Dante VI Canto XIX Scene I

 Canto XIX

Fifth Terrace; Sirens

Scene I

“Ulysses, we are there,” Dante shouted to the leader that commanded the trireme he was on. He was in the attire of the loose tunic, with half-length shorts, and the striped bandanna around his neck. He was to call once more but the sea water splayed his face drowned his voice.

“You don’t have to shout. He can’t hear you at all.” The one next to him holding the steer of the trireme told Dante. Then the other motioned with his right hand to his ears that was seen the waxed piece stuck in there.

“I can hear you---” Dante voiced to the other but the other was looking ahead steering the trireme. The sea vessel was a wide rowing frame, sitting on the still very narrow hull. Now the two upper rows of oars were fixed to the outrigger, the lower one passed through the side of the hull proper.  In the middle was an open pentecostal where the still mast was installed and on it was the square sail was rigged onto it. It held the length about a hundred feet in length with a beam of over ten feet and weighed about forty metric tons with a top speed of over eleven knots, and with the waves under it, it may reach up to eighteen knots, although its average is nine knots.

It was then Dante heard the surreal singing that came from the sea around the trireme. He was drawn to it by the melodic singing. As it was then who was Ulysses. The leader was tied to the mast and was struggling to get loose of it. 

“Come here, renowned Ulysses, honor to the Achaean name, and listen to our two voices.

No one ever sailed past us without staying to hear the enchanting sweetness of our song-

and he who listens will go on his way not only charmed but wiser, for we know all the ills that the gods laid upon the Argives and Trojans before Troy,

and can tell you everything that is going to happen over the whole world.”

(https://odysseyofthesirens.weebly.com/siren-songs-in-modern-literature.html)

 

Dante felt drawn to the song. His hands had let go of the rails.

“Hold your hands to there. Don’t let go.” The companion holding the steer called out to Dante. “Those are Sirens. They will eat you alive.”

“Sirens? What sirens? I hear only music.” Dante replied. He felt the smack on the back of his head.

“Orpheus, we are close to the island named as Sirenum scopuli; the very same islands that Ulysses took to past then.” The one who spoke to Dante was dressed naked but in his head was the Corinthian design for the helmet with the solitary plume that sails to the rear. He had on then were the wooden sandals and rounded shield with the long spear in his right hand.

“Spare him, Jason. Orpheus may be still in his mournful state. He did mourn his love, chased by the satyr before she fell into the viper’s nest, and died an uneasy death. He held her in his arms when she was dying.” Argus was the one who spoke and sailed with Jason as part of the Argonauts.

“Yes, it was tragic and Orpheus here went into the Underworld to plea with Hades and Persephone for his love. He played them the tunes that moved their hearts, and his lover was returned to him.” It was another Calais who traveled with Jason added to the tale of the lovers.

“Alas, he is with us and his skills not of the sword, but with music, he will lead us away from the damming sirens here.” Jason roared out. “Play for us, Orpheus for your love awaits you as ours too. They want us home and only you may save us from the Underworld. I will not doubt your singing but to sing for all of us facing Hades, I doubt even Zeus can be saved us all there.”

“Give him his lyre and stand there at the helm, and don’t look back as you were told by Hades. Play hard and play well, Orpheus for we are there.” Jason called out. Dante felt given the musical item in his hands and was to find his feet moving ahead. He looked at his hands; the U-shaped harp with the strings fixed to a cross bar was the musical item of the ancient.

“I don’t know how---” Dante turned to look at Jason.

“Play, Orpheus. Play as you always do.” Jason coaxed the musician. Those words rang into Dante’s ears and his fingers moved then. He played the strings that out-mellowed the Siren’s singing.

 

“Sing once again with me

Our strange duet

My power over you

Grows stronger yet

And though you turn from me

To glance behind

The phantom of the opera is there

Inside your mind.”

(https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/16287443/Sarah+Brightman/The+Phantom+of+the+Opera)

“Dante--- I am here.” Dante heard the voice and saw himself seated on the swing hung from the tree branch. The vines that held the swing from the ground were thick and laden with the flowers on them. The seat was a polished wood piece that could seat two persons there, although then was Dante alone lying across it with his left leg over the side. He saw there on the right of the swing was the double-decked table with the bowls of fruits and the jug of wine. He looked upwards and saw the low-hanging fruits that were ripe to pluck. He then looked down at himself. 

“Oh, God! I am ---” Indeed Dante was without a stitch of clothes on him, saved maybe the ring of flowers that was strung together to form a crown on his head. 

“Hello, my love.” Dante turned to look and saw an old crone approaching him. The old crone was dressed in the flimsy wrap around her frame which was grotesque to appreciate then. She limped over on her bad left leg and her hair flowing to the rear of her was silvery white with spaced out strands there. 

“I brought you an apple, my love.” The crone handed over the red apple in her right hand. “I could not eat it for I am without my teeth although I held these.” 

