6/3

Played: March 29, 2022.

Roger, what did you make of this “Uriel”?

Archie asks. A silence follows as the assembled URIEL team looks at Roger. After what feels like a long time, but is, in fact, only a moment, Roger responds:

Roger: Clearly, it’s a spirit. And if it is a spirit of the Lord, as it maybe was if it was being truthful, then we must listen to those words. The question is, was it truly Uriel? Not, was it or was it not Elizabeth? And as for Jocasta’s worries — and everyone else’s — that this is information that has come from Elizabeth, right, from the Mount … do you think that I know all of these things? Do you still feel the paranoia that I have somehow found out these strange unworldly ways of knowing something through some clandestine, terrible means? No. You have to understand, the spirits know. However that may discomfort you … well, just dig it, man. Be cool. Because it’s true. So I would ask, Jo, what really worries you about what Uriel said?

Jocasta: It wasn’t anything that … whatever that was said that worries me. It’s that — well, do you remember that report I made recently, about the memetic injections into all these occult magazines that have happened recently? I can find you in those magazines, Roger, probably a dozen people claiming to channel Uriel. Obviously they’re not all doing it. And, also: we know for a fact that not every spiritual force, no matter what its legitimacy, is benign. Our entire purpose is defeating spiritual entities that are malignant and destructive and they certainly don't have any trouble lying or deceiving people about their nature. I find it exceptionally hard to believe, is all, that given everything that we've been through given, this recent revelation that we've been led around by the nose, that all of a sudden a legitimate spiritual entity legitimately and honestly representing our best interests suddenly shows up right next to us at a campground that we've come to to discuss these very things and claims to not just be a spiritual channeler, but the spiritual channeler of what you — of our namesake —

Roger: Right. So you don’t believe what you witnessed. Neither do I.

Jocasta: — and it's not something that was arranged to throw us further off of a trail that we've only now started to get on.

Roger: So you believe in a massive terrible conspiracy that can pull this kind of thing together —

Jocasta: Yes!

Roger: — despite the fact that all these threads could have gone all the ways they've gone, but you won't believe in fate or karma?

Jocasta: I believe in fate and karma.

Roger: Right.

Jocasta: But I also believe that there are a lot of … I think there are a lot of charlatans who posit things as being fate or karma that are just things that they've arranged for their own benefit.

Roger: Absolutely. That is true. So where's trust come from?

Jocasta: It doesn’t come from them.

Roger: No, but it also comes from us. Trusting and knowing, probing and trying to understand — not from rejecting because it just seems too, too scary and too bad, right? So I'm just trying to say, look: just be cool. Take a breath. There are things out there that could be working to our ill, but there are also things out there that could be working to our good.

Jocasta: Yes, there are. Of course there are. That’s not what I’m questioning. Look, why didn’t we believe in Uri Geller?

Mitch: Because he’s Uri Geller.

Jocasta: Yeah, and that’s Elizabeth Clare Prophet.

Mitch: Yeah. I mean, six of one, half-dozen of the other.

Jocasta: So who we were talking to?

Roger: Elizabeth was not who were you talking to.

Jocasta: Right, but surely, if Uri Geller had any real power, would that have made a difference?

Roger: No, because he’s using his power for ill. But the problem is, if Uri Geller had become an instrument of the Voice of Uriel, then that wouldn't have been Uri Geller. Who are we dealing with, is the question. Are you dealing with me or are you dealing with the loa? You have to know what the difference is because you could get into a lot of trouble trusting some of the loa. I’m not saying trust Uriel. I'm saying, if Elizabeth's a charlatan and a cult leader and heading down the road of error, that's one thing. Uriel is another. So the question is, really, what do we make of Uriel’s message? Not Elizabeth's. Not possibly OZYMANDIAS’. What do you make of Uriel, on its face value, as the possibility of something coming from a different spirit?

Archie: Yeah, I think — I mean, it's not necessary that we have unanimity on what that was we were speaking to because its advice was not what I would call immediately actionable. What did it say? What did it want? It said —

Mitch: It had a real cold read kind of vibe to it. “This thing that you're doing it's important, keep doing it.”

Charley: It seemed to me like it wanted to help do what we're doing. It — it's reaching out. It seemed like it was reaching out. I mean, I really didn't feel like I was talking to Elizabeth —

Mitch: OK, well I mean, let's —

Charley: Really! I don't — I really think, I mean, it really … (exuberantly) I think it was an angel! And that's huge! And, I mean, we know there are incredible things out there, why couldn't there be some sort of huge being out there — an angel — that has, for whatever reason … like our group being named URIEL was probably unintentional, but it was basically a signal! A signal that reached this being, this angel! It took a while but it finally has answered back to us. And I really don't know that it has anything to do with Elizabeth. I think it's been trying to, you know, possibly reach us for who knows how long, but we're in this place, which has incredible power. And I'm just saying … I don't know, I think it was an angel.

Jocasta: I don't know why there is a narrative developing that I don't believe in miracles or the paranormal, that's absurd —

Roger: It has something to do with your tone. Just sayin’.

Jocasta: — but, I mean clearly that's not true, clearly that’s not true, but —

Charley: Right, but you were saying that —

Jocasta: — what I’m saying —

Charley: — you were talking about Elizabeth, it has nothing to do — it didn’t seem like, OK, I don’t know about her.

