Hinn Ch. 63-65

"We have made excellent progress," Odin said. "That is the guardian's shield. Step within and make a deal as you may. The rest of us must wait out here, and I may never reenter."

"Very good. I'll be back soon," Ray told the group before approaching the opaque barrier.

Chapter 64

Ray tried to make sense of the barrier. It seemed to be a chaotic series of knots and tangles of ancient, potent rwh at first. As his gaze flowed over the seemingly random flows, he found that there were meaningful patterns buried in the mess. What's more, these patterns changed while they weren't in his direct perception. See a technique that would slice flesh that brushed up against it at one point, then look away and back, only to find a different set of patterns waiting for his gaze when he returned to the same spot.

Shaking his head, he chuckled and started to part the threads to push his way through. Checking a sudden thought, he found himself unable to sever the rwh physically - they were stronger than his Hinn physiology, a most impressive feat.

Ray wove his way through the knotted threads. It was demanding, precise work, one step or lean or twist at a time, gently pressing forward. Several times he had to backtrack, as he recognized patterns of rwh forming from his actions that would have caused effects he didn't want to experience. Techniques were no more than organized, flowing rwh, after all, and these adapted as he progressed. Eventually, his precise work carried him through the barrier, although he wasn't sure how thick it really had been nor how long the effort had taken until he checked with Tauriz, who told him it was about a half-hour. It had felt a lot longer than that to Ray.

Taking a deep breath in relief, Ray looked around at the new vista. He stood at the edge of a broad circular field, on a worn dirt track heading up onto a small rounded hill dead ahead of him. It amused him that the randomly chosen entry point led to the only clear ground he could see. Reconsidering, he realized that meant either the entry wasn't random or that all routes through the rwh led inexorably to this point.

He could just make out some low grey stonework on the top of the hill from where he stood at the foot. Warm sunlight caressed the grassy hill, which was mildly surprising because no sun showed itself on the barrier dome's flat blue inner surface. Gentle breezes passed, tickling the knee-high plants and causing them to dance softly. To either side, it appeared the grass extended along the edge of the barrier, sweeping out in a thick green carpet around and over the hill, save for the narrow dirt path.

Scuffing his boot toe across the ground revealed the path to be packed stone-hard, leaving very little dirt behind on the sole. Squatting in place, he gently brushed his hands over the tops of the knee-high grass. He felt the tips of the grass etching at his skin, their scratches sharp enough to have easily shredded human skin. Even his Hinn hide would find it difficult to avoid getting shredded if he tried to walk any real distance through that dangerous foliage. Were the breezes to kick up, the grass was long enough to close up over the path and shred whoever walked it.

Standing back up and dusting off his hands, he called, "Greetings, guardian. I would like to speak to you about gaining access to the well, if you please."

A quiet chuckle floated to his ears, high in pitch and pure of tone. "Wise to ask, traveler, and clever to notice. Why do you seek the well and what dwells within it?"

"One of the nine worlds, and thus the great tree itself, is threatened by an invasive realm. If left uncontested, Midgardr would most likely be shattered or digested. I seek tools or techniques to prevent this, or at the minimum I desire to locate where within Midgardr the realms will come into contact."

"And you are aware of the price such knowledge requires?" chimed the words lifted by the breeze.

"I know legends of such prices, but no, I do not know the exact price. What would you have of me?"

"Brave are you, then, or foolish."

"I could not truthfully contest either of those terms," Ray chuckled.

The unseen speaker joined Ray's laughter. A moment afterward, she - the voice sounded feminine to Ray - asked, "What would you barter for the access?"

"I am uncertain of what your needs are or what rules you follow. I have some small amount of power and access to a couple different sources of knowledge that may be useful to you, however."

"Might you be willing to trade that ring you wear for access to the well?"

"I can do so, but I must in all fairness warn you that it is bound to me such that any other being attempting to wear or use it would lead to its erasing its most useful properties from existence."

