Through the Portal

My companion and I set sail on a graceful sailing ship for Lemuria. I felt sorry for the sailors who had to load our trunks on board. Since this journey is to be taken in the grand style, I have packed a lot of items for sightseeing – binoculars, camera, a stout walking stick and a travel journal.
My companion is none other than Edith Wharton. I have long admired her writing and was thrilled when she agreed to accompany me on the tours. I have packed a couple of her books in my trunk, which she finds quite amusing. She is greatly looking forward to seeing Lemuria, which she already feels is her spiritual home, and meeting Le Enchanteur.
Passing from our world into Lemuria is a mystical experience at any time, but it is simply magical by sea. My companion and I didn’t want to miss a moment, so we took deck chairs and made ourselves comfortable as we approached the portal into Lemuria.
At first all we could see was a low lying mist on the horizon – but as we drew closer we saw two immense pillars soaring out of the sea. We passed between them and for a time saw nothing at all – then the mist cleared and we grasped each other’s hands in excitement. On the other side of the pillars the sea is a deep, crystal blue and we could see the shapes of swift dolphins running beside the packet, darting from one side of the hull to the other.
We had made reservations at the Hotel Atlantis, that last remaining remnant of the drowned continent. Surrounded by ocean, it stands off the Lemurian shores like a lone jewel on a sheet of blue silk.
Before the fall of Atlantis, the hotel was a palace, but now it is one of the most exclusive of resorts. It is fearfully expensive, of course, but as I said to my companion, this is the tour of a lifetime. We are going first class.
The ship docked at the foot of a mighty set of white marble steps rising like a frozen wave out of the sea. Our trunks were whisked up to the hotel by strong young porters and we followed at a more leisurely pace.
I was given a room overlooking the open sea, while my companion requested one with a view of the Lemurian shoreline. The rooms are quite sumptuous, with painted frescos on the walls, depicting scenes of Old Atlantis. Mine showed a Spring Rite, with young girls and boys festooned with flowers, running hand in hand through the hills of Old Atlantis. How beautiful it was, with strange flowers and trees the like of which I have never seen. The canopied bed contained a surprise – a small brightly coloured bag containing items I had seen before on previous journeys - a packet of dream seeds, spectacles, a candlestick, a tiny anchor, a medallion with the imprint of the Unicorn and a set of wings. There was also one other item, a tiny silver flute. I piped a few tentative notes – it had a sweet plaintive sound, like the Pan Pipes of South America.
I took a welcome bath after my journey – the bath is a spa fed from the ocean itself, and it is very invigorating. I changed into clean clothes and went out to meet my companion for dinner. I found her under the great dome at the top of the hotel, gazing at a golden statue of The Goddess. She stands with a jug of water on her shoulder, the water pouring down into a stream flowing at her feet.
Dinner was an exquisite meal, served on one of the great balconies that surround the hotel, with the Lemurian shore as a backdrop. The table was piled high with mounds of fruit, fresh baked bread and the most delicious cheese. My companion and I ate heartily, as we watched the boats plying between the Hotel Atlantis and the Lemurian shore. We made the acquaintance of other travelers, and discussed our hopes for the journey. Relaxing under the mighty pillars with icy cold rainbow coloured drinks, we watch the sunset in a blaze of red and gold. Our adventure has begun.