8FOLD: Red Hart # 2, "THe Beasts Set Loose"

Andrew Perron pwerdna at gmail.com
Wed Oct 8 19:50:09 PDT 2014


On 8/23/2014 9:37 AM, Tom Russell wrote:
<snip>
> SEDENION
> Mine foolish father boxed me up in eights.
> But I've got sixteen sides and more besides;
> For bold Sedenion defies the fates!
> With but a blink, across all space he rides!

Curse you, theme of hubris inherited from classical Greek theatre!

> THE WARNING
> But still the warning shall The Warning give.
> To free the Never-Lord kills all who live.
> Time before Time, they fought, Red Hart and he.
> Each mighty blow did end a galaxy.
> Their ancient war must not resume once more.
> All life is lost if you open this door.
>
> SEDENION
> Is not the god-sea worse? It ends not Life,
> But makes it never-was, erased from time.
> I'll gladly end it all, if all still was.
> For Death is only just if once was Life.
> And yet I pray Red Hart shall find a way.
> Be gone, old man; I've heard what you've to say.

I keep thinking of this in the context of "what really happened" and man. 
Sheesh. Wow.

> OCTONION
> A thousand-thousand galaxies away.
> I felt him like a ripple in a pond,
> So fleeting, brief and barely there. But there,
> But for a second, for a single breath.
> But long enough to break mine sacred trance,
> And with it dash away our only chance.
>
> VAN
> Like, our only chance? Or are you just being, y'know, cosmic?

Metaphor!

> OCTONION
> The god-sea free, to drown the universe,
> To wash it all from time and memory.
> The uncle's free, to rule the universe,
> To make all hearts his heart, all thoughts his thoughts.
> The nephew's free, to burn the universe
> Like ants, if that will stop the Never-Lord.
> And death-moon free, to kill the universe,
> For I did fail to bring the beast to heel.
> Yes. Awides does wake, and hungers. Oh!

Nice job breaking it, hero.

> AWIDES [a booming voice]
> Delicious! Been so long since ate god-meat!
> Sweet blood-of-stars and flesh-of-gravity!
> Must swallow slow to savor such flavor!
>
> VAN
> That's. That's a crazy moon, and it's talking about eating you.

XD That it is.

> OCTONION
> You understand me not. The universe
> Now sings to you the song of destiny!
>
> VAN
> Oh, I got that. I know what it is. It's not you being squicky. It's
> cosmic stuff. Saving the universe. Your song of destiny, your
> god-flood, your murder-moon. Algebra. And I don't want it. Any of it!
>
> OCTONION [lunging towards her]
> We seldom choose the times in which we're born.
> I die, but not the deathless Eight-Power!
>
> VAN
> I said no!
>
> [She fires her pistol at him. He dies, vanishing in an explosion of light.]

Faaaaaaaascinating. A subversion of the traditional origin, but in a most 
un-noble way. A focus on human flaws and frailty, or on the necessity of consent?

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, eight times fascinating.


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