THE CLOSURED ORDER by Andrej Koymasky (C) 2005 written on June 18th 1994 translated by the author English text kindly revised by Brian
USUAL DISCLAIMER
"THE CLOSURED ORDER" is a gay story, with some parts containing graphic scenes of sex between males. So, if in your land, religion, family, opinion and so on this is not good for you, it will be better not to read this story. But if you really want, or because YOU don't care, or because you think you really want to read it, please be my welcomed guest.
CHAPTER 9 - THE THIRD JOURNEY AND THE REVELATION
As they reached the Convivium, Jarvis introduced the novice to the Regent, who, for that month of stay, assigned it to the Novitiate, without problems. He then went to see Trake and decided to tell him at once about Fresth.
At the end, the Master concluded, "Poor boy, he has to suffer very much."
"But possibly he has already overcome it."
"If that was so, he probably would have asked you to let him go back to his Convivium, don't you think?"
"That's true."
"Don't muddle your hopes with reality, Jarvis. Anyway, you behaved eighty per cent correct."
"And the missing twenty per cent?" the young man asked, with a humble tone.
"The fact that you thought only of what you were feeling and not what you have stirred up in the boy."
"But I cannot, there is no space for him inside my heart. My heart is totally taken by you, Master, you know that."
"I'm not asking you to make of him your lover, only not to shut him out of your heart."
"I didn't want him to follow me. I had to accept his Regent's decision, and I have to take him with me for the next tour also."
"It seems to me that he has been useful, judging from what you told me."
"Certainly yes, and very much. He is a dear boy, smart, clever, full of good will. But nothing more."
"But do you at least like him?"
"I'm growing affectionate of him, but like a brother, surely not like a lover."
"Do you let him feel your affection?"
"Wouldn't that be encouraging him?"
"No. If he is in love with you, nothing will dishearten him. He will love you in silence, he will suffer in silence."
"Master, are you pushing me into his arms?"
"And why not? I know I will not risk losing you."
"No, certainly not, that is impossible. Nobody and nothing will stop me loving you."
"So, then?"
Jarvis didn't know what more to say, and lowered his head.
Trake caressed his hair, "Tonight you will see I am not pushing you in the arms of anybody." He gently whispered.
Jarvis kissed his hand with gratitude and affection.
Trake wanted to meet Fresth - he got a very good impression and so he wanted the boy to participate in the revision of the new notes. Fresth rearranged all the files and the papers perfectly, and Trake praised him. The boy was always ready to accomplish with good grace anything the Master or Jarvis asked of him.
Once the month elapsed, they started out again for the last tour, the one towards the South. They reached a Convivium of the same Order of Fresth right during the occasion of the passage tests to become Acolyte and the boy, on Jarvis' advice, asked to be allowed to undergo the tests. The system was different from that of the Mystics, therefore the boy could try them even without having passed the previous ones. It consisted of a set of interviews and, after each of them, the various examiners had only to give a favourable or negative judgment regarding the passage to Acolytes level. Fresth got the minimum requirement to be admitted. During the ceremony he was thus given the violet tunic of the Acolytes of the Reformed and received the Reformed License.
During the journey, Fresth said to Jarvis, "I understand why you are in love with Master Trake - he is a really exceptional man, and moreover he is also very handsome."
"Yes. He liked you very much."
"Oh, I'm not even worth a nail of his toe. It has to be hard for you having to be so far from Master Trake."
"Sure."
"But just for twelve more months."
"Yes. Then, who knows, possibly forever."
"Forever together."
"No, forever divided. When I found my new Order, he will not become part of it, he said."
"What? Are you serious? But... why? It seems to me that Master Trake has the new Order very much at heart. Besides, he is in love with you."
"He has it very much at heart and he has me very much at heart. But he says he can help me better remaining in the Mystics than coming with me."
"And... Will you accept being separated from him?"
"I cannot force him."
"But you can renounce founding the Order, so that you can stay with him."