The guardian's voice paused for a second, the breeze falling still. "I see. And yet, you could have simply traded me the ring without warning me to gain access."

"I could have, but what would that have done to our forming relationship? I prefer to be honest with those I deal with as much as I can. I hope that this may be more than a single interaction between us."

"Your definition of practicality would differ with that of most that have sought access to the well, dear Professor."

"Ah, so you know who I am. Good. Please call me Ray. Is there a name I may use to address you?"

"Very well then, Ray. I would reciprocate, but I have no personal name I may share."

"Then as long as you don't protest, I'll call you 'Neda.' That's derived from Slovakian mythology, a guardian of wealth, or a wealthy guardian, both of which seem to apply to you."

"We... thank you for this unexpected gift, Ray. Neda. We rather like that."

"'We', hrmm? So you're more of a collective than an individual?"

"Your language is imprecise enough to make the distinction impractical. The truthful answer may be one or the other, both or neither. It does not smoothly fit into this language's expectations."

"Is there another method of communication you would prefer that might work better?"

"There is, but it would be foolish for you to open your defenses and allow me access to your present."

"I see. Yet, would you also not be vulnerable?"

"Not in the way that you would become vulnerable. My - our - nature is different enough that your risks would not be the same."

"You remind me of the Oracles, in a way, with their different future, past and present aspects."

"That is a reasonable analogy for the amount of information you seem to have. There are temporal differences involved but also other aspects, so it is not completely accurate, however."

Thoughtfully, Ray mused, "The more I explore the parts of the worlds I've lived in, and the more lore and knowledge I gain, the more I find yet to be comprehended."

"That is the purpose of the well, Ray. To provide that closure."

"So it provides access to all information?"

"In a way. Perhaps the best description I can offer you is that it allows for a being to gain comprehension to whatever degree that being is capable. Thus far, none have fully comprehended the whole of that which resides within the well. I doubt that you will be the exception, but I may be incorrect about that, of course."

"Do you have any idea how the well and its contents might interact with Hinn? Specifically the shared memories of the Hinn?"

"Once one Hinn has accessed the Well, we believe all those following after shall have access to the Well's content. It is extremely unusual to share comprehension like that. Few have tried, and none have yet succeeded."

"Oh? What kind of problems have occurred?"

"In one case, the comprehension was unevenly achieved across the group, leading to severe social disruption as each perceived they had truth on their side even as their opinions differed. In another, a portion of those granted access failed to grasp the entirety of their comprehension, leading to what you would categorize as psychopathic behaviors. In both cases, infighting rapidly destroyed both groups. Your attempt would be the third trial."

"So in the first case, there was arrogance or hubris amongst those gaining access to the well. Had that flaw existed before they accessed the well? Did the well's information acerbate the problem?"

"I would believe that probable, but I do not have enough information to validate that hypothesis."

Nodding, Ray continued, "And in the second case, it appears there are cognitive hazards within the well, or within the perceptions of those accessing the well. What percentage of those who have attempted to comprehend the well have demonstrated similar behaviors afterward?"

"Approximately one in ten, Professor. There have been very few beings who have successfully accessed the well."

"Are you able to determine beforehand the probabilities of some being exhibiting psychotic or other self-destructive behaviors after accessing the well?"

"As in they were functional before attempting to comprehend the well, but not afterward?"

"Precisely."

"Perhaps. There are certain aspects you seem to call psychometric markers. Some sets seem to be fairly common amongst the tenth and distinctly different sets within the ninety percent. From the little I have seen of you, I would estimate you would be in the larger group by approximate four chances in five."

"Thank you. Would more detailed information on my cognition be useful to both further narrow that estimation and to improve your overall calculations?"

"Yes, but the ideal case would be full exposure."

"Would you be willing to swear a binding oath to me with two clauses? First, you would not alter me in any way while I was sharing this information with you. Second, that you would only use the information gathered from such a means to improve the accuracy of your estimation you would share with me?"

