Tale from Pentapia, Chapter Six

Tale from Pentapia
An Alternative Childhood

J. E. McCarty

Chapter Six
The Day of Elders

         Angela’s alarm rings in all ten planes. Her body brightens as her eyes start to open. When she becomes fully awake, she notices that Mary is beginning to wake also. Angela shuts the alarm off as Mary looks over at her.

         “It’s still very early. Are you getting up now?” Mary asks.

         “Yes, I am. Do you remember the event I heard about from George yesterday? I want to be ahead of the crowd. Why don’t you come with me, Mary?”

         “Oh, yes, I remember. Some elders are going to be at school today.”

         “A Great Elder is coming to our school, one of the elders who are at least three thousand years of age.”

         “Three thousand…I haven’t met anyone who has been around for that long. When does it start?”

         “I don’t know when or where yet. I don’t think George knows either. That is why I want to be there early.”

         “It does sound interesting, Angela. Now, let’s see how you do up front.”

         Angela and Mary put their bags together and go to the front area. The morning home staff has just settled in. They are a little surprised to see the two of them coming up to the desk.

         The woman there asks, “What are you two doing up so early?”

         Angela says, “There is a Great Elder coming to school this morning. I wish to get there early to find out just when and where the Elder will be, and beat the crowd. I talked Mary into coming along.”

         “A Great Elder…Bill, isn’t there a flyer about a Great Elder to put up this morning?”

         Bill answers, “Yes, I think so, Julie.” He flips through some paperwork. “Here it is.”

         Julie reads from the flyer, “Great Elder Howard Gamma-Alpha-Iota will be seeing students in the school activities yard this morning. Attendance is voluntary. See event coordinators at the school’s main entrance for further details.” She looks up at the girls, and says, “So, this really interests you, Angela?”

         “Yes, I seem to always learn something from an Elder. And, I have rarely seen a Great Elder.”

         “Well, in this case, I guess we can log you two leaving early for school. Your curfew has been lifted, Angela. And, it looks like it is just the two of you requesting to leave the house early. But, please avoid getting yourselves into any trouble.”

         “Yes, ma’am,” Angela replies.

         “Yes, ma’am,” Mary says.

* * * * *

         As Angela and Mary approach the entrance to the school, Angela says, “I don’t think it would be a good idea to surprise them at the door. I think it is time to go to Alpha.”

         They go to Alpha plane and begin to walk up the front steps. They reach the door and find the event coordinators setting boxes on a table just inside the door.

         Seeing the two girls, one of them opens the door, and says, “You are certainly early arrivals. Have you heard about the Great Elder’s event this morning?”

         “Yes, we have,” responds Angela. “But, I don’t know when it begins.”

         “It begins the first class slot. I will need your names for you to be excused from class,” the man explains.

         “My classes were changed yesterday. And, I am expecting one or two boys to join us. One of them also had his classes changed yesterday.”

         “Our records should be up to date. And, it should not last beyond the second class slot. What is your name, young lady?”

         “I am Angela Alpha-Kappa-Theta.”

         He then asks Mary, “And what is your name?”

         “My name is Mary Epsilon-Beta-Gamma.”

         The coordinators locate their files from the boxes on the table. After checking their class schedules, the man says to Angela, “I see why you are concerned. There should not be any problem with you making the Relationships and Reproduction class this morning. We schedule these events so that those students can attend. Now, the boy you are expecting who also had his schedule changed, did he also just start that class?”

         “Yes, he did,” Angela replies. “The other boy is eight. I don’t know if he will be coming to the event.”

         “I do not see any problem with you two young ladies attending the event this morning. Perhaps the two young gentlemen coming up the steps are the ones you are waiting for.”

         Angela and Mary turn around to see George and Danny walking up the steps.

         George says to Angela, “I didn’t expect to see you here this early, Angela. How did you get them to let you leave the house this early?”

         “I’ll explain in a bit, George. We are trying to get into the event as early as we can and be ahead of the crowd. They told me that it won’t interfere with our class.”

         “I was wondering about that, too. Do we have very much time before it starts?”

         “Not a lot. It starts first slot. But, you need to give them your names to be excused from your first two classes.”