"Thus losing his esteem. No, up to now, he has always been right. I didn't even like going on these journeys. He asked me to go, out of obedience. I obeyed and later I saw he was right."
"Forgive me, but I can't understand - you love him and renounce him!"
"Something you would not be able to do."
"Certainly not. I would renounce everything for the man I love..." the boy started to say, and then he broke off, blushed and lowered his eyes.
Jarvis smiled, "I'm aware of that." He said simply and spurred his horse.
Fresth followed him, came alongside him again, "You are angry with me, aren't you?"
"No, not at all."
"But you don't forgive me wanting to follow you."
"No, it is not so. I would have preferred you to stay at your Convivium, this is true, but for your sake, not mine. You don't bother me at all, on the contrary, you are a very likeable companion."
"For my sake? But I am happy being able to be near you."
"Even though you know I cannot love you."
"Sure. How can you love me, as you have a man like Master Trake? I am nothing."
"Don't be silly. Trake also thinks you are a smart boy. He scolded me, because he says I'm treating you too coldly."
"No, you are not treating me coldly. No. You are simply not in love with me."
"But I'm starting to be fond of you. I feel very good in your company."
Fresth said nothing, but these words did him good.
They stopped in a small Convivium of Sapients. There were in all only twelve United, living in a structure that must have hosted, in better times, at least four times as many. They were welcomed with simplicity but also with a great openness. That Convivium specialized on astronomy studies and had a good observatory. When the two travelers talked with the Regent, they asked him why such a large building hosted so few members.
"Ah, what can I say? Here in the surroundings in ancient times there were up to twelve villages. Today only three are still extant. In the last two or three centuries the people started to migrate towards better lands so the valleys became depopulated. Therefore less and less youths asked to enter this Convivium and so we diminished. At times astronomers come here from all over the Nation, or even from other nations, to make studies from our observatory and our duty is now reduced to keep the equipment efficient and to host the visitors. I don't mean that, in our small way, we are not carrying out some studies. But, you see, we have only one Candidate, two Novices, five Professed and three Acolytes, and a Master, that is I. I believe this is the only Convivium, or one of the few, where each Novice and Candidate has his own room - we have too many of them, too many cells."
In the Regent's words a tone of sadness was easily sensed. And yet the small community seemed serene. It gave more the feeling of a family than of a Convivium. Only the gray and light blue clothes showed they were United. On the internal etiquette also, they were very informal, calling each other only by their names, without using the degree titles. The great reunions hall was no more in use and very seldom the medium hall, but just the small one. The great hall was really beautiful, all the walls covered with allegoric bas-reliefs in fine white marble, representing the thirteen constellations of the annual cycle. All the surrounds, even those that were no longer in use, were kept spotless, so that the complex didn't give a feeling of emptiness, of abandon, but just of a temporary absence of the other inhabitants.
They were there for three days when one night, Jarvis heard a light knocking at the door of his cell. It was Professed Temin.
"I noticed there was still light at your window so I presumed you were not yet in bed. Am I bothering you?"
"No, not at all. Come in, please."
"No, thank you. I just came to offer you to climb up to our observatory with me - this is a very clear night and the constellations are nicely visible. Are you interested?"
"Yes, very much."
"Follow me then, please." The Professed said, leading the way.
Their footsteps in the wide corridor were reverberating lightly, almost like leaves rustling. They climbed a stairway, and then passed through another corridor. Temin's lantern light was drawing evocative light and shadow plays from the sculpted doorposts of the empty cells. They climbed the stairs of the tower and finally they were in the observatory.
It was a moonless night, therefore ideal to observe the stars that were crowding the sky. Temin started to explain how to find his way amongst so many stars, and how to recognize them. They slowly moved from one arch to the other, making the complete tour of the observatory windows. Jarvis liked the deep, warm voice of Temin, and found him really sensual.
"The sky is really beautiful, poetic. And up here I feel very good." Jarvis said in a murmur.
"I was sure you would be pleased."
"You come up here often, I guess."
"Certainly."
"Alone?"
"At times. At other times with one of the others."
"For your studies?"
