Lycanthropos

by Sackett, Jeffrey

  "I answer in truth, O Son of Eternal Wisdom."

  "What is the universe, Isfendir?"

  "The universe, O Master of All Knowledge, is a vast battlefield upon which is waged the war between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, between wisdom and ignorance, between order and chaos, between kindness and brutality, between the soul of man and the spirit of the beast."

  "And what is the predestined end of this battle?"

  "All that is evil will be overthrown by all that is good, O Voice of the Great God. All lies will burn in the heat of truth, and all that is darkness will be illuminated by the light of the sacred flames of Ahura Mazda."

  Dzardrusha looked at the three young men and asked, "And what is the sacred duty of the priesthood of Ahura Mazda, sons of the Magaya?"

  They answered in unison, completing the oft-repeated ritual. "To conquer the evil within, to battle the evil without."

  Dzardrusha smiled, satisfied. "And now, my children, one final question." The three initiates exchanged puzzled looks, for the ritual litany was ended and no further questions and answers remained. Dzardrusha knew this, understood their confusion, and he said. "Fear not that you will fail to answer correctly, sons of the Magaya, for now I show to you the mysteries of the past and the present and the future." The prophet swept his old, stiff arm outward and pointed one thin, gnarled finger at the symbols which were carved deep into the stone walls. "Behold the revelations of Ahura Mazda!" he whispered.

  The three young Magi, Jamnaspa, Hystaspes, and Isfendir, followed the prophet’s gesture with their eyes and tried to understand the significance of the seven circles with their lines and dots. They turned back to the prophet, and Jamnaspa said, "Master, your words are a mystery."

  "This is a mystery, son of Ardishir, the greatest of mysteries," the prophet replied. "Here is my final question, sons of the Magaya: if Ahura Mazda has revealed Himself to me alone, must then the other tribes of man suffer in darkness and ignorance? Must they all then fall victim to Angra Mainyu? Must they all be cast from the Bridge of the Separator and fall to the House of the Lie?"

  "But...but surely your words will touch their hearts, Master," Isfendir said, "as they have touched the hearts of the people of Chorasmia!"

  "If my words were heard and heeded, son of Kuriash, perhaps they would," Dzardrusha said quietly. "But my words do not echo in empty solitude, for the Great God reveals Himself to mankind in other tongues and in other lands and by other names. The Great God has spoken in the past and will speak in the future, and He has revealed to me what has been and what will be." The prophet turned his ancient eyes to the carvings upon the wall and said. "Behold the symbols of the prophets of Ahura Mazda. Behold the voice of Ahura as he spoke to men now dead and to men not yet born!"

  The three young Magi allowed their eyes to drift once again from circle to circle as the prophet said. "In these signs are the revelations, sons of Magaya, the signs of the nameless ancestor, the king, the tent maker, the carpenter, the shepherd, the merchant and the camel driver, all who have been or shall be the prophets of the Eternal One."

  Isfendir frowned and shook his head. "It is as Jamnaspa has said, Master. I cannot lift the veil of my own weak ignorance."

  "Ignorance is strong, son of Kuriash," Dzardrusha said, "but ignorance falls before knowledge, and so I shall teach you. Give ear to my words, sons of the Magaya." Dzardrusha pointed to the first symbol:

  "This is the sign of the ancestor," Dzardrusha said, "whose name is not known. The circle is the universe of eternal truth whose image is the disk of the sun, the holiest of fires, without beginning and without end, and the one single point is the indivisible essence of Ahura Mazda, Who has always been, Who will always be, within Whom is all, without Whom is nothing." Dzardrusha moved his finger from the first circle to the second:

  "This is the second sign, the sign of the king, O sons of the Magaya. The line connects two points within the circle of universal truth, as the heat of the sun’s fire connects the sun and the earth. This is the sign of the Egyptian king, the fourth Amenhotep, called Akhnaton, who died three hundred and fifty years ago. To this king, Ahura Mazda revealed himself as Aton, the god who can be seen in the energy of the sun, and this king proclaimed the unity of Ahura, and died of sorrow because his people would not accept his words." Dzardrusha moved his finger from the second symbol to the third:

  "This is the sign of the tent maker, O sons of the Magaya, whose name will be Paul, and who will dwell in the city of Tarshush in Syria. The lines connect three points within the circle of universal truth, for to Saul will be revealed the three-fold manifestations of Ahura Mazda, as Creator, Redeemer and Sanctifier, three eternal subsistences in one essence, each of the same substance as the other in an eternal, indivisible unity." The aged prophet moved his finger to the next symbol:

