The drive up the spiraling grade of Grizzly Peak Boulevard was filled with lively banter, which continued as the four compatriots entered the house and strolled across the living room.  They didn't notice the startled look shared by Gail and Hyppolita; nor could they have imagined the nature of the conversation they had interrupted.  Lita was first to recover her aplomb ~ she stepped to the edge of the kitchen level, waved at the new arrivals and said, “Hi, folks!  Looks like everybody got moved out okay.”

     Marcus and Venus exchanged glances, a look noticed by Gail; then there was a chorus of “Hi's” from the four below.  Theseus bounded up the five short steps and hugged Lita as he said, “Wow, it sure smells good in here.  Do the cooks need any help?”

     “Everything's just about finished,” said Gail, “but we could sure use a hand getting it all from  the stove to the table.”

     “I'm your man,” said Theseus, pulling off his jersey.

     Marcus, meanwhile, had beckoned Venus and Polaris to seats in the living room, and now came up and gave Gail a kiss of greeting.  He instantly noticed the negative ripple in her energy, despite her best effort to put on a happy face.  He inquired with his eyes whether something was amiss, and her downward glance said Yes.  They made eye contact and silently agreed to discuss it later.

     Marcus sat in an armchair opposite Venus and Polaris on the couch.  He leaned intently forward as he asked, “Any thoughts about the transition?”

     “I'm very glad to be here,” said Venus.

     “Me too,” said Polaris, “but that scene on the porch raised some questions.  I understand how we're a Solar race, and how the Ophidians have corrupted Western civilization.  But what exactly is the difference between Ophidians and Jews?  And if there isn't any, why not just call them 'Jews'?”

     “That would be prejudiced,” said Venus.

     Polaris looked startled, but Marcus said, “Right.  The majority of Jews are innocuous people, not conscious of the larger issues.  Some of them are high-calibre individuals with many virtues, just as in any other group of humans.  We speak of Ophidians to pinpoint the members of the most powerful clique of hidden manipulators on the planet.”

     “So all Ophidians are Jews,” ventured Polaris, “but not all Jews are Ophidians.”

     “True enough,” said Marcus, “but there are a few complexities.  Do you recall what I've said about metazons?”

     “I do,” said Venus, “but it seems kinda science-fictiony.  Races have collective souls that are like huge organisms, giant amoebas or something, swarming over the earth and even floating in the atmosphere.”    

     “The metasphere,” corrected Marcus ~ “the non-physical layers of reality surrounding our world.”

     “Now that I understand,” said Polaris; “all the ancient spiritual systems teach that there are such realms, inhabited by Gods, demons, ghosts, and the souls of the dead.  And it makes sense to me that bonds of blood, religion, and culture are rooted in some kind of larger collective entities in those realms ~ metaphysical life forms, as you say.  And I think it's a cool neologism to label them metazoa, or metazons.”

     “Ah!” said Venus, “that's what I specially like about you, Bill... er, Polaris: you can explain things in a way that I really get it.  And now I remember that Marcus said that the Ophidian metazon is waging a war against our Solarian metazon.  But I have no idea what the implications are or how it relates to those ordinary Jews.”

     “That's exactly what I'm driving at,” said Marcus.  “Even though ordinary Jews are unaware of this conflict, most of them are still part of the Ophidian metazon.  And though they may bear us no ill will, they're used by the Ophidian power-brokers as pawns on the global chessboard against us.”

 

     Theseus and Hyppolita were carrying food and setting the table in the dining room, which was on the opposite side of the kitchen from the living room.  Gail was putting the finishing touches on one of the dishes at the kitchen worktable, while covertly attending to the conversation in the living room.  She began to feel that the psychic-empathic perception she had acquired from Marcus was a curse as well as a gift, for she could see acutely the lines of erotic force rippling between Venus and Marcus.  She soon realized, however, that it was a one-way flow ~ Venus' provocative body-language sent forth magnetic waves trying to ensorcel Marcus into arousal, but he talked and listened in utter stolidity to this vibe.  It was as if the sexual aspect of his aura had turned to stone, and the ethereal Medusa-snakes snapped like rubber bands trying to dislodge it.

     Gail felt encouraged.  She carried her entrée to the dining room and helped with the table-setting, until Eric began to cry.  She set up a chair overlooking the living room, and nursed the baby while openly paying attention to the conversation.  Now she noticed that although Marcus was impervious to Venus' enchantments, Polaris was not.  He twitched and squirmed and cast sidelong glances filled with unrequited lust.  Gail wondered how they had managed to become Platonic friends, then realized that Venus would keep her orgone in check when they related one-to-one.  Now Polaris was suffering the fallout from Venus' thermosexual assault on Marcus.

     Then Gail saw that Venus was now trying to cease the attack.  Frustrated by Marcus' lack of response, she crossed her legs and folded her arms.  She didn't seem able to hold this posture, though; as if against her will, her limbs opened again and orgone poured forth.  Gail switched her focus to Marcus, and realized that the inherent potency of his abundant yang was drawing the erotic energy of Venus, even though he was doing nothing purposely to attract it.  Gail herself felt a rush of Eros, heightened by the natural sexual stimulation of the baby suckling her breast.

     Polaris was talking about the Indo-European languages and the old question of the original Aryan homeland.  “Some think it was on the steppes of central Asia,” he said, “and others that the Cro-Magnons were the first white race, and hence it was Europe.  Do you have any ideas about this, Marcus?”

     “Yes,” he replied, “I think that the physical origin is an interesting mystery to pursue, but in a larger sense it's academic.  The important thing is that our forebears came from a spiritual homeland, somewhere in the grandest realms of the metasphere.  The Hindus call it Aryavarta, Land of the Aryans.”

     “And what do you call it?” asked Venus.

     “You know, I haven't even settled on a Western-oriented name yet.  I have a direct numenal connection with it through my guru, the Acarya Vasudeva, and in my own thoughts I just use that Sanskrit name.”

     “So we could draw on Western mythology and come up with a name that was equally valid?” said Polaris.    

     “We sure could,” said Marcus.  “The field is open.”

     “How about Thule?” said Gail.  She pronounced it “Thuley”.

     She saw Marcus' aura light up like a flare in the jungle.  “Hey, that's great!” he said.  “What made you think of it?”

     “I remembered you telling me about that French colonel you met when you first landed in 'Nam, and that he used the name for something.”

     “Ah, Jacques!” said Marcus.  “I have to get back in touch with him soon.  He'll be glad to hear how the mission has progressed so far so fast.”

     “What did he mean by 'Thule'?” said Venus.

     “He used the term 'Thule Three' as a covert reference to the Third Reich.”

     “What!?” said Polaris.  “You mean Nazi Germany was on the side of Thule?”

     “It was,” said Marcus implacably.  “The failure of its leadership to infuse their primal racial resurgence with the light and power of Spirit is what cost them the war, and enabled the Ophidians to usurp control of our whole Imperium.”

     “Should we tell them about your parents yet?” said Gail to Marcus.

     “Let's at least hold off till after dinner,” he replied.  And in that fleeting moment of eye contact he motioned with his eyes at Venus, rolled them to indicate that he was fully aware of her sexual pyrotechnics, then melted the heart of his spouse with a look of pure love and fidelity.  Her body relaxed, her mind was at ease, and there was no longer a need to discuss the issue later.

 

5. Welcome Home