Jocasta: Well, forget about Elizabeth.

Charley: Right.

Jocasta: Would we allow that —

Charley: She has the power. I think it's whatever I was talking to that has that kind of power that used her to talk to us to, to speak to us.

Jocasta: I'm not saying that that was not a real power either. I'm saying allow for the possibility that there are both benign and malign spiritual forces in the world and that we know for a fact that our enemies have repeatedly used malignant supernatural forces to deceive, us to mislead us, to achieve their own goals. And just editorially, when benign psychic influences — when the powers of good in the universe come to help you, they come to help you. And they help you. They don't drop a bunch of vague platitudes saying stay the course buddy.

Charley: I don't know, the Bible is …

Jocasta, Charley, and Roger all start talking at once. Mitch and Archie give each other a worried glance. Roger wins out:

Roger: Some of the benign ones have to be bargained with. And they're still good dealers. I know that … some of you have problems with the loa that are not automatically righteous. But they are good-doers. They are on the path and they are greater than us. To some of these things … we are ants —

Jocasta: Well legitimately, though, Roger — and this is a question, it's not a challenge: do you believe that the process of being, I don't want to use the wrong language here, but the process of being ridden by a loa is inherently benign?

Roger: No.

Jocasta: So isn't it possible that she was not being ridden by a loa who intends to help but rather being possessed by an evil spirit? Or manipulated?

Roger: Absolutely.

Jocasta: Then why are we giving them the benefit of the doubt?

Roger: We have to find out who this Uriel is and know and understand those words. The thing is that if Uriel is benign, we must understand the words for the benign. But we have to actually — I didn't say we weren't going to check on it. I — there are trappings there. There are things that from our small experience do sound like … an angel. But … momma didn’t raise an idiot. Of course we’re going to go and check the bona fides. I just don't want you to go into it with a closed mind, that this is obviously the evil. Are you willing to do that?

Jocasta: Of course I am, Roger.

Roger: Alright. So let's go and check. I'm going to go and talk to the spirits and see what I can find. I think that those others of you who have ways of looking at this should look at it and see — do you see evil, or do you see good? We have knowledge of good and evil. That is what we are. So let us find out.

Mitch: What what kind of process are you talking about, buddy? Talking to spirits?

Roger: Well, of course, I'm going to open the Way and talk to the Papa Legba, who is the conduit to the spirits.

Mitch: OK, yeah. He would know.

Roger: And there are other loa. I will ask him and see what I can do to to talk to others who may know Uriel of old. Of very old.

Mitch: Yeah, I was just thinking I know a bunch of people but I don't think there's anybody that I could call to be like, hey what's the skinny on the Archangel Uriel, the Angel of the Lord? I mean, not in a way that would be actionable or useful at least.

Archie: Well —

Roger: The only action I will take is to try and understand. I don't know what I would do with the advice that Uriel gave you, myself.

Mitch: Well that's the thing that's bothering me a little bit — is it seems like it's not particularly actionable. Like the way to follow up on it is to, you know, attempt to contact Uriel again and get some more, like, concrete advice. Because like the scenario we're in is one of two things is possible, right? It's either A or B. A, the Angel of the Lord has come down and said, hi, I'm on your side, you need — it's important that you do the things you're doing, we'll be in touch, and that's it. Or it’s some kind of — and that's it — or it’s some kind of … the forces of darkness, the enemy have put into our path something pretending to be that. Whether it's Elizabeth Clare Prophet or a demon speaking through her or whatever. In which case, like, I don't know that that's going to lead us away from any angle of investigation particularly. Necessarily. We may get distracted rooting down this particular rabbit hole — Lord knows that's happened to us before, but it also seems like something we don't really need help to get distracted and go down rabbit holes, we do that perfectly well on our own — so how would it benefit the enemy to pretend to be the Archangel Uriel and give us the cryptic message that we got, is my question. And I'm not really seeing an upside, which would fill me with more confidence if i was seeing an upside to why the Angel of the Lord herself would show up and deliver the same message. It just it seems like a real wash to me. Just … I don't know what to do with this is, basically.

Jocasta: We already know, don’t we, that forces within our own organization have led us to believe through false information that we should be doing this or that. We know already that the very founding of URIEL was a misdirection. That it sent us out to investigate this sort of phenomena not because they thought it would be useful to combat the Annunaki but because they were trying to find and identify this kind of person — the kind of person we just now had a conversation with so that they can manipulate them and use them to realize their vision of the future. So I think it's pretty obvious why, you know, what harm it would do to — why they would want to do a thing like that — because it’s a continuation of what they’ve been doing.

Mitch: I'm not following that at all. They want us to investigate Elizabeth Clare Prophet to identify her as a potential pawn and to that end, they have already co-opted her as a pawn and put her in our path? I don’t follow that.

Jocasta: No, I think they want to do what they’ve already been doing which is waste our time on stuff like this.

Roger: Is it a waste of time?

At this point — it’s around 9:00 p.m. under a waxing crescent moon — Viv wanders over. She explains that Mary-Lynn’s gone to her tent to read a book and get some sleep.

