What if reality was just one of many possibilities?
When Richard receives an unexpected invitation to a secret island, he embarks on a journey that will change his perception of the world forever. Hidden from maps and unknown to the rest of civilization, the island defies logic—its people live by their own rules, and its mysteries challenge everything he thought he knew.
Blurring the lines between dream and reality, desire and danger, Eine andere Wirklichkeit takes the reader on an intense, mind-expanding adventure. As Richard navigates this enigmatic place, he is forced to question: Is this paradise, a utopia beyond modern society, or a seductive illusion?
A masterful mix of philosophical fiction, sensuality, and psychological depth, this novel invites readers into an alternative reality—one that lingers long after the final page.
Perfect for readers who love novels that challenge perception, mix mystery with philosophy, and explore the boundaries between the possible and the impossible.
What if reality was just one of many possibilities?
When Richard receives an unexpected invitation to a secret island, he embarks on a journey that will change his perception of the world forever. Hidden from maps and unknown to the rest of civilization, the island defies logic—its people live by their own rules, and its mysteries challenge everything he thought he knew.
Blurring the lines between dream and reality, desire and danger, Eine andere Wirklichkeit takes the reader on an intense, mind-expanding adventure. As Richard navigates this enigmatic place, he is forced to question: Is this paradise, a utopia beyond modern society, or a seductive illusion?
A masterful mix of philosophical fiction, sensuality, and psychological depth, this novel invites readers into an alternative reality—one that lingers long after the final page.
Perfect for readers who love novels that challenge perception, mix mystery with philosophy, and explore the boundaries between the possible and the impossible.
On a warm Sunday morning in June, I was sitting in the garden of Bistro Aquarella, gazing dreamily at the sea and Meropi, the small island off the coast. I have been here, to Aquarella, a lot since I moved to Greece. This cafe in picturesque Kardamyli is located right by the sea and has a subtle inspirational effect on me. The calming waves and the deep blue of the Mediterranean complement the bistro’s shady garden to create a place of natural tranquillity. This place always gives me a feeling of inner peace and deep gratitude.
I was once again immersed in this paradisiacal state when a young woman approached and said to me, ‘Excuse me, you’re Richard Neubersch, aren’t you?’
I looked at her in bewilderment. She was pretty and looked me in the face with confidence.
‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘How do you know that? Hardly anyone here knows me, let alone my surname.’
‘I saw a picture of you on your website. May I sit with you?’
She didn’t wait for an answer, but sat elegantly in the armchair to my left.
‘Pretty cheeky,’ I thought. I said, slightly amused, ‘Oh, please, don’t hesitate! Please sit down next to me! What would you like to drink?’
She grinned at me and replied, ‘I’d love a double Ellenico Metrio.’
Christina, the pretty waitress, must have been watching us and looked at me questioningly. I asked her for a double Greek coffee with a little sugar. She nodded knowingly and disappeared again.
‘And who are you?’
‘My name is Carinda, Mr. Neubersch. Of course you don’t know me yet. But you met my aunt about a year ago.’
‘Uh-huh?’
‘She met you at your exhibition stand in Würzburg last year and asked you a lot about your products and technology. Do you remember? She also asked you if you would visit her.’
It didn’t take me long to realize which woman she was talking about. I remembered immediately because she left a lasting impression on me.
I replied, ‘Yes, I remember her. She was very self-confident and very interested. I thought it was strange at the time that she wouldn’t tell me her name and where she lived, even though she asked if I would visit her. Does she live right here in Greece? That would be a nice coincidence, wouldn’t it?’
‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘you could say she lives nearby. When would you be willing to visit her? Could it be today or do you already have plans?’
‘Oops, young lady! Not so fast!’
‘Why not? The day is still young.’
I thought about it. It was Sunday and I had no plans. Why not? I agreed and she asked me to follow her, clearly delighted.
‘Wait a minute! I have to pay first.’ I quickly ran to the waitress, paid and was already at the exit when I heard, ‘Hello, sir! You’ve left your phone behind!’ I felt my pants. Indeed! No phone. I ran back and thanked the friendly gentleman at the next table.
‘You can leave your phone in the car. You won’t need it,’ advised my kidnapper.
‘And if you do?’ I asked pompously.
‘There’s no reception here. You’d just get frustrated!’ was her reply.
‘But for photos!’ I interjected.
‘No photos.’ She grinned.
‘All right,’ I agreed and asked, ‘Aren’t we going by car? Where is your car? We can drive mine too.’
‘We’ll take the boat.’ She pointed to the small harbour, which was only fifty metres from the Aquarella.
A simple boat was moored there. It was the size of the small fishing boats that are common here. But it looked much more modern and was admired by a few tourists who stood on the quay and watched us curiously.
Because I hesitated a little, Carinda said, ‘Go on, get in!’
As soon as I was in the boat, the engine started and we chugged into the open sea. After a short time, however, the engine stopped and I looked at my companion, puzzled. She reassured me, ‘Don’t worry! We’ll keep going.’
I leaned over the edge of the boat and looked into the water. Indeed! We were gliding silently through the waves. I looked up in amazement. No sails.
‘I guess you call that free energy,’ she said with a grin. ‘I’m delighted that you’ve accepted, Richard. I can call you by your first name, can’t I? We’re all on first-name terms here on the island.’
‘Yes, of course! With pleasure!’ I replied. ‘So we’re going to an island?’
‘Yes, we’ll be right there.’
Full of anticipation, I scanned the sea in all directions as far as the horizon. I wondered where there might be an island here.
My gaze wandered to Carinda and lingered on her. She must have been in her mid-thirties and looked outrageously attractive. Her summery, knee-length dress blew happily in the breeze, as did her long blonde hair. Her face was exceptionally graceful. It not only conveyed external beauty, but also revealed to me her inner depth. My eyes scanned her body. Any fashion designer would be willing to spend a fortune on her as a model. Her long legs and slender ankles and calves promised a visual treat for the man who would have the privilege of seeing this woman undressed.
As soon as I had this thought in my head, she turned to me and looked at me in a challenging way. I blushed because I felt that she had somehow caught me out.
She pointed ahead and said, ‘Look!’
* * *
The sea opened up in front of me. Yes, I have to describe it like that, because that’s exactly what it looked like. As if by magic, all the waves were suddenly wiped away, vanished into thin air, and an island became visible in front of me.
Carinda noticed my confusion and explained, ‘Our protective hologram has just dissolved for us. The island is invisible to the outside world and no one knows about it. You are one of the few who can see it. Welcome to Libidos!’
‘What now?’ I simply couldn’t think of a more intelligent question. My mind was wiped clean. ‘I don’t understand,’ I barely managed to get out. How could it be that large parts of the sea disappeared before my eyes and a huge island became visible in its place? Protective hologram or not, that’s impossible!
‘My aunt will explain everything to you in detail,’ said Carinda.
We had now docked in the harbour and with a gesture she instructed me to leave the boat. We took the main path that led uphill from the harbour past small houses. Carinda walked alongside me. Every time I turned around, fascinated, to take another look at this idyll, she waited with a smile. She seemed to enjoy my admiration of this little harbour town. All the houses that lined the harbour were made of terracotta and had pyramid-shaped roofs that glistened in the sunlight. All the other houses further away were also terracotta pyramids with similar glittering caps. Between the houses, I could see lush gardens that glowed with colour.
‘It’s beautiful, Carinda,’ I gushed.
She smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you like it here. Shall we go on to the palace?’
‘To the palace?’ I wondered and asked, ‘To which palace?’
This was getting more and more surreal. I stared at her, completely confused. At the same time, I felt a strange sense of joy that I had never experienced before. Do you perhaps remember the feeling of anticipation you had as a child before receiving presents? It felt similar for me, only much more intense and with lots of butterflies in my stomach.
I heard Carinda say, ‘Yes, my aunt is the Queen of Libidos. Her real name is Marvella, but we all affectionately call her Mara.’
I felt completely overwhelmed. This island that nobody knows about, with one of the most picturesque little harbours I had ever seen and with glittering pyramids all around me, had already blown all my expectations out of the water. Hearing that the woman I met in Würzburg was the queen of this island didn’t make it any better for my otherwise clear mind. On top of that, I remembered Carinda’s remark that few people from outside had ever visited the island before. I did what I always do in moments that unsettle me. I clung to my mantra: ‘Don’t act, just feel.’
I didn’t pay attention to all the beautiful things on the way to the palace. I was too preoccupied with my feelings. My body automatically ran alongside Carinda, steadily uphill. Only after a bend did I lose my inner focus, because there was a large but simple building in front of us. Despite its inconspicuousness, it was impressively elegant with a strange aesthetic.
‘The palace!’ Carinda exclaimed. Her voice revealed that the ascent had taken her breath away as it had mine.
I looked around with interest. I couldn’t see any guards or servants anywhere. When we got to the entrance area, part of the wall dissolved into nothing, revealing the way inside. Another hologram, I thought, as another wall opened and we entered a room that wasn’t made up of four walls, but was completely round. I estimated its diameter to be about twenty metres. I peered upward into a dome of pleasantly warm light. In the centre of the room was a comfortable seating area where the person I vaguely recognized as the woman who had stood opposite me at the congress a year earlier was sitting.
* * *
‘Mara,’ said Carinda, ‘here he is. I thought it was great that he came along spontaneously. Thank you for putting me in charge.’ She bowed and left the room without me being able to say goodbye to her.
‘You’re very welcome, Richard! I can call you that, can’t I? I’m sure Carinda has already explained that we’re all on first-name terms here? My name is Mara!’
‘Yes, of course, Mara. I feel honoured,’ I replied, slightly unsettled, and added, ‘Above all, I’m totally surprised to have ended up in a palace. I would never have guessed that when we were talking in Würzburg. Not to mention the island, which nobody knows or has ever visited. Why me of all people?’
I really had no explanation for being here. Why was I here? Why is a queen receiving me and what does she want from me? Is she even a queen? She was only wearing a simple white dress that reached down to the floor. With her hair tied back in a bun, she didn’t exactly make a regal impression on me.
‘You’re wondering why you’re here and what I want from you, Richard. Or do you want me to call you pumpkin?’
My breath caught in my throat. How could she know about this? Only my mother had called me pumpkin.
‘Don’t be surprised. We on Libidos have abilities that are actually also available to you out there. But the difference is that you are no longer aware of their existence and it takes a little practice to make them your own. For example, we can read minds and communicate with each other without words by opening ourselves up to our counterpart in the spiritual field. We can easily retrieve any desired information from the spiritual field and send information just as easily. You are very familiar with such things.’
In principle, this was nothing new to me, as this knowledge was part of everyday life in our company. It corresponded to my world view and understanding of augmented reality. So I replied, ‘It kind of makes sense to me. I just didn’t know that there was a people who used these abilities as a matter of course. But that doesn’t answer my question. Why did you invite me? Do you want to harmonize the whole island?’
‘No, Richard. I wasn’t interested in Swiss Harmony when I was in Würzburg, but in you,’ she replied.
‘Me, why me?’ Now I was curious.
‘Let me first explain where you are here,’ Mara began. ‘We call ourselves Archicans because we have retained our originality. We only still exist because we have kept ourselves hidden from the rest of the world for many thousands of years. If we hadn’t done this, we would have been so heavily influenced by your society, whether Western or Eastern, that we would have lost our state of being too.’
I asked, ‘What is your state of being? Can you lose your state of being? What do you mean by that?’
Mara replied, ‘No one loses their state of being. Every living being, whether plant, animal or human, has a self-perception that determines its state of being. It depends on what quality it has. In humans, the quality is enhanced by individual consciousness and free will. This makes us special creatures on this planet. But it is also free will that can lead us more and more away from the state of being of the perfect being that we were created to be. And that is exactly what has been happening in your world for many thousands of years.’
Your words could have been mine. I have long been convinced that we are being kept stupid as a collective.
‘That makes sense to me,’ I agreed. ‘That’s been my talking point for some time. I always say that we’ve all been brought up with misconceptions and supposed truths. They have been passed down to us from generation to generation and when we are born, we learn the current social conventions in the form of rules of conduct in moral, ethical and aesthetic terms. At school, we usually only learn untruths that are indoctrinated into us as so-called sciences. As a result, we lose contact with our actual divine essence, if we ever had it at all. To make matters worse, nowadays we are completely lulled into a deep sleep by television programmes, social media and the omnipresent high frequencies.’
‘You’ve described it well. It really is like that. The result is that you live like eagles in a henhouse. You collectively believe you are chickens and behave like chickens because you no longer know you are eagles.’
‘And you’re the eagles?’ I asked, a little provocatively.
Mara remained unimpressed and replied, ‘Just like you. The difference is that we know it and live like eagles.’
She was undoubtedly right. I had often used a similar example myself. I always spoke of lions among sheep. But now I wanted to know why I was here. So I persisted and said, ‘That’s very interesting, Mara. We could talk about it for hours. However, I still don’t understand what gave me the honour of being on your island. Carinda told me that there was rarely anyone here from outside. So why me?’
Mara seemed to be hesitating and thinking. I didn’t take my eyes off her. Then her face lit up and she asked, ‘Oh, forgive me, Richard! I didn’t even offer you a seat. We don’t have to discuss all this standing up. Why don’t you sit down? And I didn’t offer you anything to drink either. How inattentive of me! Can I get you a coffee or something else?’
How obviously she was avoiding an answer! Slightly irritated, I replied, ‘Coffee would be nice. Please tell me why I have the feeling you’re finding it difficult to answer?’
She sat down on a sofa and gestured for me to sit next to her.
A young man appeared out of nowhere and served me coffee. Mara had ordered a tea for herself. Everything works non-verbally here. She waited until he disappeared again and began, ‘It’s true, Richard, it’s difficult for me to answer at the moment. But I will do my best to answer at least part of your question.’
She paused, watching me drink my coffee. Only after I put my cup down and fixed her with a prompting look did she continue, ‘Look, I’m sure it hasn’t escaped your notice that you are not only exceptionally intelligent, but you also have a spiritual understanding that has made you stand out from the crowd in recent years. You know today that you are not separate from what you humans call God. You live without fear and always strive to keep your small, individual self in check. In fact, you no longer even need to make an effort, because you immediately notice when your ego wants to interfere. You give yourself over to life without having your own plan or goals. Your only desire is to live in harmony with the cosmic order.’
‘It’s exciting that you mention the cosmic order. I was talking to a friend about that a few days ago,’ I replied, fascinated.
‘I know,’ said Mara. ‘I made sure you had such a lively conversation about this subject. Christina has very good intuition.’
‘It was you?’ I couldn’t believe my ears and how did she know her name? Christina, a good friend from Berlin, had visited me in Kardamyli last weekend. We had exchanged a lot of ideas and insights. One of the main topics was the divine order. Was it all staged?
So I asked her, ‘If that was you, then I wonder what else you’ve staged.’
‘I’d like to tell you that, because it’s part of my answer to your question. I have to go into quite a lot of detail. First of all, you need to know that we are in constant contact with alien species. Decades ago, we were asked by one of these species to keep an eye on you because you are one of the souls that belongs to them.’
‘What?’ I couldn’t believe my ears. ‘Now it’s getting really weird, Mara. You expect me to believe that?’ A kind of mental paralysis made any further thought impossible.
‘As crazy as it may sound to you, Richard, it’s the truth.’
I looked at her helplessly. I could see clarity and compassion in her eyes. I was in a state of shock. Mara waited. She seemed to know exactly what chaos was going on inside me.
Where do I come from? Who am I really? Do I even know myself? Who is thinking here right now? And what is the point of all this anyway? It made no sense.
Mara smiled and said gently, ‘I realize this must come as a shock to you, but I know you can handle it. Give yourself time. Slowly but surely, you will be able to identify more and more with your true origins, and your original knowledge will come back to you. You don’t need it at the moment. The time will come.’
Her words relaxed me. A thought occurred to me, which I immediately threw at her: ‘When exactly were you asked?’
Mara replied, ‘About forty years ago.’
I wanted to know more and asked, ‘But why did they ask you in the first place?’
‘We were told that at the age of twenty-seven you could be in danger of being lost to them because you sold your company for a lot of money at that time. At such moments, a person can become completely addicted to Mammon. Experience has shown that he is usually no longer available for the higher levels of the divine order.’
I replied thoughtfully, ‘I remember that time well. I had this big cheque in my pocket and thought I had made it. But at the same time, I felt fear coming up and I wondered what it really takes to be happy.’
‘See?’ Mara asked with a grin, waiting for the penny to drop for me.
‘That was you?’ I asked incredulously.
She just nodded and continued, ‘Yes, that was us. Later, we also had a hand in it when you split up with your first wife. Can’t you remember the applause that night? We were so proud of you.’
I remembered the night I confessed to my wife that I wanted to separate from her. It was dramatic and at the same time I was sure I was doing the right thing because I felt as if all my spiritual helpers were applauding.
‘That wasn’t fair!’ I replied indignantly.
Now I felt like a puppet, a plaything of other people’s forces in my own life. Anger turned into rage, which Mara noticed immediately.
‘Stop!’ she ordered sternly. ‘Don’t allow such feelings. Your ego feels betrayed. Your little self feels offended and disempowered. Remind your ego to serve you and not play the diva.’
That was helpful. I made the decision to calm down and my excitement quickly subsided.
She continued, ‘Do you think this all happened without your consent? You thought wrong. According to our clients, before your great journey, you pledged to fulfil your task at all costs, come what may. You authorized them to take corrective action should your mission be jeopardized.’
‘Interesting,’ I remarked and asked, ‘and why don’t I know anything about this and this mission?’ Something new again. A mission! My ego was preparing to jump again when Mara replied, ‘Because it was about you remaining unrecognized until a certain point on this earth. To do this, it was necessary that not even you yourself were allowed to know who you were.’
My ego relaxed again and I said, ‘Well, Mara, that’s pretty strong stuff and raises countless questions. The most important one is certainly: what is my mission? I’d just as soon know why you brought me here.’
‘All in good time,’ Mara replied. ‘We’ll have lunch together in an hour. Then I’ll introduce you to some more women and men from Libidos. But now it’s time for love. Let’s go to my bedroom!’
She stood up. I remained demonstratively seated. Did I hear correctly? Time for love? Bedroom?
‘Wait a minute! What do you mean?’
Mara was already on her way to one of the far walls. She turned around and smiled mischievously.
‘You have the church services. We have something else. What you call God is actually cosmic love for us. For this reason, we honour our God in a daily ritual of love.’
It’s getting more and more beautiful! But not with me!
‘Yes, but I hardly know you and who told you that I want sex now? Don’t I have a say in that too?’
The mischievousness in her smile had taken on a strangely seductive charm. Her words were firm and authoritative: ‘No, you didn’t! Libidos is a matriarchy. Do you know what that means?’
‘Explain it to me!’ I replied defiantly.
‘Here at Libidos, we women rule. You will learn to obey every woman. Did you hear that? Every woman! And for as long as you are on our island, my dear!’
‘For me, Libidos is the island that drives me from one shock to the next,’ I replied and stood up, ‘and this is probably the most intense. I want to go back immediately. Find someone else for your ritual!’ I turned away and looked for the exit.
‘Richard!’ she called out in a sharp tone. I paused, but didn’t turn to face her.
‘Listen to me!’ Her voice was softer again now. ‘I realize that your world view has collapsed several times today. It must be very hard for you. I’m sure you’re very confused. But don’t act impulsively; face up to the gifts life has to offer. How can you turn away from something you don’t know? I wish you would turn around and come to me.’
I decided to give in to her wish. She was right. After all, my philosophy of life was to be grateful for everything that exists and not to say no to life. What could I possibly lose? Now I was facing her again. If I had just perceived her as a conversationalist with no female attributes, I now had a completely different perception of her. Unbelievable! I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
Her skin seemed to glow a delicate shade of gold. Where did it suddenly come from? Why hadn’t I noticed anything like that before? I hadn’t even noticed her feminine curves until just now. Now, they had a strong attraction that drew me in like a promising invitation. It was pure magic in its most beautiful form. Without being able to think about it any longer, I followed her without resistance as she took my hand and pulled me through the now open wall.
In front of us was a large reclining landscape with white blankets and cushions. The sides were adorned with fragrant lily arrangements and on the opposite side I recognized a life-size nude made of light marble.
The light was subdued and took on a blue hue in the back of the room.
Mara, the Queen of Libidos, was now standing in front of me again, undressing with elegant movements, fluidly and completely naturally.
And her charisma! Divine was probably the most appropriate term at that moment, which made me forget all sense of time.
‘Mara,’ I stammered uncertainly.
Completely naked, she took a step closer and began to undress me very slowly. She spoke with gentle words:
‘Here on Libidos, the worship of love is the highest ritual of our people. The most important thing you need to know is that it is not about your physical urges. While sexuality is the force that will magnetize us into union, we do not focus on it. Think of it like your ego, which you don’t let become a diva, but make yourself a servant. It’s the same with your sexuality, which enables you to unite but doesn’t become the dominant drive.’
I stood naked and erect in front of her. She lovingly pulled me on to the oversized bed and added in her enchanting voice, ‘You see, your erection is a completely natural reaction to my charisma. It’s not really my perfect breasts, my slender legs or any other external forms, but it’s the frequency of my inner being, which I have now completely and uncompromisingly tuned to devotion to love. It stimulates the same frequency in you and because you have already learned to surrender unconditionally in your life, you can answer me. Don’t think, don’t worry, surrender to my energy and just let yourself fall!’
And I fell …
* * *
I opened my eyes. Where was I? It was so quiet. I was lying naked on the bed and remembered that Mara had got up at some point after giving me one last kiss, which I could still feel on my lips. I must have fallen asleep.
What an experience! Mara had reduced everything I thought I knew about sexuality to absurdity. In that hour, I had come closer to realizing my own divinity than ever before. No, stop! That’s not all. There was more. But what? I probably had to sort myself out first. Inwardly. It wasn’t enough that I was gathering my socks, I was also looking inside myself for direction. I didn’t really succeed. What remained was the certainty that I never wanted to experience sexuality the way I used to.
I got dressed, sat on the edge of the bed and tried to find words for what was happening without words. Inner images emerged. Images for which I had no description. No thoughts, no words, just images. Honey is the only word that comes to mind when I think back to the erotic tension that was clearly created by Mara’s dominating charisma. The sweet reward of complete surrender to the feminine left me absolutely will-less as every cell in me greedily drank in her love. It was cosmic. Did we even still exist as individuals? Were we not rather dissolved in cosmic honey? Yes, that fit best, even if it may sound corny overall, but this metaphor does the experience the most justice.
I got up and went to the spot on the wall where we entered the room. Nothing happened. I stepped even closer to the wall. No reaction.
I sat back down on the bed. I knew that I would be looked after. And that’s what happened. As soon as I sat down, the door opened as if by magic and Carinda entered.
‘I’m sorry, Richard, that you had to stand in front of a closed door. We haven’t explained to you how our doors work. It’s quite simple. You walk up to the door and are absolutely certain that it will open.’
I replied, ‘I thought I did the same. After all, I watched the doors open for you.’
Carinda explained, ‘Yes, you can draw the wrong conclusions from that. You need to know two things: firstly, you need to be in harmony with the door. You can only have this if it belongs to you; that is, if it is in your own house or if you feel authorized, namely invited, to go through a certain door. That’s why no unauthorized person can enter our rooms. The best way to explain the second is as follows: imagine you want to drink a cup of coffee. So you take the cup and put it to your mouth. And now I ask you: have you thought about whether your arm and hand are making the right movements? Of course not. They are following your clear, unadulterated intention. It’s the same with our doors. Let’s practise it! Do you want to try?’
‘Sure, it will work now!’ Her explanation made perfect sense to me. I’d love to have doors like that in my home too.
I walked towards the door and it opened. ‘Why didn’t it work the first time?’ I asked. ‘I was expecting it to open too. What was different now?’
‘The first time, you still had doubts because you were unfamiliar with such doors and couldn’t be sure exactly how they worked. This tiny uncertainty caused minimal frequency anomalies and the door remained closed for you.’
‘That makes sense,’ I confirmed. ‘I actually had a slight insecurity.’
While we were talking, we walked through the room I already knew to the opposite side and an area flooded with sunlight opened up, the outer sides and ceiling of which were made entirely of glass. I was mesmerized by the view. Deep below us lay the open sea. I could see ships in the distance and a small island off the coast.
* * *
‘Welcome to the Council of Elders of Libidos, Richard!’ Mara’s voice interrupted my astonishment. Only now did I notice her standing in front of a large, round table with roughly ten people sitting around it. She approached me.
‘The Council of Elders is already well informed about your visit and your origins,’ Mara continued. She took my arm and led me to one of the chairs next to her. ‘You’ll soon find that you’re already familiar with several of the people here. Let yourself be surprised!’
Smiling benevolently, she sat down on the neighbouring chair. Carinda took a seat at my other side.
Slightly unsettled, I said, ‘Hello! I’m a little confused, but I’m happy to be here.’ Benevolent nod.
I sat down and looked around with interest. Council of Elders my arse! Here were attractive young women and agile young men sitting side by side with older people.
Mara read my mind again, because she said, ‘You might be surprised to find young people in the Council of Elders. You should know that we’re all much older here than you might imagine. Look at Kerstin, for example, who you noticed right at the beginning.’
Her name was Kerstin? Really? What’s going on here and why had she noticed that she actually caught my eye immediately?
‘Yes, Kerstin. She doesn’t look quite like your Kerstin, but very similar, doesn’t she?’
I nodded.
‘How old do you think she is?’
She looked to be in her mid-thirties. ‘Thirty-five?’ I asked.
‘Not quite. She was born almost two hundred years ago,’ she replied with a grin.
‘And I’m supposed to believe that? You’re pulling my leg!’
‘No, Richard! Remember: we are eagles, not chickens. Eagles decide on their own ageing process and leave this physical plane when they feel the time is right. Some of the older people around this table are five hundred years old and ensure that we are always in tune with the divine vibrational frequency. They are the guardians of truth, so to speak.’
‘I thought something like that only existed in ancient myths and creation stories,’ I remarked in amazement.
‘All your myths actually have a realistic reference,’ she replied. ‘Here on Libidos you will realize that they are true, because we live in the spirit of the old myths. We have retained our knowledge and skills.’
