MANICHAEAN
04-14-2011, 04:15 PM
A LA CARTE IN HEAVEN / SOUP KITCHEN IN HELL.
It was that time of the year when the Good Lord & Lucifer were obliged by Scripture, to determine and agree upon the 2011-12 menus for the incumbents of their respective establishments. For the last nineteen millennium Purgatory had been the agreed neutral venue, but this time both parties, were for once in agreement that a fresh location was in order.
Naturally there was an initial lack of agreement. Archangel Gabriel representing the celestial upper layers preferred locations akin to; Bali, Nice & Palm Beach / California, whilst Lucifer, with his accustomed hands on approach, had a penchant for Pyongyang, Kabul & Tripoli.
Eventually Istanbul, bridging Asia and Europe was agreed upon as the place for it all to happen.
The city was an interesting choice, as the attribute that made it so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between two continents, was also its nemesis and from 532 AD during the reign of Justinian I, and for the next several hundred years, Persians, Arabs, nomadic peoples, and members of the Fourth Crusade attacked Constantinople as it was then known.
The conference centre decided upon was the Topkapı Palace complex. Part command centre for a massive military empire, part archetypal Eastern pleasure dome complete with Harem, the palace was the hub of Ottoman power for over three centuries. The Harem itself was an introverted complex of around 300 brilliantly tiled chambers on several levels, connected by arcaded courts and fountain gardens.
Lucifer & Gabriel in sharp business suits met at the Imperial Gate, where niches during Ottoman times were used to display the severed heads of rebels and criminals. This pleased Lucifer no end.
His mind was already full of the arguments he would present to gain the franchise over “devilled kidneys” and to leave the “angel cake” to those tenants of his adversary, whose palates shunned anything spicier than a lemon mousse.
The Imperial Gate leads into the first of a series of four courts that became more private the deeper into the complex they penetrated. The First Court was public and not considered part of the palace proper. It housed a hospital and dormitories for the palace guards.
Off to the left was the church of Haghia Irene which in turn gratified Gabriel, especially it having the distinction of being the only pre-Ottoman-conquest church in the city that was never turned into a mosque. Old Nick let it rest. There was time yet to deal with such trivials.
The enormous Second Court was where the business of running the empire was historically carried out. This was where the viziers of the imperial council sat in session in the divan; overlooking gardens landscaped with cypresses, plane trees and rose bushes.
All paths in the Second Court converged onto the Gate of Felicity which gave access to the Third Court, the sultan's own private domain. Although the sultan would be present on such occasions as where foreign ambassadors would present their credentials, he would never deign to speak with a non-Turk and all conversation was conducted via the grand vizier.
This seemed to Lucifer an admirable arrangement and he made a mental note under “lessons learned” to implement something similar once he got home.
Finally there were the items in the Privy Chamber that housed the Chamber of Sacred Relics, where to the sound of the Quran being read, existed a series of objects including Moses' staff and Muhammad's sword, tooth, beard and cloak.
Neither gentleman was particularly enamoured with this oddity & in a mood of focused equanimity, proceeded to the main business of the day in the Vizier’s kitchens.
It was that time of the year when the Good Lord & Lucifer were obliged by Scripture, to determine and agree upon the 2011-12 menus for the incumbents of their respective establishments. For the last nineteen millennium Purgatory had been the agreed neutral venue, but this time both parties, were for once in agreement that a fresh location was in order.
Naturally there was an initial lack of agreement. Archangel Gabriel representing the celestial upper layers preferred locations akin to; Bali, Nice & Palm Beach / California, whilst Lucifer, with his accustomed hands on approach, had a penchant for Pyongyang, Kabul & Tripoli.
Eventually Istanbul, bridging Asia and Europe was agreed upon as the place for it all to happen.
The city was an interesting choice, as the attribute that made it so desirable, its incomparable location for trade and transport between two continents, was also its nemesis and from 532 AD during the reign of Justinian I, and for the next several hundred years, Persians, Arabs, nomadic peoples, and members of the Fourth Crusade attacked Constantinople as it was then known.
The conference centre decided upon was the Topkapı Palace complex. Part command centre for a massive military empire, part archetypal Eastern pleasure dome complete with Harem, the palace was the hub of Ottoman power for over three centuries. The Harem itself was an introverted complex of around 300 brilliantly tiled chambers on several levels, connected by arcaded courts and fountain gardens.
Lucifer & Gabriel in sharp business suits met at the Imperial Gate, where niches during Ottoman times were used to display the severed heads of rebels and criminals. This pleased Lucifer no end.
His mind was already full of the arguments he would present to gain the franchise over “devilled kidneys” and to leave the “angel cake” to those tenants of his adversary, whose palates shunned anything spicier than a lemon mousse.
The Imperial Gate leads into the first of a series of four courts that became more private the deeper into the complex they penetrated. The First Court was public and not considered part of the palace proper. It housed a hospital and dormitories for the palace guards.
Off to the left was the church of Haghia Irene which in turn gratified Gabriel, especially it having the distinction of being the only pre-Ottoman-conquest church in the city that was never turned into a mosque. Old Nick let it rest. There was time yet to deal with such trivials.
The enormous Second Court was where the business of running the empire was historically carried out. This was where the viziers of the imperial council sat in session in the divan; overlooking gardens landscaped with cypresses, plane trees and rose bushes.
All paths in the Second Court converged onto the Gate of Felicity which gave access to the Third Court, the sultan's own private domain. Although the sultan would be present on such occasions as where foreign ambassadors would present their credentials, he would never deign to speak with a non-Turk and all conversation was conducted via the grand vizier.
This seemed to Lucifer an admirable arrangement and he made a mental note under “lessons learned” to implement something similar once he got home.
Finally there were the items in the Privy Chamber that housed the Chamber of Sacred Relics, where to the sound of the Quran being read, existed a series of objects including Moses' staff and Muhammad's sword, tooth, beard and cloak.
Neither gentleman was particularly enamoured with this oddity & in a mood of focused equanimity, proceeded to the main business of the day in the Vizier’s kitchens.