Chapter 2

* The Happy Aeoliah *

(Suggested music: Pharista, Angel's voyage, «First steps towards silence»).

 

Obviously, the unknown beauty in the crypt is not a native of the inhospitable Uhluhlorah satellite; her life was on one of the planets in the centre of this system. Friend reader, let us make silence together just a moment, and, floating in the interplanetary space, gently approach this sun. We cross Antheroah, a planet also all in air and clouds, which resembles our Jupiter like Uhluhlorah resembles our Neptune. What a seizing spectacle, these majestic globes gliding into black velvet sky! Still closer to the vital heat of this sun, revolve several rocky planets. This star is a little larger and a little whiter than ours, but this still allows us to also find here a planet at the right distance to allow for life.

Still freely floating in space, we approach this sun, which becomes warm and bright. Its vibration swells in glory, and, moved by an irresistible and merry pulsation, we still approach, until emerges from this flood of light the crescent of a planet: Aeoliah. Pronounce A-E-O-liahh... («A» like in «am», «lia» as in «liana») and prolong the sound with a heart filled with wonder... The first «A» arrives, get posed light and merry like a bird, and just after the final «A» sets out again towards its moving destiny.

Changing direction, we leave the Sun behind us, and contemplate in front this fabulous spectacle: the resplendent disc of a large and beautiful planet, surrounded by a gilded ring, like our Saturn, but less broad and thin like crepe. An inaudible celestial organ vibrates with its most majestic chords... Aeoliah is covered with vast oceans of a deep and velvety blue, between continents exhibiting all the hues of green, speckled with yellow and purplish spots. Clouds gather in a vast arc from one pole to the other, leaving all the remainder completely free. As we gradually approach, Aeoliah seems to grow bigger... Ha! How beautiful a planet is, seen from space! Breathtaking! Wonderful! Especially to approach it with an hypnotic slowness... Increasingly thinner details take shape: Plains, myriad of islands under the tropics, no ice to the poles but many mountains, sometimes dotted with white stars. The sumptuous and velvety colours vibrate and live intensely under the warm light of the sun. What a dazing spectacle! How not to get amazed to contemplate so many landscapes, so many lives in the same time!

Aeoliah, still growing slowly, gradually occupies the sky in front of us. The ring profiles itself on our passage, thread of gold which suddenly rushes toward us, as we pass very close with the flight! The slowness of our movement is only an appearance due to the vastness of the scene...

The splendid planet now shines below us; the limb becomes horizon and it gets fuzzy with a moving blue edging: air! Thin and precious whisper of life... Bellow, a continent ends up towards the South, close to the equator; it endlessly divides itself into peninsulas, islands, capes and small islands, seas, bays and inlets. The amazing Beauty of this idyllic sphere moves us into our very heart, in a sensual desire for fresh vegetation and immaculate sky... what a moving mystery, to catch with only one glance so many charming places for living, so many superb landscapes to love, so many existences to live or to build!

The West coast of this continent is bordered with mauve and brown mountains, spangled with gold, olive green or lemon, with here and there white stars of snow-capped summits. In its centre, a multitude of lakes, a lattice of sinuous rivers scintillates like diamonds into the sun, in a deep and velvety bosky bower. Still floating in a slow and majestic movement, we glide toward the Northwest and fly ad infinitum over a wild vastness of bold mountains as far as the eye can see, of proud peaks, mauve or pink, of poetically round shaped domes, of intensely green plateaux, of delicious valley with turquoise shades... In a gently descendant flight, we approach the ground; the black space sky turns to indigo, then to the blue azure of life; our eyes filled with wonder discover a world of slopes, rubble, sunny meadows, small rivers, recesses of fresh shade, charming little valleys; the forest, from velvet becomes wool, strewn with flowered trees; curious round hills are adorned with concentric rings, like altitude curves on a geography map: tender green, jade, mauve, pink, gold...

We descend very gently on top of a fresh undulated plateau, indented with some shady ravines, with a hem of soft hills and pink sandstone peaks with elegant and poetic shapes. A silence, a dazing quietness emanates from this dream landscape, it seizes us and encompasses us into a Peace so formidable, but yet so familiar! Like the rest after an arrival in a hospitable and welcoming place, at the end of a long journey. The traveller accustomed to Earth landscapes immediately notices a strange feature: Not even a trace of anything artificial, no road, no house never tears the greenery, not a fence, nor even a field. Aeoliah is entirely and superbly virgin! A pure, perfect, inviolate nature! Proud, resplendent of Sun and Freedom, like an infinite and vivifying breath, rich as the promise of fruits beyond our imagination!