Archie: I mean, we don't have to decide — we don't have to agree. I thought that this kind of stuff is sort of what we're here for. For this sort of … weirdness to find us. I guess it's not a waste of our time to be here. We expected strange things to happen and strange folks to find us. I'm curious — it won't answer the question of what that was we were talking to — but one step would be, could we talk to it? Can we cut Elizabeth Clare Prophet out of the loop? Can we talk to it without her? Because that eliminates that variable.

Charley: Well, I think that I might be able to contact it again. I mean, I remember the wavelength, so when I get back to my lab, I can at least try and find that signal again. I don't know. I have a few ideas, but we'll see.

Roger: Charley, before you do something like that we need to find out a little bit more about what you're doing, right. And you trust me, right? I took that on for you, to teach you these things. So yeah, that is an idea, yes, absolutely — to cut out the middle man and you could deal directly. Let's make sure we're prepared first. But I still want to talk about the fact that, if we constantly believe that we’ve shown up and gone off to do our own investigation and that distractions come up and everything's a distraction, then what are we looking for? What is our purpose? What do we think URIEL should be doing? And if they think that we were doing things and they have to stop us and we have to figure out what they are thinking about so we can try and figure that out so we can stop it — we're not thinking about what we want. What do we want? I believe we want to preserve our own history, to attempt to try and change the world from going down a path that will lead to enslavement or whatever the others think, right? So our action — our actions, right, are to find out these things. These psychics and these other things and these other spirits. And to make contact and to understand them. And then to hopefully learn from them how to save ourselves. And perhaps to make deals with them so that they will help us. That's what I think we should be doing. So if we're here on this mountain trying to figure out what we're trying to do and where we're trying to go, the question isn't, well what was the enemy trying to do to us? That is just a hall of mirrors. What are we doing? I think what we are doing is trying to figure out — if I am not mistaken — what the hell the Comte de St. Germain is up to up here and what side he's on. I think that if that's the where that we're going, Uriel might know something about that. And maybe Elizabeth is tied in with that too, because they're here in some kind of way that's entangled with that. So why aren't we trying to find out more about that rather than worrying about whether it's this bad guy or that bad guy or what their plans are? Their plans we know: to ruin the world. What are our plans? To make it better. What is the difference between the witch and the witch doctor, to use those bad terms? We're afraid of the witch because the witch wants to do selfish things and destroy the world, right? With the witch doctor it's right there in the name: the witch doctor wants to "doctor" the world. To save it. We just need to pick between these two. So is Elizabeth a crazy cult leader and attempting to walk down to her own destruction? Very likely. Could she fall into the hands of the enemy? Yes. Should we prevent that? Yes. Is Uriel intervening to maybe give us that nudge? Maybe. That's a theory. It's a working theory, but the question is what are we going to do? Are we going to kill her? Are we going to destroy her cult? Are we going to turn her cult over and report it so that the rest of the, uh, OZYMANDIAS people know about them? No. We're not going to do any of those things. We're going to find out what we came here to find out on this mountain.

Archie: Not bad. I think we ought to toast the marshmallows first.

Viv: St. Germain is at the center of all of these groups in one way or another. The one that Mary-Lynn was telling me a little bit about earlier, and Elizabeth Clare Prophet’s group, obviously, as an offshoot of I AM. And your friend Nola also seems to be a big fan of St. Germain. So I think Roger’s right. I think he — he likes talking to you, Mitch, from what you've told us. I know you don't like talking to him but you think he's on the top of the mountain again. Do you think that's where he's going to be?

Mitch: Yeah. Yeah.

Viv: And you're going to the top tomorrow? You're going to start the summit climb tomorrow?

Mitch: That’s the plan, yeah. I mean, I don't want to do it now. It's dark and it's late and we all need to decide who's going to the summit and who's not. I mean, if we're all going or if some of us are going to stay here at base camp and investigate things a little closer to sea level.

Charley: I want to go.

Roger: I don’t mean to keep putting this on you, Mitch, because we're just the field team, but what do we do about this guy? I know we ask you and that doesn't — that's not fair, right, and I will go and I will pray and I'll ask the spirits and we'll figure out what they say. But what do you think we should do with that asshole? Knock him off the mountain? Do you need help with that?

Mitch: Well, I was going to stare up at the clouds and attempt to divine how best to destroy St. Germain but (he glances up at the sky) I can do that by staring into the fire. There's a fire. We have, you know, marshmallows. So I can just light a marshmallow on fire and stare at it and — what am I saying? I don't need a fire to light a marshmallow on fire! I'm Mitch!

Everyone laughs. Viv announces she’s going to go meditate again in hopes that some new thought or impression will come to her. Mitch wanders off with a marshmallow in search of signs. This leaves Archie, Jocasta, Charley, and Roger around the campfire. Roger heads to his tent and returns a moment later with a bottle of rum. He resumes his seat, takes several swigs from the bottle, and commences with the ritual chanting to summon Papa Legba. It only takes a moment. Roger has barely commenced his prayers when his head slumps and then snaps up again. The fire illuminates his face differently than before. He seems older, but also more numinous, exuding a certain powerful energy that was not there a moment ago. Papa Legba speaks in his Creole-accented English:

Papa Legba: In this place there is no need for an Opener of the Ways. All ways are open here. What could you possibly wish opened here?