  "This is the sign of the carpenter, O sons of the Magaya, Whose names shall be called Yeshua and Joshua and Iesous and Iesus and Jesus and a hundred other names, for He shall be the anointed one, He whom we call the Saoshyant. the deliverer, who will be called Meshiach and Christos, Whose death will serve to keep many from falling from the Bridge of the Separator. The lines connect four points within the circle of universal truth, and form the image of the agency of His bitter death. And mark well the journeys of the stars, sons of Magaya, for a great light in the heavens will proclaim the birth of the Saoshyant." The finger moved again:

  "This is the sign of the shepherd, O sons of Magaya, whose name is Dawidh, and who is at this very moment a child, tending his flock on a hillside far to the west of the Aryanavayu. He will soon become the king of his people, and he will establish his power over all the lands between Egypt and Syria. His son will build a great temple to Ahura Mazda, whom Dawidh calls Yahweh Elohim El Shaddai, the Self-Created Almighty God, and his people shall remain through the thousands of years, proclaiming the majesty of Ahura Mazda in their faithfulness and their suffering and their joy. The lines connect six points in two triangles within the circle of universal truth, for six twos are twelve, and twelve is the number of the tribes of the nation of Dawidh. Ten will perish, but two will survive unto the end of the world." The aged hand swept onward to the next symbol:

  "This is the sign of the merchant, O sons of the Magaya, the crescent moon and the star. His name will be spoken by millions after the peculiarities of their tongues, as Mohammed and Muhammed and Mahomet and Maomad and Mehmet and Mahmad and a hundred other ways. He shall lead his people from the worship of demons and stones to the worship of the one God. Seven points within the circle of universal truth rest in his symbol, for two points connect in the crescent and five points connect in the star. He shall proclaim that there is no god but Ahura, and hundreds of millions shall heed his words. There will be great travail among the sons of men, Magayan, for the children of Dawidh and the servants of Yeshua the Saoshyant and the followers of Mohammed will hate each other bitterly, not seeing the truth of Ahura Mazda in each other’s words." The hand of the prophet moved to the final symbol:

  "This is my sign, O sons of Magaya, the sign of the camel driver Dzardrusha, the revelation vouchsafed to the people of the Aryanavayu, the sign of Ahura Mazda as He has revealed Himself to the Aryans. Eight lines connect eight points within the circle of universal truth, and the image is that of endless motion within motionless permanence, even as the sacred fire which we venerate is the ever moving essence of Being, even as Ahura Mazda is Himself the ultimate essence of Being, the ultimate reality, the final totality, the constant change which never changes, the eternal Becoming which always Is and always Was and shall forever Be."

  The three young Magi absorbed the words of Dzardrusha, and then Isfendir said, "But Master, there is an inconsistency!"

  Dzardrusha smiled, pleased at the initiate’s perception. "And what is the inconsistency, son of Kuriash?"

  "One point is the symbol of the ancestor," Isfendir said. "Two is the symbol of the king, three of the tent maker, four of the carpenter..." He paused. "Six of
the shepherd, seven of the merchant, and eight of your sacred self. But what of five? Why is there no sign of five points?"

  Dzardrusha gestured at the feet of Isfendir. "Behold," he said. Isfendir, Jamnaspa and Hystaspes looked down at the stone floor:

  The five-pointed star within the circle was carved deep into the stones beneath the feet of the three Magi, and they jumped back as soon as they saw it, fearful lest they defile a sacred symbol. But Dzardrusha raised his hand to calm them, saying, "Be not concerned, sons of the Magaya, for behold the sign of Angra Mainyu, the sign of the Liar, the signature of ultimate evil. The circle is the universe of the eternal Lie, whose image is the disk of the full moon, the mirror image of the sun. See how the five lines connect five points, an endless circuit of meaningless repetition with neither resolution nor symmetry, even as evil and lust and greed and appetite and selfishness and cruelty and deceit turn ever back upon themselves and, unable to devour themselves, devour everything they touch." The voice of the prophet sank to a dark, frightening whisper. "This is the mark of the Beast, sons of the Magaya, the Beast that struggles to rule each man’s heart. It is the doorway to endless misery, the signature of eternal sorrow, the harbinger of everlasting pain!"

