0:00

Greetings and welcome , dear citizens

0:03

of Elysium . You are

0:05

listening to Elysium Public Radio

0:07

. I am your host , asteria

0:09

Blackwell , and this is

0:11

Stories from the Lost Library . Now

0:15

, before we begin , we always

0:18

start with a warning , and , yes

0:20

, I realize the irony , for in

0:22

the golden days we would always start with

0:24

an honored prayer to the muses for

0:26

a memorable tale . But

0:28

in these modern times , warnings

0:30

have replaced prayers and our lawyers

0:33

are insistent . So take

0:36

this warning as our opening prayer . This

0:39

library , these stories , this

0:41

missive , this community

0:43

is a safe and sacred space . Keep

0:46

all swords , daggers , poison

0:49

, ignorance and hate to yourself

0:51

, for they have no place here . We

0:54

are all seeking peace and softness

0:56

. There will be

0:58

no tolerance for hateful words and

1:00

comments , general rudeness

1:02

, patriarchal and colonialist

1:04

attitudes and those afflicted

1:07

with the disorder of having their mouth be

1:09

larger than their brains . There

1:12

is no guarantee every story

1:14

here will be a happy one . In

1:16

fact , some will be downright awful , or

1:19

the muses forbid boring

1:21

. But what you consider

1:23

boring and awful may not be

1:25

to someone else . That

1:28

is the nature of storytelling . Not

1:30

every story is for you . I

1:33

am high priestess of these hallowed halls

1:35

. I am king of this space

1:37

. My word is law , and

1:39

the law is that all are welcome

1:41

here , and I truly mean all

1:44

, every gender , every race

1:46

, every background and every

1:48

inclination . If you cannot

1:50

abide by my laws , then please

1:52

go roll in the mud with the rest of the pigs

1:55

somewhere else . As for

1:57

the rest of us , welcome . You

1:59

are meant to find your way here , to

2:10

find your way here . Welcome back all . It is a pleasure having you here . I have so much to share

2:12

with you this week . I want to start off by saying how

2:14

eternally grateful and happy

2:17

it makes me to see so

2:19

many souls spending time in

2:21

our library . Like

2:23

I mentioned last time , people are

2:26

making this into a wonderful gathering

2:28

place and we have decided to embrace

2:30

that energy . With

2:32

that , I am pleased to

2:35

announce the opening of the Ambrosia

2:37

Cafe , located inside

2:39

the Lost Library . The

2:41

Ambrosia Cafe is helmed by

2:44

the amazing Lady Phryne

2:46

and her wonderful baristas , who

2:48

are here to offer you a wide selection

2:51

of beverages , everything

2:53

from the popular coffee based drinks

2:55

to a selection of lovely

2:57

hand blended teas . Plus

3:00

, they offer the ever popular

3:02

Jug of Wine from the Dionysus

3:05

Wineries . And let's not forget

3:07

to mention the selection of beers

3:09

, meads and ports , and

3:12

this is most exciting . But

3:14

our baristas have developed a

3:16

line of blood-based drinks

3:18

for the discerning vampires and undead

3:21

among us . Vampires and undead among us . Those

3:23

new concoctions range from

3:25

flavored , spiced and

3:34

supercharged , and can be made iced or warm . Partnering with Franny and the Ambrosia Cafe

