As the various groups pulled away from the Den, Bennu and Mira, sitting in the back of a jeep driven by Smokesinger, were uncharacteristically quiet. Smokesinger didn't intrude on his friends' silence. He too, was in a subdued mood from the tremendous strain the Healers had been through, and was sure the Two were thinking about the various highly unpleasant experiences they would have suffered at the hands of Yago had they not been rescued.
Indeed, they had been. The absolute best they could have hoped for was to have been left unconscious and allowed to slowly die of Sun-Starvation. Much more likely, Yago would have awakened them. Then they would not only have to have witnessed the rapid growth of Yago's power, but would also have been unable to keep Yago's mind and its Evil out of theirs. They shuddered.
Well, there was no reason to dwell upon what might have been but, thankfully, wasn't! They flushed the emotions out of their minds and began the much more practical task of deciding how best to fight him. The first step was obvious.
Bennu grasped his medallion and reached out to Osiron, who was traveling in another direction, headed back to the land of his People. //You must come with us to the camp of Smokesinger's People!//
Though the "must" wasn't exactly in the form of a command - the exact connotation was "it is essential" - Osiron felt no need to ask questions. Though Bennu was not - obviously! - infallible, the Mature almost never made errors of judgement when they possessed all of the facts. Osiron whipped his jeep around in a tight turn - nearly tipping it over in the process, and wouldn't that have delayed things! - and floored it as Bennu calculated the path Osiron needed to take.
Bennu then spoke to Smokesinger. "I will keep the promise I made to you and your People. I had said that after I found Mira, we would return to complete our Mission to you. There did not seem any reason to hurry, as you were getting instructions from Osiron.
"But that was when I thought that Yago would be a mere annoyance that Mira and I could easily handle. Unfortunately, as you have seen, I was in serious error. He presents a grave threat not only to us, but to the whole world. Osiron will no longer have hours a week to spend continuing your Training as a Healer - and, in any case, you must also finish quickly. Your Power will be needed in the battles that will surely be upcoming."
Smokesinger wondered about Osiron. Surely he, too, would need to attain Maturity.
A cloud of dust appeared on the horizon. It rapidly approached the jeep - in fact, it became apparent that it, too, was a jeep, and traveling very fast. Since neither Bennu nor Mira seemed at all concerned, Smokesinger was not surprised to make out the figure of Osiron, his braids blowing in the wind, at the wheel.
But what were those noises he was making? Blood-curdling war whoops, "Yippie-Kai-Yay"s, and wolf howls were among the identifiable sounds. Goodness knows what some of the others were supposed to be!
Smokesinger: "Is Osiron bewitched?"
Bennu: "As you surmised, he will also need our help. Mira and I thought it most unwise to separate at this time, so I summoned him to come to your camp with us. He had to hurry to catch up to us, and in the process, discovered that operating a topless motor vehicle at high speed on a pleasant day is not only fun, but an excellent way to relieve stress. Didn't Jeff want to own a motorcycle partially for the same reason?"
Bennu Smiled and memories started tickling Smokesinger's mind. Surely Bennu wasn't suggesting - yes he was! - he was now grinning broadly.
Osiron slowed down as he drew abreast of the jeep. Smokesinger took advantage of Bennu's permission and called out: "Wanna race?"
VROOM! Off the column went at high speed down the highway - and eventually right past a motorcycle cop at a speed trap. He revved up in hot pursuit.
"Oh, oh!"
Osiron removed one hand from the wheel and reached down. A full-sized peace pipe became visible. More fumbling got it filled with powder. Osiron yelled "Got a light?" to Bennu, raised it to his mouth, and prepared to inhale. Bennu produced his medallion and fired a very small Sunbolt. The contents ignited and thick white smoke billowed up out of the pipe and quickly enveloped the pursuing cop.
He found himself briefly traveling through a spinning white vortex. When he emerged from it, the scene had changed. Now the Indians were not only in full "warpaint and feathers" dress, but they were riding horses! They turned off the road and - speeded up? This was crazy! Now he was doing 80 - 90 - 100 miles an hour! Suddenly his motorcycle began to sputter as it ran out of gas. The Indians disappeared in a cloud of dust and the man found himself in the middle of nowhere.
Some hours later he got found. Initially, he refused to offer an explanation beyond the single word: "Indians!" His captain gave the matter some thought. There had apparently been quite something going on only a few hours travel away, and to the usual thoughts of drugs and insanity must be added: "Nordic blondes?"
The cop admitted to having seen two of them "just before things got weird", and the captain proceeded to congratulate him on having a close encounter of the third kind. "Fortunately, they're now well out of our jurisdiction and somebody else's headache."
Meanwhile back in reality, Osiron found that he really did have to slow down. Trying to drive 70 miles an hour one-handed while holding a full-sized peace pipe AND concentrating on Mindsmoke was too much to ask of an Immature mind, and Bennu called a halt to the race. Still, it certainly had been fun, and everybody felt much less stressed out ...
