"To loose all burden of old woes
Whose blooms are grown of ancient sin
And death the sap that wells and flows..."
-THE STAR TREADER
Clark Ashton Smith
Did you know cannibals eat more than just their own kind?
"Strange how I got to this point," pondered the ageing, consumptive physiqued Professor Injukyoski, Kie-te, of Japanese-Korean American descent as he
savored succinctly the dimly lit esoterical environs of the BAR NANA situated within the Itaewon-dong and their special home concocted coffee brew. In
another age, this den of a bar would be serving laudanum. The atmosphere of Nana was of the kind which could illict phantasms, especially at the moment as small amber gallery directional lamps, a few blacklights, highlighted the works of famed Koonude's naked women (and trans-genders) found in fabled situations and Joseph Gordon's so-called (not his label) "Outsider Art"; they were placed in every conceivable spot and position. The creators were having an artists' reception there soon, entitled: "The Naked and The Dead."
"It is said I was indirectly the cause of the depraved devastating act of wanton destruction recently on Jejudo and now that unfathomable wicked wind born (exact same as the uncharacteristic air distrubance that manifested on that mysterious isle) debacle of despicable loss of life and property in San Francisco, for what? Merely my arcane canine-like carved jade amulet?" The despondent Prof. finished off his bean spawn beverage and thought, "And, it is darkly mumured among shadowy legend believers that I am afflicted with some 'curse' which has made me a 'Sin Eater'."
"How did you ever learn to play so intricatedly well our ancient tunes?"
gasped an incredulous yet quite charmed South Korean woman listening to Karl Zann Vine's devotional recital on his sacred Native American flute that sent its notes throughout the cavernously deep Ewha ("Pear Tree Flowers") Women's University subway station stop. Karl was, by now, used to such acclamation from passer-bys to soon astonished Koreans.
It seems Native American music, pointedly that of some North American tribes, had very strikingly similiar tones and "feel" to them when it came
to wind instruments.
An unquestioned multi-media talented Artist, Karl was at present an English instructor at the prestigeous all women Christian university; one
of the oldest (many of the original grey stone edifices on campus still bore the original clinging, creeping ivy) in Korea. He adored performing for himself his wooden instrument and discovered that the unwonted acoustics of the quite deep bottom layers of the station were idealy acute and resonantedly perfect for the much more outre atonal and Asian minor cords unique to his work, which Vine would choose to produce on less crowded late night time periods.The consumate ladies' man, the suave, urbane, full salt and peppered mustachino linguist Karl, with subtle ease, could always charm young limber and alluring women. Yet, in some ways, this distant relative of shroud laden, legendary violinist Erich Zann, earned his nickname "Zaney"; a part came from Koreans' mis-pronouncing his full name, partially it arose from his, at times, fantastically wild virtuoso offerings
and partially from his honestly sincere belief (often portrayed in his impressionistic exquiste oil paintings somewhere) that "the" Jesus was really a space alien.
"There's something not quite right," quietly mused Dr. Koh, Rei-am to his identical twin sister Ms. Koh, Rei-mi, Esq. as they sped along subway line #6 toward the Itaewon district. Rei-mi queried in a sotto tone, "Are you still bothering yourself about that narrative?" Dr. Koh and his blood-mate were basically of the ruling elite of Jeju Island. The duo were tawny, sinewy strong from years of Tantric yoga practice and part of the eon old line of the Tcho-Koreans. Nowadays, after generations born on the island, the people were as "Korean" as any other said people, just as Americans of several native birthings and ethnic connections, i.e. "Italian-Americans", were as close to their hereditary roots as each individual chose to make it.; the Koh Reis made their lineage and cultural knowledge as "living" as when the first Tcho Tcho people emigration to the cloaked in mysterious origins "Tamla" (currently called "Jeju" ...More precisely, three legendary brothers, Koh Eulla, Yang Eulla and Bu Eulla, future bloodline that was to become the Tamlaen People emerged from the "hole" within the earth at Samseonghyeol. Eventually, their gene pool flowed with that of the Tcho Tcho People led by Queen Zee Rei. Later, these people, by then one, merged, interbred with the mainland stock that was to become today's "Koreans") arrived under the auspice of the fabled Grand Queen Zee Rei.