"At times to study, other times just to enjoy the sight of the sky. With a companion, it seems even more beautiful." Temin said, looking into his eyes.
"Yes, I guess so. One feels so small, in front of the immensity of the sky, and yet, feels also very good."
"Come." Temin said taking his hand and leading the way up a narrow stone stairway, up to the terrace-roof of the observatory.
The contact with that hand sent shivers through Jarvis who, instinctively, lightly squeezed it.
"Here we are. Lay down here and look straight above you - do you see that group of seven stars in a circle? Only during this month are they right above us."
Jarvis could feel under himself, through his tunic, the coolness of the stone. Temin was lying near him and was pointing the stars out to him.
"What are you feeling, as you are here?" he asked him, raising himself on his elbow and looking at him.
"Peace." Jarvis whispered.
"Yes, and then? What more?"
"A feeling of charm."
"And... what more?" the Professed insisted.
Jarvis looked into the eyes of the young man, then his lips half-opened in a light smile, and felt the desire to be kissed.
"I feel like being in a dream where everything is possible, everything allowed, everything good." Jarvis murmured and, raising his hand, skimmed along Temin's lips with his fingertips.
The Professed didn't move, but whispered, "Everything, yes, really everything."
"Kiss me." Murmured Jarvis.
Temin rolled his body on Jarvis', who embraced him tightly against himself, then he took Jarvis' face in his hands and slowly lowered his head to kiss him.
Then raised his head and asked, gently, "And then?"
"Undress me... undress yourself." Jarvis asked with a low, excited voice.
Temin smiled and complied. Then, seated near his naked body still lying down, he caressed Jarvis' chest lightly, his sides, the belly then insisted, once more, "And then, what do you desire?"
"Unite with you." He said brushing his turgid nipples lightly while his companion was again lowering to kiss his body.
Their limbs intertwined, their vigorous erections pushed one against the other.
"I like you, Jarvis."
"I desire you."
"You want me?"
"Yes, I want you."
Temin slipped upwards with his body on Jarvis' body, until the host's turgid member was compressed under his buttocks.
"Take me, I want you inside me." Temin murmured with a deep voice, filled with desire, rising on his knees, astride Jarvis' spreading his buttocks with his hands.
Jarvis raised his member with his hand and his mate slowly let himself down, until he established the contact. Jarvis' member gave a strong throb. Temin smiled and started to push down. Jarvis, instinctively, arched his back, so pushing his member into the young man, and pulled away his hand to be able to plunge all of it inside the warm, welcoming channel.
He then seized Temin's waist and pulled him down to himself.
"Wow!" Temin moaned letting himself go and being penetrated up to the hilt, "what a good, strong rod, Jarvis! I like it."
Then, after a short pause, caressing Jarvis' body, he started to spring up and down, with a will. At each stroke, his turgid member rapped on Jarvis' tense belly. He was like a horseman at times trotting, at times galloping in a vigorous, fast rhythm. He rode Jarvis shouting short yells of pleasure, prey of a growing excitation - he seemed almost transfigured by the pleasure. Jarvis felt him shudder, concentrate, quiver more and more intensely and understood that Temin was nearing his orgasm, even though he didn't even touch his own member. Therefore Jarvis started to give strong strokes from down up, making his hips spring up so that he too rapidly was on the edge of ecstasy and at last, both moaning without restraint their reciprocal enjoyment, they came at the same time.
"Goodness, how good it was!" Temin murmured, sitting on Jarvis' pubes, keeping his still hard member inside himself, and making his anus palpitate.
Jarvis sat up, embraced him and kissed him deeply. They caressed each other. Excitement wasn't lessening in neither of them.
"I still want you." Jarvis said, prey of lust.
"I too." Temin answered in a murmur full of emotion.
So Jarvis made him lie on his back, kneeled between his spread thighs, raised them and started to move again in and out of him with gentleness and vigour at once.
"Ohhh, what a stallion!" Temin sighed happily under that pleasurable assault.
"You always come here to be taken?"