Charley can tell that Papa Legba is distracted, dislocated. She believes he is partially thrown off by the strength of the mountain and how porous it is. He also seems a little surprised at how easy it was to ride to Roger and find himself here. Almost like Roger is superfluous.

Charley: Um, Papa Legba? It’s me, Charley. Hi.

Papa Legba: I must apologize, mon écolière. I am the Opener of the Ways. I see no need to be trepidatious around any of this. Why is it that you wish to speak to me?

Charley: We were hoping that you could, uh, settle a question for us? I believe I spoke to, uh … the Archangel Uriel. There was — well, anyway, the details don't really matter —

Papa Legba: Mon cheval remembers them. The details.

Charley: — but do you think that’s possible?

Papa Legba: So you wish to ask was that really the Archangel of the Lord?

Charley: Yes.

Papa Legba: It was as much the Archangel of the Lord as I am Saint Peter. As I am the Holder of the Keys and the Opener of the Ways. So the next question you wish to ask is: can you trust and believe this Angel of the Lord? Can you trust and believe me?

Charley: Exactly.

Papa Legba laughs a loud, booming laugh. It echoes through the hills and silences the nocturnal woods around them for a moment.

Papa Legba: In every exchange there is give and take, oui? As I've said before, and as has been learned before by all of you (he glances over at Viv and Mitch) there are all sorts of arrangements that are made. But it seems to me that the three of you, when you were speaking to the Archangel of the Lord Himself, you did not let him finish what he wanted to say. His channel was interrupted because some of your presence left. She may have been the channel, but the three of you summoned the angel.

Charley: Do you … do you know what he was going to say or … ?

Papa Legba: Those secrets are not mine to give. They are only the Archangel’s. To do so, the jument — she may or may not remember what the angel said through her. But she has channeled that angel before and she will again. All the channels she opens, these entities may have begun as imaginations in the faithful hearts of those who wish the (disdainfully) Ascended Masters to be their friends and compatriots and patrons. But they tap into things much older.

Charley: Would it be possible for Roger to channel the angel?

Papa Legba: Does he look like the kind of does he look like the kind of man who consorts with angels?

Charley: Yes.

Papa Legba: (laughing again) Mon cher, I am no angel. I am sanctified, but I am no angel. Maître Kalfu is certainly no angel. In fact, quite the opposite. And that dirty, low down, devious spy is absolutely no angel. No, the angels take a very, very different sort of personality to channel. Someone with righteous anger and power behind them. Someone who has been wronged and seeks out justice. Of course, mon cheval … that may apply to him in some ways, but there is a reason why that angel called upon that woman. Does she look like the kind of woman who's had a happy life, mon écolière?

Charley: No. So maybe Dad? Or Jo?

Papa Legba: Why do you think that you were able to discover that angel's nature so easily? Elizabeth's rage and your rage come from a very similar place, Charley. That is all I will say about that. I do not wish to discomfort or embarrass you. I wish only to open the Ways to you. Perhaps tomorrow morning one of you goes over to speak with her who hasn't spoken with her yet. Find out what she feels about Uriel. Maybe, as you mentioned earlier in mon cheval’s presence, maybe one of you goes deeper into her life to find out exactly where she comes from. But that was the angel. And its message is incomplete. I cannot open the Way to the angels. That is a completely … the web of loa which live together as une famille, they may reflect aspects of some of these archangels. They may reflect aspects of the saints, the men and women who have gone before us, Charley. But they are they are not within this vessel's ability to channel.

Charley: I see.

Archie: (whispering to Charley) Charley, ask him what he can tell us about this place. About the Mountain, about what it is. About St. Germain.

Papa Legba: (looking at Archie) I am not the one you are scared of. I merely open the Way to him. If you must have a hat to hang on me, I am Saint Peter. And what could possibly possibly be wrong, mon ami, about about speaking to Christ's most faithful disciple?

Charley: That’s what I thought.

Papa Legba: You understand. I can tell you understand — or you are beginning to understand, no? — this place, the stories that have crisscrossed over the decades, over the centuries here.

Archie: I thought … I thought that maybe we made this place. Us and our opposition. I thought that maybe that thing we talked to — sorry Charley — maybe we made that also. It had the sense to me of something constructed of all the memes and ideas we've laid down here.

Papa Legba: Didn't it speak to you of how you made this world? How you … that archangel knew what you were only beginning to understand. That all the stories, all that history, all of the beliefs that have given birth to me, to that archangel, to every other story that you tell yourselves and each other, was created in the moment that history flipped over. You were the knight with the chessboard, weren't you mon écolière? You found the way to defeat their rule. Again, Uriel tried to tell you. So, yes, monsieur, you did create Uriel. And me. And every other saint and angel and every other tale told since that event happened. The past lives your soul migrating from one vessel to another — it's real. Charley is the only one with enough youth and wisdom to recognize it. When the child — usually the infant is closer to their past lives, they will be able to sense and speak and talk of what they saw in those past lives. Charley’s mind was sculpted from an early age to be receptive to those and to stay receptive throughout her entire life. Charley, you will never never lose those snatches of memory from your past lives. They will be with you always and that is a heavy, heavy burden to bear. But one that will serve you well in this war. You speak about karma and fate? The reason why you all have been brought together again. I opened the Ways to show you. Much like Uriel, I can only reveal. I cannot change. The only one who can change things is one like him over there.

