The universe is a mysterious place, and it seems, the more we learn about it, the more we realise how much our eyes are still veiled in ignorance. The fathomless expanses of space are a vast waste and our fragile Earth seems a lone oasis in an overwhelming and unrelenting desert.

Yet I know, in my heart of hearts, that somewhere in the dark immensities of space and time, there are other minds and hearts than ours, other companions in the journey that life takes through countless aeons and through countless incarnations.

****

My name is Sebastian de la Reynie and this is an account of a singular experience that I had towards the end of 1905, at the close of my twenty-fifth year. Early in November of that year, I was fortunate enough to secure employment with the prestigious London firm of Arundel & Hoxton of Westminster, jewellers to the crown. My family are of old Huguenot stock and we have always been of an artistic bent. I am a graduate of the London School of Art, so rather than having to spend long years as a lowly apprentice, I was given a junior supervisory position at Arundel & Hoxton.

I was immensely happy and with a generous advance on my salary, I was able to rent comfortable rooms in the vicinity of the firm's offices and workshops. My lodgings were far more salubrious than any I had ever inhabited, complete with a spacious studio room, equipped with large ceiling windows. On clear winter nights, when in a meditative mood, I found myself often lying upon my bed and watching the moon through those windows, in all her luminous majesty.

One night, at the end of the first week in my new lodgings, an unprecedented event occurred for which I was not prepared and which has since given me much cause for wild speculation.

It was a cold, clear Friday night and, at around 11 pm, I lay in bed watching the fire in the grate and half-dosing. I had spent several pleasant hours that evening drafting designs for silverware and I was tired but content with what work I had done. By my bedside lay a volume of Swinburne's poetry from which I had, for several evenings, been reading. As I dosed and watched the fire, some poignant lines from the book entered my mind,

“The delight that his doom is forever

To seek and desire and rejoice,

And the sense that eternity never

Shall silence his voice……..”

At that moment, as I shut my eyes, I was filled with a great yearning, an earnest and commanding passion to seek and to discover some secret of the universe, some sublime truth that has resonated throughout eternity but has hitherto lain beyond the feeble comprehension of man. I did not frame this wish with the selfish intentions of the alchemist, whose lust for gold is ultimately his undoing nor with the rebellious inclinations of the necromancer who vainly searches the darkness for forbidden lore. No, it was with the sincere desire to know something more about the great unknown in which our fragile sphere resides. This wish I made to the universe, only praying that she grant it before eternity shall silence my voice…..

After that my memory is somewhat hazy, until I heard what I imagined was the sound of the wind and, what I took to be, the distant chime of many bells. I remember opening my eyes and looking about for an open window through which the wind might be coming. But there was nothing. I was no longer in my bed nor was I in my rooms, nor was I, I believe, upon this very Earth.

The sight that greeted me was a quiet rocky beach. But it was a beach the like of which I could never have imagined. It was bordered by a strange, almost inert sea; more akin to a lake of pale honey than an ordinary body of water.

Bordering the beach were a profusion of dark plants whose nature I could not begin to guess at. Here and there were boulders of what seemed to be onyx or obsidian; worn smooth by the passage of countless aeons. I picked up a handful of pebbles and inspected them closely with a jeweller's eye. They were minerals totally unknown to me, most were dark but some displayed a weird translucence and still others, a rich iridescence in blues, violets, and greens. Any jeweller would have prized them but on that beach they were as common as quartz. I chose one of the translucent stones and held it up to the sun. Then, a shocking realisation struck me. The light all around me was violet in tone and where mighty Sol reigns in the terrestrial sky, there was another star altogether.

The pebble fell, forgotten, from my hand as I stared at the sky in awe. It was undoubtedly a sun that shone above me and try as I might, I could not stare at it for long. It was a sun, but not of yellow and red. This was a sun of deep bluish violet. I shut my eyes in pain after several seconds, only opening them once I had turned away from the dazzling orb. Slowly I became aware of other natural satellites in that unknown sky; three moons of varying size and of surpassing beauty.

