John C. Wright's Journal

The Book of Dreams was Utterly Forbidden is now posted.

Two of Three.

• Fragment II: Lord of the Fifth World

Scholars from the Reliquary, including the Lord Mortician of the Necropolis, tentatively identify the archon confronted by the nameless narrator as Sulvus, the Progenitor of Sulva, whose globe, for reasons which need no recital here, is half sterile and half bountiful.

As reported elsewhere, the green and forested areas of that globe, year by year, grow ever smaller, as living organisms are replaced by cyborgs, then by machines, and with the loss of tree cover, first moisture then atmosphere is lost into space. Such is the result of eschewing fertility to pursue sterility, both in sexual matters and otherwise.

That the nameless narrator would be received by so august a personage, and speak to him face to face, implies he is of equal rank, that is, an archon and progenitor of his realm. This leads to theological speculations difficult to address.

Theologians agree, however, that if this is Sulvus, and the dialog faithfully represented, as Sulvus is a Nomothete, his address to the Traveller granted him that as a name, and imposed the nature and duties attendant thereupon. It is curious that the Nomothete refuses to name himself, however.

The Book of Dreams was Utterly Forbidden is now posted.

One of Three.

• Fragment I: Visions of Fire and Ice

The source of this tale cannot be identified. The Lords of the Eschaton deny it is one of theirs, despite evidence of time anomaly. Voices of Deep Heaven return ambiguous answers, despite the hints in a second fragment that the immortal being addressed is Sulvus himself. The Primordials deny any chains of causation lead from the codex back to their nameless Unity.

Intercessors speaking for the Great Race dismiss the text as fraud, despite the unusual circumstances of its discovery. The Watchers decree the manuscript to be anathema, and charge that only those devout and grave, firm in conviction and surpassing the sixth order of mental discipline, be granted access.

Envoys sent to the Dark Tower with questions did not return.