Three cows with brown spots and big expressive eyes look at us and shake their heads no.
"This doesn't seem to be working. Nobody seems to know where the Golden Faire is held. It's like it doesn't exist, and yet everyone says it is the social event of the year", My Lamassu said. She shakes her head and curls into a Goliath-sized ball for a moment. "I need a moment to think. We are missing something for certain. Why would we be issued a token as an invitation to go to the Golden Faire if they didn't want us to find it"?
Olive just shrugs and looks at her watch.
"I'm tired and frustrated too, Lamassu. I am going to sit at this table and think it through as well", I say. The table is an outdoor lounge type, white in color, with a colorful spread umbrella. On the table is an empty cup. A silver spoon stained with the remains of a dark beverage lies next to it. "Whoever was sitting here, left their cup behind...now, how to find the Golden Faire, when nobody knows where it is?...think"!!!
"You don't find the Golden Faire, it finds you".
"Who said that?" I ask.
"I did. I was trying to rest, but since you decided to sit here and fill me with your life story I couldn't help but interject". The voice was coming from the silver spoon who was now sitting in an upright position. "You wouldn't happen to have a handkerchief? The last person who grabbed me stained me and I am having difficulty seeing straight through this tea stain".
I hand the spoon a small kerchief which it rubs all over, groaning in pleasure, until it is shiny and its large eyes can focus. "ahh, that's better".
"What do you mean the Golden Faire finds you"?
"Please forgive me, but I must assume you know nothing, or very little at least. If you are supposed to be at the Golden Faire, you will be there. There is no sense in getting frustrated or anxious over things beyond your control".
"But how will we find it? Nobody seems to know"?
"How did you find me"?
"Well that was easy, you were lying on the table I decided to rest at".
"Then we do have one thing in common, we were both trying to rest! Listen, I don't give advice to just anyone who decides to unload their problems on me, but you seem like a nice girl, so here goes...Life isn't complicated. You have goals. You work to achieve those goals, sometimes things get in your way and you get spun around and whacked against a tea cup, or covered in honey only to get thrust into someone's mouth, but you keep going. I don't believe in fate. Achieving a goal is hard. Some are unattainable given your current circumstances, but sooner or later you reach your goal. Explaining how you got there is harder than actually doing it. So don't be glum, continue on your path with clear eyes and strong purpose and before you know it you are there".
"Thank you so much...um, spoon. I think we better get moving. We are losing precious time".
"Call me Archie. Short for Archibald Von Pollepel III. Moments are never lost. They are the key to finding anything you are looking for. May I ask a favor"?
"You have been a great help to us, if I can help you I will"!
"Take me with you to the Golden Faire"!
"Why of course...assuming they will let you in".
"If I am your guest, they will allow it"!
"Why do you want to go to the Golden Faire"?
"Going to the Golden Faire has always been my life's ambition. Every time I thought I was close to my goal, somebody grabbed me to mix a cocktail, or bent me to illustrate a sleight of hand trick, or tossed me in a bucket with a bunch of nasty forks and knives".
"I shall carry you in my purse. If we are to find the Golden Faire, we will do it together"!
"Thank you so much...hey is that a Frandrake purse"?
"You know Frandrake"?
"Nobody knows Frandrake! He's a recluse. Only a few have ever seen him, but his fashion statements are legendary. There is an entire museum devoted entirely to his pajamas near the city center. Is he really a Centaur"?
"Who told you that? He's not a Centaur, he's sort of a...well he's kind of a lizard with tiny wings".
"Now you are just pulling on my handle".
"Frandrake is one of a kind".
"That I do believe".
We continued on our way, just me, my Lamassu, Olive, Archie and a small entourage of blue humming orbs of light. We passed others along the way, none of whom had any knowledge about where the Golden Faire was. Following a maze of paths through tunnels and busy city blocks we come to one of many dead ends. Some paths end at wooded glens, some where a building was created right in the middle of the path, others ended at small rivers of purple water. This one ended at a heaping pile of moon rubble and large boulders piled thirty feet high.
"Shall we turn back?", I ask.
"Show me your token if you wish to enter the Golden Faire".
The voice is coming from a set of two tall but thin stone figures who blend in perfectly with the pile of rubble. Their voices bellow forth deeply in perfect unison. I show them my token.
