Transcription
The Celestine Prophecy Chapter 4 of 9. Read by John Devon at John Devon on social media and Tiffany at Spot on Spirit. The title is the struggle for power. Thank you for listening to 1 through 3 and keep going to the very end.
The struggle for power.
A pothole in the gravel road jolted the Jeep and woke me up. I looked at my watch. 3:00 p.m. As I stretched and attempted to fully awaken, I felt a sharp pain in the small of my back. The drive had been grueling. After leaving Vicente, we had traveled the entire day riding in several different directions as though Will were looking for something he couldn't find. We had spent the night at a small inn where the beds were hard and lumpy and I had slept little. Now, after traveling hard for the second day in a row, I was ready to complain. I looked over at Will. He was focused on the road and so intent and alert that I decided not to interrupt him. He seemed to be in the same serious mood he had displayed several hours ago when he had stopped the Jeep and told me we needed to talk.
"Do you remember that I told you the insights had to be discovered one at a time?" he had asked.
"Yes."
"Do you believe that each will indeed present itself?"
"Well, they have so far," I said half humorously.
Will looked at me with a serious expression. "Finding the third insight was easy. All we had to do was visit Vicinte. But from now on, running across the other insights may be much more difficult." He paused for a moment then said, "I think that we should go south to a small village near Quillabamba, a place called Cula. There is another virgin forest up there that I think you should see. But it is vitally important that you stay alert. Coincidences will occur regularly, but you have to notice them. Do you understand?"
I told him that I thought I did and that I would keep what he said in mind. After that, the conversation had lapsed and I had fallen into a deep sleep, a sleep I now regretted because of what it had done to my back. I stretched again and Will looked over at me.
"Where are we?" I asked.
"In the Andes again," he said. The hills had turned into high ridges and distant valleys. The vegetation was coarser now. The trees smaller and windblown. Inhaling deeply, [snorts] I noticed the air was thinner and cool.
"Better put on this jacket," Will said, pulling a brown cotton windbreaker from a bag. "It'll be cold up here this afternoon."
Ahead, as the road rounded a bend, we could see a narrow crossroads. On one side, near a white frame store and gas station, a vehicle was parked with the hood open. Tools lay on a cloth covering the fender. As we drove past, a blond man walked out of the store and glanced at us briefly. He was round-faced and wore dark-rimmed glasses. I looked at the man closely, my mind racing back 5 years.
"I know it wasn't him," I said to Will. "But that guy looks just like a friend of mine I used to work with. I haven't thought of him in years."
I noticed Will was scrutinizing me. "I told you to watch events closely," he said. "Let's go back and see if that fellow needs some help. He didn't look like a local."
We found a place where the shoulders of the road were wide enough and turned around. When we returned to the store, the man was working on the engine. Will pulled up to the pump and leaned out the window.
"Looks like you have trouble," Will said.
The man pushed his glasses back up on his nose, a habit my friend also shared. "Yes," he replied. "I have lost my water pump." The man appeared to be in his early 40s and was of a slight build. His English was formal with a French accent. Will was quickly out of the vehicle introducing us. The man offered me his hand with a smile that also looked familiar. His name was Chris Renou.
"You sound French," I said.
"I am," he replied. "But I teach psychology in Brazil. I'm here in Peru seeking information about an archaeological artifact that has been found, a manuscript."
I hesitated for a moment unsure how much I should trust him. "We're here for the same reason," I finally said.
He looked at me with deep interest. "What can you tell me about it?" he asked. "Have you seen copies?"
Before I could reply, Will walked out of the building, the screen door slamming behind him. "Great luck," he said to me. "Owner has a place where we can camp and there's some hot food. We might as well stay for the night." He turned and looked expectantly at Renou. "If you don't mind sharing your reservations."
"No, no," he said. "I welcome the company. A new pump cannot be delivered here until tomorrow morning."
While he and Will began a conversation about the mechanics and reliability of Renou's Land Cruiser, I leaned back against the Jeep feeling the warmth of the sun and drifting into a pleasant reverie about the old friend Renou had brought to mind. My friend had been wide-eyed and curious, very much like Renou seemed, and a constant reader of books. I could almost recall the theories he liked, but time had obscured my recollection.
"Let's get our stuff down to the campsite," Will said, patting me on the back.