Dante sat up in fright at the sight of the crone displaying her bosom towards him. 

“You may like them like those hanging fruits.” The old crone motioned with her middle right finger at the fruits on the tree. “It's still juicy.” 

Dante cringed in his movements and tried to get away when he heard the other voice calling out. 

“Who are you, crone to entice my lover?” Dante looked at the voice and saw what he could not believe then. 

It was Beatrice there, and she looked --- ravishing. Of course, she was for she was covered by that flimsy material that honest to God left nothing to be imagined then. She stood there, with the lengthy blonde hair flowing behind her, and by the grace of God, she was a natural blonde. She held all the curves and portions that the Goddess of Venus would have un-selfishly declared as voluptuous with appearance. Everything was perfect, even to her lips which pouted out when she was upset.

“I am his lover. I am the one whom he fantasies over.” Beatrice had then grabbed the crone by the left shoulder. “Do you not know shamed to entice my lover?” 

“He is not until he speaks of it with his lips. You have to ask him.” The old crone glared at Dante. “Do you want my apple, sweetie? See it feed my mouth too.” 

Dante was to puke when he saw the crone place the apple to her wide mouth. It was then Beatrice as known by Dante; displayed her anger that no others will sample given a lady scorned by another for her lover. She grabbed the crone and tossed her to the side. She did not spare a look to the crone who ended up on her back at the nearby tree with the root between her legs. 

Beatrice looked at Dante and then her stare went downwards, and her anger went up like the flames of Hell. 

“Just you wait, Dante Alighieri, just you wait---

You’ll be sorry but your tears ‘ll be to late

You will be broke and I will have money

Will I help you? Don’t be funny---”

(Adapted from my Fair Lady, Julie Andrews 1956)

It was then Beatrice approached the crone who was lying there prone by the tree trunk. It would have been a sight for Dante seeing the lady he fancied bending over alike a centrefold of the 2oth century before the three-dimensional virtual program became a norm; a sight to behold but was troubling him for he was concerned on the crone. 

His concern was justified then. 

“Crone, how dare you approach my lover with this attire?” Beatrice grabbed the hem of the wrap on the crone and pulled at it. The tearing strength was defined as the force required to start or to continue to tear in either weft or warp direction under specified conditions; did not apply then. It was like a bad laundry spin where the material was shredded by the sheer force of the spin. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/tearing-strength)

“Shame on you, Beatrice to do me such act.” The crone huddled close to the tree trunk was in tears. “All I ever did was to relive my younger years towards him.” 

That riled Beatrice who pulled the crone towards Dante. 

“Let me show you who she is beneath the skin.” Beatrice plunged her right fingers into the crone's belly and tore away the skin. Dante was completely revolted by a terrible rotten stench like rotted dead fishes that’s steaming from the crone’s bare stomach.

“Oh my God!” Dante called out.

“You better be, for you are into your fantasy I reckon.” Dante opened his eyes to see Dante hovering over him. “Where am I?”

“You are still with me, and we rested as you seem to need it, and since it was getting dark, we did and you slept, and then when I tried to wake you --- three times in total --- as it was the new day, you slept on as if you are in the sunbathing nude, with the most obvious dream I could envisage you were having for your radical atoms stood upright in salutation then.” Virgil shot off his lengthy statement of fact then.

“Huh?” Dante was still in a daze. “I saw Beatrice.”

“Noted,” Virgil noted.

“She was not the ---one I knew. She could have been a Siren there.”

“And you were enticed by her ‘sirens’, I believe. Can we move now? We are on the next terrace and the place does not need another ‘avarice’ here.” Virgil was eager to be done with the task.

“Avarice? I am not one. I ---: Dante then noticed he was lying on his back spread-eagled and there was a noticeable dent in his pants. “Is that for real?”

“How would I know? I am a construct modeled from the eunuch figure I guessed. Virgil my creator was upset at his wives and may have kept that design on me. Or he had the idea from the collection of Ken; the plastic model of the male counterpart to Barbie the Doll?”

“Ken? Barbie? Who ---?” Dante then saw Virgil motioned to his groin with the flat sweep downward of the left hand. “That Ken. I think seeing it in the archive of records.”

“Move it, stud.  I ain’t got the whole day to teach you the birds and the bees.” Virgil stepped away and took the journey into the Fifth Terrace.

Note; I admit I took a ‘lemming’s jump off the cliff’ here. And it was fun. 

Dante VI

 Jimmy Loong

11/8/21 to 31/8/21

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purgatory_(Dante)

 

Part Six (Third segment of Dante’s Purgatory Adaptation)

 

Introduction and Notes to the last passages of Tale II (Dante’s Purgatory Adaption).