"Often."
"Do you have a lover?"
"I've six lovers, in reality. We are seven coming up here to make love. But you are exceptional - Poglin told me you know how to take a man and make him die of pleasure."
"Poglin? The Novice? But I never made love with him, how can he know?"
"He made love with your companion, so he heard that from him, and that's why I came to look for you. Ohhh, so... go on... that's so good..." Temin moaned under Jarvis' strokes, which were getting more and more vigorous.
Jarvis saw his companion's face transform from the intense emotions he was experiencing while he was taken, and this gave him a feeling of drunkenness and of vivid emotion.
"Ohhh, yessss... so..." Temin repeated when he felt his mate was coming inside him for the second time, with strong and passionate darts and long moans of enjoyment.
They lay down, panting, still united, for a good while. Then their embrace slowly broke up.
"There is no danger that somebody comes up here?" asked Jarvis, remembering only then that the observatory doors weren't shut.
"No. Did you notice that as soon as we entered the tower, I lit a lantern and left it near the door? That is the sign telling the others not to come up here."
"Yes, your six mates, but the other five members of the Convivium?"
"They neither would come, as they know the meaning of the lantern."
"They know?"
"Well if they know the real reason or not, I don't really know, but they respect the sign. I think they can guess its meaning, anyway. You see, in ancient times, when more than fifty scholars lived here, that was the sign that a group was up here for meditation, so the others didn't come, so as not to disturb them. Officially, the meaning is still the same. The groups of those times were formed of seven people, not of just two... and they were meditating on the stars, not on their naked bodies." Temin added with a sly expression, while they were putting their clothes on again.
Some ten days later, during the night, Jarvis was not able to fall asleep. So he stood up and looked out of the window of his cell - the sky was clear and crowded with stars. He thought it would be good to climb up to the observatory terrace. Without even wearing his loincloth he just put on his tunic and, barefoot, went there. All was silent and no light filtered through the doors of the few inhabited cells. As he desired to be alone, for safety he lit the lantern at the tower door - so nobody would enter. Then he climbed up to the observatory.
There was a crescent moon, therefore it was possible to have a hint of the nocturnal landscape and the valley had an almost surreal aspect, dreamlike. He thought that from the terrace the view could be even more beautiful. He thus climbed the narrow stone stairs. When his head came to the terrace floor level, he saw that somebody was already there. He was about to go back, when he stopped - it was Fresth, leaning against the parapet and looking far away. He was alone. And it seemed he was crying. Jarvis felt troubled - the youth always seemed serene - so, why that silent crying up here? Was it because of him? He had to know, he had to understand.
He climbed the last stairs and was behind the youth. On impulse, he embraced him from behind and Fresth had a start of surprise and fear.
Jarvis whispered to him, "Fresth, it's me..."
The youth became still then, with a strange voice, without turning around, asked, "Jarvis?"
"Yes. Are you crying?"
"No." The Acolyte lied.
"Why are you crying? Am I the cause?" he asked gently, continuing to keep him in his arms.
"No." The youth repeated trying to assume a natural tone, and turned his head back.
Their eyes met and Jarvis read in them all the love that the youth was still feeling for him. As in a lightning flash, very strong emotions welled up in him and suddenly he was conscious of the body he was holding against himself, of its warmth, of his desire, and became aroused. Fresth at once became aware of this and stiffened.
"Let me go, please." He murmured, in confusion.
"Why?"
"Because I gave you my word not to... but it is becoming too difficult to keep it."
"What is becoming too difficult?" Jarvis asked gently, squeezing him against himself with more vigour and kissed him on the neck.
"No, please." The youth repeated, his body trembling and his legs about giving way for the emotion.
"Let you go? Fresth. I want you." Jarvis insisted kissing him again on his neck and, raising the youth's tunic, started to unfasten his loincloth.
"Please, Jarvis, if you do this me, how can I be able to... It has already been so difficult, up to now. Stop, please." The youth murmured, unconsciously changing to informal speech.
Jarvis continued to undress him and said, "I want you, Fresth. Don't you want me?"
