─ Chapter Three ─ Just Be Yourself

An air of expectation hovered over the Castlethorpe students and staff during lunch.
The main topic of muted conversation was, of course, the Principal’s talk. What would her subject be? Would she go into a trance? Would any or all of it be channelled? None of these things mattered to Eleanor Goodheart. She savoured her food and enjoyed the company of the people around her. Hannah glanced towards Eleanor and felt a deep sense of pride well up within her about Castlethorpe. It was absolutely pouring with rain outside but this did not dampen people’s spirits.

       Jorge had prepared The Gathering Place for the event. One hundred and sixty chairs were set out in a large horseshoe shape in four rows; more than usual because several spouses were also coming. The chairs had ingeniously designed catches attached discretely to their legs that enabled them to be connected to each other in straight or curved rows. Some people “in the know”, as they say, describe them as two-hour chairs. They were comfortable for about that long but not much more. There were spaces for four people who used a wheel chair in positions that they had agreed previously with Jorge. He had set the lighting and blind combination and would tweak it if necessary when everyone was seated. Anticipating the inclement weather he had opened the underground access passage from The Gathering Place. Just before two o’clock, when everyone had finished their meal, Jorge stood and announced, ‘When you are ready please make your way to The Gathering Place for the Principal’s talk. If you prefer not to get wet the connecting passage is open.’ Leonard turned to Hannah and said, ‘Shall we use the passage?’ ‘Yes, that’s a good idea.’

       By ten past two everyone was seated and chatting. In the following five minutes the volume of conversation gradually died down as though someone had turned the volume dial. Eleanor had been in a sign conversation with Le Thi Lam from Vietnam. She was born profoundly deaf and was a recent arrival at Castlethorpe. Eleanor signed ‘thank you’ to her for the blessing and made her way to the centre of the room. Jorge pressed a button, some lights dimmed, others became brighter and changed colour slightly, several blinds and curtains moved. Eleanor smiled at Jorge and said ‘Thank you.’ The temperature felt about the same as the library. Silent cool air was released automatically into the space in response to body heat. The huge investment in every detail of this building was worth it. Even though it was now raining heavier it could not be heard by the gathering.

*

       Eleanor stood in front of everyone, relaxed, still, with poise and dignity. (pause)

Gradually she extended her arms horizontally in front of her, opened her hands then widened their reach a comfortable distance. She turned to the left in this same position then slowly all the way around to the right. Many felt a tingle run down their spine as she did this. Then she moved towards the front row and started to look at each person for a few seconds until she had some eye contact with everyone in the room. She returned to the centre and stood as before. It was now two thirty and the Principal had not uttered a word. (pause)

       ‘Just be... yourself.

       Just... be... yourself.

       ... Just... be yourself.’ (pause)

       Sarah raised her hand.

       ‘I felt a spasm in my shoulder as we connected. I used to feel this as I drew an arrow on my recurve bow. There was no pain. It felt lovely.’

       Patrick stood.

       ‘My heart rate quickened and I had the most amazing image of me as a baby in my father’s arms. It was deeply comforting.’

       Folina stood.

       ‘Just before you came to me I sensed the presence of Befawn. It was more iridescent than ever, with alternating shades of purple and green. My feet seemed to sink towards the centre of the earth.’

       Several others shared their experience of the opening time. (long pause)

       ‘Claude Debussy said “Music is the space between the notes.” (pause) Others describe it as “The silence between the notes. (pause) There is a possibility that nothing I say today will benefit you. It is very unlikely that everything I say will be of benefit to you (laughter). Already people have benefited without me saying anything so there is truth in what Debussy says.’ (pause)

       Jorge stood.

       ‘During the silences I heard what sounded like autumn leaves being blown across a road, dancing with glee, abandoning themselves to the ebbs and flows of nature’s power. Then I saw them, all in a heap and suddenly burst out flying into the air and spread out , joining each other to create the word “welcome” in all their brown and gold glory, silhouetted against the grey clouded.’ (pause)

       ‘Thank you everyone.’

       ‘The subtleties of human communication are quite extraordinary. Academics describe five modes: linguistic - language, words and text; visual – still and moving images; aural – sounds; spatial – touch, proximity, arrangement and structure and lastly, gestural – body movements and positions. How is it that a person can still communicate even though they may have almost no capacity to utilise any of these modes? Consider people in a coma. Anxious relatives and friends hold their hand and read stories to them or play their favourite music. Occasionally a tiny response can be discerned. Sometimes there is no response, at least according to these modes, yet people are convinced of a tangible link though may struggle to describe it in words. How is it that people, who say they are absolutely convinced that there is no such thing as God, the Divine, Spirit - or whatever other term - have sat next to their loved ones and been absolutely convinced of some kind of mystical connection to the person lying in the bed? These experiences are contrary to their rational thinking and belief position, yet they know them to be true within the core of their being. This is a marvellous mystery.’ (pause)