Again, I will stress the challenges of re-writing this tale. As in the words of BBC article; ‘Sandra Newman, the author of How Not to Write a Novel, has said that “The Divine Comedy is a typical science fiction trilogy. Book one, a classic. Book two, less exciting version of book one. Book three, totally bonkers, unwanted insights into author’s sexuality, Mary Sue’s mask slipping in every scene.” Who Is Mary Sue? No idea. ( https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180604-dante-and-the-divine-comedy-he-took-us-on-a-tour-of-hell)

When I took on this challenge (sounding like Bob Marley’s record but played on a cracked disc, I am (, I read Dante’s Inferno, and was intrigued by the tale. Maybe the concept of Hell was the driving factor then or was I wanted to see how my sins will be processed then. And I delved into it with my journey hence Dante was not into the original; Hello, I am here for a walk and decided to add in my flavor, with the SCI-FI scenes. When I reached an obstacle or a dead end at the maze of Canto’s, I reached for my SCI-FI chainsaw and cut myself a new path. Pardon me, too many slash-slashing movies the last weekend…

A revelation hit me then when I was doing Dante V; shall I peek into the future… aka what did Dante write in Paradise; the final part. I did a swift HERMES coming through, and almost fell to the ground as if ARTEMIS shot me with a CUPID arrow in the rear.

Darned, as in the words quoted here earlier; Book three, totally bonkers, unwanted insights into author’s sexuality, I tried to picture the ‘sexuality’ in there or rather will make mine there --- It makes the reading more intense --- I may have it, I think, and I would as like the famous quote, I came, I saw, and I conquer. I think it will be the full-blown climax. It helps to build up the atmosphere in the vision and hope the actual event will be as seen in the vision…. (Grinning… I did not plan that but I came.) Kind of throws me back on the idea of Dante towards Beatrice, he may be disappointed if he does with her like; ‘Dante darling, shall we start at page One of the Kama Sutra? I bet you have not read that yet.’.

And onto Dante VI.

 

21/08/21

I stopped for a week without writing with my mind on other matters (at my age, sex was the least of it) but I am back. I took on Canto XIX; which was tough (every new Canto was tougher) and did some soul searching of my own. What I am about to say, as Dante did his version, you --- or rather myself write the tale without putting your views to the plot here. In Canto XIX, I pushed onto the concept of free will and freedom which is explained or rather brought up, and I will let it stay there for a new Canto to come.

 

31/08/21

Finally ended Canto XXII which was another challenge. It took me some days with the different scenarios to work on. The subject matter was Glutton. How do you construct glutton into words? With huge chunks of greed, I guess. The original poems Dante wrote were about the consummation of greed in us but I am factoring in my ver4sion with the backdrop of sci-fi, so I had to adapt the tale. That was the difficult task and pulling my hair out to re-write the passage. I hope I got it… and to thank Asimov who gave me ideas, and some imaginative selection of ‘what AI will be in the coming era’. Incidentally, l discovered my old Sigmund Freud notes, and the whole plot came back to my mind.

I completed CANTO XXII and end Dante 6 for now.

I will embark on Dante 7 soon.

 

Dante V Canto XVI Scene IV

 Canto XVIII

Forth Terrace; Love is in the ---

Scene IV

“Virgil, my sight is so vivified in thy light, that I discern all that thy discourse imports or describe, therefore, I pray of thee, sweet companion dear, that thou expound to me love to which thou refer every good deed and its contrary.” Dante had the silent time to think when they did not move further from where they were before.

“The Poet is back and speaks in the words that resonate with the original text of Dante.” Virgil was patient to wait while Dante gave the thought of the journey. There was urgency but no rushing there.

“Dante’s original work was in Italian; more of the Tuscan dialect although the works than was mostly in Latin.” Dante clarified the wordings used. “Not many of us are aware of it as they may not have read it but the works here held influence in our living soul.” (Adapted from https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180604-dante-and-the-divine-comedy-he-took-us-on-a-tour-of-hell). “More than the authors of the Bible itself, Dante provided us with the vision of Hell that remains with us and has been painted by many artisans.”

“The Divine Comedy is a fulcrum in Western history. It brings together literary and theological expression, pagan and Christian, that came before it while also containing the DNA of the modern world to come. It may not hold the meaning of life, but it is Western literature’s very own theory of everything.”

“And”, Virgil mimed the act of yawning. “I thought you were to ask me to explain and here you are yapping away like a program running into a loop on its query. So, what do you want to know?”

“'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all; Alfred Lord Tennyson.” Dante voiced out. “I also have Peter 4:8; Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Peter%204%3A8&version=NIV)

“Well, I prefer or rather my creator did and he once told me; John 4:8, Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” Virgil gave his motivation.

“Che mi dimostri amore” — teach me what love is.” Dante looked at Virgil.

“The soul, which is created quick to love, responds to everything that pleases, just as soon as beauty wakens it to act. I borrowed that from Dante’s. I am not the best to explain what love is for I am a construct but my creator left me with many clues and passages. He had many loves being married twice unsuccessfully for he only loved me, the construct.” Virgil spoke of love and his creator.