  The three Magi stood motionless in uncomfortable silence, gazing down at the symbol of Angra Mainyu. At last Dzardrusha said, "Return now to your temples. Perform the fire purifications, and listen to the words of those who come to you for succor. Think well this night on what you have heard, and return hither tomorrow that we may speak further."

  Dzardrusha bowed his head very slightly to the three young Magi as a gesture of dismissal, and they in turn fell to their knees and pressed their foreheads to the floor at his feet. The prophet turned from them and hobbled over to the altar and stood motionless before the sacred flame of Ahura Mazda, gazing into the flickering fire silently. He did not turn back to the three young men as Jamnaspa took one of the two torches and led his fellows from the subterranean chamber.

  They began the ascent back to the surface level of the great Temple at Balkh without speaking at first, but at last Isfendir said, "Truly the eyes of the prophet see everything."

  Hystaspes shrugged. "I do not know, Isfendir. What he has told us is hard to believe."

  "Surely the prophet would not lie to us!" Jamnaspa said. "He is the chosen one of Ahura Mazda!"

  "Yes, and may his name be blessed through all the generations of man," Hystaspes said quickly. "But I cannot understand his meaning, for if Ahura is known to all by other names, how is a man to tell the Great God from a false god?"

  "As one tells the living man from the statue carved in stone," Isfendir replied, "for a living god touches us in our hearts and in our minds, while a false god sits in silence and neither listens nor hears nor speaks."

  Their conversation continued in this manner during the long walk back up to the audience room, and soon they had exited through the secret doorway in the wall behind the throne of Dzardrusha. Jamnaspa replaced the torch into the large sconce on the wall and then he said to Isfendir and Hystaspes, "Let us do as the prophet has instructed us, for I feel the need to meditate upon this before we speak with him again tomorrow."

  "Yes," Hystaspes agreed. "Let us eat and then rest and meditate." The three Magi had been given rooms at an inn in Balkh, an inn which was supported largely by the initiates who spent their time of learning in the great temple. They were by no means the first of the Magaya clan to be so taught by Dzardrusha, and the innkeeper knew well the solitude and service which they would need that night. Hystaspes’s words reflected the fact that he was eagerly anticipating the roasted calf which they had seen earlier that day, turning upon a spit behind the inn.

  "I shall remain here to pray," Isfendir said. "You two return to the inn and eat, if you wish."

  Jamnaspa repressed a smile, recognizing in Isfendir’s response a subtle rebuke of Hystaspes, whose devotion to the pleasures of the flesh was greater than was either common or proper for the priests of Ahura Mazda. Hystaspes flushed slightly and then turned to leave.

  Isfendir looked at Jamnaspa, who said, "I shall remain here also, and pray with you." Isfendir smiled.

  The two remaining Magi sat upon the cool marble floor of the audience room and turned their minds inward, reviewing in their thoughts the words of Dzardrusha. An hour passed in contemplative silence until Jamnaspa whispered, "Isfendir! What is that sound?"

  Isfendir frowned and strained his ears to hear. "I do not know…footsteps, I think…"

  "Many footsteps," Jamnaspa said, "and the sound of clanking metal."

  "Armor?" Isfendir wondered. "Weapons? In the great Temple itself? Impossible!" They listened again as the sound grew louder and closer, and then they looked at each other in fright. "Turanians!" Isfendir said.

  "Or Karpans!" Jamnaspa said.

  They were both correct, for the large wooden door of the audience room was thrown open a moment later and dozens of armed barbarians burst into the room, followed with austere dignity by five of the turbaned, red robed Karpans, the priests of the old religion, the enemies of Dzardrusha. Isfendir and Jamnaspa jumped to their feet and tried to flee, but two of the Turanians grabbed them and held them fast, laughing at the impotent struggles of the frightened young priests.

  The leader of the Karpans walked forward and asked, "Do you know who I am. Magaya?"

  "All men know the name of Zuvanosha, priest of the daevas," Isfendir said, his voice trembling.

  "Yes," Jamnaspa added, angry through his fear, "even as all men know that the daevas are false gods!"

  Zuvanosha glared at Jamnaspa as the Turanian bandits laughed at the remark, and in that glower and in that laughter Isfendir and Jamnaspa heard the sentence of their own deaths. "Surely...surely...you have no fight with us, lord of the daevas," Isfendir said quickly, "for we are but two young priests of noble lineage, and no danger to you or to your followers..."