"Okay," I said absently. He opened the rear door and pulled out the tent and sleeping bags and loaded my arms then grabbed a duffel bag full of extra clothing. Renou was locking up his vehicle. We all walked past the store and down a course of steps. The ridge fell away steeply behind the building and we angled to the left along narrow pathway. After 20 or 30 yards, we could hear water running and further on we saw a stream cascading down the rocks. The air was cooler and I could smell the strong fragrance of mint. Directly in front of us, the ground leveled out and the stream formed a pool about 25 ft in diameter. Someone had cleared a campsite and built a rock containment for a fire. Wood was stacked against a nearby tree.
"This is fine," Will said and began unpacking his large four-man tent. Renou spread his smaller tent to the right of Will.
"Are you and Will researchers?" Renou asked me at one point.
Will had finished with the tent and had walked up to check on dinner. "Will's a guide," I said. "I'm not doing much of anything right now."
Renou gave me a puzzled look. I smiled and asked, "Have you been able to see any parts of the manuscript?"
"I have seen the first and second insights," he said, stepping closer. "And I'll tell you something. I think it is all happening just as the manuscript says. We are changing our world view. I can see it in psychology."
"What do you mean?"
He took a breath. [sighs] "My field is in conflict, looking at why humans treat each other so violently. We've always known that this violence comes from the urge humans feel to control and dominate one another. But only recently have we studied this phenomenon from the inside, from the point of view of the individuals consciousness, we have asked, 'What happens inside a human being that makes him want to control someone else?' We have found that when an individual walks up to another person and engages in a conversation, which happens billions of times each day in the world, one of two things can happen. That individual can come away feeling strong or feeling weak, depending on what occurs in the interaction."
I gave him a puzzled look, and he appeared slightly embarrassed at having rushed into a long lecture on the subject. I asked him to go on.
"For this reason," he added, "we humans always seem to take a manipulative posture, no matter what the particulars of the situation or the subject matter. We prepare ourselves to say whatever we must in order to prevail in the conversation. Each of us seeks to find some way to control and thus to remain on top in the encounter. If we are successful, if our viewpoint prevails, then rather than feel weak, we receive a psychological boost. In other words, we humans seek to outwit and control each other, not just because of some tangible goal in the outside world that we're trying to achieve, but because of a lift we get psychologically. This is the reason we see so many irrational conflicts in the world, both at the individual level and at the level of nations. The consensus in my field is that this whole matter is now emerging into public consciousness. We humans are realizing how much we manipulate each other and consequently we're reevaluating our motivations. We're looking for another way to interact. I think this reevaluation will be part of the new world view that the manuscript speaks of."
Our conversation was interrupted as Will walked up. "They're ready to serve us," he said. We hurried up the path and into the basement level of the building, the family's living quarters. We walked through the living room and into the dining area. On the table was a hot meal of stew, vegetables, and salad.
"Sit down, sit down," the proprietor was saying in English, pulling out chairs and rushing about. Behind him stood an older woman, apparently his wife, and a teenage girl of about 15. While taking his seat, Will accidentally brushed his fork with an arm. It fell noisily to the floor. The man glared at the woman, who in turn spoke harshly to the young girl who had not yet moved to bring a new one. She hurried into the other room and returned holding a fork, then handed it tentatively to Will. Her back was stooped and her hand shook slightly. My eyes met Renew's from across the table.
"Enjoy the food," the man said, handing me one of the dishes. For most of the meal, Renew and Will talked casually about academic life, the challenges of teaching and publishing. The proprietor had left the room, but the woman stood just inside the door. As the woman and her daughter began serving individual dishes of pie, the young girl's elbow hit my water glass, spilling the water on the table in front of me. The older woman rushed over in a rage, shouting at the girl in Spanish and pushing her out of the way.
"I'm very sorry," the woman said, wiping up the water. "The girl is so clumsy."
The young girl exploded, flinging the remaining pie at the woman, missing and splattering pie and broken China across the middle of the table. Just as the proprietor returned, the old man shouted and the girl ran from the room.
"I'm sorry," he said, hurrying to the table. "It's no problem," I replied. "Don't be so hard on the girl."
Will was on his feet figuring the bill, and we quickly left. Renew had been quiet, but as we walked through the door and down the steps, he spoke.
"Did you see the girl?" he asked, looking at me. "She is a classic example of psychological violence. This is what the human need to control others leads to when taken to the extreme. The old man and woman are dominating the girl totally. Did you see how nervous and stooped she was?"
"Yes," I said, "but it appears she's about fed up."