“It was his apprehension to draw an image from a real object and expand upon that object until the soul has turned toward it.  The image is from a real object and unfolds that image within the soul, and it causes the soul to turn toward that image.”

“Love is thus the soul’s inclination toward another being.” Dante saw the grin on Virgil’s expression and he knew what that meant. 

“Don’t say it.” Dante knew who Virgil was to refer to then. The construct then continued.

“The soul has now, in this manner described above, been seized by love: it is taken. The soul sets off on its quest to possess the beloved, and never rests until the beloved object gives it joy.” Virgil held out his arms towards the skies then as if the ultimate love was to be God.

“That was Marco’s anti-thesis on the freedom of the will, he sees a pitfall in the description of the soul in motion, pursuing the beloved object until it gives the soul joy. If love is a natural response to something that is proffered to us from outside, how can there be merit in choosing a good or bad object of desire? In other words, how can we be blamed if we choose to love a bad object? Did God not make that wrong choice too when he created us?”

“What happens if we incline in love toward something bad?” Virgil gave his view. “We should not be blamed if we choose to love it bad. Are we justified in saying that love forced us? We met Francesa at Hell if you remember her. Her love was ---forced.”

“Do we still have a choice, even in what your Dante wrote in — in the deterministic sonnet Io sono stato — calls the “palestra d’amore”? Is love deterministic, as many poets have averred forever in their words through poetry? Does determinism therefore exist? Is the fault really in our stars after all?” Virgil continued.

“As in the sonnet Per quella via che la Bellezza corre (circa 1292), free will metaphorically stand guard at the doorway of the mansion of the soul and prevents the evil desire from entering. It follows that if an evil desire should cross the threshold and gain entry, our free will has failed to deploy our free will to combat it.” Virgil added on. “I am the sentry and not the warrior behind the wall.”

“I am for one the companion but not the one to complete the task for I am not the living soul here,” Virgil started his role in the task.

“Bravado! I salute you for taking my free will to that of love and then ripped it from my heart with your mindful comments.” Dante smiled. “Your creator did you well.”

“My creator loved me than his wives --- he may have for them if he had kids with them but that did not materialize like I knew that someone who shared his love virtually.” Virgil cut in with a snide remark.

“I had cautioned you, Virgil. Leave her out.” 

“I was not referring to her. I was saying to a fixation on God but take my call, we are not in the heavenly realm but a prison replicated of it to imprison the one thing we all supposed to have; free will.” Virgil corrected Dante. If I may borrow from a past economist's words; ‘we should view ourselves, the person of commerce, not in the light in which our selfish passions place us, but in the light in which any other citizen of the world would view us’. Love is not a mirror to view oneself but a space of distance shortened by the feel to be needed.”

“I am not a product of barter---” Dante protested in vain.

“Undoubtedly, so please keep that in mind. We have to move on now. And don’t sloth at my rear. It’s disgusting to wait for you to catch up.” Virgil saw the sunlight had reached Dante’s shadow.

 

 

Tweet...tweet... I am almost done with ...

 I am almost done with the new tale; a prequel to Arthur, on the Kings of Briton from King Constantine to Uther Pendragon. (Started on 29/9) It was supposed to be a short tale at about 30K words, then lengthened to 50K and now it's still booming and may reach 80K soon. 

I will publish it here in between Dante's to change the tone here. 

Considering my long lapse from writing, the archives may have been dusted and floods of tales are rolling in. I was thinking of a tale of my other fave, Sherly Holmes and inter-merging with Merlin, and perhaps Arthur's knights but that is still in the freezer. 

The other one was on the Fallen Angels with the Crusaders....I retired the Crusaders years ago, but maybe...they could be brought back again...

Must be the nights of reading comics with the characters 'revived' or relived, or given new beginnings....

Ever wonder why the heroes mostly wore capes and their undies outside....and never appeared to wash them...

Well, I did ponder on that....

1. Laundry sucks...That's what my kids tell me daily, and yet they throw out their dirty clothes daily.

2. Ain;t got time...Heroes are never seen to answer to nature's needs... someone please water the plants here.... but have you seen Supes or Batman ..rushing in the meeting of the JLA, and saying 'sorry, had to pee just now'. Or Spidey telling Hobgoblin...can we take a five...need to go to the toilet?

Nay, right? Well, my characters do just that. Read about it when Sherly' brother had eaten the spicy foods in India. 

Then one kiddo approached me to explain the above. 

"They all wore diapers." 

"They do?" 

"Yes, Supes is red. Bats is dark; he may have darker stools. So does, Wonder Lady...she wore ...what's that called, MUM!... knickers."

Knickers...I should have known.,, G-String won;t last in a fight... and Waist high.....I guessed the villains will have laughed before surrendering.

