Chapter 3
The Cave
“Here comes Everyman!” Identify the quote and earn a warm sensation in the pit of your stomach. “HCE!” Knowing things is good, the Author/authors believe; I do too, for that matter, and I just noticed: three in one. There is, furthermore, such a thing as objective truth. An additional bit of knowledge there. Don’t let them tell you otherwise, or if that’s what they try to force on you, show them your sole! That idea having been taken care of, buckle up! We are off to the races! Or somewhere near in far off lands. And yes, our good Prince might indeed be Everyman! Who knew?
But first, listen to Theseus, the mythical King and founder of Athens, by Shakespeare, of course: “The lunatic the lover and the poet/are of imagination all compact./One sees more devils than vast Hell can hold./That is the madman; the lover, all as frantic/sees Helen‘s beauty in a brow of Egypt./The poet’s eye in a fine frenzy rolling/ doth glance from Heaven to earth, earth to Heaven/and as imagination bodies forth /the forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen/turns them to shapes and gives to airy nothings/ a local habitation and a name.” Sigh!
For your edification [this is now the Author/author speaking, I think I am, even though it sounds like an editor] a synecdoche is a type of metonymy: that’s what a “brow” of Egypt is. A lovely brown-skinned maiden of Egypt. Yes? She lives in my mind and imagination from long ago, Samira. “She walks in beauty like the night/of cloudless climes and starry skies/and all that’s best of dark and bright/meets in her aspect and her eyes.” Though that was in another country and long ago, I am certain she was Persian, not Egyptian. There, I shall now let the narrator continue!
Thank you. [Idiot!] Shakespeare through King Theseus nails the poets’ two fundamental ways of seeing: Heaven to Earth and Earth to Heaven. Heaven to Earth means, I think, that we are in the presence of allegory. The poet or author finds an idea that he especially delights in and he embodies that idea in a series of images, stuff, matter, Earth. Everyman, for example, could be a Pilgrim, a Prince, a Knight, or a Circus Clown or a Hobbit. Etc.
In the reverse, the poet or author finds an image, a thing that is especially compelling in real life: a red rose, a murderer, like Macbeth, or a beautiful woman, like Dante’s Beatrice, perhaps, and he or she explores the image (Earth first in this case) to discover what the image means. Well then, what kind of story is this one we are in? At this point I would say, God only knows! The author isn’t certain either!
Now where the Devil did we leave them? Ah, yes, on the road, sorry, another literary allusion. Allusions are addictive, like puns. We left them trudging down a narrow path toward the east. They had gone 7.3 miles when we caught up to them; no, sorry again, it was 3.7miles. You see, both numbers add up to 10 internally, which is very important for this tale [7 + 3 = 3 + 7]. We don’t know why yet except to say it’s an example of objective truth, like Pi. They have just come upon a signpost that says Ardor and points east. So, we know they are on the right path or road. Presumably, the golden scaled, fire breathing dragon is somewhere ahead in the rocky hills coming up. While we chatted, the Prince trudged on, and the bird took to the air to scout the rocky terrain ahead, at least that’s what he told the Prince he was doing, who had no reason to doubt him. Neither do I.
Philip was high up over the side of the rocky hillside when he suddenly circled, rose higher, then went into a steep dive that brought him back to the Prince’s feet. He cocked his head, looked up and said, “Mind if I use your shoulder again, your highness?”
When Godric nodded his assent, [check out that pun!] the bird fluttered his wings to lift himself into the air and onto the Prince’s right shoulder. “There’s a cave up above on the hillside, near the top. It’s dark and it looks like it’s set deep into the hill. So, Boss, are you climbing up there after dragon? Or are we just going on to Ardor?”
“We’ll go up. We need all the help we can get. Though the dragon may breath fire he is supposed to be small, wise and friendly. Besides, I have a sword and a dagger.” Well, he did not have those things when he left the tower, but the author wisely remembered that Princes on Quests in stories need weapons. Thus he slung one over the Prince’s back in a red scabbard and clipped a lethal-looking dagger onto his belt in a sheath next to the canteen. Sadly, you can tell that the author has not recounted too many tales in his short or long life, for he keeps forgetting to add necessary details!