3:36

is Chef Will Blake , who many of you will recognize

3:38

as the werewolf who owns and runs

3:41

the highly popular Flea Bite

3:43

Bakery down in the Arts District

3:45

. He is bringing us

3:47

tasty treats such as pastries

3:49

, sandwiches and organic treats

3:51

for everyone , whether you are human

3:54

, animal or something in between

3:56

. The Ambrosia

3:58

Cafe is located in the north

4:01

reading space and is open now

4:03

. We have plenty of comfortable

4:05

tables and chairs , and we even have

4:08

real plates and napkins to cut

4:10

down on paper waste Plus

4:12

. It's just so much more

4:14

civilized . We

4:17

have dedicated the cafe area

4:19

and that North Reading space

4:21

as the place for any patrons

4:23

who wish to have lively conversations

4:25

and hold meetings of groups . In

4:29

equal turn , the west reading

4:31

space is now our silent

4:33

space . If you are like me

4:36

and get distracted when the coffee

4:38

bean grinder goes off every few minutes

4:40

, then you will absolutely love

4:42

this area . We have brought

4:45

in some quality , overstuffed furniture

4:47

, the kind that just invites you

4:49

to sink in and relax , and

4:52

I must say from personal experience

4:55

that those chairs are quite addicting

4:57

, especially when you have a good

4:59

cup of tea and a good book . I

5:02

find that bad moods evaporate

5:04

in moments when I'm there . Of

5:07

course , do not worry , for we

5:09

still have the moss chairs and meadows

5:11

to sit in , yes , but it's

5:13

also nice to have proper chairs

5:15

and couches and tables . Some

5:18

of us do have rather bad knees

5:20

and stiff backs after putting on

5:22

miles of adventures . And

5:25

speaking of updating

5:27

our spaces , this is terribly

5:29

exciting . Two massive

5:32

fireplaces appeared overnight

5:34

last week . One rose

5:37

up in the west silent space

5:39

and the other between

5:41

the cafe and the farm meadows

5:43

, other between the cafe and the farm meadows . We have added

5:45

a variety of new lamps and rugs

5:47

, and when we came in the next morning

5:50

, the

5:54

library had decided to add to the ambiance itself by dreaming to life these amazingly

