QBLH
Chapter XLIV
The Eight of Cups
Indolence
The Eight of Cups is called Indolence,
the emotional waters are not so happy with Hod's logical intellect,
still licking the wounds of Netzach
and mourning for the loss of Tiphareth.
Isis smiled. She was experiencing the joys of "Box" travel. "I see your dimensional controller constructs an artificial gravity and bends the light so as to enclose us within a protective space-time continuum bubble. The spherical shape of the Pegasus fits within this bubble quite nicely , doesn't it Jim.? And your "Box" envelops the Pegasus quite nicely. You can travel using the Pegasus giving the Pegasus the illusion of faster than light travel. Did you by chance design Genie with the control of the Pegasus in mind?"
"You are quite perceptive, dear. Genie is in fact designed to be able to transport the Pegasus faster than light. It is more or less detachable faster than light control system. The secret rests in the ability to do faster than light communication processing. This is essential to implement faster than light control. We take into account the ability to create our own immediate future and the body is just pulled along behind for the ride. The mathematics is horrendous, dear sister, and if you recall, you did not care as much as I did for that particular field of study. I shall have Genie reconstruct Shaltain's circuits by doing a central processing unit reflashing. Certain crystals must be swapped. These Genie is designing at the moment. Upon materialization in Artemis space, these crystals shall be ready for insertion. I can do those changes myself with Genie's guidance. We needed your permission to override Shaltain's protective circuits. These measures are provided for in the design of all artificial intelligence units. Genie is very easy to shut down, given the right command sequence."
"Which is?"
Jim laughed. She was enticing his secrets from him by simply showing an interest in him. She was smiling, appearing eager to know more. She was enticing more from him. She would listen to him and understand him, where no one else would care. Antiope and Helen showed very little interest in space-time theory, whereas Isis was all ears. He knew that he and she were kindred spirits. "And even when we die, I shall be with you." She would always tell him that, as if her love for him was something sacred. Well it was, but she tended to overrate it, or did he underplay love himself. Love, her cruel and possessive love. She never gave an apology. She maintained her right to maintain her intense and unbridled passion for life. Lide indeed to Isis was sacred. It was natural for her. All her rituals emphasized the sacredness of new life and great ceremony and honor was given to the reproductive process. Indeed the miraculous survival of the Amazon race in the face of extermination, and the manner of the malicious attack on her race only gave more emphasis as well as justification for her temperament. Isis was respected by all, and she always was able to gain the respect of those over whom she ruled. They indeed loved her as she did them. It was very difficult to find fault with her, but she definitely was a creature of passion and was not inclined to show mercy if provoked.
"Don't be naive, Jim. I am good for you. I am your strength, I stimulate you. What you are is in response to me as you are well aware. I challenge you. You always respond. I always have your eye, and you always have mine. We coexist together in the light. We are twins, Jim. We were together in the womb and we are together still in the womb of the eternal night. This is our royal secret, that we are lovers eternal. It is in your nature to overcome my influence. It is in your genetics my love, as it is in my nature to enjoy myself when I give you such sexual strife. It stimulates me as it drains your energies."
What could Jim say. With Isis unlike the Earth people, he was not underestimated and his talents were fully appreciated. In Xanadu, Qblh was king, he was ruler, the spouse of Isis with all associated honors. He ruled a galaxy. If Isis gained possession of Earth, he would be unquestioned ruler there as well. Yet as ruler of Venetia and potential ruler of Earth, he should certainly have a say so as to whether Earth merited self-rule and he was still inclined to believe so, perhaps even more so, in light of his "recent" experiences.
"I still say that Earth is bent on self destruction, my love. Their salvation requires our intervention.. Besides we have been helping them for thousands of years now, what's a few more years. Earth is part of the Venetian empire my love, it has been for centuries, my love. You just don't want to admit it. We shall try your experiment of self-rule a little longer, my Qblh. Your wisdom enchants me, and you have my respect and that of my court.. Before my people, however, I charge you to make no mention of this affair. This is between us alone, my love. I do expect you to advance feminine rights on Earth, however, else I will interfere. Agreed, my love?"
