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slow24

00:00 / 04:21

Suite No. 2, Thirteenth Movement:

VERMIN LAND

Tiger Lily

As the Fool was exploring the enchanted forest, he encountered his old friend Virgil. "We just keep finding each other out here for some reason!" Virgil exclaimed. They continued hiking together and soon came upon a tiger lily near the path. Its fragrance emanated throughout the meadow. The Fool suddenly felt music in his heart. "When I smelt the fragrance, I felt like singing a joyful song."
"I felt the same way!" Virgil blurted out.

Rat on the Path

Virgil looked surprised when the Fool began humming a song. "It's just a little ditty. I don't think I'm going to share it with anyone else," the Fool disclosed.
Virgil replied. "I'm glad you're feeling music in your heart again."
Just then they encountered a rat on the trail. The Fool mumbled, "I'm usually repulsed by rats, but this one seems kind of cute."

Worm on the Path

They continued down the trail and soon encountered a worm. "I've never seen such a big worm before. It's amazing!" the Fool exclaimed.
"We took the wrong path," Virgil moaned. "I fear we have wandered into a dark realm. This could be bad."
The Fool replied, "I was feeling pretty good. I'm still feeling optimistic. Let's strive to maintain a positive attitude."

Guard at Detention Camp

They hiked down the mountain into a foothill valley and soon encountered a guard at a barracks or a detention camp.
"Hello, friend!" Virgil exclaimed cheerfully. "We took the wrong path in the forest. What is this place, if you don't mind me asking?"
The guard stared at Virgil. "The surrounding realms formed a global oligarchy, and together, they conspired to overthrow democracies throughout the world. They conquered our realm and have since dubbed it 'Vermin Land.' Those other realms send their vermin to this camp. That way, the masses don't find out how their realms dispose of the vermin."

Vermin in Cage

"What kind of vermin do you detain here?" Virgil inquired.
"These varmits are like the worms and insects and animals that eat our crops and the large birds and animals that kill and eat our domestic animals. They are very much like animals that compete with us for food, in other words," the guard responded. "In this realm, we don't have the means to produce anything else to eat."
The Fool imagined worms and insects and rats and rabbits and coyotes and wild dogs locked in cages. "You eat wild dogs and coyotes and rabbits and worms and insects?" the Fool asked incredulously.
"Is that any worse than eating cows and pigs and chickens?" the guard replied.
"No, not really," Virgil responded.

Euthanasia Chamber

The guard smiled, "I can give you a tour if you wish."
"Okay!" the Fool responded enthusiastically. "I think I've seen a place like this before."
"We have been charged with eliminating the vermin," the guard smiled as he opened a door. "This is the euthanasia chamber. Here the vermin experience a relatively painless death. We strive to be as humane as possible, of course."

Oven

The guard continued, "The kleptocrats and oligarchs in the other realms take most of our wealth and resources for themselves, so we survive here mainly by eating the vermin. This is an oven where we cook the vermin that we have put down in the euthanasia chamber."

Charred Bones

"We strive to use every part of each vermin. After we carve the meat off of the bones, we then cremate what's left in the ovens. A few charred bones always remain, of course."

Chimney

Suddenly over the loud speaker they heard what sounded like a bell. "Anyone hungry?" the guard asked. "Please join us for lunch!"
"We would be glad to join you!" the Fool exclaimed. Virgil shook his head.
"Excellent! Follow me," the guard replied. As they strolled out of the building, Virgil noticed a large chimney above the ovens.

Food, Glorious Food

The guard opened the door to the dining room, and they noticed that no one else was there yet. "The higher ranking officers arrive first, but unfortunately they are often quite busy. We can continue with our tour for a few minutes longer."

Bags of Hair

They entered a building that resembled a warehouse. "As I mentioned, we use every part of the vermin--for our own use and to stimulate the economy. These bags, which can be used as pillows, are filled with their hair. Some people also use the hair to make wigs."

Luggage

Then they entered a room with luggage stacked up high. "Of course, we take everything of value from them before we force them into hard labor or euthanize them in the gas chambers."

Limbs

The guard pulled out his gun and pointed it at them. "Do either of you wear a prosthetic limb? Because this is where you would put it. You don't happen to have anything of value, do you? You're a couple of vagabonds. Just homeless vermin."
The Fool and Virgil stared at their feet.

Shoes

The guard opened another door. "At least you're wearing shoes. You can throw your shoes into this room."

Watches

Then the guard forced them to look into another room. "If either of you is wearing a watch, put it on top of this pile. Your time, as you might have suspected, is almost up." The guard sneered at them.