5:56

carved mantles with roaring fires

5:58

. The flames have been going

6:01

strong for over a week now and

6:03

they've yet to dim or slow down . You

6:06

can sit as close as

6:08

you like to the flame without getting

6:10

too warm , and they smell

6:13

of soft Palo Santo and

6:15

evergreen . There

6:17

are always patrons to be found

6:19

now near the fires , basking

6:22

in the soft magic of this space

6:24

, reading in solidarity

6:26

under our starry domed ceiling . It's

6:29

utterly magical . I

6:32

mentioned last time that so many exciting

6:34

book clubs and learning communities

6:37

are forming here , and we have

6:39

new ones that crop up daily . Just

6:42

today , for example , we had one

6:44

club meet that is reading

6:46

a spicy gay pirate romance

6:48

novel , and then there was another

6:51

one that is choosing to dive into

6:53

first-hand accounts of great naval

6:55

battles in history . That

6:58

naval group is quite

7:00

rowdy . I have never heard so

7:02

many heated arguments over ships in

7:04

my entire life . Everyone

7:07

who comes through the doors here

7:09

are so passionate about something

7:11

, and I am glad we can offer space

7:14

for that . Also

7:17

. One of our resident squirrel

7:19

patrons brought up the notion of

7:21

having a seed library , which

7:24

is a repository of all sorts

7:26

of seeds , acorns and

7:28

assorted items . I

7:30

thought this was a fabulous idea , so

7:32

we have set up a space near the main checkout

7:35

desk where you can take or leave seeds

7:37

as you wish . Right

7:40

now we have a plethora of selections

7:42

. There are plenty of pomegranate

7:44

seeds and narcissus and hyacinth

7:47

. Oh , and we even

7:49

have some of those lovely whirligig

7:52

seeds from Yggdrasil , the

7:54

world tree . So you can start your

7:56

own world tree , but

7:58

just make sure you have space for it . Dears

8:01

, they do tend to grow rather large

8:03

. So for those

8:05

of you with a longing for greenery

8:08

and growth and good dark dirt

8:10

, come on by and help yourself

8:12

. One

8:15

housekeeping note I do need to pass

8:17

along . We've had quite

8:19

the uptick in souls coming

8:21

in to partake in solo

8:23

and or group rituals

8:25

and or orgies in

8:27

the forest depths . We

8:30

welcome everyone , of course , but please

8:32

do stop by the main desk

8:34

to arrange a reservation with me

8:36

so we know you are here and

8:39

we can add you to our schedule

8:41

of events if you wish . Plus

8:44

, this will help to ensure no one

8:46

stumbles onto your ritual unintended

8:48

, unless you want them to

8:50

. All

8:55

right , dear listeners , I want to

8:57

follow up on a topic we discussed

8:59

in our last episode . I

9:02

mentioned I had received a letter from

9:04

someone at the university who had

9:06

concerns about our library

9:08

and my credentials . I

9:11

extended an invitation to the university

9:13

for them to come and speak with

9:15

me directly and I'm happy to report

9:17

that I had a large group of academics take

9:20

me up on that offer and

9:22

it was a wonderful meeting . We

9:25

have come to the arrangement that if their

9:27

papers and books are included

9:29

in our library , well then they

9:31

have no objections at all , which

9:33

is lovely . They

9:36

will work up a classification and notation

9:39

system for the library's offering on

9:41

their end and they designated

9:43

a liaison who will help coordinate

9:45

between the lost library and the university

9:48

. Her name is Cassie and

9:50

she is quite lovely and , frankly

9:52

, one of the most intelligent people

9:54

I've come across in many years

9:56

people

10:01

I've come across in many years . This liaison role is part of her dissertation studies and she'll