"Exactly. Her parents have never let up. And from her point of view, she has no choice but to lash out violently. It is the only way she can gain some control for herself. Unfortunately, when she grows up because of this early trauma, she will think she has to seize control and dominate others with the same intensity. The characteristic will be deeply ingrained and will make her just as dominating as her parents are now, especially when she is around people who are vulnerable, such as children. In fact, the same trauma no doubt happened to her parents before her. They have to dominate now because of the way their parents dominated them. That's the means through which psychological violence is passed down from one generation to another."
Renew stopped suddenly. "I need to get my sleeping bag out of the truck," he said. "I'll be down in a second."
I nodded, and Will and I continued toward the campsite.
"You and Renew have been talking a lot," Will remarked.
"Yes, we have," I said.
He smiled. "Actually, Renew has been doing most of the talking. You listen and answer direct questions, but you don't offer much."
"I'm interested in what he has to say," I said defensively.
Will ignored my tone. "Did you see the energy moving between the members of that family? The man and woman were sucking the child's energy into themselves until she was almost dead."
"I forgot to watch the energy flow," I said.
"Well, don't you think Renew would like to see it? What do you make of running into him in the first place? I don't know."
"Don't you think it has some meaning? We were driving down the road and you see someone who remind you of an old friend, and when we meet him, he happens to also be looking for the manuscript. Doesn't that sound beyond coincidence?"
"Yes."
"Perhaps you met so that you could receive some information that will extend your journey here. And doesn't it follow that perhaps you have some information for him as well?"
"Yes, I guess so."
"What do you think I should tell him?"
Will again looked at me with his charismatic warmth. "The truth," he said.
Before I could say anything else, Renew came bounding down the path toward us. "I brought a flashlight in case we need it later," he said. For the first time I became aware of the twilight and looked west. The sun had already set, but the sky was still a bright orange. The few clouds in that direction carried a darker, reddish color. For an instant, I thought I saw a whitish field of light around the plants in the foreground, but the image faded.
"Beautiful sunset," I said, then noticed Will had disappeared into his tent, and Renew was pulling his sleeping bag from its case.
"Yes, it is," Renew said distractedly without looking. I walked over to where he was working. He looked up and said, "I didn't get to ask you, what insights have you seen?"
"The first two were only described to me," I replied. "But we just spent the last two days at the Vicente Lodge near Satipo. While we were there, one of the people doing research gave me a copy of the third insight. It's pretty amazing."
His eyes lit up. "Do you have it with you?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to look at it?"
He jumped at the opportunity and took it into his tent to read. I found some matches and old newspaper and started the fire. After it was burning brightly, Will crawled out of his tent.
"Where's Renew?" he asked.
"He's reading the translation Sarah gave to me," I said.
Will walked over and sat on a smooth log someone had placed near the fire area. I joined him. Darkness had finally descended and nothing could be seen except for the bare outline of the trees to our left. The dim lights from the station behind us and a muted glow from Renew's tent. The woods were alive with night sounds, some of which I had never heard before. After about 30 minutes, Renew emerged from his tent, the flashlight in his hand. He walked over and sat at my left. Will was yawning.
"That insight is amazing," he said. "Could anyone there actually see those energy fields?"
I briefly told him of my experiences, beginning with our arrival and proceeding through the point where I actually saw the fields myself. He was silent for a minute. Then he asked, "They were actually doing experiments where they projected their own energy onto plants and affected the plants' growth?"
"It affected their nutritional potency, too," I said. "But the main insight is broader than that."
He commented almost to himself. "The third insight is that the universe on the whole is made up of this energy and we can affect, perhaps, not only plants, but other things as well. Just by what we do with the energy that belongs to us, the part we can control." He paused for a full minute. "I wonder how we affect other people with our energy."
Will looked at me and smiled. "I'll tell you what I saw," I said. "I witnessed an argument between two people and their energies were doing really strange things."
Renew pushed up his glasses again. "Tell me about that."
Will stood up at this point. "I think I need to turn in," he said. "It's been a long day."
We both said goodnight and Will entered his tent. Afterward, I described as best I could what Sarah and the other scientist had said to each other, emphasizing the action of their energy fields.
"Now, wait a minute," Renew said. "You saw their energies pulling at each other trying to, say, capture each other as they argued?"
"That's right," I said.
He was thoughtful for a few seconds. "We must analyze this fully."
"What do you mean?" I said.
"The movement of this energy, if we can systematically observe it, is a way to understand what humans are receiving when we compete and argue and harm each other. When we control another human being, we receive their energy. We fill up at the other's expense and the filling up is what motivates us. Look, I must learn how to see these energy fields. Where is this Vacante Lodge? How do I get there?"