         “I don’t think Danny is coming. He has his own reason for coming to school early with me this morning.”

         Danny then says, “They are opening a new section in the play area this morning. It has a lot of interesting new things.”

         “It is early, Danny. You need to ask when the play area will be open,” remarks Angela.

         “Oh, I didn’t think of that,” responds Danny. He goes up to the door and asks one of the coordinators, “Mister, do you know when the play area will open?”

         “I don’t know, young man, but we can look it up for you.”

         While the man is looking up the school’s activities schedule, Danny notices a packing crate setting along the edge of the hallway. He asks, “What’s in the big box, mister?”

         “There is nothing in that box right now. We had some of our equipment in it.” He finds the activities schedule and tells Danny, “The play area is not open yet, young man. You may want to stay with your group for a little while until it opens.”

         Danny looks upset. He says, “I came to school early for NOTHING!”

         George states, “Danny, we could not have known the play area would not be open yet. Let’s make the best of it.”

         Danny does not respond. He walks over to the packing crate. The woman at the door soon goes to talk to Danny. She looks all around the crate, and says, “I do not see him, and it does not seem that he has changed planes.”

         The group looks all around the crate.

         Angela says, “Look, there is a hole in the side of the crate.”

         The woman states, “He must have gone into the crate. I am a little out of practice at going through holes. And, that one is a little small.”

         The man says, “I am also a little out of practice. We nailed it shut to keep young students from going in it. It seems we overlooked the hole. I guess I will have to pry it open.”

         George says, “I would go in after him, but I don’t think he wants to talk to me right now.”

         Angela says, “I can go in there and talk to him.”

         Mary then states, “No, you and George want to get into the event. I get along okay with Danny. I’ll go in and talk him out of there.”

         Mary steps up next to the crate. She reaches out, stretches her arms and body out thin and flows through the hole in the crate.

         “I hope it doesn’t take her too long to get Danny to come out of there,” says Angela.

         George remarks, “Me, too, Angela, but I know she can do it. For now, though, I need to check in so we can go to the event.”

         “Okay, young man,” the coordinator says. “Give me your full name and I can check you in.”

         “My name is George Kappa-Theta-Eta, sir.”

         The man reaches into a file box and pulls his file right out. After checking the name, he says, “Okay, George and Angela, you are all set to go to the event in the activities yard.”

         They look at each other a little oddly.

         Angela asks, “Are you sure my friend and George’s brother will be alright?”

         “We will make sure they get out of there okay,” the man answers.

         “Alright. I have one more question. Why was this event such a surprise?”

         “The Great Elder decided to come here at the last moment. He said something about a dream.”

         With some hesitation, George and Angela begin walking to the activities yard.

         George soon asks, “I started to ask you earlier, Angela. How you got out of the house so early? So, how did you talk them into it?”

         “Well, I did explain why I wanted to leave the house early. But, what I think helped the most is that they lifted my curfew this morning.”

         “THEY LIFTED YOUR CURFEW! That’s great! What do you want to do after school now, Angela?”

         “We can do a lot of things, George. We could start with doing more research at the library.”

         “Yes, that sounds like a good start, Angela.”

* * * * *

         In the activities yard, they find people busy setting up tables in a three-quarter circle. The people range from young adults to elders. At one end, there is a table nearly set up. The sign in front says, Academy of Science.

         They walk up to the table. Angela speaks to a woman there. “Hello. When will you be ready to start?”

         She looks up and replies, “We are almost ready at this table. The other tables should not take too much longer to get set up. The Great Elder will be here a little later. You are a little earlier than we expected students to arrive. And, I see there are more behind you.”

         They turn around and see four students entering the yard. Two of them are Mary and Danny.

         When they reach the tables, Mary says, “Here we are, safe and sound.”

         Danny says, “Sorry I went into the box, guys. I was just a little upset. I’m okay now.”

         George asks, “Who are your friends?”

         Mary replies, “This is Roger and Linda. They are brother and sister. It seems that Danny knows Roger’s little sister.”

         Danny says, “Linda talks to me in the play area sometimes. She is okay for a girl.”

         “Alright, Danny,” George responds.