10:03

be the one to reach out to you if you have questions in that realm . The

10:07

ever-increasing number of individuals

10:10

who are here to help to be part

10:12

of this amazing space has

10:14

been nothing short of extraordinary . And

10:17

you know , dear listeners , I was

10:20

thinking last night of ways that

10:22

we could best channel that excitement

10:24

and energy into something life-changing

10:27

, into something that can do

10:29

good wherever it goes , and

10:32

I'm considering if this is the

10:34

right time to begin a special group

10:36

of acolytes , a good old-fashioned

10:39

mystery cult , if you will . Now

10:42

, some of us who have been here for

10:44

eons are very familiar

10:46

with a wide variety of mystery

10:48

cults , and I mean , who hasn't

10:51

been to a Dionysian mystery cult

10:53

party and gotten so drunk

10:55

you swear you were dancing with Dionysus

10:57

himself and you hear the stars

11:00

sing in joy ? And well

11:02

, you know all of the other perks

11:04

that come from a good Dionysus cult party

11:06

. Those of you

11:08

who have never had the pleasure should

11:11

know that a mystery cult is a

11:13

group of like-minded souls who have

11:15

converted their passions into devotion

11:18

and , if called , ecstatic

11:20

ritual . This is a secret

11:23

society , so to speak , where we

11:25

will form our own bonds and make

11:28

our own rules and rituals as we

11:30

dive deep into the mystery and

11:32

ecstasy of the act of learning

11:34

and holding stories sacred

11:36

. Perhaps

11:39

we can begin by naming it the

11:41

Lost Library Mystery Cult . If

11:44

anyone is interested , please see me at

11:46

the front desk . If

11:48

you're listening and cannot make it to the library

11:50

, then please email me at priestess

11:52

at lostlibraryofeliseumcom

11:55

. There will be a mystery

11:57

cult level available on our sub stack

11:59

with our own private channels of communication

12:02

. Okay

12:08

, now for some announcements . On

12:11

behalf of the Elysium Town

12:13

Council and the Elysium Activities

12:15

Board , I am elated that

12:18

I get to announce the 2,524th

12:22

Great Dionysia Festival will

12:25

take place later this spring . Yes

12:27

, this is amazing news

12:30

to be back in full swing

12:32

. The Great Dionysia

12:34

, which many also refer to

12:36

as the City Dionysia , is

12:38

a renowned playwriting competition

12:41

, and what is even more

12:43

thrilling is that this year the

12:45

Great Dionysia will be happening

12:47

right alongside the Olympic

12:50

Games . There will be so much

12:52

going on this summer . I cannot

12:54

believe it . Of

12:56

course , the Olympic Games

12:58

happen every four years and

13:00

are for anyone who wishes to sign

13:03

up . There will always be

13:05

the classic games , such as wrestling

13:07

, running and all of that , but

13:09

new sports are being added in

13:11

this time , so be on the

13:13

lookout for golf , synchronized

13:16

swimming and water polo . Clothing

13:19

, as always , is completely optional

13:22

, but the pros know it just slows

13:24

you down . Now

13:26

, as we mentioned earlier , the city

13:28

Dionysia will take place in its

13:30

usual location , at the amphitheater

13:33

, in the evenings , after the games

13:35

have concluded . For the day , you

13:38

can expect a whole slew of new

13:40

plays , both comedies and

13:42

tragedies , for your entertainment , and

13:45

I know I'm going to get emails

13:48

from Oscar Hammerstein , but

13:50

there is no musical section

13:52

. I'm terribly sorry . You

13:55

will just have to take that up with the event

13:57

organizers . I'm sorry , and

14:00

I could share the fantastic news , which

14:03

is , after decades of letters

14:05

and public shaming , the organizers

14:08

have finally agreed to

14:10

implement a women's play competition

14:12

. I don't see

14:14

why they won't let women enter the main

14:16

event unless they're worried

14:18

they'll get soundly beaten . But

14:20

progress is progress

14:23

, even if it's only a publicity step

14:25

. So , ladies , sharpen

14:27

your quills and get cracking . You

14:29

have some haters to squash . I

14:33

don't know about you , but I am most looking

14:35

forward to seeing what William Shakespeare

14:37

will bring this year . Last

14:39

year , as many of you may remember , he

14:42

and his boyfriend Kit Marlowe took

14:44

first place with the hilarious Witches

14:46

of Ilium , breaking Sophocles'

14:49

38-year-long first place

14:51

streak . The buzz around

14:54

the Witches of Ilium has not quite

14:56

died down yet , even today , and

14:58

I must say it is still one of my

15:00

favorite productions . Oh

15:03

, and I almost forgot to mention another

15:06

change this year no one

15:08

will be eaten by lions if you

15:10

place less than fifth . Yes

15:13

, I know , it was putting such a damper

15:15

on a great time , so instead

15:17

just expect endless ridicule

15:20

instead of being mauled by hungry lions

15:22

. And for those of

15:24

you who are more hands-on , the

15:26

city Dionysia is in need of people

15:29

to construct sets , costumes

15:31

and masks . Oh , and ticket

15:33

takers , of course , and the

15:35

Olympic Games will also need hands

15:37

for tickets and events set up . So please

15:40

do sign up if you wish to be involved

15:42

. No

15:54

prior experience is needed , but we do need some people who know how to

15:56

use some tools and such . Now let's hear

15:58

an update from our wonderful oracle , big Midge . I asked Big Midge

16:00

how her date with Brunhild went , and

16:03

here is what she had to say , in typical

16:05

Big Midge fashion Let

16:08

me sing of love , for I am tired

16:10

of singing of death , of fate and

16:13

cruelty . She is

16:15

my siren . She called out

16:17

in the darkness Find me , love

16:20

me , let me love you . We

16:23

have found each other in every

16:25

universe , in every life , and

16:28

I have written a thousand stories

16:30

for her . We are as

16:32

one , one breath , one

16:34

thought , and we are a dream

16:36

sung into life by the stars

16:38

. Thought

16:44

, and we are a dream sung into life by the stars . That

16:46

sounds amazing and everyone can hear how wildly in love she is , and I am ecstatic for the