Bennu then began serious discussions about what happened to people on the way to becoming Mature. "I warn you that it will not be easy or pleasant. You will have to face the contents of your subconscious and therefore face humiliation, pain, and terror. We will be there to help, and you will be very happy to have gotten rid of all that blocks you from the full use of your mind, but the getting there will be most uncomfortable, as it is for all Immature minds."
Smokesinger: "I have witnessed the Power of Yago. If for no other reason than he threatens my People, I will do what is necessary. My preferences in this matter are subservient to my duty. And, of course, I owe much to you, and I know you mean only good for me. But I do have a few questions. Apparently, upon becoming Mature, I will be able to learn much faster. That I can understand. But you also seem to indicate that I will be able to control far more Power."
Bennu: "Surely you remember the 'shapes that formed in the Mindsmoke' you observed when I first began using it. Normally, since Mature Adults control their minds, such a thing would never happen. Here, the combination of many things, including my using SunPower to control a Channeling device, made it possible. But Mature thoughts, even from the deeper parts of a Mind, are, except in most unusual circumstances, non-toxic.
"The deeper thoughts of the Immature Mind contain all sorts of destructive and shameful impulses - it is precisely those which Maturity eliminates - and, permitted to control significant levels of Power, would surely turn them against both others and self."
Smokesinger thought about his youth. The tribal lands did receive television, and he, like many of the others, had watched quite a bit of it. Something jogged his memory ...
Smokesinger: "There was a science fiction picture I watched - it must be 50 years old! - that dealt with that theme. Something about an alien race who built a machine to be operated by thought. It was intended to replace physical tools, but when they turned it on, their subconscious' destroyed them all in a single night. That, I suppose, is what you mean."
Bennu was impressed. That an entertainment writer would have thought of that fact, and so long ago, too, was surprising. "There was much wisdom in that story. It's too bad most did not think about the message - perhaps this planet would have not needed our help. But then, I would have been allowed to remain asleep."
They fell silent and remained so for the remainder of the journey. What should have been a joyous event for all - the Keeping of his Promise by Bennu and the freeing of their minds from the chains of Immaturity by his friends - was overshadowed by something even the Wise had not thought of, and the term "shadow" was no mere metaphor. The Unlight of Yago truly threatened to cover the world.
True as that fact was, if one was not to surrender, one must fight, and for that, even the Two needed allies - many allies. So Smokesinger's People returned to their camp and took council with Chief Stronghand and Light-Touch. Still, Bennu was warmly welcomed by the People, and so was Mira, though, as one would expect, her physical attractiveness was the subject of as many discussions as Bennu's had initially been.
Spotted Fawn was overjoyed to have her husband back from battle unharmed, and his upcoming mental trial, though apparently to be unpleasant for him, at least posed no threat. She was less pleased when Mira explained that it would be her task to Instruct Smokesinger.
Spotted Fawn: "I am sure you mean only good for my husband, but will he not find your - appearance - to be a distraction?"
Mira: "He would not be of much use to you as a husband if he did not! But that will last but a few minutes, and after that he will be too involved in his own mind to notice the physical container of the Mind that is helping him. Anyway, would you not prefer the better trained of us - for that is what I am in this area - as his Instructor? Besides, Bennu and Osiron have certain experiences involving Evil Minds in common, so my Partner is his natural Instructor. Be thankful that is not true of Smokesinger! And in any case, there is no time for one of us to teach both - it must be done as quickly as possible."
Mira's ability to project Truth was as well developed as Bennu's, and Spotted Fawn briefly felt shame at her jealousy. But then, as it had been explained, she, too, was Immature, and her husband would later be her Instructor.
As for Smokesinger, soon it was time to begin. Mira apologized for not allowing him to undergo ritual purification, but that was a several day process, and the threat of Yago made such things luxuries that had to be forgone. She Lit her medallion and started by searching for a minor, but nearly universal, trauma - a loss of bodily control at an age when such things ought not to happen. (She briefly thought about another advantage of Maturity - telepathic monitoring of one's children made toilet training very easy.) How bad it would be depended on several things, including possible teasing by other children, but such a simple thing often caused a surprising amount of mischief.
In this case, much to Smokesinger's amazement, he learned that his reluctance to drink freely, even to the point of making himself sick on occasion, was a result of such an incident.
Smokesinger: "That's it?"
Mira: "That's it. You will no longer find this strange reluctance to fully quench your thirst. That's how Immature minds work, for bad or good. Sometimes something simple, like the scent of a certain flower in the moonlight, will have very positive connotations. You will learn the why of these, too, and, sadly, will lose their extra effects when you understand them. Still, for the few good things you lose, you will give up so much harm."
They continued their explorations. After a few other fairly minor ones, Mira said: "And now it is time to get down to serious business. What do you fear most?"