Photos of Children

On their way to the gas chamber, the guard paused in front of a door. "In case you're interested, we have conducted extremely productive experiments on these vermin children. We have learned a lot about their biology."

King Otto Maker

The guard forced them to stare at a portrait on the wall. "This is our great oligarch, King Otto Maker. You probably don't know that 'Otto' means 'wealth' and 'prosperity.' Bow down before him now."

King Cars Alesman

The guard forced Virgil and the Fool to get on their knees before another portrait. "In this realm, we have two kings who work together. This is a portrait of the other great oligarch, King Cars Alesman. 'Cars,' I believe, is short for 'Carson and means 'son of rock,' but that doesn't matter," the guard chuckled. "Take a good look. This is the last thing you're going to see before you go to the gas chamber. Do you have any last words?"

Vermin Digging a Mass Grave

Virgil replied, "Look, we know you're not a bad person. We know you have probably been forced into this. You probably have a wife and children, and this is the only job you could find in this realm."
"Yes, I have a family," the guard replied.
"Look, we forgive you if this is what you have to do," the Fool stated. "We were only trying to find our way to another realm, and we got lost. Like you, we are not bad people. We're just trying to survive."
"Stand up, fools!" the guard shouted. Virgil and the Fool got on their feet, and the guard escorted them past men who were digging a trench. Most of them had two shovels. "With two shovels they can work twice as fast, that is, if they wish to survive. These men are digging a mass grave, and their charred bones will end up here in the near future." The guard then took Virgil and the Fool to the front gate and released them. "We have time for a little fun. I'll give you thirty seconds before I start shooting. Time for you to run now!" he exclaimed.
Virgil and the Fool wove back and forth as bullets flew around them. They somehow made it to the edge of the forest, and they continued running for what seemed like miles. Eventually they paused for breath. "I guess the guard wasn't really that hungry," the Fool gasped.

spark

00:00 / 03:47

My Box in the Mountains

Suite No. 2, Fourteenth Movement:

REALM OF BOXES

Mountain Lion next to My Box

Because the king had let hundreds of thousands of people die unnecessarily from the plague and had eliminated due process and then had begun to incite domestic political violence against half of the realm's population, I decided to hike into the the mountains and live in a box. My first night, as I tried to sleep, a mountain lion sniffed me and licked my face but then sauntered away as if I didn't smell or taste very good.

Oriole Perching on My Box

When I woke up the next morning, an oriole flew down and perched on my box. I was amazed that such a stunning bird would get so close to me. I thought that maybe he wanted to be my friend, but then he started scolding me--like a male oriole often does when you get too close to its nest.

Faery Peeking into My Box

As the day progressed, a faery peeked into my box and then glanced at me quizzically--as if she had never seen a fool before. When I extended my hand slowly in her direction, she quickly flew away as if surprised that I could see her. No doubt she was afraid that I was a dangerous predator.

Gnome near My Box

Soon a gnome was standing near me. He stared for a moment and then ran three times around my box as fast as a wild animal. Then he stopped and stared at me again as if wondering why I didn't get out of my box and follow him to the faery realm.

Ghost of a Native American Near My Box

Soon the gnome vanished into the forest, and I noticed the ghost of a Native American near my box. He frowned at me disapprovingly as if to say, "We fought for this land against your ancestors. We lost, but at least we fought. Why are you sitting in this box instead of fighting the greedy, power-hungry people who are destroying the history of your ancestors and your way of life and poisoning where you live and threatening the survival of your people and the other creatures of the earth?" I sat in my box and shook my fist at the venal men who were eliminating due process and rules and norms and violating the constitution and breaking the law and shredding the social safety net and channeling the vast majority of wealth upward to the richest few percent and inciting domestic political violence to create an excuse to invoke the insurrection act and establish martial law. I soon realized that I could sit in my box and shake my fist all day.

Homeless People Near My Box

So I picked up my box and carried it down to the valley below. In the city, I found a street that I liked and leaped back inside my comfortable box. Eventually numerous homeless people gathered around me. Before that moment, I had no idea that so many homeless people were struggling to survive on the streets.

Angel Hovering Over My Box

I felt overwhelmed and depressed by all the suffering in the realm, and I closed my eyes. As I started falling asleep, I thought for a moment that I felt a presence. I opened my eyes and suddenly glimpsed an angel hovering over me. I heard an extremely faint message, but after awhile as I was trying to understand it, I fell asleep. When I woke up the next day, I felt a surge of hope and confidence, so I picked up my box and began searching for a job.

