Tri-ethereal Ch. 06

We don't see the queen very much, maybe once or twice a week. She is usually off doing whatever she does helping to keep peace in kingdom, cleaning up the environment, promoting equality for all Tri-etherealians and teaching everyone to read and write. She does this work from the palace. She doesn't want her private residence used for anything except entertaining her friends and relatives. She looks upon her private retreat as a place where she can escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday living.

Lord Kartier was right. Lord Kennington's moratorium has caused many Tri-etherealians to call for a repealing of the anti-Trimorph laws and a pardon for me and John. In fact, the tide has switched the other way. Now it is those who want to keep the laws as they are and those who want to see us executed or banished who are in the minority.

Of course, the main reason for their switching sides is because they believe that the moratorium on construction of new structures and repairs to existing buildings applies to their homes and businesses.

They don't care about me and John. The only thing they're interested in is making their own lives more comfortable. They believe that the moratorium is interfering with their desire to live in comfort.

However, neither Lord Kartier nor Lord Kennington believes that the law was intended to prevent commoners from do maintenance on their houses, barns, business and such. But then neither of them has done anything to get them to change their beliefs. That's because, as Lord Kartier predicted, the moratorium is forcing the issue. It's causing Tri-etherealians of all ranks to demand an end to the discriminatory laws and a pardon for me and John.

Lord Kennington said that he is just needs one more vote then he will have the two-thirds majority needed to repeal the laws. Once the laws are repealed then King Andrew can pardon me and John without risking a riot. Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington are going to go talk to Lord Rygon tomorrow. They hope to talk some sense into his head that he would be better off financially if he voted to repeal the laws.

As for those who want to maintain the status quo, their total is still standing at fifteen votes. When Lord Kennington asked Lord Vetter how he intends to vote Lord Vetter refused to answer him. The other Lords will either do the same or tell Lord Kennington to mind his own business. That's because they are afraid to speak out publicly on how they will vote. As I said, the tide has switched the other way, now most Tri-etherealians want to change the laws.

The reason the two Lords are going tomorrow to talk to Lord Rygon and not today is because yesterday they went with a Mr. Marks to visit Stonebridge. Mr. Marks is the one of foremost architects for Norlen. He has been selected to repair Stonebridge and he wanted to inspect it in order to get an idea of what would be needed to begin the repairs. But before the repairs can begin a decision must be made over what they discovered.

King Andrew asked Lord Kartier, Lord Kennington and Mr. Marks to meet with him and Bishop Shane at breakfast this morning to discuss their discovery. Bishop Shane is the high priest of Tri-ehereal.

While they were inspecting the monument Mr. Marks discovered a small stone slab door under what many Tri-etherealians consider to be the altar stone. I've seen drawings of it -- besides the one in our bedroom. It's not much of an altar. It's some large black stones laid out in the form of an X with holes drilled through the four ends of the legs of the X.

Legend has it that Trimorphs were stripped of all their clothes and strapped to the X and then either executed or forced to drink the hemlock potion.

Surrounding the X are huge white stones laid out in a circle around the altar. One enters the monument from the north or the south, through two arched gateways. At the head of the X in the circle of white stones is a large upright black stone with a large V cut into the top of it. At one time there was a flat black stone on top of this stone, forming a triangle. This stone disappeared a long time ago.

This V-Stone, as it is called, is situated so that precisely at sunrise during the summer solstice the sun rises through it and shines down on the X stone or altar.

They opened the stone slab door. It led to a small room below the altar with a stone slab table in the center of it. On the walls of the room, carved into the stone, were descriptions of what appeared to be what the Unamorphs did to the Trimorph's bodies after they drank the hemlock. Unlike the ancient Trimorph book of union, the carvings were written in ancient Tri-etherealian hieroglyphics. It will take some time before the writings can be deciphered.

Lord Kennington recognized some of the symbols and was therefore able to read some of what was written. But he is going to bring Lord Hampton back there to obtain a better translation. Lord Hampton is more familiar with ancient Tri-etherealian hieroglyphics.

