Part II
I fled from the city as quickly as I could. I do not know how I escaped alive. Perhaps the charm allowed me through since I was only a traveler.
I sat by a still, blue pond, and I wept. I was angry at the wretched condition of this city. I was sad for the death of my flower. Most of all, I was upset that I could do nothing to help these people. I could not stand to leave them in their misery, but it was useless. They are lost.
In the midst of my sorrow, I heard music played delicately on strings. It stopped my tears. Truly, it was lovely music, but it wasn't so much the quality of the music as it was what it conveyed. It stirred my mind, making me dream things I have never dreamt before. I can not remember what those thoughts were now, but I do remember how they eased my troubled mind. It did not cease the pain in my heart.
But who is playing this? Am I not alone? I saw her white reflection in the water. I looked up and gazed upon a curious creature sitting upon a flat stone and playing on a small, golden harp. She looked like a child, but her violet eyes (yes, I said violet eyes!) reflected ages of wisdom that I could never reach. Her golden hair fell in curls on her shoulders. I recognized the Grecian style of her dress, which seemed to be made out of light. Yet the most magnificent aspects about this creature were the two gigantic, white-feathered wings upon her back. I knew this visitor could not be human. I came closer and knelt before the creature, waiting for what she had to say.
She finished her song and looked upon me. "Samurai Jack," she said in a solemn tone. Hearing her say my name surprised me. I do not know why. Perhaps it was the sound of her voice, so melodious as her harp. She spoke on, "Fair, noble, sweet warrior, favored of man, hero of heroes, why dost thy countenance fall? Why do tears floweth from thine eyes? Thou deserveth not such a state. Blesseth thou me with a smile."
Is that all? "No. I have no reason to smile."
She tried coaxing to me again, but I did not listen to her. Then, quite suddenly, she hit my head with her harp.
"What was that for?"
She did not answer, but hit me repeatedly with her harp. I finally struck it out of her hand, and the harp fell in the pool and sunk.
She only smiled and pulled out another harp. "Always carry a spare." Her tone had changed to a more mischievous voice. She tried to hit me again, but I stopped her.
"If you want me to smile, you are not being very persuasive."
"Hey, that's how I work. I drill the ideas into people's heads until they do something about them. Yes, I know it's irritating, but it gets results."
"That is how you deliver a message?"
"Message?" The creature laughed. "What do you take me for, Hermes? My wings are on my back, not my feet!"
"But that's what you are, are you not? I have heard little of your kind, but I know you are messengers from the heavens. You are called angels."
"Me, an angel? No, no, no, if I were an angel, you'd be shaking in your sandals and would be face down on the ground about now. They're that frightening. No, I'm a muse."
"Amused at what?"
The creature rolled her eyes. "I get that all the time. Let me spell in out for you. I . . . am . . . a . . . muse."
Oh yes, I have heard of the muses. "The Greek goddess of inspiration!"
"No, I'm not a goddess. I am a figment of your imagination."
"You're not real?"
"Well, yes and no. I don't know how these things work."
The muse talked for some time about why she thought she existed, but I was not listening. I was speaking to Inspiration herself! Surely she could rekindle the fire the man in the city spoke of.
"If you please, muse, I have something for you to do that is, as they say in this world, 'up your alley.'"
"OK."
I led her to the border of the city. "Go here, and play your song. Perhaps things will change if they hear it again."
But the muse shook her head. "Can't."
"What?"
"Let me show you something." She plucked off a feather from her wings, placed it in her hand, and blew. As soon as the feather floated pass the border, it vanished. "That's in one of the few places where there's a crack. Over here--" She pressed her hands against something invisible. "It's like a wall. I'm not wanted here."
"The charm is this powerful?"
"Oh, it's not just the charm, it's the town."
"Don't be ridiculous. These people are suffering."
"Perhaps some of the newcomers are, but do you know how long this town has been in existence? Since the Renaissance! Oh, that's after your time, isn't it? It was a period of art, science developments, religious reformation, you know open minds. There's nothing Aku fears more than open minds. That's why he made this place. Several generations have resided here. They're too comfortable with routine. Let's face it, a black and white world is just easier than a world of color. And the newcomers just want to forget, because they gave up hope of ever leaving."
"There is no hope, is there?"