I told him the general location, but said he would have to ask Will for specific directions. "Yes, I'll do that tomorrow," he said with commitment. "For now, I should get some sleep. I want to leave as early as possible." He said goodnight, then disappeared into his tent, leaving me alone with a crackling fire and the night sounds.
When I awoke, Will was already out of the tent. I could smell the aroma of hot cereal. I slipped out of my sleeping bag and looked out through the tent flap. Will was holding a pan over the fire. Renew was nowhere to be seen and his tent was gone.
"Where's Renew?" I asked, climbing out and walking over to the fire.
"He's already packed up," Will said. "He's up there working on his truck, getting ready so he can leave as soon as his part comes in."
Will handed me a bowl of oatmeal and we sat on one of the logs to eat.
"Did you two stay up late talking?" Will asked.
"Not really," I said. "I told him all I knew."
Just then we heard sounds from the path. Renew was hurriedly walking down to us. "I am all prepared," he said. "I must say goodbye." After several minutes of conversation, Renew walked back up the steps and left.
Will and I took turns bathing and shaving in the station owner's bathroom. Then we packed our gear, filled the vehicle with gas, and departed heading north.
"How far is Kula?" I asked.
"We should be there before nightfall, if we're lucky," he said. Then added, "So, what did you learn from Renew?"
I looked closely at him. He seemed to be looking for a specific answer. "I don't know," I said.
"What conception did Renew leave you with?"
"That we humans, although we are unconscious of it, have the tendency to control and dominate others. We want to win the energy that exists between people. It builds us up somehow, makes us feel better."
Will was looking straight ahead at the road. He looked as if he was suddenly thinking of something else.
"Why do you ask?" I inquired.
"Is this the fourth insight?"
He looked at me. "Not quite. You have seen the energy flow between people, but I'm not sure you know how it feels when it happens to you."
"Then tell me how it feels," I said, growing exasperated. "You accuse me of not talking. Getting information out of you is like pulling teeth. I've been trying for days to find out more about your past experiences with the manuscript and all you do is put me off."
He laughed, then shot me a smile. "We had a deal, remember? I have a reason for being secretive. One of the insights concerns how to interpret the events of one's past life. It is a process of becoming clear about who you are, what you are here on this planet to do. I want to wait until we reach this insight before we discuss my background. Okay?"
I smiled at his adventurous tone. "Yeah, I guess."
For the remainder of the morning, we rode in silence. The day was sunny and the sky blue. Occasionally, as we proceeded higher into the mountains, thick clouds would float across our path, covering the windshield with moisture. Around noon, we pulled over at an overlook that afforded a spectacular view of the mountains and valleys to the east.
"Are you hungry?" Will asked.
I nodded and he pulled two carefully wrapped sandwiches from a bag on the back seat. After he handed me one of them, he asked, "What do you think about this view?"
"It's beautiful."
He smiled slightly and stared at me, giving me the impression that he was observing my energy field.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Just looking," he said. "Mountain peaks are special places that can build energy in whoever sits on them. You look as though you have an affinity for mountain overlooks."
I told Will of my grandfather's valley and of the ridge overlooking the lake and how it made me feel alert and energized the same day Charlene had arrived.
"Perhaps growing up there," he said, "prepared you for something here, now." I was about to ask him more about the energy that mountains provide when he added, "When a virgin forest is on a mountain, the energy is amplified even more."
"Is the virgin forest we're headed for on a mountain?" I asked.
"Look for yourself," he said. "You can see it." He pointed toward the east, miles away. I could see two ridges which ran parallel to each other for what looked like several miles. Then they converged, forming a V-shape. In the space between the two ridges lay what looked like a small town. And at the vortex, the point where the two ridges met, the mountain rose sharply and buttressed off into a rocky summit. The summit appeared slightly higher than the ridge we were on, and the area around its base seemed much greener, as though covered with lush foliage.
"That area of green?" I asked.
"Yes," Will said. "It's like the Kin Tay, yet more powerful and special."
"How is it special?"
"It facilitates one of the other insights."
"How?" I asked.
He started the Jeep and pulled back onto the road. "I'm betting," he said, "that you will find out."
Neither of us said much more for an hour or so. Then I drifted off to sleep. Sometime later, Will was shaking my arm.
"Wake up," he said. "We're coming into Cula."
