The Mindwalk Pavilion

20211103

"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever think to call on me." said Ogmios. As he spoke those chained to him broke into wide approving smiles.

"How long was I buried there please?"

"Nine days. Its not uncommon, typically it is seven or nine days. Now attend, this is the next part of your challenge. You must cross over this river to the opposite shore, but first."

Ogmios put down his club, then plunged his hand into Boudica. She was too startled to move as he withdrew his hand, holding something that was bright and writhing in his grasp.

"Your life."

Setting this down he once more reached into Boudica's body, though she felt nothing.

"Your name." Setting it next to her life.

She could see 'Boudica' written in what looked like molten gold

This time he pushed his fingers into her head, and drew out what looked like a skein of the finest wool.

"And your memories."

"You may use one of the boats here to cross, but you can only take one of these three with you at a time. If you separate your name from you or your memories, then you will forget yourself and cease to be who you are."

Boudica frowned.

"Then it cannot be done Ogmios."

"If you leave your life unattended, it will be stolen, and you will have failed." The god continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"On that shore," here he pointed across the river, "is the land of Tír na nÓg. Good luck."

Boudica was not surprised to find that Ogmios vanished at this point.

It was obvious that this was a variation of the fox, the chicken and the corn, but how could it be accomplished? If she carried across her name or her memories and left them on the other side, they would be separated. If she left her life here it would be stolen, if she took it across and left it, it would be stolen."

Boudica stared at the three vital components and racked her brains, going over and over what Ogmios had said to her. It was a challenge, so there must be a solution, otherwise it made no sense as a challenge. Still staring she asked herself, what have I missed?, and looking at her memories, she thought to ask, what have I forgotten?

Casting her gaze about, Boudica looked to the far shore, to Tír na nÓg, the land of Youth. That was where the dead were going, for those on the shore making the crossing we assuredly the dead, and she was dead too.

The glimmer of an idea stole into her mind. Picking up her life, she strode to the river's edge and walked along till she could reach one of the small. thin boats. She climbed into it and sat, hugging her life to herself, hoping that her intuition was correct. The boat drifted out over the water, and Boudica fixed her eyes on her destination.

As she got closer she could see people clambering out of the boats and up the bank. Her heart leapt as she saw that many of them were being helped up. Her boat got closer, and with a sob, she recognised her step-sister Mary was waiting for her with Edward by her side. Her step-brother raised an arm in greeting, and the two approached the boat.

They didn't speak, but their faces were full of love as they smiled at Boudica, reaching for her and lifting her onto the shore. She thanked them, and hugged them both. Mary, Boudica was pleased to see was not the wasted creature she had seen dying painfully so short a while ago. This Mary looked beautiful and healthy and completely without pain. Boudica felt something lifted from her, as though she had been unconsciously carrying a heavy stone and had put it aside.

Although the two dead never spoke, they listened carefully as Boudica described her challenge. With trembling hands she passed her life to Edward, who took it carefully.

Hope swelled in Boudica. Edward would keep her life safe. The boat she had used was waiting, and soon Boudica was on her way across. This time she picked up her name, leaving her memories alone. Once more she found herself hoping that she had worked out the solution correctly.

When again in Tír na nÓg, she left her name with Mary, whom she knew would remember . Mary had her own memories of Boudica, she would not be forgotten.

This proved correct, for she was then able to make two final crossings and retrieve her own memories.

Handing Boudica her name and her life, Mary and Edward hugged Boudica in turn, and then walked away further into the land. Boudica watched them till they disappeared in the distance, then looked around, thinking that Ogmios would reappear and explain what to do next.

"Ogmios?" She said aloud, just in case he needed inviting, but he didn't appear.

Puzzled, Boudica waited a while by the shore, watching the dead making their crossings. She wondered what happened to those spirits that were too afraid to go across. She thought perhaps that they might be those that haunted the living.

She wondered if it wouldn't be better if her life, name and memories were back insides her. Picking up her life she tried to push it inside and was relieved to find that it vanished, as did her name and memories in turn.

Apparently the next challenge was to work out what the next challenge was, which hardly seemed fair. She was in the Land of Youth, and not the Pavilion, which she had to assume was her ultimate goal. She must be here for a reason, and she must be intended to leave. The boat was still where she had left it, perhaps she should take it and return, but to what? Prior to this she'd been buried, and she hoped that she didn't have to endure that a second time.

"Can anyone help me please?" She asked aloud, though no one was particularly close by.

"Naturally."