         Angela asks, “What do you think, Mary?”

         “I think they are an interesting pair.”

         “How did you get Danny out of the crate?”

         “I seemed to be getting him calmed down. Then, once he heard Linda outside, it wasn’t long until he went back out of the hole. Will the event start soon, Angela?”

         “The science table is almost ready. The Elder will be here a little later. Will Linda and Danny be staying for a while?”

         “I don’t think so. The play area will open shortly. Are you and Linda ready to go, Danny?”

         “I think so. Are you ready, Linda?”

         “Yes, Danny. I want to say I am happy to meet all of you. Have a good day.”

         The group says goodbye to Linda, Danny and Roger, and wish them a good day. They turn around and walk back to the school building.

         Angela says to Mary, “George and I were talking to the people at the science table. What are you interested in, Mary?”

         “You know I like art. I am going to see if I can find any here, until the Elder arrives.”

         “Nice seeing you again, Mary,” says George.

         “Good seeing you too, George.”

         Mary begins to walk around the arc of tables. George and Angela look back to the science table. They seem to be about set up.

         Angela asks, “Are you ready yet?”

         The woman they were speaking to earlier says, “Close enough. We have some of our topics at the academy displayed here on the table.”

         After briefly looking over the displays on the table, George says, “Angela and I were at the library yesterday. I saw some very interesting titles, but we didn’t have enough time to read about them. Some of them that caught my eye were Multi-plane Photography, Rivers of Light in Space, and Life Before Matter. I see you do have a display for multi-plane photography. That sounds like a good place to start. Oh, my friend Angela is being quiet, but she is better in science than I am.”

         “Okay, what is your name, young man, and what are you better at?”

         “My name is George. I know a little about data machines.”

         “Well, George and Angela, there are two areas of research with multi-plane photography. In astronomy, we are doing a ten-plane deep sky survey. That is where the article on rivers of light in space came from. We are not sure where the light came from. However, we suspect that this light is a leftover from when energy collapsed into matter in the very distant past. They were discovered by finding trails of illuminated cold matter.”

         George and Angela notice that some of the arriving students are gathering next to the science table.

         “The other area of research with multi-plane photography is a study of people changing from, say, Alpha plane to Beta plane, for example. By using very high-speed cameras in both planes, we have found that the change does not happen all in one instant of time, but begins from inside the head and continues downward and outward.

         “Life before matter has been discussed in the academy to some degree. However, that is more of a metaphysic subject than of science. I am not prepared to discuss that subject.

         “Now, George, it may interest you to know that many schools, including your school, are starting data machine classes and groups.”

         “I was told about a data machine class. It was also suggested that I could be a class assistant. This is the first I have heard of a group.”

         There are now many students standing around nearly all of the tables.

         “We can talk about the group later, George, if you wish. Angela, what are you the best at?”

         “Like George, I am only ten, but I am told that I do well in science. Right now, I find all kinds of science interesting. Maybe in a few years I will know what area of science I am best at.”

         “That sounds like a fine answer. You might want to keep the academy in mind, Angela. We are starting a small campus in this area. Now, it looks like the Great Elder has arrived.”

         “I have one quick question. What is your age, ma’am?”

         “I am eighteen-hundred fifty-seven years of age, Angela.”

         “Okay.”


         The Great Elder and a small group walk up close to the open space in the arc of tables. The Great Elder comes to the front of the group, and states, “I hope everyone is having a pleasant morning. I am Great Elder Howard Gamma-Alpha-Iota. For those who will want to know, I am thirty-two-hundred twenty-one years of age.

         “An unexpected thing happened a few days ago. I had been looking over requests for me to speak that I had not been able to fulfill. That night I dreamed that I was hurrying up the front steps of this school. The next morning I found a way to make a last minute schedule change. When I picked up a pen to write my speaking topics, they almost seemed to write themselves. Before I begin, however, I will give the event to you and take a few questions.”

         A boy, eleven years of age, steps to the front and holds up his hand.

         “Yes, what is your question?”

         “What does a Great Elder do?”