To my right, I heard someone say, ‘Richard, do you know why you’re here?’ I looked back at him and saw the friendly face of an older gentleman with a full head of white hair. I guessed he was about sixty.
‘Not really,’ I replied. ‘I just know that I was invited by your queen. Since my arrival, I’ve had so many surprises and had to deal with so much information that I haven’t had time to think about it yet.’ I continued, ‘However, I have already asked Mara, but she still owes me the answer.’
‘Well, you can call me Nicholas. I’ve been with you since you turned twenty-seven. You know me from your inner dialogues with me.’
In fact, many years ago I had visited a medium to whom a being called Nicholas introduced himself as my spiritual guide. Since then, I had always had inner conversations with him in difficult life situations and his answers were invariably comforting and encouraging. The way it worked was that I simply typed my questions to him into my diary and then entered the words that came to mind. They invariably turned out to be a reliable guide to life. In recent years, however, my life had been so pleasant that I’ve felt no need to ask Nicholas.
‘You are my beloved Nicholas? I haven’t spoken to you for a long time. I’m sorry about that!’ I replied.
‘Why should you feel sorry for me? I’m not here to be entertained by you. Everything is fine. On the contrary: I have watched with great joy how your life has developed towards divine order. Your lifestyle and the way you have built and shaped Swiss Harmony is a prime example of human development for all of us here. That’s why Mara came to see you at the environmental congress. She wanted to get to know you personally and see for herself that you live in harmony with the truth.’
I hesitated a little and then said, ‘Actually, I should be happy now, but I don’t feel joy, I feel sadness.’
‘Why do you think you can feel them?’ Nicholas asked, sensitively.
I felt inside myself and tried to analyse where my sadness was coming from. But my head didn’t want to work. Then I heard myself say, ‘Because so many other people don’t get it right and suffer instead.’
Nicholas then said, ‘You see, this is where you show your true self. Your true self knows that we are all one and that is why you feel boundless empathy for the countless souls who are still trapped in the illusion and feel suffering instead of joy.’
‘How can we help them?’ I asked spontaneously and without thinking. After all, I knew that everyone has to decide for themselves how they want to live and that we shouldn’t interfere.
‘You’ve been helping for a long time, Richard,’ Nicholas replied. ‘Your being leaves its mark on the consciousness of everyone you meet in your life. Just recently, you have given many of your clients and other acquaintances and friends impulses through your vibration that have led them into a process of change that is still ongoing. Do not underestimate your impact on others.’
Images of various encounters popped up in my mind’s eye. I remembered many customer visits that led to intimate conversations and resulted in a joyful feeling of all-encompassing love. It was almost always the case that the greeting was initially distant and the farewell was crowned with joie de vivre and moist eyes.
‘Yes, exactly! You remember,’ remarked Nicholas, who was probably following my thoughts. ‘It was precisely these moments that were supposed to tell you that you bring light to people. It expands their field of consciousness and shows them ways to recognize their true potential and realize it in their lives.’
‘And do they do it?’ I asked.
‘No, not usually. But still! It’s as if your shell has cracked a little. It usually takes more impulses at different times from different people. The repetition causes the crack to get bigger and bigger.’
‘So keep going.’ I grinned.
‘Exactly!’ Nicholas confirmed. ‘You realized that a long time ago too. I’m very pleased about that.’
Then I heard Mara say, ‘I think we should let Richard eat in peace now. We don’t want to overload his mind. Maybe it’s better if we give him time now to process all the impressions.’
Although I got the impression that Mara was once again trying not to let me know the reason for this invitation, I was grateful to her for these words and showed her with a shy smile. Was this the same woman with whom I had been meltingly bathing in honey just a few minutes ago? Now she didn’t seem erotic to me at all. Instead, she had the air of an unobtrusive but natural authority.
If until a moment ago there had been concentrated attention at the table because everyone present was listening to our conversation, now there was a relaxed murmur and I looked for the first time at the bowl that someone had handed me shortly before. It was filled with steaming porridge.
It tasted good because I was hungry. How long had it been since I’d eaten? I had lost all sense of time. I looked out of the oversized window and saw that the sun was already quite low. Could that be?
Mara spoke to me: ‘When you’re finished, Carinda will take you back to Kardamyli. It’s already later than you think. Don’t be surprised. You slept for four long hours after our time of love. You needed this sleep so that you are now stronger for the return journey. If I know Carinda, you will still need your strength.’
I saw Mara and Carinda looking at each other with a smile and didn’t understand a thing.
Nicholas and Mara gave me a warm hug goodbye. Mara held me in her embrace a little longer and whispered in my ear, ‘I like your cock ring.’ The blush rose to the roots of my hair. I had been so excited during our act that I had completely forgotten about it. She looked at me encouragingly and said, ‘I think it’s nice when men decorate themselves like that. See you next time, my friend!’
Carinda took my hand and we left the palace together.
* * *
We walked silently down the path to the harbour, past the small, pyramid-shaped houses covered in flowers. ‘Aren’t they pretty?’ Carinda asked me. ‘Yes, they are,’ I replied. ‘Do you want to know what they look like on the inside? I’d love to show you a friend’s house. She’s still out and about and I’m sure she won’t mind if we go inside.’
How could I have said no? I was far too curious.
Carinda let me into one of the houses a little off the beaten track. I was quite astonished. It seemed much bigger from the inside. It seemed to consist of a single room, into which colour-filtered sunlight streamed. Obviously, people cooked, bathed, worked and slept in this room, because all areas of the room had the appropriate furniture and there was a beautifully decorated, round bed in the middle.
‘This is what most of the houses on Libidos look like. Perhaps the concept dates back to the distant past, when people lived in round tents,’ explained Carinda. ‘This construction method has proven to be extremely practical for us. We would never think of putting up walls and creating small rooms.’
I listened to her, but I walked here and there, fascinated, marvelling at the modern kitchen area, the fashionable sofa corner that would have enhanced any furniture store and finally stopped in front of an area that looked like a painter’s studio.
‘Is your girlfriend a painter?’ I asked, looking at an unfinished erotic oil painting.
‘Yes, Richard. That’s her. Can you recognize me from her picture?’
I turned to face her. There she was. Bare as a rag!
‘Carinda!’ I gasped. ‘What are you doing?’
‘Shh! Don’t speak! Just be here now and look at me, touch me and give in to your lust.’
The sight of her was ravishing. This morning I had thought how privileged the man must be to see her unclothed. And now she was standing naked in front of me. With shapely breasts that held my gaze firmly and roundly. I will only hint at what happened next. Like Mara, Carinda shone with an irresistible grace and yet everything was different, because I felt an animal desire. I couldn’t get rid of my clothes fast enough and before I knew it, I was lying in her demanding arms. No honey this time, but animalistic sex, completely taboo-free and liberating.
An hour later, we broke free from our embrace and got dressed.
She looked at me with delight. ‘That was wonderful, my dear! Thank you!’
‘Thank you too, Carinda. After all, you seduced me,’ I said admiringly. ‘But I don’t understand all this. Mara said that you don’t let lust dominate you. But we were like animals just now.’
‘What Mara said only refers to the time of love. That’s always at lunchtime. You might call it worship. But after all, we’re just normal people with animalistic instincts, like other living creatures. Do you think we wouldn’t want to live that out?’
‘Yes, yes! Now that you’ve explained it, it makes sense to me. And what about contraception? And anyway! Don’t you have a boyfriend?’
Carinda laughed. ‘A friend? I have at least six hundred boyfriends! We don’t get married here on Libidos. We all love each other and when we feel like it, the next one is the best. It’s as simple as that. Oh yes, and we don’t think about contraception because it’s not necessary.’
I was amazed. Why can’t I live on Libidos? It’s like a fairy tale!
‘Why is contraception not necessary?’
‘Because we women can consciously decide if and when we want to get pregnant. This is also a natural ability of women that has been lost in your society. Shall we get going?’
‘I don’t want to. I could lie here and talk to you forever.’ Mara was already standing and pulling on her summer dress. ‘Aren’t you wearing any underwear?’
‘No! Do you mind?’
As if she wanted to call her bluff, she bent over to tie her shoes.
‘Your dress is too long.’ She immediately pulled it up higher and turned her head towards me.
‘Is that right?’
I stood up and patted her bare bottom lovingly. ‘We really need to do this again, Carinda!’
She hugged me and breathed, ‘I’d love to.’
Then I got into my jeans and pulled on my shirt.
We left the house and after a few metres we were at the harbour, where the small boat was already waiting for us.
As it set off, I asked, ‘I’ve just noticed that we’re alone on the boat. Just like on the outward journey. Are you steering the boat all by yourself?’
‘Of course! Mind power, my dear.’
‘Could I do that too?’
‘If you practise, you can do it too.’
‘Will you let me?’
Instantly, the boat slowed down and sank deeper. Now it rocked directionless on the waves.
I gave the inner impulse for it to get going. Nothing. I imagined that free energy would build up and activate the drive. Nothing happened. Carinda grinned.
‘Don’t worry about it,’ she comforted me, ‘it just takes practice. Shall we continue?’
I nodded in frustration. The boat started moving again. Land was already in sight in the distance.
‘I can’t understand why your island is so close to Kardamyli. It has to be noticed somehow.’
‘No, you’re wrong,’ Carinda explained. ‘Our island is actually in the middle of the Mediterranean. It’s just as far from us to Sicily as it is to Greece or Africa. That’s why we only need ten minutes on this boat, because we’re cheating time. Surely you know that time is an illusion.’
‘I keep hearing that, but I haven’t experienced it yet.’
‘Yes, Richard, you have! How can you say you haven’t experienced it yet? We’ve bent time twice today.’
‘I meant before I knew Libidos.’
When we arrived in Kardamyli, we hugged each other goodbye. She resolutely reached into my pants and grabbed my cock ring. She said in a warm voice, ‘Your cock ring isn’t just beautiful. It made me pretty hot earlier. I’m already looking forward to your next visit.’ Completely distraught, I watched as she got back into the boat and rushed off. What a woman!
* * *
Dreamy and deep in thought, I made my way to my car. Now I was beginning to realize why this island is called Libidos. Everything here revolved around just one topic: sexuality.
I decided to pay a visit to my favourite bistro, Aquarella, and enjoy the evening atmosphere. With a glass of red wine in the front row, it was easy to be lulled into a state of deep meditation by the relentlessly rolling waves. Staring into the waves, I saw myself in bed with Mara and then it was Carinda, only to switch back to Mara. I felt as if both images were struggling for dominance. Neither of them succeeded, because as intense as the animalistic version was, the spiritual version remained unforgettable in my memory. That irritated me. I was able to report from my own experience that each of the two experiences was a real treat. While in the second case the physical level became an end in itself and ended for both of us with a shared mega-orgasm, in the first case it was only the playing field for the spiritual level. The mental orgasm here was a delight for our hearts and souls because they were allowed to be one.
I had never experienced the emotional version in this intensity. I would never have dreamed that two people who had only just met were capable of this.
If, on reading this, you think that I would prefer the spiritual to the animalistic variant …
How? You haven’t thought about it? I find it hard to believe you. Well, I did think about it and it took a second glass of red wine to clarify things.
This was my verdict: for me, both are completely equal. I realized this the moment the yin-yang symbol popped into my head. I’m sure you know it. Then you also know that the black area of yin also contains yang as a white dot. And the same applies to the other half of the symbol. The white yang contains the black yin as a dot.
In terms of the two sexual varieties, I imagine that the black field corresponds to the body and the white dot to the spirit, while in the spiritual version it is the other way around: the large white area represents the spirit, while the black centre symbolizes the physical.
And now comes the most important thing: in my understanding, the whole, the circle, is always love. Therefore, both versions are equally important. I even conclude that you should practice both versions in a balanced way in order to live in a good balance. Libidos seems to have recognized this.
Another insight emerged from my reflections: where yin is lived without a trace of yang, there is no love. Without love, the animalistic version takes on destructive elements. It makes you unhappy and empty. And is there a spiritual version without love? Yes, of course! These are the magical rituals and ceremonies of various sects and lodges.
What a realization! I paused. Despite the two glasses of wine, it occurred to me that I had once again received help from Nicholas or other good spirits from Libidos.
Lost in thought, I drove home.
What a day! Nobody will believe me. Of course not, because there’s no sign of Libidos anywhere in our world. They would lock me up. So I decided to keep this experience to myself. Why should I tell anyone about it? To make myself interesting? I was past that phase of my life. I was no longer the least bit interested in what other people thought of me.
When I got home, I poured myself a third glass of red wine and thought about Libidos.
If I hadn’t dreamed all this, then my experience was sensational.
Of course I hadn’t been dreaming. After all, Carinda had physically come into my life and the trip across the sea wasn’t a fantasy either. The island, on the other hand, seemed unrealistic and rather magical. Who knows where Carinda had taken me.
Then I remembered everything Mara knew about me. Had they really interfered in my life? Was it even conceivable? I used my common sense and tried to find an explanation for the fact that at the age of fifty-eight I had made the decision to found the company Swiss Harmony and to run it according to my ethical principles and for the good of the whole. Could it really be that this decision was played into my head?
Of course I knew that the technique of mind manipulation is used militarily. I have no idea how it works, but it must have something to do with scalar waves. That much was clear. Well, and on Libidos, over the course of many thousands of years, they had certainly developed completely different abilities that went far beyond what we were familiar with. I decided that something like this might be possible.
At the same time, I had to accept that all my other thoughts and decisions, which I thought were my own, were perhaps influenced by Libidos. I also thought it was possible that Libidos was smuggling certain people and objects into my life to provide the necessary impulses.
For example Hella, who also caught my eye in the Council of Elders. My Hella was a colleague and yoga teacher who had introduced me to the spiritual world. It was thanks to her that I became interested in the relevant books and came across Carlos Castaneda. I found his book Another Reality at the top of a junk table. It immediately caught my eye. After volume one, I read all of Castaneda’s books. They were like an initiation for me.
I now saw many events in my life with completely different eyes. I also felt subsequently confirmed in my feeling that Swiss Harmony has its own development dynamic, almost something like its own purpose. I had always felt that I was just an executive ‘governor’. Did I recognize Libidos’ intention here?
I resolved to ask Carinda the next time I saw her.
Wait a minute! Then I remembered that we hadn’t discussed anything. How was I supposed to see her again if I didn’t know how to get there?
I realized that I had bitten the bullet and that my little self wanted to assert itself now. I wanted to go back and was already looking forward to the time of love. Even though I was very dismissive at first, I now had to admit that I already liked some things about the matriarchy. I wanted more of it. But how would I ever get back there?
I came to my senses and brought myself back to trusting and surrendering to life. If there was to be another meeting, it would happen somehow. And as if to confirm this, I remembered Carinda’s words when we said goodbye: ‘I’m already looking forward to your next visit.’ There you go! No need to panic.
I poured myself another drink and felt my tension slowly ease.
Suddenly I had the feeling that I was being watched. How long had this been the case? In fact, I had always lived with the awareness that a whole host of loving, spiritual helpers surrounded me and helped me to master my life and stay in my confidence. I am convinced that I would never have arrived where I am today without them. But were they in reality possibly from Libidos? That would raise some questions. For example, all the so-called spiritual leaders who claim to be from other galaxies, or from some spiritual level of the divine order. Are they perhaps in truth the higher evolved humans on Libidos who had made it their heart’s desire to bring the lost and misguided people of earth back on course?
Well, that was perhaps too far-fetched and possibly only due to my fourth glass of wine. But it was definitely worth thinking about. Don’t you think?
A heretical thought formed: what if every kind of intuition is a subtle kind of help from real beings that we merely dress up with religious content because they do not reveal themselves to us, for whatever reason? Some people hear voices, some have visions or a clear, sudden knowledge. Where do these impulses come from and who gives them out? These are legitimate questions. Aren’t we far too quick to explain what we can’t understand with religious content?
But could it be that the few inhabitants of this small island of Libido have so much influence on all our lives?
‘What makes you think there are only Libidos?’ a question formed in my head.
Aha, I thought. That must have been a question sent directly from Libidos. I listened carefully and said quietly, ‘I thought so at first, but now that you’ve asked, I realize that it was a little too simple-minded. Are there other peoples like yours elsewhere?’
‘Have you ever heard of Shangri-La and Atlantis?’
‘Shangri-La is the mysterious land in the mountains of the Himalayas that can only be found by people who have reached a certain state of consciousness and risk their lives to get there. Isn’t that right?’
‘Yes, that’s where our brothers and sisters live, who operate just like us.’
‘Very interesting and understandable for me. But Atlantis? You must be mistaken, because this continent disappeared many millennia ago.’
‘Yes, in the snow. Today it lies buried deep under eternal ice and snow, but it still exists.’
‘What do you mean? Where is it supposed to be?’
‘Well, think about it, where can you find a large continent covered in snow and eternal ice?’
‘You don’t mean Antarctica, do you?’
‘But that’s exactly where I mean. They were hit by the last pole shift. There is a very large population there who have built entire cities in huge ice caves. Far below the surface. Undetectable for normal humans with their meagre technologies.’
‘But that explains a lot,’ I replied. ‘There are countless rumours and inexplicable phenomena about Antarctica. Is it true that the Nazis retreated there?’
‘That’s only partly or indirectly true. You have a completely wrong idea of the background to the Second World War. We can discuss that in more detail later.’
That was fitting. I had always suspected that the small and inconspicuous painter was not the driving force behind the dynamics that had triggered the Second World War. In my opinion, he was just a puppet.
‘Are there any more of you?’
‘Of course! What do you think?’
‘Yes, and where exactly now?’
‘Surely you’ve heard of the Hollow Earth?’
‘I don’t believe that now! They really exist?’
I had heard about it, of course, from Amundsen’s and Admiral Byrd’s reports. Somehow it all made sense to me, but I found the thesis a little steep and forgot about it over time.
‘Yes, it exists and it is intoxicatingly beautiful. There are also other species living here that are completely unknown to you. There, our brothers and sisters are part of a great, peaceful alliance.’
‘Who are you?’ I asked the voice from off-screen.
‘My name is Stratus. You will get to know me personally. Now I suggest you get on with something else. I’m sure that’s enough information for now. Good night!’
‘Good night, Stratus! And thank you!’
After four glasses of wine, I was no longer good for anything.
I went into the bathroom and undressed.
Day 2
The next morning I woke up with a slight hangover and thoughts of Libidos.
Nothing was the same as yesterday morning. My world had changed drastically in the last twenty-four hours. My horizons had been broadened by knowledge that would change my life forever, that much was clear to me. I now knew a different kind of human who had been our fellow inhabitants for thousands of years, far beyond my imagination, without me even having a clue of their existence. And it wasn’t just me. None of the eight billion or so inhabitants of earth had any idea about the Archikaners, as Mara called them.
While I was eating toast and drinking my morning coffee, it occurred to me that I supposedly had a mission to fulfil that I didn’t know about. What was it? To save humanity? Prepare for an invasion?
The doorbell rang. So early in the morning? I ran to the door and was amazed to see Carinda beaming at me.
‘Carinda! What a surprise! Come on in!’
With a fresh smile, she gave me a fleeting kiss on the cheek and stepped into the house.
She was wearing a red jumpsuit made of the finest silk with white stripes that effectively emphasized her feminine attributes. I found the front zipper particularly attractive. Her lush hair caressed her neck and shoulders. I had already admired her beauty yesterday. Now I was fascinated by the natural grace with which she walked up the steps to the living room. She was gorgeous.
‘I heard you had another conversation with Stratus last night,’ she said casually and made herself comfortable on my sofa.
‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘do you want a coffee?’
‘That would be nice, Richard.’
As the coffee machine noisily did its work, I remarked, ‘I’m glad you mentioned it. I wasn’t sure if it really happened. I could have imagined it.’
‘You can trust your inner perception more in the future. Once you have realized that information does not need matter, but can be transmitted directly from consciousness to consciousness, you will become more and more receptive to this form of communication over time. Listen, I am sending you information now.’
I was walking towards her with Carinda’s cappuccino when I heard myself say, ‘We’re not going to the island by boat this time.’
‘Very good, Richard!’ Carinda seemed delighted. ‘And how did you do it?’
‘I just started talking.’
‘Exactly! You simply said what was in your consciousness. That was exactly the sentence I sent you at that moment.’
She sipped her coffee with relish and then said, ‘Now let’s try something else. Watch out!’
I turned my attention inwards. ‘I’m kind of at a party. Lots of happy people. A lot of excitement because something special is about to happen.’
‘Very good! You not only receive thoughts that I send you, but you can also perceive my inner images without me sending them to you. This is how we meet on Libidos. We don’t talk to each other, but open our fields of consciousness to our counterpart. This type of communication can never be distorted because we receive one-to-one what is going on in the other person. Thoughts, emotions, desires, simply everything.’
‘But what kind of party was it?’ I wanted to know.
She didn’t answer, but looked at me mischievously. How charming she looked!
She must have noticed this immediately, because she said charmingly, ‘And if you don’t want me to receive what’s going on inside you, you can close your field. Shall I tell you how to do that?’
‘Yes, please! You must have realized what I was thinking about, right? That makes me uncomfortable,’ I said, blushing slightly.
‘No, you don’t have to be uncomfortable. It makes my heart happy when I feel that you like me. You don’t have to be ashamed of that.’
‘Nevertheless,’ Carinda continued, ‘you need to know how to protect your field from unwanted influence and intrusion. This is also very simple. You visualize an invisible screen around you and imagine that no one can penetrate it.’
‘That’s it?’
‘Yes, that’s all. Give it a try!’
I closed my eyes and followed her instructions. A piece of cake.
‘Very good! Now your field is closed to me. But you don’t have to close your eyes. It works just as well with your eyes open. With a little practice, just think of this screen and it’s there.’
I was impressed. ‘And how do I get rid of it?’
‘Just imagine how it dissolves.’
This time I didn’t close my eyes, but kept my gaze fixed on Carinda, or rather on her zipper. I wondered where it ended. I couldn’t make it out exactly because she was sitting there with her legs crossed.
She grinned. ‘No, Richard, we don’t have time for this,’ she said tenderly and added, ‘we have to go.’
She finished her coffee, took the cup into the kitchen and looked at me with an enterprising expression.
‘Where do you want to go?’ I asked.
‘Well, to Libidos!’
‘Without a boat?’
‘No, that was a joke!’
* * *
In the port of Libidos, I noticed a young man sitting on a metal platform. Carinda ran up to him. He greeted her with a slight obsequiousness that caught my attention and irritated me.
He looked at me and nodded his head in greeting. ‘My name is Notos. Welcome to Libidos.’
Carinda explained, ‘Notos is like a cab driver. We need him today to get to the centre of the island.’
‘What do you actually call that thing?’ I wanted to know.
Notos replied, ‘It’s called Schweber. Quite simply Schweber.’
Turning to Carinda, I asked, ‘And what’s in the centre there?’
‘Let yourself be surprised!’ She grinned.
Much to my astonishment, the three of us stood on the hover. If this was a vehicle, where were the seats? Armrests and seat belts? I didn’t see any controls either. Just a simple box, perhaps twenty centimetres high, on which we were standing. I was curious.
‘The journey is only short, because our island is not very big. Maybe the size of Ibiza. You don’t have to hold on anywhere, because any kind of imbalance and gravity is balanced out by an invisible force field. Go on, Notos!’
In fact, it was barely noticeable how the box rose and silently left the harbour area.
‘I didn’t see Notos move any levers or press any buttons,’ I remarked. ‘How did he get this thing going?’
I had asked Carinda, which I immediately regretted when Notos replied, ‘The inner intention is enough. The technology inside recognizes it and starts. It’s the same technology that opens our doors.’
‘Thank you, Notos! And I apologize for not asking you directly! That was rude.’
Notos looked at me and replied, ‘No problem. I didn’t take it personally.’
Floating was an impressive experience. At first I had to overcome my fear of heights and then it was exhilaratingly beautiful. I felt like an eagle soaring confidently in the air. I saw the pretty little houses gliding by below me. In the distance, I recognized the palace. We continued to fly over densely wooded areas, interrupted here and there by green meadows.
‘Do you irrigate your meadows?’ I asked Carinda.
‘Yes, they have to be irrigated artificially,’ she explained, ‘but we have enough water.’
‘Really? How can that be? Do you have that much groundwater?’
‘No, we have several underground desalination plants.’
I became curious. ‘Several?’
‘Yes,’ Carinda confirmed, ‘a large one for Triklia and the surrounding area and three more for the parks and fields on the rest of the island.
We continued to climb. I recognized a mountain directly in front of us. It was completely unwooded and rocky. The higher we climbed, the clearer the summit became. I was amazed because it was a pyramid.
I immediately thought of Profitis Ilias, the 2,407-metre-high mountain of Taygetos, which has a strong effect on the inhabitants of this coastal strip, where Kardamyli is also located. Its summit is also a pyramid. A few years ago, an entrance was found and the interior was investigated. Unfortunately, there are no reports about what was found there.
Notos brought us directly to the flattened entrance area, which led to a huge gate. Strangely, in the palace the doors were unrecognizable and opened as if by magic, while here two oversized door leaves seemingly made of solid rock stood wide open.
Carinda said, ‘You’re wondering? These doors are thousands of years old and were not made by humans. Back then, there were representatives of an alien civilization here who had also built the pyramid.’
‘What for? Does anyone know?’ I wanted to know.
‘This pyramid is one of many. They are mostly located at points on the earth that could perhaps be compared to human acupuncture points. They are places of particularly high energetic vibration. The pyramids amplify this vibration and project it into space. One of their functions is important for the navigation of extraterrestrial spaceships. Another function is for communication, as all pyramids are connected to each other through the earth’s organism.’
We went inside. Much to my astonishment, the dimly lit corridor did not lead upward, but downhill. And then Carinda replied, ‘The pyramid is much bigger than it looks from the outside. You can only see the top, so to speak. The whole mountain is actually the pyramid.’
‘Then these aliens possessed the art of terraforming?’
‘Of course,’ Carinda replied. ‘You’d be surprised if you knew what has been artificially created on earth. Most of it is no longer recognizable because nature has erased all obvious traces over the many thousands of years.’
