The Secret of the Ancient Alchemist by Yasmin Esack

brought to the attention of the Royal Prussian
Academy of Sciences by Carl Schmidt. Details are a little
sketchy.”
    “ So, who
did the translation?”
    “ Carl
Schmidt. He translated previous texts like the Act of Peter . The gospel was finally published in
1955.”
    “ That’s
more than fifty years later. What do we know about
Schmidt?”
    “ He was a
scholar and a Copticist. The Academy itself was founded in 1700 and
there was great interest in Roman-Greek Archaeology. Max Planck,
Einstein, and Voltaire were three notable members.”
    Hart’s eyes
swept the ground. Soon, he looked up. “Would you happen to have
some idea of what would have been in those missing pages?”
    “ Page
seven begins with a question.”
    “ What
question?”
    “ Will matter then be utterly destroyed? Therefore we can assume that the six prior
pages were a discussion of matter. Pages eleven to fourteen dealt
with Magdalene’s vision and, of course, the ‘mind’, Dr.
Hart.”
    “ I have
to find them, Professor, particularly the six pages that deal with
matter. I think they would indicate the existence of other
worlds.”
    “ Well, I
wish you luck.”
    For a moment,
Hart wondered if he would really find the pages. He shook the
negative emotions off and looked across at Leidman who was probably
wondering what was going through his mind. He pulled his weight up
from his chair.
    “ I’ve
taken much of your time, Professor. Thank you for everything. I
really appreciate it.”
    “ My
pleasure and please, keep in touch with me.”

Chapter 30
     
     
    He took little
notice of the New England state and its colonial settings as he
hurried across the campus with his hands in his pockets.
    He passed the
Widener Library and hopped a taxi to Logan International Airport.
Glancing at his watch, he realized he could be back at work in a
couple of hours. But, work didn’t preoccupy him at all. The words
of many ancient texts did.
    The seeker of
truth will be astonished. When he finds the truth, he will find
rest. Everything lives in and with each other. When you come to
recognize yourself, you must first recognize what is in your sight,
then, what is hidden will be known. There’s a gap between the body
and the soul. Matter gave birth to a passion that has no equal.
Where the ‘mind’ is there lies the treasure... it is… it is...
Where the mind is there lies the treasure, it is… it is…
    “ The
universal mind of matter!” he shouted with unmatched
exuberance.
    The words
infused his spirit like nectar from the gods. He was on a mental
roll. His body floated on a cloud. The truth was all he ever wanted
and now, he felt redeemed. His eyes watered as he recalled the
years he’d spent hoping to prove the universe was in Man.
    The gateway to
the universal mind was truly the mindless state. Matter was moving
in a dimension that was as alive as the human mind was. He was glad
his searching was paying off and that he would soon find the
missing pages of the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and get the whole
truth.
    “ My God!”
he exclaimed now. “Our thoughts can be processed, our desires
fulfilled.”
    The Indian
driver looked at him through his mirror. “Hey man, you ok?”
    “ I’m just
great.”
    The man gave
him a wary look but Hart was surely accustomed to that. He shuffled
his booted feet trying to fit his long frame in the back seat of
the Japanese made car. His Italian designer jacket got stuck in the
car’s door in his haste but he paid it no mind. Enjoying a natural
high, he opened the gospel text Leidman had loaned him and checked
it through again. Leidman was right. The pages of chapters one to
six were missing, as well as, the pages of chapters eleven to
fourteen.
    An hour later,
he stormed out the cab. He hurried to a Southwest Airlines counter
and purchased a ticket to J.F.K. Airport. Hart then headed to a
food outlet where he ordered a ham and egg sandwich and a cup of
coffee. He had thirty-five minutes before his flight left.