16:48

both of them . I believe I even saw

16:51

a U-Haul in front of Big Midge's house

16:53

the other morning , which is a wonderful turn

16:55

of events . Remember

16:57

, you can send in your queries to

16:59

Big Midge via email at oracle

17:02

, at asteriablackwellcom , and

17:04

she'll reply if she has something to share

17:06

. Okay , here

17:08

we go , oracle number one . Dear

17:12

Big Midge , my grandmother

17:14

always told me to keep a birch branch

17:17

tacked above my door for banishing

17:19

and keeping away ill spirits . I've

17:22

done so without fail for years

17:25

, but my grandmother never

17:27

mentioned what to do when the

17:29

birch banishes you from your own

17:31

home . I haven't been able

17:33

to get inside my house for over

17:35

a week . Help , sincerely

17:38

Locked Out . Dear

17:42

Locked Out . Well , the

17:44

birch is doing its job . Then it seems it

17:46

sounds like you've been infected with a curse

17:49

. Have you been consorting

17:51

with the wrong sort of folk , like the ones

17:53

who voted for that orange demon in the

17:55

American elections ? Wait

17:57

, are you the one

17:59

who stuck a Trump flag out in

18:01

their front yard ? Yes

18:03

, I can see it now very clearly

18:06

Locked out . Your

18:08

house hates you and what you've

18:10

done to it . You

18:12

need to take a journey to the cleansing

18:14

waters of Excelsior Springs

18:16

and try to wash away that curse

18:18

, which is rather sticky and

18:20

often needs soap and sometimes

18:23

a lie . If that doesn't

18:25

work , I'm afraid you'll have to find

18:27

a new place to live . Sorry

18:29

, dear , that's what happens when you

18:31

consort with the wrong sort of folk . Oracle

18:37

number two Dear Big

18:39

Midge , I recently

18:41

inherited a strange small

18:43

statue from my uncle who was a

18:45

professor at the university . It

18:48

kind of looks like an octopus

18:50

, but also a dragon and

18:53

maybe a human face . It's hard

18:55

to say because it keeps shifting every

18:57

time . I look at it directly and the

19:00

issue is this thing whispers to

19:02

me every single night and

19:04

it says some really weird stuff

19:06

, like jail time weird . I

19:08

don't know what to do with this thing and my mom

19:11

says I have to keep it because it's my uncle's

19:13

and but it really creeps me out

19:15

. Help Sincerely . Going

19:18

Slowly Insane . Dear

19:21

Going Slowly Insane , please

19:24

return that to the university . They've

19:26

been looking for it and , for goodness

19:28

sakes , please do not wake it

19:30

up . It's the oldest of the old gods

19:33

and it took a lot of blood sacrifice

19:35

to get it to sleep , and so , for

19:37

the love of all , just

19:39

don't answer back . Oracle

19:44

number three . Dear

19:47

big midge , my neighbor's

19:49

rooster wakes me up every freaking

19:51

morning . I want to sleep in

19:53

, but this jerk just keeps crowing

19:55

his head off . What can

19:58

I do Sincerely ? Sleepless

20:00

in Seattle . Dear

20:03

Sleepless in Seattle . The

20:05

roosters are going to war , so they

20:07

sing out a mourning battle cry , but

20:10

then realize that that is a lot of work

20:13

and maybe it can wait another day . I'm

20:16

afraid you'll have to challenge the rooster

20:19

to a battle and let him win . All

20:28

right , let's pause and consider the

20:30

weather and what you can expect . Yggdrasil's

20:34

leaves are unfurling , so watch

20:36

out for those whirligig seeds or you

20:38

may end up with a world tree

20:40

sprouting up in your backyard . That's

20:44

how we ended up with an offshoot of

20:46

Yggdrasil growing behind the convenience

20:48