Yelling at My Box

Eventually I landed a job. The manager even kindly let me work in my box. After I had slaved for the company for several weeks, I was called into the manager's office. Suddenly two bosses and the manager started yelling a me. I pulled down the lid of my box but eventually realized that I had complained too much about the king and the horrible problems he and his minions were creating in the realm. I thought we still had the right to free speech. (I guess not.)

Chained to My Box

I got fired, but it didn't matter because I soon became infected with the plague. I knew that some people had managed to survive the plague, so I retained a little hope that I might recover. I felt chained to my box, but I had a lot of time to think and dream. I eventually decided that if I did somehow survive, I would head back to the mountains and live in my box again.

My Empty Box

To my great surprise, I survived. As I hiked back up the mountain, I gazed with joy at the trees and rocks and birds and flowers. When I reached a good place to stay, I put down my box and decided to explore the forest.

Angel in the Flowers

I strolled through a field of purple flowers and suddenly came upon an angel. She held out her arms as if to welcome me, but she also seemed to be encouraging me to enjoy the flowers. Suddenly I felt the breath of the flowers and smelled their fragrance, and I felt a tranquility that I had never ever experienced before.

Old Mining Road

The Angel guided me up a hill on an old mining road that was blanketed by lupine and poppies. The road was slowly vanishing under the peaceful flowers.

Pestles on a Pounding Stone

The Angel and I continued up the mining road, and we eventually found an abandoned Native American village site near a stream. The Angel motioned to eleven pestles that still rested on one of the pounding stones. I began to suspect that miners during the gold rush had a lot to do with the disappearance of the Native Americans. Genocide had occurred in this realm and could happen again, especially with a king who wanted to imprison or kill anybody with a different skin color or anyone who wasn't absolutely loyal to him.

Indian Paint Brush and Lupine

The Angel then guided me to red Indian Paint Brush flowers interwoven with bluish-purple ground lupine. I realized then that the red flowers were named in honor of the Native Americans who had lived in that place for thousands of years. Even though I felt sadness for the Native Americans, I also felt ravished by the loveliness of the flowers. I couldn't quite figure out, though, how I could be experiencing such intense negative and positive feelings at the same time.

One Pestle in a Mortar

The Angel then guided me to another Native American village site in the hills. One pestle remained in the mortar of a pounding stone--as if one Native American had somehow escaped the genocide and had managed to survive by herself at the village site, at least for awhile.

Divine Feminine

I felt deeply disturbed, but the Angel guided me to to a woman who looked like a Goddess. She emanated the divinity of the earth, and I suddenly felt the unity of all creation. I realized then that unity persists in the world despite the genocide of an entire race and the continuing venality and lawlessness of insanely greedy, power-hungry people--but I was amazed that I could still feel a profound connection with the Source even though the king and his minions were murdering people or sending them to concentration camps (without due process).

spsm26

00:00 / 04:10

Reading a Faery Tale

Suite No. 3, First Movement:

ADVENTURES IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Valiant Knight Riding a Wolf into Battle

One day Claire decided to read a faery tale--because her mom often likened her to a faery. The faery tale that she read was about a valiant knight riding a wolf into battle. "Wow, he looks so brave and fierce. I wonder what he is fighting for?" she thought.

Criminal Alien

Claire turned the page and noticed a picture entitled "Criminal Alien." Then she read about how aliens had taken over the world. To create a human slave labor force that would work for free, the rulers deployed an army of masked aliens to kidnap citizens off the street and send them to concentration camps. The aliens cut government funding for programs that provide food and health care--in order to starve and kill off the elderly and the disabled and the mentally ill and children and all other humans who did not immediately benefit the alien master race. The alien rulers allowed corporations to continue operating but forced the companies to give large "donations" to the master race. Many humans became frightened or angry or depressed, so the aliens used weaponized drones to kill vocal critics and protesters. Humans soon realized that the aliens planned to eliminate all dissidents and to exhaust people and resources as quickly as possible for their own benefit. Many humans considered the aliens deadly criminals and decided to band together to confront them. "These criminal aliens are such horrible creatures, and this story is so scary and dark. I should go outside to play," Claire whispered to herself.

Pretending to be a Kitty

Claire slid old socks over her hands so that they would feel more like paws. Then she went outside and pretended to be a kitty.

Toad in its Home

Soon Claire found a toad in a hollowed-out tree root. "Hello, old toad. How are you today?"
The toad croaked a few times. "So you need more water?" Claire replied. "Let me get the hose." Claire turned on the faucet and sprayed the toad, who croaked several times and disappeared back into the root.