A woman stepped forwards from nowhere, Boudica was getting used to these dream-like sudden entrances and exits. She didn't recognise the woman, who's manner of dressing, if it could be called that, was very alien to Boudica.

There was something bird like about her, she was a head shorter than Boudica, and thin. This was very obvious for she wore something that covered her like a second skin. It had thin stripes and at the front an area that looked like a white bib. This was marked with a vertical row of black dots. Over this 'skin' she wore a frock coat not dissimilar to the puzzle man/murderer. On her head, she had a hat that was tall and cylindrical, with a wide brim, and the colour of silver.. Boudica had never seen one like it. Stuck into a band of white silk that was wrapped around just above the rim was a stiff piece of parchment on which was written 'X/IV'. Boudica had no idea what that signified.

"We need to ascend." the woman took Boudica's hand, and pulled her about face, where now rose a hill in front of them.

"Are we still in Tír na nÓg?" Boudica asked.

"We're now here." was the reply, "and my name is Beatrice. Now, up we go."

She led Boudica along a path, that wound up the hillside. Looking down, Boudica was shocked to realise that it was a chalk path.

"I'm back where I started." She stopped dead, and Beatrice was forced to turn.

"We're now here." She repeated her earlier answer, cocking her head to one side and regarding Boudica with bright beady eyes.

"Where are we going?"

"Perhaps to see a wizard. But first we need to get you healed, you see, I'm very poisonous."

"What?" Boudica exclaimed, gaping at Beatrice in horror.

"Goes with the territory." was the matter of fact and, to Boudica at least, completely unenlightening reply.

"You are a virgin aren't you?"

Boudica just stared at Beatrice with a look of stupefaction perfectly conveying her confusion.

She shook her head, trying to clear her befuddlement.

"Yes." she finally managed to get out.

"Oh you poor thing." said Beatrice, then, "I can see the poison is already affecting you. At least we should be able to get you sorted out on that score."

Beatrice pulled Boudica along the path, and soon they were passing between saplings, then trees, and it was clear that they had entered a wood.


"There should be one about as we're now here."

Why did she keep using that phrase? Boudica wondered. She was worrying about the poison, and how her body ached, and her limbs felt tired. Her mind felt sluggish. She looked around as it was suddenly brighter, and saw that they'd come into a glade.

Beatrice let out a whoop.

"There's one." Pointing to a white horse. Except when it swung its head around, startled by her outburst. Boudica could see that this was a unicorn.

Beatrice let go of Boudica's hand and shoved her out into the small glade, where she stood, uncertain as to what was required next.

The unicorn turned to face her, lowered its head and was galloping towards her. Boudica screamed, unable to move quickly enough to get out of the way. The horn struck her and penetrated her chest.

"Keep quite still." Shouted Beatrice. "A unicorn's horn is an alexipharmic."

Boudica felt something flowing through her, spreading through her arms, her trunk, her legs.

"An alexipharmic is proof against all poisons, even mine. Especially mine." Beatrice was hopping about, reminding Boudica even more of a small bird.

The unicorn was looking at Boudica, with large brown eyes. It nickered softly, and then stepped back from her. Boudica looked down and saw that there was no wound. She realised that the creature had intended her no harm.

"Thank you."

The unicorn lowered its head momentarily in acknowledgement, then turned and made its way out of the glade. It was soon lost from sight amongst the trees.

"Is this part of the challenge? Me being dragged along and used for target practice by a unicorn?"

"Sometimes the challenge is to comprehend, sometimes to sift meaning from metaphor."

Beatrice skipped across to face Boudica.

"We're now here."

Boudica laughed as she suddenly grasped what Beatrice was saying. We're nowhere. They weren't any place at all, this was all in her mind. No wait, that wasn't it either.

"Why?"

Beatrice smiled like a teacher seeing her favourite pupil making progress.

"Because every when is now, and every where is here, we are now here. We're nowhere."

Boudica thought about the implications of this sentence. She felt that she could understand, and then it all dropped into place.

She decided to try her theory. If everywhere was here, then she could be anywhere, and if every when is now, she could be anywhere at any time.

Closing her eyes, Boudica decided that 'here' also included the Mindwalk Pavilion, and that 'when' included the conclusion of her challenge. She had the strangest image of a seagull vanishing from a beach.

When she opened her eyes, Boudica was standing in the middle of a circular chamber. Seated around her were the members of the Council. They stood, and bowed to her.

"Welcome Queen Boudica." Said Edward Carrick.

Word Count: 1907