Spirit Of Sun Death And Moon

David Suzuki stands up to go. He has another meeting.

Carl Linnaeus, Hui Zhong and Gaius remain in the semi quiet corner.

Mai-Mai comes out from under the table. She is holding the drum.

How do you like it? asks Carl Linnaeus.

I like the pictures, says Mai-Mai. But it won't make a noise.

It's a magical drum of the Sami, says Carl Linnaeus. You need the special horn hammer with tails, and these vuorbi, or pointers. Only then can you make the noise.

Can I hold the hammer? asks Mai-Mai.

No, says her mother. We want no drum banging in here.

What about the pointers? asks Mai-Mai.

There is no point in using the pointers, says Carl Linnaeus, if you don't have the hammer with tails.

Let's just look at the pictures, says Hui Zhong. Look here's a rhombus.

Let's see, says Mai-Mai. Oh, you're wrong mummy! That's the sun.

Well done, Mai-Mai, says Carl Linnaeus. It is indeed the sun. And what else can you see on the membrane?

A boat and a beaver. A reindeer. A long bird with a cross on its back.

That is the spirit of death, says Carl Linnaeus.

It looks like a dead bird, says Hui Zhong.

How did you gain possession of this drum? asks Gaius.

I was given it by a noaidi, or Sami shaman, says Carl. He taught me how to use it to fall into a trance. In the trance, one can seek knowledge of how things are in other places.

How wonderful, says Gaius, if that should be the case.

What? Of course it's the case, says Carl Linnaeus. Allow me to show you. Stand clear.

He kneels on the floor beside the table in the semi quiet corner of the Moulin de la Galette in Montmartre and with the drum in his left hand begins beating it slowly with the horn hammer and tails.

Bam-bam-bam. The rhythm gathers speed and wildness. A crowd gathers around him, consisting of astonished Parisians and one or two environment ministers, in Paris for the climate talks.

Quoi? Qu'est-ce que c'est? Qui est ce grand fou?

Bam-de-bam-bam! Carl stops suddenly and rolls over on his tummy, rocking like a walrus.

Now for the hard part. He must place the drum, membrane down, on his back and lie on the floor in a trance while his spirit wanders.

He places the drum on his back, membrane down.
He falls into a trance.
His spirit wanders.

Yes. You can see he has done this before.

His spirit wanders to the airport, where Arthur, Pablo and Dries are just boarding a plane.

Not good enough. Gaius will expect something more impressive.

His spirit makes a grand leap across the planet to the back garden of Pastor Ray Moon who is in the process of opening a red box and recoiling.

Now that's bound to be pretty impressive.

Carl Linnaeus sits up.