"What? What are you saying? You, the Lender of Light and the Soldier of Solace!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"My new epitaphs for you. I know, I'm still working on them. I wouldn't believe that you of all people would give up hope so quickly. I don't give up hope. That's why I still hang out here. I'm trying to find some way that I can get in. I really don't like being ignored."
"I noticed," I said to myself as I rubbed the place where she hit me. I said to her, "But if you cannot do anything, and I cannot do anything, what do they have to hope for?"
"Have you tried?"
"Yes." I told her about the flower. She listened very intently. As I spoke, clouds started to gather, and the perfumed smell of rain arose around us.
"Tell me, Jack, why did you pick the flower?"
"It was a memento of a place that brought joy to my heart. Those places are few."
"And why did you give it away?"
"I did not know it would die!"
"That's not the question! Why did you give it away?"
"Because I thought it would make a difference. Because I could not see him suffer. Because . . . because . . . "
"Because you had to."
Thunder rumbled.
"Exactly. But how does--"
"Hold that thought!" The muse looked toward the sky. I almost asked her how one could hold something as intangible as a thought when she spoke again. "I think I have an idea to help the distressed city."
"What is it?"
"Jack, what happens after the rain?"
"The sun comes out."
"Yes, and what else happens?"
I tried to think, but nothing was coming to mind.
"Oh, you deprived soul! Turn around."
I turned, thinking she was telling me to look for something in the sky.
"Now we don't do this to just anybody. Not even our most devoted patrons get this privilege. Actually, most people we have blessed so are considered by the mainstream of society as quite crazy. But I believe that your mind is open enough, and your heart is certainly pure."
"What do you mean?"
She did not answer. Suddenly, my back felt tingly all over. Chills went up and down my spine, and my back almost went numb. What was happening?
The muse put over my shoulders straps made out of gold and snapped them into place. They seemed to disappear once they snapped, and she smiled. "There you go."
Right then, I was aware of two new appendages. The muse, as I looked at her closer, looked like any ordinary person.
She gave me her wings.
"Now, I want you to up as far as you can go. Don't stop, just keep going up, and you'll something that might help. Just understand that you won't be seeing things the way they really are, but the way we them."
"What do you mean?"
"No time, fair warrior, go!"
I fled from the city as quickly as I could. I do not know how I escaped alive. Perhaps the charm allowed me through since I was only a traveler.
I sat by a still, blue pond, and I wept. I was angry at the wretched condition of this city. I was sad for the death of my flower. Most of all, I was upset that I could do nothing to help these people. I could not stand to leave them in their misery, but it was useless. They are lost.
In the midst of my sorrow, I heard music played delicately on strings. It stopped my tears. Truly, it was lovely music, but it wasn't so much the quality of the music as it was what it conveyed. It stirred my mind, making me dream things I have never dreamt before. I can not remember what those thoughts were now, but I do remember how they eased my troubled mind. It did not cease the pain in my heart.
But who is playing this? Am I not alone? I saw her white reflection in the water. I looked up and gazed upon a curious creature sitting upon a flat stone and playing on a small, golden harp. She looked like a child, but her violet eyes (yes, I said violet eyes!) reflected ages of wisdom that I could never reach. Her golden hair fell in curls on her shoulders. I recognized the Grecian style of her dress, which seemed to be made out of light. Yet the most magnificent aspects about this creature were the two gigantic, white-feathered wings upon her back. I knew this visitor could not be human. I came closer and knelt before the creature, waiting for what she had to say.
She finished her song and looked upon me. "Samurai Jack," she said in a solemn tone. Hearing her say my name surprised me. I do not know why. Perhaps it was the sound of her voice, so melodious as her harp. She spoke on, "Fair, noble, sweet warrior, favored of man, hero of heroes, why dost thy countenance fall? Why do tears floweth from thine eyes? Thou deserveth not such a state. Blesseth thou me with a smile."
Is that all? "No. I have no reason to smile."
She tried coaxing to me again, but I did not listen to her. Then, quite suddenly, she hit my head with her harp.
"What was that for?"
She did not answer, but hit me repeatedly with her harp. I finally struck it out of her hand, and the harp fell in the pool and sunk.
She only smiled and pulled out another harp. "Always carry a spare." Her tone had changed to a more mischievous voice. She tried to hit me again, but I stopped her.
"If you want me to smile, you are not being very persuasive."
