F0101 · The Maroon Kingdom / Alberto’s Readings
In the half-light of his room in Casa de Dante, Alberto read the Scriptures with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Over the past few weeks, he had spent long nights going over the Old Testament, searching for answers to questions he could not quite formulate. The book of Ecclesiastes moved him especially: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it according to your strength; for in Sheol, where you are going, there is neither work, nor labor, nor knowledge, nor wisdom.” These words kept turning over in his mind as he tried to reconcile his ardor for immortality with the certainty that death was inevitable.
He had heard about laudanum at the gatherings of alchemists Isaac held in the library. That substance, a mixture of opium, mandrake, henbane, and other secret ingredients, was for many the philosopher’s stone, the elixir that promised immortality. Paracelsus called it the stone of immortality, and his followers claimed it could prolong life if administered in precise doses. Alberto, however, was unconvinced. He knew those potions could bring visions, but also madness and death. He wondered whether the alchemists were pursuing a mirage, like Saul when he consulted the diviner of Endor in search of answers that did not belong to this world.
The Thirst for Wisdom and the Promises of Immortality
The book of Wisdom disturbed him profoundly: “Through Wisdom I shall obtain immortality, and leave an everlasting memory to those who come after me.” Was that what he was really seeking? Eternal glory, or simply an escape from Sheol, from that place of shadows the prophets spoke of? He remembered Isaiah: “Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise again.” But also Daniel’s judgment: “Many shall rise again, some to eternal life, others to shame and everlasting confusion.” Where would his search lead him? To glory, or to eternal confusion?
On one of his visits to Trastevere with Farid, they took him to eat Roman-style tripe. It was a noisy place, full of smoke and vulgar laughter, where they served oxtail, ox hooves, and artichokes that had once been fed to pigs. Florián, who had once guided him spiritually, would have despised that place, but for Alberto it held a raw charm, a connection to earthly life that made him feel alive. There, between mouthfuls of food and glasses of cheap wine, Farid spoke to him about Sheol, about Abaddon, and about how, according to Isaiah, even the underworld could be frightened by humans: “Sheol was frightened by you.”
The Valley of Bones and the Philosopher’s Stone
One night, as he slept, Alberto had a dream that shook him. He saw himself in Ezekiel’s Valley of Bones, surrounded by skeletons that came to life at the breath of the Spirit. It was an imposing vision, but a terrifying one as well. He woke with a start, Isaiah’s words echoing in his mind: “New heavens and a new earth.” Would it be possible to reconstruct not only a body, but also a spirit? Was that what Isaac and the alchemists were promising? A resurrection of the soul through the transmutation of the flesh?
In his conversations, Isaac spoke of laudanum as a divine instrument. He explained how alkaloids, combined with gold dust and ground pearls, could open the doors of perception and connect man with the eternal. Farid, who often listened to these discussions in silence, cast him a look that Alberto could not interpret. Was it compassion? Skepticism? Alberto could not help feeling that Farid knew more than he said.
Elijah’s Whirlwind and Alberto’s Decisions
At a gathering in the library of Casa de Dante, Isaac mentioned Elijah, the prophet who ascended to heaven in a whirlwind: “Elijah rises to heaven in a whirlwind,” he said, and his words mingled with the smoke of the lamps and the scent of the ancient manuscripts. Alberto wondered whether he too might find his whirlwind, his escape from a world that seemed increasingly somber to him. He thought of the Psalm: “You will not leave your servant in Sheol, nor allow your holy one to see corruption.” Could he be saved? Or was he destined to sink deeper into the shadows of his own soul?
Redemption or Perdition
At the end of the evening, Isaac asked Alberto to sing. Farid accompanied him on the oud, and together they filled the room with music that seemed to come from another world. Farid’s eyes met Alberto’s, and for a moment the exorcist felt a peace he had not experienced in years. But when the song ended, his unease returned. He knew his search was nowhere near its end.
As he walked back to his room, the words of 2 Maccabees accompanied him like an echo: “They prayed for the dead.” Perhaps his search was not for immortality, but for redemption. Perhaps, he thought, all he could do was pray, not for his own soul, but for those he had loved and lost. Yet even that seemed to him an act of faith he was no longer sure he possessed.
At the window, the moon bathed Rome in its pale light. Beyond the Island of the Mad, he could see the reflection of torches in the Tiber, and he wondered whether that city of Romulus and Remus had ever been anything more than a dream. His face lit by the silvery light, he whispered the words of Ecclesiastes: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it according to your strength.”
That night Alberto slept deeply, but in his dreams the Valley of Bones awaited him once more. And on the horizon, a whirlwind was beginning to form.
F0101 · The Maroon Kingdom / Alberto’s Readings
In the half-light of his room in Casa de Dante, Alberto read the Scriptures with an intensity that bordered on obsession. Over the past few weeks, he had spent long nights going over the Old Testament, searching for answers to questions he could not quite formulate. The book of Ecclesiastes moved him especially: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it according to your strength; for in Sheol, where you are going, there is neither work, nor labor, nor knowledge, nor wisdom.” These words kept turning over in his mind as he tried to reconcile his ardor for immortality with the certainty that death was inevitable.