Smokesinger: "Do we have to do that so soon?"
Mira: "We have to do it sometime, and is it not better to get it done and know that what is left to do is easier, or would you truly prefer to keep working, always knowing that the worst is yet to come? And, don't forget, you will have me to help you and help control your terror. Think of how hard it is for those who have carelessly ingested mind-altering chemicals and find themselves facing such things by themselves!"
Smokesinger understood the wisdom of her comments and reluctantly turned his mind to the place he most wished he could avoid ...
He was 8. He had sneaked out of the camp and, despite the absolute taboo, was playing on the Sacred Mountain. Suddenly his foot slipped, and he grabbed a bush to support himself. The bush pulled out of the ground and a few pebbles fell at his feet and went bouncing down the slope. To his utter horror, the ground where the bush had been began to crack open. What had he done? Pebbles, then rocks, and finally boulders began to fall down the mountain face and roll into the village at its base. Dust clouds rose up, blotting out the awful scene.
How many of his People had his disobedience killed? Perhaps even the Chief or his parents had been the victims of his folly! Best to run away and die in the wilderness.
Suddenly the scene was blanked out by a beautiful Light. A Voice full of Love and Compassion spoke, and peace temporarily filled his mind. //There are no mountains here. In fact, there is nothing higher than a few mounds your tribe built. Look again, and tell me what you really did.//
Smokesinger: //Pebbles! Pebbles! I banged the rattle against the mound and it broke. Look, they're falling!//
Voice: //You broke a rattle. Obviously you should not have been touching it.//
Smokesinger: //No, it is Light-Touch's. I took one of the Sacred Rattles from the Holy Mound and broke it. I have put a curse on our tribe and can never atone for it.//
Voice: //Is becoming your People's Healer not sufficient atonement? What you did was wrong, of course, but you did it as a child. Now you are an adult, and no longer bound by the mistakes of a child. Did you not make one in front of the whole tribe not all that long ago? Yet you were forgiven. If it will make you feel better, confess your misdeed to Light-Touch and get his forgiveness. Soon you will be truly Adult and will be helping others reach that state. Give up the pain - you have spent most of your life paying for a foolish act.//
The Light faded and Smokesinger regained consciousness. "Is that what has given me nightmares all of my life?"
Mira: "Indeed. Perhaps a bit more literally wrong than many people's worst traumas, but many have done worse, too. Such are the minds of the Immature."
It was agreed that Smokesinger had done enough work for the day. Since he was already partially trained as a Healer, things went more quickly than they might have, and soon enough he finished cleansing his mind and became Adult.
Osiron completed his Instruction at about the same time, and then, in the space of a few hours, was able to finish teaching Smokesinger all that he needed to know to be a Healer. The two of them began to explore their minds - and their new-found Powers - in wonderment. Then they spoke to those who had made it possible. "Your People are great indeed, that they have sent volunteers to help less fortunate races."
Bennu: "With Maturity comes Wisdom, and with Wisdom comes the knowledge that, however well intentioned, intervention in the evolution of the Immature is far too often unwise, as they turn Good to Evil far too easily. Your Race will not be allowed to develop naturally in any case, and it is that fact which alters the balance of things and has led my People to intervene. Use your Maturity in Harmony and Balance, that in your eagerness to remove hurts you do not do more damage than you Heal."
Smokesinger's tribe had been preparing the Ritual instruments and clothing and practicing the ancient Initiation rites between the time Bennu had left them and when he and Mira had returned. Though they could not wait for the right phase of the Moon, Smokesinger spoke: "We would much prefer that we could celebrate my Initiation according to all of our old traditions. Having seen a bit of the Evil Bennu and Mira have faced, I agree that time is more precious than form. They must leave quickly, and it is more fitting that they be permitted to witness that which they have made possible than form be followed to the letter."
So the Initiation was held and the Promises made by both Bennu and Smokesinger came to their fulfilment, and the Race of Men who inhabited the Planet Earth lost some foolishness and gained a few Teachers of Wisdom and Maturity. Smokesinger first had to Teach as many of his People as were interested in learning. Osiron was free to go, and chose to travel with Bennu and Mira for a while.
Osiron: "And who do you help next?"
Mira: "The first who sincerely ask. Slowly others we have helped are spreading Maturity throughout this continent. Even without Yago it takes decades to Heal a whole planet. It would be much easier if the major religions would find us acceptable, but that is always one of the hardest parts of Maturing a Race. Those who teach of The Light and His Love are often among the most determined obstructionists, and those who reject His existence often eagerly accept the message, and it was so to a fair degree even on our own planet when our People first began to become Enlightened."
To that statement Osiron had no reply, and the three of them were left to ponder the mysterious ways of The Light - and the equally mysterious ways of the Immature.
Copyright May 13, 2001 Three Cheeks Productions (Richard Kaplan)