I sat up in the seat ahead of us. In a valley where two roads came together was a small town. On both sides were the two ridges we had seen. The trees on the ridges seemed as large as those at the Kin Tay and spectacularly green.
"I want to tell you something before we drive in there," he said. "In spite of the energy of this forest, this town is a lot less civilized than other areas of Peru. It's known as a place to get information about the manuscript, but the last time I was here, it was full of greedy types who didn't feel the energy and didn't understand the insights. They merely wanted the money or recognition they might get by discovering the ninth."
I looked at the village. It consisted of four or five streets and avenues. Larger frame buildings lined the two main roads that crossed in the center of town. But the other streets were little more than alleyways lined by small dwellings. Parked at the crossroads were perhaps a dozen off-the-road vehicles and trucks.
"Why are all these people here?" I asked.
He smiled knowingly. "Because it's one of the last places to get gas and supplies before going deeper into the mountains."
He started the Jeep and drove slowly into town, then stopped in front of one of the larger buildings. I couldn't read the Spanish signs, but from the products in the window, I presumed it was a grocery and hardware.
"Wait here for a moment," he said. "I want to go in for a few things."
I nodded, and Will disappeared inside. As I looked around, a truck pulled up across the street and several people got out. One was a dark-haired woman in a fatigue jacket. To my amazement, I realized it was Marjorie. She and a young man in his early twenties crossed the street and walked right in front of me. I opened my door and got out.
"Marjorie!" I yelled.
She stopped and looked around, then saw me and smiled. "Hello."
"Hello," she said as she began to walk toward me. The young man grabbed her arm.
"Robert told us not to talk with anyone," he said very softly, trying not to let me overhear.
"It's okay. It's okay," she said. "I know this person. Go on in."
He looked at me skeptically, then backed away and went into the store. I tried then, in a stuttering way, to explain what had happened between us at the gardens. She laughed and told me Sarah had related everything to her. She was about to say something else when Will walked out with a handful of supplies. I introduced them, and we all talked for a few minutes as Will placed the supplies in the back of the Jeep.
"I have an idea," Will said. "Let's get something else to eat across the street."
I looked over at what appeared to be a small cafe. "Sounds good to me," I said.
"I don't know. don't know," Marjorie said. "I need to leave soon. My ride..."
"Where are you going?" I asked.
"Back to the west a couple of miles. I've come up to visit a group studying the manuscript."
"We can take you back later, after dinner," Will commented.
"Well, I guess that will be okay."
Will looked at me. "I have one more thing to pick up. You two go ahead and order, and I'll order something when I get there. I'll only be a few minutes."
We agreed, and Marjorie and I waited as several trucks passed. Will walked down the street to the south. Suddenly, the young man with whom Marjorie had arrived walked out of the store and confronted us again.
"Where are you going?" he said, holding her arm.
"This is a friend of mine. This is a friend of mine," We're going to eat, and then he can run me back later.
"Look, you can't trust anyone up here. You know Robert wouldn't approve."
"It's okay. It's okay," she said. "I want you to come with me now."
I took his arm and pulled it off Marjorie. "You heard what she told you," I said. He stepped back and looked at me, suddenly appearing very timid. He turned and walked back into the store.
"Let's go," I said. We walked across the street and into the small diner. The eating area consisted of one room and just eight tables and was permeated with the smell of grease and smoke. I spotted an unoccupied table on the left. As we walked over, several people glanced up at us for an instant, then returned to what they were doing. The waitress spoke only Spanish, but Marjorie knew the language well and ordered for both of us. Afterward, Marjorie looked at me warmly. I grinned at her.
"Who is that guy you were with?"
"That's Kenny."
"That's Kenny," she said. "I don't know what's wrong with him. Thanks for helping." She was looking directly into my eyes, and her comment made me feel wonderful.
"How did you get connected with that group?" I asked.
"Robert Jensen is an archaeologist. He's formed a group to study the manuscript and search for the ninth insight. He came by the Kin Tay a few weeks back. Then again a couple of days ago. I..."
"What?" I asked.
"Well, I was in a relationship at the Kin Tay that I wanted to get away from. Then I met Robert, and he was so charming, and what he was doing seemed so interesting. He convinced me that our research at the gardens would be enhanced by the ninth insight. And then he was on his way to find it. He said that finding this insight would be the most exciting thing he's ever done. And when he offered me a place on his team for a few months, I decided to accept." She paused again and looked down at the table. She appeared uncomfortable, so I changed the subject.
"How many of the insights have you read?"