Carinda paused briefly at one of the few junctions and then changed direction. From here it was slightly uphill again and I noticed that the dim lighting of the corridor grew stronger with every metre. After about one hundred metres, we reached a passageway into a brightly lit hall. About twenty metres away, I recognized a circular arrangement of polished marble slabs. Mara was sitting right in the centre. She was again wearing a long, white robe, only this time it looked more festive because it was sprinkled with golden sequins. Her reddish-blonde hair was also tied back in a bun today.
She had a stern expression on her face, but it relaxed considerably when she saw us approaching. She immediately stood up and came towards us.
‘Richard, it’s great that you’re here! Welcome to the heart of Libidos,’ she greeted me.
I bowed to her and gave her a friendly smile. ‘Thank you, Mara. I am completely moved. Once again. Why am I allowed to be here?’
‘I would like you to take part in the ritual that is about to take place here. Only if it’s your wish, of course.’ She grinned. That was probably a reference to my initial refusal to sleep with her yesterday.
‘What kind of ritual is that?’ I asked, unimpressed.
‘At every conjunction of the moon with the sun, the energies on earth change. This is when the creative forces switch on and every development on this planet receives additional impetus. We celebrate this moment with a special ritual. Seven women, our best temple dancers, will appear here in a few minutes and perform a special kind of dance that you must not miss. The dance ends with the beginning of our daily ritual, the time of love. Aria, our prima ballerina and high priestess, will then have the honour of uniting with you, our special guest. But for now, enjoy the new moon dance of Libidos.’
Mara led me past the side of the central marble circle to comfortable sofas. Only now did I see other people who had already taken their seats.
Mara and Carinda took me into their midst and together we sat down on the last free sofa.
Leaning slightly towards Carinda, I whispered in her ear, ‘You want me to sleep with Aria? I don’t even know her yet. That’s completely weird! Can’t we both …’
‘Shh,’ Carinda interrupted me abruptly. Slightly annoyed, I gave up.
Spherical music sounded softly out of nowhere and magically took on a quality that I could not only hear, but also felt in every single one of my cells. I vibrated inwardly to the beat of music that seemed strange and at the same time strangely familiar.
‘This is the overture, so to speak,’ Mara whispered in my ear. ‘It serves to set the mood and raise the general frequency in the room and within ourselves. Don’t worry about Aria. You’ll love her!’
So she heard that too! Of course, whispering is ridiculous on Libidos.
After an estimated half hour, the music faded and the lighting dimmed. The bright light turned almost imperceptibly into a subdued yellow.
There was a meaningful silence.
A female voice sounded throughout the room. Where was it coming from?
‘We greet the celestial conjunction as a sign of cosmic love and warmly welcome the forces of its inexhaustible creativity. May they reach all inhabitants of the earth and bless them with fresh energy! May our dance in honour of the conjunction now begin!’
Silence reigned again.
What would you have expected now? A ballet like The Nutcracker? Or perhaps more in the style of Pina Bausch?
So I had no expectations. What should I expect from temple dancers? I had never seen any before. So I wanted to be surprised and sank into the soft sofa with relish.
Seven women slid into our field of vision. I was astonished. Were they naked? I straightened up and looked closely. They were indeed completely naked! But their bodies were painted different colours. Each woman wore a different shade, and it was only when they stood side by side that the full spectrum was revealed: a vibrant rainbow of light and movement.
At the same time, a spotlight was directed at each individual dancer so that they literally glowed. What an effect!
Soft music started and they began to move. I wouldn’t necessarily call it a dance. It was a kind of tai chi. Yes, I remembered seeing something like it before. Carlos Castaneda had described a series of exercises he called tensegrity. He had been taught them by Don Juan, his shamanic master, as an important tool for increasing energy. I knew that these series of exercises were practiced by many people and that there were instructional videos on YouTube. I was fascinated to see a performance that resembled the dance that supposedly originated from the high culture of the Mexican Toltecs.
The energy in the hall rose noticeably. A strange tension built up, which was really heated up by the dancers’ movements. I looked around and thought I recognized that I wasn’t the only one watching with increasing excitement. Their nudity was fascinating because at first glance it created a strong erotic aura, but at the same time seemed absolutely necessary to openly show the physical strength of the mostly violent movements. It was a pleasure to watch the play of muscles in her thighs as she jumped or the constant alternation between tension and relaxation of her complex back muscles during her powerful and fast arm movements.
The prima ballerina, all in red, was a particularly imposing woman with pronounced muscles, but still had her unmistakably feminine curves. She finished the dance with an inhumanly high leap towards our sofa and concluded her performance on her knees with a deep bow.
Mara started clapping and we all followed her example, while Aria knelt motionless in front of us.
Carinda gave me a peck and whispered in my ear, ‘Now it’s your turn. Go to her and take her hand. Lead her into the next room. Everything is ready for you there.’
My God! Did she really say that? I looked at her hesitantly and she gave me an encouraging nod without hiding her mischievous grin.
I stood up unsteadily and bent down to Aria. I took her right hand and helped her up. She looked at me intently and her eyes sparkled so strongly that I had to force myself to hold her gaze. I then felt my own eyes light up. It was hard to believe. I stared at her in fascination. Then she smiled and gently pulled me in the direction of the next room.
* * *
Later, Mara, Carinda and I sat at a table with Aria and had lunch. I asked where the others were and was told that everyone had their own plans after the time of love.
‘Wait a minute, wasn’t it just Aria and me?’ I looked at Aria, blushing. She laughed. ‘No, my dear, most people on Libidos make love in that one hour.’
I asked, ‘Every day?’
Aria smiled. ‘Yes, every day. We are here on Libidos and this ritual really only exists here on our island. In the rest of our world, our brothers and sisters have other rituals. But here, most of us make love from eleven o’clock to noon. Everything else has to wait that long. This is our highest form of worship of the divine.’
‘So you have just as many men as women on Libidos?’ I wanted to know.
‘No, Richard,’ said Carinda, ‘we are about five hundred women and six hundred men. We need the surplus of men so that we can really live out our lust. You understand, don’t you?’
I liked her grin.
‘But then there are a hundred men just standing around during the time of love?’
‘Don’t believe that. Can’t you imagine that we women like to have more than just one man in bed?’
‘OK,’ I said meekly, ‘I understand.’
Mara said, ‘You might be interested to know that every man here on Libidos wears a cock ring.’
‘I don’t believe that!’ came out of my mouth spontaneously.
‘Yes, yes, my dear!’ Aria now intervened. ‘We women appreciate it very much because it can be a wonderful adornment and also helps to strengthen male strength. The tradition of the cock ring is thousands of years old. It was taken away from you because open sexuality was eradicated countless generations ago. This is also the reason why you all treat each other so strangely when it comes to closeness and love. Love is for everyone and no one is entitled to another person. Everyone is free, no one is bound. The fact that you wear such a ring shows us your unconscious connection to your unadulterated self.’
‘You’ve already met Aria in your life, by the way. Did you recognize her?’ asked Mara, breaking off the topic.
I went back to our lovemaking in amazement. How did I know this energy, this expert certainty of her touch? Then I remembered.
‘Esperanza!’
‘Exactly,’ Aria confirmed happily. ‘I’m glad you haven’t forgotten me.’
‘You came into my life like an angel and really sweetened my everyday life back in Portugal. That was pretty much the best time of my life. How could I ever forget you? And you disappeared just as quickly as you arrived.’
‘That’s right,’ said Aria. ‘I promised you that right at the beginning. You were too involved with your girlfriend back then for us to stay together forever. I regretted it myself, because I really enjoyed my time with you. You were a wonderful friend and lover.’
I blushed once again. ‘But you were in a different body then,’ I said.
‘I was only merged with Esperanza for a moment to be there for you. She is a wonderful soul who agreed to me taking her lead. She loved it too, as she assured me later.’
I looked at her gratefully and she returned my gaze with a kind smile.
Mara interjected, ‘I suggest we go to the palace now and discuss what happens next. Thank you, Aria, for your wonderful dance and for staying for dinner. Carinda, you’d best retire now. We’ll need you later when you bring Richard back to Kardamyli.’
‘To Agios Nikolaus,’ Carinda corrected her aunt.
* * *
Back in the palace, Mara asked, ‘So, my dear, fire away! You must have countless questions.’
‘Yes, Mara. You still owe me an answer. Why am I here? I would like to know what prompted you to bring me to your island. Firstly, you risk me telling people about you and you being discovered. Secondly, you can obviously communicate with me in other ways without us having to face each other.’
‘You have recognized that well. I will explain it to you. The time has come for something to change on our planet. Your people know this too. Almost everyone suspects it, and many believe in a terrible disaster. This is only natural, because certain powers have spread fear and terror among you for centuries and thus controlled you easily, because those who are receptive to fears are completely manipulable, no matter in which direction. Today, fear and terror are spread by your media. They are the instrument of power of the same force that makes you believe that there will soon be a third world war or that some extreme solar flare could devastate this planet. That's nonsense, of course. Or did you believe it too?’
‘I didn’t believe anything, I just watched with fascination.’
‘Very good, that corresponds exactly to your actual quality. Nevertheless, people do have creative powers. This is not quite so noticeable in the individual, but becomes more apparent when you look at humanity as a collective. Perhaps you are familiar with the attempts to reduce the crime rate by having many people in a city meditate at the same time?’
‘Of course!’
‘Of course, it also works the other way around. Humanity as a collective can actually create its own demise.’
‘Yes, I realize that too. And of course you want to prevent that?’
‘We, Richard, we! Include yourself, my dear! Even if your soul doesn’t come from here. You belong to us now and your job will be to go out in public and show people who they really are. Wake them all up! Do you understand?’
‘That’s easier said than done.’
‘We know that and that’s why you’re here. We want you to write a book about Libidos.’
‘What? Then you want to come out of hiding? I think that’s good!’
‘No, Richard. They won’t find us. You know that. Let them look. It’s much more important that you write down exactly what happens to you here on Libidos. People trust you. We have long since observed that. They trust you because you are authentic and have developed your ego in such a way that it serves you and the cause and does not pursue any self-interest. People sense this on a deeper level. Because people trust you, they will believe your experiences and life connections with us. They will check their own lives for similar phenomena. They will become more aware and therefore more approachable and open to us. That would achieve a great deal.’
‘You mean they’ll eventually realize they’re eagles living among chickens? You think they would hope that we would teach them to fly?’
‘That’s exactly what I mean. To be more precise, I’m not alone in this. This plan is favoured by everyone in Shangri-La, in Antarctica and in the earth’s interior. You don’t even have to be a preacher. We don’t want to proselytize. On the contrary, humankind must free itself from itself. That is its only chance. We can only point the way and provide impetus. However, each individual must do the work for themselves.’
‘And you think we can save the world with the book in which I provide the direction and impetus? Isn’t that a bit naive?’
‘That sounds relatively naive! Admittedly. But you’re overlooking a very important factor.’
‘And that would be?’ Now I was curious.
‘The longing of the human soul. It feels at a dead end, completely lost and irritated. It will sit up and take notice as soon as your book is published. Your words will fall on fertile ground. We are all sure of that.’
‘Do you have any more questions?’ Mara looked at me with interest.
‘Thanks, that’s enough for now. Strong stuff. Oh yes! What role does Swiss Harmony play in all this?’
‘And I thought you would never ask. Swiss Harmony has always been an important company and you have contributed greatly to its good reputation. It fulfils several tasks at once. Firstly, it ensures that more and more people are spared the effects of high-frequency radiation.’
‘Secondly, your company represents the model of future companies. You work credibly and comprehensibly for people and not for profit. You use your company’s funds to raise awareness, conduct research and build trust with people. Above all, it is important to you that everyone who has anything to do with Swiss Harmony is a winner. For the good of the whole.’
‘Thirdly, Swiss Harmony is also something of a reference for you in everything you do. Your company enjoys an impeccable international reputation and this will make it much easier for you to open one or two doors. To summarize: Swiss Harmony represents something like the foundation for your new work. Any questions?’
Mara looked at me sympathetically.
‘You still haven’t told me why I’m here. But I’ve had enough at the moment. Enough information to digest, Mara. Thanks a million!’
‘Not for that, my dear! After all, we are all interested in the earth becoming a loving home for humanity.’
‘Can you promise me that you will then also introduce the time of love for everyone?’
‘You rascal! Now make sure you find Carinda and get back to Kardamyli!’
‘Agios Nikolaus,’ I replied with a broad grin, ‘where is Carinda?’
‘If you think about it, you’ll be able to guess.’ She smiled.
And as I could have guessed. Ten minutes later, I opened the door to her friend’s little house.
Bedtime.
Day 3
Once again, the sky was cloudless and the sea shimmered from deep blue to turquoise in the sunlight. A wonderful sight that I will probably never tire of. I sat at the harbour and kept an eye out for Carinda’s boat. She was going to pick me up here in Kardamyli again today.
When Carinda brought me back yesterday, we were still talking about the abilities of mind reading and mental opening, which enable a complete grasp of other people’s state of being.
‘But you also talk among yourselves. There was a lively conversation among those present at yesterday’s meeting with the Council of Elders. I remember it well,’ I said.
‘When several of us get together, verbal communication is easier, as you might imagine. And we both still talk, although we could have it differently. It’s probably still too new for you. We’ll practise it tomorrow. Now I hope you have a nice evening. I’ll pick you up in Kardamyli tomorrow at ten.’
It was exactly five to ten when I spotted her boat on the horizon. At ten sharp, we stood opposite each other and I greeted her wordlessly. Her smile told me that she understood me. She replied in my head: ‘Today we will communicate all day without words. Do you agree?’ I answered her tonelessly and nodded my head to be on the safe side.
The ten minutes in the boat were entertaining because I had the opportunity to feel my way into Carinda. I asked her permission in my mind beforehand. I expected to receive everything that Carinda’s information field contained in a fraction of a second. Then it would be up to me to take a closer look at the information that resonated most with my own field. That would be pretty easy, I thought, because I expected it to be on top. I realized that I would quickly forget all the other information, I wouldn’t even have the chance to store it because it would be far too extensive.
But I was completely taken aback by what she told me. It was nothing! Her information field was empty! I looked at her questioningly. Had she perhaps closed herself off before? I felt again. No information. What I did feel, however, was silence, which now radiated out to me. I felt balanced, free of thoughts, wishes, expectations or questions. I was completely at peace and at rest within myself. At the same time, I was wide awake and aware of everything that was happening around me. I heard the splashing that our boat was making in the open sea. I felt the wind on my face and I noticed that Carinda was looking at me.
‘That’s my state of being,’ I received her thoughts. ‘This is what it looks like most of the time for all people on Libidos. We are free from memories of past events, free from fears and worries, free from thoughts of the future. We have not crammed our consciousness with knowledge. Our individual personality, what you call the ego, only serves us when we want to use it consciously.’
‘Not stuffed with knowledge? Are you saying that you didn’t go to school and didn’t have an education? Didn’t you study?’ I sent her a mental message.
‘Why should I learn? All the knowledge in the world is already available in the information field. We just need to tap into it. We just teach our children how to get the right answers with precise, targeted questions.’
I was impressed. Could it really be the case that we also have access to the collective information field and that any kind of study is actually superfluous?
‘It’s not fundamentally superfluous,’ Carinda interrupted my thoughts. ‘Imagine that all knowledge must have originally been created by humans or other intelligent beings. Otherwise it couldn’t exist in the field. So if we want to develop further, we need research. Our researchers and great thinkers build on the knowledge that already exists.’
‘What are you researching? Is there anything left for you to research?’
‘Of course!’ she replied. ‘For example, the origin of all life is still not clear. The Big Bang theory you came up with is a joke in our eyes. We are investigating the extent to which what we call God is not an unimaginably loving being who is outside our space-time and builds one world after another, just as artists create one work of art after another. Only that his worlds are much more complex. He creates living beings that evolve in everything that is. We can philosophize more about this later, if you like. Now we have to get out.’
This time I had barely noticed that our boat had already docked in the harbour. We got out together. It occurred to me that this place must have a name.
‘We call this place Triklia. We are in the port of Triklia,’ her answer appeared in my consciousness.
‘How many inhabitants does this place have?’ I thought.
The answer came promptly. ‘About eight hundred people live here. Triklia is the largest village in Libidos. There is another smaller village with a hundred inhabitants. The others live scattered all over the island. They take care of the agriculture and thus also provide for us here in Triklia.’
I wondered how many would live in Shangri-La, Antarctica and the Hollow Earth, and then I had the answer.
‘Shangri-La has only three hundred inhabitants, whereas Antarctica is inhabited by around one hundred and twenty thousand people, while several million of us live in the interior of the earth.’
* * *
We reached the palace.
Kerstin was waiting for us at the entrance. ‘Nice to see you again, Richard! I’ve been instructed to take you to the Council of Elders.’
Carinda said goodbye to me with a warm hug and went back to the village.
I followed Kerstin. We didn’t go into the palace as I had expected, but walked along its left side until we came to a tall outbuilding. Here again were the magical doors that vanished into thin air as we approached.
‘Are these actually holograms?’ I asked Kerstin.
‘They are actually permanent openings. They are closed by a force field with a virtual outer structure that adapts to the surroundings.’
It was obvious and so simple.
As soon as the hologram had dissolved, I thought I was in the canteen of the Starship Enterprise. There were usually two people sitting together at simple tables and chairs, wordlessly with a cup in their hand, while others were chatting audibly.
‘It’s just like the Enterprise!’ I exclaimed in amazement. ‘You’ve recreated it exactly!’
‘No, Richard,’ Kerstin replied, ‘this cafeteria has been around for five hundred years.’ She grinned at me.
‘That can’t be true!’ I objected, but then my doorbell rang. ‘Wait a minute! Then it can only be that you influenced the designers of Star Trek.’
‘Something like that, Richard.’ Kerstin looked at me mischievously. ‘The chief designer of Star Trek is one of us. Wait until they explain it to you later.’
An older gentleman stood next to us and irritated me because he seemed to be listening to us. However, with short black hair and a trimmed beard, he radiated confidence and security. Kerstin turned to him and when he noticed that we were paying attention to him, he also moved.
‘Hello, Kerstin, give me a hug!’ They hugged each other. Then he shook my hand and said, ‘And you’re Richard! My name is Stratus. We both had the pleasure of meeting the night before last.’
Kerstin blew me a kiss on the cheek and whispered in my ear, ‘I’m going to get us a coffee.’ Then she was already gone.
I focused on Stratus again and asked, ‘You’re Stratus who told me about Shangri-La and Atlantis? That was pretty crazy. If Carinda hadn’t confirmed to me yesterday morning that our conversation really happened, I’d still be unsure.’
He laughed and put his arm around me.
‘Come on, let me introduce you to our chairman.’
Together we walked to the table where people were chatting animatedly. At the same moment, someone stood up and looked at us kindly.
Stratus walked up to him. ‘Korius, this is Richard. I understand he’s a Star Trek connoisseur.’
Korius laughed and shook my hand.
‘We are delighted that you are here with us today, Richard,’ Korius greeted me. His facial features showed deep wrinkles that suggested a lifetime of joys rather than sorrows. His dark blue robe reached down to his feet. His long white beard hinted at old age, although he seemed anything but old and frail.
Kerstin interrupted and handed me a mug of coffee. ‘With coffee cream and no sugar,’ she informed me with a smile. I nodded gratefully at her.
‘Come on, Richard,’ Korius urged me, ‘it’s time we went to the meeting room. We start in a few minutes. You can take your coffee with you.’
A passageway opened up along one of the walls, leading us into a large meeting room. A comfortable row of armchairs stood in a semicircle in front of a glass wall about ten metres away, offering a breathtaking view of the island’s poignant beauty. Korius assigned two chairs to Kerstin and me and we sat down.
Fascinated, I enjoyed the view of the island and the vast sea. I sipped my coffee and wondered how Kerstin knew how I liked to drink my coffee. ‘Quite simply, Richard, I asked your field. You know here on Libidos we’re always just a thought away from each other.’ I turned my head and looked straight into her bright eyes.
Korius now stood in the middle of the semicircle so that he could see all the council members. His physical size, he must have measured 190, was only surpassed by the power of his charisma.
‘Tell me, how old is Korius anyway?’ I asked Kerstin quietly. ‘No one knows exactly. We estimate him to be three hundred. He has chaired the Council of Elders for more than eighty years,’ she replied just as quietly.
He began in a sonorous voice, ‘Dear council members, welcome to today’s council meeting! Today we have a very special guest among us, Richard Neubersch. You already know his origins and background from the information we have sent you.’
He paused briefly to make sure that those present were in agreement.
‘Richard, all of us in the room welcome you from the bottom of our hearts. This is our weekly meeting and you are the first guest who is not an Archican. This will go down in our history books as a historic moment. Today we want to give you an insight into our work. We want you to get an idea of the efforts that are necessary to keep the living conditions on this planet in balance.’
He looked at me in anticipation and I nodded to him with interest.
‘You already know that we are not the only ones who have taken on this task. Nevertheless, Libidos plays a very special role, because this is where all activities are coordinated centrally, regardless of whether they are carried out by our brothers and sisters in Shangri-La, Atlantis or Asgard in the earth’s interior.’
He waited a moment as if to make sure I understood the meaning of what he was saying.
‘In the past, we Archicans have made a significant contribution to preventing political conflicts and crises from escalating. There have been too many to list them all now. You must have been surprised that North Korea did a 180-degree turn in its dispute with Trump. It’s also down to us that the very serious animosity between the US and China has remained relatively calm to this day. In the latter case, it is because our Asgard forces had destroyed the warheads of the most dangerous missiles in the countries concerned. This is not officially known to you, but it is a fact that has caused great uncertainty in the respective governments. There is nervousness and fear on all fronts and no one dares to initiate military action.’
The glass wall in front of us suddenly changed. The view of the island disappeared and instead a video appeared in which a senior American officer officially reported that, inexplicably, all the nuclear warheads at various locations in the US had been destroyed by unknown missiles in a matter of seconds.
‘I know the video,’ I remarked. ‘There’s a longer educational film that shows this excerpt.’
‘You mean Above Majestic, my friend. We know you’ve seen it because Nicholas made it happen. What’s more, we were heavily involved in the production of the movie. Indirectly, of course, and unrecognizable to you. But if you were to talk to David Wilcock and have him tell you how this film came about and how it made its way to the public, you would immediately recognize our signature. After all, you know it from your own life.’ Korius grinned.
I said, ‘Then we certainly have you to thank for the fact that we can soon expect many people to be arrested in the US.’
‘You mean the sealed indictments mentioned in the same movie? Yes, that’s right. It won’t be long now.’
Korius cleared his throat and then continued, ‘Now I would like to introduce you to Saladin. He is the main coordinator and can explain to you how this coordination works in practice. Saladin, if you could please …’
He didn’t finish the sentence and looked at a man who rose from one of the armchairs and came towards him.
Korius left the centre, which Saladin now took over.
He looked at me and seemed to be waiting. Then asked, ‘Do you recognize me, Richard?’
‘No,’ I said, puzzled.
Why would I recognize him? I took a closer look. He looked to be about forty years old, wore a grey jumpsuit with long sleeves and was barefoot. His blonde hair hung loosely down to his shoulders and occasional strands covered his face. He reminded me of pictures from the ’60s. What did they call those carefree young people back then? Hippies.
‘Remember Amsterdam!’ Saladin helped me.
‘John Trautwein?’ I asked incredulously.
‘Bingo!’ he exclaimed delightedly. ‘Back then, I accompanied you on your first experience with marijuana. Can you still remember what I was looking for?’
‘Sure!’ I said without hesitation. ‘I’ll never forget that! I remember the best piece of meat I’ve ever eaten. Prime ribs at the Sonesta Hotel in Amsterdam. We were in high spirits on the way back to your place. And then we got stoned. We laughed even more and couldn’t stop until you flipped the switch and got sad. Your mood immediately spread to me too. I became infinitely sad and when you realized that I was crying, you became happy again and my sadness disappeared. We were laughing again in no time. That was phenomenal.’
‘Yes,’ Saladin interjected, ‘and I remember that your inner observer was always present, no matter what mood you were in. That impressed me.’
‘Exactly! And that was the only reason I could see crystal clear how you had deliberately triggered my mood swings. Images from my life emerged that made me realize how I had been manipulated by various people. Suddenly, I could clearly see their hidden agendas and from that moment on, I was able to perceive any form of manipulation from the very beginning. Saladin, you have given me an invaluable gift. Thank you!’
‘Very good,’ replied Saladin with satisfaction. ‘That was exactly my mission. Good to see you again!’
‘But you looked different back then,’ I interjected.
‘That’s true, of course. Sometimes we have to use different people who are available, as in her case.’ He pointed at Kerstin. ‘There are many who are willing to support us in their dreams.’
‘Now then,’ he continued, ‘let’s talk about our coordination centre. Here on Libidos we have our pyramid, which you’ve already seen. That’s where the central coordination room is located. This is important because only in the pyramid are we able to receive and mentally process several scenarios at the same time, in “real time”, so to speak. We can also intervene directly from there if we deem it necessary.’
‘Multitasking,’ I added to show that I fully understood.
‘That’s right! But we are not only connected to the headquarters of our brothers and sisters. We are even represented in the most important government bodies on earth and therefore know their agenda.’
‘And how do you do that?’ I interrupted him.
‘We have smuggled real Archicans into your world and positioned them skilfully.’
‘But are they really useful to you there? Aren’t the politicians just puppets of larger power interests?’ I wanted to know.
‘Very good, Richard! You are well informed. We didn’t expect any different, otherwise you wouldn’t be here,’ Saladin replied. ‘These power interests, as you call them, are pursued by individual, influential families and lodges. We know them all and have infiltrated the most important ones. In other words: no one but us here on Libidos has a complete view of the dynamics that influence life on earth. And that is urgently needed and indispensable for our task.’
‘What significance does exposing paedophilia have for your job? Do you have anything to do with it?’ I asked meaningfully.
