Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Chapter 25: Next to Light

Chapter 25
Next to Light

“Men who became Gods?” I asked.

“And women too,” Grace smiled.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, not to be sexist but—“

I rolled my eyes.

“Okay, okay!” she lifted her hands in defense. “Apotheosis.”

I thought about it for a moment. “How do people become Gods?”

“You want to become one?”

“I already have difficulty being human.”

“That’s true,” Christopher chimed in.

I shook my head. Grace high-fived Christopher.

“My parents’ article was about the oral tradition: how great heroes became legends and how those legends became Gods. Many old Greek Gods began as heroes from other cultures who rose to godly status. Apollo wasn’t always the Sun God, but he began as Aplaa-Il – a Babylonian King who was said to have guided the sun’s light with his chariot to blind his kingdom’s enemies. There are many other examples too, but they begin as a story of how people become gods.

“It was a testament to the oral tradition of man, and how rising empires would use the same words of their predecessors to encompass more people. It was all a tool of rhetoric to get more people to follow them. By deifying the legends of old, the newer empires welcomed others.”

“Was there any mention of Medea?”

“No.”

“That was our big connection because of Greek mythology.”

“What could Anna have been trying to tell me?”

“It feels like a wild goose chase, and we’re still in the shadows.”

Grace smiled.

I felt stupid.

“Shadows are right next to light,” Christopher stated. “You just have to know which way the shadows bend to find out where light is.”

We all thought about it.

“Maybe we should research into Aplaa-il and Sun Gods?” I asked.

“And Babylon City as well,” agreed Grace.

“Well then, I guess I’ll be taking Christopher home now.”

We said good night, and Christopher and I walked back down to the bar. The bartender scowled at us as we exited.

“Friendly guy,” Christopher stated.

I laughed as we entered the dark street. The dark street. Exactly where was this dark street? I didn’t know, but like Christopher said, we’d find the light soon.

Text and Images © Jonathan Lee

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