oldest. Blonde curls and blue eyes brought an ache to my chest.
At last she said, “You know…”
I stared at her. The others joined me.
I said, in barely a whisper, “Know what?” Only then did I see the symbol, tattooed high on the girl’s left cheek: >=<, the connected minds sigil of an accredited telepath.
I felt suddenly uneasy in her scrutiny.
“You know the truth,” she said in a whisper.
Matt looked at me. “Best if we get out of here,” he said, “before the crowds find out.”
The girl raised a hand, as if to forestall our departure. She said, “Don’t fear. I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”
She wore a silver one-piece, and I noticed that the other devotees in her section were similarly garbed. “We are the Upholders of the Ultimate,” she said. “We can apprehend the truth. Come, follow me, if you would like to lay hands upon the Ultimate.” I hesitated and she smiled. “Your friends can come too.”
Quickly she did something to a post supporting the mesh fencing, then pulled aside the wire. We stepped through, watched by the silver-suited acolytes who milled beyond the girl. A murmur passed through their ranks as she led us forward, towards the glow of the Column, past staring devotees to a laser cordon ten metres before the Column.
She spoke with a silver-haired man, who had the air and bearing of a high priest, and he nodded his consent and touched a control on the pedestal which projected the light barrier. Instantly it died and the girl gestured us through.
I glanced at Maddie. She was staring, transfixed, at the Column. Hawk caught my glance and smiled. Matt said, “I never thought we’d get this close.”
We stepped towards the Golden Column. At close quarters, the curve of the great shaft was not discernible: it appeared as a vast, flat wall, extending to either side of us and soaring as if to infinity.
We paused a couple of metres from the glow. The girl stood beside us, smiling at our wonder.
She said, “Go on, approach. Touch. Join with the Ultimate.”
Maddie said, “I don’t think I dare.”
I stared at the light. Its glow blurred my vision. It was pulling at me, drawing me towards it. I felt an ache in my chest, a longing.
Matt stepped forward first, reaching out, followed by Hawk. Not to be left out, I joined them. My heart was beating fast and I realised that I was shaking.
I reached out, slowly bringing my flattened palm to the light as if in some bizarre form of greeting. Beside me, Matt and Hawk matched my gesture. Together, we laid our hands upon the Column.
I was not sure what to expect: my senses told me to anticipate warmth, even though I knew that reports indicated the light was cold. Beyond the physical, I think I expected to commune with some higher power, be granted the Secret, or at least be flooded with sensations of joy and peace.
None of these things happened.
What did happen was that I felt a sudden, freezing cold shoot through my body, and I was filled with the strangest sensation. It was an alien feeling, a feeling so other that it had no analogue in the human realm. I knew, suddenly, that I knew nothing, that I was minuscule in the vastness of the expanding cosmos—that existence was a mystery I had no hope of fathoming.
And the odd thing was that, instead of being filled with existential despair at the futility of our collective plight, I brimmed with joy at the fact of my humanity, my ability to experience the day to day wonder of being alive, my friendship for the three people at my side.
For Maddie had joined us now, and had touched the Column with her bare hand.
She smiled at me. “I’m touching it,” she whispered, as I stepped back from the light with Hawk and Matt and watched her.
She remained there for a full minute, hand raised, beatific smile on her face. Then she closed her eyes and backed away.
I looked at the others. Matt said, “Not what I was expecting, but…”
“It’s given us
At last she said, “You know…”
I stared at her. The others joined me.
I said, in barely a whisper, “Know what?” Only then did I see the symbol, tattooed high on the girl’s left cheek: >=<, the connected minds sigil of an accredited telepath.
I felt suddenly uneasy in her scrutiny.
“You know the truth,” she said in a whisper.
Matt looked at me. “Best if we get out of here,” he said, “before the crowds find out.”
The girl raised a hand, as if to forestall our departure. She said, “Don’t fear. I won’t tell anyone. Your secret is safe with me.”
She wore a silver one-piece, and I noticed that the other devotees in her section were similarly garbed. “We are the Upholders of the Ultimate,” she said. “We can apprehend the truth. Come, follow me, if you would like to lay hands upon the Ultimate.” I hesitated and she smiled. “Your friends can come too.”
Quickly she did something to a post supporting the mesh fencing, then pulled aside the wire. We stepped through, watched by the silver-suited acolytes who milled beyond the girl. A murmur passed through their ranks as she led us forward, towards the glow of the Column, past staring devotees to a laser cordon ten metres before the Column.
She spoke with a silver-haired man, who had the air and bearing of a high priest, and he nodded his consent and touched a control on the pedestal which projected the light barrier. Instantly it died and the girl gestured us through.
I glanced at Maddie. She was staring, transfixed, at the Column. Hawk caught my glance and smiled. Matt said, “I never thought we’d get this close.”
We stepped towards the Golden Column. At close quarters, the curve of the great shaft was not discernible: it appeared as a vast, flat wall, extending to either side of us and soaring as if to infinity.
We paused a couple of metres from the glow. The girl stood beside us, smiling at our wonder.
She said, “Go on, approach. Touch. Join with the Ultimate.”
Maddie said, “I don’t think I dare.”
I stared at the light. Its glow blurred my vision. It was pulling at me, drawing me towards it. I felt an ache in my chest, a longing.
Matt stepped forward first, reaching out, followed by Hawk. Not to be left out, I joined them. My heart was beating fast and I realised that I was shaking.
I reached out, slowly bringing my flattened palm to the light as if in some bizarre form of greeting. Beside me, Matt and Hawk matched my gesture. Together, we laid our hands upon the Column.
I was not sure what to expect: my senses told me to anticipate warmth, even though I knew that reports indicated the light was cold. Beyond the physical, I think I expected to commune with some higher power, be granted the Secret, or at least be flooded with sensations of joy and peace.
None of these things happened.
What did happen was that I felt a sudden, freezing cold shoot through my body, and I was filled with the strangest sensation. It was an alien feeling, a feeling so other that it had no analogue in the human realm. I knew, suddenly, that I knew nothing, that I was minuscule in the vastness of the expanding cosmos—that existence was a mystery I had no hope of fathoming.
And the odd thing was that, instead of being filled with existential despair at the futility of our collective plight, I brimmed with joy at the fact of my humanity, my ability to experience the day to day wonder of being alive, my friendship for the three people at my side.
For Maddie had joined us now, and had touched the Column with her bare hand.
She smiled at me. “I’m touching it,” she whispered, as I stepped back from the light with Hawk and Matt and watched her.
She remained there for a full minute, hand raised, beatific smile on her face. Then she closed her eyes and backed away.
I looked at the others. Matt said, “Not what I was expecting, but…”
“It’s given us
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