Astounded as I was, I had enough presence of mind to walk along the beach for the better part of what seemed an hour, until I saw a relatively steep natural pathway leading to higher ground. The violet light from the sun was bright enough and I even began to feel its feeble heat. I climbed the path until I stood on a flat rocky rise overlooking the beach. Before me, an even more astonishing sight awaited. It was a vast, spired city. A city as silent and still as it was beautiful.

It was only then that the notion came to me that I was experiencing the phenomenon known as lucid dreaming. I had read about this but until that instant, I had never experienced anything like it. With this thought in my mind, I walked towards the city with something like renewed confidence; slowly learning to enjoy the incredibly beautiful sights before my eyes. Nothing stirred in that city of lofty spires and delicately conceived buildings; whose sheer variety and aesthetic accomplishment spoke of a sophisticated and audacious culture. No trees lined the wide streets, no birds swarmed in the elegant squares, no dust and debris marred the perfect, gleaming surfaces; like polished silver, emerald, labradorite, turquoise and amethyst.

The deeper into the metropolis I penetrated, the more I became aware of a variety of exotic sweet aromas; not unlike those one would find in a Mediterranean garden in high summer. Stopping before the entrance to one building, I took a deep draught of these fine scents. Truly, it was as though someone had presented me at that instant with a bunch of fragrant blooms.

It was at that instant too that I became conscious of something else; a succession of high, icy voices, deep in my mind. They were gentle and seemed to speak with a benign earnestness; full of encouragement and reassurance; much as a kindly parent would speak to a child. Instinctively I knew from which direction they came. It was a fine low building, rather more ornate than the rest, whose walls seemed to be inscribed with row upon row of intricate and arcane glyphs. My eyes scanned these with considerable interest as I approached the building, but soon my attention shifted to the ornate curtained portal that rose enticingly before me. Now the profusion of voices resolved themselves into four clearly discernible but strangely accented syllables, syllables that were well known to me.

“Se-ba-sti-en.”

It was almost as though they were singing in my ancestral French, a Capella.

Standing upon the threshold, I looked through the gaps in the curtains. There was dim light beyond but the chamber was not sufficiently illuminated for me to make out many details. What I beheld was a large and lofty room. The voices renewed their chanting of my name as I stepped into the chamber then they gradually faded away. I advanced slowly until I stood in, what I took to be, the very centre of the room. It was hung with elegant draperies of cool, sea hues in a variety of intricate designs and the furniture seemed to have been conceived with the utmost comfort and beauty in mind. Sweet-smelling incense rose in languorous curls from a pair of covered urns and I noticed a table covered with a profusion of food and drink all; contained in elegant vessels.

For several, long moments, I took all this in, relishing the sheer beauty of it and recalling the utter astonishment that I felt at having found myself in such a place. But a far greater surprise awaited me. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, the delicate hangings in the room stirred as though disturbed by a slight breeze. Next, I once again heard the soft cadence of many small bells and I looked around me to see where this sound might have originated. I was never to know, for at that moment I found myself surrounded by the reclining forms of several smiling women. I say women for they were clearly female, all were nearly nude save for a few discreet items of jewellery and some wore loose diaphanous garments.

Naturally, I was surprised by their sudden appearance and something instinctively told me that these ladies were the source of the mysterious voices that had led me here knew too that they meant me no harm. I returned their smiles and I found their appearance most welcome and agreeable.

Three of them rose to their feet and approached me, raising their hands in what I took to be a humble form of greeting. I reciprocated and I was then able to see them properly. They were all remarkably beautiful, with pointed chins and slightly aquiline noses, and long, delicately lobes ears. They had high cheekbones and long straight black hair such as one might see in Japan. Arched brows with long lashes and sensuous full lips. But there, I am not sad to say, their resemblance with human faces ended. I marvelled at smooth, seemingly faultless skin of violet hue and fathomless, totally black eyes that reminded me of the obsidian pebbles on the beach; such was their unearthly lustre. Behind their sweet smiles, I caught a glimpse of wickedly pointed teeth in perfect white rows. Later, more surprises awaited me.

