The Second Entrance (or Wrestling with the Angel) prompted some commentary from the other members of ORB; observations that led to a rather lively discussion of a not surprising heretical nature. "Don't you think it's odd that Dali chose to lump Venus Aphrodite, Joan of Arc and Anne of Brittany all in the same recipe?" O asked, perplexed. "I know that trio symbolizes something in The Green Language Bakery....but then to toss old Gilles de Rais into the bread dough for good measure! Talk about turning hot cross buns into pumpernickel! As good Daughters of Maria Magdalena, we all know that baker was most probably framed and executed for having known way too much." "It's quite a conundrum wrapped in a mystery," Komrade agreed. "White is black, black is white...are we supposed to see the grey here in history, the shadow realm?" "Let's not forget the mention of space-time and the Milky Way," Lucky K added. "Did you know Dali had an extraterrestrial phone booth installed at Port Lligat, right where he and Gala lived?" "Man, this 'Cathar Opera' is perplexing," Olivia typed. "It reminds me of reading an old alchemical tract or something: all seemingly gobbledy-goop until you understand the coded references. OK, there's gotta be clues...Venus is one. Joan is another. Anne of Brittany is yet again, another. We just gotta dig. We have to figure this out. Together." "Didn't our own Black Popess reveal much about a girl from Arques recently?" Ravenna prompted. "In her novel, she writes: 'Joan was The Expected One, and everybody knew it. She was going to fulfill the prophecy. She had visions that would have led her to the Magdalene Gospel. That's why they had to silence her permanently.' Gilles rode with the Maid of Orleans into battle...plus he was into alchemy...he definitely knew way too many secrets, Miss O. Definitely a set-up by the Vatican, if you ask me." "Venus is the Goddess of Love...Eros...Rose," Komrade added. "The Sufis allude to many rose gardens in their works." "So if Venus is Love deified and Joan is love personified, as is Anne of Brittany, for some strange reason...then this opera is about...love. Wait! Wait a minute..." and slowly the realization dawned on Olivia Peyton that Gala and Salvador Dali has known about The Book of Love...the sacred manuscript once in the possession of the Cathars; the Book of Books. "Ohmygods!" her exclamation appeared on four computer monitors, "Ohmygoodgods, they...knew. About the Book!" And then, the tears came in a torrent, flooding down O's face, causing her to abandon her keyboard and run outside, down to the beach that eerily resembled the same spot at Port Lligat that Dali had painted so many times, not so long ago. "Why me?" Olivia asked the clouds above as she sank down onto the cushion that sand provided...sand sprinkled with the thousands of shards of Aphrodite's crushed shells. "I don't want to hear, or see, or know these things anymore...it doesn't concern me! Leave me alone, Dali," she screamed in anger. "Just leave me be!" And then she collapsed, sobbing as though she would die with sorrow, sobbing for her ancestors the Cathars, sobbing for the losses of humanity...shaking until she was still, and worn out, and tired of Life. When the Cybersybil finally lifted her head, she gazed out over the waters and saw a miraculous sight. An image she thought must be a fantasy, but after steeling herself, she focused and knew it was a sign from Above, sent down to the raw part, the middle, the hell below that sometimes could be earth. For two white swans were gliding about on the Bay of the Green Witch, two harbingers of hope, two elegant missionaries of Dalinian 'Madness.' "Talk about Language of the Birds! Look at them - mated for life - and of course, it would have to be swans, again - because a couple of robins wouldn't work. Well, I better just accept it all - what else can I do?" Olivia muttered, brushing herself off as she stood. "It's obviously a clear-cut case of what Dali himself called Destino. And for Gods' sake, where the Hades is 22 when I need her, anyway? I really could use some Black Popess magic right about now. Not to mention a really good bottle of super-duper, secret society Languedoc red...from Gala's own wine cellar, of course."    Text Copyright © 1999 - ad infinitum cybersybils.com All rights reserved.