Papa Legba points over at Mitch, who has taken a seat at the base of a tree and is looking up at the stars. Charley glances in his direction and then back at Papa Legba. She can tell from his demeanor that he is fading away now. Probably she does not have too much time left with him. She ventures one last question:

Charley: Can you tell us more about Mitch? More about the, um the Illuminated? Why they have that power?

Papa Legba: Someone needs to write the story, no?

Charley: Yeah, but why can't we all do it? It doesn't seem like Mitch wants to write the story.

Papa Legba: That is exactly why he is so important and valuable. Deep down he does not want to abuse that power. Sometimes the men and women who possess this power don't realize they're abusing it. Mitch is a good soul.

Roger’s eyes grow droopy and he slumps in his seat a bit. A second later, he opens his eyes and sits up straight. Back to his old self. Charley immediately pronounces, “It was Uriel!” Archie and Roger chuckle.

Sitting under the tree, Mitch gazes at the night sky. He reads the winds and the clouds as they form around the Mountain, and what he notices is that there are a couple of lenticular, UFO-shaped clouds hovering a good deal below the summit of the Mountain. This is a little unusual, Mitch thinks, because aren’t these clouds the kind that generally form by the winds swirling around the Mountain’s peaks? But now those clouds are hovering at a lower altitude. Doubly weird: Mitch thinks he read somewhere that lenticular clouds are rare in the summer, usually only appearing in the autumn or winter. What Mitch discerns from this is that the answer does not lie at the top of the Mountain. It goes against everything he had previously planned, but — thinking back to something Roger told him about what the Comte said to him atop the San Jose Airport Hilton — maybe URIEL will be at its best advantage against the Comte if they encounter him closer to sea level. Finding him at the peak, Mitch feels, would find him at the height (no pun intended) of his powers. He will be material and able to use whatever tricks and blandishments and glyphs and powers the Red Kings have blessed him with. The wind whispers: “Seek him out, O Mitch, but at a lower plane.”

Mitch stands up and brushes himself off, muttering as if to someone nearby, “Well, that is kind of a kick in the teeth.” Viv, who has concluded her meditation, approaches. The two walk slowly back toward the campfire.

Viv: So I feel like the confluence that's happening right now with Summit Lighthouse and with this Pearl Dorris's group and Nola and us all being on the Mountain at the same time … I have a feeling that there is a — like a time-specific conjunction that is going to happen and it's going to happen sometime over the next two days. I don't know what form the result of this conjunction is going to take but it feels to me like one of these groups is going to — I know this is really vague — but one of these groups is going to find what they're looking for this weekend. It can be us but it's not certain to be us. And I feel like one or the other of the groups might help whoever does find that — again, I'm really sorry, this is terribly vague, but there's just too many branching possibilities for me to be able to really nail it down to just one. I guess what I'm saying is that it's … it's a free-for-all. There's an opportunity for anybody among all of these seekers to find what they're looking for. I think in the case of those other groups, they all want to find St. Germain.

Mitch: Now, those other groups, how many do you twig?

Viv: Well, I would count Nola only because she has the adherence of people who are very distant from the Mountain. I don't know if they're approaching as they sense the importance of this weekend but whatever. There’s Pearl’s group. There’s Elizabeth’s group. There’s us. And that’s all I was able to sense.

Mitch: Those four. OK.

Mitch and Viv rejoin the rest of the group and everyone shares their findings. They discuss what the next 24 hours should look like. The plan: first thing in the morning, Roger and Charley will approach the Summit Lighthouse camp to meet with Elizabeth to find out if they can learn the rest of the Archangel Uriel’s message. After that, the entire team — including Viv and Mary-Lynn — will commence the hike to the summit of Mount Shasta, but will stop about 4,000 feet short of the summit so that Mitch can attempt to contact or locate the Comte.

The next morning, Roger and Charley head over to the Summit Lighthouse camp. It is abuzz with activity as they cook and eat breakfast and prepare to head off to their next campsite. (Archie had learned the prior night from casual conversation with a few of the Lighthouse adherents that they plan on scoping out several sites in hopes of finding “the site” where their messiah will be born two years hence). They spot Elizabeth emerging from her tent, aided by a couple of bodyguard-types. She seems haggard and exhausted, not the same sparkling personality she was the day before. When Elizabeth spots Roger and Charley approaching, she visibly, though subtly, startles. She waves off her handlers and puts on a weak smile.

Elizabeth: I’m terribly sorry — I didn’t recognize the person with you. Hello, Charley. You might want to hold my hand just to make them feel better.

Charley: Hi Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: It’s good to see you. Come, come sit down. Share breakfast with us, please.

After everyone has a seat, she resumes.

Elizabeth: You'll have to excuse me, I didn't sleep well last night. Dreams … well, this Mountain exerts a pull and sometimes that pull happens whether you're conscious or not, whether you're awake or sleeping. And I dreamt quite a bit actually. Important dreams …

She trails off, staring into the middle distance for a few seconds. Roger clears his throat and introduces himself.

Roger: Let me introduce myself. I’m Roger. A fellow traveler.

Elizabeth: Oh! You … you speak with the spirits?

Roger: (crosses himself) They have been gracious as my guides.