"Yes...Dave Sandwin, Jr.,..." "It was only a rhetorical question"..."the grandson of the original 'Dave', who perpetuated his recapituation of the presumtive first hand account, claims that the Sandwins for a few generations had a 'compact' with Cthulhu, Deep Ones, Ithaqua...and Lloigor! A group business arrangement that involved servitude in perpetuity for some in the family's future line, hinting at a perverse immortality; unbelieviably ludicrous. And, when this grand-uncle broke such pact, all of the cosmic entities in it, in some form or another, sought this particular relative in retribution, retaliatory action...only our revered Lloigor succeeded. A personal human sacrifice to him, perhaps, but can you conjure-up Lloigor in such a cabal? Doesn't this seem as paradoxically peculiar, weird, at least, really odd to your sense of logic, dear sister? The only substance of it that rings true is the given description of the 'Feaster from the Stars': ' Who can draw the body from the earth piecemeal.' "
"Amazing...", brother and sister locked onto each others eyes, scatalogical brownish like fluid excrement with a blooming black lotus rising from its depths. Rei-am had on his ever-present, special prescription mirror aviator glasses while Rei-mi had an actual "double eyelid" operation as it is still popularly known, though, Asian women in actuality do not physically possess such pieces of flesh. However, it is referred to in that manner, especially by young fashion conscious Far Eastern females who desire enviously that "Western look". Ms. Koh had it performed for a more practical reason. It was to enhance her "professional" appearance in her role as an internationally respected diplomat/leading national politician, currently, head of the elected Jeju delegation to the South Korean Assembly.
"For someone," Rei-mi in her eloquent vocalization, "who was personally ordained by our High Lama, then our great grandmother, to continue the position and, thus, extensively trained, exposed to secretory knowledge of our ancestral Tcho Tcho people at our most sacred locations, then refused to accept the role, not to mention, being a world reknown keen minded Quantum physicist educated outside of Korea, you sure are querulous to some 'stories', so protective my love...you should have become a 'holy one', great grand mama always said you had the 'Gift', unlike most males of our mixed bred humankind line." Dr. Koh tacitly shrugged and matter-of-factly stated, "You know full well I believe it's in the highly advanced hard sciences that we'll find the 'key' to freeing Lloigor and Zhar, not some, now hazy at best, ritualistic mumbo jumbo idiocy." The subway conveyance kept a-rollin'.
"Oh well," the sister ended her expostulation. Following it with, "Speaking of 'business arrangements'," it was a stoical Rei-mi speaking to her idiosyncratic sibling, "Through certain subterranean channels of communication everything has been set for our honorable yet sometimes hedonistic acquaintance's (Prof. Injukyoski) father in the largest Japanese port city of Osaka to procure a lucrative deal with the Deep Ones by way of establishing an Esoteric Order of Dagon there. Though, we had to use all possible persuasive tacts of persuasional offerings to close it; they are a pertinacious bunch when it comes to women." Spread across Rei-am's mouth was a sardonic yet ever widening wry grin, "Ah, the wonders of pharyngula!"
"This shall be my finest meal of 'Hanchi-mul-hoe' ("Seasoned Raw Cuttle fish")", proudly the biology professor and gourmand extraordinaire
said to himself as he quickly made his way home up on the tallest hill across from the Itaewon throughfare with his steaming aromatic exclusively brewed coffee from Bar Nana, "This indigenous savory meal of Jejudo with some of my own touches of fresh succulent taste sensations added to the thinly sliced cousin to the octopus and squid, traditionally seasoned with the combination of vinegar, red chilli peppers sauce and soybean paste mixture in a just so water base...Hmmm, perfection with a melt-in-your-mouth texture; a true culinary offering of gratitude to the Koh Reis and their invaluable help to my father's jewelry business."
As Injukyoski neared the hilltop, there squatted the only sanctified "official" mosque in all of megatropolis Seoul. As he was about to pass it, the professor had to pause, wondering, "It was here, just a few months ago, Iranian born 'Koonude' uncovered an Arabian version of the AL AZIF while he laboriously was conducting intrinsically extensive restoration to the holy Islamic sanctuary's abysmal basement area, which was more akin to the hole of a typical Asian 'toilet' of old. Dr. Koh graciously translated the tome's text into a modern Arabic language. The mosque's guardians promptly, unceremoniously, placed it precisely back into the putrid muck and mire and permenantly sealed the bowels of the sacred spot."