"Oh, are you asking me? You know that I dream of this. But afterwards..."
"Afterwards?"
"Afterwards, having again to renounce you, will be even harder."
Jarvis pulled off his own tunic then again pulled the youth against his body, pushing his hard, sound member against his naked buttocks.
"But I want you. Let me enter in you."
"Oh, Jarvis!"
"Please, accept me." Jarvis insisted, brushing his tool against him, filled with lust, and keeping the youth pressed against him, with a hand on his chest and the other on his belly, then he nibbled his ear lobe.
"Oh, Jarvis, take me! Oh yes, take me, take me, make me yours!" the youth gasped and pushed strongly his butt against the man's pulsating member.
Jarvis took him to their tunics, spread on the floor, then lowered onto him, and embraced him, filled with passion, and then he kissed his mouth deeply for a long while. Fresth spread his legs and closed them around the waist of his companion, in a silent offer. Jarvis, holding his member with one hand, aimed at the youth's hole and, without stopping to kiss him, started to enter him. Fresth encircled Jarvis' neck with his arms and lightly rotating his pelvis, supported his mate's pushes, moaning his pleasure aloud.
"Oh, Fresth, I like you."
"I'm all yours."
"Yes, you're mine." Jarvis murmured, starting to fill his channel with virile, passionate strokes.
"Jarvis, oh goodenes, Jarvis, it's wonderful, wonderful."
"You like it?"
"To die! Nobody is able to take me as you do. Tell me this is not a dream."
"No, this isn't a dream, Fresth." Jarvis whispered merrily, fully enjoying the sweet but active submissiveness of his companion.
Many had given themselves to him with intense pleasure, but Jarvis felt that the boy was giving himself to him with passion, warmth, tenderness, transport, love and devotion, and he felt deeply grateful to him. The transfigured face of Fresth seemed to him more than seductive, really fascinating, very provoking. So he thought, with a mix of warmth and joy, "how not to love him?"
They made love for a long while, with untamed passion, until together they reached a strong, sweet orgasm. Then Jarvis embraced Fresth and caressed him. From the boy's eyes, tears were dripping.
"Why these tears, now?" Jarvis asked him holding the boy against himself.
"Now it will be more difficult than before."
"What?"
"Not to desire this to happen again."
"You didn't understand, then?"
"What?"
"That it's me the one needing you, that I love you, that I want you."
"You mean that..."
"... that I want you to be my lover, Fresth. I made you suffer up to now, with no reason."
"But... Master Trake?"
"I love him. But I love you too. I can't help it. I love both of you, in a different way, but a true love."
"I can't understand you. How not to love Master Trake?"
"But I love you too, and you are always at my side, differently than him. I'm confused, and yet, it is really so."
"Jarvis?"
"Tell me."
"I don't want to separate you from him. When you are with him, you can forget me and love him as before. He comes before me."
"You are way too dear. But it wouldn't be right, even though I don't know how to do this."
"As I told you. Love me when you are not with him, and love him when you are together." The boy said, gently caressing Jarvis' manly body.
"But it seems wrong to me."
"I'm sure he too will tell you the same."
"Fresth, can you forgive me?"
"For what? For having told me that you love me?"
"For how I behaved towards you."
"You behaved honestly. What would I have to forgive you for? Don't you know that I'm happy?"
"Really?"
"Really. I can live with the man I love and I can also have his love. What more may I desire from life? No, to tell the truth, I still desire something..."
"Tell me."
"Would you make love to me again, now, here?"
"Certainly, my sweetheart, certainly." Jarvis answered, deeply moved.
Daybreak found them still tenderly connected and exchanging words of love.
"It is possibly better now if we go back to our cells to have some sleep, don't you agree, Fresth?"
"I don't, but I think you are right. Think if somebody had come up there, during the night!"
"No, unwittingly I made so that we would be safe." Jarvis told him and, while they were dressing, explained the lantern signal to him.
"Did you know I was here?"