store on Washington Street , and

20:50

it's already starting to produce new

20:52

worlds . Last

20:55

night's freak light storm disrupted

20:57

the auroras , which sent hundreds

20:59

of sprites aflight . I

21:01

am hearing reports that the fireflies

21:04

have also been carried off on the electric

21:06

winds , but most are making

21:08

their way back home . We

21:10

can expect several days of odd

21:12

light flashes and hums as the

21:15

sprites and fireflies recover , and

21:18

I do have an update on that surprise

21:21

eclipse we experienced Monday

21:23

. The moon who was

21:25

originally blamed , as she usually

21:27

is , has been cleared . We

21:30

have confirmation that it was Fenrir

21:32

, the great wolf of the north , who

21:34

became a little too inebriated

21:37

on a night out and , as

21:39

we all know , when Fenrir gets

21:41

inebriated he becomes very maudlin

21:43

, and when he becomes maudlin

21:46

he eats the sun . Fenrir

21:49

is now recovering , but I hear he

21:51

has heartburn and wants everyone

21:53

to know he is sorry and

21:55

he sincerely regrets his actions

21:57

. Loki , if

21:59

you are listening , please come get

22:02

your son and maybe consider

22:04

taking him into therapy , or

22:07

just take him to a sporting

22:09

event or something . Eating

22:11

the sun is always a sign

22:13

of attention , seeking , seeking . Now

22:22

, dear listeners , I no

22:24

doubt know that you have gotten word

22:27

that Charon the

22:35

ferryman of the dead is in Elysium at this very moment . His arrival

22:37

has caused quite the stir and he has not left his ferry post since

22:39

before anyone can remember and

22:42

, frankly , no one seemed aware that

22:44

he could leave . To be honest

22:46

, it seems he has been

22:48

ferrying souls across the river

22:50

because he enjoys it . Apparently

22:53

, I must admit

22:55

, his presence here is my fault

22:58

and I apologize

23:00

to the citizens of Elysium for how upsetting

23:02

this is . You see

23:04

, when we brought our lost library

23:07

home from the Mirkwood Forest , there

23:10

was no other option but to use Caron's

23:12

Ferry , and that old wooden

23:15

boat was just not able to handle

23:17

the weight of a library . Me

23:19

and a lunamoth , I

23:22

dare say this might have been the first

23:24

library who needed to cross in

23:27

such a manner . The library

23:29

of Alexandria wafted down

23:31

to the underworld on smoke plumes

23:34

, and so did all of Troy

23:36

. Come to think of it . Atlantis

23:38

, of course , floated in , but

23:41

this boat has been in use

23:43

for eons , so I feel

23:45

like this could have been something

23:48

expected . Regardless

23:50

, the boat held up

23:52

as valiantly as it could , but

23:54

right as we neared the far shore it

23:57

cracked in two with a heavy groan , and

24:00

as soon as we stepped off , it sank

24:02

into the river . I

24:04

did offer to pay Charon for

24:06

the boat , but he demanded

24:08

that we fix it . Well

24:11

, I am a priestess and

24:13

not a boat builder . Plus

24:15

, I have no tools , and

24:17

well , that does not seem

24:19

to matter to Charon . I do

24:21

not want to speak ill of the man

24:23

, but he told me to go

24:25

look in my library for a book

24:28

on boat repair and get

24:30

on it , which seemed

24:32

rather rude . Unfortunately

24:35

, we did have unpleasant words

24:37

, and well , I'll just

24:39

say that he is still sore about

24:41

the entire situation , entire

24:46

situation so sore , in fact , that

24:49

he has walked , while carrying

24:51

the remnants of his boat , along

25:02

the shores of the Akron River , just to deposit them on my doorstep . Which now brings