       ‘Many centuries ago a follower asked their Sheik “What is the secret of the universe?” The Sheik thought about this for a while, even though she knew the answer. “You really want to know this secret?” “Yes, of course.” “Are you ready?” “I have never been more ready.” “What will you do if you don’t like the answer?” “How could I not like it. It would be a great honour to know the secret to life, the universe and everything!” Eleanor’s cheeky reference to Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy did not go unnoticed and provoked a few giggles. Eleanor was aware that a first edition was circulating amongst the students. The room quietened and Eleanor continued, “The answer is simple,” said the Sheik, “There is more to you than meets the eye!” The disciple went away somewhat disappointed by the answer, expecting something much deeper. In time the follower came to realize its profound truth.’ (pause)

       ‘We know there is more to each one of us than meets the eye. Most of us have asked at some time or other – if not every day - what is known as “Royal Questions” such as “Who am I/we? Where did I/we come from? What do I/we do? Where am I/we going? Does time exist?” I have no idea why we call these questions royal; they certainly make us think. Yes, they make us think. (pause) That is, perhaps, our fundamental error. We think there has to be an answer to them. Is there a different mode to explore them? (pause) The five modes of human communication I described earlier are, of course quite inadequate in this task. The Spiritualist movement has, helpfully, added several others: clairvoyance – images that are sensed or actually seen; clairaudience – hearing voices or sounds; clairsentience - sensing a presence, emotion, temperature, texture, breezes, pain, smell etc. These abilities are not for the benefit of the person who has and uses them, they are for others. I’m not, you may be relieved to know, (pause and laughter) going to describe the context in which groups and churches use these abilities; enough to say that there have been many examples of misuse. Discerning what is true is an important gift in itself. These three additional modes of communication open up endless new possibilities and can be extremely useful for people, whatever their background, system of belief or none.’ What I have just described will be quire meaningless for many indigenous people because they have been using extended modes of communication for thousands of years. It is an integral part of their everyday lives. Concepts like sacred and secular are unlikely to be understood. They may have rituals, ceremonies and rules. Magic is the norm. Their connection to Earth as a spiritual being is tangible. (pause)

       Daly, a very tall Welshman, stood.

       ‘When you mentioned clairaudience, I heard the sound of marching boots on gravel and sharp commands being given in, what sounded like one of the African languages. An anthem was played and then some canons were fired. People cheered. I looked out of the window as it seemed to be coming from over there.’ (pause)

       Simone stood up.

       “A much-loved poet was buried in Luanda a few weeks ago.’ (pause)

       ‘There is, indeed, much, much more to us than meets the eye.’ Eleanor continued, ‘I wonder why some of these things have become perceived as secrets? That is a great subject to learn about in itself that I may talk about another time. Many of you will know that these modes are not the only gifts humans can manifest. The ability to communicate telepathically with one or many more people across distance and time at the same time is one example. (pause) Our knowledge of these things is still rather limited. My point is to acknowledge that all modes of communication originate from the Source. One of the purposes of Castlethorpe is to create opportunities for you to discover and use them. There may be more to us than meets the eye but we are still restricted in many ways within our human form. We incarnated from God, the Divine, Spirit, yet as I say those words I am appalled by their inadequacy. Finding the right words and ordering them in coherent sentences is a wonderful gift but, even then, they do not do justice to profound spiritual truths such as consciousness.’ (long pause)

*

       Eleanor bowed her head slightly as if in deep thought (though she was definitely not thinking), then gradually looked up and around the room. The appearance of her face had changed. The degree of attention amongst the gathering could be felt physically.

       ‘Dear human, sometimes you wonder where you came from. Although your creation is a mystery to scientists and mystics alike, let me tell you a little story and you can check in with your heart of hearts to see if any of it resonates with the core of your Being. When a human is born, the Inner Pilot Light that animates you flames to life, moving through you like warm honey that flows throughout your whole physical form and creates the body, turning on the Great Light Switch of your physical Beingness. When you die, the life force of Consciousness - like a drop of fire - re-joins the Great Flame, merging with all other sparks, yet never ceasing to be the unique spark that is your Inner Pilot Light. Here in the quiet darkness that emerges when the Great Flame rests, the void of pure formless Consciousness can recharge and replenish with no need to eat or sleep or breathe or ski or do anything. Joined with all the other sparks in the great void, the spark you might call "You" reunites with All That Is and loses its sense of separation. Darling precious human, you forget all this wisdom when you are in the realm of form. You forget that you are Consciousness Itself and that She created you in order to experience Herself more fully, to play in the cosmic sandbox, to pretend that you are separate, to act as if you are not One with All That Is, to feel the whole range of what humans can experience - the bliss, the physical and emotional pain, the ecstasy, the anger, the grief, the righteousness, the disappointment, the despair, the childlike glee - all of it. Your Inner Pilot Light is an eternal spark implanted within you just so you don't forget altogether that you are part of the Great Flame.’

