DOG DAYS, at his master's beck and call.

CHAPTER TWO, pt.3: "TRAINING SESSION 0628", an interim of wisdom.

During the summer of the second year of Longfellow's training, he was issued an assignment. To travel to a market town in Egypt known as Lutbol. He was to go there and locate a man by the name of Ipuwer, a sage. He was to recieve from him guidance on concentration and meditation.

    The girl Aisha Teymur was allowed to travel with him, so that she could study her homeland, as well as keep an eye on Longfellow. They were both incognito, as Egypt was hostile territory.

    Longfellow appeared to Ipuwer as a traveling student from France, and so the two spoke French to one another. In a week, however, Ipuwer had uncovered Longfellow's identity, and they began speaking English. And Longfellow had, in turn, learned that Ipuwer was not from Egypt. He was simply visiting to observe the effects that war was having on the people. He was originally from India.

    Ipuwer gave Longfellow lessons on meditation, and taught him how to attain a deep focus. He helped Longfellow tame his newly developed psyche. Aisha would check on them daily, but Longfellow never knew why. Aisha was a lovely girl. Black hair cut to the stem, except with long bangs put to one side of her face. The same complexion as the locals, if not a little darker.  She had braces, which were given to her during rehabilitation. She had always needed them.

    Of all the conversations Longfellow had with Ipuwer, one stood out above the rest. It was the strangest, and most insightful, Longfellow had felt that ever been told, but maybe he was just overthinking it.

    "Today I have a question for you." Ipuwer said the instant Longfellow entered his shabby dwelling that day.

    "Of course. What is it?"

    "It is about an English word. I've heard it in your films a lot."

    "What word?"

    Longfellow shook when he heard it. Such a word he'd never expect come out of that old man's mouth.

    "Do you want to know what it means?"

    "Yes."

    "Well... it means a lot of things. People tend to use it when they can't find a word to say otherwise."

    "How do you mean?"

    "Well, if you were going to say something was very heavy, you would say, 'this is fucking heavy'."

    "I see, so when you want to get a point across stronger, you use it instead of another word."

    "Exactly."

    "Do you ever think it will replace all of the other words entirely?"

    "I doubt it, but I guess if people started using it enough and started liking it."

    "So it may end up wiping away those other words."

    Longfellow failed to understand what Ipuwer was trying to get across to him.

    "Is it a bad word?"

    "Some people think so. I think the badness comes from the one who uses it."

    "That may be. I hope that when the day comes that the other words have gone, that word would teach its user something. A lesson that shows how hollow and bitter something becomes when it is being used so much, and is left by itself."

    "Sometimes your wisdom is hidden behind your insanity. Did you know that, Ipuwer?"

    "Ah, but what I speak is not wisdom shrouded in insanity but wisdom shrouded in riddle!"

    "Well then I don't think you're supposed to tell me it's a riddle."

    "I don't give you that much credit, boy."

    Longfellow learned under Ipuwer for a total of four months, and then he returned to the program. The last thing Ipuwer ever said to Longfellow was, "You are the best 'fuck' pupil I've ever had." Longfellow still can't help but laugh at the old man's ways from time to time.

    'Indeed, those who were in the place of embalmment are

    laid out on the high ground, and the secrets of the

    embalmers are thrown down because of it.'

                    -from the Admonitions of Ipuwer

END OF CHAPTER THE SECOND,

PART THE LAST

CONTINUE TO CHAPTER THE THIRD.