25:04

me to humbly ask if we have any listeners here who

25:06

have experience with boat repair

25:08

. Any Vikings

25:10

in town , egyptians or

25:12

Phoenicians perhaps , but

25:15

please no one from the White Star

25:17

line , though I

25:19

am afraid Charon will not leave

25:22

until someone has repaired

25:24

his ferry . He has

25:26

set up a camp behind the library

25:28

and seems content to wait

25:30

it out . I fear this

25:32

will become a rather dire situation

25:35

unless some compromise

25:37

can be made . The

25:40

positive side of this is that Charon's

25:42

presence seemed to have scared off that errant

25:44

Christian who keeps trying to set the library

25:46

on fire and the water sprites

25:49

do need a rest from putting out so

25:51

many fires . I

25:53

have gone out to sit with Charon and

25:56

the remnants of his boat to

25:58

perhaps come to some agreement

26:00

. But Charon is not much

26:02

for conversation , but , surprisingly

26:05

, his boat is . Yes

26:07

, I know I was surprised too . The

26:10

boat wanted me to hear his story

26:12

, which I did with honor . So

26:15

, dear listeners , as a peace

26:18

offering to Charon and the magnificent

26:20

boat who ferried untold numbers

26:22

of souls across the dark waters

26:24

of the River Acheron and the

26:27

River Styx , here is his

26:29

story , just as he spoke

26:31

it to me . I

26:36

have waited long to tell this story . Enough

26:39

eons have passed that it feels

26:42

like my life was a dream , but

26:44

I remember the before . I

26:47

was a giant ash , once a

26:50

king , among the great trees that

26:52

overlooked a cliff on a dark

26:54

and wild northern sea . Cold

26:57

rains and blowing winds were my cradle

27:00

. As I rose up , larger and stronger

27:02

than anything around me . King

27:06

, the trees began to whisper . King

27:09

, I took

27:11

the title they offered . I

27:13

held our memories . I held

27:15

court and listened to the whispers

27:18

of the earth , to the stars

27:20

singing their songs and

27:22

of the wild life that surrounds us

27:24

. We had a peaceful

27:27

life for a long time until

27:29

the day the boats arrived . A

27:33

dozen of these long , thin boats

27:35

packed with bearded men blew

27:37

into the cove , driven by a

27:39

fierce storm . The

27:42

men washed up on the beach after

27:44

their boats shattered on the rocky shore

27:47

. Even

27:49

I swayed in that storm , so

27:51

great was it , one for

27:53

the ages . Lightning

27:55

rained down , one bolt after

27:57

another , and the wind drew of

27:59

huge waves to batter the shore

28:02

. Many souls

28:04

in the forest and the sea lost

28:06

their lives that day , but

28:09

enough of the bearded men survived

28:11

. When the skies

28:13

cleared , they raided my land

28:16

and began to hack down so many

28:18

of my denizens , only

28:21

to burn them all . Every

28:23

single one of them held stories of the

28:25

days long gone , and it

28:27

all went up to the stars , carried by

28:30

embers . My

28:32

queen shivered nearby as we

28:34

could do nothing but watch them . The

28:37

bearded men soon turned their eyes

28:40

to me and her . They

28:43

whispered of how straight and tall

28:45

the two of us were as they stacked more

28:47

and more wood on their fires

28:49

. Their eyes darted

28:52

between their broken ships and us

28:54

, calculating and planning

28:56

and talking more

28:58

over the endless fires . The

29:02

next morning at dawn , the men

29:04

advanced on us , axes drawn

29:07

. In

29:09

the end , it was only me they took , for

29:11

the sea had claimed so many of their numbers

29:14

. I had no

29:16

resistance against those weapons . None

29:18

of us did . My queen

29:20

screamed , but they could not hear

29:23

her . Yet I could

29:25

, and I still , hear the echoes of her

29:27

everywhere , even today . They

29:30

hacked and chopped and shaped . They

29:33

ran blades over every inch of me

29:35

, peeling away bark and

29:37

branches , until I resembled nothing

29:39

of what I had been before . I

29:43

was shaped into one of their boats . My

29:45

spine had been carved into

29:47

the spine of their ship . As

29:51

they pushed me out into the ocean and stepped

29:53

inside , intent on carrying

29:55

me away from everyone I had ever

29:57

known , I heard my queen

30:00

calling out to the gods , demanding justice

30:02

. They have killed our

30:04

king , my mate . Please

30:07

save him . She cried . Save

30:10

him , for he is our king , he is

30:12

worthy and I love him . One

30:16

god answered her call . I

30:19

do not know which one to this day , but

30:22

as soon as we met the open sea , a

30:24

great wave came out of nowhere and

30:26

overturned me and all of the bearded

30:28

men I carried . In one heartbeat

30:30

, the men

30:33

screamed and flailed . I

30:35

hung upside down for a long moment

30:37

, bouncing against the battering waves

30:39

, everything that had

30:41

been strapped to me fell away and sank

30:43

into the darkness . I

30:45

floated for a while , but soon the water

30:48

took hold and I began to sink

30:50

too . Bodies

30:52

of men fell alongside me

30:55

. The further we sank

30:57

, the more the darkness swallowed

30:59

us whole and till there was no hint

31:01

of the sun . I had once worshipped

31:03

son

31:11

. I had once worshipped . When I came to , I found myself washed up on a black sand beach