Before continuing on to his destination, Kie-te glanced at his near finished cigarette's burning glow that was a similiar hue of the polluted twilight air of Seoul, "Curious, my favorite here in Korea is the quite popular brand 'Mild Seven' that has an English language name while made, interestingly enough, in Japan...seven (7), a near universally cultural number for luck...luck, fate, what have you; what is 'luck', 'destiny', a seven letter word (the Prof. smiled at the thought), is it all outmoded supersition or 'idiocy', as my friend Dr. Koh contends?" The smoke dropped to the ground and crushed under Injukyoski's shoe leather sole.
"Yes, the rising, falling, flailing, disgorged bellowing winds, not to mention, purely wing and flatuant movements," Dr. Koh softly lamented the infernal devastation that befell the Montgomery street part of San Francisco's financial district as he sipped the Bar Nana beverage (the sub-heading of that well-established local Itaewon watering hole is "A Japanese Bar" and "Nana" is 7 in Japanese; so selected by its co-owners, Choo Jin Hee and Yoo Jin Suk, to help bring it luck), "Ironically, the famed/infamous Allen Ginsberg poem/book HOWL was composed near-by." Rei-mi smirked, "How very intellectual of you brother. But, refocusing on the professor's question...Yes, we are historically well acquainted with those 'winds' ' creators and, no, it was neither Lloigor nor Ithaqua,
as you put forth in your earlier supposition, when we supped upon this wonderously sumptuous meal of yours."
"Then?" "Then," carried on Rei-am, if on cue, "Our GUMI-GAN-OK CHAEK says the Ancient Ones associated with 'Winds' each have their own discernable, paplable issuing air patterns, fingerprints so to speak. And, according to our sacred book's codex, the Jejudo and San Francisco signature signs belong to the vile, disgustingly raving 'Hounds' (Both Rei-am and Rei-mi, simultaneously yet unconsciously, tenderly touched their cracked jade talismans that never left the flesh of their physical bodies)...which means for you Prof. Injukyoski is those creatures are not done yet; there's you."
"I heard and saw the music of all things...
Then, with prismatic notes, voice of light,
And sounds and hues inseperable for wings,
The music-vision faded and was gone."
-THE PAGEANT OF MUSIC, C.A. Smith
"Welcome to the annual outdoors 'Ssamzie Alternative Music Festival' the fast rising in popularity, multi-cultual 'Yarikuri' (Japanese, somewhat Korean, word for a type of "Strange") band with their special guest, the impressively talented 'Zaney' (a name Karl detested).
Eventually, Karl with his blessed Lakota flute came onto the glaring miasma colored awashed stage. The mainly youthful Korean audience was smitten in wide wonder with what erupted from the ensemble, however, it was Vine's quietly strong, other-worldly enkindled ameliorated solo presentation that mystically enchanted the crowd, now standing, swaying, softly stamping their feet to stay warm, as well as, in sync with the music; it was "fluted music of the spheres." The late night chilling air was an icily hug about them, a womb, airy spectral membrane wolfed and warped so strangely, tightening about their collective heart muscle till nearly still, seemingly void of breath inside the shivering not from the cold bodies...Karl left the stage platform with the concert attendees dis-robed, collasped and with an eyried euphony, weakly pleading, gulping for even the frigid natural atmosphere about them again.
They say the piper must be paid and there are piping sounds among the mad winds; Klarkash-ton, Orpheus and satyrs knew, now so does Vine...there are seas of blood lapping against the insides of brains and bodily veins.
A pores wide open for releasing cool body produced fluids to the not un-naturally tall form of the artist Vine made its way down winding vert metal steps in various floral designs to the "Green Room" set aside for that night's performers. Exhausted artistic fingers liberated a can of Korea's version of Gatorade, "Pocari Sweat", from a near-at-hand ice bucket and he finished-off the nutritious liquid in a matter of seconds. Just as smooth and quick, remembering how "this" began for him, " Down in the lowest level of the Ewha Women's University station, playing some inspired extemporaneous material, and for some unknown reason focused on this quite old rendering of the Tcho's legendary Grand Queen Zee Rei that had been recently revealed to me; the Queen was performing on this ancient pre-Korean woodwind instrument, as she sat provokingly before a stone 'devil pole' phallic representational vision of Lloigor, invoking his presence in his dragonish shape."
It was then, Zhar with "her" psychic abilities felt melodically summoned, an incantation of sorts, and she was soon residing in Vine's skull. "I wish I knew...I moved...tying up a peacefully aware nude female student at Ewha in rough, boa-like hemp rope in a style women display as 'professional actresses' within Japanese S&M films, but to a dead tree trunk hewn/primally sculpted into a crude imagery of Zhar that could be found outside the campus' noted folk museum (though no "expert" knew of its origins, original purpose(s), or if it was of anybody or particular thing)...