"Only the one I saw at the Kin Tay. Robert has some others, but he believes people have to rid themselves of their traditional beliefs before they understand them. He says he would rather them learn the key concepts from him."
I must have frowned because she added, "You don't like that much, do you?"
"It sounds suspicious," I said.
She looked at me intensely again. "I wondered about it, too. Maybe when you take me back you can talk with him and tell me what you think."
The waitress arrived and brought our food. And as she was walking away, I saw Will come in the door. He walked quickly to our table.
"I've got to meet some people about a mile north of here," he said. "I'll be gone about 2 hours. Take the Jeep and take Marjorie back. I'm riding with someone else." He shot me a smile. "We can meet back here."
The thought came to me to tell him about Robert Jensen, but I decided against it. "Okay," I said.
He looked at Marjorie. "Nice to have met you. Wish I had time to stay and talk."
She looked at him with her coy expression. "Maybe some other time."
He nodded, handed me the keys, and walked away. Marjorie ate for a few minutes, then said, "He seems like a man with a purpose. How did you meet him?"
I told her in detail of my experiences upon first arriving in Peru. As I talked, she listened intently. So intently, in fact, that I found myself telling the story with great ease and expressing the dramatic turns and episodes with insight and true flair. She seemed spellbound, hanging on every word.
"Goodness," She said at one point. "Do you think you're in danger?"
"No, I don't think so," I said. "Not this far from Lima."
She was still looking at me expectantly. So while we finished eating, I briefly summarized the events at Vicenta up to the point where Sarah and I had arrived at the gardens. "That's where I met you," I said. "And you ran off."
"Oh, it wasn't like that," She said. "I just didn't know you, and when I saw your feelings, I thought it best to leave."
"Well, I apologize," I said chuckling. "For letting my energy get out of hand."
She looked at her watch. "I guess I should be getting back. They'll be wondering about me."
I left enough money for the bill and we walked outside to Will's Jeep. The night was chilly and we could see a trace of our breath. As we got in, she said, "Head back north on this road. I'll tell you when to turn."
I nodded and made a quick U-turn in the street and headed that way.
"Tell me more about this farm we're going to," I said. "I think Robert rents it."
"Apparently, his group has been using it for a long time while he has studied the insights. Since I've been there, everyone has been assembling supplies and readying the vehicles, things like that. Some of his men seem very rough."
"Why did he invite you along?" I asked.
"He said he wanted a person who could help interpret the ninth insight. Once we found it, at least that's what he said back at Vicenta. Here he has only talked about supplies and helping to prepare for the trip."
"Where is he planning to go?"
"I don't know," she replied. "He never answers me when I ask."
After about a mile and a half, she pointed out a turn to the left onto a narrow, rocky road. I meandered up the ridge and down into a flat valley. Ahead was a farmhouse made of rough planking. Behind it were several barns and outbuildings. Three llamas peered at us from a fenced pasture. As we slowed to a stop, several people walked around the vehicle and stared without smiling. I noticed a gas-powered electric generator humming at the side of the house. Then the door opened and a tall, dark-haired man with strong, lean features walked toward us.
"That's Robert," Marjorie said.
"Good," I said, still feeling strong and confident. We got out as Jensen walked up to us. He looked at Marjorie.
"I was worried about you," he said. "I understand you ran into a friend."
I introduced myself and he shook my hand firmly. "I'm Robert Jensen," he said. "Glad you two are all right. Come in."
Inside, several people busied themselves with supplies. One carried a tent and camping gear toward the back. Through the dining room, I noticed two Peruvian women in the kitchen packing food. Jensen sat in one of the chairs in the living room and directed us to two others.
"Why did you say you were glad we were all right?" I asked.
He bent toward me and asked in a sincere tone, "How long have you been in this area?"
"Only since this afternoon."
"Then you couldn't know how dangerous it is here. People are disappearing. Have you heard of the manuscript of the missing ninth insight?"
"Yes, I have."
"In fact, then you need to know what's going on," He interrupted. "The search for the last insight is getting ugly. There are dangerous people involved in this."
"Who?" I asked.
"People who don't care about the archaeological value of this discovery at all. People who just want the insight for their own purposes."
A huge man with a beard and paunch interrupted the conversation and showed Jensen a list. They discussed something briefly in Spanish. Jensen looked at me again.
"Are you here to find the missing insight, too?" he asked. "Do you have any idea what you're getting into?"
I felt awkward and had difficulty expressing myself. "Well, I'm mainly interested in finding out more about the entire manuscript. I haven't seen that much of it yet."
