all times, lest it were to overflow and bring peace and pacificness to the affairs of the world. If this alone would not suffice to you, I can also bring you power and influence, which is ever sought for by men of all stations; for there are a great many exotic nations so ignorant and wicked, that they would be delighted to have a man like you at their helm. Or, if you were to desire to rule that of your present location, I can arrange it too, for I have heard it listed among those previously mentioned. Finally, if you were to be one of those of avaricious sort, I can also lend to you the treasuries of whole Turk and Cathay, for it was I who originally pawned them, and they have indeed failed to flaunt them sufficiently, preferring rather to lock them away in sundry Wunderkammerens. And rest assured, were you to be endowned with healthy gluttony, I will arrange all the world's cooks to cook you the cocks of all France.
LOVELY: That is indeed a heady offering, and further, for if the vessel in offering is she who 'burned the topless towers of Ilium' by but her visage and love, then a stupendous bargain even. However, it is by its very magnitude, that I am reminded that every bargain must have its catch, and I think I know what is yours. Does not your undue reward prove its opposite also true? Is this not a sign, that there truly does exist some strangely human god, whose love and interest towards me is so vast as to attract a tempter such as you? And if indeed that is the case, what could you offer to rival the bliss of after-life, which is indeed unrivalled, regardless of whether it be blissful or not, especially if acceptance of your worlds were to be ultimately rewarded only by a ticket to the lowest of abysses?
JADE: That is truly a suspicion to taint and sour the best of feasts, and if it be so, the catch would prove to be a hook, as you have observed. However, you need not to worry, for I happen to be in possession of knowledge that shall dispel all your doubts, and will reveal it to you posthaste, with a brief feat of deductive theology.
JADE: You see, it is indeed as you have observed, that the words of God revealed to us through writing are proven true by my very appearence, yet it is also so, that they are neither to be taken as metaphorical, as suggested by certain timid and vain translators, nor wholly literally, as we take the works of lesser beings (for truly, could that be but audacity!). Instead, the writings thus transported to us from the all-powerful, all-seing, and omnipresent, should be taken as words wholly perfect and flawless; indeed, words so divine that only our humane limitations prevent us from being overwhelmed and subjugated by their mere appearence. Now, the point of this elucidation is of course to reveal you, that the power of the divine is not constrained by the concept of truth, nor reality (the latter being only the will of the omnipotent), or, to point out that the existence of a saviour is secondary to the idea of him, or, that the wording and meaning of the book and teachings are irrelevant to him, as indeed he works straight through their effect. In short, the book is not true, for it is its falsehood that brings about the 'best of possible worlds,' as it was once so wonderfully put, and both orthodoxy and the thousand heresies are equally sanctified, being part of a plan so complex that even its concept is hard to grasp for me, and no less to you.
JADE: You see, it is indeed as you have observed, that the words of God revealed to us through writing are proven true by my very appearence, yet it is also so, that they are neither to be taken as metaphorical, as suggested by certain timid and vain translators, nor wholly literally, as we take the works of lesser beings (for truly, could that be but audacity!). Instead, the writings thus transported to us from the all-powerful, all-seing, and omnipresent, should be taken as words wholly perfect and flawless; indeed, words so divine that only our humane limitations prevent us from being overwhelmed and subjugated by their mere appearence. Now, the point of this elucidation is of course to reveal you, that the power of the divine is not constrained by the concept of truth, nor reality (the latter being only the will of the omnipotent), or, to point out that the existence of a saviour is secondary to the idea of him, or, that the wording and meaning of the book and teachings are irrelevant to him, as indeed he works straight through their effect. In short, the book is not true, for it is its falsehood that brings about the 'best of possible worlds,' as it was once so wonderfully put, and both orthodoxy and the thousand heresies are equally sanctified, being part of a plan so complex that even its concept is hard to grasp for me, and no less to you.
LOVELY: I see. So, what you are saying is that regardless of whether I accept or not, I will not be damned, as the hand of God who works only perfections has made me too. That is very pleasant to hear, and I must admit how your preaching caresses both my mind and heart, that is, both makes sense and gives birth to hope. However, while my caution might now surpass me, I must point out that nothing in your words exactly specifies my fate: whether I be going to heaven or hell?
JADE: There is neither heaven nor hell.
LOVELY: That is pleasant to hear, and I seem to have run out of caution. Where do I sign? And while we are at it, could you please tell me, how did you actually end up here? From whence did you materialise in my office?
JADE: Here, this is the contract; your name goes there...
JADE: Here, this is the contract; your name goes there...