Wow, that tells you kids are better than us oldies....This reminds me of what my Doctor told me, we need to test you for Alzheimer's ( how do you remember such words? I had to have it spell checked)... I looked at the Doctor...What did you say?... His reply was you've forgotten and that's why we do the test to determine it... And I said, can I forget to pay you the fees...I guess they hard-coded that into my memory.... I paid everytime to be insulted.

I told my wife that and then added, it means whatever I may do today may not be remembered tomorrow, hence I may be forgiven.... She told me, you are not taking my face cream...but your own Vaseline.... Darned, I wished she had what that is called above. She did not take to my excuse that 'friction' hurts when dry. 

The kiddo also told me the diapers for Heroes were designed by FF Richards and produced by Stark in multiple dimensions.... I had to admit if the Khaki won by HULK was ever sold online, there will be many buyers.... it's expandable..."Is that your ruler there?..."No, ma'am...It's my school bag tucked in there. Sure beats having to carry it on my shoulders...like my dad said, I got heavy pieces of baggage on my shoulders..."

Well, time for me to speak to Nature... I wonder what shit that will be.....

Cheers

Dante V Canto XVI Scene III

 Canto XV

Third Terrace; the opposites of wrath

Scene III

“I told him to stay here while we are there.” Mary was in a state of anxiety about reaching home after the Passover feast. “We should have not left him to wander far too long. He may be hungry or left to search for us.”

“It’s not a day had passed, and he may not be far playing with his friends.” Joseph who is Mary’s husband placed the items they brought back. “He is a boy and needed companions.”

“He ---” Mary swallowed her wrath there. She knew in her heart, that Jesus was not any child although he was from her, the child was special. She knew he was protected but the anxiety of the mother was the same for her child.

“I will look for him. He can’t be far.” Joseph offered to look for the child, and it was painful trekking that last three days before they saw the boy in the temple talking to the elders. Mary went in and took the boy out.

“Why have you done this to us?” Mary was in anger when she confronted the boy.

“Unhand me, mother. How is it that you sought me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" The boy spoke to Mary then. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_in_the_Temple).

The vision then shifted in Dante’s view. He was in the court of ancient Athens.

“My King, would you not grant my wish as your Queen?” The lady glared at the one who was the King of Athens. The one addressed was King Pisistratus.

“I will attend to it.” The King replied.

“She is your bloodline. How could you tolerate someone from outside to violate her?” The Queen was upset. “If you are lord of the city for whose name was so great strife among the gods, and whence all knowledge sparkles, avenge you of those daring arms which embraced our daughter, O Pisistratus!” (https://transitionalhousing.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/canto-15-a-juxtaposition-of-gentleness-and-wrath/).

King Pisistratus was known as a tyrant and known to be merciless but on that occasion, he relented.

“How do I measure a reaction to an enemy if they kill someone who loves them?” The King in a sudden proclamation made then. He appeared to then look at Dante. “Are you heartless to do so then?”

Dante shook his head and when he looked up again, he saw not the King but another. It was a figure he had read on but was unable to recall where and when.

“Kill! Kill! He brought blasphemy to the House.” A male figure seen dragged out by the feet to the outside of what appeared to be a temple. The figure was beaten and bloodied as the result and yet he will not retaliate or defend himself. He looked to above as if expecting to be defended.

“I believe in what I had said.” The beaten figure cried out but the ones ignored his call.

“Dante!’ Dante heard the call from Virgil. His sight was then replaced by the harsh environment they on. He almost tripped on his feet but found his balance. He looked towards Virgil was ahead.

“Where am I?” Dante asked.

“We have been walking as we did before and will be after.” Virgil was into his moods then. “At some stage, I overtook you but had looked back at you. I thought you may be having a sun stroke and were quiet.”

“Where am I?” Dante asked again. “Where is the Angel?”

Dante reached with his left hand and counted the ‘P’ there. It was as before.

“Are we still on the terrace? Wrathful it was.” Dante was confused.  Virgil had it then. He stepped back and took hold of the Poet’s shoulder. It would have been a firm hold if both were firm in the physical form.

“Are you mad?” Virgil looked hard at Dante.

“I had those visions again. The ones I used to ---” Dante tried to explain his moodiness.

“Tell me of it.” Virgil got his focus on the Poet. “I am here to listen.”

Dante hesitated then but he needed to talk. He looked away from Virgil as if he was to confess his sins.

“Dreamed of --- No, it was some visions I had. I saw uneventful scenes. I mean I saw anger --- that it was what wrath was to be but the ones in my vision subdue their anger. Maybe being wrathful may be one of our sins that needed to be purged but it may not be the works of God for he is -- If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. John 15.6.” (https://www.openbible.info/topics/wrath_of_god)

“And did God throw you into the fire? In your visions?” Virgil asked.

“No, I was not but there were scenes of wrath ----where it was to be but it did not occur like that. The wraths did not appear, but the opposite was what I saw. They showed me compassion. They acted as how the living should have done it. As God would have wanted it.”

“Or was it God’s way of showing that we can be redeemed?” Virgil displayed the unique part of his programming that he could work with his thoughts.