We approach the summit of the trees, and an immense Harmony of bird songs starts to reach us, together with the gentle hiss of a fresh torrent, while bursts a luxuriance of flowers and multicoloured bunches; the tepid air vibrates with sun and alleviating shade, with the delicious scent of thousands of flowers, blended with balsamic resins and ripe fruit fragrances, on a background of fresh hay or pine forest; It enters our chest so fluidly to breath in its palpitating and pure life, its dazzling Freedom! The forest, the immense trees palpitate with thousands of presences, of wing rustles, of insect humming, of light and shade plays, of lianas with voluptuous flowers... A whole merry world loves and dances with an astonishing vitality into the abundant vegetation cherished by a gentle breeze... Such a Joy is communicative and we also get a nice desire for rolling in the tepid grass, or to run as light as the air! O enthusiastic world where everything is light, easy and pleasant!

At last we land in an sloping meadow with flowered bushes between small stony steps. Less birds here than in the forest, but a stillness, a marvellous well-being. The inhabitants of Aeoliah? They are the birds of course. Haha! Did you thought at this? There are also human beings who love these birds. But remember: tall like our hand. We need to still narrow ourselves to get able to see them. Now this is done, we are in the grass, the flower stems carry their corolla above our heads, we walk in a rustling of delighted insects, on a foam carpet, between leaves of plantain and succulent plants (thorn less, of course), we cross hasty crickets and span a passionately yellow caterpillar who laugh!

 

(Music: theme of the Eolis: Bearns & Dexter «The Golden Voyage»

volume 3 «Look after tomorrow for me»)

 

Here they are, the marvellous Eolis, (pronounce E-O-Li, with E like in «ebony» and Li like in «lid») the tiny human inhabitants of Aeoliah, into their gentle village, all more than the other resplendent with Happiness and cheerfulness! The creature of the crypt is coming from there. Like her, they all are very slender, with a large childish head, the shoulders hardly larger than this head, and the hip still finer, only marked behind with their small round buttocks. Their arms are very thin, almost translucent, and yet strong, as we see some who, like ants, carry heavy loads. They are beautiful, they are happy! Their serene and smiling faces, naive or mischievous, merry or moved, busy and enthusiastic, are adorned with small mouths and immense eyes with astonishing colours: blue, indigo or purple, deep green, blazing orange or moving black. The Eolines wear little bosoms and the Eolis beards and moustaches at wish; these features are the only apparent differences between genders, and despite this we can recognise them perfectly. Their hairs are often long, in all the styles nature could imagine: smooth, undulated or curly, fair or clear chestnut, jet-black, pinkish or bluish white, fire, mauve... But the most astonishing are their butterfly wings, iridescent with pink, mauve, orange. And they do use them! And they flutter merrily above their village, although in general they are satisfied to walk there, except when they leave in air forwarding in the forest.

Their clothes are very simple, and even somewhat monastic, if they were not extremely pretty: ample and long tunics with loose sleeves, plain coloured or shaded with pastel orange, pink, mauve... all cut approximately on the same model, but sometimes gathered, or with fringes... in fact all different. The Eolis and Eolines all wear on their heart this insignia, in the same time naive and profound: a star with four branches, golden yellow with at the centre a red or pink heart, strongly suggesting they all belong to some secret fraternity, linked together with who knows some mysterious worship... undoubtedly very funny, as we can expect from their laughing faces! In their dresses back side, there are two holes, for the wings. But above all, they all wear, both Eolis and Eolines, those immense and priceless Eoli caps, disproportionate sombreros made from a large flower corolla with radiant petals, which they funnily wear raised in front. We here also find the prettiest colours, except the green that Eolis, like flowers, never wear.

How marvellous to see them living, to contemplate them moving! Oh their aerial and free gestures! Oh their undulating walk, spontaneous, their grace oscillating between moving Poetry and comic charm! Each gesture, even the most banal, is a dance, all light grace and flexibility. They even not do it purposely, as it is for them the very taste of their life...

They do not speak as much as us, but they do it with a crystal voice, singing, calling themselves or exclaiming with merry and hilarious tones, chirping like young birds.