"Not at all. I believed I was alone and wanted to stay alone. I wasn't able to sleep, something prevented me. I didn't know why, but now it's evident that it was because of you, here, waiting for me."
"But I wasn't waiting for you. I was feeling sad, and came up here to let it pass."
"And did you succeed?"
"Not I, but you."
They exchanged a last, long kiss, then went downstairs and back to their cells to have some rest.
While they were riding towards their last destination before ending the journey, Jarvis said to Fresth, "When we get back to my Convivium, will you ask to become a Mystic?"
"I was thinking of entering into your new Order direct."
"I don't know if and when I will succeed. Master Trake says it will not be at all easy to get authorization."
"Who has to give it?"
"The Bergalilam, after hearing the views of all the Great Masters of the Orders, and also after several inspections."
"Inspections?"
"Sure, to check the life-style in the Convivium wanting to constitute a new Order. Trake says that he knows of about six attempts to found a new Order, in the past centuries, and all failed. He is now studying these facts to see the reasons why they were all refused. But, at the worst, we would at least get authorization to open a new Mystics Convivium, even though it would not be the same thing. Therefore, for the moment, it would be better if you became a Mystic, so that we can remain together forever. As guest of another Order you would not be allowed to be with me always... sooner or later you would have to go back to your Order, to your Convivium."
"No, never that. Would they accept me?"
"Surely, and with your Acolytes degree. To become a Professed, though, you would have to pass the tests. It is up to you."
"Do you want me to become a Professed?"
"Yes."
"Then I'll pass all the tests, don't doubt that." Fresth answered with a resolute tone.
Before going back, they stopped in a Wises' Convivium. Their white and black tunics were particularly elegant, even if compared to those of the other Conviviums of the same Order. The Regent, welcoming them, explained that from that Convivium, one of the oldest of their Order, several Great Masters were chosen and this gave them the honor of wearing silk tunics, instead of the usual cotton ones.
The Convivium was large, spread around nine internal gardens, one for each degree and one more for the Great Hall. Around the garden called "of the Great Master" there were apartments reserved for them. It didn't happen often, but at times the Order's Great Masters went to spend a period in the Convivium.
Jarvis was given a cell in the garden of the Professeds and Fresth one in the garden of Acolytes. The Wises spent all their time on the thorough study of the Scriptures and of the Canonical Commentaries, each of them specializing on one of the books or on a certain subject. But, and this really appealed to Jarvis, in that Convivium there were also some Masters specialized in the study of one of the books or on a specific subject. Another thing that aroused Jarvis interest, there were also Masters specialized in the study of heresies. When Jarvis asked the authorization to read the heretical texts, he was denied, even though with kind words.
One of the Masters explained to him, "Only a few of the Masters, and on a specific warrant of our Great Master, can access these texts, that are kept in our Library of Errors. Nobody else is allowed to read them - they are way too much dangerous..."
"What danger could there be in a book, Master?"
"At times they are written in a subtle and convincing way and if one does not have specific preparation, they can mislead a simple mind."
"But could you at least hint which are the most common heresies contained in that literature?"
"Yes, this I can. The most grave is the denial of God. Then come those denying that Galil is His prophet or even that Galil ever existed. Then come those denying some of the laws, as those concerning the social order, those on the right of ownership, those about taxes to maintain the Keepers and the Orders or those who want to legitimize all or some of the sexual crimes."
"These last, I presume, are the most numerous, aren't they?"
"No, and not even the most dangerous. I'd dare say, even, they are the most amusing ones. There is also an apologetic text about love between two males! It was written by a United, I presume, because he shows a deeply knowledge of the Scriptures. It states no less than the Bergalilam, the first one, that is Galil's son, was in love with another male and that's why the United were founded... with his father's blessing!"
"How can one affirm such a thing!" Jarvis exclaimed, pretending to be outraged, to conceal his interest on the subject.
"Quoting the Scriptures and interpreting them in his own way, as do all the most skilled heretics. Can you now understand why these books have to be kept secret?"
