AZOTUSLAND chapter six
Jim walked out the main door and checked into Ops. Maugham was reclining back in the main chair looking at several monitors, seemingly at once. He seemd puzzled.
"What's up Bro?" Jim asked
"Nuthin much Boss," Maugham said. But that always concerned Jim when he heard it. It implied a level of seriousness not usual for Maug.
"Got a creepy email this a.m." Maugham said.
"You trace it?"
"Couldn't. Well hidden."
"Should I put Zeus and Apollo on patrol maug?"
"Very funny. Why not Manfred? Give him something useful to do."
Jim laughed.
"What did it say?"
"You are being watched."
"By who?"
"Rnonymus?"
"ah...I got one too. So whoever she is she knows of both of us."
With this Jim moved behind Maugham and started to massage his shoulders. They were damned tight. Too tight. Wound up.
"That feels good Bro." Maug said. "But what makes you think it is a she?"
"What do you think?"
"Yeah, it's defintely a Sheila."
"Sure it's nothing" Jim said. "You coming tonight?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Maugham said.
"Er, Martine may be there too," he said pulling back and moving toward the door.
"Thanks. Really? Hmnnn. You know I'm gonna kick your ass."
"You always do Maug. And you always get the girl."
"For awhile I guess."
**********
At 7:15 Jim went down to the double doors of the Azotus Gallery and quickly let himself in, then turned and locked up. Then he moved through the large gallery through the main studio and into the darkroom. He slid a key into the door on the right, opened it and disappeared down a flight of stairs after locking the door behind him.
**********
at 7:50 Roo made an announcement to the cafe.
"Tonight's fare is a joint lecture/discussion between Jim Davies and Dan Palmer in the Azotus Library. It starts in ten minutes and is limited to 24 particpants, so if you are here for that now is a good time to make your way downstairs and into the library. Please do take your drinks with you and any food. Just please try and clean up after yourselves."
There was quite a bit of shuffling around as some folks rose and made their way out the door. Others came to order a refill or something new.
When Jim entered the Library it was full. Dan was already up fron near his stool. I man in his fifties with a wide face and deep beard Dan had a way of warming a room immediately. Jim greeted him with a hug and they chatted briefly as people settled in the room.
Maugham was in the back by the window. He had two sports bottles at his feet and he surveyed the whole room like a hawk. He noted Jacob walking in with a woman he had not seen yet. She was compelling. Manfred came in and started to talk loudly with a greybeard about something. Maugham, always two steps ahead had laid his coat down in the far right side of the sofa next to his stool. He watched Jim intently.
Jim turned and greeted everyone.
"Thank all of you for coming. This is an open lecture/discussion in a long series of Azotus events and we are glad you are here.
"This is Dan Palmer of the Zen Center. He is a good friend and gracious soul and we have come here tonight to openly discuss a few things. Dan would you like to say something?"
At just that moment Martine walked in the door ever so slightly. She looked straight ahead for a minute as Maugham took her in fron the side and behind.
She had the habit of wearing clothes that hid her considerable figure. But Maugham was more taken with her face. Almond eyes and hair that a Asian princess would die for. She finally looked over at Maug and he patted the sofa lightly.
"...You may learn tonight that we who practice Zen have similar issues. Jim and I will discuss these things togther with you and we will explore together in a spirit of openess and truth-seeking."
With that Dan sat down on his stool and took a sip of water and Jim began his presentation on "Depth Pluralism".
In the next 90 minutes many ideas were explored. A Muslim named Dagar was at first angry, but later was smiling as he realized that he was not being stereotyped and his questions were taken seriously. Jim talked about his own spiritual journey and how it had led him, as a "Christian" to Zen and some training with Dan. Dan talked aboit his own tradition and the struggles within.
Maugham had slid the othr sports bottle over to Martine. She wasn;t sure what it was, but it was damned good and strong. She smiled up at his pirate's face and noted that the braids down the side of his face were sexy. She didn't trust him, but he was a handsome rogue.