The place where we have landed, in the meadow, is their village. There are many other villages everywhere on Aeoliah, but this is the one we chose, on the eighth continent, the one of the Eolis with a pink skin like the Europeans. In fact we mostly see grass. Guess what are the houses of this village made of? Out of pumpkins, cut inside in hollow with doors and windows! They are rather kinds of calabashes, but let us call them this way. The Eoli village, it is at first a large garden, with succulent plants, flowers, delicious fruits, foamy places to meet, and, hidden under the leaves, the pumpkin houses, of a beautiful orange with many hues, furnished with round windows; Inside it is also round and warm like a nest, and very simple: often just a small room with an oval bed, two water basins for washing, covered with a corolla, and a simple curtain at the entry. Some houses, larger, have two or three rooms with wall cupboards cut in the thickness of the round wall. These charming interiors are painted with mauve, pastel blue or pink, unless they simply display the delicious richly textured peach colour of the bare pumpkin flesh.

 

We arrived, and we have plenty of time to discover the place.

It is the time where the Sun goes down, but it will not reach the horizon before a moment. Less exuberance, more Serenity. The crickets start to tune for the evening concert, and birds come back from their excursions. All the Eolis are still occupied, in their fields or in outdoor workshops.

Cotton fields grow just besides the village. An Eoli field, it does not have any edge nor lines: it is simply a place where the right plants grow, often mixed together, and with completely useless but so beautiful flowers, laying between a discrete path, a bowl-house and a group of cactus (thorns less, still). Of course that we do not distinguish it in nature! It is itself nature, and the village too. Eoli cotton does not need to be dyed, as its flowers naturally grow with various colours: we just had to think at this. Everyday there are peoples in the fields; but today they are many to pick up dead leaves from the lower part of the plants, and they form a people chain, while singing, to carry them out to the compost heap. Some leaves are enough to make a full Eoli load. Here grow eight orange cotton plants, seven pink, a yellow, two red, three mauve, and others everywhere into the village and in the surroundings. A small green and yellow caterpillar, straying there, also find herself to pass from hand to hand, and wonders why this makes everyone to laugh. The Aeolian caterpillars and insects are, just like the birds, perfectly clean and you can confidently associate with, like pets, and they freely wander into the village, while respecting Eoli's cultures and flowers.

As cotton flakes mature at different times, they have to be harvested little by little, here and there. An Eoli with a long beard flutters around, like a bee; he gently draws aside the large coloured petals, collects the flakes, brings them on a cloth, beside his Eoline who tenderly stares at him. When they have filled the cloth, they call for another couple, and all four, taking each one a corner, fly away with their load. They depose it on a little terrace, small promontory dominating the heart of the village, covered with fine tender green foam. Other Eolis and Eolines are there. They sort cotton, clean it and bale it. As this activity allows for a free mind, it is there that one tells stories, and who means free mind also means free laughing! Oh the fairy-like crystal laughter of the Eolis! Of course completely pleasant and benevolent, like a little child laughter, fresh and free, but so contagious!

You have to see the Eolis living and working. There a small group walks on, some tools in hands. Arrived on the place of the activity, in a few words all is said, all is decided, and immediately they merrily begin to pick, to collect or to carry, or to climb in trees to gather. Often one or two of them sit besides, and sing like angels in moving modes unknown on Earth, or draw some soft notes from a pipe larger than them. When they finish, they contemplate what is achieved, then in a few words conclude or express their satisfaction. And straight off, trotting along, undulating their hips and balancing their hairs, they set out again towards another merry activity.

 

The day arrives at its end, gradually.

It is a moment of great peace.

 

On the largest place of the village, on top of the hill, those who chose to prepare the meal today are busy. Anyway this is extremely simple: the Eolis eat fruits, leaves and mushrooms, as such as nature offered them. No cooking nor cereal dishes as on Earth. To prepare the meal is just to go and fetch what is necessary in the fields, to gather it on a tablecloth of fresh leaves, to cut the fruit in chips or of make some juice with a pestle. It is a pleasant activity, that the Eolis enjoy very much; they do it poetically, calmly, without speaking, or just with a soft voice when necessary, without laughing (except case of absolute necessity). A tall Eoline with yellow dress and large blonde hair like a sun, carries a large fruit looking like a kiwi. Not in a hurry, she goes gently while undulating her slim body. To each step a different flower perfume comes to vibrate in harmony with that of the fruit; the air is soft, a vivifying well-being goes up along her backbone towards her heart moved with happiness... Her lips outline some words of a song, her green eyes filled up with dream wander here and there, while the fruit in her arms dandle poetically with the rhythm of her walk.

