[ox-en] The MetaSphinx's Riddle
- From: ptop <adam diamat.org.uk>
- Date: Fri, 29 Jul 2005 13:44:29 +0100
Recap
-----
Dee Da and Fletch
Between Shadows
Clamber up the MetaSphinx's hill
Play
----
( The sky is clearing and there is a gentle breeze. The scenery is
beautiful though spartan. )
[ Dee ]
It's awful
[ Fletch ]
I thought you'd like it
[ Dee ]
I do
It's awful
It's on the point [ Da ]
Of being barren
More or less
Less is more
[ Fletch ]
Yes less and more
The MetaSphinx hides things
That's part of Its game
Or rather
To trick Its game
[ Fletch giggling ]
Why do you quiver
It's really quite tame
[ Dee ]
Tame ?
Tame !
You're balmy
It's barren enough [ Da ]
To drive one insane !
Who ?
I love
Aladdin Sane
[ Fletch giggling ]
Da you're a big tease
Dee's in a quiver
Dee : Do you think
The Sphinx a soothsayer ? [ Da ]
Ah ...
Say 'Ah' Da
[ Dee ]
Hmm ... Say 'Ah hmm ...'
The Sphinx has bugs
Me thinks
Hmm ...
But I can't name them
[ Fletch ]
One bug is a feature:
The Sphinx is a tale collector
[ Dee ]
It's collected thousands
A thousand and one
Well spelk Dee tar !
I suspect that's part
Of my ancestor's art
Collecting stories
To set in a frame
[ Dee ]
Curious
[ Fletch ]
We'll soon be at Its lair
But I'll sketch one tale quickly
In clay over there:
( Fletch uses the sharp end of a spoon to etch in the bank of the
omnipresent oily stream )
The Triangular Claws of the Bearded Crab
----------------------------------------
Here is a valley
In a shadow I frequent
There's me on an ancestors knee
Paddling in the valley stream
And grown now
Many years later
With gangs under contract
Clearing up the dirty water
Extracting the poo
And port piss
Of the poodle brigade
Regard:
I draw now the Bearded Crab ...
Stalk eyes
Fierce words
Taking the shout
No time to doubt
"You could die here
Without a doubt !
You
Yes you !
You take that lot
I'll take this
We wouldn't want anything
Going amiss"
"You're joking aren't ya ?"
My reply
"No !
Welcome to reality:
A by-product of
Civil engineering"
Jump to it
And earn your schilling !"
( Fletch giggling )
Dee ?
Why do you quiver ?
You know a Crabs outer face
Is bug one of Its feature
( Fletch flattens the clay image )
Here ...
It's erased ...
Now to draw Its soft centre ...
Time passes
The Crab meets an Oyster [ Dee ]
Steps sideways to hunt
Some new lair for sharing A hunting pump ?
May be
And more fool me
I lend the Crab mine
As the gangs mine the valley
And I mind the gangs
But:
Post passion perhaps
The Crab stares too close
Past the shell of the Oyster
At a square painting hung there
Above a futon in my lair:
The MetaSphinx grins from the painting
With Its tale swishing
And reflects said Crab's bearded glare:
"Other"
Snarls the MetaSphinx
"Regard me !
You are a Crab exposed ! [ Da ]
Hey Fleetch ?
Do you got the negatives ?
[ Fletch giggling ]
Tar Da
Well spelked !
Best not get side tracked
We'd Best continue
The Crab moves Its head back
Scratches Its beard
Moves sidewards
To negotiate the trap
Of the mirror
Crab grins and motions below
To the sand with Its claws
And draws characters
Of past present Shadow:
"Regard Sphinx:
Young Crab unwanted
In merchant seas
Iron tempered
By unwanted whips"
"Your iron doesn't temp me"
Snarls the Sphinx
"Your shell is well known
A mallet can bash your exterior bone"
Again Crab sidesteps
Away from the mirror
Re-sifting Its characters
To resemble the Other
"Regard Sphinx:
Crab's family
At home in the lair
Well tendered
There's gold there is there"
"Gold is it !"
Snarls the Sphinx
"Do you think me a fool
Turn back
To the back page
What you hiding
In the sand
Forgotten in some Shadow land ?"
"No !
Don't drive me there !
Don't look
Turn away !
Too late:
I am back there:
'63
Driving a tunnel beneath the sea
There comes a call down the line:
"Crab !"
"Crab !
Crab !
There's tragedy !"
"Why you cry ?!"
Snarls iron shelled I
"It's your own Shadow Crab
A school in the valleys
Is buried in slag"
"Move !" Snarls I
"Clear this line
And them others
You
Yes you !
Secure the timbre
And bring spare !
You
Yes you !
Wake my cousin
Get Lobster there !
Land lovers
Collect around me
No time for hankies
Gather the van keys
We drive
We drive
We drive !
And we drove
And we drove
And we drove
Through fog
And tight headings
Til we reached the class rooms
But that is a scene
That I will not describe
For I have seen your form
Sphinx in ...
Many shadows ...
And in many trades ...
Be you gaoler
Shaman or
Trick-cyclists
It matters little ...
For now you have received
My carbon in crystalline form
To fuse with the iron
And steel for your own
And you've ingots of gold
To mix with my clay
Bring on your scales
I've amber to weigh
[ Dee ]
Ah ...