At one point Maugham leaned down and said "watch this baby."
he raised his hand and Jim acknowledged.
"Everyone here knows Maugham," he said.
Maugham smirked like Han Solo's younger brother.
"He's our security officer here at Azotus and the man whose mission in life is to kick my ass."
There was laughter and queries.
"Go ahead Maug. You got the floor" Jim said.
"Your religion claims to be absolute and has a systematic theology that excludes all others. So how can you come here and tout a tolerant system of 'Depth Pluralism' when your own belief system is based on propositional truth?"
As he finished the last line he made sure to rub his foot (shoeless) against the back of Martine's right left., and looking ahead he winked.
Jim laughed and Dan did too.
"Dan you wanna field this one...help me out here buddy?"
"Personally," Dan said, "the answer is obvious. 'If you meet the Maugham in the road, kill him.'"
Things died down after a minute or so.
"Context is everything Maugham," Jim said. "But your question is too multi-layered. So I'll make a deal with you and those in this room. If you will give me a week I will finish a paper I have been writing for some time. That paper will directly attempt to answer your excellent question. can you wait a week? Can you all wait a week and read it online and then comment?"
There was general agreement.
The adjourned and Jim walked upstairs through the cafe, which was thinning and out onto the deck. He sighed, and reached behind the big planter for the pack of cigareets he kept there. He lighted one and slumped into a chair. He felt despair.
Another day, so many people, so many questions..money coming in, going out. He thought to find some moments that could enliven him, help him feel it was worth it.
He saw Renata's red dreadlock over her face smiling, Jonathan wheezing on the stage like the emphysmatic Rev., Manfred obfuscating the stocky woman, Maugham winking at him, Alice wiping the schmutz off his chin and the dream he had. He thought about the chart on the wall and how good the air was around him. he took another drag and stubbed it out in the planter.
Time for bed. He walked slowly through the cafe and down the hallway to the Bunkhouse, opened the door and switched off all the lights. He fell into bed hard.
**********
"What's up Bro?" Jim asked
"Nuthin much Boss," Maugham said. But that always concerned Jim when he heard it. It implied a level of seriousness not usual for Maug.
"Got a creepy email this a.m." Maugham said.
"You trace it?"
"Couldn't. Well hidden."
"Should I put Zeus and Apollo on patrol maug?"
"Very funny. Why not Manfred? Give him something useful to do."
Jim laughed.
"What did it say?"
"You are being watched."
"By who?"
"Rnonymus?"
"ah...I got one too. So whoever she is she knows of both of us."
With this Jim moved behind Maugham and started to massage his shoulders. They were damned tight. Too tight. Wound up.
"That feels good Bro." Maug said. "But what makes you think it is a she?"
"What do you think?"
"Yeah, it's defintely a Sheila."
"Sure it's nothing" Jim said. "You coming tonight?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Maugham said.
"Er, Martine may be there too," he said pulling back and moving toward the door.
"Thanks. Really? Hmnnn. You know I'm gonna kick your ass."
"You always do Maug. And you always get the girl."
"For awhile I guess."
**********
At 7:15 Jim went down to the double doors of the Azotus Gallery and quickly let himself in, then turned and locked up. Then he moved through the large gallery through the main studio and into the darkroom. He slid a key into the door on the right, opened it and disappeared down a flight of stairs after locking the door behind him.
**********
at 7:50 Roo made an announcement to the cafe.
"Tonight's fare is a joint lecture/discussion between Jim Davies and Dan Palmer in the Azotus Library. It starts in ten minutes and is limited to 24 particpants, so if you are here for that now is a good time to make your way downstairs and into the library. Please do take your drinks with you and any food. Just please try and clean up after yourselves."
There was quite a bit of shuffling around as some folks rose and made their way out the door. Others came to order a refill or something new.
