How did he get back into the Kiva?
His thoughts clouded by alcohol, Josh the Dill tilted his head as Mal was helping him to get back on his feet.
Wait... Wasn't he walking to the temple to preach and convince some popes to join the King Kong Kabal? How did he get here.
"Fortunately, he is alright" Said the fine Doctor VanMojo, struggling to go down as he was using the ladder.
He then started to explain how he followed Josh, worried that something silly would happen to him as he seemed to be fairly drunk.
Meanwhile, Josh was trying to explain to a puzzled Peter Krystal what was the Goddess plans. The poor Krystal was trying to politely get out of range of the infamous alcoholic breath of the old man.
But little by little, their volubility ran dry. The kiva and Mal's presence were acting once again and the two old popes finally assumed Zazen, keeping their mouths shut and allowing Mal to finally talk.
After some time, the Episkopos gave to Peter 'Never Whistle While You're Pissing' and the two popes observed him read.
Mal was glancing at them meanwhile. Josh and VanMojo understood they had to prove they did their bloody 'homework'.
Gathering his thoughts, Josh the Dill closed his eyes.
Shortly after, the popes could hear a somehow noisy snore....
+++++
Josh was standing in the middle of a black chaosphere painted on the ground.
Forming a pentacle, five persons were surrounding him.
Quite confused, the old man looked alternately at them. "I'm Captain Yossarian" Said one of them. "I'm the great gourou Bokonon" said another. "I'm King Kong" said one of them with a sonorous voice. "Gentlefolk. My name is Don Quichotte" said another one. "Dear subject.." Said the last one, nodding to him "My name is Joshua Norton. But you may call me 'Your Imperial Majesty Emperor Norton I'"
Josh gazed at each one of them during those introductions, a bit puzzled.
He knew those names... But he couldn't remember from where.
Where they the dock workers of '11?
"We find you scratching your noodles. Why is that?" said the fine gourou.
Josh vaguely mumbled something unintelligible. "Is that so?" replied the Bokonon. "You don't know, Josh the Dill of the King Kong Kabal?"
Josh was still to guess if he was dreaming or if that was some hallucination.
Or was it some prank Mal was doing to him?
Noticing his uncertainty, Bokonon nodded "When one doesn't know, his mind is open to every wave. That is a good start" "Shall we?" approved King Kong.
"What will you do?" Asked Josh, looking around suspiciously. "We? Nothing" whispered the Don. "We are there because you want us to be there." "You wish to help me?" said Josh, perplexed.
The captain Yossarian nodded, studying the old man "Where do you think you are, soldier?"
Josh shook his head "Where?" "Isn't it obvious? You are currently on gnostic state. The Inhibitory form, i may add"
Josh took some time to accept the fact and decided to move on. What was the meaning of this? Was there even one? "This world is such a wide world! Why then do you answer to a temple bell and don ceremonial robes?"
The old man looked at the Kong. He got it. They were talking using koans. He decided to sit on the chaosphere. Lowering the speed of his breathing, he attempted to not think. "However wonderful a thing is, it may be that it is better not to have it at all." whispered King Kong.
The Gourou Bokonon talked softly : "When one goes to Obaku temple in Kyoto he sees carved over the gate the words "The First Principle". The letters are unusually large, and those who appreciate calligraphy always admire them as being a mastepiece. They were drawn by Kosen two hundred years ago.
When the master drew them he did so on paper, from which the workmen made the large carving in wood. As Kosen sketched the letters a bold pupil was with him who had made several gallons of ink for the calligraphy and who never failed to criticize his master's work.
"That is not good," he told Kosen after his first effort.
"How is this one?"
"Poor. Worse than before," pronounced the pupil.
Kosen patiently wrote one sheet after another until eighty-four First Principles had accumulated, still without the approval of the pupil.
Then when the young man stepped outside for a few moments, Kosen thought: "Now this is my chance to escape his keen eye," and he wrote hurriedly, with a mind free from distraction: "The First Principle."
"A masterpiece," pronounced the pupil."
Josh nodded.
Don Quichotte then talked : "Nan-in received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor's cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. "It is overfull. No more will go in!"
"Like this cup," Nan-in said, "you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?""
Josh nodded again and closed his eyes.
Joshua Norton then said : "Daiju visited the master Baso.
Baso asked: "What do you seek?"
"Enlightenment," replied Daiju.
"You have your own treasure house. Why do you search outside?" Baso asked.
Daiju inquired: "Where is my treasure house?"
Baso answered: "What you are asking is your treasure house."
Daiju was enlightened! Ever after he urged his friends: "Open your own treasure house and use those treasures.""
Josh pouted slightly.
It was then Captain Yossarian's turn : "When Banzan was walking through a market he overheard a conversation between a butcher and his customer.
"Give me the best piece of meat you have," said the customer.
"Everything in my shop is the best," replied the butcher. "You cannot find here any piece of meat that is not the best."
At these words Banzan became enlightened. "
Josh looked quite confused already, obviously.
King Kong finished it : ""Our schoolmaster used to take a nap every afternoon," related a disciple of Soyen Shaku. "We children asked him why he did it and he told us: 'I go to dreamland to meet the old sages just as Confucius did.' When Confucius slept, he would dream of ancient sages and later tell his followers about them.
"It was extremely hot one day so some of us took a nap. Our schoolmaster scolded us. 'We went to dreamland to meet the ancient sages the same as Confucius did,' we explained. 'What was the message from those sages?' our schoolmaster demanded. One of us replied: 'We went to dreamland and met the sages and asked them if our schoolmaster came there every afternoon, but they said they had never seen any such fellow.'" "
"Do you know?" Said they all.
King Kong then walked towards Josh and slapped him quite rudely.
+++++
"Hmmmm" Said a sleepy voice.
Josh opened his eyes and looked around him, a bit embarrassed.
He was still in the Kiva... Krystal was still reading...
Josh then noticed Mal was staring at him quite intensely, the expression of his face indecipherable.