A sidestepping alchemist
A navigator
What did the MetaSphinx say ?
[ Fletch ]
Oh ...
The Sphinx is quite tame
It gathers front line pattern tales
By what ever name
By the way
On the topic of chaos
The Sphinx has a habit of ...
Oh ...
Here It is now
Or rather
Hear we It ?
Ping ?
( Dee Da and Fletch close upon the MetaSphinx. The MetaSphinx is
entranced in what appears to be a game of solo draughts. )
[ MetaSphinx mumbling to itself ]
Oh hum ...
An old Sphinx in a draughty house
Under a windy knob ...
( A wind begins to blow )
After such knowledge, what forgiveness ?
Think now
Think now
Oh hum
Oh hum ...
( The MetaSphinx spots the party )
Fletch ?
Oh ...
You have come with those two ?
( Fletch's eyes narrow as Fletch stares at Dee and Da in turn. Fletch's
head moves back six inch during the process. The MetaSphinx continues. )
Think now
Come in
Come in
Can your hear it ?
Ping
Ping
Ping
There's another postcard pinging
Another thing springing
From your garden
Ping
[ Fletch ]
Where is the garden ?
I planted it there ...
( Fletch points to the south-eastern slope of the MetaSphinx's hill )
[ MetaSphinx ]
Oh ...
I've hidden it
It disturbs me ...
But bring it on ...
Bring it on ...
( And with a swish of Its tale the MetaSphinx decloaks a most peculiar
animated garden. The garden stretches as far as the mind can see and is
interlaced with a number of canals.
There are many penguins navigating the canals in small crafts made from
bath tubs. Each bath tub is fitted with a pipe that is fastened
vertically in to the plug hole. At the top of the pipe is affixed a
shower head that points to the aft of the craft.
The crafts appear to be powered by water, which jets out of the shower
heads. As more weight is added to the bath tubs, the lower the tub sinks
in to the water and the faster the shower head ejects water.
One bath tub contains an anvil and is moving very fast. It pulls a
pelican on water skis. )
[ Fletch ]
[ Dee ]
Oh my ...
It has grown Oh me
Oh my
I was standing on the corner ...
[ MetaSphinx ]
Yes it grows ...
It grows ...
Hear ping ?
Ping ping ping
Here ...
Let's ping here ...
( The MetaSphinx extends one front paw towards the draught board from
which a razor sharp claw further extends and spikes one square of the
board. The pinging stops.
An holographic image of a young male, dressed in a rugby kit,
materialises on the square. He is carrying a bag on his back. He takes a
postcard out of his bag and passes it to Fletch. He winks at Fletch and
then explodes with a bang.
The post card is of an uniformed officer who is covering his face with
his hands.)
[ MetaSphinx ]
Well Fletch ?
What does it say ?
Read it Fletch
Out loud please
( Fletch stares at the card and then to each of the party in turn and
reads )
[ Fletch ]
The Post Card
-------------
It was pitch black
And we had torches
The tunnel
Where the train was
Was about 150 metres
Down the track
Round a corner
And there were still a few wounded
Coming towards us
As we approached
As I walked down the track
I heard someone cry out for help
But I could not see them
I called out back
And looked around
But it was very smoky and dusty
And they did not answer
I got into the train
And it was quite obvious
That this was something horrendous
There were people
With limbs missing
Huge open wounds
With their organs showing
And people were crying out
And moaning
And asking for help
I thought:
This is the worst thing
I have ever seen
I am not very good
In enclosed spaces
At the best of times
And we had to climb
Over bodies and body parts
To try to help people
And see who was still alive.
I thought:
This is the end of the world
Right here in this carriage,
But you have to do your job.
I found a man
And his leg
Had been blown off
Below the knee
There was another body
Next to him
There was also
What I thought
Was a pile of clothes
But as I passed
To try and get to the man
It moaned
And asked me for help
It was a woman
She had all
Her limbs blown off
I think she died
on the concourse.
We had not yet
Got into the carriage
Where the bomb had exploded
But we had to get in there
To make sure
No one else was alive
That was a scene
I cannot describe
The roof had collapsed
And we had to almost crawl in
There were body parts everywhere
There was not one bit
As far as I could see
That was not covered with
Organs
Or blood
Or bits of body
I was squashed in by
Chairs
And dead bodies
As we searched for anyone alive.
I could not help standing
On things
But I had to carry on
And do my job
It was like collecting
A lot of shop dummies
And then cutting them up
Pouring black paint over them
And filling the carriage
After a couple of hours
I came up
The station was pretty quiet by now
But:
Someone asked me for directions
Which made me smile
And that made me feel
More human
But:
As I stood there
I felt lonelier than
I thought was possible
I just wanted to see
A friend
Or somebody new
And give them a hug
{ File Reference EG0000000000000000000003637/credSB }
[ MetaSphinx ]
Fletch !
A question for you
What does the file reference mean ?
[ Fletch ]
I could speculate
But I chose not to
[ MetaSphinx ]
Ping
Think now
Ping
History has many cunning passages
Contrived corridors
And issues
Deceives with whispering ambitions
Guides us by vanities
Think now
Ping
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