THE GRAND TEMPLE OF HARIKAR.
Twelve of the most handsome priests and priestesses constituted the
guard of twin-souls in waiting to the goddess, and these escorted her
into the grand court of the temple palace. Over a gigantic archway
were sculptured the words "Dya Pateis omt Ami Cair," which meant "Two
Bodies and One Soul." This was the motto of Egyplosis, the expression
of ideal friendship and indicative of a system of life the reverse of
that of the outer world of Atvatabar, which had for its motto, "One
Body and Two Souls."
The architecture of the supernal palace was of amazing proportions and
solid grandeur. Its aggregation of temples was sculptured out of one
mighty block of pale green marble. The vast quadrangle seemed a
tempest of imagination and art, whose temples, terraces and towers
were the expression of the infinite souls that formed them. The color
of the stone was beautifully relieved by broad bands of the vermilion
metal terrelium, that plated the walls with several parallel friezes,
which lent an amazing splendor to the scene, and made us feel as
though we were entering some palace of eternity, where magnificence
has no end.
We had no time to examine the marvels spread before our delighted
eyes, for, on the conclusion of our reception by the great officers of
the palace, we were conducted to chambers set apart for our use, to
rest and refresh ourselves to witness the exercises attending the
installation of a twin-soul on the following day.
The chief temple at Egyplosis was interiorly of semi-circular shape,
like a Greek theatre, five hundred feet in width. It was covered like
the pantheon with a sculptured roof and dome of many-colored glass.
The roof was one hundred and thirty feet above the lowest tier of
seats beneath or one hundred feet above the level of the highest seats
beneath. The walls were laboriously sculptured dado and field and
frieze, with bas-reliefs of the same character as the golden throne of
the gods that stood at the centre of the semi-circle.
The dado was thirty-two feet in height, on which were carved the
emblems of every possible machine, implement or invention that
conferred supremacy over nature in idealized grandeur. Battles of
flying wayleals and races of bockhockids were carved in grand
confusion. It was a splendid reunion of science and art.
Higher up the field space, which was fifty feet in height, was broken
by a gallery or cloister behind a tier of splendid pillars, themselves
carved with the emblems of art. The hidden wall, as well as those
portions above and below the cloister between dado and frieze, were
covered with endless representations of the creations of art. Heroic
eurythmic figures representing poetry, music, painting, architecture,
etc., formed a mighty symposium.
Highest of all, the enormous frieze, fully sixteen feet in width, was
one mighty band of solid terrelium. This had been cast in plates
having sculptured symbols in high relief of the sublime emblems of
Harikar, and portrayed scenes from the idealities and mysteries of
Egyplosis.
There were represented the fine and perfect figures of magicians in
the midst of their incantations, of sorcerers raising souls to life
again; there were visions of the sorcery of love in all its moods, and
of the rapt practices of twin-souls generating a creative force in
batteries of spirit power.
Above all rose the dome whose lights were fadeless. The pavement of
the temple had been chiselled in the form of a longitudinal hollow
basin, containing a series of wide terraces of polished stone, whereon
were placed divans of the richest upholstery. In each divan sat a
winged twin-soul, priest and priestess, the devotees of hopeless love.
On the throne itself sat Lyone, the supreme goddess, in the semi-nude
splendor of the pantheon, arranged with tiara and jewelled belt and
flowing skirt of sea-green aquelium lace. She made a picture divinely
entrancing and noble. Supporting the throne was an immense pedestal of
polished marble, fully one hundred feet in diameter and twenty feet in
height, which stood upon a wide and elevated pavement of solid silver,
whereon the priests and priestesses officiated in the services to the
goddess. On crimson couches sat their majesties the king and queen of
Atvatabar, together with the great officers of the realm. Next to the
royal group myself and the officers and seamen of the _Polar King_
occupied seats of honor. Behind, around and above us, filling the
immense temple, rose the concave mass of twin-souls numbering ten
thousand individuals, each seated with counterpart soul.
As I gazed on those happy terraces of life, youth, love and beauty, I
felt exhilarated with the sensations the scene gave rise to.
The garments of both priests and priestesses were fashioned in a style
somewhat resembling the decorative dresses seen on Greek and Japanese
vases, yet wholly original in design. In many cases the priestesses
were swathed in transparent tissues that revealed figures like pale
olive gold within.
The grand sorcerer Charka and the grand sorceress Thoubool occupied a
conspicuous divan upholstered with cloth of gold. The sorceress was a
grand beauty, neither blond nor brunette, but her complexion would,
chameleon-like, change from a rosy white to a clear golden hue. Her
hair was bright copper, gleaming like strands of metal. Her eyes
changed color incessantly, being successively blue and black.
Her robe was a pale green silk, bound at the waist with a heavy
cincture of gold. She wore a necklace of many-colored gems.
The grand sorcerer wore a robe of moss-green velvet embroidered with
appliqued white silk lace, resembling lotus bloom. Both wore diadems
of emeralds. Other twin-souls were arrayed in equally splendid attire,
and seated on couches whose upholstery accentuated or harmonized with
their fair occupants. Whatever the color selected, I observed that
each twin-soul priest and priestess wore robes of a consanguineous
hue, however the individual stuffs might vary in texture or quality. I
also observed that in no case were the laws of taste in color
violated, and unerring instinct had guided every priest and priestess
in achieving the most piquant harmonies of color. With garments in
simultaneous contrast each twin-soul sat on a couch upholstered in
fabrics in pure contrast of color.
How I wished some great painter of the outer world could transfer to
canvas that conflagration of beauty.
Several twin-souls, with garments that seemed beaten gold, reclined on
black velvet couches beside us. On an immense divan of white velvet
near by sat a group of priests and priestesses arrayed in stuffs that
were the strangest tones of purple, brown, violet, green, and red. A
twin-soul in golden maize sat on a dark purple couch. A twin-soul in
ecru sat on a salmon-colored couch, while a twin-soul in myosotis blue
reposed on a couch of the color of Australian gold. Celibates and
vestals in russet robes luxuriated on couches of magnolia green.
It was evident their artists possessed a happy skill in creating such
harmonies of costume. Sculptor, upholsterer and _couturiere_ formed
the trinity of genius that wrought marvels of form and color.
Harikar, the Holy Soul, was the deity, who was symbolized by the
goddess, and ministered to by such a retinue of souls. No doubt
Harikar was mightily pleased at such a tribute of wealth, love and
beauty. As far as an individual could appreciate such splendor, I must
testify it was an eminently thrilling oblation.
The votaries themselves were no solitary ascetics who practised heroic
mortifications to obtain dominion over life or nature. Instead of the
pale devotee who in other creed cultivates the desire to get away from
all things earthly, and whose every effort is to extinguish pleasure
in life, every theopath of Harikar cultivated a Greek perfection of
body, as well as a Gothic intensity of soul. By what powerful
incantation were the priests of Egyplosis able to overcome the law of
the outer world, that all joy must be paid for in pain, and that the
joy was nearly always too dear at the price given?