         “Great Elders do many different things. I have been speaking to young schoolchildren for about two hundred years now. As one lives and gains more experience, your experiences, knowledge, wisdom, and your intelligence grow in both the amount and width of subjects. The longer you live, the more you will find yourself sharing that which you have gained.

         “Many Great Elders become historians. When I was a young student, instead of bags and digitation gloves, I had a basket and some tools. Does someone else have a question?”

         Mary steps up and holds up her hand.

         “There, what is your question?”

         “I like art. What can you tell us about art over the last three thousand years?”

         “Art is like public dreaming. And, like dreams, it comes in many forms. What is in the minds of artists is always changing. That which we use to make art changes more slowly. When I was ten, artists used just what they found around them. Your library has a lot of information on the history of art. You can find more information at a library of art. Does anyone else have a question?”

         “It is helpful, Great Elder.”

         Angela steps forward and holds up her hand.

         “And what is your question?”

         “Where do you think we are going in the future?”

         “Are you asking about what kind of future we may create, or where we might be physically?”

         “What we may create.”

         “We change our world based upon what experiences we are now having, and what we wish to experience, and be. The things we have in our experience, we have created based upon the things we already had. The knowledge we are gaining we gain based upon what we already know. And, the like may be said for wisdom. Compared to how fast those parts of our experience have changed, as time passes, they seem to change faster than before.

         “We Homincommutons seem to be focusing more upon making more useful things than on other parts of our experience. This is okay; however, we need to use our wisdom so as not to get our creative energies out of balance. That can cause great upset to our society. The work being done with data machines could be very useful in our future. However, again, I express a need to exercise our wisdom. Otherwise, these machines could one day run our lives more than help us. Does anyone else have a question?”

         After no response, the Great Elder continues speaking. “The first subject I wish to talk about, some of you have heard of, I am sure. However, chances are, few of you know very much about it. This subject is, Mindful Attention.

         “Mindful Attention is very helpful with getting in touch with your senses, thinking more clearly, and understanding yourself and the world around you. It is a very simple thing that the mind can make very complicated.

         “Mindful Attention is simply the holding of your attention without thinking, and being aware of yourself. Being aware of yourself means noticing what you are feeling, what you are doing, and what is going through your mind without thinking about it. It takes a lot of practice to do this easily, but you can have amazing experiences when you get there.

         “One of the amazing experiences I have had was while holding my attention on some penta-matter and experiencing all ten planes at one time.”

         Waves of whispers rustle through the crowd of students. After a few moments, the Great Elder continues, “I noticed the penta-matter begin to sparkle. Objects in neighboring planes began to take full form, appearing as ghostly images. A moment later, all that was in my plane looked as ghostly as the things in the other nine planes. Some were overlapping and passing through one another. It seemed as though they were dancing around the sparkling penta-matter. I snapped back to my normal one plane experience perceiving more than I had ever before.

         “None of you may have an experience quite like that any time soon. However, you can have many experiences just as amazing. That experience is one example of many that I have had that have led me to understand that there is more to all that is than what we normally experience, which is my next subject.

         “A few of these other experiences were a time when I choose to change planes for no apparent reason, and standing before me was a woman that I did not know, who later became a long term partner with whom I raised four children.

         “A chance word from another leads me to discover a truth that I thought I would not ever find. And, when confronted with what seems to be a hopeless problem, I ask myself, ‘What would I say if I was someone who already knew the answer?’ I then heard the answer to the problem as if I had just told it to myself.

         “These, and many more experiences have led me to understand that there is much more to all that is than what we can experience living in this world. This you all will one day come to know for yourself.

         “The next subject is something that few of you have wanted to think about. Over time, not wanting to think about something can become a real problem. This subject is, leaving life in this world, as we know it. Our bodies seem to last a very long time. Just how long they will last is not very clear. It seems to be a somewhat individual amount of time.

         “I have seen much in over three thousand years. I have known one Elder who is twice my age. Once, I saw her sail across a gorge as if she had no weight. I have seen a few Elder’s bodies come apart. They were all over four thousand years of age.

         “This, however, is not something we need to fear happening to us some day. Because, as I was saying earlier, there is much more to all that is than what we can experience here in this world. Also, I have experienced having contact with Elders that I saw their bodies come apart afterward. I know that wherever they are now is a desirable place to be. They have always let me know that they were just finished with life, as we know it in this world, and have moved on. And, that they are very happy where they are.