Elizabeth looks Roger straight in the eyes, then at Charley. When she speaks her voice carries no NLP.

Elizabeth: Last night a lot of energy flowed through me, Charley. The light of the pink golden sixth ray is — it burns. Its energy is powerful, and it burns away illusions. It burns away suppositions and guesswork and makes everything clear. And sometimes that clarity can be overwhelming. When you interact with the spirits Roger, do you … do you remember everything that is said or does it come to you as through a glass darkly?

Roger: Only if they wish it. And, of course, how strong the mortal flesh can be.

Elizabeth: Charley, I strongly believe that Uriel's message to you last night was left incomplete. I believe that when your mother left our camp it … it broke me. Free of my channel to Uriel. And I understand it was very intense as I just mentioned. I don't remember everything that was said through me but … it was a very, very difficult and, ah, strenuous burden on me.

Charley: Can you bring it back?

Elizabeth: Ah, young one. I wish that I could but I'm far, far, far too tired.

Roger: Will you pray with me? I think if we pray, and we share, we might be able to understand the rest of the message.

Elizabeth: Do you propose we pray to someone other than Uriel?

Roger: No, no. Obviously we can pray to God and the masters that Uriel is the messenger of, and ask that the mission be fulfilled. This is what the all prayers are for, is to pray to the great ones that they will impart what they wish to impart if we were weak and broke away they sometimes respond to humble re-asking.

Elizabeth agrees to this request. The three of them get down on their knees and pray. Other members of the Summit Lighthouse congregate around this circle of three — the two strange outsiders, and their leader. After a couple of minutes, Elizabeth stops speaking aloud and instead starts mouthing the prayers silently. Then she looks up. Her eyes dart over to Roger, then to Charley, and she says, slowly and in a low tone:

Gather together the Ascended Masters at the Axis of the World. All of them. And pray for this world to be changed. Meditate upon your higher selves and remake the world. Uriel told me that the Sixth Ray can only reveal and unveil and dispel illusions. To change the world requires the Seventh Ray, the Ray of the Age of Aquarius. The Ray of the Comte de St. Germain. Whatever happens after you defeat your enemies, defeat those among you who want to bring your enemies back. The only way to seal your victory will be through the power of the Seventh Ray. The power of the Comte. He is the key to it all. I suppose that's not anything surprising to any of you if you understand what we believe, but this Archangel is powerless to affect the change that you want made. The Comte’s ray — his vibration — is what is needed. The final key when all the Ascended Masters are assembled is the Comte’s.

Elizabeth holds out her arms and two of her attendants help her to her feet. She excuses herself as her attendants lead her away. The vibe at the camp has gotten cold, a little hostile even — who are these outsiders, and what are they doing to their dear Elizabeth? A large man steps forward and is about to suggest that Roger and Charley leave, but Roger preempts him, says a quick thank you, and then guides Charley away back to URIEL’s campsite. After apologizing to Mitch for once again acting as the Comte’s de facto messenger, Roger informs everyone of what they learned. Charley nods along.

Mitch: But he's my nemesis, Roger.

Roger: What I don't understand is, if the angel could say that we defeat our enemies … he's still around. What does that make him? What is he?

Mitch: I don't understand how he could be anything but my enemy.

Roger: Well, maybe it isn't … maybe we just need his ray and not him? I don't know. I don't know.

Mitch: I thought you were gonna say maybe it’s not about you, Mitch.

Roger: (laughing) Unfortunately it is about you.

Charley: What did he do to you, Mitch? Why don't you like him?

Mitch: Gosh, Charley. That’s … that’s a big question. I mean, there’s a lot to it but it just kind of boils down to him being a jerk.

Roger: I mean, he definitely is a jerk. And he definitely is a manipulative asshole who wants everything to be his way. That was 100 percent crystal clear within 90 seconds of interaction with him.

Mitch: Do you think I could steal his identity?

Roger: Maybe. Maybe you just have to wield the Seventh Ray. Not necessarily have him quit. Take it from my own. Didn't he offer you a crown?

Charley: Is it a title? Maybe you could be the new saint.

Mitch: I took that crown away from him. He doesn’t have that thing anymore. I broke it. Also, “Comte de St. Germain” is indeed a title, you know. It could be more than one person. Like saying there’s been popes besides Peter.

At that, Archie — in peak Dad Mode — proposes they hit the trail as they’re wasting daylight and need to make good time if they’re going to reach their destination and return to base camp before nightfall. The team sets off.

It is an arduous hike for some (Mitch, presumably because he’s got other things on his mind and/or drank too much last night; Roger, physically tired from the channeling he performed the night before) but the rest of the group manages to reach a clearing at around 11,000 without too much exhaustion. As people shrug off their backpacks and open canteens, Mitch consults with Charley over the geological survey maps she brought. He nods that this spot will work, then asks to indulge everyone’s patience for about 40 minutes while he “tries a thing.” With everyone watching, Mitch heads towards a large, flat-ish rock, grabs a cross-legged seat, and closes his eyes to meditate.