‘Yes, we have. Paedophilia is one of the most disgusting manifestations of human cruelty. The term comes from ancient Greece. There, however, paedophilia had nothing to do with abuse, but was something like a school of life, which also included sexuality. In those days, a boy’s parents were proud when a respected gentleman from good society adopted their child. It was almost like adoption. We are not sure whether the ancient Greeks were actually that noble. Today, the term stands for the exact opposite. Babies and children are abused in the cruellest and most perverse ways and children are murdered in the oh-so-honourable lodges because their innocent blood is indispensable for their rituals. We are constantly striving to ensure that such cases come to light and that those responsible are exposed. As they belong to the circles that completely dominate you, it takes tact and sophisticated long-term strategies to weaken and expose them more and more over time.’
‘You think long term,’ I said, admiring his comments.
‘Time is irrelevant here. Time is an illusion anyway. We can handle it like a rubber band. It can be stretched, bent and also accelerated again, and all very precisely.’
‘How?’ I wanted to know.
‘That will come later, Richard,’ replied Saladin. ‘We’d be getting bogged down with that topic now. Let’s talk about your mobile phone instead.’
‘You mean on 5G?’ I interrupted him.
‘Well, what you are already using today is already destructive enough for you humans. The true extent of mobile communications will only be revealed to you in the third generation, if such a generation should ever come about.’
‘You mean that men’s sperm quality is declining just as rapidly as women’s fertility?’
‘Yes, that’s the problem that you’re not aware of at the moment, although there are enough warnings about it. With 5G and what is planned after that, this development will accelerate rapidly. In fact, mobile communications as you operate it today should be abolished immediately.’
‘That’s an impossibility,’ I interjected. ‘People would take to the streets if they could no longer make phone calls, send WhatsApp messages or surf the Internet.’
‘That is precisely the perfidious thing about this industry. It creates dependencies and thus ensures that people erase themselves.’
Korius stood up and spoke.
‘Thank you very much, Saladin! I think that’s enough for today. The time of love is approaching.’
Turning to me, he said, ‘My dear friend, our council member Kerstin would like to whisk you away to one of the side rooms for the occasion.’
He gave me a friendly smile and I saw Kerstin stand up behind him and walk towards me.
Now everyone else stood up and disappeared into invisible side rooms. Kerstin stood in front of me with a charming smile and held out her hand. She was already showing the first signs of that charisma that makes every man fall for her. Michelangelo, however, would probably have refused to paint her because she was slender as a willow. The power of her charisma, however, was anything but slender.
I liked these services on Libidos!
An hour later, we were sitting alone at a small table, where two bowls of the porridge I had eaten on the first day were already waiting for us. It tasted delicious and I scooped it up with a big appetite.
Kerstin looked at me and chuckled.
‘It was a difficult situation with us back then, don’t you think?’ she began. ‘So I thought it was all the nicer that we were finally able to get together today. Back then, it would have been impossible.’
‘Yes,’ I replied. ‘Do you have any idea how I suffered because you went off with my best friend and told me every detail afterwards?’
She looked at me sympathetically. ‘Yes, I think so, but it did me good to tell you everything. You were more than just my boss back then. Somehow you were also my best friend. I had a lot of trust in you.’
‘If I hadn’t been married back then, I would have courted you. I wouldn’t have been stupid enough to give my best friend free rein.’
‘Yes,’ Kerstin confirmed, ‘I felt that too. But surely you know by now what my role was in this drama, don’t you? At least in relation to you. I also had a very important role in your boyfriend’s life.’
‘I realize that,’ I replied, ‘you made the last years of his short life as pleasant as possible. And as for me, I can only guess.’
I paused for a moment to remember.
‘What I was able to gain from this drama was a mantra: don’t act, just feel. And what I felt above all was the deep pain of heartbreak. But I enjoyed it, as perverse as it may sound. I wallowed in self-pity, savoured it to the fullest.’
‘And what was the gain?’
‘The first benefit was that this mantra saved me from courting you after all. After that, it never left me again and has since enabled me to experience life’s events from an inner perspective.’
‘Exactly! That was my mission accomplished. Do you understand that?’
I thought about it for a moment and understood. ‘Yes, I think so. Thank you, Kerstin! I hadn’t thought about it like that before. But it makes a lot of sense.’
She stood up and pulled me up to her. We hugged each other. She looked into my eyes for a long time and then said, ‘I was in love with you back then too. That’s why it was very important to me to enjoy this time of love with you today. Thank you for that!’
She kissed me tenderly and disappeared from my arms before I could think clearly again.
She was in love with me too! That was the best news of all. She had never let on.
Carinda suddenly stood in the doorway and greeted us in a friendly manner. ‘Richard, we want to give you a little insight into our daily life this afternoon. I would like to invite you to our village. There you will get to know the man who has the same function as your mayor. Will you come with us?’
‘Yes, of course! I’d love to!’ I replied and together we walked back along the path past the palace into the city. The sun was shining and there was absolutely no wind. Birds chirped cheerfully around us and the most colourful butterflies seemed to accompany us on our way.
‘Here we are,’ said Carinda as we stopped in front of one of the pyramid-shaped houses. It was bigger than the others and stood in the middle of a square that probably marked the centre of the village.
‘Let’s go inside,’ she said and pulled me through the dissolving front door. Inside, it was much brighter than Carinda’s friend’s house. I looked up to look for an explanation, but I couldn’t find any windows or other openings that served as a source of light.
‘We do things differently with the light than you do,’ Carinda explained. Only now did I realize that we had been communicating verbally again since midday. But of course she knew what I was thinking at all times. ‘We have found a way to create a force field in which something like photon radiation can be generated. Billions of tiny photons are stimulated in their natural oscillation, which increases their glow. We can change the intensity as we wish. It’s as simple as that.’
I’d never heard of that before. In my mind, I wondered how this could be possible. What kind of force field could it be?
Carinda had received my questions and explained: ‘This technology is already waiting for you and will be available for you to use as soon as conditions on earth have changed for the better. As long as your society is still dominated by your exploiters, it is of course not possible, because they would immediately take ownership of this technology and withhold it from you. Even if they did decide to let you have a share, it would only be to collect a lot of money in return. In this game, you would always be the losers.’
‘Is this technology expensive?’ I wanted to know.
‘No, it doesn’t cost any money. Energy is available everywhere in abundance, like the air we breathe. That’s why force fields, which are nothing more than bundled and directed energy, are completely free. Know-how and the power of thought make the difference here.’
‘What do you mean by the power of thought? Do I have to think the force field?’
‘You just have to realize that thoughts underlie everything that is. Thoughts can confuse and distract us if we are not mindful. They drift through our minds like clouds in the sky and often take the form of worries and fears. Of course, this does not apply to every thought. Nevertheless, every thought that we pay attention to has an effect. We have the choice to let them drift away like clouds or to pick them up. However, we also have the ability to shape our own thoughts, align them and reinforce them with feelings. At such moments, they take on a creative quality and have an effect.’
‘We do that all the time when we’re worried or want something,’ I replied.
‘Of course, but the question is whether these worries or desires arise from self-conscious thinking or are the result of unconscious processes. The quality of your thinking determines whether you feel like a perpetrator or a victim of your fate.’
She paused for a moment, then added, ‘Don’t underestimate my words, because I’ve just taught you one of the most fundamental pieces of wisdom in our society.’
‘Thank you, Carinda! Some of our gurus and success coaches say the same thing,’ I interjected.
‘Yes, they do. But they leave you alone with this knowledge. This is where the real work begins. Do they show you how and where you can train your power of thought? Do they show you in which situations the effect of targeted thoughts is most effective? Do they explain to you what basic requirements you need to fulfil first in order for it to work at all? Of course not, because they don’t know themselves. And those who have mastered it may never have thought about the most important basic requirement. For them, it’s nothing special.’
‘I don’t understand that. What are you getting at?’
‘Imagine a bricklayer plastering a house. He takes the full trowel from the trough and throws the spit on to the wall with ease. The spit sticks. Immediately the second trowel comes and the third and in a few hours a whole house wall is plastered.’
‘You’re using an example from my own life,’ I said. ‘As a teenager, I worked as an assistant on a building site during the vacations. How could you possibly know what I experienced back then?’
I was maybe seventeen years old at the time and worked as a handyman on my father’s building site during the summer vacations. I watched him plaster a wall and said, ‘That’s easy.’
He then put the trowel in my hand and just said, ‘Do it!’ I followed his example. But much to my astonishment, the food didn’t stick to the wall but fell off. I tried again and threw it against the bricks with more force. It still fell off. I repeated it a few more times and looked at my grinning father in amazement. ‘It just takes a bit more, son,’ he said.
Carinda had sat down in one of the five armchairs that were decoratively arranged in the middle of the room. I sat down to her left while she said, ‘We can look at every scene of your life, Richard. Everything you’ve experienced is stored in the information field.’
‘And you just watch that? Are you even allowed to do that? Don’t you have any data protection?’ I asked angrily.
‘Every person’s life is stored in their personal morphogenetic field and only those who have been authorized to do so have access to it. This would be the case for you during a family constellation seminar, for example, if a participant asked you to represent her father. At that moment, you are assigned and connected. You have actually become her father in terms of content and can give her valuable information. Even if you go to an astrologer, a fortune teller or a medium, you are indirectly giving them the task of tapping information from your field.’
I said, ‘But you haven’t received an order from me.’
‘Not from you, but from your fellow species, who have commissioned us to look after you. Before your incarnation, you agreed to allow them to intervene and correct your life path here on earth if it should become necessary to ensure the success of your mission.’
‘How can you be so sure?’ I asked Carinda.
‘Your people have sent us the scene in which you expressly gave your consent.’
‘But I must have looked completely different in this scene because it was before this incarnation. You couldn’t have known it was me,’ I interjected suspiciously.
‘It wasn’t a video, my dear, but a frequency signature that resonates with your current incarnation,’ was her reply.
‘This is getting crazier and crazier. How were you supposed to be able to recognize anything?’
‘Now you’re making the mistake again of being too strongly attached to the space-time dimension. There are dimensions that go beyond this. Information fields are located in the next four dimensions up. Can’t you imagine that these are also stored and can be accessed by us? Take a closer look! We all use these dimensions all the time, just in different contexts.’
Why did I always forget these other dimensions? I was annoyed with myself and replied contritely, ‘Yes, now that you’ve said it, I realize it too. I’ve realized it. Thank you, Carinda!’
‘Carinda! There you are! Sorry I’m late. I had an urgent matter to deal with.’
Startled, I looked towards the entrance. A young man came running towards us in a hurry. I think the opening and closing of doors should be audible. Carinda got up and went to meet him and said, ‘Kamios! Greetings! May I introduce you to Richard? I’m sure you’ve already heard of him.’
‘How do you do, Richard? My real name is Kamiostros, but everyone calls me Kamios. Welcome to our village!’
‘Thank you,’ I replied and took his hand, which he held out to me in a friendly manner.
Kamios sat down in the armchair to Carinda’s right and I watched as his whole body visibly relaxed. The expression of haste disappeared from his face and his charisma changed noticeably. Now he had really arrived and looked at me kindly.
‘What do you want to know, Richard? Carinda told me that you’re very inquisitive. So, fire away!’
I asked, ‘Carinda says you’re something like a mayor. I can hardly imagine that, because you don’t seem to be older than thirty.’
Kamios laughed out loud.
‘Thank you, my dear! But you’re completely wrong. My real age is one hundred and sixty-eight. I’ve been looking after this village for forty-four years now. But I’m still not the oldest person in the village. There are many older residents who are several hundred years old. They call me a curator. That means that my job is to look after the interests of the residents and represent the interests of the village and its inhabitants. In this respect, mayor is probably the most appropriate title.’
‘And what are these concerns and interests? You are much more highly developed than the rest of humanity. You live in harmony with the divine order. How can concerns still be raised with you?’
‘Good question!’ said Kamios. ‘Actually, that shouldn’t happen anymore, but we’re not talking about interpersonal conflicts like you have in your society. There are other issues here, such as reproduction or work on the infrastructure of Triklia.’
‘Procreation? I was wondering how it could be that a community several thousand years old like yours could only have a little over a thousand souls,’ I remarked.
‘Yes, that seems unusual, doesn’t it? There have always been the same number of inhabitants on this island. You probably already know that we can determine our own age and many of us are already very old. You can’t tell by looking at them, as you’ve already noticed with me. We are also still fully fertile even in old age. That’s why we had to find rules to avoid a population explosion.’
Kamios looked at me ambiguously, as if he was waiting for a reaction from me. But I was actually just curious to hear what the rule was. Did the divine order even have rules?
‘That’s exactly the question I was waiting for!’ Kamios said happily. Of course, he could read minds, after all.
I grinned at him. ‘Isn’t that a fair question?’
‘Absolutely,’ he replied. ‘If you understand divine order to mean that you are not allowed to change it, you would have to ask yourself that. But what does divine order mean? Isn’t it pure love? Is it not the force that sustains and constitutes all life? We humans have free will, which in your society has of course completely degenerated and is constantly misused in the pursuit of selfish goals. In our community, we use our free will for the good of the whole and make sure that the omnipresent love remains recognizable.’
‘Are you saying that your rule, which I’m very excited about, makes everyone involved a winner?’ I asked a little provocatively.
‘That’s exactly how it is. Back then, it was in the field before it was introduced so that everyone could come to grips with it. At the same time, we explained our reasons in great detail and also emphasized the benefits it would bring to our community. Each of us had the opportunity to veto it at the time. Because no veto was received, we introduced it.’
‘Now I’m really excited,’ I said impatiently.
‘The rule to this day is that a child may only be conceived if one of the residents decides to give up their physical life.’
This surprised me and it took me a moment to reply: ‘That’s interesting! Doesn’t that open the door to unethical behaviour? People could be driven to their deaths through skilful manipulation. And besides, which couple is the lucky one who gets to give birth to and raise a child?’
‘We haven’t told you anything about our social order, my friend. You’re asking these questions because you only know your social structures. Things are a little different here. In fact, it’s completely different,’ Kamios explained. ‘Take marriage, for example. We don’t know anything like that here. On this island, every inhabitant has their own house, where they usually live on their own.’
‘How boring! I prefer to have a woman in bed and I like to snuggle up to her at night,’ I interrupted him.
Kamios conceded, ‘There are of course exceptions here too, if two people want to live together for a longer period of time.’
Kamios grinned and then continued seriously: ‘Forgive me if I get a little personal now. Think about why you live alone. Well, you’ve been married three times and are now single. Your close friendship with Alexandra is more of a long-distance relationship. Take a closer look! What do you think? Isn’t it the case that you live alone today because it makes you feel better and freer?’
By now I was no longer surprised that he also knew every detail of my life. I replied thoughtfully, ‘I’ve never thought of it like that before.’
‘Let me explain it to you another way,’ Kamios added, leaning back in his chair. ‘When you realized many years ago that you do not live separate from God, but on the contrary that he permeates your entire self down to the smallest cell, you became free of fear. What should make you afraid now that you have realized who you really are? You are getting better and better at gratefully accepting what life gives you. That makes you free from needs, my friend. Your gratitude for the gifts of life, for the celebration of life, lifts you vibrationally into higher frequency ranges and there are no more needs here.’
I felt completely recognized by him and just nodded.
He continued, ‘Like you, it’s the same for all of us here. We don’t need each other to fulfil each other’s needs. Everyone is enough on their own to go through life completely fulfilled. So the desire to have children is no longer emotionally charged. Sexuality in love takes place at every turn, as you may have already experienced yourself. For us, the time of love is worship in its highest form. Outside of this ritual, we are still fully aware of our sexuality. You have to understand that there are no taboos with us. The only thing that counts is that two people agree in the field. The willingness to have sex is latent in all of us. We are also natural beings, like our animals, and why should we control our animalistic behaviour? We don’t think we are better than you. You can see for yourself what this attitude has led to. Prostitution, the porn industry, paedophilia, human trafficking, frustration and violence in relationships and so much more.’
Kamios gave me time to process his words. They were working like crazy inside me. I could see my old concepts competing with this new approach.
Finally, I claimed, ‘You’re making sexuality the main thing in your society.’
‘Exactly!’ was his brief reply. He looked at me challengingly.
‘So you only think about sex?’
‘Nonsense!’ he exclaimed. ‘We don’t think about sex any more than we think about food, because there’s plenty of both here. Besides, have you forgotten? We only think when we want to. First and foremost, we are pure being. In English, it’s called “human beings”. That’s exactly what we are. Neither “human doings” nor “human thinkings”. Thought power is a tool that should be used in a disciplined way.’
‘Yes, but how does a sexual encounter come about?’ I asked.
‘Our bodies regulate this autonomously from our minds. Well, our ritual is based on our beliefs. Outside of this, it is our bodies that resonate with people of the opposite sex. As soon as we feel this vibration, there is a mutual mental alignment and we are already in agreement. This also applies to the quality of the encounter.’
‘The quality of the encounter?’ I repeated thoughtfully.
‘Yes, current tendencies are quickly exchanged in the mental field, which are generally always compatible with each other, otherwise the bodies would not resonate.’
‘Phenomenal!’ I could only marvel.
‘That is indeed the case,’ said Kamios. ‘But let’s come back to the rule. Because things are the way they are in our community, there is no such thing as the desire to have children. That’s why the elderly among us can live in peace and don’t have to worry about making room for a young soul. But if they want to leave, they tell me their decision and then my work begins.’
‘What work? Are you going to father the next child?’
OK, that was a bit cynical.
He laughed.
‘No, my job is to identify the two people who will bring the greatest possible benefit to the community with their offspring.’
‘What now?’ I interrupted him again. ‘Are you keeping a record of the intelligence quotient and good deeds of your residents?’
‘You are still thinking with the consciousnesses of your society. It’s time you discarded them quickly, because they don’t serve you. They have never served you,’ Kamios said sternly.
‘I’m constantly making an effort, Kamios. But in situations that take me away, my inner mindfulness weakens. What you’re telling me here is really knocking me for a loop. I still have to process it.’
Kamios was very sympathetic and said, ‘No offence, my friend! We don’t keep lists on Libidos. Nobody is judged here. Everyone is allowed to be who they are and live as they wish. The only rule is not to act selfishly and to stay in love.’
‘The choice of parents for this new child is made in coordination with the souls in the intermediate world. There are sometimes souls here who have to be incarnated quickly in order to be available in time for certain tasks. I then match their soul signature with those of our community, and it quickly becomes clear who I can invite to give birth to a child.’
‘Do you ever encounter rejection? After all, their lives change drastically when they suddenly become a family.’
‘No, Richard, that never happens, because the parents’ lives don’t really change. The newborn is lovingly embraced and breastfed by a wet nurse immediately after birth. For the next five years of its life, the child remains in constant physical contact with its wet nurse. I know what you’re thinking now. You think it’s cruel to take the child from the mother. But remember that we don’t know of any desire to have children here. For the mothers, it is natural not to see their child. However, it is always their own decision. If a mother wants to be a wet nurse herself, she will be able to do so. I’m just telling you how things usually work.’
‘And what happens to the child after five years?’ I wanted to know further.
‘It goes to a children’s home. There are children of different ages between five and sixteen living there at the moment. There aren’t many of them, as you can imagine. Here they are being prepared for life. That means we give them the words to express themselves verbally. Their life with the wet nurse was completely non-verbal, as you can imagine. They also receive the training they need to live in harmony with the divine order in the here and now.’
‘Don’t they already do that automatically?’ I asked.
‘In a way, yes. But bear in mind that a false tendency can quickly arise in the individualized self, which strengthens the ego and pushes the divine into the background. This is where the loving guidance of knowledgeable people is needed.’
Carinda spoke up:
‘Kamios, thank you very much for your explanations! Perhaps we can continue this conversation another time. Unfortunately, we have to move on now. Have a nice day!’
I also said goodbye to Kamios and thanked him for his patience with me.
Back on the street, I said to Carinda, ‘I would never have thought that you had such a stark social structure.’
‘And what do you say to that?’ she wanted to know.
‘I suspect that you can be much more balanced overall because you live out your life force, which is sexuality, without inhibitions. Something like that would be unthinkable for us and would be completely misunderstood.’
‘That’s right,’ she said and pulled me into the entrance of a house I didn’t know yet.
It was very pleasant inside. The light was subdued and illuminated a cosy living area that invited you to linger.
I realized Carinda’s thoughts inside me: ‘Let’s try something new, Richard. You’re about to meet Farah. She’s one of my best friends and she’s dying to meet you. Are you ready to love us both?’
At that moment, a female figure came through one of the side walls. She was wearing a wide, turquoise-coloured pantsuit. I noticed immediately that it was transparent. Carinda watched my reaction and nodded with satisfaction. She knew my answer.
* * *
Carinda then took me back to Kardamyli as usual. I was still in a daze from this encounter. Without going into details, I can say that unadulterated, taboo-free sexuality, as it is lived here on Libidos as a matter of course, was a completely new experience for me. It has something liberating about it and somehow makes me whole. Now, on this boat, I felt completely embraced by life, by love. Even though I was still in a strange state of intoxication, I felt more alive than ever before. I was simply happy.
Carinda seemed to notice this and left me completely to it. She looked ahead. I followed her gaze and for the first time consciously saw Taygetos from the sea. Its majestic pyramid peak shone orange in the light of the setting sun. What a sight!
When we docked in the harbour a few minutes later, Carinda snuggled up to me to say goodbye. Then she looked up at me and her eyes said, ‘Go with God, my beloved!’
I reluctantly detached myself from her and walked slowly towards my car. ‘My beloved,’ she said. That made my heart happy. Had she fallen in love with me? That wouldn’t correspond at all with what I’d been told about life on Libidos. There was no such thing as romantic, exclusive love there. I understood that everyone loved everyone else there.
What if she actually fell in love with me?
‘You idiot!’ I now heard Carinda’s voice in my head. ‘Of course I’m not in love with you! It’s much more than that. I love you! Just like God loves you. Do you understand now?’
I realized that my ego had taken over for a moment and would have liked to believe that I was special to her.
‘Thank you, Carinda! I understand you and I love you too!’ I sent her my reply back.
* * *
I drove home at a leisurely pace and enjoyed the beautiful coastal road to Rigklia, which allowed a last glimpse of the darkening sea here and there. It was already later than in the days before. The sun had already set and only a few clouds on the far horizon were still emitting their light in shades of pink.
Back at home, I grabbed some red wine and cheese and sat on the terrace for a moment. Three stationary oil tankers shone in the distance, as they do every evening, and the first lights of a few houses could already be seen directly in front of me.
I remembered a little wistfully the silence that I enjoyed so much during the winter and spring months in Greece. Now was the time of the cicadas, thousands of which tirelessly hurled their rhythmic song into the approaching night.
Like a warning mantra, it led me into the deepest areas of my inner world. How could my ego come back to me so quickly after such an enlightening day in an atmosphere of absolute selflessness? I was barely off the boat and immediately felt special because Carinda called me lover. She gave me the receipt immediately. ‘You dumbass!’ That’s exactly how I felt now. I could feel how embarrassed I was and felt ashamed.
Thoughtfully, I made my way to bed.
Day 4
The next morning, I poured myself a strong coffee, ate some toast and sat thoughtfully on my terrace, which was still completely in the shade. The sun was not yet high enough to feel its warming morning light, but was already casting its golden rays on the silvery green world of the olive tree-drenched coastal landscape. Behind it, majestic and calming, was the nearby sea, which today was a deep blue.
Would Carinda get in touch soon?
‘Yes, here I am, Richard. Can you be at the harbour in an hour?’
The thought transmission method worked perfectly. I sent her a clear yes.
With my next sip of coffee, I remembered that Carinda might have overheard my thoughts from the night before. I decided to ask her.
‘Of course I’ve been following your inner workings, my dear,’ came the prompt reply. ‘That’s why you’re going to spend time today with a woman you would probably call a psychologist in your world.’
‘What now? Has that made me a case for a shrink?’ I wanted to know.
Carinda must have laughed, because a feeling of lightness flowed through me. ‘No, don’t worry! That was a joke. She’s just going to give you a few ideas to help you better understand the fatal dynamic between the sexes in your society.’
When I arrived at the harbour, she was already waiting for me. Today she was wearing white jeans with a blue blouse. We hugged and jumped into the boat, which immediately picked up speed.
‘Carinda, I’m not so sure I like the fact that you can listen in on my every thought. Where’s my privacy in that?’
‘It’s not just me who can do this, but everyone on Libidos with whom you’ve had an exchange. As soon as you come into contact with a person, a connection is created. Your physicists call this entanglement. From that moment on, you can communicate in spirit.’
‘So Mara could have overheard everything too?’
‘Of course, like everyone else you’ve met.’
‘Wait a minute!’ A light suddenly dawned on me. ‘Does that mean that I can also know what Mara is thinking right now?’
‘You can certainly find out what the people you already know are thinking at the moment if you focus on them with the right intention. Yes. But Mara won’t allow it for obvious reasons.’
‘That makes sense. You explained to me the day before yesterday how you can protect yourself from being bugged.’
Carinda laughed. ‘I understand that you call it that, but it’s not. Every thought, every word, every feeling is part of the information field that surrounds us all at the very moment it arises. The information field does not distinguish which information is accessible to whom. It is simply there, just like sunlight. If you want to go out into the sun, you go outside and make sure that you are not standing in the shade. It’s similar with information. You just have to resonate with a person or a place if you want to know something.’
‘How insightful!’ I admired. ‘So it’s not eavesdropping, it’s participating.’
‘Exactly,’ Carinda confirmed and smiled at me.
We approached the harbour and I recognized Notos, who was already waiting for us.
He took us to a small village on the south side of the island. There were only a few houses here on a shallow slope that stretched down to the sea.
‘Where are we?’ I asked.
‘The place is called Terala. A lot of individualists live here, like artists, philosophers and so on,’ Carinda replied.
Here, too, I recognized the same building style as in Triklia. But the houses were further apart. There were no paved paths here. The area around the houses was completely natural.
‘We’re here,’ Carinda said, pointing to a small pyramid about twenty metres away. ‘You have to go to the house on your own and knock. Then the door will be opened for you. Let yourself be surprised! When the time comes, I’ll come back for you.’
‘I don’t understand that. Why do I have to go to the house alone?’
She gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, ‘Because you’re showing that you’re coming to her voluntarily.’
And she floated away.
* * *
With mixed feelings of uncertainty and anticipation, I made my way back to the house and knocked.
