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The Return of "Thus Spoke the Platypus" Part V

One morning, the disciple of Utnipishtim came to him and said: "Oh my master, last night I had a dream; while I was on my bed, a vision came to me! I saw your animals, the raven and the dove, descend from heaven and lift you up and they bore you away. Then a voice came from the clouds and proclaimed: 'My words shall not be hidden! Speak Utnipishtim! Speak from the wisdom that I have given you!'"

When Utnipishtim heard this he raised his face toward heaven and cried out: "It is Time! It is Time! It is indeed Time!"

Then Utnipishtim turned to his disciple and spoke, saying: "Oh my faithful follower, I must leave you. Who knows whether you will see Utnipishtim again? But fear not! My animals will care for you. They will bring you food from afar. For drink, there is the stream that runs from the mountain to my lake."

When he had said these words, Utnipishtim departed. After many days and nights, he came to a great crossroads, where the road from the mountain, and the road from the plain, and the road from the sea, and the road from the city, and the road from the waste all met.

And Utnipishtim took his stand at the crossroads and called out in a loud voice: "Oh my brothers! I, Utnipishtim, have come down. Wisdom has sent me to you to preach to you the Great Return! You have found yourselves, but you have not found Beauty. You have found yourselves, but you have not found Wisdom. You have found yourselves, but you have not found Joy. Seek now for the ancient paths. Oh my brothers, let us begin the Great Return. Wisdom speaks to us: "As a man may go forward, so too can he go back!"

Thus Spoke Utnipishtim.

Comments

Graf Spee said…
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James said…
Way.
Way.
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way!
Way.

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