He straightened in his chair, then said, "Do you realize that the manuscript is a state artifact and that copies of it have been made illegal except by permit?"
"Yes, but some scientist disagree with that. They feel the government is suppressing new. Don't you think the nation of Peru has the right to control its own archaeological treasures? Does the government know that you're in this country?"
I didn't know what to say. The surge of anxiety in my stomach was back.
"Look, don't get me wrong," he said smiling. "I'm on your side. If you have some sort of academic support from outside the country, then tell me. But I get the feeling you're just floating around."
"Something like that," I said. I noticed Marjorie's focus had shifted from me to Jensen.
"What do you think he should do?" She asked.
Jensen stood up and smiled. "I could perhaps work you into a position with us here. We need more people. Where we are going is relatively safe, I think, and you could find some avenues home along the way if things didn't work out." He looked at me closely. "But you'll have to be willing to do exactly as I say every step of the way."
I glanced over at Marjorie. She was still looking at Jensen. I felt confused. Perhaps I should consider Jensen's offer, I thought. If he was in good standing with the government, then this might be the only opportunity I had for a legitimate way back to the states. Perhaps I had been fooling myself. Perhaps Jensen was right and I was in way over my head.
"I think you should consider what Robert is saying," Marjorie commented. "It's too frightening out there alone."
Though I knew she might be correct, I still had faith in Will and what we were doing. I wanted to express this thought, but when I tried to speak, I found I couldn't formulate the words. I could no longer think clearly. Suddenly, the large man walked into the room again and looked out the window. Jensen was quickly up and looking. Then he turned to Marjorie and in a casual tone said, "Someone is coming. Go ask Kenny to come up here, please." She nodded and left. Through the window I could see truck lights approaching. The vehicle parked just outside the fence, 50 ft away. Jensen opened the door and as he did I heard my name mentioned outside.
"Who is that?" I asked.
Jensen looked at me sharply. "Be very quiet," He said. He and the large man walked outside and pulled the door closed. Through the window I could see a lone figure silhouetted behind the truck's lights. My first impulse was to stay inside. Jensen's assessment of my situation had filled me with foreboding. But something about the person by the truck seemed familiar. I opened the door and walked outside. As soon as Jensen saw me he quickly turned and walked my way.
"What are you doing? Go back inside!"
Above the generator I thought I heard my name again.
"Go back inside, now!" Jensen said. "It could be a trap." He was standing directly in front of me, blocking my view of the vehicle. "Go back inside, now!"
I felt totally confused and panicked, unable to make a decision. Then the figure behind the lights walked closer and I could see his form around Jensen's body. Distinctly I heard, "Come here. I need to talk with you." Then as the figure approached my head cleared and I realized that it was Will. I rushed past Jensen.
"What is wrong with you?" Will asked quickly. "We need to get out of here."
"But what about Marjorie?" I asked.
"We can't do anything about her right now," Will said. "We'd better leave."
We started to walk away when Jensen called out, "You'd better stay here. You won't make it." I glanced back. Will stopped and looked at me, giving me a choice to stay or go.
"Let's go," I said. We passed the truck in which Will had arrived and I noticed two other men had been waiting in the front seat. When we got to Will's Jeep he asked me for the keys and we drove away. The truck with Will's friends followed. Will turned and looked at me.
"Jensen told me you had decided to stay with his group."
"What was going on?"
"How do you know his name?" I stammered.
"I just heard all about this guy," Will replied. "He works for the Peruvian government. He's a real archaeologist, but he's committed to keeping the whole thing secret in return for exclusive rights to study the manuscript. Only he wasn't supposed to go looking for the missing insight. Apparently he's decided to violate that agreement. He is rumored to be leaving soon in pursuit of the ninth."
"When I learned he was the person Marjorie was with, I thought I'd better get down here."
"What did he say to you?"
"He told me I was in danger and that I should join up with him and that he'd help me leave the country if that's what I wanted."
Will shook his head. "He really had you hooked."
"What do you mean?"
"You should have seen your energy field. It was flowing almost totally into his."
"I don't understand."
"Think back to Sarah's argument with the scientist at the Kin Tay. If you had witnessed one of them winning, convincing the other that he was correct, then you would have seen the loser's energy flowing into the winner's, leaving the loser feeling drained and weak and somewhat confused, the way the girl in the Peruvian family appeared and the way he smiled. That's your luck now."
"You saw that happening to me?" I asked.