Nothing.
I knocked again.
‘You must be Richard.’
I was startled because the voice wasn’t coming from the house, but was right behind me. I turned around and just an arm’s length away stood a woman in her forties. How could it be that I hadn’t heard her coming? I must have been very taken aback, because she grinned and said, ‘Did I scare you? You didn’t hear me, did you?’
‘Yes, that’s right! I was expecting you to open the door from the inside, so I listened for footsteps in the house.’
‘You can call me Vesna! So stop being so formal! Have you forgotten that we’re on first-name terms here?’
Her demeanour and the way she spoke unsettled me. There was no trace of the affectionate quality I knew from Carinda. I stammered irritably, ‘Sure! Sorry!’, which earned me a critical look.
‘You don’t have to apologize for that, Richard.’ She pointed to the front door and said, ‘Let’s go inside!’
The door opened and we entered the interior, which, like most houses in Triklia, consisted of a single room where people slept, cooked and ate. I noticed bundles of various plants and flowers, dried and hanging upside down from the ceiling. A herbal witch then.
‘Sit down!’ she urged me as she went to the stove and filled two cups with a hot drink.
I opted for a chair that gave me a view of the kitchen area. I felt safer because I could see her. How old could she be? In her mid-forties? I remembered that the residents of Libidos can still appear young even in their old age. She certainly looked to be in her mid-forties. Her hair was reddish and hung down to her shoulders in large curls. She wasn’t exactly slim, with correspondingly plump breasts that pushed ostentatiously out of her tight blouse. My gaze lingered on them, fascinated, as she came to the table with the cups.
She sat down opposite me and asked cheekily, ‘Why are you staring at me like that? My breasts must be throwing you off balance, I see. Watch out! I’ll show them to you.’
Before I could think about an appropriate answer, she unbuttoned her blouse and showed me her splendour. She wasn’t wearing a bra. I felt a blush coming on. Embarrassment gripped me.
‘Look closely,’ she urged me, not taking her eyes off me. What did she want from me? I could feel my excitement and was very insecure at the same time because the situation had no sexual overtones. She wasn’t flirting with me. That much was clear to me. She obviously didn’t want to seduce me. So what was going on here? What was going on with me?
She was still looking at me seriously. My gaze shifted from her eyes to her breasts and back again. My speech centre seemed to be on the run.
‘Tell me what’s happening inside you,’ she asked me.
I replied hesitantly and quietly, ‘You already know that, Vesna. You can read me.’
‘I can do that. But you have to recognize it for yourself and say it.’
‘You’re scaring me,’ I began hesitantly. ‘There’s something stirring in my pants, but my feelings are different. I feel provoked because I think I have to say or do something now.’
I faltered. She waited.
‘It’s fear of failure,’ I continued. ‘Yes, I’m afraid that you’ll expect something from me that might overwhelm me and that you’ll end up devouring me, eating me, like the praying mantises do with their mates.’
I paused again. She didn’t say a word. ‘Your breasts are really threatening me. I feel uncomfortable and would like to run away.’
Vesna still had her gaze fixed firmly on my eyes. ‘Exactly,’ she said, ‘you’ve described it well. Keep looking! Is it still threatening for you or is something changing?’
‘Now that I’ve said it, I feel better, but I’m still insecure, irritated and feel afraid.’
Vesna said, ‘Breasts are the first and most familiar thing that a newborn baby normally perceives. What do you think must have happened for you to perceive them as a threat today? You’re not an isolated case, Richard. Most men have the same reaction.’
‘I don’t know. You tell me,’ I replied.
‘No, no! I want you to answer me. Think about it! Feel it! Ask your divine self!’
I turned my gaze away from her and turned my focus inwards. How would I have felt as a baby, lying at my mother’s breast? Small, vulnerable, helpless, hungry, needy, greedy.
I recognized the connections. There was no way I could allow such feelings now, even if they were making themselves known. Was that it? Is it the case that long-forgotten feelings from our earliest childhood are triggered in us men when we see women’s breasts?
‘Speak up, Richard! This is more important than you think!’
I now looked directly at her colossal breasts again.
‘The sight of your breasts triggers in my subconscious what I felt as an infant. I was hungry and greedy for my mother’s breasts. But I also felt helpless, vulnerable and powerless because all I could do at the time was scream. It’s as if I’m experiencing exactly that right now, this paralysis and insecurity, when I look at you. As a baby, I cried when I wanted the breast, but now? Today I suppress my hunger and my greed for tenderness, closeness and nourishment because I don’t want to be vulnerable and powerless.’
‘Very good, my dear! Now I realize why Mara appreciates you so much. You understand quickly. Can you also see how you can resolve this situation for yourself?’
I consciously remained in this inner conflict and thought about it. What would be a natural reaction if I were free of unconscious patterns? Should I tell Vesna how much her breasts appeal to me and let a longing arise in me to touch them, to satisfy my suppressed hunger? I see the fullness before me and want it.
Vesna interrupted me in my inner dialogue, which she could of course follow in her mind. She said in a soft voice that I would not have expected from her, ‘Good, Richard! I understand what you’ve just realized. However, the issue is even more complex. I openly provoked you without having any sexual interest. In everyday life, things are different because hardly any woman would show her breasts out of the blue and without sexual interest. Nevertheless, men notice them, even if they are covered. What do you think? What was going on inside you before I showed them to you?’
I was still staring at her breasts. How I would love to touch them, knead them, suck on them instead of having such deep conversations.
‘That’s it, my dear!’ Vesna grinned mischievously and seductively. ‘You’ve got it. Isn’t it the case that this desire to touch them always arises when you see a woman with attractive breasts?’
She had seen through me! Blushing slightly, I replied, ‘Yes, always!’
She leaned closer to me.
‘Now too?’
‘Yes, even now.’
She demanded of me in a loud voice, ‘Say it!’
I hesitated and then said shyly and quietly, ‘I really want to touch your breasts.’
She, said seriously, ‘I can’t hear you.’
I felt a blush on my face and looked at Vesna, but she fixed my eyes with a serious look.
Then I plucked up all my courage, gave myself a jolt and said, grinning but loudly, ‘I want to touch your breasts!’
Satisfied, Vesna leaned back and said, ‘That’s good, Richard! Now get up and come to me. You can touch them.’
Again I hesitated.
‘What are you waiting for? Come on, touch them!’
A slight panic rose in me. What was she doing to me? I felt my newfound security suddenly disappear. But I stood up and walked around the table to her.
She grabbed my left hand and placed it on her chest. ‘You may,’ she whispered.
I hesitated at first, but then I slowly thawed. My hand took on a life of its own, feeling her soft, smooth skin. I became braver and quickly got busy with both hands. My cock woke up and prepared itself. I pressed my head against her breasts and my mouth found the nipple as if by magic. My inhibitions slipped away. I became more active and more demanding.
‘That’s enough,’ I heard her say. She pushed me aside and buttoned her blouse.
I looked at her disappointedly. What was wrong now? Had I done something wrong? I was frustrated. How could she first invite me and then just stop?
‘Feel your frustration!’ she urged me.
Of course I was frustrated. Not only frustration, but also greed, neediness and anger arose at the same time.
‘Exactly!’ She nodded in confirmation. ‘My blouse is tight now and you have to see where you are. So what are you going to do? What are you going to do with your frustration and anger? Remember what your life has been like so far!’
‘Sport. I did sport. Jogging, fitness, strength training.’
‘It’s called compensating,’ Vesna explained. ‘You had created a kind of substitute for yourself that gave you the opportunity to vent your frustration and anger. That’s a healthy alternative when things aren’t going well in bed. Not everyone does it that way and I know for a fact that you have also chosen less healthy solutions for yourself. Do you know what I’m talking about?’
What was she getting at? Again I thought. Something other than sport? Of course! I hadn’t done any sport often enough, but had remained frustrated. Back then, I regularly got into heated arguments with my wife, which usually ended with me feeling guilty.
‘There you are,’ Vesna remarked, ‘you’ve lived out your feelings far too rarely and turned them against yourself instead. The consequences are always some kind of illness.’
‘And why are you explaining all this to me?’
‘My point is for you to recognize what is the main cause of most conflict in your society. Look, you direct your frustration inwards, but there are other men who direct it outwards. They compensate for their repressed feelings with aggressive behaviour. They project them on to the next best person around them. The result is quarrels, conflicts and ultimately war. The small war between neighbours and the big one between nations.’
Vesna continued, ‘But the most important thing is: in all cases, the people affected become ill because they no longer have any real joy of life left in them. Negative thoughts and feelings poison our cells. Every biochemist knows that. Illness is spreading everywhere in your society. It has become so commonplace that you see it as completely normal and feel like a victim of illness. Do you recognize what is fatal about your society?’
‘And you think all this is just because we men are rejected by women?’
‘Well, we women don’t reject men in principle. But every single sexual refusal can quickly be interpreted by you men as a rejection and the vicious circle begins.’
‘Because women don’t exactly find frustrated men attractive?’ I asked her.
‘That’s the way it is, and women are just as frustrated because frustrated men can’t satisfy them. Illness is therefore the natural consequence for them too.’
That gave me food for thought. She could be right. Sex is the most important thing for us men. There’s no way around it. If we’re denied it, it’s like being denied the breast as a baby. After all, I experienced it first-hand with Vesna just a few minutes ago. We feel rejected. And when this happens more often and a man can no longer be sure when he can live his sexuality with his partner, the frustration becomes the subliminal cause of all kinds of projections. We let off steam on the outside. It doesn’t just affect your partner, but also third parties who often can’t understand what is happening to them.
‘Yes, my sweet, that’s how it works with you and now you realize why we know no conflicts on Libidos. In our society, the primal power of sexuality is elevated to the highest good and nurtured with love. Nobody feels rejected, nobody is frustrated.’
‘Is it really that simple?’
‘See for yourself. Ask every man you meet. You shouldn’t take my word for it, but be able to speak from your own experience. Take yourself as an example. I’m going to ask you a question. Will you answer it honestly?’
‘Of course!’
‘Good, you haven’t had a partner for several years, so you haven’t had sex. Isn’t that right?’
‘Yes.’
‘And I know you’ve had it at least twice a day for the last three days. Are you feeling different now than before?
I didn’t have to think about it for long. ‘Sure, I’m much more balanced, happier, more joyful.’
‘There you have it! Sexuality wants to be lived and if it can be lived freely and fluently, nothing comes to a standstill. But if it is suppressed, unusual tendencies develop that can often lead to perverted behaviour. Can you see now how important it is for us humans to have a vibrant sexuality?’
She slowly unbuttoned her blouse and I looked at her questioningly.
‘Come to bed! Now is the time for love.’
An hour later, I was sitting at the table, grinning broadly and completely exhausted. Vesna was making us something to eat.
I watched her with a feeling of respect and gratitude. She was like a goddess. We didn’t speak a word in bed. It wasn’t necessary anyway, because we could feel each other’s thoughts and feelings inside us. I now realized that it was easier to merge with each other. After all, I had just experienced it very intensely.
Vesna put a bowl of fresh fruit in front of me. Now I was really hungry and I ate with obvious enthusiasm.
Vesna smiled at me.
‘Thank you for coming. I was curious to find out who you are, what you look like, how you love, think, feel and speak. Now I feel very close to you. We have become friends and I wish that you would come to me when something is bothering you. Will you promise me that?’
‘I promise you and I promise myself even more, dear Vesna. You have done me good. Thank you!’
Vesna nodded, beaming.
‘Carinda will be here any minute. I’ve sent her a thought.’
She had barely said it when there was already a knock on the door. It opened and I got up to say goodbye to Vesna.
We hugged for a long time and it felt like an afterglow.
* * *
Outside, Carinda laughed at me and said jokingly, ‘Well, you’re beaming like a Cheshire cat. I suppose your meeting with Vesna was good.’
‘Yes, very good indeed. Who is Vesna anyway?’
‘She’s the island commissioner for sexuality issues,’ Carinda replied.
‘But why do you need something like that? There don’t seem to be any problems here, do there?’ I asked.
‘You would think so, but every now and then things happen that need to be looked at. For example, there was an incident a month ago when two friends met a pretty girl. They immediately felt her physical reactions to them and the girl took them both.’
‘So, what was the problem?’
‘It somehow happened that the girl had given herself more to one of them than to the other. He even claimed that he felt rejected by her. I don’t know what was going on inside her or him, because this kind of thing rarely happens with us. We women like to give ourselves over, even to several men at the same time, if the occasion arises.’ She looked at me, blushing a little.
‘I understand,’ I said and grinned at her.
After Notos had dropped us back in Triklia, Carinda made her way to the curator.
‘Shall we go to the curator?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, he wants to talk to you.’
‘He wants to talk to me? Why?’
‘He wants to tell you that himself.’
I was curious. What was that supposed to be? Did he want to know something about my life in Greece? All he had to do was ask the information field. So it had to be something to do with the future, I thought to myself as we stood in front of his house. The doors were wide open.
‘Ah, Richard!’ Kamios came towards me with open arms. ‘It’s good that you’re here now. I have important things to discuss with you and I’m curious to hear what you have to say. Carinda, because this concerns you too, I ask you to stay.’
Carinda didn’t seem surprised. She sat down on a chair next to me.
‘Would you like something to drink? A fresh elderberry juice? Oh, he who asks, does not give. I’ll get it quickly.’
He was already at the fridge filling three glasses.
I looked at Carinda questioningly. Now I was really curious.
He sat down on one of the chairs opposite us and looked at us happily.
‘Torseus has decided to leave earth. He said that two hundred and thirty-three years is enough. He wants to make room for new life now,’ Kamios began.
‘I see,’ I replied, ‘so this is now one of the rare cases when a child is allowed to be conceived. But why are you telling me this? Do you want to invite me to look over your shoulder as you work? I would be interested in that.’
I looked at Carinda and added, ‘It would be even more interesting if Carinda and I could choose the two lucky ones.’
It was only when I looked at Kamios again that I realized how intensely he was looking into my eyes. His gaze seemed to burn holes in my retinas.
‘What is it?’ I asked, a little irritated because I couldn’t make sense of his behaviour.
Without taking his deep brown eyes off me, he finally said in a meaningful undertone, ‘No, Richard, don’t pick.’ He looked briefly at Carinda, then immediately turned his attention back to my retinas. It seemed to me that he wanted to wait until the penny dropped.
And it fell. I heard it bounce several times as it bounced back again and again, finally coming to rest with a spinning sound. However, my calmness came to an abrupt end and just as suddenly I jumped up and ran back and forth excitedly. I looked wildly at Kamios and then at Carinda, who looked at me worriedly.
I thought I could feel my heartbeat pulsing throughout my head and heard it in my ears. I was shocked and now I was speechless. My brain was blocked because too many thoughts were flooding in at the same time and fighting for attention. Mental overload!
I sat down again and now it bubbled out of me: ‘No, I don’t believe that now! Kamios! No! How is that supposed to work? What are you thinking? You want me to go with Carinda?’
I realized that Carinda had grabbed my hand, squeezed it tenderly and moved closer to me. It was clear that she could sense all the chaos inside me. And Kamios too, I’m sure. But they didn’t interfere. They patiently gave me time to calm down a bit.
Then Kamios spoke in a voice that was very reassuring: ‘Richard, I recognize the concerns that are on your mind. Do you want to raise them yourself or may I answer them already?’
‘You say it,’ I replied, unable to find clear words just yet.
‘Good, your strongest objection seems to be that you’re not an islander and you’re wondering how you’re supposed to take responsibility for your child if you don’t live here yourself. Let me tell you that we have examined your DNA and found that it would be a blessing for Libidos if your genes were added to our gene pool. The Council of Elders looked into it and agreed. This is unprecedented in the history of Libidos, as there has not been this willingness in the council for thousands of years. In fact, it is a unique opportunity and it would be an extraordinary experiment that everyone on Libidos would look forward to with great anticipation. Your child would have a wonderful life in the children’s home with its own wet nurse. Of course, Carinda could also take on this task herself if she wished. That would be her right.’
Kamios paused, as if he was waiting for an answer from me. But I didn’t feel able to say anything. He continued:
‘Although you are only sixty-eight, you already have a great deal of life experience. This, as well as your exceptional character, were two of the most important reasons for our decision. A child with your and Carinda’s genes would be able to develop valuable characteristics. But the main reason lies in the fact that you are not from this world. You come from another world and would enrich Libidos in a unique way.’
I asked, ‘Why Carinda?’
‘Carinda is the niece of our queen. As there are no other descendants in the royal family, she will later take the throne herself.’
‘Carinda will be queen?’ And another surprise! I would never have guessed. Carinda had told me that Mara was her aunt, but I didn’t know that she was the only heir to the throne.
‘So you want to gently tell me that I should donate the seed for the future queen of Libidos?’
‘Yes.’ Kamios looked at me.
I looked self-consciously at Carinda. ‘What do you say, Carinda? Are you sure you want this?’
‘I can’t imagine anything better,’ she replied without hesitation and looked at me with sparkling eyes.
‘Wait a minute!’ I interjected. ‘Just look at me. What a pair we’d make. I could be Carinda’s grandpa.’
Carinda looked at me mischievously and said cheekily, ‘Dearest, you haven’t seen a single mirror here on Libidos. Kamios, could you give us one?’
Kamios got up and ran to one of the closets to rummage in a drawer. ‘I know it must be here. Wait a minute!’ Then he sighed contentedly, came back to us and held a mirror up to my eyes.
They both stared at me and I stared at the mirror. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I was looking at a thirty-year-old face, my face.
‘That’s a trick!’ I said, looking at them both reproachfully. ‘That was me forty years ago.’
Carinda smiled at me and replied, ‘That’s how you look here on Libidos, Richard. Your appearance is the same as it was forty years ago. Everyone on Libidos sees you as a thirty-year-old.’
I looked at her in disbelief. ‘How can that be?’
‘I’ll explain that to you later. There’s nothing wrong with asking, but let’s stick to the subject now, please!’
I began to relax. Kamios and Carinda looked at each other triumphantly.
Kamios asked, ‘So you agree?’
I looked at Carinda and she responded to my gaze with a love that reached every single cell in me.
After they had allayed my concerns, I felt inside me that there was nothing to decide. I said, ‘My mind demands that I should take my time to make such a momentous decision. However, my gut and my heart tell me something different. And that’s why my answer is a resounding yes.’
Carinda’s eyes lit up and beamed at me enthusiastically, while Kamios said, ‘Wonderful, Richard! I had no doubts about your acceptance, because you are a great soul. I will personally take care of the preparations for the procreation ritual. It will take place in the palace in seven days.’
His words didn’t reach me because my attention was on Carinda. We had already risen, were standing close together and had forgotten the world around us.
Kamios cleared his throat and said sympathetically, ‘When I look at you two royal children like that, it warms my heart. And I can feel what you’re both thinking right now, but you’ll have to wait another seven days.’
* * *
When we left his house, I was still in a state that made it impossible to think clearly. I walked without words beside Carinda down the path to the harbour. She, on the other hand, seemed much clearer and more stable. She must have known for some time. I was sure that her aunt, the queen, had discussed the proposal with her long before.
‘What do you think, my love?’ I suddenly heard Carinda say. ‘Of course we discussed it together. But it wasn’t my aunt’s suggestion, it was my own. The question of my offspring had been on my mind for a long time, but I never felt any impulse to deal with it. It was only when I picked you up in Kardamyli for the first time that I knew immediately that it would be you.’
Now I was completely flabbergasted.
‘Really? How could you know that?’ I asked incredulously.
‘Remember that we are made up of frequency fields. Every person has their own frequency signature. If you know this and train your perception accordingly, you don’t need to hear words or observe actions to know who is standing in front of you. When I stood in front of you, our frequency fields immediately resonated with each other. You could have noticed it too if you had learned to focus your attention on vibrations instead of the obvious.’
I remembered that first encounter with her at Aquarella. There was a natural similarity that I only noticed now. I hadn’t paid attention to it at the time. She was right.
‘Yes, I remember,’ I confirmed and said, ‘I understand what you mean. I couldn’t perceive it because I was only paying attention to your appearance. Looking back, I can sense what you’re talking about. Now I also know why I find you the most likeable of all the women on your island.’
‘And now you may also realize why it was me who picked you up in Kardamyli. My mother met you in Delphi and immediately sensed that you and I would resonate.’
‘Then she was probably looking for a man for you?’
‘That would be alien to her nature,’ she replied calmly, ‘because we on Libidos are largely free of all intention. We trust what life brings us. They are always much nicer gifts than the ones we would think up. You are the best example of this.’
She laughed at me, stopped abruptly and stood directly in front of me. Then she grabbed my hand and our eyes met as if they would never part again.
She stroked my cheek lovingly and whispered seductively, ‘Don’t you think we should practise a little more?’
I looked into her shining eyes. It was as if I saw a completely different woman. The Carinda I thought I knew now seemed to reveal herself to me as a being who radiated unfathomable love in her depths. I recognized her unconditional willingness to get involved with me, to give herself to me. I felt an urgent desire to kiss her. We had slept together three times before, but it had always been wild sex without a trace of emotional intimacy. Now, however, I felt an unusual closeness to her, a connection at heart level. I leaned towards her. Our lips touched shyly, as if they wanted to get to know each other first. Then she opened her mouth and drew me into her inner world. We kissed passionately.
After what felt like an eternity of emotional ecstasy, our lips parted. Now it was our eyes that joined and gave us a feeling of triumphant joie de vivre.
‘Come on!’ Carinda interrupted this moment. She pulled me along and we walked along the side path where her friend’s house was waiting for us.
Hand in hand, we later walked down to the harbour, silent and happy.
It was only on the boat on the way to Kardamyli that Carinda broke the silence: ‘That was our first kiss, Richard!’
‘That’s right,’ I replied, ‘and what a kiss! I just wonder why we waited so long.’
‘Come on now,’ she countered, ‘we’ve only known each other for four days!’
‘Sure, Carinda, but we’d also slept together three times in those days without kissing.’
She looked me in the eye and explained: ‘On Libidos, coitus is something completely natural. We are very open and somehow intimate, but we never get into the depths of our hearts.’
She paused. I waited eagerly for her next words:
‘It’s different with you. You have reached my heart. I didn’t want to admit it at first, even though I knew better. At the same time, I was convinced that your kiss would open me up. I wanted to avoid that for the time being. But now everything is suddenly different. Your consent earlier at Kamios’s unlocked something inside me without me being able to influence it willingly.’
She looked at me with moist eyes. ‘I think what I feel for you shows me what true love is.’
I pulled her close and kissed her with fervour.
Then she pulled out of my embrace, stroked my short hair and said, ‘We’re here. Go now! I have to process this for myself first. It’s so new to me. Do you understand?’
I nodded, looked at her lovingly and got out of the boat.
* * *
Back on my terrace, I looked lost in thought at the sea in the direction of Libidos.
Where might she be now? Is she retreating to her house? Her declaration of love in the boat wasn’t easy for her. I could sense that. Her idea of love had just changed and that seemed to have unsettled her a little. I would love to be with her now and tell her about my feelings.
Completely inspired and inwardly enriched, I treated myself to a glass of red wine. I sat down on the terrace and stared to the west, where a deep red sun sent its last scarlet greeting over to me as if it knew what was going on. It was incredible how my life could take a completely new direction in just one day. Just like that. I could never have imagined this in my wildest dreams. I was unable to imagine what the future could look like with Carinda as queen and me as the father of a child together. It was as if an invisible curtain was blocking my view.
My mind started to work again. What had just happened between us couldn’t be an isolated case on Libidos. Hadn’t I been told that there were no exclusive relationships between two people here? I looked through my notes again, but found no indication that a romantic relationship between two people was not possible. I was simply told that everyone loves everyone else on Libidos.
And then there was my younger appearance, which suddenly came back to me. I jumped up and ran downstairs to the bathroom. No way! I was very familiar with what I saw in the mirror.
Tomorrow I would bombard Carinda with questions.
Any more thoughts were too much for me tonight. I opted for light fare from Netflix.
Day 5
I was already wide awake at six o’clock. I got up and made myself a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. I needed to ground myself.
Despite the lack of sunshine, it was already pleasantly warm on the terrace and there was no wind. All you could hear was the lively chirping of the birds. A tender feeling of joy rose in me. The sea was already glowing in the sunlight and I felt richly blessed by life. I was grateful. My life was one big party. And so exciting.
Now I remembered Kamios’s words: ‘You would enrich Libidos in a unique way.’
I felt a surge of pride. At last, someone had recognized me and understood what I was made of. And it wasn’t just someone from next door. No, it was these highly evolved beings on Libidos who no one in our normal world can hold a candle to.
I was the chosen one! I was obviously special! What a feeling!
I stood up with a grin because I needed a second coffee. I placed my cup under the machine and watched as the dark brown liquid slowly filled it. When the humming of the machine finally stopped, I felt as if something else had stopped too. I paused and tried to figure out what was happening. I noticed that my high had disappeared and I realized that the image of the coffee rising in the cup was a metaphor for how my ego had inflated inside me. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but an inner automatism recognized it and burst my ego bubble.
Relieved, I sat back down on the terrace and drank my coffee. My thoughts wandered back to my conversation with Kamios.
From a higher perspective, Kamios’s suggestion seemed completely sensible and normal to me. Why had I reacted so rashly when I found out about his plans? I couldn’t even comprehend it anymore.
Kamios said that this plan had already been approved by the Council of Elders. Because this was a major exception to the rules on Libidos, it was probably necessary. Did they make the decision unanimously? Was that important? No. This question did not belong in my vibrational field. I let it go, and at the same moment I knew that Mara’s proposal had been accepted unanimously and with great favour.
In a strange way, I now felt like a part of Libidos. As if it were my new home.
What will my future look like? Will I perhaps even live on Libidos? Will I ever see my child grow up? That would be too good.
What would our child be called? Can I even have a say in this? Who decides? Ha! Now it occurred to me that Carinda can certainly also decide whether she wants to give birth to a boy or a girl. I really need to talk to her about that.
What would her wish be? A boy? No, of course she wants a girl. Libidos is a matriarchy after all. A male head would change the community too much.
