48: When Kenn, Damion and Stratford returned safely to the hotel, everyone was amazed to see Damion walking around with his own body. They were used to seeing him merely as Kenn's reflection.
Mina walked up to Damion and gave him a hug. "It's good to finally meet you in person. From all that Kenn talks about you, I feel as if I already know you."
"And I bet it feels good not having to get the chills whenever I'm around."
"Yes, you are quite warm to the touch."
Kenn brought in Daniel's body from his trunk. The stage was set for the final act of the plan that the Untaken had formulated. Actually, a stage literally was set. The Maine Eleven Company was booked for a gig tonight at the Hotel of Wonders. They had an integral part to play in the plan to overcome the Revenant and the Defectors.
Daniel had said that the Collective's lifeforce behaves much like the concept of chi. It was all around in the air now that it was no longer in Daniel's body. His sacrifice had served the purpose of distracting Rend while Kenn aimed his shot, but also had a much more important function. It freed the Collective spirits from their bodily confinement. Tonight they would have new homes.
Bill was very familiar with the concept of chi. It was a form of energy. It could be channeled. It could be focused and concentrated. "A literal translation of chi is life breath. All we need is a vessel to contain the life force. To give a body to these spirits. Since everything will eventually turn to dust, it doesn't matter what the vessel consists of. The spirits will give it life. In the beginning, God formed Adam out of the dust of the Earth. Then he put into him the breath of life."
"What about the rocks outside on the lawn?" asked Barney.
"Yes, that would be perfect. Daniel said that there are nine hundred, five spirits of the Collective. Have several people go out to gather the rocks and arrange them here in the auditorium." There was another more grim task that needed to be tended to. Now that Kenn and Damion had returned with Daniel's body, several of the men set to draining the body of its blood. This vital fluid was collected and brushed onto each of the rocks with paint brushes. These would not be ordinary people being given life to tonight.
Alexander looked doubtful as to the whole idea of playing to a bunch of rocks. "OK, so I understand this chi thing, but how are we going to channel it into the rocks?" he asked. "I've heard of rock concerts, but this is ridiculous. You mean these rocks are supposed to come alive?"
Bill looked at him compassionately. "In the orient, we believe that we can get our chi to flow if we have a pure focus. That can come from meditation or from passionate activity. I doubt any of us know to to meditate. But you do know passionate activity. When you are performing onstage, you are pouring forth your energy with passion and intensity. That energy is 'infectious' as they say. At your concerts, it really gets the crowd energized. It screams out of your pores, out of your fingers, your eyes, your mouth. Every ounce of your being explodes with raw power. It's electricity in its purest form. The life energy all around you will gravitate toward you and be propelled out of you and penetrate everything in its path. That life energy right now is filled with the spirits of the Collective and it will saturate and possess these rocks, giving them life."
"Shit. Well, I'll believe it when I see it," replied Alex.
Bill smiled. "Alexander, you are forgetting the element of faith. Buddha once said that 'Faith is the encouragement when one's way is long and wearisome, and it leads to enlightenment.' It is easy to believe when you can see. My philosophy is 'To believe is to see.' You will only see something once you believe that you will."
"Yeah, you know. Well, I've got to go warm up and tune my guitar."
"Yes, go get ready for the show. I know you will let your chi flow."
"Dude, did you say, 'Chief Lowe?'" asked Lowe Freq.
"No," Bill laughed, "but I think that's what I will call you if you don't mind. I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping to rescue my wife. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who helped, including you, Chief Lowe." Beside him, Sandy, who was still weak, beamed with joy at the men who had helped her.
She licked her lips to moisten them and said, "I hope that you all will have an iced A." The band surged with pride and a renewed sense of confidence.
Mina walked up to Damion and gave him a hug. "It's good to finally meet you in person. From all that Kenn talks about you, I feel as if I already know you."
"And I bet it feels good not having to get the chills whenever I'm around."
"Yes, you are quite warm to the touch."
Kenn brought in Daniel's body from his trunk. The stage was set for the final act of the plan that the Untaken had formulated. Actually, a stage literally was set. The Maine Eleven Company was booked for a gig tonight at the Hotel of Wonders. They had an integral part to play in the plan to overcome the Revenant and the Defectors.
Daniel had said that the Collective's lifeforce behaves much like the concept of chi. It was all around in the air now that it was no longer in Daniel's body. His sacrifice had served the purpose of distracting Rend while Kenn aimed his shot, but also had a much more important function. It freed the Collective spirits from their bodily confinement. Tonight they would have new homes.
Bill was very familiar with the concept of chi. It was a form of energy. It could be channeled. It could be focused and concentrated. "A literal translation of chi is life breath. All we need is a vessel to contain the life force. To give a body to these spirits. Since everything will eventually turn to dust, it doesn't matter what the vessel consists of. The spirits will give it life. In the beginning, God formed Adam out of the dust of the Earth. Then he put into him the breath of life."
"What about the rocks outside on the lawn?" asked Barney.
"Yes, that would be perfect. Daniel said that there are nine hundred, five spirits of the Collective. Have several people go out to gather the rocks and arrange them here in the auditorium." There was another more grim task that needed to be tended to. Now that Kenn and Damion had returned with Daniel's body, several of the men set to draining the body of its blood. This vital fluid was collected and brushed onto each of the rocks with paint brushes. These would not be ordinary people being given life to tonight.
Alexander looked doubtful as to the whole idea of playing to a bunch of rocks. "OK, so I understand this chi thing, but how are we going to channel it into the rocks?" he asked. "I've heard of rock concerts, but this is ridiculous. You mean these rocks are supposed to come alive?"
Bill looked at him compassionately. "In the orient, we believe that we can get our chi to flow if we have a pure focus. That can come from meditation or from passionate activity. I doubt any of us know to to meditate. But you do know passionate activity. When you are performing onstage, you are pouring forth your energy with passion and intensity. That energy is 'infectious' as they say. At your concerts, it really gets the crowd energized. It screams out of your pores, out of your fingers, your eyes, your mouth. Every ounce of your being explodes with raw power. It's electricity in its purest form. The life energy all around you will gravitate toward you and be propelled out of you and penetrate everything in its path. That life energy right now is filled with the spirits of the Collective and it will saturate and possess these rocks, giving them life."
"Shit. Well, I'll believe it when I see it," replied Alex.
Bill smiled. "Alexander, you are forgetting the element of faith. Buddha once said that 'Faith is the encouragement when one's way is long and wearisome, and it leads to enlightenment.' It is easy to believe when you can see. My philosophy is 'To believe is to see.' You will only see something once you believe that you will."
"Yeah, you know. Well, I've got to go warm up and tune my guitar."
"Yes, go get ready for the show. I know you will let your chi flow."
"Dude, did you say, 'Chief Lowe?'" asked Lowe Freq.
"No," Bill laughed, "but I think that's what I will call you if you don't mind. I never got a chance to properly thank you for helping to rescue my wife. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you who helped, including you, Chief Lowe." Beside him, Sandy, who was still weak, beamed with joy at the men who had helped her.
She licked her lips to moisten them and said, "I hope that you all will have an iced A." The band surged with pride and a renewed sense of confidence.
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