“Or maybe, I was shown that why we are here. Sins are ours to have but we could handle it if we only try. That was what my visions told me. Those in there showed me that they could handle it differently. We have emotions in us, dictated by it most times, but if we take a step back, we may be able to ---handle it.”

“You could have said we can be redeemed after all. You could have nodded to my understanding.” Virgil looked at Dante with agitation in his tone.

“You are displaying wrath towards me now. I was telling you how God wants us to see that our sin can be purged if we only accept it as our sins that we can let go. It will make us better. If we are to move on, we need to accept it here even though we are in a program. Just don’t act your wrath onto me.”

“Nope. I am not acting my wrath on you. I am just --- Poet, the reason you may survive this task is not that you are the learned one here. It’s because you are who are here. The missing link here is that you were able to change as part of being the living realm. I may not be and that made me ---upset.”

Dante was silent then. He was to speak when they found darkness was over them. It moved from their feet upwards to their head. Soon, it was over their head.

“Virgil, what is happening?” Dante was panicking.

 

 

Dante V Canto XVI Scene II

 Canto XVI

Third Terrace; I need to know

Scene II

“You claimed that God is with you, and yet you trekked your journey through here. You are a living soul and not an Angel with God. How can you place yourself to the level of the Angels?” Marco looked at Dante. “Are you not with a soul and the free will to do the journey, and why must you claim to be with God to make it. Does it help you at all?”

“I ---” Dante looked for words to rebuke but Marco went on.

“Were we not given the free will as in our thoughts to make our decision? That is why I felt my wrath will not be lifted even though I am here in Purgatory. I pray thou point out to be the cause, so that I may see it, and that I may show it to others, for one set in the heaven and the one here below.”

“Then why don’t you move till you are purged?” It was Virgil who cut in. “Then you may be purged.”

“No, Virgil. Let him speak. He has much in him. What is your wrath?” Dante looked to the one named Marco. “Explain your wrath. I will listen.”

“Brother who still holds the living, the world is blind, and thou truly comest from it. You who are living refer every cause upwards to the heavens only, as though they moved all things with them of necessity. If this were so, free will be destroyed in you, and there would be no justice in having joy for good and grief for evil.” Marco motioned around him. “The Heaves initiate your movements I do not say all of them”

Virgil saw in Dante the expression of deep thoughts. Marco went on with his words.

“Supposing that I said it, light for good.” Marco motioned to the darkness that was around them, yet where he stood with Dante, it was light. “And for the darkness which represents evil is given to you ---- ours sins, and free will, which though it may endure fatigue in the first battles with the heavens, afterward, it will be well nurtured, overcomes everything.”

“It’s here, we are purged before we go to Heaven.” Dante cut in.

“Well can’t thou see that the evil guidance is the cause which made the world guilty, and not nature is corrupt in you?”: Marco went on with his explanation.

“To a greater force, and a better nature, free it will be, that creates the mind in you, which the heavens have not in their charge, therefore if the present world goes astray, the cause is in you, in you to be sought; and of I will be a true informant for thee,” Marco spoke of the free will in the living.

“As in Rome of the ancient time, have had two Suns, which made visible both one road and the other, that of the world and that of God. One had extinguished the other, and the sword is joined to the crozier; and those two together must perforce go ill, because being joined, one fears no other.” Dante quoted the original works of his idol, Dante Alighieri.

“Marco, I heed thee,” Dante said to Marco.

“Behold the brightness which rays already whitening through the smoke, and I must need depart --- the Angel is there --- before I become apparent to him.” Marco turned and walked to the sudden clearing of the darkness and was not seen anymore after that.

Dante stood there with Virgil with the latter inquiring on what had transpired between the two.

“Marco explained to me the role I was to embark here. I am not of this place and here on my free will. I must not succumb myself to the happenings here to believe God created all this but take my journey in my free will. When I co-joined my thoughts and beliefs, I was taken in by the program --- that’s where we are here now. I become imprisoned in the program. The designed program was to break down our will to adhere to the settings in the program but I can defy it with my own will. I am not its prisoner. I hold the freedom to think and with it, I shall not be subdued.” Dante looked at Virgil.

“We are the odd ones here. We can get through the task.” Dante smiled. “I shall not be bound by the program.”

“You mean Marco explained all that to you just now when I was talking about it --- and even Cato was doing the same since we met you here. Are you truly mad, Poet?” Virgil turned away. “I am wasted here as your companion.”

“Let’s us move on, Virgil. We have to challenge the program, not for our free will but for the others.”

“Indeed, my creator Virgil. Dante here is mad.” Virgil then followed on.

 

Note: Purgatory Canto XVI here was a real challenge. Unlike Inferno, I stuck to the script translated (there were many to find one I could relate to), and then doing the write-on Inferno was knocking ten pins at the lanes. I may have missed some and then took the next ball to do my best. It may end with shouting ‘howzat’; pardon me there, that was cricket hooray. I think is the gentle way of saying ‘you know what I mean but more decently said to avoid any embarrassing looks, after all, it’s a gentlemen’s game.

