In the quiet Cloister, spiral columns as supporting cast, behind the car park. The Sphinx rested, paws forwards, claws sheathed, with the Blue Knight.
Tell me, Oh Sphinx, the coincidences that have crossed your path in recent, asked the Blue Knight, that I may include them in our histories and visual displays, with interactive content.
Once, said she Sphinx, during a storm of sand, a whole army of my worshipers vanished in the desert.
More consequence than coincidence, said the Blue Knight resting his pen.
Once, said she Sphinx, before I grew to my full size, there appeared the three greatest philosophers of all time in the same era. Mr Confucius, Mr Buddha and Mr Wittgenrabbit all inhabited the world at almost the same week. Was there something in the water? I have to ask, or was it one of your coincidences?
You made up Wittgenrabbit from the name of a modern philosopher and a small fury animal. You can’t just go making coincidences up for the book of the Guardians. I am not averse to a bit of embellishment myself, but thereby must hang a thread of truth.
I once saved a kingdom with my tail? Your tail is magnificent but not sufficient.
I shall relate to you, in prose form, the Tale of the Tree in the Boat.
The Blue Knight took up his quill and dipped it headfirst in the dark ink.
We traveled, Sheba and I, through the forest, on our way. When nearing dusk, we came upon a clearing with one tree adrift in the centre. All around the ancient olive tree posed people in a radiated circle. All of a singing and making grace to the tree. On looking to the tree alone, up in the high branches, a large boat, of wooden planking joined, lay athwart the great branches far out of reach.
Here is a suitable conundrum, said Sheba, let us become known, with delicacy, to these and discover the tales entwined.
Perhaps a better name for this episode would be “Boat in a Tree” interjected the Blue Knight.
As you wish, said the Sphinx, just don’t interrupt. To continue,
Hello person, Sphinx addressed a local, how did you raise this wonder into the tree so great. Did you use a rope and tackle or pay good currency to a willing giant?
This miracle is brought to us exclusive, said the worshipper, so don’t take on or we shall be emotionally injured. We woke one morning, last semester, to discover this wonder above in the clearing and knew at once that the meaning was clear. We must all build Floating craft and put them in trees to assuage the fiery elements that control our climate. Change. The stories that passed this way through the passages and corridors of times are known to us. Therefore, and justly, we will become a sea going nation and deliver our chickens from the rising waters.
Great, said the Sphinx, you do know that the sea is some several hundred leagues hence and that you live high, upon a well-drained plateau. Isn’t it just possible that a more worldly cause transposed this fine craft into position upon the tree of olives?
I take exception to your questioning of our understanding, said the whereabouts, provide one likely series of events that might satisfy, and we may consider. Till then and if in doubt, stop questioning our faith, thank you. We have diverted all the funds from our health and education departments to facilitate this important enterprise and unfortunately our children have become ill and dull, but so it goes.
Sheba and the Sphinx retired from the field to consider.
Should we even try to expose the madness here when they seem content? perhaps the worms are best left in the can, mused Sheba.
The Knights would have us reveal truths whenever possible, said she Sphinx, we should at least try. The smaller humans, sometime children and adolients are at risque of ignorance which is our enemy number 2.
What is our enemy no. 1?
A swift cannon ball, says she Sphinx, patting her broken nose.
The scent of fish stew passed by, carried upon some breeze. That is unusual, said Sheba, to find fish available so far from the ocean when the refrigerator has not yet been invented. I shall ask.
The fish in this soup fell out of a thunderous sky, conferred the local, waste not etc.
Around the same time as the boat? asked Sheba. The same day as a matter, replied, Now that I think it.
And there you have it, said Sheba, the Fish, busy jumping out of the sea and made their way across the land by public transport, ran out of coinage and were set down here. Whereas the boat, stolen by the King of Birds from its moorings, was placed in the tree to provide a regal nest for the Empress of Birds, therein to nurture her regal chicks.
I thought you were going to blame a tornado or vortex of winds for sucking up a gout of sea, the boat and some fish inclusive, and then dropping them all on this land, untamed, said the Sphinx.
Too obvious, said Sheba.
The Guardians of the Cave 