Now the three ladies were joined by several others; all equally beautiful. They too smiled good-naturedly at me and struck up a variety of elegant poses. I did not know what to make of this and feelings of embarrassment began to stir within me until I heard a single icy voice in my mind,

“Se-ba-sti-en, do not fear us. We wish only to please you. You are our salvation and you are most welcome.”

I found the voice utterly soothing and I soon realised that one of the women, slightly taller than the rest, was speaking to me and making eye contact. I must have tried to speak but I was met with a volley of smiles and high-pitched, icy laughter which I heard in my mind. I felt foolish, but at the same time, I was beginning to lose my innate inhibitions. Now long, supple fingers clasped my hands and guided me towards the lavishly laden table. I was invited to sit on a seat that somehow moulded itself to my body and I was handed a cup of intricate and amazing design. It was filled with a silvery liquid which I sipped tentatively and found delicious. I drained it and was promptly offered another. The three original ladies now knelt before me and I could not help admire the sensuous curves of their perfect bodies. I saw pert rose bud-capped breasts and slender hips, flat bellies and athletic limbs; all sheathed in skin of lavender or violet hue. My eyes travelled to their buttocks and to their nether regions. Once my attention was drawn hither I was again met with smiles and strange giggles. I was then informed by the woman who had spoken to me earlier that,

“We call it a pussy Sebasti-en….and we call what you have…. a cock...”

This was greeted with much mirth on the part of all the ladies, whereupon I smiled and repeated the words 'pussy' and 'cock' in my mind. There followed a unanimous chorus of approval. Time seemed to stand still in that room as the ladies clustered around me, competing with each other to offer me morsels of delicious food, sweetmeats and delicacies, such as I had never imagined. I was given many cups of fine beverages too, none of which I could compare to anything that I was familiar with. But it all tasted wonderful. As I ate, some of the younger ladies took it upon themselves to divest me of my clothing so that before long, I was as nude as they were. The sight of my naked body caused them great interest and soon every inch of me was being rubbed, stroked and fondled.

The ladies were gentle at first but when they saw that I was enjoying their attentions they grew bolder. One of them lay beside me and kissed me tenderly on the lips. On the other side, I felt supple hands grasp my cock and begin to rub it's shaft. My neighbouring nymph now kissed me passionately and I felt a strong sharp tongue tap my teeth and work its way from her jaw into my mouth. It was like no human tongue; long, sharply tapering and forked but soft and smooth. The forks were a remarkable adaptation and could move independently to great effect. I was once again surprised but now my attention shifted to my cock which was being treated to the attentions of two of the ladies. They licked it, massaging it with the forked ends of their tongues in unison and liberally coating it with smoothly sensual saliva. Up and down their tongues worked on my shaft until I was rigid. They both smiled and looked at me; clearly pleased with themselves.

Now the tall woman approached me and I again marvelled at her regal dignity, her naked splendour and her ethereal beauty. She had been watching her sisters work on me from the sidelines and now she stood over me and gracefully, lowered her body onto my cock. I slid into her with one perfect stroke and she rested her knees on either side of my hips. From that position, she proceeded to grind her moist pussy into my loins. Long, clean stroke after stroke met by thrust after powerful thrust from me, soon saw us working together in perfect harmony.

She moved her arms and swung her head and tossed her long black hair in what I took to be a ritualised dance and indeed several of the other women sang and chanted as our lovemaking progressed. My hands were not idle either and I savoured her smooth, cool violet skin and fondled her magnificent breasts. She seemed to appreciate this and soon she thrust her body back onto my cock with growing force. It was then that the expression on her face changed; she growled and snarled, showing perfect rows of dangerously pointed teeth and bending down several times to flick my chest with her long forked tongue. The forks were like two extra fingers and with these she traced intricate lines and shapes in saliva onto my skin; strangely reminding me of the arcane hieroglyphs on the walls outside. But through all of this, her reassuring smile always returned and she uttered a few encouraging words.