         “It seems that there is always a source of guidance in all that is—ready to aid any of us when we have the need. To experience this guidance, it will help a great deal to practice Mindful Attention.

         “There is much to experience and discover about life, ourselves, and the world in which we are living—for now. I invite you to experience as much of it as you can. Enjoy the remainder of the event. I will be here for anyone who wishes to speak with me.”


         Most of the students seem a little puzzled about all that the Great Elder had to say. George and Angela turn to go back to the science table.

         As they step up to the table, the woman there asks, “You have returned; what do you think about the Elder’s message?”

         Angela responds, “He really covered a variety of subjects. And, they seem to have made a circle.”

         “Yes, the Great Elder often does that. What do you two wish to do now?”

         “I’m still thinking about what he said. What about you, George?”

         “I am also still thinking about what he said. But, I would like to know more about the data machine groups you mentioned earlier.”

         “This school has a group forming now. It is open to anyone. So far, only a few instructors have joined. I recall you saying, George, that you had been asked about becoming an aid in a data machine class. That aid job and the data machine group are basically the same. Who ask you about being an aid?”

         “An instructor with the Relationships and Reproduction class.”

         “Well, that sounds like you are being recruited. Would you be interested in their offer?”

         “Yes, I think I would now be interested.”

         “I’ll let the instructor in charge of the group know, George.”

         Angela remarks, “Sounds good, George. I was just noticing that the other students are mostly talking among themselves, and the Great Elder is standing with his group just watching. This is a perfect time to talk to the Elder. What do you think, George?”

         “Yes, Angela, that does sounds like an idea.”


         George and Angela make their way through the crowd of students and over to the Great Elder’s group. Just before they reach the Elder’s group, one of them notices George and Angela and interjects his observation into a conversation the Elder is having with another member of the group.

         The Elder then sees them walking up side by side. He observes them for a moment, and says, “Good morning to you, young couple. How can I be of service to you?”

         Angela responds, “Good morning, Great Elder. We found your talk interesting, sir, but I do not know quite what to think of it. It gave me mixed feelings.”

         “And so will life, young lady. How do you feel, young man?”

         “I feel about the same, sir. It seemed strange to mix those subjects and make them into something like a circle.”

         “You will find that life and the world are full of circles and spirals. Therefore, they are not hard to find, or to make. My question is did it work in your experience?”

         “Well…yes, it seemed to make sense. But, talking about leaving this world seemed like a downer compared to the rest of it.”

         “From your young viewpoint it may seem like a downer. I was not speaking just for your benefit today; in time you will understand it differently.”

         Angela asks, “Great Elder, when we walked up you called us, ‘young couple.’ We have not met before. How did you know we are a couple; we are only ten?”

         “I knew for three reasons. The two of you were walking together like a couple. You have the energy of a couple. Individually, you have the energy of very intelligent children. And, I had the information that this school had a new couple about your age who seem to be very intelligent.”

         “Oh! What do you mean by, we ‘have the energy?’”

         “As you live and experience, you become more aware. In time, you will know many things about others by the energy you will one day experience around them.”

         “Does becoming aware of this energy have anything to do with Mindful Attention?”

         “There is a connection, and it does help. There are Mindful Attention groups that can be very helpful. You could join one in this area. Would that interest either of you?”

         “It might interest me. What about you, George?”

         “It couldn’t hurt. Sure, I would join one and give it a try.”

         The Elder replies, “Good. Someone in my group can help you with that. I see someone else who I would like to talk to.”

         A member of the Great Elder’s group starts helping George and Angela join a Mindful Attention group. The Elder walks over to the Dean of Instruction, who is standing near the entrance to the activities yard.

         The Elder walks up to the Dean, who greets him. “Good morning, Elder. How is the event going?”

         “It is going about as well as most of my events go, Dean. The two students there with my group, are they the young couple you spoke of earlier?”

         “Yes, Great Elder, that is them.”

         “Now that I have met them, I can see that they have great potential. Not just as individual students, but as a couple as well.”