"How could I but agree with you, my queen. I have never questioned your ability to govern, I just question only a few of your decisions, and I definitely disagree with establishment of yourself as a goddess."
"They have done that on their own accord. It is part of the curse of my inherited beauty. It is not easy being the darling of the universe as I am expected to be, by being the queen of Artemis. Were I were not the embodiment of all men's desires, then we would breed that lacking characteristic into our children if possible. We are the results of our people's wishes, my Qblh. I also would not be the queen of my people if I could not command their love, and there is a place for our inherited beauty in doing just that. And don't underestimate your self either, my Qblh. Were I able to find a more advanced genetically advanced male than yourself, he would be my choice instead of you. Yet that is impossible, Qblh, my love, just as it is impossible for anyone else to take my place in your life. You live for me, just as I live for you. We shall die together, and be reborn together. This is our destiny, and my will. You must comply with my love, my Qblh, Bend the light and make it so. Place these instructions in your Genie, my love, as the law of life."
"So programmed," commented Genie. "It's an observation Jim, and coming from her mouth, I would take it as fact."
" Confirmation, Jim?."
"So be it." Jim ordered.
Jim was not making concessions to Isis by admitting truth to her assertions. She believed her assertions, and that in itself was an independent causal reality. The will of the queen of Artemis would have to be considered while making navigational adjustments. Genie simply queried Jim on questions involving the will of Isis. Genie had an abundance of Isis related files, and the artificial intelligence unit knew that it was no match for Isis or Jim with respect to native intelligence. Genie was also constructing software routines for insertion into Shaltain's data banks. It would be important to incorporate these assertions by Isis into the next generation of Xanadu governing software. Yet Jim had made specific provisions for this software as well. Qblh's transit into the past was involving not only the future of Earth, but the future of Xanadu as well. Idiot would establish a link with Shaltain shortly and scan the system's programming. Jim and the Idiot would then return to Earth past, while software bugs could be addressed. Modification to Shaltain's programming could be implemented ant tested using Genie's game theories . The software then would be ready for download with no interruption in the Venetian electronic network. Shaltain would die and be replaced within the blink of the eye, although the process between the blinks would have involved light years.
Isis surprised Jim with another comment. "Why don't you ask me how I would solve the Arab-Israeli problem? After all you are holding me partly to blame because of my past interference. It is not my doing that your men have so terribly twisted their own laws to undo the intentions of my teaching them how to effectively cultivate the earth and domesticate animals as well as introduce civilized behavior to these descendants of Neanderthals. You know that they will always be that to me, for that is all they were when we first encountered."
"I don't think you should have a say."
"Pure foolishness, Jim. At least hear my advice. Do me that much credit."
"OK. Tell me your idea. I'll give you that much respect."
"Good idea, Jim. Your Palestinians are being influenced by the actions of suicide bombers. Now you know that I do not sanction suicide missions to implement my strategic objectives. I demand that my warriors respect all life, including their own, and I seldom perform executions, and they are always in conformance with my governing ceremonies. Also we honor those that we sacrifice for reproduction as you are full aware. It regrets me to see the lives of such fine young man expire after they have mated with my subjects, but that is an unfortunate fact of our way of life. There are too few of native males to support my population. You are aware of all these things."
"Of course."
"The Palestinians and Israelis need to share the land and live under one law, and that law is not going to be Muslim. Have them live under the law of your God, my Qblh; because I have acknowledged Him as greater than myself in honor of my promise to you, and it is this promise to you which restrains my hand in assuming control of the Earth population in our own time. Remember the challenge, my love. Both Muslim and Jew must be treated equally under the law, for I would give equal to treatment to all men, and would expect the same of any local planetary government under my jurisdiction. As far as I'm concerned, Earth is under our jurisdiction. I am simply honoring your policy concerning Earth in accordance with our agreements, since I have assigned you as my Earth representative. Is that agreeable to you, my Qblh?"
Jim knew that it was impossible to argue with Isis at times. Oddly enough, he agreed with her, and considered to himself that he would take her advice.
"Sounds agreeable enough. Will you spare Antiope and Helen?"