The young woman's extensive ebony hued hair seemed to writhe upon a gentle silent invisible breeze that wrapped it securely around the top of the pole, 'spirit post'...I tantalizingly played vibrantly, a mesmeric resonance that pervaded exhilaratingly, omnipotent..." Karl had left, the ropes fell setting the student free from the bondage,except for her glimmering from the University's"streetlights" hair. There she was found, physically unharmed, unmolested, unmarked, alive and breathing normally...not to mention, utterly rapturously insane.
"Hear ye Him that howls
serpent-fanged amid the bowels
of nether earth; He whose
ceaseless roaring ever fills the
timeless skies of hidden Leng."
-NECRONOMICON 2
"This is your solution?" Rei-mi had a well deserved reputation of having polished tomestone cold eyes, when she was so inclined to use, that could hypnotize even the most deadly of "snakes" to do her bidding, dance for her, were now on the Professor as she unwaveringly replied, "Yes. Old man you are dead. The Hounds will, sooner or later, kill you, especially if that pack is lead by the vore Dame Bitch Y'knu-rk." As if sunchronized, Rei-am continued, "Add the fact that you are a 'Sin Eater', which means you have all those sins of others before you an intrinsical part of your Soul, so you need a specific type of meal on you/consume you completely if you are to die with your Soul cleansed and only yours without any residue of those additional multitude of sins. Those multi-dimensional travelling canines will disembowel you, toss your vitals to the winds,
dis-member you, in other words, totally rip you to threads, yet not swallow a morsel of you in the process. However, we know just the personage to help us achieve your freedom from such a fate."
The early morning of the following day experienced the flight of a private jet Jeju bound. With the golden rays of the sun piercing the aircraft's diminutive left side windows reflected upon the mirror shades of Dr. Koh as he casually drank his Suk Cha tea, "Ah, we go to the 'Island of the gods'," he quoted from the tourist pamphet provided by the isle's P.R. folk, "The honeymooners' paradise internationally reknown for its 'Winds, Rocks and Women'," the doctor saluted with his plastic cup to no one in particular. On board were Dr. Koh Rei-am, Ms. Koh Rei-mi, Esq.,Professor Injukyoski, Kie-te and Karl Zann Vine.
Karl was quietly engaged in reading a short story. "What are you reading?" Rei-mi asked. "Something called 'The Seven Geases.' " "What's a 'geas'?" "I'm not really sure." The Prof. was engrossed in reading an "official" book of legends that existed in Rei-am's homeland, at that moment, the folk myth of GRANDMOTHER SEOLMUNDAE AND THE FIVE HUNDRED STONE GENERALS:
"...By accident, she fell into a gigantic pot while making the pot of soup to feed her sons (numbering 500). She died and dissolved into the soup. After a while, the sons returned back home and hurriedly ate the soup up without even knowing that their mother had melted away in the soup."
He closed the volume there as the plane began its turbulent descent.
"So, this is my 'condemned man's' last meal?" mused Prof. Inyukyoski. "I'd rather consider it your Christ's 'Last Supper'," kindly retortrd the twin's mother, a reputed chef of highly cultivated cuisine and caterer. Karl remained silent as he dived into the repast of living indigenous "flying squid" sushi casserole "simmered in combination with seaweed, Obunjagi and renal of the kidneys lightly blanched in a broth of pork intestines and bones." Brother and sister were engaged in their own kind of repartee, bantering, "This is going to entail your pretentious scientific approach?" playfully sneered Rei-mi as she popped out with her index fingers's nails two slimey squid eyeballs and moistureous nerves still attached; one for herself and one for him...his she flicted over directly into his proper awaiting open orifice with tongue extending in a perverted serpentine manner. Upon its disappearance, Rei-am, dead serious, "When the star bodies, like Arcturis, are aligned above the horizon just right along with certain abstract tonal vibrations attuned percisely to a stage/angle of the night in the earth rotation, et. al.; Yes, I do my dear sarcastic sister." They were all hunkered down around the traditional Korean eating-ones-meal table enamelled with a dark, rich, blood red stain to it.
