Suvarin returned with a stretcher with two harnesses that looked remarkably like vests. She was out of her uniform and now dressed in jeans, thick boots, and warm hooded jacket. She looked remarkably unremarkable now; just like a typical young woman one might see on a cold night outside on main street. Oriana shivered for reasons she could not identify, there was something disturbing about how differently Suvarin looked now that she was wearing different clothes. Kent and Suvarin demonstrated the stretcher by putting it on Kent and Kelly first. Paul climbed onto it and was quickly blind folded by Suvarin. Kelly and Oriana were when blind folded. Suvarin and Kent gave the three blind youths the instructions they needed to start walking down one of the tunnels. Kent was in the lead, while Suvarin positioned herself behind Kelly with Oriana at the rear holding onto her backpack. Slowly at first, they moved down into the tunnels, gradually the walkers got used to being blind folded and the pace picked up. Oriana tried to keep track of which direction and how far they had gone but within minutes she gave up as it was obvious they were inside some colossal labyrinth. They just had to put their trust in Kent and Suvarin to keep them safe on their subterranean journey.
Kelly grew tired and Oriana took over helping to carry Paul for a while. Suvarin appeared to know Kent somewhat and was asking him about his writing.
“Writing?” asked Kelly, “What does Kent write?”
“Druids as part of their study need to write a series of parables that highlight key values of our faith in a way that is accessible to other people,” explained Suvarin.
Kelly chuckled, “Oh, so that’s why he told us that strange story about the boy being eaten by dogs on the way here!”
Kent was glad that the darkness concealed his blushing, however, Oriana, Kelly, and Suvarin found themselves in an alliance pleading with Kent to share with them one of his original parables. Kent eventually laughed, and gave in their demands.
“This is a one that I’ve been working on recently for a submission for assessment.
The Parable of the Wardrobe
Kevin was a young man who borrowed a small sum of money to build a business. However, he was foolish and invested the money unwisely. His business failed and he ended up owing the bank money. He went to the bank and asked for a larger loan. The men at the bank recognised him at once and insisted that he must pay back his original loan before they would consider lending him anymore money.
When he arrived back in his bad chamber he wept for he had no desire to work for somebody else to repay his debt. The dark goddess Tagora saw a way into this soul through his vanity. The goddess entered into his wardrobe and spoke to Kevin.
“Kevin, come and change your clothes!”
Kevin pulled off his workman’s clothes and put on the clothes of a professional. He trimmed his beard, and combed his hair. Seeing that people could no longer recognise him he returned to the bank and asked for a new loan.
The men at the bank were impressed by Kevin’s clothes and decided it was safe to loan a professional more money.
Kevin took the money, but he had not learned from his foolishness and lost that money too. Returning to the bank even further in debt he asked for a third loan. The men at the bank were not interested in listening to him, even with the finer clothes he was now wearing.
Kevin returned to his bed chamber and resumed his weeping. Tagora once more went into Kevin’s wardrobe and spoke to him.
“Kevin, come and change your clothes again!”
Kevin pulled off his professional’s clothes and put on the clothes of a prince. He shaved off his beard, groomed himself neatly, and seeing that no one would recognise him he returned to the bank and asked for a new loan. The men at the bank were impressed by Kevin’s clothes and decided it was safe to loan a prince even more money.
Kevin took the money, but he had not learned from this previous foolishness and lost that money too. Returning to the bank deep in debt he has asked for a fourth loan. This time the men at the bank were not impressed with him, even dressed as a prince.
Kevin returned to his bedchamber and wept harder than he had before. This time the goddess Verina appeared before him.
“Good goddess; help me; speak to the men at the bank, tell them that I am a good man. Tell them to loan me more money.”
“But you are not a good man. Twice you were called to suffer for your foolishness, and twice you chose to listen to the voice of Tagora. Now you have multiplied your suffering and learned nothing.”
The young man pleaded and begged with the goddess, but Verina would not yield.
The young man shouted and screamed at the goddess, but Verina would not yield.
The young man wail and howled from the suffering that his heart was drowning in, but the goddess was unmoved by his display of emotion.
“Help me end this suffering please,” begged Kevin.
Verina said to him, “Pay your debts, and then earn your clothes.”
And so Kevin sold everything he had and worked any job he could get, until he had paid of his debt. In time he raised his own money and using this money he invested in a business of his own. He was once again in work clothes. Later his business grew and he became an employer, his clothes changed to those of a professional. His business grew and in time he became wealthy enough that he was considered a prince by all who met him.
In his home he built a shrine to the goddess Verina, and thanked her every day for not keeping him from the suffering that he needed to suffer.
Sophisticated Nonsense 