By the way that dagger is really sweet. It’s double bladed, so sharp you could split a hair on either edge, and the hilt is an intricate Celtic design with powerful, apotropaic magic woven into the sheath and engraved on the hilt. That’s strong, protective magic for those of you who don’t get out much! Exciting stuff!
Oh, there is one particular caution about the sword. It can help its bearer win a fight, but once it is drawn, it must taste blood or there will be dire consequences for the person wielding it. Hmm! Godric probably knows that for the sword had been in his father’s weapons room for many years before Godric received it. Well, let’s hope so.
By this time the Prince had climbed the rocky hillside and peered into the cave’s dark interior. Philip had landed on an outcropping above the cave entrance and intended to stay there. As you might guess, Philip was not an especially brave bird, not that he was exactly a coward. However, the purpose of a story is to develop character and lead to an epiphany, so, for the moment we’ll hold off on the judgment.
The Prince drew his dagger and moved quietly toward the dark, his leather boots making only a soft ticking sound as he moved toward the deeper interior of the cave. Suddenly he saw before him him a figure seated cross legged on the floor near the back of the cave. A small fire began to burn the kindling in front of the figure, who seemed simply to have snapped her fingers to cause it to light, or did she just breathe upon it? In either case, the Prince saw in the flickering light of that fire that the figure was a woman wearing a golden silk gown. Godric paused, put his dagger into its sheath, and said: “I thought this was a dragon’s cave. But you’re a woman!”
“Yes,” she replied. “Namaste,” she said as she made a brief bow towards Godric. Godric could see that her eyes were those of an oriental. “And I am also a dragon,” she continued sitting up again. “In fact I am many things: dragon, eagle, wolf or woman, depending on who or what needs help.” She seemed to Godric to be a very attractive middle aged woman with rich black hair falling around her pleasant face. “Now, I am a woman, so that I may talk to you.”
“I don’t understand? What do you mean that you are these other creatures too? How can this be?”
“I am a sorceress, a shape-shifter of some power. Now, for you, I am a woman, Su Linn. I give you my name as a token of my peaceful nature, for I see that you are a good man. That said, please sit down and tell me how I might help you.”
The Prince lowered himself to the cold stone floor. He raised his head to look at the woman. “I met a beautiful young Princess earlier today when I stepped through a magic mirror. I told her that I would seek her and be her suitor if she would allow that. She agreed. Her father is the king of Ardor, King Andor, she said, which is where we are headed.”
“Ah,” she said. “The road to Ardor is somewhat treacherous.” She paused thoughtfully, put her hand under her chin. “In another world from our own, there is an oriental film by that name.”
“Excuse me,” interrupted the Prince, “but what is a film?”
“I know that one,” squawked Philip, as he fluttered to a stop beside the Prince. “Flickering images on a wall that tell a story, more or less. Sort of like the images in Plato’s Cave, your highness, Boss.”
“Hush, Philip!” Spoken somewhat impatiently. “Don’t interrupt! I know you think you are a wise bird, but please let the Dragon Lady continue. She is why we are here.” Philip bent his black head and body in an imitation of shame, at least as far as I can tell. That was probably unfair, for he seemed genuinely sorry for his rude behavior. “Namaste,” he muttered as he bowed.
The Dragon Lady smiled her thanks. She looked at Godric. “Your companion is simply a little impetuous, eager to share his knowledge, an admirable trait. He will make a fine young man someday, when he has matured.”
“I what?” squeezed out Philip, hopping from one foot to the other. “You mean I get to be a real person, really human sometime in the future? How long, when?” He could scarcely contain his awe and delight, his enthusiasm.
“When and only if belong to the future. There are conditions, of course, and the transformation depends on your good service to the Prince, your continuing Goodness, and another quality which I may not tell you of at this time. For now, hold your tongue and listen.”
“Yes ma’am,“ replied the somewhat chastened bird.