He had heard about laudanum at the gatherings of alchemists Isaac held in the library. That substance, a mixture of opium, mandrake, henbane, and other secret ingredients, was for many the philosopher’s stone, the elixir that promised immortality. Paracelsus called it the stone of immortality, and his followers claimed it could prolong life if administered in precise doses. Alberto, however, was unconvinced. He knew those potions could bring visions, but also madness and death. He wondered whether the alchemists were pursuing a mirage, like Saul when he consulted the diviner of Endor in search of answers that did not belong to this world.
The Thirst for Wisdom and the Promises of Immortality
The book of Wisdom disturbed him profoundly: “Through Wisdom I shall obtain immortality, and leave an everlasting memory to those who come after me.” Was that what he was really seeking? Eternal glory, or simply an escape from Sheol, from that place of shadows the prophets spoke of? He remembered Isaiah: “Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise again.” But also Daniel’s judgment: “Many shall rise again, some to eternal life, others to shame and everlasting confusion.” Where would his search lead him? To glory, or to eternal confusion?
On one of his visits to Trastevere with Farid, they took him to eat Roman-style tripe. It was a noisy place, full of smoke and vulgar laughter, where they served oxtail, ox hooves, and artichokes that had once been fed to pigs. Florián, who had once guided him spiritually, would have despised that place, but for Alberto it held a raw charm, a connection to earthly life that made him feel alive. There, between mouthfuls of food and glasses of cheap wine, Farid spoke to him about Sheol, about Abaddon, and about how, according to Isaiah, even the underworld could be frightened by humans: “Sheol was frightened by you.”
The Valley of Bones and the Philosopher’s Stone
One night, as he slept, Alberto had a dream that shook him. He saw himself in Ezekiel’s Valley of Bones, surrounded by skeletons that came to life at the breath of the Spirit. It was an imposing vision, but a terrifying one as well. He woke with a start, Isaiah’s words echoing in his mind: “New heavens and a new earth.” Would it be possible to reconstruct not only a body, but also a spirit? Was that what Isaac and the alchemists were promising? A resurrection of the soul through the transmutation of the flesh?
In his conversations, Isaac spoke of laudanum as a divine instrument. He explained how alkaloids, combined with gold dust and ground pearls, could open the doors of perception and connect man with the eternal. Farid, who often listened to these discussions in silence, cast him a look that Alberto could not interpret. Was it compassion? Skepticism? Alberto could not help feeling that Farid knew more than he said.
Elijah’s Whirlwind and Alberto’s Decisions
At a gathering in the library of Casa de Dante, Isaac mentioned Elijah, the prophet who ascended to heaven in a whirlwind: “Elijah rises to heaven in a whirlwind,” he said, and his words mingled with the smoke of the lamps and the scent of the ancient manuscripts. Alberto wondered whether he too might find his whirlwind, his escape from a world that seemed increasingly somber to him. He thought of the Psalm: “You will not leave your servant in Sheol, nor allow your holy one to see corruption.” Could he be saved? Or was he destined to sink deeper into the shadows of his own soul?
Redemption or Perdition
At the end of the evening, Isaac asked Alberto to sing. Farid accompanied him on the oud, and together they filled the room with music that seemed to come from another world. Farid’s eyes met Alberto’s, and for a moment the exorcist felt a peace he had not experienced in years. But when the song ended, his unease returned. He knew his search was nowhere near its end.
As he walked back to his room, the words of 2 Maccabees accompanied him like an echo: “They prayed for the dead.” Perhaps his search was not for immortality, but for redemption. Perhaps, he thought, all he could do was pray, not for his own soul, but for those he had loved and lost. Yet even that seemed to him an act of faith he was no longer sure he possessed.
At the window, the moon bathed Rome in its pale light. Beyond the Island of the Mad, he could see the reflection of torches in the Tiber, and he wondered whether that city of Romulus and Remus had ever been anything more than a dream. His face lit by the silvery light, he whispered the words of Ecclesiastes: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it according to your strength.”
That night Alberto slept deeply, but in his dreams the Valley of Bones awaited him once more. And on the horizon, a whirlwind was beginning to form.
F0101 · El Reino Cimarrón / Lecturas de Alberto
En la penumbra de su habitación en Casa de Dante, Alberto leía las Escrituras con una intensidad que bordeaba la obsesión. En las últimas semanas, había pasado largas noches repasando el Antiguo Testamento, buscando respuestas a preguntas que no podía formular del todo. El libro de Eclesiastés lo conmovía especialmente: “Todo lo que te viniere a la mano para hacer, hazlo según tus fuerzas; porque en el Sheol, adonde vas, no hay obra, ni trabajo, ni ciencia, ni sabiduría.” Estas palabras le daban vueltas en la cabeza mientras trataba de reconciliar su fervor por la inmortalidad con la certeza de que la muerte era inevitable.