  "No, little Magos," Zuvanosha said, "but all who give themselves to the worship of Ahura Mazda, all who sit at the feet of that evil old man and drink in his words, all who deny the power of the daevas, all such men are my enemies." As several of the Turanians drew their swords, Isfendir began to whimper and Jamnaspa felt his knees begin to buckle. Zuvanosha held out his hand and one of the Turanians placed a sword hilt into it. The Karpan closed his hand upon the sword and walked slowly over to the two young Magi. He placed the tip of the sword against Jamnaspa’s throat and smiled. "But it is true that I have no personal quarrel with you, Magos. I wish to see Dzardrusha. Where is he?"

  "Y...you wish to slay him," Jamnaspa stammered.

  Zuvanosha shrugged and did not respond to the statement. "Where is Dzardrusha?" he repeated.

  Jamnaspa shook his head. "I know not."

  Zuvanosha pressed the blade a bit harder against the young man’s flesh and repeated for a third time, "Where is Dzardrusha?" Jamnaspa stared at him, defiant and silent, and then the Karpan thrust the blade into the throat of the young Magos. The Turanian released his grip, and Jamnaspa fell to the floor, clutching his slit throat and emitting a sickening gurgling sound as his blood rushed out and covered the marble. Jamnaspa’s body shook violently, and then the tremors subsided suddenly. In a few moments he lay motionless in a pool of his own blood, his dead eyes gazing and seeing not.

  Isfendir felt himself beginning to swoon, but his fear revived him as Zuvanosha turned to him, pressed the bloody blade against his throat and asked calmly, "Where is Dzardrusha?" Isfendir tried to speak, but no words could break through his terror. Zuvanosha increased the pressure of the blade against Isfendir’s cold, clammy skin and repeated, "For the last time and for your life, where is Dzardrusha?"

  "Below!" Isfendir cried. "He is below, in the most sacred of fire chambers!"

  Zuvanosha removed the sword from Isfendir’s throat, and the young man’s legs gave way. The Turanian who had been confining him was now holding him up as Zuvanosha said, "I see no doorway and no steps in this hall, Magos. Wher
e then is the doorway to this fire chamber?"

  "T...there, over there!" Isfendir said. "Behind the throne! A passageway, a secret passageway!"

  Zuvanosha grabbed Isfendir by the collar of his robe and pulled him toward the wall. "Guide us, O brave and loyal Magos."

  Isfendir felt the tip of a Turanian sword at his back as his trembling fingers sought out the hand hold in the apparently smooth surface of the wall. He pulled the door open and was then pushed into the corridor. The Turanian bandits and their Karpan masters followed behind him, torches held high and weapons drawn.

  Down again into the depths of the earth below the great Temple of Balkh Isfendir went, but not now to learn of the mysteries of Ahura Mazda. He went now in terror and fear and shame, leading the enemies of Truth to murder the prophet of Truth. They descended to the holiest of fire chambers and found the prophet Dzardrusha still standing before the altar, gazing into the flickering flame. Zuvanosha nodded to the Turanians, and one of them began to walk toward the prophet, prepared to thrust his sword into the old man’s back.

  But then confusion descended as one of the Turanian bandits pulled a knife from his belt and threw it at his comrade. The blade struck him in the back of the neck and sank deep into his flesh, the impact sending him sprawling onto the floor to die. The traitor then raised his sword high above his head and, screaming a battle cry, rushed at Zuvanosha.

  The other Turanians seized their traitor and disarmed him easily before he could smite the Karpan, and Zuvanosha’s eyes narrowed as he turned to the Turanian leader and demanded, "Is the word of a Turanian chief meaningless, Nushak? Or has Dzardrusha or King Vishtaspa paid you more gold than we, that I am to be the victim of betrayal?"

  The Turanian khan bristled. "If I had betrayed you, Karpan, you would have been dead hours ago." He gestured at the traitor. "This man is no Turanian, but a wandering warrior who has lived with us for many years. I had thought him worthy of trust, for he has joined us in many raids on the villages of Chorasmia." The khan Nushak turned his deadly eyes to gaze upon the traitor and said, "But I was wrong, for he must be a spy sent by Vishtaspa to learn of us. And he shall die the death which treason warrants, tomorrow, in our camp, for all to see."