"Yes," He replied. "And it was extremely difficult for you to stop his control of you and to pull yourself away. I thought for a minute you weren't going to do it."
"Jesus," I said. "That guy must really be evil."
"Not really," He said. "He's probably only half aware of what he's doing. He thinks he's right to control the situation and no doubt he learned a long time ago that he could control successfully by following a certain strategy. He first pretends to be your friend, then he finds something wrong with what you are doing, in your case that you were in danger. In effect, he subtly undermines your confidence in your own path until you begin to identify with him. As soon as that happens he has you."
Will looked directly at me. "This is only one of many strategies people use to con others out of their energy. You'll learn about the remaining ways later in the sixth insight."
I wasn't listening. My thoughts were on Marjorie. I didn't like leaving her there.
"Do you think we should try to get Marjorie?" I asked.
"Not now," He said. "I don't think she's in any danger. We can drive out tomorrow as we leave and try to talk to her."
We were silent for a few minutes. Then Will asked, "Do you understand what I said about Jensen not realizing what he is doing? He's no different from most people. He just does what makes him feel the strongest."
"No, I don't think I understand."
Will looked thoughtful. "All this is still unconscious in most people. All we know is that we feel weak and when we control others we feel better. What we don't realize is that this sense of feeling better cost the other person. It is their energy that we have stolen. Most people go through their lives in a constant hunt for someone else's energy." He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "Although occasionally it works differently, we meet someone who at least for a little while will voluntarily send us their energy."
"What are you getting at?"
"Think back to when you and Marjorie were eating together at the restaurant in town and I walked in. Okay."
"I don't know what you two were talking about, but obviously her energy was pouring into you. When I walked in I could see it clearly. Tell me, how did you feel during that time?"
"I felt good," I said. "In fact, the experiences and concepts I was relating seemed crystal clear to me. I could express myself easily. But what does that mean?"
He smiled. "Occasionally another person will voluntarily want us to define their situation for them, giving us their energy outright, the way Marjorie did with you. It makes us feel empowered, but you'll see that this gift doesn't usually last. Most people, Marjorie included, aren't strong enough to keep giving energy. That's why most relationships eventually turn into power struggles. Humans link up energy and then fight over who is going to control it and the loser always pays the price." He stopped abruptly and looked at me.
"Do you get the fourth insight? Think about what has happened to you. You observed that energy flows between people and wondered what it meant and then we ran into Renew who told you the psychologists were already searching for some reason humans sought to control each other. All that was demonstrated with the Peruvian family. You saw clearly that dominating another makes the dominator feel powerful and knowledgeable, but it sucks the vital energy out of those who are being dominated. It makes no difference if we tell ourselves that we are doing it for the person's own good or that they are our children and therefore we should be in control all the time. The damage still occurs. Next, you ran into Jensen and got a taste of what this actually feels like. You saw that when someone is dominating you physically, they actually take your mind away. It was not as if you lost some intellectual debate with Jensen. You didn't have the energy or mental clarity to debate with. All your mental power was going to Jensen. Unfortunately, this kind of psychic violence happens all the time throughout human culture, often by otherwise well-meaning people."
I just nodded. Will had summarized my experience exactly.
"Try to integrate the fourth insight fully," Will continued. "See how it fits together with what you already know. The third insight showed you that the physical world is actually a vast system of energy, and now the fourth points out that for a long time we humans have been unconsciously competing for the only part of this energy we have been open to, the part that flows between people. This is what human conflict has always been about at every level, from all the petty conflict in families and employment settings to wars between nations. It's the result of feeling insecure and weak and having to steal someone else's energy to feel okay."
"Wait a minute," I protested. "Some wars had to be fought. They were right."
"Of course," Will replied, "but the only reason that any conflict can't be immediately settled is that one side is holding on to an irrational position for energy purposes."
Will appeared to remember something, reaching into a satchel. He pulled out a bundle of papers clipped together. "I almost forgot," he said. "I found a copy of the fourth insight." He handed me the copy and said nothing else, looking straight ahead as he drove. I picked up the small flashlight Will kept on the floorboard and for the next 20 minutes read the short document, "Understanding the Fourth Insight." It said, is a matter of seeing the human world as a vast competition for energy and thus for power. Yet once humans understand their struggle, the insight continued, we would immediately begin to transcend this conflict. We would begin to break free from the competition over mere human energy because we would finally be able to receive our energy from another source.
I looked at Will. "What's the other source?" I asked.
He smiled but said nothing.