I got up and poured myself a second coffee. By now the sun was fully out and I was wondering when Carinda would call when I heard footsteps on the steps of the staircase that led up to my terrace from outside.
I turned around and there she was! Was I wearing rose-coloured glasses or had she actually become even more beautiful?
‘Wait, Carinda, I have to take off my rose-coloured glasses first,’ I joked. She looked at me in amazement. ‘But you don’t wear glasses!’ she said, puzzled.
‘Ahh, then you really have become even more beautiful than I remembered you from yesterday. And that’s almost impossible!’
Carinda laughed, threw her arms around my neck and kissed me joyfully.
‘You charmer!’
‘No, no, Carinda! You’re even more radiant today than yesterday. And your outfit! Amazing!’
‘Why?’ she replied. ‘It’s just a pair of jeans and a simple top.’
‘I’ve never seen anything so tight on you. It’s so convincingly sexy. I just have to look at you some more.’
‘I like it when you find me beautiful and show it to me. I love it when you lose your mind at the sight of me. I promise you that it will always stay that way.’
Carinda looked at me in anticipation.
I detached myself from her fascinating appearance and asked, ‘Promise? Really?’ My mind had obviously not yet found its way back to me.
‘I promise, my love!’
Then she continued, ‘You got the charisma thing right. Last night, I dealt intensively with my feelings and put myself through my paces. There was an insecurity inside me that I needed to explore. I invited Vesna to accompany me. She helped me to understand that my insecurity was completely natural. You see, before I met you, I was 100 per cent coherent with the collective of our island. This includes being consistent with the customs here of not having exclusive partnerships. But Vesna explained to me that changes can and should also take place in a collective because they are necessary for the evolution of the community. She helped me to realize that I can allow myself to give my whole heart to a person and to live my deeply felt love.’
She paused and looked at me meaningfully. She continued, ‘After this work, I was completely clear and every disturbing frequency had left my vibrational field. That is why my radiance is clearer and more intense than ever before, my beloved.’
I was totally moved after this explanation. I would never have guessed how intensely and profoundly she dealt with her inner world. I had deep respect for her courage and determination. She really has what it takes to be the queen of Libidos. There was no doubt about that.
But my emotion went even deeper, because I realized that this was a declaration of love that she had made so profoundly and irrefutably that no doubt remained.
I looked into her clear, sparkling eyes, unable to get a word out.
‘Come on, my love, we have to go now!’
She took my hand and pulled me into the house.
‘Wait, wait!’ I stammered. She turned to me.
‘I am so moved by your words, Carinda. I don’t know what to say. Any words from me would be completely inappropriate and superfluous.’
‘You don’t have to say anything, my love. We both know because we feel.’ She beamed.
‘And by the way,’ she added, ‘if you could see yourself now. You’re no less radiant than I am.’ She laughed and pulled me towards the exit.
* * *
We spent the sea crossing arm in arm. We both enjoyed the new quality of closeness. We didn’t speak a word and had no thoughts. We only knew one feeling and we savoured it.
When we arrived in Triklia, Notos was already waiting for us. We greeted him happily and climbed on to the platform.
‘Hello, Notos,’ I greeted him, ‘do you have a lot of driving to do today?’
‘No, not really. Just two or three jobs. And your ride right now.’
Did I sense an interference frequency? What was wrong with Notos? Was he worried?
‘No, my love,’ I heard Carinda’s voice in my head, ‘there are other reasons for this, which I will explain to you later.’
‘Where are we actually going?’ I wanted to know.
‘It’s a surprise for you. Wait and see!’
We floated towards the palace, but then left it to the left and shortly afterwards we reached a forest in which there were a few houses. They were barely visible from the main path because each house had a long driveway.
We floated into one of these driveways and soon we stopped in front of a newly built house, as I could easily see because there were no plants growing around it yet.
We dismounted and said goodbye to Notos. The front door opened as we walked towards it and we stepped inside. I immediately recognized the typical layout, except that the quality of the furnishings seemed to be higher. Heavy, colourful rugs on the floor, a large, round bed with exclusive blankets and pillows, and a kitchen that must have come straight out of the latest designer studio.
I was quite astonished.
‘This is your house, Richard.’
‘What, what now? My house?’
‘Yes, because as the father of our royal offspring, you have an eternal right of residence on Libidos and you are also entitled to your own house, which our helpers have set up for you here over the last three days. Do you like it?’
‘Carinda, I go from one speechless state to the next. What can I say? I’m overwhelmed. An eternal right of residence on Libidos?’
‘Yes, you are now a citizen of Libidos. Welcome!’ She hugged me and never let go.
‘Carinda, do you think I’m going to live here with you from now on? You know I can’t do that, don’t you?’
‘Of course you can’t do that! I realize that you still have a life in your world and that you are needed there too.’
I looked around in fascination. ‘How beautiful it is here, Carinda. Everything is so lovingly and comfortably furnished and coordinated. The large bed with the blue silk goes so wonderfully with the dark blue upholstered suite. You must have had a say in this, right?’
‘A little word,’ she replied. Suddenly she became serious and said, ‘I have just received the news that the Queen will announce publicly today, after the time of love, that you and I are going to conceive a child. Mara is asking us to join her. Come on, we have to go!’
* * *
We walked the few hundred metres over to the palace.
Mara sat on a bench in front of the door and enjoyed the morning sun. Her long white robe emphasized her friendly charisma.
‘Good morning, Auntie! Here we are.’
‘Good morning, you two! Nice of you to come so quickly. I especially wanted to see Richard before I announce the big news today. How are you feeling about it, Richard? You must have been very surprised, weren’t you?’
‘Good morning, Mara! You bet I was! It actually blew my mind. I was completely out of it and it took me ages to think clearly again. No exaggeration. But now I feel very honoured to have been part of this important cause. However, I was particularly moved by Carinda’s decision to open up to me wholeheartedly.’
‘Yes, Richard, I’m particularly pleased about that, because it’s a prerequisite for the act of procreation,’ Mara replied.
‘But, Auntie! That’s not true. That wasn’t the case with the last four conceptions on the island,’ replied Carinda.
‘This rule doesn’t really apply to normal procreation. But this is about the royal family, my dear.’ She continued, ‘One of the rules on Libidos is that we do not enter into exclusive love relationships with a partner. There may be exceptions here and there, which we tolerate. But it’s different within the royal family. Here it is imperative that procreation only takes place between two lovers. Procreation without a complete fusion on all levels of being would impair the complete transfer of parental qualities to the child too much.’
Carinda interjected indignantly, ‘And why didn’t you ever tell me about it?’
‘That’s easy to explain,’ Mara replied. ‘Deep love between two people can’t be determined by decree. It has to develop of its own accord. And I can clearly see that this is the case with you. I only asked you to come to me because I wanted to see for myself that the conditions were met. Only now can the message be passed on to all our brothers and sisters around the world.’
Carinda and I looked at each other. ‘What would have happened if we didn’t have the same feelings for each other?’ I wanted to know.
‘Then I would have cancelled the ritual for the time being. That would be my duty as queen. But, Richard, honestly? I was pretty sure it was going to happen.’ Mara grinned.
Then she continued, ‘So the ritual will take place in six days. We still have to prepare and decorate the arena a little for it. You are not allowed to enter it during this time.’
We looked at each other, puzzled. ‘Arena?’ came out of one mouth.
‘Sorry, you two,’ Mara continued, ‘of course you couldn’t have known that. An act of procreation within the royal family is an event of the century and therefore has a special significance that is highly regarded by all Archikaners. Your representatives will be arriving with their families to celebrate with us.’
‘Yes, but why in the arena?’ Carinda wanted to know.
‘Because only the arena is big enough to accommodate all the visitors to the ritual,’ Mara replied with a slight smile on her lips.
Carinda looked disturbed and asked, ‘Are you saying they’ll all be watching when we sleep together?’
‘Exactly!’ she confirmed and continued, ‘I’m well aware that this must be terrifying information for you right now.’
‘I suppose you could say that,’ I blurted out. ‘I’m not sure I want to. It’s not really possible.’ I waved it off demonstratively.
Carinda, her face flushed with shame, asked meekly, ‘Do you really have to do that? Is there no other way, Auntie?’
‘No,’ was Mara’s short reply.
There was an oppressive silence. Mara looked at us both thoughtfully. Then she spoke again:
‘Perhaps you two haven’t really realized it yet, but you are members of the royal family. You, Richard, will automatically become one by procreation, because you will be the father of the little royal child. You are therefore public figures. The ritual is the highest there is on Libidos. Libidos is the island of love. It is therefore only logical and expected of everyone that you carry out this highest form of loving procreation in public.’
‘And what is that supposed to look like in practice?’ I asked curiously and still dismissively.
Mara’s face began to light up. ‘It will be simply wonderful! You won’t recognize the arena, Carinda. It will be lavishly decorated. With countless flowers and colourful cushions. There will be a high platform in the middle with a love seat made of furs and cushions. White flags made of light, translucent fabrics will hang from a canopy, making your lovemaking seem more mysterious. Elaborately decorated servants and guards in white robes will stand in front of these flags to emphasize the stately feel of the ritual. You will enter the arena in a golden coach drawn by two white bulls and then, accompanied by me and the chairman of the Council of Elders, you will ascend the steps to the love camp.’ She paused. ‘Well, how does that sound?’
‘And then?’ Carinda was glued to Mara’s lips.
‘You will walk around the outside hand in hand and bow in all directions while an orchestra plays our island anthem. The guests will cheer and applaud wildly until you retire to your love camp. Then the music will stop and you will undress each other, which will be watched attentively and silently by all the guests. When you then lie down, the flags are lowered and you are in a protected space because it is only vaguely recognizable.’
‘Wait a minute!’ I interrupted. ‘That means we’ll be naked in front of all the guests?’
‘Yes,’ Mara said curtly, as if we were talking about a trifle matter.
She wanted to continue, but I raised my hand and asked her to stop. Then I said irritably, ‘Mara, you act as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to stand naked in front of a thousand or more people. I can even understand that, because you’ve never had to, have you? But it’s quite a challenge for us. How can we enjoy it if we’re sinking into the ground with shame at the same time? Can you explain that to us, please? How is that supposed to work?’
Carinda and I were hanging on to her words, but she seemed to be thinking. Then she became solemn: ‘Actually, it was supposed to be a surprise for you, but now I have to tell you. You’re not really naked.’
‘No?’ Carinda interrupted her. ‘But you just said it!’
‘Yes and no.’ Mara seemed to enjoy confusing us. Then, with a mischievous smile, it came: ‘You’ll be painted from head to toe. That will take away the feeling of nakedness.’
She looked at us and was visibly disappointed that we didn’t jump for joy.
I looked at Carinda questioningly and she nodded.
I gave in and said, ‘All right, then we’ll wait and see. We have no other choice anyway.’
Turning to Mara, Carinda asked, ‘You haven’t finished your description of the ritual yet. Please go on!’
Mara seemed relieved that this hurdle was behind her and continued, ‘As soon as the flags are lowered, a romantic melody will play and all the guests will hum to it. You, Richard, may know Ravel’s Boléro. Imagine something similar. The music slowly builds up and becomes more voluminous towards the end, culminating in a climax that symbolically reflects your orgasm. After you feel ready to go out in public again, you show yourselves naked in front of all the guests and the applause will be deafening.’
I wanted to know: ‘How much time do we have for the actual deed?’
‘That’s up to you.’ Mara smiled. ‘I’m guessing the music will carry you away.’ Now her smile turned into a knowing grin. Mara looked at us.
Carinda was the first to speak: ‘That all sounds very exciting. But still! Naked in front of all the guests? OK, we’re painted, but what difference does it make? I would never have imagined it like this. I think I’ll have to get used to it first.’
‘And you, Richard?’ asked Mara.
I was still at the love camp in my mind and it took me a moment to say, ‘I agree! What the hell? We’re on Libidos, Carinda. I follow the customs of your island with devotion.’
‘All right,’ said Carinda, ‘I’ll deal with it too.’
‘Very nice!’ Mara breathed a sigh of relief. ‘I’m glad you both agree. You’ll see, you’ll soon be filled with joy that grows with each passing day.’
She looked at us contentedly for a while. Then she stood up and said, ‘So, my dears, now it’s time for love! Richard, you’re coming with me. Carinda, we’ll see you at dinner in an hour.’
Was that an order? Libidos is without a doubt a matriarchy. I looked desperately at Carinda, who gave me her consent with a wink. I felt a strange mixture of feelings of powerlessness, surrender, anticipation, relaxation and love. Surrendering myself to the female power, obeying her in the knowledge that she would lovingly control me and give me gifts at the same time, was an exciting and soothing thought.
The fascinating thing about the sexual encounters with all the women on Libidos that I have known so far was their transformation into seductresses. Take Mara, for example, who had just been the queen of Libidos, completely matter-of-fact and determined, and was now visibly transforming into a goddess of love. It was the radiance of a completely different frequency with a wavelength that instantly gripped me and swept me away, casting a spell over me. All my senses were in perfect resonance with her at the same time and without my conscious intention. She smelled like sandalwood and chocolate and my eyes could not get enough of her increasing beauty. Her voice was like a fairy whisper when I heard her say, ‘Come with me, you handsome man!’
The subsequent meal took place in the company of the Council of Elders. I was already familiar with that. Today, of course, I was approached by many council members about my new role. Carinda was sitting next to me and we kept exchanging amorous glances, which of course did not escape the notice of the others. Everyone treated us with great respect and noticeable goodwill.
‘Shall we go back to my new house in a minute? I haven’t had a chance to look at it properly yet,’ I asked Carinda quietly.
‘Of course!’ she whispered back. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’
* * *
A short time later, we set off. The sun was unusually strong today, but after about a hundred metres we had reached the edge of the forest. Now we relaxed and strolled towards the house.
‘What do you think about the spectacle in the arena? Doesn’t that make you nervous?’ I asked Carinda.
‘At first I panicked, but when Mara told me more about it, I kind of calmed down. It’s not like we’re going to be clearly visible to everyone like exhibits when we do it. The canopy flags will hide most of it. It’s just the thought of having to stand naked in front of so many people that still makes me nervous. But basically I don’t have a problem with it anymore. Do you?’
‘Well, I’m far from enthusiastic about it, but I understand the uniqueness and significance of the ritual. I never thought that so many people would come to join in the celebrations. I didn’t actually have a celebration in mind. For the wedding, yes, but for the conception? Did you?’
‘Yes, I did. But that’s because every conception is celebrated here on Libidos because it’s so rare and there are no weddings here, as you can imagine. But the couples are not observed. They retire to a special ritual room during the time of love and when they come out again afterwards, they celebrate into the night. That’s really all there is to it.’
‘And where is the party taking place? In the arena too?’ I asked incredulously.
‘No, in the great hall of the pyramid, where the new moon ritual took place.’
* * *
We had already left the forest path and turned on to the narrow path to the house. Now my pyramid was standing right in front of me. I stopped to look at it. It didn’t look much different from most of those in the village and yet I thought it was special. A few rays of sunlight penetrating through the green canopy of the forest caressed it tenderly. As if it were an invitation from heaven, a ray fell directly on the entrance.
I looked at Carinda and said, ‘Thank you for giving me such a lovely home! I’m only now beginning to get a chance to be happy about it. And I’ve just remembered that I haven’t had a chance to thank Mara yet.’
‘How was that supposed to happen? We dived straight into the topic and couldn’t think about anything else. You can still catch up.’ She smiled at me and asked gently, ‘Shall we go in?’
‘Absolutely! I can hardly wait.’
We walked in arm in arm and I immediately noticed the light streaming in through the ceiling. However, it was not caused by direct sunlight. It seemed as if every incoming ray of sunlight was being scattered by many lenses built into the roof. The effect was thin threads of light that seemed to hang down from the ceiling as if they were gentle laser beams.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it, Carinda!’ I marvelled, ‘Why didn’t I see it this morning?’
‘Because you were far too excited and the sun wasn’t that high in the sky yet,’ she explained. ‘This effect is most obvious at midday and in the early afternoon. Many tiny windows in the roof, which are made of polarizing diffusion glass, direct the light down to the ground like weak laser beams.’
‘Fascinating!’
‘Yes, the effect only occurs in direct sunlight, which is common here on the island. On cloudy days and in the mornings and evenings, the artificial lighting switches on automatically. You can then adjust it from bright daylight to dim, depending on your taste. All you have to do is say out loud what you want.’
‘How do I do that? Will you show me?’
‘Computer, change the lighting to twenty per cent red!’
I was quite astonished. The reddish tone in the room was immediately recognizable and it became clearer as the fine threads of light became weaker. The windows must have been covered automatically.
Carinda corrected my thoughts: ‘No, Richard, the windows aren’t covered, they become opaque because we change the orientation of their molecular structure. Great, isn’t it?’
‘Absolutely! I am totally impressed by your technologies. I can’t wait to see what else there is on your island.’
Carinda went into the kitchen area. ‘Would you like a coffee, my dear?’
‘Yes, with pleasure! But I also need to use the toilet. However, I haven’t seen any in your houses.’
She laughed. ‘That’s right, our toilets aren’t very obvious. You should know that in all these houses, the door to the bathroom is always on the opposite side of the entrance. It’s invisible and only opens when you walk towards it.’
‘And if someone is inside?’ I asked, amused.
‘Then it won’t open. If you’re in the shower tomorrow morning, I can’t get to you unless you say: “Computer, open the door to the bathroom”.’
The door opened inaudibly, only to close again a few seconds later.
‘Phenomenal!’
So I walked towards the invisible door and sure enough, it vanished into thin air, only to materialize again as soon as I had entered.
The bathroom was bright and the ultra-modern objects were white. The floor seemed to me to be made of a dark, solid type of oak. The expansive vanity had a double basin and the wall consisted of a single mirror. Now I saw myself for the second time in my younger years. That’s right, I wanted to ask Carinda how this could be possible. Today she had to explain it to me. My gaze fell on the huge, round bath at the back of the room. Here, too, the walls were completely mirrored. The atmosphere was lightened and warmed up by heavy, colourful curtains on either side of the mirrors.
I would have liked to spend more time marvelling, but my bladder wanted something else. Of course there was also a urinal for men. Without a flush, of course. And without a mirror. I let it run and enjoyed the feeling of my bladder relaxing. Where was the exit again? Oh yes, right here.
‘It’s an adventure pool, Carinda!’
‘You weren’t expecting that, were you?’
‘No, really not. It’s big and so tasteful! These giant mirrors are very impressive and the bathtub too! Shall we go in there together?’
‘What a question, my love! That’s what it’s for.’ She looked at me mischievously and handed me my coffee.
‘With cream and no sugar.’ She grinned delightedly. ‘Watch out! It’s very hot.’
I carefully sipped from the cup and took a small taste. Then I asked, ‘How can it be, my love, that I look younger than usual on Libidos? I don’t understand.’
‘That’s also easy to explain, young man. Remember that every reality is the result of collective creation processes. In your civilization, everyone is convinced that the older you get, the more your body deteriorates, because it has been drummed into you as an immutable fact. This is of course explained in medical terms, because scientists have also learned this. Therefore, they can only confirm it. The collective morphic field has therefore been consolidated so strongly over the years that individuals have no chance of separating themselves individually. Even if they lived with the same conviction as we do on Libidos, their effect collectively would be like a hot drop of water in a cold sea.
Since we on this island have been shielded from your morphogenetics for thousands of years, other creation impulses apply here that lead to a different reality. Although our collective is much smaller in proportion, it is completely isolated. That is why our morphic field has a direct effect on every visitor from outside.’
She paused and watched me carefully. ‘Do you understand?’
It took me a little while to answer her, because what she had just said is not unknown in our civilization either. Morphogenetic fields, that is information fields, influence the forms that appear in the three-dimensional world. The term morphogenetics comes from the Greek and means almost literally: the shaping of form. If you think about it carefully, you will recognize its effect in all areas.
‘Yes, Carinda, I can completely understand that. However, I find it difficult to understand how my appearance can change so quickly. Doesn’t something like that take longer?’
‘In your society, there are secret research projects that reprogram test subjects in their consciousness to such an extent that they change their entire personality just on a cue. A perfectly healthy person becomes a diabetic with all the associated symptoms after the triggering keyword. With another cue, he becomes an epileptic, again with all the typical symptoms, while diabetes symptoms are no longer recognizable. I don’t know how many different personalities could be integrated into one and the same test subject, but I’m sure there were at least three.’
She continued, ‘If such things are possible, which clearly show that the human body can change completely from one moment to the next, then it is explainable that you not only look forty years younger here with us, but that you are actually younger. Don’t you think?’
‘Yes, that makes sense,’ I said thoughtfully. Only slowly did this understanding spread through my consciousness. What a far-reaching realization!
‘Come on,’ she said, ‘let’s go for a walk and get some fresh air!’
I held her back. ‘Wait, Carinda, I still have coffee, and I definitely still want to drink it.’
I drank with relish while she looked at me dreamily.
‘It still feels like a dream to me. It all happened so quickly. There was no trace of any of this in my consciousness the day before yesterday. It will take me a few more days to fully internalize all of this.’
‘Yes, that’s why it’s good that there are still six days until the ritual. By then, you will be fully centred again, which is essential for the ritual.’
‘Why do you say that?’ I wanted to know.
‘Because then we make love with an intention and this intention must be clearly focused. It must not have the slightest disturbing factor in the subconscious. Only then can this divine soul find us with the mission intended for it.’
‘That makes a lot of sense. That’s the way it should be, my love! And what else is on the agenda for today?’ I asked.
‘Nothing. You can relax.’
‘Very nice! Shall we relax together or do you have to leave again?’
‘There’s nothing on the agenda today, not even for me. I assume they want to give us time to process everything,’ Carinda replied.
So we spent a pleasant afternoon on a wonderfully relaxing walk through the surrounding forest, which was bigger than I expected. Right after the first few metres, I wanted to know from Carinda how long she had known about all this.
‘My love, I know that you are still upset and have many questions, but I ask you to postpone them until later. Please let us stay in the here and now and enjoy this beautiful walk in the woods. If we were to focus our attention on your questions, we would end up back home without having absorbed the lavish abundance of nature.’
‘You’re absolutely right, Carinda. Thank you!’
I was amazed at the variety of animals. Again and again, jackals and squirrels scurried past us between the lush bushes and tall trees. We even came across a small herd of goats.
It wasn’t long before I felt completely at one with nature. The chirping of the many birds was like an acoustic portal that opened a direct path into my heart. I saw a flock of colourful butterflies and thought I could feel their zest for life. Then I heard the bright cry of a bird of prey and was disappointed that I couldn’t see it in the sky. The treetops blocked my view.
I enjoyed the wide ant trails and was amazed by the impressive presence of their mound nests. I discovered praying mantises and lots of different caterpillars. Once I even managed to spot a chameleon, which we noticed just in time as it made its leisurely way across our forest path.
In short, it was a heart-warming, even magical experience that gave us both a feeling of absolute harmony and unity with God’s creation.
The sun was already low when we reached our house again.
Exhausted, we threw ourselves back on the bed and didn’t say a word for a long time.
At one point Carinda turned her head towards me and asked, ‘Hungry?’
I turned to her and moved closer to her. I pulled up her tight top and answered lasciviously, ‘Yes, I’m hungry for you!’
Day 6
I opened my eyes and noticed that Carinda was looking at me. She was lying on her side next to me and seemed to have been looking at me for a while. Now she smiled contentedly and asked, ‘Good morning, sir! Did you sleep well?’
I smiled back and pulled her close to me. ‘Yes, but to wake up I have to be kissed by you, like Snow White, only the other way around.’
She didn’t hesitate for a moment and of course the kiss escalated into extensive lovemaking.
A little later, we were lying in each other’s arms, fully satisfied and happy. She covered my face with countless little kisses and after a while said gently but firmly, ‘I’m hungry and want breakfast, my love. Won’t you get up and serve me a delicious breakfast?’
‘You mean, just because you took care of dinner yesterday after our hour-long bedtime game, it’s my turn now?’ I asked pointedly.
‘Of course, my love! Well put together. You really are a quick study. I’m sure you haven’t forgotten where you are. We women are in charge here.’
‘And we men have to obey you?’
‘Yes, my dear,’ Carinda confirmed and continued after a few moments, ‘I sense that you still have your difficulties with this. I can sense your rebellious nature right now. You know that we are dealing with your ego here and not with your divine self. But since you already have your ego well under control, I have no concerns that you won’t need much time to obey me unconditionally.’
‘Obey unconditionally?’ I couldn’t believe my ears.
‘Exactly!’ She grinned at me and stroked my hair.
I said worriedly, ‘What am I going to become then? An effeminate version of a man?’
Carinda became a little more serious and said, ‘Libidos is a matriarchy. But what do you understand by this? Perhaps you have the wrong idea. With us, the women are in charge and the men submit to our will. But that doesn’t mean that we feminize them. On the contrary, we love strong men, and not just in bed. In our society, it’s mostly women who cook and look after the children. They represent the classic female gender in almost every respect. The man is more responsible for the rough stuff on the outside and for protecting our society. But we make the decisions, and sometimes we make unexpected decisions because we always choose from the moment. Like I’ve just decided that you’re going to make us a delicious breakfast.’ She grinned.
I looked at her for a long time and wondered whether I should get involved. Could I just accept it like that? I mean, making breakfast isn’t the end of the world, but giving her a sign of my obedience means more.
‘Well, what is it? Any more resistance?’ She looked at me seriously and purposefully reached under the comforter. ‘Shall I help you a little?’
‘Carinda, I’m seeing completely unknown sides of you,’ I marvelled. But my resistance was already broken. I stood up and looked for my pants.
‘No, my love! No pants! Just the way you are!’
I looked at her in disbelief. ‘What do you mean now? You want me to stay naked?’
‘Exactly. Don’t forget, we women are in charge here. We like seeing naked men just as much as you like seeing naked women. And you’re a feast for the eyes.’ She smiled approvingly at me.
‘Well, I don’t really know. I feel rather humiliated at the moment when I’m not allowed to wear anything and you stare at me.’
‘That’s just your ego, my dear! Don’t take it so seriously. It’s not that big a deal. If you knew how things are between men and women behind the facades, you’d be surprised.’
‘What do you mean?’ I asked, unsure.