Mr. Mellifluous

When the toad vanished, Claire sighed. She had grown tired of the backyard, so she opened the gate and strolled on a path into the forest next to the house. Soon she encountered a little man on a log. Swallowtail faeries fluttered back and forth between tiger lilies. "Who are you, if I may ask," Claire inquired.
"I am Mr. Mellifluous, young lady," he replied. "I'm glad you're here. Dark forces are invading the enchanted forest. We need your help."
"At your service," she responded as she curtsied.
"Please continue on the path. Don't worry. Faeries and good witches and angels will help you if you need their help," Mr. Mellifluous assured her.
"Thank you, Mr. M," she replied. "See you later!" she shouted as she skipped down the trail.

Awesome: Son of a Dark Witch

Soon Claire encountered a troll sitting next to a river.
"Hello, kind sir. Who are you if I may ask?" Claire inquired as she curtsied.
"Hello, young lady. I am Awesome, son of the dark witch of the forest," he replied.
"Are you a dark force?" Claire inquired.
"Naw, I guess I'm kind of a disappointment to my mother. I would rather hang out by the stream with the flowers and birds than cause chaos like her," Awesome replied. "If you want to find my mom, just keep following this path."
"Thank you. Have a great day!" Claire exclaimed.

Dark, Hungry Witch

Soon Claire encountered a dark witch next to the trail. "Hello, my lady. How are you today?" Claire inquired.
"I am well, thank you. Would you like some candy, dear child?" the witch asked.
"Oh, yes! You are so kind!" Claire blurted out.
"Yes. It's very good to eat," the witch smiled as she carefully looked Claire over. "Follow me."

Forest Faery

Then a faery suddenly appeared. "Do not follow that terrible witch! She will fatten you up. Then she will eat you," the faery claimed. "I need to get some help for you. I'll be back in a few moments." The faery quickly vanished into the forest.

Knight of Swords

The dark witch extended her hand toward Claire, who hesitated to take it. "If you are afraid to follow me, please wait here, and I'll be right back. Don't move, dear child." Soon the witch came back with a handful of candy. "Here, my child, eat some of this delicious candy."
"Thank you, kind lady!" Claire exclaimed.
As Claire was enjoying the candy, the faery found a brave knight. After the faery told the knight what the witch was planning, the knight galloped off toward the witch's part of the forest with his sword held high.

The Knight as a Cute Bunny

Soon the knight found the witch, and he threatened to cut off her head. Unfortunately for Claire, the dark witch turned the knight into a cute bunny.
"Don't worry about him, dear child. He's all right. Keep enjoying your sweet candy. I'll deal with him later," the witch smiled.
"Oh yes. Thank you, kind lady!" Claire exclaimed. As Claire devoured the candy, she forgot that she should not trust the witch.

Good Witch

Suddenly a beautiful witch appeared. "Hide, dear child! Hide where the dark witch cannot find you! I will soon take care of her!"

Big Ugly Fly

As the dark witch was rushing, arms flailing, toward Claire, the good witch cast a spell and turned the dark witch into a big, ugly fly. "That should take care of her, at least for awhile," the good witch smiled as she disappeared into the forest.

Page of Cups

When Claire finished eating the candy, the fly buzzed away. Then Claire continued on the path until she reached the ocean. Eventually, Claire encountered a young girl gazing at a blue fish in a golden cup.
"Hello, friend. Who are you, and what are you doing if I may ask?"
"Oh, hello. I am the Page of Cups. I am listening to the fish in the cup. He is telling me what is about to happen next. You are going to encounter a prince riding a dragon. Beware, my friend, for he is a very naughty boy," the page stated and then silently gazed into the cup again.
Claire didn't want to disturb the page anymore, so she curtsied and wandered down to the seashore by herself.

Hinderers

Soon Claire encountered a young prince riding on the back of a scary dragon. The prince taunted, "You are in my world now. You must do what I say, or my dragon will tear you apart and eat you!"
Claire turned and galloped as fast as she could toward a field of flowers near a stream. Suddenly the prince and the dragon were hovering above her. "You cannot escape from me, silly girl! My dragon now is going to eat you!" the boy prince snarled.

Rainbow Angel

As soon as Claire reached the flowers, a Rainbow Angel appeared. "Do not fret, child. I will take care of this horrible boy and his nasty dragon!"

The Dragon as a Wild Turkey

The Angel cast a spell and turned the dragon into a turkey, which glided down to the stream. As the prince crashed onto rocks in the stream, his golden crown fell off. Then the boy-prince dragged himself out of the water and staggered away. "Wow, good to be friends with the right people and the right faeries and witches and angels!" Claire exclaimed.

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