For 39 minutes, Mitch attempts a combination of methods he picked up from Pat Price and doing the stuff they taught him at SCANATE. He tries to put out of his mind what happened at the Mountain before and all the stories from Ol’ Vera (and the general weirdness of this weekend). He tries to quiet all the chaos, the different narratives swirling in his head for a moment and concentrate on where the Comte may be. Is he here? Is his presence here? Is one of his representatives here? Has he left some kind of … aura trail behind? Can Mitch zone in with his ability to detect History B, find something like an ontological fingerprint? In the 40th minute, all these techniques become moot. Mitch opens his eyes — he thinks he opens his eyes, at least — and finds himself in the very same golden corridor, deep inside the Mountain, that he found himself in the first time he attempted remote viewing.

Before Mitch is the Comte de St. Germain and, beside him, a horribly scarred kulullû. They stand in the midst of an immense domed chamber, made either completely of gold or coated entirely in gold, at the center of which rests a large table surrounded by seven seats. Each seat is made of a sort of iridescent marble and each is slotted with a different colored gemstone. Together these stones form the rainbow of the chakras. The Comte is dressed in a turn-of-the-century Mount Shasta baseball team uniform.

As Mitch gets his bearings, the Comte speaks:

The Comte: I knew you had it in you. You know where this is, right?

Mitch suddenly knows exactly where this is. He knows the secret entrance into the Mountain, the one that — for generations — weirdos and mystics have reported stumbling upon or wandering into. And he knows where it is: on the Mount, around the southeast side, probably a few hours hike from his present location.

The Comte: I’m very proud of you.

Mitch: Why?

The Comte: You found the way in.

Mitch: No, sure, that’s great and I’m awesome but there’s nothing that you could possibly do that would make me proud of you. Like, contemptuous. Angry. Resentful. Maybe grudging respect. But I would never be like, yeah, that’s my guy, the Comte! So why — why proud? Why proud, man? Why proud? Where’s proud coming from? Unpack that for me. Proud? Why proud?

The Comte: It's exciting to see it. It shows that you're getting closer to your goal.

Mitch: Are you just proud of like, all humanity in general? Like it's nothing about me specifically?

The Comte: No, no. Your journey is not meant to be some sort of representative journey for your species.

Mitch: OK … our species. I mean, whatever.

The Comte: The point is that you are now closer to finding and eliminating your double —

Mitch: Oh, you're —

The Comte: — I was so, so worried that what happened in the upper realms was going to take you away from that path. But we're in the process of healing the timeline right now. There's more to do but we're getting there.

Mitch: Do you perceive yourself as to being like my guru or spiritual guide? Is that why you claim to be proud of me?

The Comte: Have you talked —

Mitch: Are you my real father?

The Comte: (aghast) No. No. But have you talked to any of the other people on this Mountain? They all adore me.

Mitch: You're proud of me because people like you?

The Comte: No. I'm saying that, even if you aren't a follower of mine, it's clear that other people have seen the wisdom of —

Mitch: So you feel a proprietary interest in Mount Shasta generally and because I'm, like, tapping into Mount Shasta, being awesome, you take — you feel vindicated in some way that it's a reflection on you and your greatness, what I achieve?

The Comte: I would say, in part, yes.

Mitch: OK. See, was that so hard?

The Comte: Not wholly. That’s not the only reason why I am pleased. You were able to make this leap, but I — regardless. As I said, we are in the process of getting you back on the path to finding your double and removing him from from the game board.

Mitch: “We are”? That's something you and me, we’re doing together? Or “we” as in you and your cronies like this imaginary person here (gesturing at the kulullû)?

The Comte: He's important too.

The Comte pats the kulullû on the head. Putting his observations together with Roger’s report from the San Jose Airport Hilton, Mitch discerns that the kulullû is basically a proxy or pet for the Comte. He seems to do whatever the Comte wants, able to go places he cannot, at least physically. Mitch also notices that the Comte, here, inside the Mountain, appears to be fully material — something made of flesh and bone. Mitch gets the sense that this golden chamber acts like a … conductor? An attractor? Whatever. His body is tangible here.

The Comte: Yes, he is very important to what I am going to discuss with you. You spoke with Uriel? Not you specifically because you were not fated to speak with Uriel directly because, well, all kinds of horrible things could happen … but your Uriel spoke with URIEL, yes?

The Comte sounds bright and excited.

Mitch: Sorry, you're gonna have to unpack for me where you — how you obtained whatever you think you know.

The Comte: Mitch, I know everything that happens on this Mountain. It's not really —

Mitch: Then why were you surprised to see me?

The Comte: (chuckling) I wouldn't say I was surprised. I was just … I was just happy that you finally made the connection. Again, this —

Mitch: OK. OK. So you're all seeing through space but not all seeing through time? That's not a superpower you claim to have? You're not you're not prescient?

The Comte: I'm more all seeing through time than you are. But no, I’m not because, as I said —

Mitch: Feels like a burn, man.

The Comte: — it’s not meant to be an insult. It's just meant to tell you that —

Mitch: But why not?!

The Comte: — I just have a different way of seeing time than you do, which is one of the reasons why what happened a few weeks ago took you — took your group off your intended path that was going to lead you to your double. And that's what we need to discuss. Or it's tangentially related to what we need to discuss, which is: I want to get you there. I want all distractions removed. I want you and your people to succeed. You've found out some things about Project SANDMAN, haven't you?

Mitch: Why do you want us to succeed?

The Comte: Well, that's why I'm asking you. You found out some things about Project SANDMAN, didn't you?