The guardian was silent for a moment. "You do not live gently, do you, Professor?"

"If there are ways to improve your skills in this manner, it is in my self-interest to find ways to assist. With that, it is also in my self-interest to minimize the risks. In my opinion, this approach seems best able to do both. Do you disagree?"

"I do not. I thank you for your trust. I would be willing to make such an oath, as long as you were also willing to put a specific limit on how long you would be sharing that openly."

"Clever. That wasn't a loophole I intended - very well. Pending your oath as previously mentioned, I hereby swear by rwh, by samum, by Hinn, and my name that I will share full access to that which is myself for a period of five minutes."

"By the oaths and promises that maintain my position as guardian of the well, as well as by my name, I swear not to alter this Professor while he shares access to himself, nor will I use information I gather during this period except to improve the accuracy of my assessment on the potential effects of accessing the well by himself."

"Then we have a deal!" While speaking aloud, Ray also shared over Hinn, "Tauriz, I wish to grant the guardian of the well access to read any and all of myself, and only myself, for a period of five minutes, starting now. I wish to be aware of the guardian's interests and access during this period."

Ray could instantly feel the guardian's interest, many seemingly independent pieces of its intellect analyzing and probing the parts and the whole of that which made him, him. Memories, experiences, thoughts, emotions, capabilities, flaws, and more were measured, evaluated, and distilled into a model. It was unsettling, disturbing at a deep level, but completely painless. The shock to his existence of that which he kept hidden in nooks and crannies was extreme, the hates, the fears, the irrational beliefs. Worse, how those built up to become a critical portion of the whole of what made his consciousness drove a spike into the heart of his self-confidence. How could he be rational with such irrational underpinnings? Caring when such ugliness drove him forward?

After a timeless period, Ray found himself kneeling in the path, tears running down his cheeks, breathing hard. He felt the three ladies supporting him through Hinn, guarding and gently tempering the worst of the experience without removing it from his memory.

"I apologize for causing you discomfort, Professor. That was not in my intent."

Recentering himself, Ray breathed deep and exhaled hard. "It appears that such intimate vulnerability brings out some unpleasant sensations, at least for me. To the best of my knowledge, and those who are with me, the first portion of your oath is fulfilled."

"Thank you for that, Professor."

"So, Neda, back to business - with your hopefully improved methods, how would you rate my chances in avoiding detrimental effects from accessing the well?"

"Well into the ninety percent range that you would avoid them, Ray, with less than a percent resemblance to those who were negatively affected."

"Good to know! So, that being said, what fee might you charge for such access for myself, and through me, the remaining Hinn and those that come after."

"I would ask of you a service, something that you should be able to accomplish in short order - much less than a day."

"You do not care to share more information about this service?"

"Much as you have, I have accepted limitations. Some of those impact this."

"With the provision that it does not harm myself or my allies, nor break any oath I have sworn, I might be interested in such a fee."

"Then, let us say a service, unless there is reasonable cause to believe the service may harm yourself or your allies, or break one of your oaths. If that service is denied for one or more of those reasons, I have the right to propose alternatives until such time as we find one that meets my needs and your limitations."

"So long as this negotiation does not take excessive time - let us say no more than an hour a week may be used in such a manner, and if there is not agreement on the tasking within that hour you may attempt again a week later, and each week following one hour at a time until such agreement is made."

"That is acceptable. Were you willing to accede to a pair of services, one at a time, with the same limitations, we would be willing to allow those of your nearby companions access to the well, barring only One-Eye, for those who have had access to the well may never access it again."

"Let me ask and see if there is an interest and a willingness to do this, if I may?"

"Of course, as long as you stay within the bounds."

"While I do so, may I ask what would prevent me from providing access to the effects of the well via Hinn to those not Hinn?"

"Is that a possible action of Hinn?"

"It was not a common activity, quite infrequent in point of fact, but it is within the realm of the possible."