Anyway, what they found next made my blood run cold when Lord Kennington told us about it. In fact, John was going to go into deep transition but stuck around just to hear what they found. I'm glad he did because he gave me moral support -- their discovery shocked me that much.

There was another stone slab door on one side of the little room. Behind this door were some steps. At the bottom of the steps was a corridor that opened to an immense room. The room was filled with thousands and thousands of naked male and female bodies, presumably Trimorphs. They were all just lying on slabs, on tables, in coffins, in cubby holes cut into the stone walls, on the floor and just lying everywhere. There were other rooms connected to this main room. Each was filled with "sleeping" Trimorphs.

I say sleeping because Lord Kennington said that they weren't dead. Their bodies weren't cold to touch as are dead bodies. Their bodies were warm and limp just as if they were sleeping, as if they were unconscious and paralyzed. They were lying right where they had been placed by whoever placed them in the cavern.

Lord Kennington said that their only deformity was to their lips. Their lips were black. He assumed that that was due to their drinking the vinegar and hemlock.

It was also obvious that the bodies had been lying there for centuries. This is what led everyone to conclude that they were Trimorphs who had been forced to drink the hemlock potion. But they won't know for sure until the Lord Hampton deciphers the ancient Tri-etherealian hieroglyphics.

If they are in fact Trimorphs, then it appears that someone, a very cold hearted Unamorph, got the idea that any Trimorph who drank the hemlock concoction would not die but would be eternally prevented from going through union and then into transition. Thus, both the Trimorph and his or her counterpart would be in eternal misery and despair. At least until they came out of their "sleep."

After breakfast John and I talked about it before he went into deep transition. We came to the conclusion that the meaning of banishment into unconsciousness and paralysis to Corporeal was what happened to those Trimorphs who drank the concoction. They fell into unconsciousness and paralysis after drinking the vinegar and crushed hemlock leaves. Then their bodies were placed in those rooms under the altar.

I could only think of those poor Trimorphs lying unconscious and paralyzed for centuries. I was very saddened by it, especially since John and I have chosen to drink the poison. I was so upset over it I couldn't repair books, write poems or do anything. I spent the entire day just wandering around the estate. I didn't even eat any supper. I just went to our bedroom and looked out the window.

As soon as John came out of deep transition I asked him to go through union so that I can go into deep transition. I told him that maybe after I've slept some I'll be able to get look beyond this and see some good in it. Maybe I would feel better after I've slept some.

He agreed.

I removed my clothes and lay down on our bed. I closed my eyes. I pictured John's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel him entering me . . .

Our metamorphosis is finished. Johanna is in transition; I posses our body.

It was late; I spent the rest of the evening studying chess and repairing books.

King Andrew slept here last night. He has his own private manor here in Norlen but he frequently sleeps here. It's closer to the royal palace.

Anyway, after breakfast this morning Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington visited here again. After talking with the king, the two Lords have again put off talking to Lord Rygon. The reason this time is that Lord Hampton, Lord Kennington, Mr. Marks and Bishop Shane are going back to Stonebridge later this morning. They are going to try to decipher the hieroglyphics that is carved into the walls in the room below the altar.

Lord Kennington said that he would let me know immediately what the hieroglyphics said. He knows that Johanna and I are very much interested in it.

In the meantime, I'm going to spend the rest of the day repairing some more of the queen's books. There are only about ten or fifteen books left in the queen's library to repair. Then Johanna and I can finish repairing the ones in our bedroom.

I had been repairing books for a couple of hours when Johanna came out of deep transition.

"Thank you for going through union with me so soon after coming out of deep transition yesterday evening, John. I really needed the rest after what Lord Kennington revealed to us what he discovered."

"That's OK Johanna," I answered her.

Then to Charles, who was in the library with me at the time, "I was talking to my counterpart Charles. She has just come out of deep transition"

"Whatever you say sir," he answered me. I could tell he was somewhat confused.

"I'm going to talk to Johanna now Charles. It will appear to you as though I'm talking to myself. So just ignore me, ignore what I'm saying."

"Whatever you say sir," he said again and then he left the room.