So, they were rabbit holes but these rabbit holes led me onto a series of connectivity in my digs. It took me some readings to come up with my writing. I learned more understanding at the depth of Dante’s words here.

There are two parts to the passages here.

The first one was simple; wrath is a sin to be purged but when you come to the second part, wrath is in us. It’s inside us and unlike the sins of Hell, we can serve out in ‘penance’ for it by the punishment. As wrath represents pain and anger in us, any form of punishment may be contrary to ‘purging’ the wrath. Punishment may be considered as retaliation instead of redeeming the peace inside us. As a child may be given the cane may feel that pain was to not do what caused the canning, but in some instances, it may strengthen the child to fight the pain with more defiance.

Hence came Marco’s passages. I read the many interpretations of the passages and like a dedicated decipherer (pardon the self-praise here.  I will serve my penance in Hell later). I tried to link the meanings of Marco’s words to the discourse and the segregation of laws (Marco was an insistence to be heard) and finally ---- finally I have done it. (I did have bronchial irritation then and drank the soothing syrups).

I think the passages were written herewith. It was about Dante’s mind on free will and not to be controlled like the others in the program. The main plot of the tale was the program created to keep the thoughts of the prisoner that they are in Purgatory (or Hell previously).

It does rhyme with the words Dante’s. I darn hope I got it right. Or was it ‘bonne chance'. (Good luck).

I just to share with you some of the links I went through in my ‘daze’.

(https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Checks_and_balances)

(https://www.google.com/search?q=what+is+human+nature+in+politics&oq=why+human+nature+and+&aqs=chrome.6.69i57j0i22i30l9.13328j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_retribution)

(http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/purgatory/05wrath.html)

(https://1000wordphilosophy.com/2018/11/26/descartes-i-think-therefore-i-am/)

(https://www.businessinsider.com.au/why-people-dont-follow-directions-2013-8)

 

 

Dante V Canto XVI Scene I

 Canto XVI

Third Terrace;

Scene I

Dante could not make out the scene when there was nothing to see. The sight was one of the five senses in the living; sight, hearing, touch, feel and taste.

“I can’t see anything.” Dante was still trying to comprehend the situation then. He had his right arm towards Virgil but with both of intangible form, it was ineffective. He was not assured and began talking to hear Virgil replying.

“I can’t make out much. I have turned on my sensors from infra to thermal but I have no data for me to process.” Virgil was trying to process their predicament. “My initial assessment was that this is not the visible suspension of carbon or other particles in the air, typically one emitted from a burning substance.”

“If I may, Virgil. I assess that this could be the act of God.” Dante was relying on his knowledge of the situation. “We may be punished for it.”

“Poet, we are not in the real Purgatory. I thought it was made clear to us.” Virgil shifted focus to reply. “And this dark screen may be a script from the program, which is why I cannot assess it from the physical state.”

“I do apologize. I am unused to the loss of sight.” Dante meekly used his sense of hearing to detect the presence of Virgil. “But I was to say that our loss of the sight, may be a --- retribution from the --- program as if God will invoke it while we are still ensnared by wrath.”

“You are an inspiration, Poet.” Virgil released his sarcastic reply towards Dante. “Do you want to re-trace our steps?”

“No, we could move on.” Dante cut in. “Are we any nearer to any edges?”

Dante reminded Virgil the terrain they had traversed was on the ascension to the top. With the lack of sight, it was a virtual nightmare. Virgil did not reply but his assessment was the concern was not on where they were to go, but the companion of his needed more assurance for Dante held the physical feel inside him. The event when Cato expressed that the radical atoms had lent to Dante a sense of the physical form may be to assure the latter to continue.

Virgil felt that Dante was still fixated on his living physical form, hence his pace of climb was slower. As Dante expressed his concern about falling off the edge, it may not happen if he were to configure his mind to think like a construct and not a living soul. None of the souls they met in Hell or Purgatory had to share their concerns of falling off the edge.

“Are we any nearer to any edges?” Dante was getting frantic.

“I doubt it. Can you stomp your feet? Perhaps you will know then.” Virgil replied. Dante tried that not with a stomp, but with a firm step on his toes. He felt nothing but he was not falling.

“I can’t tell. I can’t feel but I am not falling.” Dante spoke out. At that moment, he had a sudden vertigo seizure. His knees buckled then and were distracted by the voices at a distance.

Holy Holy
Are You, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
You are Holy

(https://www.musixmatch.com/ Songwriters: Smith Michael Whitaker / Biblical)

Dante turned to the sound. It was melodic like a choir with perfect sync but there was a difference. The choir was not on the surface but above it; to be exact they were floating.