‘Well, I’m going to tell you something that might make you panic,’ Carinda began, sitting up in bed. ‘Some women bring a man into the house and lock him up. Naked, of course. Every house has a small room for this, which, like the bathroom, is outside and opens on one of the other sides. It’s maybe four square metres with a separate toilet. The woman has the option of making the wall to the small room transparent so that she can see him and enjoy him. Whenever she feels like him, she opens the room and lets him spoil her. Then she locks him up again.’
‘You’re kidding me! That’s impossible. No man would put up with that!’ I was outraged and scowled at her.
‘Do you really believe that? How about you finally make breakfast and I’ll tell you what’s really going on here on Libidos?’
‘OK!’ I ran to the kitchen area, got a pan out of the cupboard and put it on the stove, then opened the fridge and found eggs and tomatoes, butter, cheese and jam. Great, I got to work.
She began, ‘Honey, everything here on Libidos is different to what you’re used to. We all have a completely different cultural background to you. It has shaped us for thousands of years. What you might think is perverted or disgusting can be a delight for us. Do you understand that?’
‘I think so,’ I replied as I cracked the eggs into the pan and thought about the toaster I hadn’t found yet.
‘First of all, you need to know that we women love all men with all our hearts and that every man knows that. Secondly, it’s important for you to realize that basically nothing, absolutely nothing happens without the consent of men. They gave their consent more than a thousand years ago. Since then, it has never been questioned.’
‘I can hardly believe that. Do you know where the toaster is?’
‘That’s the multifunctional cuboid between the sink and the hob. Can you see the two slots?’
‘Thank you! Go on, please! What did the men agree to back then?’
‘That they will let us dominate them as long as we act in love. You have to understand that until that time, women were treated like better creatures by men. The agreement back then was born out of a desire on the part of men to make amends.’
‘How could there be such a change of heart among the men?’ I asked. I switched on the coffee machine.
‘There are no clear records of this. Traditions speak of a divine intervention. Other reports mention a change in the sun, which is said to have led to a change in our consciousness. The scriptures are unanimous in one respect: they describe that from one day to the next every person perceived the world, nature with all animals and plants and especially themselves and their fellow human beings with different eyes. Do you understand? Perception had suddenly changed. The men realized how cruelly they had treated their wives, and they were beside themselves with shame and remorse.’
‘That’s exciting!’ I exclaimed and turned to her. ‘That must have changed everything!’
‘Yes,’ Carinda replied, ‘that’s for sure. But most of the men seemed to have quickly overcome their shame and remorse. They no longer treated their wives like cattle, but they still ruled over us.’
‘I can well believe that, because in many countries it’s quite obvious and even in parts of our so-called civilized world, women didn’t even have the right to vote until recently,’ I confirmed.
Breakfast was almost ready and I put everything on the table. I said, ‘Are you coming for breakfast and may I put some clothes on now, my mistress?’
‘You’re a quick learner, my darling!’ she praised me with a meaningful smile.
I looked at her sheepishly. Then an important thought occurred to me and I forgot that I was naked.
‘If that was the case, as you say, how could your matriarchy come about if most men carried on as before? Apparently there must have been exceptions among them. Or were there?’
Carinda agreed with me and added, ‘Ancient writings tell of a particularly strong-willed and wise woman who had a vision of a world in which women were in charge. Word must have spread quickly, because her idea found many followers and so the first matriarchy was born. Incidentally, this woman was called Carinda, just like me. She was the first queen of the matriarchy and all the rulers on Libidos were from her bloodline.’
‘So you too?’
‘Yes, of course! Me too.’
‘Now I realize why you withdrew into a kind of parallel world and were able to develop an incredibly advanced culture and technology over time. Even more, that you were able to develop your divine talents.’
I took a slice of toast and spread butter on it.
‘You’ve got it!’ She beamed. ‘Precisely because we women were in charge, we were able to avoid what was slowly but surely becoming more and more pronounced in your society. The right of the strongest and richest. Competition. Envy. Wars.’
‘I understand everything much better now, Carinda. It’s a shame that your values didn’t catch on with us too.’
‘It is what it is.’ Her answer was short, as she had a piece of fried egg in her mouth.
‘You’ve got egg yolk on your mouth,’ I said. ‘It kind of suits you.’ My God, she was pretty. She was naked, as was I. I looked at her Michelangelo breasts. I laughed. ‘Ahh, and you have more yolk on your left breast. Wait, I’ll lick it off for you.’
She looked down at herself and grinned. She arched her upper body in a demonstratively inviting manner. I jumped up, ran around the table and knelt down to lick the yolk off her breast with relish. It began to spark between us and it didn’t take much to turn it into a fire. I resolutely withdrew from the growing excitement and went back to my chair while I noticed Carinda’s firm gaze on my erect penis.
‘But now I want to know more about how things really are between men and women here,’ I said, as if nothing had happened. I set to work on my fried egg.
‘I’m not at all sure that makes sense, my dear. If you already know everything, there will be no more surprises for you and no erotic thrills. No, you’ll find out more and more over time. Look forward to it.’ She grinned. So did I.
‘I suppose you’d like that,’ I countered. ‘I at least want to know why men let you lock them up naked and put them on display and why you only take them out of the glass cage to have sex with them.’
‘OK! I realize that it’s on your mind because it goes completely against your cultural understanding. I’m sure you’re already thinking about the best way to free him.’ She seemed to be waiting for a reaction from me, but I just stared at her. She looked at the silent protest of my folded arms and smiled.
‘There it is again!’ she triumphed. ‘What?’ I asked belligerently.
‘The twitching. Your left eyebrow twitches continuously.’
‘So what? Don’t change the subject.’
‘You don’t notice it yourself, do you? Whenever you’re aroused, your left eyebrow twitches incessantly. The subject seems to get under your skin. Admit it!’
‘Carinda,’ I replied, annoyed, ‘I’ll wait.’
‘Well,’ she began with a promising expression, ‘this custom is described in the oldest writings of Libidos. It was supposedly devised as a punishment for those men who belonged to the matriarchy, that is had agreed to it, but still disobeyed the instructions of the women. Being displayed naked, even if only for the woman who had imprisoned him, seemed like a just punishment to the queen. Remember that before the great change, you men put us women on display in cages like animals as objects of lust and commodities.’
‘How do you know it was really like that? Maybe it’s just a fairy tale.’
‘No, Richard, that’s not a fairy tale. The scriptures are full of them.’
How could it be that Carinda kept giving completely plausible explanations? ‘Then you’re still punishing them the same way today? An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?’
Carinda laughed. ‘No, my dear! After thousands of years, man today has completely accepted the supremacy of woman and nowhere on Libidos will you find a man who would be rebellious.’
‘Then I don’t understand, Carinda. Then why does the custom still exist?’
Carinda looked into her empty coffee cup. ‘Will you make me another one?’
I jumped up and said, ‘Sure! But you have to finish telling me!’
‘Being naked and locked up by the woman to whom he is simultaneously at the mercy of probably led to a kind of Stockholm syndrome in the men at the time. This was intensified by the fact that the hostage-taker was full of love for her captive and caused him no trace of hostility or harm of any kind. On the contrary, he was nurtured and cared for and given many tender words. Comparable to how you treat your beloved pets. The men enjoyed submitting to the sweet dominance of a loving woman. Can you understand that?’
‘Not quite,’ I replied. ‘I can’t see why your husbands think that’s a good thing.’ I handed her the fresh coffee.
Carinda now looked me firmly in the eye and said, ‘Our men can’t imagine anything more beautiful, my love, and I promise you that you’ll soon feel the same way!’
I was taken aback. ‘What do you mean now? Are you going to lock me up too?’
‘Not me, my love! Other women.’
‘But I’ll soon be part of the Queen’s family!’ I replied uncomprehendingly.
‘So what? There are no hierarchies at Libidos.’
‘Don’t worry, my love,’ she continued. ‘I know you’ll love it when the time comes.’
‘All right, my queen,’ I replied, trying my best to sound as unimpressed as possible.
‘I’m not a queen yet,’ she contradicted.
‘Yes, exactly! That was one of the other questions I had. If everyone can decide for themselves how long they want to live, it’s very unlikely that you or our joint child will ever ascend the throne, isn’t it?’
‘In principle, that would be a legitimate question, but different rules apply to the royal family. The queen will end her life voluntarily when the princess reaches the age of regency.’
‘Really? That’s crazy! And that means?’
‘That means that in seventeen years, when I turn fifty, I will take the throne as soon as Mara has completed the death ritual.’
Suddenly something dawned on me. ‘Now I’m realizing something.’
‘What, my love? ‘
‘That you have fifty-one years to live at best.’
She recognized my sad look and laughed heartily.
‘Why are you laughing now?’
‘In fifty-one years, you’ll be eighty-eight and I’ll be eighty-four. Isn’t that enough for us?’ she asked cheerfully.
‘You’re right again. I hadn’t realized that, Carinda. At eighty-eight, I’ll certainly be ready to end this life.’
She stood up and began to clear the table. ‘Will you help me?’ she asked. ‘We have a meeting with the head of the ceremony in an hour.’
‘Let’s get a move on then,’ I said and grabbed the bread basket and coffee cups. The table was quickly cleared and the kitchen was spotless again.
Carinda was just about to put on a short, tight-fitting skirt when I remembered my question from the day before.
‘Yesterday I asked you when you found out about our destiny.’
She thought for a while before answering.
‘Actually, I already knew it when I faced you for the first time in Kardamyli. But more inside myself. It wasn’t clear knowledge because it took some time to come to the surface of my consciousness. Do you know what I mean by that?’
‘Yes, I know feelings like that. Most recently with Alexandra.’ I looked for my jeans.
‘Yes, I know that, Richard. Mara and I are aware of your feelings for Alexandra. You are connected on some level by a strong, loving force that has karmic origins. You had a joint task in one of your previous incarnations, but it failed because you also became a couple sexually at that time. Jealousy and mistrust were the result and your work together was a dramatic failure.’
I listened carefully. Although her words surprised me, they felt coherent.
‘How do you know that? Was it really like that? That would explain a lot.’
‘You know we can pick up something like that from the field.’
‘That’s true, but I don’t understand how it can be that we like each other so much, but the romantic level and our sexuality are completely excluded. Can you explain that to me?’
Carinda came up to me and said, ‘I sense that you are living in a kind of inner conflict because you have an image inside you that shows you and Alexandra in loving intimacy and devotion to each other, but the reality is different.’
‘That’s exactly it. It always makes me doubt my sanity and myself.’
Carinda took my hands and looked deep into my eyes.
‘You haven’t yet understood that your soul doesn’t differentiate. For many years, it has given you an image of a deep, devoted relationship with a woman you love. When Alexandra’s soul came into your life, you associated this inner image with her. But in truth, I am that woman in your image. Can you recognize that?’
I stared at her. ‘That would change everything!’ Thoughtfully, I slipped on a fresh shirt.
‘Yes,’ Carinda confirmed. ‘If you understand that, you can let go of Alexandra as far as your idea of fidelity is concerned. You are faithful to each other, but differently. Not like a married couple, but more like two people who tell each other everything, support each other, learn from each other and with each other, trust each other wholeheartedly and remain free from the pitfalls of a romantic relationship. Based on her unconscious experience from that incarnation, Alexandra senses that a romantic and sexual relationship with you could destroy everything again. She is afraid of this. So your only connection is the karmic bond.’
At the moment, I didn’t know whether I wanted to accept her words. I wasn’t quite ready to give up my image of Alexandra and me just yet.
‘Take your time, my love! Don’t you realize that I have all the qualities you thought you saw in Alexandra?’
She was right. Alexandra is completely different from Carinda. Her mind is rarely at rest. Her clear and alert mind is constantly on the move and produces new insights every day. She is a brilliant writer and therapist. Her creativity is inexhaustible. She writes song lyrics and composes the music. In fat-burning courses, she dances to show participants what fitness means. Her vibrational field has a quality and power that automatically uplifts other people. If I had to compare her to nature, she would be a raging mountain stream.
Carinda is none of these things. In the same context, she would be more like the Danube, a calm river with a strong but steady current, deep and majestic. Like Alexandra, she also lives completely in the here and now, but she abandons herself to her heart, not her mind like Alexandra. She exudes calm and balance and fascinates with her subtle dynamism.
Now I realized that I had mixed something up. When I met Alexandra, I didn’t know Carinda yet. Through my love for her, the vision of unconditional and deep love was activated in me. I couldn’t know yet that it was a vision from the future that I would live with Carinda.
‘It’s getting clearer now, isn’t it?’ Carinda was still looking at me intently. Of course she knew what was going on inside me.
‘Yes, Carinda. I’m just realizing that a great weight has been lifted. I was bound to Alexandra by a kind of vow of fidelity until just now and hadn’t been able to feel completely comfortable with the two of us. I had a guilty conscience. That’s just leaving me now.’ I looked at her with relief.
‘Very good, my love! Now you’ve arrived too. Do you remember? My inhibition was to break the rules of the collective, even though that wasn’t the point, as we later learned from Mara, because our love for each other is a basic condition. Your inhibition consisted of an inner misjudgement, which we have now corrected. Only now have all the disruptive factors been removed and we can engage with each other completely freely. You know how important that is for our ritual, don’t you?’
‘Totally!’
But I wasn’t fully happy yet. I was too surprised by this realization. I felt sad because my vision of a romantic relationship with Alexandra had vanished into thin air. Sure, Carinda was a wonderful woman and I could clearly feel my love for her, but could I just let go of Alexandra like that?
Carinda stroked my face and said gently, ‘Like I said, my love: take your time!’
* * *
It turned out that the ceremony leader was—how could it be otherwise—a woman. Her name was Crissa and she impressed me with her cheerful composure. She impressed me not only with her outward beauty, but even more with the way she spoke.
‘Come closer, my royal children, who will soon be giving our little island a royal gift. Even the smallest cell in my body is aflame with joy that I am allowed to decorate this event of the century.’
She discussed every last detail with us. Our clothes, our body paint and our movements.
I listened when she mentioned the body paint. Apparently it was a similar effect to the one I had admired on the temple dancers during the full moon ritual. My whole body would be blue, she said. Just like in the movie Avatar. Carinda would also be blue, but it would be a lighter blue.
This reassured me because it meant that I wouldn’t feel quite so naked when we put ourselves on show in the arena.
I spent the time of love together with Carinda and Crissa. For the first time, I now had two women in bed during the ritual and I felt as if I was completely dissolving. I didn’t feel love. I was love in a threefold form.
After lunch together, we said goodbye to Crissa.
‘See you in five days!’ she called after us cheerfully.
On the way back, Carinda asked, ‘Are you staying the night? I’m asking because I can feel that you need time for yourself.’
‘You’re right, Carinda. I’m coming to terms with everything and it would certainly be better if you took me back to Rigklia.’
Day 7
My phone woke me up with a special ringtone that I had set for Alexandra. I looked at the clock.
‘Alexandra! So early? It’s only seven.’
‘Since you haven’t contacted me in the last few days and haven’t answered my calls, I was worried. Now I wanted to make sure you’d pick up. What’s going on? Is everything all right?’
Where should I start? My head turned into a central station where trains of thought stopped, raced through, made noise and disappeared again. Then my brain slowly cleared and I began:
‘You won’t believe it, but my travels to Libidos have taken on a trajectory that has turned everything I ever thought was right on its head. I don’t even know where to start.’
An hour later, Alexandra was fully in the picture. I told her everything and didn’t leave out any aspect. She surprised me when she said:
‘Gosh, Richie! That’s phenomenal! I can hardly believe it, but I know you’re not pulling my leg. I’m so happy for you. You’ve finally found the woman of your life!’
‘Well, Alexandra, you know I was always convinced it was you! Aren’t you disappointed?’
‘Not at all, my dear! On the contrary! It takes the pressure off me and will only do our relationship good. Believe me! It makes me very happy. We still love each other, no matter what!’
‘No matter what,’ I repeated and happily hung up.
It was unexpectedly easy and joyful. Only now did I feel a heavy rucksack fall off my back and I began to float.
Elated, I got up, went into the kitchen and fired up the coffee machine. I only ate a few cookies for breakfast. I didn’t have much time to quickly write down the latest events in my diary because Carinda wanted to pick me up at the port of Agios Nikolaos at nine o’clock.
I realized how important it was for me that Alexandra found out about the developments at Libidos and relieved me with her honestly felt joy. She was right when she said, ‘We still love each other, no matter what.’ Our vow of fidelity had a completely different meaning.
With a light heart, I wrote in my diary what was worth mentioning from yesterday afternoon. As on the previous day, we had no other appointments and decided to take the hovercraft on a round trip. At first I found the presence of Notos disturbing. Once again, I noticed this subtle submissiveness and suddenly I realized.
‘Carinda,’ I sent my thoughts to her, not without first setting up the mental shield and giving her special access, because I didn’t want Notos to notice. ‘It just occurred to me that Notos was one of the men you had locked up with you.’
She looked at me, visibly taken aback. ‘Now I’m surprised, my dear. What makes you think that? It’s true.’
‘Inspiration,’ I replied. ‘He’s still servile.’
‘Yes, you’re absolutely right. I’m worried about him. Maybe I got too carried away with him. I should ask Vesna to look after him. He seems almost traumatized to me.’
‘What did you do to him?’ I asked her.
‘I had a pretty wild phase two weeks ago. That always happens to us women in our early thirties. It was particularly extreme for me. At the time, I had chosen Notos and locked him up. I didn’t just take him out once a day, but two or three more times. I had sucked him dry. I was so greedy that I was scared of myself.’
She looked at me and blushed. Why did that turn me on?
‘How was he even able to do that?’ I wanted to know.
‘We have wonderful herbs for that sort of thing. I’m sure you’ll need them too.’ She looked at me suggestively.
I recognized her remark as an erotic threat, but I didn’t let it unsettle me and wanted to know: ‘How long did you have him with you?’
‘After two days, he was completely at the end of his tether. When I finally needed him and took him out of the cage, his whole body was shaking with panic. He was fear personified. No more herbs were going to help. So I sent him away.’
I looked at her. Could she be such a man-eating woman? I suspected the worst. What if she had another fit like that?
‘Don’t worry, my dear! You may reach the limits of your strength at times, but I will be lenient with you. I promise!’
Her thoughts worried me a little. What had I let myself in for here? Every man’s dream of a love-struck partner seemed to have come true for me, but what if it turned into a nightmare?
‘Sweetie, you still won’t let go!’ she said lovingly. ‘Did that scare you so much? I’m sorry about that. As I said, it was only during my hyperlibidinous phase. It’s very rare and only happens once a year. So don’t worry about it.’
‘So I have nothing to worry about for the next eleven months?’ I asked her.
‘Not that.’ She looked me in the eyes searchingly. Then she erased my entire mental field with a passionate kiss.
My empathetic Carinda had of course immediately sensed that I needed the night alone in Rigklia to find my centre again.
That was all I had to write. I looked at my watch. Ten to nine. I looked for my car keys and set off.
Carinda sat in front of the ice cream parlour and spooned gleefully from a large cup of chocolate ice cream.
‘This is probably the best ice cream I’ve ever had,’ she said enthusiastically. I pressed a long kiss to her cold lips and sat down next to her.
‘That’s what the Leonardo is famous for,’ I remarked.
‘Are you feeling better today?’ she asked sympathetically. ‘Don’t say anything! I can feel that something has changed. You seem so upbeat. Somehow freer. What’s happened?’
‘I spoke to Alexandra on the phone this morning and told her everything. She was overjoyed and happy for me. Not a trace of disappointment or pain. On the contrary. That was very important to me, Carinda. Only now am I absolutely free and can give myself over to our love.’
She looked at me searchingly. ‘Yes, I can feel it.’ As if to seal the moment, we kissed for a long time and deeply.
‘I’ve never seen you with cold lips before, my love. This is a completely new experience,’ I joked.
She laughed. I went into the cafe and paid for Carinda’s ice cream.
We sat closely together in the boat and looked out to sea. ‘Four more days until the big moment,’ I said.
‘I can hardly wait. Mara was right. I’m looking forward to it more and more every day.’
‘Now I can empathize with you. I also sense a hint of anticipation in myself. I’m sure it will get stronger.’
We looked at each other and kissed.
* * *
Notos was waiting for us in Triklia.
As we got out of the boat, Carinda said, ‘Saladin is asking for you to visit the pyramid. The message came during our crossing. Notos will take us there directly.’
Notos seemed more impartial to me today. I mentally asked Carinda what was wrong with him.
‘Yes, he had another visit with Vesna yesterday and she was apparently able to help him. I’m glad he’s feeling better now.’
Carinda led me into the pyramid and on to the central control room, which I didn’t know yet. It was right next to the room where the full moon ritual took place.
‘It’s good that you’re here, Richard,’ Saladin greeted me, turning to Carinda. ‘A warm welcome to you too, Carinda.’
Just like a few days ago, he was barefoot again. He will probably walk around the world barefoot for the rest of his life.
‘Have a seat!’
I had imagined a control room to be different, with lots of technology and monitors. Instead, I found myself in a cosy living room with a stately group of upholstered chairs where the three of us sat down. Someone served us fresh coffee and pastries. From here, we looked at a white wall.
‘Is that a screen?’ I asked Saladin.
‘Yes, the wall is actually an electronic screen. But we hardly need that anymore. We prefer to use this table in front of us, which you can’t tell is a holographic projector.’
‘Really! I only know holographs from movies. Can you show me one?’ I asked him.
‘Maybe later,’ Saladin said. ‘I’d rather talk to you about something else now. The most exciting moments on our planet are happening right now. I’d like your opinion on that.’
‘In terms of the coronavirus?’ I asked.
‘Yes. What do you know about it?’
‘I don’t have any knowledge because the information is too contradictory and complex. However, it is obvious to me that corona is being used as a means to an end. There is no really dangerous pathogen. The real intention is to introduce the vaccination, which the majority of people will long for out of fear of the epidemic. And to fuel people’s fear and powerlessness, they are being forced into isolation. That makes them more compliant.’
‘And what is the vaccination for?’ asked Saladin.
‘I suspect that the vaccine serum will also be used to send nanocomputers into the blood, which will make it possible to identify and control every single person. In conjunction with the mobile data network and the introduction of 5G, individuals or groups can be switched off inconspicuously if necessary. Heart attack, kidney failure, sudden dementia or similar. In this way, population minimization can be carried out elegantly without the plan being jeopardized by uprisings or civil wars.’
‘You seem to have got things quite right, Richard. What you describe actually corresponds to the intentions of those who hold the levers in your hands. The scenario you describe would play out like this if these people’s plan works out.’
I interrupted him: ‘Rumour has it that there is now a powerful alliance of high-ranking military generals from all countries. The American president and Q as well as Robert F. Kennedy Junior are said to be in charge. Can you confirm this?’
‘Roughly speaking, yes,’ was his answer, ‘but there’s more to it than that. You’re friends with a physicist. Didn’t he tell you anything?’
‘Why? Do you know him?’
‘Of course! What did he tell you?’
‘He says that spaceships bombard the sun with laser-like beams that cause the sun to react with increased eruptions. But he discovered this fourteen years ago, and he wrote a book about it.’
‘Exactly. But he told you something else, didn’t he?’
‘Yes, he said that in certain circles people are convinced that these spaceships are our own. In other words, we have travelled back from the future to save humanity from a dark and fatal future.’
Saladin nods in agreement. ‘That is a fact. I can tell you that much. You must have noticed how quickly and unanimously the governments of most and the most important countries were prepared to declare the virus an epidemic and decree an absolute standstill in society. Such unity can only be generated by a person or group to whom absolute authority is granted and to whom even presidents voluntarily submit. Don’t you agree?’
‘I suspected that from the start and my friend confirmed it for me.’
‘Good, then we have a similar level of knowledge and now comes the key question: what will happen next? What do you think should happen now?’ asked Saladin.
‘My guess is that our relatives from the future are just standing by as a backup in case all other efforts fail. Only a fool would assume that they are the only ones who want to influence this process of change. And such forces exist on both sides, in my opinion. That is why it is still uncertain which direction humanity will take.’
‘Wonderful, my friend! Go on!’
‘As it stands, there are currently an infinite number of developments and potential flashpoints. I observe that the majority of people are still in a kind of media hypnosis. At the same time, the American media is becoming less and less credible and I suspect that at some point it will be exposed as an instrument of the dark forces. But that will take a little more time. But when that happens, the media in other countries will also fall and lose their power. Only then can the forces of light—I’ll call them that—come into action. I envision mass arrests, starting with high-profile business leaders, politicians and officials in America and including all the other puppets of capital in many countries around the world. Then the worst could be prevented and the path to a transformation of humanity would be guaranteed.’
‘An option that we also favour here,’ said Saladin, ‘but what if this plan doesn’t work out?’
I promptly replied, ‘It could only be destroyed if the world’s population remained in fear and panic because a new pandemic, another wave with a much more dangerous virus, broke out. Signs of such a plan can already be seen in the media. This would lead to people no longer looking at anything critically out of panic, but instead longing for vaccination like sheep.’
‘Perfect, my friend! That would seal the fate of humankind. And where and when do you think our friends from the future would intervene?’
‘I suppose when the vaccinations become unavoidable. They would be able to prevent it. I imagine that, with their advanced technological capabilities, they would trigger a powerful magnetic storm from the sun that would hit our earth in a perfectly targeted manner and destroy all electronic equipment. Then the dark forces would be deprived of their influence over us humans.’
‘That’s right! That’s how it could end. Then we’d have more time to uncover the web of power and it might take longer, but humanity would be saved. Do you have any idea to what extent we could play a role in this?’
I thought about it. What options did my friends have? They said that they had infiltrated their people everywhere. Even in the highest government offices of all countries and in the lodges and other centres of power. What would ideally have to happen? One whistleblower? Or several?
‘Whistleblowers are good. We’ve already used a few, as you can imagine. Wikileaks was one of our ideas.’
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘I’m no longer surprised. It would have to be someone who is highly respected worldwide making a statement that would expose the whole media world as a cartel of lies. I can only imagine that a defendant in a trial would make such statements under oath in order to avoid conviction. As a deal with the prosecution, so to speak.’
