LOST IN THE CLOUDS

(This story is set in earth’s twin GAIA2, 800 years younger and is evolving.)

LI SPEAKS:

I am Li - a man from China - who set out to travel and see new lands. I arrived in Cairo where I halted. While I was camped there I was told that the sultan had just destroyed an ebony horse so that his son would not travel elsewhere. I got interested and collected the parts of the horse and in a short time had it functional. I tested it and it behaved as it should. ‘It could travel at the speed of light till it seemed to touch the sun. It could take off and land without shock to the rider.’ One day I urged it on and I made it land in a stately mansion where I parked it. I discovered I had landed on Rubi Isle. The king welcomed me though I was a total stranger. Everybody assumed I had come riding and by ship where necessary. Communication was very difficult as I didn’t know Gaileq which is the language spoken in RI. However, I managed to converse in sign language. I found they had never even heard of earth. I was given a house to stay in besides two attractive girls to keep house and cook. People in RI, both men and women, wore a garment they called pareyou which covered them waist down.  That was the way the two young women Xima and Rizma  were dressed when they came for housekeeping and cooking duties to my house. I settled there as it was comfortable. Only the food was not exactly to my taste and so I got involved in cooking. I knew various dishes of China and other places I had been in and helped the girls to cook new dishes. Both women were quick to learn and in a few days I had food to my liking.

FEZ SPEAKS:

I’m Fez the man who owns RI’s amusement park. That day I was with Vroom who is the manager of the park where there were 4 merry-go-rounds and two vertical wheels taller than the trees. Both were operated by manual labour. Children enjoyed going on these contraptions.

That morning I stood talking to Vroom in the park. I said “I’ve to be grateful to the strangers who helped establish this park. Remember they had funny names Fred, Wilma and Barney. Barney was the fellow who helped build that vertical wheel. We’ve only copied that one to make and  instal the second one. I wish they had stayed on here with us. They suddenly disappeared. Thanks to them we’ve a stream of visitors to this park.”

Vroom said “You’ve forgotten how Barney built what he called roller skates.”

“No. In fact I’ve ordered a few to be constructed and a smooth floor to be prepared here so that those interested may skate. These strangers came with knowledge and have helped us.”

Vroom said “Now I hear a fellow called Li has come and is staying as royal guest. It seems  he has created new dishes which everybody likes. In fact I tasted some because the cook Rizma brought them to me. I liked them very much. Rizma said Li packs those dishes in banana leaves and fibre and makes them convenient to be transported.  You can eat and throw the container away. Rizma told me Li eats with twin sticks carrying the food to the mouth. In fact it seems Li mooted the idea of delivering the food wherever required using runners or carriers using horse carts.”

We continued discussing various points pertaining to the park.

XIMA SPEAKS

I was posted to cook for Li but I’m learning from him. I knew only our traditional dishes but he knows a great deal more. He has style in cooking which I’ve learnt. It has been 3 weeks since he came. In the first week itself I got familiar with his requirements and can now cook without his help. He has a nice way of explaining that one can easily follow. I have fallen in love with him. I live in his house and all he has to do is call me in and I would do anything he wants. However he locks himself in his room and doesn’t allow anyone in. I’ve been hoping he would summon me and I would fly into his arms. I want a baby through him. I’m sure it would replicate his skills. He is handsome and so would a baby be through him. I am sure Rizma is also seeking to go to bed with him though the crook that she is, never speaks about him. I am able to speak to him as he has learnt pidgin Gaileq. I’m sure he likes me more than Rizma.

One morning I went to Whizma the witch and spoke to her in confidence. I told her of my love for Li.

I said “That Li takes no notice of me. You can see I’m well furnished as a woman front and back.”

“So is almost every woman! You must attract him if you want to go to bed with him.”

“I’ve tried but have failed. He doesn’t go to the sea or the waterfall for a bath. We bring him the needed water for his bath. He has put up a cloth screen in the bathroom for privacy while bathing. I can say he is well-endowed and has normal masculine reactions. Yet he won’t make use of me or Rizma.”

Whizma asked “Has he seen all of you?”

“I took to bathing the way he does. With the cloth screen shifting with the wind he has seen all but he hasn’t been roused. I seek your help.”

“That may be because there are two of you. I’ll cast a negative spell on Rizma. That way only you’ll be the cynosure of his eye. Then use your woman’s wiles.”

The spell worked as Rizma stopped looking for Li which I knew she was doing. I’m planning strategy to get to bed with him.

Four days later I was coming  back with kitchen supplies from the king’s mansion when I saw Rizma come out of Li’s room. I saw various scratches and the like on her which confirmed that she had surely been intimate with Li. In my anger I stabled her with a kitchen knife.

LI SPEAKS:

I was shocked to hear Rizma’s scream and rushed to her. Fortunately I saw it was only a surface scratch but had bled slightly. I called Xima and asked her what had happened. She said openly she had concluded by certain signs that Rizma had been intimate with me. I told her it was wrong. She had come to tell me that the king had sent a message saying he wanted me to meet him at one this  afternoon. Of course there were visible signs of tampering on her but it wasn’t by me. I ignored it whereas  Xima had mistakenly connected it with me since Rizma had come out of my room: That day Rizma had turned up late and the women hadn’t seen each other until Xima’s attack..

I met the king at one and he said “Tomorrow is my coronation anniversary when my subjects will gather and feast with us. You must join. One more important thing! My wife has a sister who is very beautiful and accomplished. You must marry her. I know you will like her when you see her in all her finery and jewellery tomorrow.”

I merely indicated my willingness to join. To tell you the truth I am a bit bored being here on RI doing nothing. I made up my mind.

At the coronation anniversary I was introduced to the queen’s sister. I found she was really a nice looker decked in jewellery but my mind was made up!

RIZMA SPEAKS:

Though I had been attracted to Li, I later gave up. One reason was that Vroom the manager of the amusement park had come after me. I had spent the night with him and went late to work at Li’s place. Xima’s suspicion that I had been intimate with Li, made her attack me though luckily the wound wasn’t deep. Today is the coronation day anniversary and I went with Vroom. We saw Xima come alone to take part in the festivities. The king and queen were there with Li. I saw Li excusing himself to return leading  a wooden horse. He jumped on the saddle and waved. The crowd waved back. In a moment he was airborne and as we all stared incredulously, he had disappeared into the clouds.  Nobody knew the ebony horse could fly!

END

NOTE: THE EBONY HORSE is a story in the BOOK OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT. The capability of the horse is as given in the story translated by J.C. Mardrus.

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