I was walking down the side of
the road, crunching through goat heads and broken glass scattered on
the pavement when I spotted something. It was an iron key ring with
three keys hanging from it, along with a lock. The three keys were
made of iron, and covered in a patina of rust, but each was a
different color. The first was blue, the second was red, and the
third was yellow. I glanced at them curiously, wondering if any of
them fit into the lock.
I gently freed the blue key and
inserted into the lock. Because of the rust it went in roughly, but
it did fit, so I began to turn it to open the lock.
Next thing I knew everything had
gone hazy around me. I felt like I was slowly going deep into murky
water. Then my consciousness faded.
When I came to I was lying on a
thick, carpeted floor, and all around me were little tiny men with
full beards, wearing blue cloaks. They appeared to be more in shock
than I was, because they continued to just stare and not say
anything.
And my only thought was these
look like dwarves. And am I dreaming?
Finally, one of the dwarves came
forward. He had a very long, straggling white beard and dark,
penetrating eyes: “It is the guardian,” he said solemnly. “She
has come at last to reconnect us all.”
“Where am I?” I said. “What
is this place? And who are you?”
“My name is Alim,” he said
thoughtfully, “And you are within the blue house, Center of All
Knowledge.”
“I don't understand,” I
replied. “How did I get here? And where is this place?”
He puffed away at the pipe in
his hands: “We are very familiar with you my dear, but only you
know the path that leads into the Blue House and back out into the
world.”
“So you don't know the way
back out?” I stated somewhat alarmed.
“All I can tell you,” he
responded cryptically, “Is that you must connect all before the
twisting maze becomes clear and you can depart.”
“Surely if you know all,” I
said, “You can tell me more than that.”
“The key to understanding does
not derive from knowledge,” he said sagely. “It is a tool like
all else. I suggest you use the tool wisely. I will show you your
library if you follow me.”
I hesitantly stood up, and the
dwarves around me gave way so that I could follow Alim through a blue
door and down a long hallway full of doors.
“I will have to show you the
way my lady,” he said. “It's a bit of a labyrinth in here I am
afraid to say.”
I followed him down the twisting
hall that took weird off shoots and turns in every which way.
Finally he stopped in front of a door and beckoned me forward. He
opened it, and stepped in.
Inside was an immense room full
of shelves of books. Rows and rows upon books. In the center was a
large blue couch and a coffee table, also covered with books.
“Where in the world do I
start?” I murmured.
Alim replied solemnly, “On the
table is what you last were pondering on. The shelves are rather
disorganized I'm afraid. You were the last one to file things away,
and I must say I do not understand your filing system at all.”
I walked over to the table and
picked up a heavy book that was lying open. The title said The
Meaning of Life. Apparently I
was on page forty-five of this 500 page book.
“I
guess I'd better start reading,” I faltered.
Alim
nodded: “By the way, this key ring was lying beside you on the
floor when you appeared. Perhaps it may help you.
