And so it went. Unusually, after a few years there came a day when visitors from outside were invited in for an audience with him. These were no less than the remaining Chaldee Maji! – a momentous event!
After Hamar’s great ancient namesake died in Babylon there had been a scramble to study the man’s books, especially the long scroll about his god and its dire predictions for the future. The Chaldean Priests had diligently applied their astrology and maths to the scrolls, hoping to see their reinstatement endorsed in them, – and hopefully arming them with his true forecasts.
Interpretations had been hard, though, no one had perfectly deciphered its symbols, but they’d kept up the work in their special monastery even centuries after Babylon had collapsed, and now they travelled in grand entourage of a hundred camels or more to bestow their own predictions on kings, their foreign hosts suitably intimidated by famous knowers of stars and scrolls and calibrated symbols, and they were rewarded with feasts, chests of gold, bolts of silk cloth.
This day a delegation of twenty of their elders had come on mission to the Academy. They’d let it be known they’d seen strange predictions about this latest Baltshazar, and Aktiarh had granted them their audience.
Everyone assembled in the main hall, and the troupe was honoured with best cushions at the front. Their chief Astrologer, his turban plumed and jewelled, remained standing.“Mystia Supreme,” he said bowing low to all the faculty.
He straightened back up, full of purpose,“You will know we are but dedicated scholars ourselves, and most humbly acknowledge your own excellent wisdoms. In fact, we have journeyed to your lands in great need of your understandings, both ancient and present ones.
We find ourselves puzzled by things never seen before.”
With Aktiarh’s gracious nod for him to continue, the man clapped for a Chaldean scroll-stool to be placed in front of him and he unrolled a parchment onto it.
“You, Mystes Royal”, he said bowing toward Hamar, who sat unmoved, “are of course exalted, but your chart, (he emphasized the word) seems to show an intersection by something outside any known star path, – a cusp that would exalt you even more, and then, ” he set out the words precisely, suddenly staring hard at Hamar,”diminish you?“
Discomfort filled the room.
All the Academy’s senior majicians stared aghast, and the Chaldean Astrologers looked down, benignly tucking hands into sleeves.
Their Chief smoothly traced his finger along the horoscope, and probed, “Of course the present era of the goat, Aries, – the time of lone heroes – is ending, yes? And you’re aware the millennia of genius and mercy is about to begin, – that of Pisces the fish?” His finger stopped.
“Great changes are afoot in heavens and Earth!,” he looked up sharply as if he was decreeing them himself.
Hamar squirmed, impatient. Even novice adepts knew the astrological eras were no more than flavours that got exerted on people for a time, – it was still men’s choices, their will, their skills in projecting their will, that decided things, and not flimsy influences from stars, not the backward-running reel of eras.
He focused on Hamar alone. “You have seen Jupiter rising in your own chart?”
“Yes,” Hamar answered flatly. The Chaldeans all eagerly sat forward.
“And conjuncted with Neptune and Saturn for greatness in the Water house of the Scorpion?” the man lisped, savouring the moment.
Hamar gave barely a nod as he answered, “Except that it could also mean I’ve got a passionate appetite for chillies and am as fat as a pig, could it not?”
He regarded Hamar’s skinny self as an insult flung back.“You are one of us!” the man declared.
“I can tell you I’m not!” Hamar glared back at him. “Ha! Mere men of math and stars!”
He stood up flinging his cape back,“You have not the faintest idea what I am!” Hamar passed a burning look over all of them, – and at Aktiarh – and marched out of the room. This special audience was over. As he went, every Astrologer stared at him and then back at their leader.
Aktiarh stared only at Hamar.
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