"I know of nothing that would prevent such activity, then."

"Thank you. Let me ask and see if there is interest. If there is, I will offer an oath for two limited services as we have discussed for access to the well for me and mine. If not, then I shall offer an oath for one limited service for access to the well for myself."

"You are generous, Ray. I thank you for your kindness."

"You have dealt fairly with me, thus far - only right that I return that. One moment, please."

Sharing with Tauriz over Hinn, Ray asked her to check to see who of those present might be interested in accessing the well. Tauriz' perceptions of Odin's shock caused Ray to grin even as the sisters and their mother showed nearly as much confusion before politely but emphatically requesting access. Jasper asked the All-Father's opinion if he should access the well. Odin's eventual carefully phrased response was, "If you so desire to know the whole the worlds have to offer, to end the pleasure of uncertainty, the balm of the unknown, to both gain and lose wisdom, it would behoove you to do so." Thanking the All-Father, Jasper asked to be added to the list, as did Annya and Updike.

"With your concurrence and agreement, I would offer you a pair of services of which there is no reasonable cause to believe the service may harm my allies or myself or break one of my oaths. If I deny one or both services for any of those reasons, you have the right to propose alternatives until we find agreement, taking no more than an hour a week but continuing weekly until we reach an agreement. In return, you provide access to the well for myself as well as Annya, Updike, Jasper, Helen, Monica, and Amber."

"In the spirit of openness you have led these negotiations with, I would agree, but only after I provide you some additional information. The well is a prison, and has long held an entity whose form of reality is wildly different from those you know. The disparity of the Oracles' perspectives may be the closest you know, yet without a perceiver-and-perceived dichotomy. By contacting it, you would gain this additional perspective.

"This being, is thus the repository of all potential histories and futures, of all possible forms of existence capable of interacting with it. Its awareness works in ways that we that experience linear time find uncomfortable at best, and potentially mind-shattering or ego-wiping at worst.

"While this is dangerous, a greater challenge remains. This being permanently opens its perceptions to you when you access it within the well, for so long as you desire to persist it. In addition, your perceptions are shared. While this has not been a major challenge for many due to how few have managed to gain access to its prison and maintain a reasonable degree of functionality, there are those like the ancient wanderer who guided you here who still have their bond with the denizen of the well. This would link their perceptions with yours.

"Still worse, this being is unable to be fully contained within the well. It exists... elsewhere, in ways I am not capable of fully communicating. As such some of the perceptions it has are damaging or even fatal to those of these realms. Again, the defenses you have provided yourself may be adequate to withstand such, but they may not."

"And this is why it is my considered opinion that attempting to manipulate such powers is at least as dangerous as approaching such situations alone. Thank you for your assistance in this."

"Unfortunately I cannot claim this as benevolence on my part, but rather a rule I am required to follow."

"Hrmm. I see. Can you discuss those that created the rule?"

"Interesting, you are the first to ask after them. They were those who captured the being in the well, although I am uncertain if 'capture' is the correct term. I know little of them, save there were three, each different from the last. In all those who have approached for access to the well, none have reminded me of the three. I know not if they continue to exist or not. I cannot discuss the rules they left for me to follow, however."

"Can you depict the three so that I may sense them?"

"Heh! This is fun - yes, yes I can!" Neda offered Ray a recollection. Two humanoid beings were remembered, holding hands even as they both grasped the leaves of a meter-high shrubbery. In the middle of the ring these three made, a small light flickered.

The first humanoid was slim, not very tall, hairless and seemingly made of some sort of dull metal or very fine grained stone. It was nude save for a short woven skirt or kilt worn low on its hips, revealing its lack of a navel. As it moved its body didn't crease or flex like flesh would.

The second was a Jann, Ray realized. Jet black hair and milk white skin, she was naked except for a necklace seemingly made of living plants with tiny red blossoms scattered over it and with a large, rough-cut hexagonal chunk of quartz hanging from it.