“We worship pleasure in all its forms Sebastian. Enjoy what we offer. Although our ways must seem strange to you, to us you are a blessing foretold, a wish long-held and longed for…. “

Again, her lips did not move but her enigmatic words resonated deep in my mind. I thanked her and reached up to hold her close as I felt my loins increasingly succumbing to her magnificent skills in lovemaking. Now she thrust her head back and arched her spine, letting out a veritable howl from the very core of her being. In that magical instant, I shot rope after rope of my come deep into the heart of her magnificent pussy. Her beautiful body shook with pleasure and she continued to thrust down onto me, several more times until the fury of her passion subsided. Bending down to kiss me, I felt the slightly unsettling sensation of her tongue forks upon my lips and then she rose and departed as regally as she had arrived.

Throughout the next several hours I was treated to the amorous attentions of all the other ladies. Remarkably, my stamina and strength were undiminished and I suspect that might have had something to do with the delicious silver-hued drink that I was frequently offered and that I never refused. Besides that, these violet-tinted beauties were so skilled in love-craft that I found myself in a constantly renewed state of arousal.

One after the other, they kissed me and explored my mouth and body with delicate fingers and forked, prehensile tongues. A few of them were so skilled that they were able to wrap their tongues two or three times around the width of my shaft whereupon they proceeded to stimulate it all over at once! As the pleasant hours passed that night, I savoured pussy after succulent pussy and delighted as these same pussies then took it in turn to impale themselves upon my ravenous cock. It was intoxicating.

Some of the younger ladies then began to make polite enquiries; I learnt to relish a word that was rare in my vocabulary; fuck.

- “Please, please fuck me.”

- “Fuck me after you fuck her but I want your cock in my mouth first.”

- “Fuck me hard, like you fucked our lady the Priestess.”

- “I have a sweet, tasty pussy, fuck me and you will see.”

- “Please fuck me on my back with my tongue down your throat…..”

I was in no position to refuse. Their voices in my brain were so sweet and enticing, their candour so endearing.

Much later, although I could not see the violet-tinted sun, I guessed that its light must be fading. By this time I had satisfied all the ladies in the shrine, for that is what it was, as one of them informed me. We were in a temple dedicated to love! I was offered more delicious food but the mysterious silver potion had unaccountably vanished. I was eating and drinking, still surrounded by all my fair companions. I accepted yet another mouthful of food and a casual thought entered my mind,

“From where I hail, this is what we call debauchery. It is a sin.”

Unsurprisingly, I was met with universal laughter and benign condescension.

Sometime long into the cool night, I fell asleep with at least two of the ladies still in my arms. When I awoke they were all gone and I saw the perfectly glorious face of the Priestess looking down at me. Unaccountably I was also dressed. She beamed a smile at me and offered her delicate hand. She was unexpectedly strong as she easily helped me to rise.

“Sadly we must now bid you goodbye Sebastian. I must return you to the shore of the Jewelled Sea. We have calibrated the portal to return you to your own dimension and to approximately the correct time.”

I nodded and uttered a few words of thanks but the significance of her words were largely lost on me. We stepped out of the building and there I was greeted by a solemn row of the Priestess' beauteous sisters. She gently took my hand and placed it on the navel of each woman in turn. There I felt a pleasant tingling and heard a whispered thanks and a fond farewell from each of them. The import of this ceremony was not lost on me. We left the silent city behind and walked hand in hand to the beach to stand by the obsidian boulder. I turned to the Priestess and asked,

“What became of all the men of your world?”

“They were all lost years ago in a war not of our making. Though they saved us, we are left to mourn them.”

“Will I remember this?”

“Yes, indeed.”

And then she took my hand and placed it on her navel where I felt the pleasant tingle of new life.