“They are in unison. The voices and the melodies. They are great.” Dante displayed his euphoria on seeing something pleasing after the torturous walk he had in Purgatory.

“I liked the hymns. A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek ὕμνος (hymnos), which means "a song of praise". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hymn#:~:text=A%20hymn%20is%20a%20type,%22a%20song%20of%20praise%22.).

“Yes, I know the meaning of hymns. I also know that the singing of hymns was not officially approved in the Church of England until 1820.” Virgil added on his knowledge. (https://www.christianitytoday.com/history/issues/issue-31/golden-age-of-hymns-did-you-know.html)

“Why England? I doubt that the colonial empire of the 20^th Century matters now that we are a new empire with Empress Beatrice ----” Dante held onto his country of birth. “Most of these nations have merged into the huge empire broke down ---”

“The New Empire you are referring to had fractured into two parts; the New Empire and the Federation. If both sides learned to sing the hymn in unison, maybe we won’t have this war.”

“Why are you against the hymn?” Dante looked at Virgil. “You are a ---”

“They are not singing there. They are purging their sins; the sin of wrath. They channel their sins by singing in rejoice with God. My creator Virgil programmed in me the lessons of psychology.” Virgil explained his meaning. “In his notes, it was stated that logic cannot exist on its own without understanding psychology or we will leap off the cliffs like lemmings. The misconception of it was it was the logical solution to curb the population, but the living souls did not do that, so why? They were smart to migrate when the place was overpopulated and food was getting scarce. They then leaped off the cliffs into the water be in a lake and swim to a new place. Some or most of the lemmings will perish in the swim hence the myth of them committing death then.”

“Back to the issue where I defined the singing.” Virgil continued. “It’s their counter to their wrath behavior.”

Dante was to reply when he heard the voice from the choir.

“Whose body pierces through our smoke? Who speaks of us exactly like a man who uses months to measure time?”

Dante turned to look and saw the choir was before them. Virgil and he were busy arguing the hymns that they did not see the darkness around them was around them but not over them. Dante looked back at Virgil.

“Do you see the darkness? It’s not over us anymore.” Dante exclaimed out. “Is it a miracle? The choir had moved the darkness back.”

“Poet, we are in a virtual program. Nothing that is here is real.” Virgil hit back.

“Nothing is ---clear. Not even the other Hell and Heaven, or even the other Purgatory. We just move on like the journey of life. We can’t move back. We have to accept the ---truth.” Dante glared at Virgil. “The few times when you called on me, I am not upset at you. I am just making the point here when you see me undecided or having misgivings. I was just myself. The living soul decides or tries then. We take chances in our life. And sometimes, choices are made towards us. Wrath was one, and here, we try to purge it so we can be a better soul.”

“I can relate to that but for now, I can see. There is no more darkness. They shifted the darkness away.” Dante was still fixated on the darkness. Virgil remained silent. He sensed Dante’s mood then which was a relief to see once more with his sight when they should be on their walk. Virgil wanted to understand it all and even to say he was sorry but that was not in his program. He then voiced to Dante.

“The choir needs an answer. They want your and not mine.”

“Yes, I am alive,” Dante told the choir. He then hesitated. “Why am I here?”

“We don’t have the answers to your whereabouts. All we can say was that the darkness was to veil you as like those who had not been purged of the sins of wrath. When you countered the sin of wrath, the darkness was lifted from you. Since you are with us, the darkness had lifted but once we move on, it will engulf us once more.” The one who spoke among the choir explained. It was a man. "If not, it would have absorbed you like us and we have an eternity to correct our wrath.”

“I can lead you out. You saw the darkness fades from me.” Dante replied. “I am with God. I can save you.”

“Should you stay with us, that will be passed your timeline of living and then we are alone again. We are not living souls. That intrigued us hence our line of question. We are all dead souls here and that included those who had left us when their purge was done. But we never had one like you. You are alive.”

“Here I am alive.” Dante looked at the other. “I was tasked to come here by God. I am to journey through Hell and now Purgatory to understand the works here. I know ----”

“Dante, you can’t tell.”. It was Virgil who interjected then. “But you can ask them how we can move on.”

“We are intrigued.” The lady in the choir spoke. It was then the choir group started to singing but it was not in sync. The lady was into the singing and then turned to Dante.

“We seem to hit a snag; pardon the expression but we need to move on.” The lady turned to walk. Virgil stepped forth to stop them.

“Before we ---part ways, can you tell us the next path to take?” Virgil asked to cut in.

“The part ahead is in you. You have been purged of your wrath. That means you are cleared to move on. We, however, have to serve ours and not ours to guide.” The choir choose to move then but one stood back.

“Then we are lost, Poet.” Virgil snared in his expression. It was then another trailing the choir approached Dante.

“I am a Lombardo. I am named Marco” The man there introduced himself. “I have yet to serve my sin of wrath but I can show you the right path ahead. I can’t leave for I am still in me that anger of God and us, the living.”