Eolis and Eolines thus enjoy a palpable and always renewed happiness, made of the frame of the days, and of all the smallest things of life achieved to perfection. The evening meal is calm, accompanied with music on Eolis instruments, together with many cricket species with variegated songs.

 

Waiting for the Sun touching the Evening Mountain to start the meal, everyone arrives little by little.

 

Sometimes, at the end of the meal, somebody speaks, but generally they remain together in silence, meditating or dreaming. The day declines, a gentle freshness rises from the ground. The birds themselves keep silent or go back in the forest; some even nest in the village and gently chirp, tenderly, while taking their places to sleep. It is the cricket's time. Before the night is on, should the meal be disposed: to wipe the rare utensils with leaves, to put them away in a small house beside the place, to carry wastes to the compost and to cover them with the leaves which were used as a tablecloth, an ideal mix to make good compost.

When the night is completely on, some Eolis remain together on the place, in silence. The Eolis do not sleep all the night long, like us Earthlings. Those who will sleep or meditate elsewhere disperse without noise, two by two, hand in hand. As I must now tell you the most beautiful: All the Eolis and Eolines love each other in a marvellous love. All their life they pass it together, two by two, and naturally they sleep together in their oval bed as we do on Earth. Always with emotion they pull out the curtain of their pumpkin house, to get into their nice little bedroom, in the gentle perfume of the dying day, and always tenderly they embrace together or silently look at each other before slipping each in the arms of the other, towards sleep or towards dream...

 

The gentle and enchanting Aeolian night takes possession of the whole plateau; puffs of tepid air with resin scents mix with wet freshness rising up from ravines, while the perfumes of flowers and fruits fade up. On the hills, constellations of luminescent flowers answer to stars shine, and the planetary ring stretches in the sky with its immense arch of vaporous gold. The silence of the night is populated with stealth rustling, crickets, toad's fluty notes, which will cease only later. At far, sing the melodious and nostalgic eyerlis that nobody never see. In this superb and proud nature, the Eoli village announces its presence with only some soft angel voices and hushing flute notes... But surely the stars themselves lean and quiver to listen at them, because in this idyllic place the Universe and its inhabitants achieve together with the most perfect plenitude all what they were created for: to be filled with wonder!

 

One would not, while discovering this enthusiastic description of an ideal world, believe that Aeoliah would be only a kind of factitious and ethereal Eden. This planet is made of good and solid rock, and its inhabitants of flesh, and they are hard working people. The everyday life is made of humble and concrete gestures, practical activities, of all the little nothings essential to life in our material universe. But the Eolis really live their life, they fairly and unrestrainedly play the game, without ulterior motive, without filter, they completely savour all its joys and wonders. Aeoliah surprisingly resembles our Earth, while differing only on one essential point: The evil as we know it is completely absent, even in its most subtle forms... And if it misses completely, it is not from some absurd whim of the Creation, it is because its inhabitants, Eolis as well as animals and even plants did not wanted it... and did what was necessary to never let it appear! We shall see later how.

 

There are no old peoples in the village, which is at least normal in a paradise. But there are either no children, which is more astonishing.

 

And then... What do we see here? A solitary Eoli, with short curly chestnut brown beard, clothed with a simple indigo dress, moves away in the soft twilight; his walk does not undulate and his eyes are not dreamingly wandering in the pinks and mauves of the setting Sun. He comes out of the village (which does not have precise limits: the houses are simply more and more scattered among grasses and bushes, some rather far) and, at some distance, he skirts a rock, circumvents a round meeting place much too large for an Aeolian village, half surrounded with rocks hidden in bushes. Among these bushes, at the end of the esplanade, emerges the solitary Eoli's house: a pyramid, smooth and pastel orange, with a round opening for a room, closed with a mauve curtain. This round room resembles all the Eoline rooms, but on the wall is painted the image of the Eoline in the Uhluhlorah's crypt, with a moving realism and tenderness; she radiates a warm and infinitely trustful smile. Behind this wall, concealed in the heart of the pyramid, the same kind of apparatus as in the crypt, but these ones, miniaturised, vibrates with unreal mauve and pink.

 

To really understand what may have happened to this Eoli couple, what was able to strike them even here, in this place otherwise sheltered from all kind of accident, of any blow of fate, definitively out of reach of all evil influence or trick, it is necessary to go back in a far past, and tell their moving and strange story throughout this book.