The Prince looked at the Dragon Lady, Su Linn, in quiet, cosmic astonishment. “Is this true, and how do you know such things? Who or what is Plato’s Cave?”
“One thing at a time, young Prince. One thing at a time. First, Plato was a philosopher who, like me, and I hope like you too, sought Truth. To explain the pursuit of real Truth, objective reality, he imagined a cave very much like this one, and people chained to the floor of the cave facing the far wall, like that wall.” She turned and pointed to the wall some distance behind her, then she turned again to face the man and the black bird.
“Across that back wall of the cave images flickered, created by people carrying things before a huge fire, much larger than this one. Now, where is the reality here?” She posed, somewhat rhetorically, but before she could continue, the Prince blurted out, the things carried, not the shadows.”
“Yes,” laughed the Dragon Lady. “The things carried. Very good. The problem is that the people are still in the cave and where they need to be is outside, in the cool air and in the presence of the real source of light, the sun. You might call Plato’s tale an allegory. Think about the story this way. Most people in your father’s kingdom of Nodd believe they know the truth about life, meaning, the nature of reality, virtually everything. They believe whatever their parents have handed on, without having sought it out for themselves. They tend to believe in the shadows, as if that were the really real. Plato thought that people ought to break their chains, turn around and see what is making the shadows, and then keep on going up an incline until they are outside the cave and can get a glimpse of the real world themselves. At first it is hard to see in the direct sunshine outside the fairly dark cave, but staying there is worth the early pain. They might even discover that the Truth found or discovered is worth dying for, just as you might find that the Princess you seek is worth dying for.
“As to how do I know about Philip’s future? Well, I just see the possibility for I have been in this world a very long time. The two fundamental ways of knowing are both aspects, faculties of Reason, called in another language “Ratio” and “Intellectus”; Ratio in a sense, is the weaker or lesser, might be a better word, faculty of the two though people could never do without it. We usually just define it as reason, thinking clearly, actively, from one discovered truth to a new truth. For example, Justice in government is necessary for a good City; therefore, not distributing wealth to the poor and homeless in the City is evil. You begin by just seeing that Justice in the City is good and necessary and then you think how to ensure Justice in your City.
“Intellectus” in an important sense is intuition, the faculty that just sees Truth. Is Good just what you desire and think or is Good inherent in reality; in other words, is there a moral center to life that you can know or is good just whatever you happen to think and desire. Most people in this world think it is entirely subjective, simply a matter of what one happens to think at any given time, completely relative.
“If you saw a man injured by the side of the road, would there be a right thing and a wrong thing about your response to that person, or would whatever you decided to do be “good”? I am not asking you to tell me now, only to think about it. Meanwhile we will have some supper and bed down for the night. I will explain the more physical dangers of your quest in the morning, after a good night’s rest, if you don’t mind sleeping in a dragon’s cave.”
Before the astonished duo, the Dragon Lady gestured with both hands in an intricate pattern, and a simple meal of tasty rice with a generous portion of sweet and sour vegetables and meat appeared on a plate before the Prince and the Lady. Philip also received a generous portion of seeds and bread of various kinds, for which he was greatly pleased. The Prince and Su Linn received a golden, sweet tea in sturdy ceramic mugs. Before Philip appeared a shallow bowl filled with tea as well.
“This is delicious,” enthused the Prince. “Thank you. You are most hospitable,” he said, lifting the mug to the Lady and sipping the tea.
“You are welcome, young Prince and companion. Since night has fallen, you may sleep in my cave. I have, you might say, a guest room with a bed and, it just so happens, a comfortable perch.” Again she moved her hands in a complicated ritual; to her right, a door slid open in the wall of rock revealing another room in the cave, this one magically lightened, with greenish light spilling from the walls, a room that contained a comfortably padded mat on the floor and an intricate structure of round, polished rails upon which a bird might spend a peaceful night. Philip and the Prince looked in awe into the properly spacious room. When they turned again to thank their hostess, they discovered that she had vanished, leaving only a sharp smell of burned sandalwood incense in the air.