"Going down, down, way down the rabbit's rectum," Ms. Koh exemplar of exhalation of lunar lupus lunacy as she shimmied and glistened under the stars and moon humming a favorite Korean children's tune about tokkei to her spoken words just before the foursome entered one of the 360 oreums that dotted the island realm. "I do wish you wouldn't refer to it as such," Dr. Koh disconcertly whispered discounterance to his sister. "Isn't it just basically a hole?" "A secondary parasitic cone actually." "A hole by any other name. Just depends upon the rabbit's gender...besides, tonight is the 'Night of the Tokkei Moon'; the magical rabbit in the lunarscape who pounds, produces special glutinous rice cakes that when eaten gives immortality." "Yes 'Alice'." Karl carried in a suede hare pelt pouch an aeons old form of piri (flute instrument) he was to play that starry night and was the first to switch on his spelunker's high power luminous ray. The Professor couldn't help but be amused at the Koh Reis' antics at such a time and followed suit in shinning his, nicknamed "troglodyte light", into the pitch black depth just ahead.
"A few months ago, our 'Jeju Volcanic Island and Lava Tubes' became an 'official' inscriptional addition to the World's Heritage List," Dr. Koh's caustically calm tone informed Injukyoski, who was a step or two behind him. "I find that honor somewhat strange as barely 10% of the tubes have been explored by outsiders; some 'experts' declare one of them is the 'longest in the world' even though they have no clue where it ends. The substratum of Jejudo is riddled with them. Yet, glorious aren't they Kie-te?" The Prof. only saw, inside the beams of their headlamps, images, to him, of huge maws open and waiting in patient pretatory anticipation with mammoth pointed teeth that hadn't had their accumulated tartar removed for centuries.
Rei-mi led the intrepid band mainly because he knew the route so well and his feralish dark adapting eyes could visually penetrate the jet shadows (gained from the primogenitor Tcho side of the family) better than any large hunting feline's orbs of night ever could. Karl Zann instinctively had commenced his piri's notes of a primeval age and preternatural clime. Rei-mi in a protective presence, brought up the rear. Brother Koh paused, his eyes possessing an impish glint, perhaps, from the reflective artifical glow about them, turned toward Injukyoski, "You realize, my friend, that when my sister and I claimed 'we know just the personage to help us...',we were not refering to Mr. Vine nor even to the entity he has an odd connection, Zhar?"
Shot windows of the souls like unwanted pits, but with cyclone ferocity and obliterated upon impact with a cavern wall much like a smashed obscenely over-bloated with blood female mosquito..."I saw"...pigeons from "Hell" pecking at the sloshy tiny nuggets that remain as those who feast on human vomit...undulating tendrils, claw nailed digits, bizarre tentacles, fingerpainted the wet refulgent crimson of others into murals of ages ago caves and grotesque cranium grottos...It came bursting to piping beats and/of ulcerous hearts and organs; andante beautifully elegant musical scores entwined with mutated, diseased helix-like melodical pumps, loving embraces of inspirational shrieks...
Regurgitations, ichorian droolings flowed upon the floor, sucks, heavings and blowing...powerful rushes of wind from farting egresses...I saw, heard, felt"...metabolical mastications, releasings, scourges along jagged, serrated fangs, some not of stone, and seemingly corporeal existence of pressured air that was bound in tubular intestinal shapes as if held tight by a larger-than-life reddish gold antediluvian "Arab" cock-ring...pulsating hard...sung divine holy choir voices and actually flung tormented sounds of ebullition..."I saw"...it relentlessly built, fed, bled...then, the mightily extreme ejaculational expulsion, explosion and an echoing burp.
The Jeju twins were nearly literally planted into the fertile soil of Paeknokdam, while Vine's vitals and various other parts of his sparse remains were sowed about the crater. Later, of what could be gathered, Karl (nothing was ever wasted by the Koh Rei clan) would be given proper honors, which included being a part of Mother Koh Rei's marvelous version of what many in the worldwide epicurean set consider to be one of the isle's unsurpassed sophisticated dishes, "Galchi Hobak-guk" (pumpkin and vegetable stew con carne). Of Professor Injukoski, Kie-te, all that remained were some clothes he wore at his last meal...
Lloigor had gratifyingly accepted the Tcho-Koreans' sacrosanct offering mass or meal. A new day in "The Land of the Morning Calm" began and seemed to corporeally breathe as a just birthed baby who had been sated as a suckling; a Soul was free.
*The locations and place names mentioned do exist, however, the characters and situations are of the author's imagination. Except, GRANDMOTHER SEOLMUNDAE AND THE FIVE HUNDRED GENERALS has been a famous Jejudo-Korean folk myth for longer than anyone can remember and it has been quoted exactly within this story as it is translated into the English language by South Koreans for retelling.