Then I said to Johanna, "Lord Kennington went with Lord Hampton, Mr. Marks and Bishop Shane this morning to try to decipher the hieroglyphics."

"He and Lord Kartier didn't go talk to Lord Rygon?"

"No they put it off again. Lord Kennington said that he is sure that he and Lord Kartier can talk Lord Rygon into voting to repeal the anti-Trimorph laws."

"How come he's so sure?"

"Johanna, you know the only thing Lord Rygon cares about is money. It is financially better for him to have Trimorphs free so that the shops in his district can sell more Trimorph charms, trinkets, souvenirs and such."

"That's true. Do you think they'll be able to decipher the hieroglyphics?" Johanna said, changing the subject.

"I don't think they have to. You know as well as I do what it says. It says that the Trimorphs were given the hemlock concoction. Then after they fell into unconsciousness and paralysis, they were placed under the altar."

I paused momentarily. I didn't know whether or not to tell Johanna what I was thinking. But I was angry. I was angry at what the Unamorphs did to our ancestors. I decided that it was better if she knew. That it was better if she knew what we were heading for if we are not pardoned.

"They were buried alive in that crypt under the altar, Johanna," I continued.

"Oh don't say that John. It will get me all depressed again."

"But I think you should know what's going to happen to us if King Andrew doesn't pardon us."

She started to cry. I tried my best to comfort her but I was unsuccessful. After several minutes she told me she was going back into deep transition. She asked me to wake her in a couple of hours. I told her I would and went back to repairing books.

When she woke from deep transition I was in our bedroom. I asked her to go through union with me; I was tired and wanted to sleep. She agreed. It had been almost fifteen hours since we had gone through union.

I removed my clothes and lay down on our bed. I closed my eyes. I pictured Johanna's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel her enveloping me . . .

Our metamorphosis is finished. John is in transition; I posses our body.

After we went through union, I again thanked John for allowing me to go back into deep transition earlier. I had to go. I get so depressed when I think of all those poor Trimorphs lying beneath the altar at Stonebridge. He then went into deep transition and I went to supper.

Wile we were eating supper Lord Kennington sent word that they finished deciphering the hieroglyphics. He and Lord Kartier are going to eat breakfast here tomorrow with King Andrew and Queen Marina and tell us what they discovered. But I'm sure that John's assumptions are correct. I'm sure the hieroglyphics just inform us as to what the ancient Unamorphs did to the Trimorphs.

It's late. Everyone has gone to bed. I was unable to repair any books. Every time I sat down to work on a book my mind would return to the Trimorphs lying beneath the altar at Stonebridge.

I spent the night praying for them and looking out the window at the stars.

At breakfast Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington confirmed my and John's worst fears. At first he didn't want to tell me what they did to my and John's ancestors. But I told him to reveal it to me so that I could later tell John when he came out of deep transition.

Yes, the hieroglyphics reveal in gory detail what the ancient Unamorphs did to the Trimorphs. It was just as John said. But more than that, both the males and the females were beaten with whips before being forced to drink the hemlock potion. If the female had possession of the body then she was raped by all the attending male Unamorphs. If the male had possession of the body he was forced to perform oral sex on all the attending male Unamorphs.

They also discovered that the hieroglyphics were written by ancient Trimorphs, not Unamorphs. According to what was written, after the Trimorph went into unconsciousness and paralysis the Unamorphs just left the scene, leaving the Trimorph's body lying on the X altar. Then late at night some Trimorphs would come and remove the body and place it in the crypt under the altar.

The hieroglyphics also said that the way back from Corporeal can be found in the writings of the Trimorph prophet, prophetess Gabriel and Gabrielle. The hieroglyphics further said that Gabriel and Gabrielle were banished to Corporeal early in the war. They were among the first Trimorphs to have been banished. As to why they haven't returned from exile no one knows.

I asked Lord Kennington if he had Gabriel's and Gabrielle's book in his library but he said no. He never heard of such a book but he said that he would look for it. If it's in his library then it is on the second floor somewhere.

Enough of the bad news. Now for the good news.