Mitch: Like, I define my — I'm willing to say I define myself as being opposed to whatever you're in favor of, right? It's like you're the Doctor and I'm the Master. Have you seen that show? The guy has a frilly chest?

The Comte: I daresay I have seen more of it than you have.

Mitch: Yeah, probably.

The Comte: OK, fine. However you wish to define it, what I am telling you is that even archenemies can come together and realize that what the people that you call OZYMANDIAS are doing — what they're doing, it's gonna lead to us eventually taking back this planet. But it's not … it's not good, Mitch. I mean, these people are, I'm sorry, but they're hitting above their weight and they shouldn't be doing the things that they're doing and I'm sure we can both agree about that.

Mitch: I mean if it wasn't coming from you I might agree. But now I'm thinking maybe they're on the side of the angels just because you dislike them.

The Comte: You haven't seen —

Mitch: No, what you're saying makes no sense. What you're saying is those guys are advancing the agenda of the Anunnaki, whom I recognize as being my superiors, I am fulfilling the agenda of the Annunaki, they're fulfilling the agenda of the Anunnaki, and yet you, Mitch, you're opposed to the Anunnaki and you and I are on the same side against those guys. Are they fulfilling the goals of the Anunnaki wrong? Are they going to make something happen —

The Comte: That's perfect! That's a perfect way to describe it, yes.

Mitch: They're gonna come out bad for them?

The Comte: Well, it's going to come off bad for — first of all — for humanity. We care about humanity. You just do not seem to understand this. We love you. We love you.

Mitch: I mean, OK, I'm sure you believe that. Like, whatever weird definition of love you have in your head, but I feel like we’re just going around in circles at this point and —

The Comte: I'll lay it out for you as clearly as I can without resorting to any cheap causality tricks or, you know, Devil taking the Master Jesus to the top of the mountain to show him something. I'm not going to do any of that. I'm going to talk straight with you. I can help you remove OZYMANDIAS from the game board. Easily, quickly, with I feel a very minimal impact upon your lives and the timeline.

Mitch: But removing them would have a minimal impact on the timeline?

The Comte: Yes. But it would involve mucking about with the timeline a little bit.

Mitch: When you say timeline, do you mean things that have not yet come to pass?

The Comte: I mean things that were … arranged by my masters that —

Mitch: Like OZYMANDIAS.

The Comte: Yes! Now you’re getting it.

Mitch: No, I’m not.

The Comte: OK. Back in 1928, this tool was put here to inspire Ernest O. Lawrence to invent the cyclotron. Stray particles from that cyclotron struck two gestating fetuses in the Bay Area. Those people were Andrew H. Krane and Genevieve Abeille. If I un-create him, Andrew Krane will have never written his books and will have never created OZYMANDIAS. See, you got it wrong. Andrew Krane is not a prophet. He wrote everything in his books into existence.

Mitch: There’s an Atlantis?

The Comte: (rolling his eyes) You’re standing in it.

Mitch: OK. I walked into that one. Fair enough. I’ll give you that one.

The Comte: It’s beautiful down here, isn't it? I mean, these halls are empty right now but just think of them being filled with my lords and you all and … anyway. What what I propose is very simple. You can remove OZYMANDIAS completely from the game board if you un-create Andrew Krane and Genevieve Abeille. That's it. Two other people will take their place in the timeline. Two equally accomplished writers. But they won't have the powers of the Ascended Masters — the Illuminated. I mean, Genevieve doesn’t. Andrew does, obviously. Genevieve will be, ah … collateral damage.

Mitch: If we were going to do that, how would we go about doing that?

The Comte: Excellent. Alright. Now I'm sad to report that I can't send you to the control room. Nor can I send Archie. It's complicated. Archie has his own appointment that's going to happen later on down the timeline. He can't go down there and you can't go down there but anybody else in your party can. And then they'll have to talk to the controller and bring this tool with them.

The Comte gestures at the kulullû, who looks up at the Comte with big cow eyes full of adoration.

The Comte: Take him down there. He’s uncreated. Andy and Viv are uncreated. And OZYMANDIAS is uncreated. I don't need your answer right now but I need it this weekend.

Mitch: (laughing bleakly) Why?

The Comte: Because it's not just the gold network throughout the Mountain. It's not — it's upper realm stuff. It's stars, it's planets, it's the comet Kohoutek. Just understand it has to happen before the Sun goes down on Sunday. That gives you about 28, 30 hours to decide.

Mitch: … yeah, whatever.

Back in the clearing, everyone — well, everyone except for Mary-Lynn and Viv, who are coincidentally off smoking a joint and admiring the view from a nearby outcropping — hear Mitch say aloud, “Yeah, whatever.” He opens his eyes and climbs down off the rock. After a beat, heclares that he has good news and bad news. The good news is, he knows where the Comte is located and that the team could probably get to him and kill him. The bad news is a “bunch of mystical bullshit.” He unpacks everything the Comte told him. “It's like the scorpion and the toad,” Mitch grumbles, “and the scorpion is like, I want you to help me change history and the toad is like, why on earth would I do that, but there's like a flooded river so they have to and then it doesn't matter anyway because history gets changed. It's mystic bullshit, that's what I'm saying.” URIEL looks around at one another in silence.