"Certainly yes." Jarvis murmured, regretting he could not read that interesting text.
Jarvis, back in his cell, went at once to read the Scriptures where they narrated about Ber, the second son of Galil. He started to find the passages, to whom previously he didn't pay a deep enough attention, but that now seemed very clear to him.
"... and Ber saw Tulham and at once felt a strong affection towards him - Tulham in fact was young and handsome and his glances irradiated purity. Ber then approached him and said: my name is Ber, I am the second born of the Prophet. Oh young man, what is thy name? Tulham fell at his feet and said: Tulham is my name, and I am the unworthy servant of Ber. Whatever thou desirest is law to me. Tell me how can I please thou. Ber made him rise and said: If thou really want to please me, be my friend and not my servant." And some paragraphs later, was written, "... and they became inseparable, and they shared everything, from the bowl to the pillow."
A few pages after, there was the narration about how Galil found the right wives for his sons, "He looked for a girl in each different nation, but being only ten nations, he decided to take three girls from the people of the mountains. However Ber told his father: I know no woman yet, and I don't feel the desire to know one. Exempt me from having to lie with a woman, let me free to meditate about the revelation that God bestowed on thou. This is a wise choice, Galil answered, thus thou and thy friends sharing thy same choice, will live together in one house, like a family, but there will be no women amongst you, so that you will not be distracted from your studies. Like thy brother Am, thou will live amongst the nations, but this will distinguish thou from Am - thou and thy friends, united, will never marry a woman and never will lie with a woman. Take with thou thy Tulham and the others sharing your same choice and go to live in the house in the forest, that I give you. Ber strongly rejoiced at his father's words."
A few pages later, "Tulham danced for Ber and sang: Here, we are reunited in the forest peace, to praise God and thy father, his prophet. How sweet is thy smile, my dearly loved Ber, how sweet is thy voice, how sweet thy glance - for generations and generations thousands and thousands of youths will follow thy example, and shirk from women to reach ecstasies in the houses, to unite in houses devoted to Convivium, and shine amongst the people oppressed by the toil and the care of a family."
There were other interesting passages, but one particularly caught Jarvis attention - Ber's plaint for Tulham's death: "... my friend, and calling thou just a friend is betraying thee, my irreplaceable support, my faithful companion! Prepare for me also a soft pallet at the right of God, near thine, and wait for me, faithful as thou were in life, as I will come. I will knock at the eternal doors as every day I was knocking at thy door, and thou will recognize my knocking and thou will rejoice and thou will say: Lord, here is my Ber, coming to rejoin me, forever. I knew this man and he knew me, and together we sang your praise on Earth with our voices and our bodies - let our bodies and our minds, forever close to each other, have eternal joy in your light."
And last: "Ber didn't want anybody near him to take Tulham's place - this is why it is said that the Bergalilam has no companion."
Right, "The Bergalilam has no companion" had always been interpreted in the sense that all the charges, in the United Orders, provided for a deputy called companion, but not the Bergalilam. Each Great Master, each Elder, each Councilor as soon as he was elected, had to choose a companion who could take his place if he was hindered from participating in an activity, but not the Bergalilam. But the ancient signification seemed to be different. Was it possible that only a "heretic" understood that? Everything now seemed so clear, so evident to Jarvis.
If a Galil ever existed and a son called Ber, even if they never existed and all the narration was just an allegory, the sense was EVIDENT - the United had been founded exactly for those who, like Jarvis, loved men. Why afterwards had all that been denied? And when? Possibly when the Canonical copy of the Scriptures was written down and all the ancient documents were destroyed! Was it also possible that in writing the Canonical copy some words were changed? It would have been interesting to verify on the fragments that were found later...
Jarvis was excited about this discovery and went at once to tell Fresth.
CONTINUES IN CHAPTER 10
In my home page I've put some more of my stories. If someone wants to read them, the URL is http://andrejkoymasky.com If you want to send me feed-back, or desire to help revising my English translations, so that I can put on-line more of my stories in English please e-mail at andrej@andrejkoymasky.com