Lord Kartier and Lord Kennington are finally going to talk to Lord Rygon later today. They are positive that they can convince him to change his vote. The only thing he cares about is money. If the Trimorphs are free once again then the souvenir shops in his district will be able to sell more Trimorph charms, which means more tax money for him.

Also at breakfast this morning King Andrew told me that he was going to issue a pardon for me and John as soon as the laws were repealed. I can hardly wait to tell John -- he's in deep transition right now.

The first thing I'm going to do is go visit Melissa and Melyssan in Lord Kennington's library.

I spent the rest of the morning at the gazebo, waiting for John to come out of deep transition. Then I talked to him about what we are going to do once we are pardoned. Out of love for him, I changed my mind and decided to explore Tri-ethereal. But he also changed his mind out of love for me and wanted to return to work in the library.

In the end, we decided together to explore Tri-ethereal, mainly because if we returned to the library then that would put Melissa and Melyssan out of work and neither of us wanted to do that.

Then I went to our bedroom. I removed my clothes and lay down on our bed. I closed my eyes. I pictured John's naked body in my mind's eye. Within seconds I could feel him penetrating me . . .

Our metamorphosis is finished. Johanna is in transition; I posses our body.

I spent my time in possession of our body repairing books in our bedroom and studying chess. I really can't do anything else late at night when everyone is sleeping.

At breakfast this morning I received word from Lord Kennington that he convinced Lord Rygon to change his vote yesterday -- I was the only one there as the king and queen spent the night at his manor. Lord Vetter is also going to change his vote. Now they have enough votes to repeal all the corrupt anti-Trimorph laws. He also sent word that he sent notices to all the district Lords and all the administrative Lords that the vote would be in four days.

I can hardly wait to give Johanna the good news. I know she has been waiting for it.

I'm going to ask King Andrew if the Trimorphs who are in hiding can have a celebration in the roundhouse. If the king says yes, I'm going to send out a notice to all of tri-ethereal for all Trimorphs to meet and have a great big party.

I went upstairs and began to repair some of the books in our bedroom. After a couple of hours of that I went over to my chess set and studied some chess positions. When Johanna came out of deep transition later in the afternoon I told her that Lord Rygon said that he would vote to repeal the anti-Trimorph laws. I also told her that Lord Vetter said that he would vote to repeal the laws too.

Lord Kennington now has at least 31 votes, one more than needed to overthrow the anti-Trimorph laws.

She began to cry. When I asked her why she was crying she said it was because she was happy. She cries when she's sad; she cries when she's happy. I don't think I'll ever understand her.

After several minutes she thanked me for the good news. I told her of my plans to have a big celebration. She thought it was an excellent idea. She said that we could decorate the round house with little cutouts of hearts and doves. Maybe even have the palace guards give everyone a demonstration of their expertise with their weapons. I told her we would have to get King Andrew's permission for that. She said that she was sure the king would agree to it.

I went back to repairing books but now with Johanna looking over my shoulder. Of course, she offered me "advice" on how I could better repair them. She's meticulous that way. But I don't mind. It saves her from repairing my repairs.

After a late supper Johanna asked me to go through union with her. I did so.

After I had possession of our body I made the bed. It always gets messed up when John and I go through union. Then I started to repair some books. After about an hour, "John are you there?"

"Yes, I haven't gone into deep transition yet. Why?"

"Well, I'm going to have the servants bring up some warm water so that I can take a warm water bath. I thought I would tell you so that you can stick around and enjoy it too."

"Thanks. I will," John answered me.

"Is that the only reason why you're not going into deep transition?" I asked my counterpart in a very sensuous tone.

He answered me, "Johanna, you have one of the most beautiful bodies -- if not the most beautiful body -- I have ever seen naked and you're going to ask me that?"

I didn't answer him; I just smiled. I know he likes to watch me undress and bathe. He likes to look at naked female Tri-etherealians. But then I like to look at naked male Tri-etherealians, especially John.

After the servants brought the warm water I very slowly and very deliberately removed all my clothes. Then I very sensuously dripped water all over our body. I could feel John caressing and kissing our body. It was wonderful and exhilarating. It made we want to go through union with him again just for the pure joy and ecstasy of it.