When Jim entered the Library it was full. Dan was already up fron near his stool. I man in his fifties with a wide face and deep beard Dan had a way of warming a room immediately. Jim greeted him with a hug and they chatted briefly as people settled in the room.
Maugham was in the back by the window. He had two sports bottles at his feet and he surveyed the whole room like a hawk. He noted Jacob walking in with a woman he had not seen yet. She was compelling. Manfred came in and started to talk loudly with a greybeard about something. Maugham, always two steps ahead had laid his coat down in the far right side of the sofa next to his stool. He watched Jim intently.
Jim turned and greeted everyone.
"Thank all of you for coming. This is an open lecture/discussion in a long series of Azotus events and we are glad you are here.
"This is Dan Palmer of the Zen Center. He is a good friend and gracious soul and we have come here tonight to openly discuss a few things. Dan would you like to say something?"
At just that moment Martine walked in the door ever so slightly. She looked straight ahead for a minute as Maugham took her in fron the side and behind.
She had the habit of wearing clothes that hid her considerable figure. But Maugham was more taken with her face. Almond eyes and hair that a Asian princess would die for. She finally looked over at Maug and he patted the sofa lightly.
"...You may learn tonight that we who practice Zen have similar issues. Jim and I will discuss these things togther with you and we will explore together in a spirit of openess and truth-seeking."
With that Dan sat down on his stool and took a sip of water and Jim began his presentation on "Depth Pluralism".
In the next 90 minutes many ideas were explored. A Muslim named Dagar was at first angry, but later was smiling as he realized that he was not being stereotyped and his questions were taken seriously. Jim talked about his own spiritual journey and how it had led him, as a "Christian" to Zen and some training with Dan. Dan talked aboit his own tradition and the struggles within.
Maugham had slid the othr sports bottle over to Martine. She wasn;t sure what it was, but it was damned good and strong. She smiled up at his pirate's face and noted that the braids down the side of his face were sexy. She didn't trust him, but he was a handsome rogue.
At one point Maugham leaned down and said "watch this baby."
he raised his hand and Jim acknowledged.
"Everyone here knows Maugham," he said.
Maugham smirked like Han Solo's younger brother.
"He's our security officer here at Azotus and the man whose mission in life is to kick my ass."
There was laughter and queries.
"Go ahead Maug. You got the floor" Jim said.
"Your religion claims to be absolute and has a systematic theology that excludes all others. So how can you come here and tout a tolerant system of 'Depth Pluralism' when your own belief system is based on propositional truth?"
As he finished the last line he made sure to rub his foot (shoeless) against the back of Martine's right left., and looking ahead he winked.
Jim laughed and Dan did too.
"Dan you wanna field this one...help me out here buddy?"
"Personally," Dan said, "the answer is obvious. 'If you meet the Maugham in the road, kill him.'"
Things died down after a minute or so.
"Context is everything Maugham," Jim said. "But your question is too multi-layered. So I'll make a deal with you and those in this room. If you will give me a week I will finish a paper I have been writing for some time. That paper will directly attempt to answer your excellent question. can you wait a week? Can you all wait a week and read it online and then comment?"
There was general agreement.
The adjourned and Jim walked upstairs through the cafe, which was thinning and out onto the deck. He sighed, and reached behind the big planter for the pack of cigareets he kept there. He lighted one and slumped into a chair. He felt despair.
Another day, so many people, so many questions..money coming in, going out. He thought to find some moments that could enliven him, help him feel it was worth it.
He saw Renata's red dreadlock over her face smiling, Jonathan wheezing on the stage like the emphysmatic Rev., Manfred obfuscating the stocky woman, Maugham winking at him, Alice wiping the schmutz off his chin and the dream he had. He thought about the chart on the wall and how good the air was around him. he took another drag and stubbed it out in the planter.
Time for bed. He walked slowly through the cafe and down the hallway to the Bunkhouse, opened the door and switched off all the lights. He fell into bed hard.
**********
posted by Obi-Mac BakDon | 1:35 PM
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