"Hey, that's how I work. I drill the ideas into people's heads until they do something about them. Yes, I know it's irritating, but it gets results."
"That is how you deliver a message?"
"Message?" The creature laughed. "What do you take me for, Hermes? My wings are on my back, not my feet!"
"But that's what you are, are you not? I have heard little of your kind, but I know you are messengers from the heavens. You are called angels."
"Me, an angel? No, no, no, if I were an angel, you'd be shaking in your sandals and would be face down on the ground about now. They're that frightening. No, I'm a muse."
"Amused at what?"
The creature rolled her eyes. "I get that all the time. Let me spell in out for you. I . . . am . . . a . . . muse."
Oh yes, I have heard of the muses. "The Greek goddess of inspiration!"
"No, I'm not a goddess. I am a figment of your imagination."
"You're not real?"
"Well, yes and no. I don't know how these things work."
The muse talked for some time about why she thought she existed, but I was not listening. I was speaking to Inspiration herself! Surely she could rekindle the fire the man in the city spoke of.
"If you please, muse, I have something for you to do that is, as they say in this world, 'up your alley.'"
"OK."
I led her to the border of the city. "Go here, and play your song. Perhaps things will change if they hear it again."
But the muse shook her head. "Can't."
"What?"
"Let me show you something." She plucked off a feather from her wings, placed it in her hand, and blew. As soon as the feather floated pass the border, it vanished. "That's in one of the few places where there's a crack. Over here--" She pressed her hands against something invisible. "It's like a wall. I'm not wanted here."
"The charm is this powerful?"
"Oh, it's not just the charm, it's the town."
"Don't be ridiculous. These people are suffering."
"Perhaps some of the newcomers are, but do you know how long this town has been in existence? Since the Renaissance! Oh, that's after your time, isn't it? It was a period of art, science developments, religious reformation, you know open minds. There's nothing Aku fears more than open minds. That's why he made this place. Several generations have resided here. They're too comfortable with routine. Let's face it, a black and white world is just easier than a world of color. And the newcomers just want to forget, because they gave up hope of ever leaving."
"There is no hope, is there?"
"What? What are you saying? You, the Lender of Light and the Soldier of Solace!"
I raised an eyebrow.
"My new epitaphs for you. I know, I'm still working on them. I wouldn't believe that you of all people would give up hope so quickly. I don't give up hope. That's why I still hang out here. I'm trying to find some way that I can get in. I really don't like being ignored."
"I noticed," I said to myself as I rubbed the place where she hit me. I said to her, "But if you cannot do anything, and I cannot do anything, what do they have to hope for?"
"Have you tried?"
"Yes." I told her about the flower. She listened very intently. As I spoke, clouds started to gather, and the perfumed smell of rain arose around us.
"Tell me, Jack, why did you pick the flower?"
"It was a memento of a place that brought joy to my heart. Those places are few."
"And why did you give it away?"
"I did not know it would die!"
"That's not the question! Why did you give it away?"
"Because I thought it would make a difference. Because I could not see him suffer. Because . . . because . . . "
"Because you had to."
Thunder rumbled.
"Exactly. But how does--"
"Hold that thought!" The muse looked toward the sky. I almost asked her how one could hold something as intangible as a thought when she spoke again. "I think I have an idea to help the distressed city."
"What is it?"
"Jack, what happens after the rain?"
"The sun comes out."
"Yes, and what else happens?"
I tried to think, but nothing was coming to mind.
"Oh, you deprived soul! Turn around."
I turned, thinking she was telling me to look for something in the sky.
"Now we don't do this to just anybody. Not even our most devoted patrons get this privilege. Actually, most people we have blessed so are considered by the mainstream of society as quite crazy. But I believe that your mind is open enough, and your heart is certainly pure."
"What do you mean?"
She did not answer. Suddenly, my back felt tingly all over. Chills went up and down my spine, and my back almost went numb. What was happening?
The muse put over my shoulders straps made out of gold and snapped them into place. They seemed to disappear once they snapped, and she smiled. "There you go."
Right then, I was aware of two new appendages. The muse, as I looked at her closer, looked like any ordinary person.
She gave me her wings.
"Now, I want you to up as far as you can go. Don't stop, just keep going up, and you'll something that might help. Just understand that you won't be seeing things the way they really are, but the way we them."
"What do you mean?"
"No time, fair warrior, go!"