Había escuchado hablar del láudano en las reuniones de alquimistas que Isaac organizaba en la biblioteca. Aquella sustancia, una mezcla de opio, mandrágora, beleño y otros componentes secretos, era para muchos la piedra filosofal, el elixir que prometía inmortalidad. Paracelso lo llamaba la piedra de la inmortalidad, y sus seguidores aseguraban que podía prolongar la vida si se administraba en dosis exactas. Sin embargo, Alberto no estaba convencido. Sabía que aquellos brebajes podían traer visiones, pero también locura y muerte. Se preguntaba si los alquimistas estaban persiguiendo un espejismo, como Saúl al consultar a la adivina de Endor en busca de respuestas que no pertenecían a este mundo.
La Sed de Sabiduría y las Promesas de Inmortalidad
El libro de Sabiduría lo perturbaba profundamente: “Gracias a la Sabiduría obtendré la inmortalidad, y dejaré un recuerdo eterno a los que vendrán después de mí.” ¿Acaso era eso lo que realmente buscaba? ¿La gloria eterna o simplemente un escape del Sheol, de aquel lugar de sombras del que hablaban los profetas? Recordaba a Isaías: “Tus muertos vivirán, sus cadáveres resucitarán.” Pero también el juicio de Daniel: “Muchos resucitarán, unos para vida eterna, otros para vergüenza y confusión perpetua.” ¿A dónde lo llevaría su búsqueda? ¿A la gloria o a la confusión eterna?
En una de sus visitas al Trastévere con Farid, lo llevaron a comer tripa a la romana. Era un lugar ruidoso, lleno de humo y risas vulgares, donde servían cola de vaca, pezuñas de buey y alcachofas que antaño alimentaban a los cerdos. Florián, quien alguna vez lo guió espiritualmente, habría despreciado aquel lugar, pero para Alberto tenía un encanto crudo, una conexión con lo terrenal que lo hacía sentir vivo. Allí, entre bocados de comida y vasos de vino barato, Farid le habló del Seol, del Abadón, y de cómo, según Isaías, incluso el inframundo podía espantarse de los humanos: “El Seol se espantó de ti.”
El Valle de los Huesos y la Piedra Filosofal
Una noche, mientras dormía, Alberto tuvo un sueño que lo estremeció. Se vio a sí mismo en el Valle de los Huesos de Ezequiel, rodeado de esqueletos que cobraban vida al soplo del Espíritu. Era una visión imponente, pero también aterradora. Despertó sobresaltado, con las palabras de Isaías resonando en su mente: “Cielos nuevos y tierra nueva.” ¿Sería posible reconstruir no solo un cuerpo, sino también un espíritu? ¿Era eso lo que prometían Isaac y los alquimistas? ¿Una resurrección del alma a través de la transmutación de la carne?
Isaac, en sus conversaciones, hablaba del láudano como una herramienta divina. Explicaba cómo los alcaloides, combinados con polvos de oro y perlas molidas, podían abrir las puertas de la percepción y conectar al hombre con lo eterno. Farid, que a menudo escuchaba estas discusiones en silencio, le lanzó una mirada que Alberto no supo interpretar. ¿Era compasión? ¿Escepticismo? Alberto no podía evitar sentir que Farid sabía más de lo que decía.
El Torbellino de Elías y las Decisiones de Alberto
En una reunión en la biblioteca de Casa de Dante, Isaac mencionó a Elías, el profeta que ascendió al cielo en un torbellino: “Elías sube al cielo en un torbellino,” dijo, y sus palabras se mezclaron con el humo de las lámparas y el aroma de los manuscritos antiguos. Alberto se preguntó si él también podría encontrar su torbellino, su escape de un mundo que le parecía cada vez más sombrío. Pensó en el Salmo: “No dejarás a tu siervo en el Seol ni permitirás que tu santo vea corrupción.” ¿Podría salvarse? ¿O estaba destinado a hundirse más en las sombras de su propia alma?
La Redención o la Perdición
Al final de la velada, Isaac le pidió a Alberto que cantara. Farid lo acompañó con el oud, y juntos llenaron la sala de una música que parecía venir de otro mundo. Los ojos de Farid se encontraron con los de Alberto, y por un momento, el exorcista sintió una paz que no había experimentado en años. Pero cuando terminó la canción, la inquietud volvió. Sabía que su búsqueda no estaba cerca de terminar.
Mientras caminaba de regreso a su habitación, las palabras de 2 Macabeos lo acompañaron como un eco: “Oraron por los difuntos.” Quizá su búsqueda no era por la inmortalidad, sino por redención. Quizá, pensó, todo lo que podía hacer era orar, no por su alma, sino por la de aquellos que había amado y perdido. Pero incluso eso le parecía un acto de fe que ya no estaba seguro de poseer.
En la ventana, la luna bañaba Roma con su luz pálida. Más allá de la Isla de los Locos, podía ver el reflejo de las antorchas en el Tíber, y se preguntó si esa ciudad de Rómulo y Remo alguna vez había sido más que un sueño. Con el rostro iluminado por la luz plateada, susurró las palabras del Eclesiastés: “Todo lo que te viniere a la mano para hacer, hazlo según tus fuerzas.”
Esa noche, Alberto durmió profundamente, pero en sus sueños, el Valle de los Huesos lo esperaba una vez más. Y en el horizonte, un torbellino comenzaba a formarse.