Star's End

Three camels trotted languidly across a sweeping red desert. Upon these peculiar beasts, sat three wizened men, with rich dark skin, dressed in flowing purple and gold robes. They were a solemn procession, tracking softly through the endless sands, and had travelled in silence for the last few hours.

In the fullness of time, one of them spoke, his voice cutting into the meditative quiet.

‘Asuma, do you think they will think us mad?’

The man who had been addressed held his peace for a few moments, perhaps considering what been said, before replying.

‘Do you think we are mad Jarius?’

Jarius ignored the question.

‘They will think us mad, Asuma; following this star to find the Jewish king. We are not Jewish my friend!’

The last one in the back of the procession had been listening, and chose this moment to enter the conversation.

‘He is more then a Jewish king Jarius. Asuma has said this. His coming heralds the dawn of a new age. He comes as much to destroy as to build.’

‘To destroy?’ Said Jarius, softly, as though hearing this for the first time.’

Asuma spoke louder, almost magisterially.

‘The world is changing Jarius. Perhaps we are the only ones to know this at our present time, but our gods are doomed. This king comes to destroy many gods, perhaps all of them.’

There was a repose, as Asuma’s words settled over the procession. And then, Jarius almost murmured, his voice grave.

‘Did not our own gods tell us how to find this king?’

Asuma sighed.

‘Through the guts of an ox, I divined our course. I spread his insides out upon our altar of stone, and saw the resting place of this star. As I breathed the ethereal smoke of the sacred incense, I heard them whisper. “Our time is coming to an end,” they told me.’

The one in the back nodded.

‘I saw this too. In a dream I saw our gods burning in a pit of fire, with the Jewish king standing over them, blazing an unearthly white’

Jarius looked down.

‘I saw nothing. I dreamt no dreams, slaughtered no oxen. It is you, my good brothers in whom I am placing my trust.’

‘Are you not magi?’ Said the third.

Again, Jarius ignored the question.

‘Tell me Dedrus, -’ for that was his name, ‘- How can you be so quick to abandon your Gods?’

Dedrus glanced at Jarius before looking down in front of his camel.

‘Perhaps if you’d had such a dream as I had, you would not be saying such things to me.’

He spoke quieter.

‘It was a truly horrible dream.’

None of them said anything for a few moments, but Jarius could tell that Dedrus was not finished.

‘And how do I feel about this you ask? To abandon the gods through which I ascended to my position as magi? To come grovelling to this king in the hope that he will spare me their same fate? Perhaps I am bitter. Perhaps I wish things could have gone on as they always did. But the signs were clear.’

Jarius stroked his beard, before once again raising his complaint.

‘I’ll tell you this Asuma. This star that you are following. I spoke of it to the grand magi, and he could not see it. Neither could the servants. I think maybe we are all mad, and that we are all sharing the same delusion.’

Asuma seemed to be hearing this for the first time.

‘Is that so? I wonder. Why are we the only ones who can see it? My divination was true and trustworthy. Never before have I failed. Is this really so Jarius?’

‘I swear it.’ Said Jarius earnestly.

Dedrus cut in.

‘The Jews have a story about a great flood that destroyed all of mankind, save for a man and his family, who was forewarned and built a boat. This Jewish king will not just destroy gods, he will destroy people as well, and he is sparing us a cruel fate.’

Jarius replied.

‘Only us? Well then he is a cruel king. Or perhaps a cruel god.’

Asuma spoke at length.

‘Are any of us worth sparing? Sometimes I think it would be better if our kind had never been born. We fight each other, betray each other, eat the bread of idleness, curse our father and mother, lie, cheat, excrete -’

Jarius cut him off.

‘But there is good in us too.’

Asuma spoke flatly.

‘I think there is too little. I have seen fools wearing crowns and wise men begging on the streets. A pack of Jackals has more honour then our kind does.’

Jarius considered his words before speaking.

‘Ah Asuma. What good is there for us to do? We do not know what is best. Is life about the pursuit of happiness? Is that how we measure the good? Or is it about the obligation of duties? To care for our parents, to produce children, to follow the king…’

Dedrus interjected.

‘We have been instructed and raised to be magi. To guide our people in truth. To seek out mysteries, to uncover what is hidden. The fulfilment of our purpose is clear.’

‘I find it all to be a miserable business.’ Said Asuma. ‘I think there is nothing better than to be happy. At the end of the day to enjoy the company of good friends, savour a fine wine, eat a hearty meal. If grovelling to this king will spare me, then I will do it.’

Jarius spoke to Dedrus. ‘You ask me if I am magi, yet listen to Asuma’s words. Are we not honourable men?’

Jarius continued.

‘As I said to you Asuma. It seems that we are the only ones who can see this star. Whether that is because this king or god is sparing us, and us alone, or whether we are all mad, I do not know.’

Asuma was now angry.

‘My divination is always true. Dedrus dreamt the same thing. We would not have travelled how ever many miles if we were not sure.’

‘What a fool believes, no wise man can refute.’ Said Jarius bitterly.

‘So why did you even follow us Jarius?’ Barked Asuma.

Jarius looked up at the sky.

‘I have always been plagued by doubt. Sometimes I doubt that even our gods exist, that I am a true magi. I am here because I want to see for myself what awaits us at stars end.’

Asuma turned his head to face Jarius.

‘Then follow, and keep your doubts to yourself.