"You may enter the Golden Faire at this moment if you so desire. If you do not wish to enter the Golden Faire at this time, you must surrender your token and wait for a new invitation", they say.
"We choose to enter the Golden Faire", I say.
The wall of rubble becomes translucent, fading, until a grand hall is visible beyond. No great party is discernable. A solitary throne of clear crystal quartz rests on a dais in the rear of the chamber. Wordless, we enter. The token and our exit disappear. On closer inspection the walls of the room are lined with books, artwork, musical instruments, mythical figurines, and enough ephemera to make Fandrake jealous.
I find myself whispering. "What is this place"? My whisper bounces off the wall like thunder, echoing and reverberating in an avalanche of inquisitive fury. As the ringing in my ears lessens, I become aware of a second, much more melodious response.
"This is the Reflection Room. It houses the Throne of Silence. The hall is a repository for every creative moment ever conceived. The walls house the most recent ideas, but with a thought, you can search for anything imagined, categorized in a manner easiest for each user to utilize. The Throne of Silence augments your creativity and helps you form original ideas. Before you can enter the Golden Faire it is hoped you will use the throne. There are no guarantees you will achieve something great today, but everyone who has tried the throne learns something."
"Flying Man! I missed you! Where have you been? Why are you here", I say.
"Yes I am. I missed you too. I've been right here, waiting for you. Will you give the throne a try"?
"Oh I don't know. I'm just a girl and I don't really know that much, just ask my friend Archie, he will confirm it".
"Figure of speech" says Archie.
"You don't know much? You heard me when none of the others could. You followed me into the blue. Who else has done this? You flew into a mountain, discovered your Lamassu and then found your way out. You walked to the moon and returned from the land in between after leaving the only path to Cinereo. I know of no other beings who have done all these things. I think you are eminently qualified to take a seat on the Throne of Silence", says the Flying Man.
"Okay, I will try".
I walk to the dais and sit on the throne feeling silly and far too small for the task. At once a swirl of ideas form. As I watch the ideas I am familiar with unfold around me, my mind relaxes and I begin to dream of things half thought. I picture imaginary friends from childhood I was forbidden to talk to. I remember the first boy at school I thought was nice. My thoughts drift to my favorite novel...the one that taught me the meaning of the word "why". Sounds, colors, tastes mix together and I begin to form an image in my mind, one which I have never shared. I have ideas which I have never fully dreamed of out of fear. What if the world...the one I know, what if everything I know, everything I have been taught to believe is not real? Why does the reality I learned from my parents hold meaning? What if I am free to decide what is real. I could let go of procedure, and home work, and career choices and just live. What if we talked in dreams instead of words? I drift further into my thoughts. Is this what insanity feels like? Why am I different? There is no reward for this kind of thought. I can't do this. I must go home and see my mom. Abrupt, I break free of my inner thoughts and let out a gasp, which echos in maddening anguish through the chamber. My friends, the Flying Man, My Lamassu, Olive and Archie are all looking down at my slumped form attempting to offer comfort and solace. A few blue lights blink in and out in sympathy.
"I've never seen that happen before", said Olive.
"No, neither have I", said the Flying Man.
"What just happened"? I ask.
"Sometimes latent thoughts you would develop as you mature move to the present. I can't tell you what it all means but the Throne is always a gift to those who use it." said the Flying Man.
"What happens now"?
"Open the door to the Golden Faire. If you can see the door and it opens for you, then the Golden Faire has accepted you".
"You make it sound like the Golden Faire is alive".
"Well of course it is. The Golden Faire is our way of honoring the Old Man. It lives so that he may live. He lives so we may live. The Golden Faire is the source of our inspiration, but much more. Come, you will see for yourself".
With the help of my friends, I get to my feet. Beyond the Throne of Silence a prismatic door of swirling colors has appeared. Our feet leave the ground. We glide gracefully toward the swirling, rainbow portal. As one, we are enveloped in the colors of life, stretched to unimaginable lengths, then compressed back to our normal countenances. After long moments I become aware that I was aware of nothing and everything for an unknown period of time. I see Olive looking studiously at her pocket watch.
"We have arrived", she said.
A cloud of saffron mist seems to bow before me. "Welcome to the Golden Faire. Thank you for attending. I do hope you enjoy yourself. If you should need anything, just think of it and your every desire shall be yours".
Speechless, I faint.
--The Golden Faire and What Transpired There--