Chapter 58: A Train of Thought
The next day, a Monday morning.
Klein, who had the day off, didn't leave home and gave Melissa his letter directed to Mentor Cohen Quentin. He entrusted her with the job of mailing the letter at the post office near the Tingen Technical School, where she studied.
After breakfast, he slept in to make up for the lack of sleep caused by the previous night's "work." He only woke up because of his stomach's grumblings close to noon.
Klein drew the curtains, lit up the gas lamp, and cogitated for half an hour. After practicing his Spiritual Vision, spirit dowsing, and dowsing rod for half an hour, he spent another hour mentally reviewing the mysticism knowledge he had gained recently.
He made sure he was in an optimal state of mind as he prepared for the Tarot Gathering.
Klein didn't wait for the clock to strike three but planned to enter the area above the gray fog ahead of time and seize the chance to explore the place thoroughly.
As Klein stood in an empty spot in his room and started walking counterclockwise, he suddenly worried that Justice and The Hanged Man had yet to enter a suitable environment and thought of a particular matter.
Would they be disturbed or discovered?
He had previously mentioned allowing Justice and The Hanged Man to apply for "leave" ahead of time if they needed to be absent from the Gathering for some reason, such as being unable to find time alone or unexpected circumstances.
He now found inspiration from ritualistic magic.
"Ritualistic magic borrows the powers of others by seeking the help of different existences. Similar incantations would make it clear who it is directed to in the beginning, such as the Evernight Goddess or the Lady of Crimson. It would be a description of the unknown and clandestine existences.
Then, can I amend the chant and redirect the beginning of the chant towards myself?
Directed at me...
This way, even if Justice and The Hanged Man conduct the ritual in different locations, I would receive their messages."
Klein felt a fresh insight as he began analyzing the likelihood of the method working.
"There are two difficulties. First, I am not an incredibly strong high-level Sequencer. Even if the description of the incantation was directed to me, I couldn't possibly receive the 'request.'
Second, how can I ensure that the description of the chant is directed at me accurately and doesn't stray away and hit some other unknown existence that fits the description?"
Klein paced back and forth, deep in thought for a possible workable solution. Then, he naturally linked the matter with the mysterious world of the gray fog.
"Even if I can't receive the message, that doesn't mean the gray fog can't. Its connection with the crimson stars can 'drag' a person into the space directly, regardless of where they are in the physical world.
I could consider tying myself to the mysterious space together during the directed description...
Even though I might not immediately receive the 'request' when the other party is holding the ritual, I will still be able to see the corresponding messages whenever I enter the gray fog."
Klein felt that his idea was worth a try.
Hmm, what kind of description could be used to precisely direct a message to me and to the gray fog world?
He had an incantation that would definitely work. It was the Loen translation of 'Blessings Stem from The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth.' But herein lies the problem: he would lose control of the gray fog and lose his leading role. He could only exclude it.
'Fool from an alternate world'? No way. It is too revealing; there is almost no other existence that fits the criteria, and it would also expose me... Klein thought of one incantation after another, but he crossed off each one.
After about seven to eight minutes, he finally decided on the description of the first paragraph.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era."
It was obviously not accurate enough; therefore, Klein quickly added, "The mysterious ruler above the gray fog."
The combination of the two lines practically limited it to him. Furthermore, he had tied the gray fog to him.
"It's still a little short. I cannot eliminate the possibility that there are multiple spaces and rulers above the gray fog or that it might be directed to the spirit world..." Klein planned on making it more certain.
He thought for a full minute and finally decided on the last part of the description.
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck!"
It shared a similar meaning to "Blessings Stem From The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth." If the incantation purely depended on that part of the description, it might end up being directed away and provoking unknown, dangerous existences. But with the first two lines as a limitation and his experience of arriving above the fog through a similar incantation, it would result in a perfect lock on.
Klein wasn't sure if casting the ritualistic magic with those three descriptions would be effective, but he was definite that it would not attract the attention of another existence and that it wouldn't throw Justice and The Hanged Man into danger.
Klein heaved out a long sigh and recited the incantation that he had decided upon.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era, you are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog; you are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
He nodded his head slightly and took out his pocket watch to confirm the time.
"It's already 2:58." Without further thought, Klein put away his watch and entered Cogitation. Soon he chanted and took four steps counterclockwise to form a square.
The heart-stirring roaring noises were heard once again. He felt a throbbing pain that caused him to be manic and irrational.
Klein controlled himself using Cogitation and ignored the voices. The muttering and murmurs receded, and his body became ethereal, along with his spirituality.
The vast gray fog appeared before his sight and the crimson stars at varying distances.
Above the gray fog stood the palace, lofty and towering like the home of a giant. It was as though it had been there for ten million years at least.
All Klein did was will it, disappearing from where he was and reappearing at the Seat of Honor at the long bronze table with twenty-two high-back chairs.
"The effect of the ritual is definitely fixed." Klein muttered and allowed thick fog to engulf him. According to the description of The Hanged Man, if Justice had become a Spectator, it would be best not to reveal any of his mannerisms before her.
Without any time for exploring, Klein extended his right hand and formed an invisible connection, connecting him to the two familiar crimson stars.
…
On the roaring blue waves of the Sonia Sea, an ancient sailboat was sailing along the wind.
Alger Wilson locked himself in the captain's cabin with the ghost ship providing him protection.
He opened his pocket watch and laid it next to the brass sextant. Soon there was an explosion of crimson before him, ignoring the layers and layers of protection he had placed over himself.
...
Backlund, Empress Borough
Audrey Hall lay against a down-feather pillow and glanced at the yellow paper in her hand.
Her gaze was calm and cool, as if she were waiting for a play to begin.
...
Above the gray fog, in the magnificent palace, on the ancient and mottled long bronze table.
Klein had already activated his Spiritual Vision and looked over when Audrey Hall's figure began to form. He was not surprised to see that the colors in her aura had blended together, pure and serene, like a lake that was clear and reflective.
She really did become a Beyonder. Klein was about to move his gaze away when he saw the chair belonging to Miss Justice change.
The bright stars on the back of the chair moved swiftly, forming an illusory constellation as the symbol that represented "Giant Dragon"!
Spectator... Giant Dragon... Next, Klein looked over at the constellation on the back of The Hanged Man's chair.
It had not changed, but now that Klein had grasped the basics of mysticism, he wasn't as ignorant as before and could recognize that it was the symbol of "Windstorm."
Sailor... Keeper of the Sea... Windstorm...
The color deep in The Hanged Man's aura is much purer than it was... Has he advanced? Oh yeah, what about the symbol behind my chair?
Klein did not look and rapped the edge of the long table thrice and smiled as he said, "Congratulations, Miss Justice; you are a Beyonder now."
He can tell straight away? Audrey was a bit stunned but smiled faintly. "Thank you, Mr. Fool, and thank you, Mr. Hanged Man."
"That was much faster than I thought," Alger Wilson said.
Klein swept his gaze over the two and asked. "Lady, sir, have either of you found any clues on Roselle's diary?"