‘We’re working on it, my friend. Thank you very much for your assessment of the situation and potential opportunities. That was very valuable for us. May we call on you again from time to time?’
‘Any time,’ I replied.
Saladin said goodbye to us with a hearty hug.
‘That was very informative,’ I said when we were outside. We got on the hover and Notos took us to my new house.
‘Tell me, Richard, I listened to you carefully earlier and was totally surprised at how clearly you recognized the situation,’ said Carinda as we sat comfortably on the sofa drinking coffee.
‘I was surprised myself, Carinda,’ I replied. ‘I’ve never talked about it so coherently and logically before. Until today, I’ve only ever had fragments in my head, precisely because the reporting is so opaque and contradictory. Maybe it was because I was standing in your headquarters and was illuminated by your information field. In any case, I suddenly had clarity. Of course, I don’t know if I’m right, but it seemed to me to be the only possible analysis. How do you see things?’
‘I am completely apolitical. I have no opinion on this because it would be irrelevant anyway and would make no difference in this crisis. I can still afford to be apolitical. It will be another seventeen years before I am queen, and then other issues will certainly be more acute.’
‘You’re right, of course. Let’s not talk about it anymore,’ I replied absentmindedly.
Carinda noticed immediately, of course, and promptly asked, ‘Do you want to spend the night in Rigklia again tonight?’
‘No way, my love, this time I want to stay and relax with you.’
Day 8
Three more days until the ritual. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked to my right. There she lay, my Carinda. My affection for her had become a deep and carefree love, especially after the phone call with Alexandra. I was fascinated by her relaxed face. It radiated a childlike purity that appealed to my heart. My gaze fell on the light blue silk sheet that only scantily covered her flawless body. What a gift!
Thoughts set in. What do I actually know about her, apart from the fact that she had an aunt who is the queen of the island? OK, I also know that she can create an irresistible erotic tension when she wants to. I now know some of her sexual preferences and know that when she is in love she lives a completely different sexuality than at other times, when she embodies animalistic femininity in all conceivable facets. But apart from that, I don’t know much more. Who was her mother? Was she still alive? If so, where? And her father? What about him? She never spoke about her parents.
I stared at her for a long time and she must have sensed that because she opened her eyes and met my gaze.
‘Good morning, sunshine!’ I greeted her and pressed a kiss to her sensual lips.
She grabbed my neck and pulled me close. ‘Sunshine yourself,’ she breathed and passionately renewed our kiss.
‘You know, Carinda, I just realized that I don’t know very much about you. Not that it could be relevant to us, but I want to know more about you. Who were your parents, for example? You’ve never told me about them and no one else has mentioned them.’
Carinda looked at me for a long time. Sadness showed on her face. Then she said quietly, ‘It’s a very long story. I’ll tell it to you at breakfast, OK?’
‘I’d love that,’ I said. ‘Shall I make breakfast again today?’
She smiled and suggested, ‘Let’s do it together today, my love!’ She gave me a fleeting kiss and stood up.
‘Naked?’ I wanted to know.
‘No, not now! The subject doesn’t fit.’ She slipped on one of my T-shirts and went into the kitchen area. I put on my trousers and shirt and got to work on the coffee machine.
* * *
A few minutes later, we were sitting opposite each other eating toast and eggs.
‘My mother was three years younger than Mara. They were my grandparents’ only daughters,’ she began.
‘Did you remember your grandparents?’
‘No, my grandmother left when Mara turned fifty and became queen. That was sixty years ago.’
I looked at her questioningly.
She continued, ‘Mara had never found a man with whom she wanted to have a child. I suspect that it wasn’t because of the men, but that she had made a conscious decision to do so.’
‘Why?’
‘Because she and my mother were one heart and one soul. They were inseparable until Mara became queen. Mara probably couldn’t bear the fact that her sister could never fulfil this role because she was the younger one. So her plan was that her sister would at least become the mother of the next heir to the throne.’
‘That’s kind of brilliant! What was your mother’s name anyway?’
‘Cara.’
‘Go on, Carinda! I’m quite curious. So your mother found someone to perform the royal ritual of procreation with?’
‘It was an envoy from Shangri-La. A monk.’
‘A monk?’ I asked incredulously. ‘Are they allowed to do that?’
‘Not really. But they had actually fallen in love with each other. An event that is quite rare on Libidos and, as I learned the day before yesterday, was also a prerequisite for royal procreation. Mara had recognized this immediately and realized that her plan would become reality. Her sister’s daughter would be the next queen. That was like a consolation to her, precisely because her sister could never become queen. So she set a precedent. She invited the abbot of the monastery and the lama to come to Libidos so that they could see their love for each other for themselves.’
‘What a story! How do you know all this? Did Mara tell you?’
‘Yes, but she didn’t tell me at the time that this deep love was the sign,’ Carinda replied.
‘Go on with the story! That’s really exciting!’ I asked her impatiently.
‘Both had accepted the invitation and spent a week on Libidos. Before they left, they said on arrival, they would make their judgement.’
‘Judgement?’
‘Yes, judgement. The monk, my father, was not allowed to break the monastery rules. He could only sleep with my mother after he had received an exemption from the highest authority.’
‘I understand. Well, he must have gotten it, otherwise you wouldn’t be sitting in front of me right now.’ I grinned happily.
She returned my grin briefly and continued, ‘So this ritual took place about thirty-four years ago and many guests came, especially from Shangri-La.’
‘I suppose your father wanted to go back to the monastery afterwards.’
‘No, he wanted to stay with my mother and she had also decided to have me with her from the start. No wet nurse.’
Carinda must have seen the question mark on my wrinkled forehead and continued, ‘And now comes the sad part of the story.’ She paused. I could see that pain and sadness were like a shadow across her face. I was literally hanging on her lips when she finally said the inevitable: ‘My mother died giving birth to me.’
She started to cry. I was shocked. When my stupor subsided, I said quietly and full of compassion, ‘Oh, Carinda! I’m so sorry about that!’
We didn’t speak for a long time and ate the rest of our breakfast depressed.
At some point, Carinda added, ‘My father must have suffered a lot. He stayed for a whole month before he went back to the monastery. I never got to know him.’
I asked, ‘Don’t you want to get to know him?’
Carinda’s sad face now took on angry features. She wiped the tears from her face and hissed defiantly:
‘Why should I? He’s never contacted me or asked about me. I don’t even exist for him!’
I grabbed her hand to reassure her and asked, ‘Do you know his name?’
‘Yes, he called himself Chidananda.’
‘Do you know what the name means?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, Lord Shiva, I was told.’
I got up and cleared the table. Carinda was still sitting pensively, playing with her knife.
‘Would you like another coffee?’ I asked her.
‘Yes, please!’
I drew us two cappuccinos, put our cups down in front of her and knelt down beside her chair. She bowed her head and looked at me with sad eyes. I pulled her down to me and gave her a long, compassionate hug.
Then she said quietly, ‘It’s all right, my love! That’s a story from the past. We’re both writing a new one.’ She gave me a kiss, stood up and grabbed my coffee cup, which she held out to me. ‘Drink it! It shouldn’t be too hot now.’
I took a sip and asked, ‘Any plans for today, Carinda?’
‘Yes, we’ve been asked to be the master of ceremonies. You know, Crissa.’
‘As sad as your story is, my love, I am sure that everything always works out for the best. Perhaps it was very important that you carry the genes of a monk within you. Perhaps he only entered your mother’s life for this purpose. His life plan was obviously tied to the monastery and therefore life indirectly forced him to return. Your mother’s soul was certainly aware of this and so, out of love, she decided to leave this world to give him his freedom. If she had not left, love would still have bound them together today and his life plan would have remained unfulfilled.’
‘I believe that too. But the mental pain that he and we all suffered was a high price to pay for his life plan. Don’t you think so?’
‘Yes, life is always perfect, but that doesn’t mean it always has to be pain-free. I know that very well from my own experience.’
‘Right,’ said Carinda, ‘let’s go and see Crissa. It’s about time.’
* * *
‘Hello, Crissa, why did you summons us?’ Carinda was back to her usual form.
‘Well, you have to try on your robes and we also have to discuss who can sit in the VIP gallery. Later, at the great banquet, there will also be a seating arrangement that we need to discuss.’
‘I assumed that was my aunt’s job. She knows the guests much better than I do,’ replied Carinda.
‘For the most part, she’ll already be doing that. But she has asked me to ask you if you have any wishes.’
Carinda thought for a moment and replied, ‘Yes, Crissa, my two best friends, Farah and Sadi, should also be in the stands and maybe not at the main table at dinner, but close to me.’
‘No problem! That’s the way it should be!’ Crissa wrote down both names.
I already knew Farah, she was the one with the transparent, turquoise trouser suit, which she really didn’t wear for very long. I had to smile.
‘You’re remembering, aren’t you?’ Carinda looked at me with amusement.
‘How could I forget Farah, my love? But you haven’t introduced me to Sadi yet, have you?’
‘No, my love. You only know her house. We’ve been there … You know!’
Of course I knew that.
Crissa brought our robes. There was really no other way to describe them, because they reminded me of those worn by the ancient Romans. They also wore pieces of fabric two metres wide and forever long, which were cleverly wrapped around the body. Ours were white.
‘It will be a magical moment for all the guests when you take off your white robes and your naked, blue bodies appear. Oh, I’m so looking forward to it. Three more days and then it’s time!’ Crissa was beside herself with excitement.
‘And what shoes are we wearing?’ I wanted to know.
‘Shoes? Nonsense!’ Crissa looked at me indignantly. ‘You’re going barefoot.’
‘But then they can already see that we’re painted blue underneath,’ I objected.
‘No, no, Richard, your robes reach down to the floor. Maybe you weren’t paying attention just now. You won’t see anything. You can count on it. I’ve thought of everything.’ She grinned.
Then she said, ‘Now I’m going to have another coffee with you until the time for love has come. I would love to spend it with you again. It was so wonderful last time. Don’t you agree?’
Carinda looked at me questioningly. I could see from her features that she liked the suggestion. Or did I even recognize something like an invitation?
‘Crissa,’ I replied, ‘I can’t imagine anything better.’
* * *
We had lunch at the palace because Carinda had been asked by her aunt to come and see her.
‘Nice to see you here. I want to talk to you briefly about our guests. Of course you don’t know most of them, Carinda. And you, Richard, don’t really know anyone. Well, we have the King and Queen of Atlantis and Asgard here, as well as the Lama of Shangri-La. There’s no question that they’ll all be sitting in the VIP gallery and they’ll also be at the main table with you at the banquet.’
‘Sure!’ we both said as if from the same mouth.
‘But what you don’t know, Carinda, and that’s why I wanted to prepare you personally, is this.’
Carinda interrupted her: ‘You’re making it exciting, Auntie! Don’t keep us in suspense like that!’
Mara actually took her time. She seemed to be visibly savouring the situation. Finally she said:
‘Your father will be here too.’
‘What?’ Carinda stood up. She had to move, pacing up and down the table.
‘Just like that?’ She then asked, ‘Why? He hasn’t shown his face for the last thirty-three years. Why is he here now? I don’t want to see him!’
Mara and I looked at each other. Then Mara said:
‘My beloved little niece! Do I detect a deep hurt that is now coming to the surface? Have you forgotten that none of the children here on Libidos know their natural parents? Why does your father in particular bother you so much? How could you feel so hurt because of him? Tell me, dear!’
Carinda sat down again. She didn’t speak yet. Mara and I sensed that she was in the midst of an inner conflict. We both waited patiently for her to find words.
‘Obviously he loved my mother very much, they say. My mother gave him a daughter. Me. But he didn’t accept his gift. He simply walked away and carelessly left me, the gift of his great and only love and for which my mother had to die, and never wanted to see me again. Now I don’t want to see him either. He can stay in his monastery.’
‘Chidananda, your father, is the new lama, Carinda. He is the head of Shangri-La,’ Mara informed her sympathetically.
‘And if he were God himself, I wouldn’t want to see him. I don’t want him at my table. In the VIP box for all I care, but not at my table, period!’ Carinda spat out the words in a sharp voice.
I had never seen Carinda so agitated, even angry. Mara and I flinched at her words. Her anger was intense and powerful. She was spraying fire all around her. I realized that her potential could move mountains. The queen showed her power.
Mara remained calm and looked at her sympathetically. Then she said:
‘Your anger is completely justified, Carinda. It’s good that you’re freeing him! I understand your deep disappointment and the hurt that your father’s behaviour has caused you.’
She gave Carinda time to concentrate on her anger. We waited until Mara could sense the right moment to speak the next words:
‘I sense that your anger is subsiding now.’ She waited a moment and then continued:
‘Realize that it was you who created the disappointment and pain. You alone drew such conclusions. The reason for your anger is your own thoughts and not your father. Think about it and nod when you have realized it!’
It didn’t take long for Carinda to nod. Satisfied, Mara continued, ‘If you look inside yourself now, it should be difficult for you to feel any trace of anger. Am I right?’
She looked at Carinda questioningly. ‘Well, tell me! Am I right?’ Mara followed up.
Carinda lifted her head and looked first at Mara, then at me. She nodded.
‘Very good, Carinda,’ Mara praised her. ‘Now is the time for you to look objectively at what might have happened back then. Just assume that it was with a great deal of pain that your father said goodbye to you. Assume that in the one month he was still here, he visited your nurse every day to hold you in his arms. Imagine that nothing in the world was more important to him at that time than you, the gift of his one great love. Can you imagine that?’
Mara looked at her lovingly. Carinda didn’t react. She had her head in her hands and gave no sign.
We waited patiently because we both knew how important this moment was for Carinda.
A quiet sob was now audible. After a while, she showed her tear-streaked face. I suddenly felt a heart-wrenching love for her and would have loved to take her in my arms, but that would have been inappropriate. That much was clear to me. It was about her father, not about me or us.
Her sobs intensified as she replied, ‘What you say, Auntie, makes me very sad. If that was the case, then he felt at least as much pain as I did. I can almost feel it.’
Mara replied very gently and sensitively, ‘And that’s exactly how it was, my little Carinda.’
Carinda began to cry uncontrollably. In barely intelligible words, she said, ‘I want to see and feel him and I want him by my side.’
Mara, the epitome of calm, replied, ‘So be it, my love!’
We spent the rest of the day taking another long walk in the forest.
Carinda was transformed. She seemed so soft and relaxed. Her heart was completely open. She spoke so lovingly about her father and how she would welcome him. She really had already taken him unconditionally into her heart. I was happy. We were happy.
Day 9
We spent the night together in my house on Libidos. This morning we woke up at the same time and looked sleepily into each other’s eyes.
‘Well?’
‘Well you?’
‘How do you feel, my love?’
Her answer left no room for doubt: ‘I want to sleep with you now.’
Later, at breakfast and modestly dressed, Carinda said, ‘How was yesterday for you? I’m asking because I was shocked when this anger burst out of me. I’ve never experienced myself like that before. I felt as if I wasn’t in my body. I stood on the sidelines and just watched myself. It was happening without me being able to stop it. I was literally beside myself.’
‘I was fascinated by your power. I thought: this is where the queen shows her strength. Your potential is beyond this world, Carinda. Such elemental power. It was the experience of a lifetime for me.’
‘Really? And I thought you would see me with different eyes now, have discovered the ugliness in me. If I’m honest, that was my great fear. I don’t want you to stop loving me. That would be the death of me. It reassured me that we had just made love so tenderly. But the fact that you showed no interest in me last night didn’t do me any good.’
‘Last night we were on a different frequency, one characterized by your father. That wouldn’t have been right, my love. I wanted to leave you in your good mood. You were so happy at the thought of seeing him again soon. And of course I see you with different eyes now, my love. I have been able to recognize your immeasurable strength. I don’t doubt for a moment that you will master all challenges as queen with flying colours.’
She beamed at me. ‘Really?’
‘Really!’ I confirmed.
Suddenly she paused. Then she became very excited.
‘Dearest! I’ve just heard that the whole party from Shangri-La will be arriving at noon today.’
She stomped on the floor like a child and threw her arms around. ‘I’m so excited!’
‘How nice!’ I beamed. ‘Then you’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to get to know your father before we leave the day after tomorrow.’
‘Yes! Come on, let’s go!’
We quickly cleared the table and started for the harbour.
‘Are you sure we won’t be there too early? It’s only morning. What do you want to do until midday? Wait there?’
‘Firstly, it’s already past ten o’clock. Secondly, it’s almost the time for love. Thirdly, we’re going to visit my friend Sadi. After all, you haven’t met her yet and it’s on the way, as you know.’
Sadi was not quite as slim as most women on Libidos. She had protruding hips and an eye-catching bosom. She was radiant when we entered her house. Her inner beauty was captivating and I quickly realized why she was Carinda’s friend. Excitingly, I began to find her attractive. She was Rubenesque, but her body was firm and agile. Her erotic charisma became more and more apparent to me the longer we sat together.
Of course, I knew that the time of love would be another ménage-à-trois, and I felt a sense of anticipation the closer we got to eleven o’clock.
Do I need to confirm that my expectations were not disappointed? No! The women on Libidos are so special because they act like drugs as soon as they focus on love or sex. Perhaps this is also the reason why the men let everything happen to them, because the reward is so generous and satisfying.
There was already a crowd of onlookers in the harbour. Mara was already standing at the jetty and greeted us warmly.
‘Now I have to ask you something,’ I blurted out. ‘The people come from Shangri-La. So why are they travelling by ship and not by plane?’
Mara looked at me respectfully. ‘That’s a very intelligent question, Richard. The answer is quite simple. Airplanes are constantly monitored by your air security service. That’s why our friends only fly from New Delhi to Athens. They are then picked up by one of our ships in the port of Piraeus. That way we bypass the controls of your systems.’
‘That makes sense. Then of course you’ll know exactly what time they’ll be here,’ I replied.
‘Exactly. If you look in that direction, you’ll see the holographic screen open in a few moments. The ship will dock here in five minutes,’ was Mara’s reply.
And indeed! Five minutes later it had arrived in the harbour, and a short time later the first passengers left the ship. The welcome was exemplary. There was continuous clapping and every new arrival was warmly embraced, regardless of whether they knew each other or not.
Most of the travellers wore the typical orange robes of the monks, because they were monks.
Carinda waited impatiently. Fascinated, she looked at the landing stage. But how was she supposed to recognize him? After all, she had never seen her father before.
‘There he is!’ Mara exclaimed, pulling Carinda with her. A handsome man in an orange robe was soon standing in front of them.
‘Welcome, Chidananda! I’m allowed to call you that, even though you’re the lama now, aren’t I?’ He returned Mara’s embrace without saying a word.
‘And this, my dear friend, is your daughter, Carinda!’ Mara pointed to her niece and pulled her towards him.
Chidananda stared at her. He seemed surprised and for a moment I thought he was going to lose his composure. But then his monastic discipline came back to him. He took her hand, bowed deeply to Carinda and said, ‘This is undoubtedly the happiest day of my life. Carinda, my beloved and much missed daughter! I embrace you!’ He stood up and hugged her to his heart, crying.
They remained in their embrace for a long time and everyone present was deeply moved. Everything seemed to stand still. The whole crowd was speechless at this moment. There was complete silence.
When they broke away, looked at each other lovingly and then looked into the crowd, an unprecedented noise broke out. Everyone clapped, men whistled and a chant became audible: ‘Carinda’s father, we welcome you!’
Again there were tears. Chidananda was completely overwhelmed by such a welcome. He and Carinda bowed in all directions and together with Mara and me we walked up the path to the palace. The enthusiastic inhabitants of Libidos crowded along the way.
Carinda recognized Sari, who gave her a loving look and a kiss on the hand.
* * *
Everything was already prepared for the guests in the palace. I counted a total of seven monks from Shangri-La. Most of them were already very old. I estimated them to be over seventy. Carinda’s father, on the other hand, was in his mid-sixties. Only two of them appeared to be somewhere between thirty and forty.
I walked the way to the palace with Mara, because Carinda walked at her father’s side. Now, in the palace, she pulled me in front of her father, who looked at me with a scrutinizing gaze.
‘Father,’ said Carinda with happy eyes, ‘I haven’t even been able to introduce you to my betrothed yet. This is Richard.’
‘Hello!’ I said shyly.
His face brightened and he suddenly radiated a kindness that enveloped my whole being. ‘I am very happy for Carinda. You are a wonderful soul and I can see that the bond of your love is unusually strong.’
He bowed humbly to me and I did the same.
We sat down at the sumptuously laid table. Chidananda sat at the head of the table as the guest of honour. Mara and Carinda sat to his left and right. A pleasant conversation developed and at the end the company dispersed.
Before Mara showed Chidananda and his entourage their accommodations, I heard Carinda arranging to meet her father for a late afternoon chat.
‘Beloved,’ I said to Carinda, ‘I suggest that you take me to Rigklia quickly, because I suspect that you want to spend time with your father today and tomorrow. Do you agree?’
She hesitated. Then she agreed. ‘All right, my love. But you have to promise me that you’ll be back at Libidos tomorrow night and we’ll spend the night together in your house.’
‘I promise!’ I kissed her as if in confirmation and we walked down to the harbour, exhilarated.
* * *
Back in Rigklia, I treated myself to a coffee and sat down on the terrace as usual. The sun was still very strong. It wouldn’t set for another few hours. And yet the early evening was already within earshot, as blackbirds and thrushes called out lively melodies to each other, creating a faint echo in the landscape. Peace was uniquely present here in this part of Greece.
Writing in my diary was easy in the shade of my large umbrella. As I typed my experiences into my laptop, I wondered how the monks would deal with the time of love. I had to laugh inside. They certainly wouldn’t want to take part in this form of worship. They’d probably break their vows, poor things. They have no idea what they are missing out on.
I realized for myself that vows only prevent people from surrendering to the flow of life and its gifts. In a way, a vow blocks individual cogs in the cosmic gears for those who have taken one. Life is deprived of its fullness. Or to put it another way: those who take a vow deprive themselves of the fullness of life.
Why submit to a rule that others have made up? I would be sabotaging my own responsibility and deliberately weakening myself. Wouldn’t that also turn me into a kind of lemming, a follower?
Of course, I was aware that we are all free to shape our lives as we wish and I decided to treat the monks with respect and appreciation.
By the time the sun had set, I had also finished my diary entries. I felt hungry and made my way to Elli’s, my favourite restaurant in Agios Nikolaos.
I was delighted when I spotted Robert, my physicist friend, with his wife at one of the tables. We greeted each other almost effusively because we hadn’t seen each other for a good week. They had also just arrived. I sat down with them and we placed our orders together.
‘Tell me, my friend, what happened to you? Why haven’t you been in touch?’ Robert asked me.
So I got started. From Carinda’s invitation to Aquarella and my first visit to Libidos to the arrival of the monks. Robert and Verena interrupted me from time to time because I sometimes spoke too fast and they lost track.
When we reached the end, there was silence.
‘Well, what do you say?’
They both looked at me, embarrassed. ‘You’ve come up with a great story, my dear,’ Robert said approvingly. ‘It should make a good novel.
‘Yes,’ I replied, ‘I knew you wouldn’t believe me. No one would believe me. But I know what I’ve experienced and nobody can take that away from me. I also know that I’m going back to Libidos tomorrow afternoon. You can take me to the harbour if you don’t want to believe me, Robert.’
‘Your story is very exciting and fascinating. Almost too beautiful and too convincing to be fictional,’ Verena agreed.
‘You know what? I’ll ask Mara if I can invite you to the ritual. Then you can see the truth for yourselves.’
What an idea! That would do the trick. It needs a witness or two from my regular world.
Robert and Verena looked at each other and grinned. ‘That would be totally crazy! But of course we’d come. That goes without saying. Do we have to bring a present?’
The End
Dear readers, this is where my book ends.
Yes, I know what a cliffhanger is and I like to keep you in suspense.
What do you think?
Do you want to know how the procreation ritual went?
Will Robert and Verena be allowed on the island?
How will they react to disruptions from the outside world on Libidos?
Will Libidos remain an ideal world, or are there perhaps already cracks that I have not yet been able to see?
I promise! There will be a sequel. After all, these first days on Libidos took place in May 2020 and a lot has happened since then …
I just finished A Separate Reality by Richard Neubersch, and I have to say—it's one of the more unusual and thought-provoking reads I've picked up in a while. I'm always curious about a book that steps outside traditional narrative conventions and tries to offer something entirely its own. Neubersch's novel definitely does that. It is a passionate blend of spiritual memoir, science fiction, and metaphysical exploration. A Separate Reality is bold, imaginative, and brimming with earnest intention.
A Separate Reality is instantly intriguing: Richard, the narrator, is whisked away to a hidden island called Libidos—an advanced, matriarchal society that has cloaked itself from the modern world using technology and spiritual power. What follows is nine days of revelations, both philosophical and sensual, as Richard introduces a way of life that challenges everything he thought he knew about reality, love, sexuality, and the potential of the human spirit.
There are a few things I really liked about A Separate Reality. First, the worldbuilding is genuinely compelling. I've never encountered anything like Libidos' population of spiritually evolved humans who've preserved ancient wisdom and unlocked dormant abilities like telepathy, intentional manifestation, and self-healing. This is definitely catnip for anyone with an interest in the esoteric. Neubersch weaves in references to Atlantis, Shangri-La, and the Hollow Earth, which adds an extra layer of mythic mystery. I was especially fascinated by the matriarchal structure of Libidos and how that reshapes power dynamics and intimacy.
I also appreciate how sincerely the book engages with spiritual questions. Neubersch isn't trying to be clever or ironic; the story is asking earnestly, what if we've forgotten who we really are? That level of vulnerability is refreshing.
From a literary perspective, the execution could use a little polish. The prose leans more toward exposition than immersion. There are long stretches of philosophical monologue that slow the pace. The dialogue sometimes reads more like a transcript rather than an organic conversation. I also found the sexual content—while thematically tied to the island's worldview—occasionally feeling more idealized than embodied. I would've liked a bit more emotional nuance or internal tension.
Still, A Separate Reality is a memorable read. It feels like a love letter to awakening, and it will absolutely appeal to spiritually curious readers and open to unconventional storytelling. It's not perfect, but it's passionate—and that, to me, always counts for something.