31:13

that was littered with debris . Items like cooking pots and

31:15

trunks and all sorts of jewelry

31:18

lay scattered about like a wreck . Muddy

31:21

water lapped at my sides and

31:23

nothing seemed like home lapped

31:25

at my sides and nothing seemed like home . After some

31:27

time I noticed a very tall

31:30

, dark figure walking along the

31:32

shore . His

31:40

slow , heavy steps were the only sound in this strange

31:42

place . He

31:44

stopped before me and

31:46

stared , just as the bearded men had done before

31:49

. Without a word , he flipped me over with one hand and dumped

31:51

out the sand and water that had gathered on my decks

31:53

. I was pushed

31:55

back into that muddy water and

31:57

he stepped inside and began to guide

32:00

me down the river . We

32:02

moved from place to place along

32:04

the banks , at first , just

32:07

picking up a few souls here and there

32:09

that seemed quite lost . Yet

32:12

every time we had dropped one group

32:14

off on the other side , we

32:17

then discovered there were a handful more

32:19

in place just waiting . So

32:22

we ferried them , this strange

32:24

man and I . He never

32:26

spoke a word to me or them

32:28

, but I enjoyed having something

32:31

to do , at least A task

32:33

Over and

32:35

over . We carried passengers without

32:37

question , without word . They

32:40

offered coins for the rides , and

32:42

soon they were too heavy for me

32:44

to carry , so the man offloaded them

32:47

to the shore . I

32:50

knew I could never go home again . I

32:52

knew I was in the underworld , this

32:54

strange place with a strange sun

32:57

. The weight of the

32:59

souls has worn down my body

33:01

, step after step , as

33:03

they traveled from one life to another

33:05

. My queen's

33:07

prayer has been answered in that , yes

33:10

, I was worthy , but

33:12

no one , not even a god

33:14

, could save me from my fate . I've

33:18

grown fond of this cranky old man

33:20

who steers me . He's

33:22

never bothered to tell me his name himself

33:25

, but he takes care of me , sweeping

33:28

the decks and repairing what can be repaired

33:30

. This is not

33:32

the life I would have chosen , but

33:34

I am content in knowing that I did

33:36

some good for someone I

33:40

do hope I can see the stars again , though

33:42

one last time . Again

33:56

, though one last time . This is our great lost library of Elysium home at last , the shining

33:58

beacon of knowledge and learning . Twice a month I will bring you

34:01

a story from the archives , so be sure

34:03

to join me as we explore this magical

34:05

world . We by

34:07

which I mean me and this library

34:09

are excited to share these stories

34:12

with you . I

34:14

welcome your feedback . Please

34:16

email me at asteria , at asteriablackwellcom

34:19

, which I will also list in the written

34:21

show notes , or stop by the

34:23

main circulation desk for a chat . My

34:27

name is Assyria Blackwell and you

34:29

have been listening to Stories from the Lost

34:31

Library on Elysium Public

34:34

Radio . ©

34:36

transcript

34:41

Emily Beynon

34:47

. This

35:11

has been a production of Elysium Public

35:13

Radio and Sandy Lynn Studio . Our

35:16

music is written and performed by Scott

35:18

Buckley . Today's story

35:20

was written and narrated by Sandy

35:22

Lynn . Follow us on

35:24

Instagram and TikTok under the

35:26

handle Asteria Blackwell For

35:29

more information on the show or

35:31

to obtain a library card for the Lost

35:34

Library of Elysium , or perhaps

35:36

to join our mystery cult . Then

35:39

find us on Substack at asteriablackwellsubstack

35:43

dot com .