       Eleanor slowly bowed her head and then raised it again. Her face had changed back. (long pause)

       Callum stood.

       ‘I have listened to parts of this before while walking with a rabbi in the Labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral. He had been studying the origins of the term “Divine spark” for many years in ancient texts around the globe. One thing stuck in my heart “Callum, you don’t have to fan the flame... simply allow it to consume you. Then you will know who you truly are.” (pause)

       Eleanor continued.

       ‘Just be... yourself.’

       ‘Just... be... yourself.’

       ‘... Just... be yourself.’ (pause)

       ‘It may now be appropriate to recount you an ancient Sufi tale. One day there were three moths. In the distance was a fire. They did not know what fire was. The first one said, “I’m going to find out what it is.” So it flew near the flames and then turned around and flew back. It told the others, “I don’t know what it is but it’s very warm.” The second moth thought there must be more to fire than this so flew even closer to the flame and its wings got singed. It went back and said, “It’s not just hot, it burns.” The third moth said, “I think there is more to fire than that,” and it flew straight into the flames and didn’t come back.’ (long pause)

       ‘One of the interpretations is this. The story is about spirituality. Some people are like the first moth, attracted by the promises of inner contentment, peace and health they become involved with a religion, a movement or a philosophy of some kind. They may become a member of it, following whatever initiations and other ceremonies that may be required. However, little changes in their lives and their involvement is simply an add on, almost like a hobby, to their busy lives. Others are like the second moth. To them it is much more that skin-depth nominality. They enter into the life and teachings of who or whatever it is that they follow. Indeed, they do feel more like a follower or disciple than just simply a member or adherent. They would say “I am a Jain nun, I am a Buddhist, I am a Mormon, I am a Sikh, I am a Methodist, I am a Charismatic Christian, I am a Quaker; or perhaps even I am  Castlethorpist!” They may consider the teachings of other religions, communities and spiritual philosophies to be inferior if not “of the Devil!’ Then something goes wrong – a scandal among the leaders, a personal tragedy or a gnawing unease that what they believed may, in fact, be false and that they have been led up a garden path. This can turn a believer into a cynic very quickly and the ego loves it! The fate of the third moth divides opinion. This person falls in love with the Source of all. They have a direct experience and ongoing relationship with God, Spirit, The Divine. It varies in intensity but goes way beyond a belief system. In fact, belief to this person becomes irrelevant. They may choose a certain label though consider its traditions, conventions, rites and rituals less important than their personal relationship with their God or however they express their connection with the source and with everyone and everything. Others say that their ego becomes completely annihilated to such an extent that nothingness becomes their life. This is contested by many who suggest that the third moth flies into the flame and is transformed. They are not killed by the flame. They carry on living like a moth but radiate the warmth and light of the flame to all other moths.’ (pause)

       ‘It would not surprise me if someone created a spiritual path all about the third moth. And why not? It is full of mystery and apparent contradiction. I have only mentioned a couple of the interpretations of the third moth. There are many more you could learn about at your leisure, should you so desire.’ (pause) ‘What is the point of Castlethorpe? What is its purpose? Which moth are you? Is it just an ancient fable handed down over the years to tickle our intellects and emotions or does it contain some profound truth that any person alive would do well to reflect on? (pause)

       One of my favourite TV series is The Prisoner, starring Patrick McGoohan, based around his resignation from the British secret service. In the first episode he wakes up in a village and discovers he is referred to by the villagers as “Number Six”. He meets “Number Two” and their first conversation goes like this:

Number Six: Where am I?

Number Two: In the Village.

Number Six: What do you want?

Number Two: Information.

Number Six: Whose side are you on?

Number Two: That would be telling. We want information… information… information.

Number Six: You won't get it.

Number Two: By hook or by crook, we will.

Number Six: Who are you?

Number Two: The new Number Two.

Number Six: Who is Number One?

Number Two: You are Number Six.

Number Six: I am not a number! I am a free man!

Number Two: (laughs)

Number Six: I will not make any deals with you. I've resigned. I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own!

       ‘Is your life your own? Perhaps the moth fable and The Prisoner have more in common than meets the eye. There is more to you all than meets the eye!’ (pause)

       Hannah stood.

       ‘Crikey, I have just witnessed the most amazing thing. What do I do?’

       ‘Relax and speak when you are ready, whatever it is will come.’ The principal said in an assuring tone.

       Hannah’s shoulders lowered. She looked around and smiled.

       ‘I was at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. It was Sukkot - The Feast of Tabernacles. There was not a soul to be seen. I skipped around, touching the huge stones with glee then sat down hugging my knees, gazing at the Wall. Suddenly people started walking out of it. Hundreds of them... all completely naked. I ran towards them and as I did my clothes fell away from me. No-one seemed at all embarrassed. Gradually we all joined hands and an incredible energy startle to fizzle amongst us. I could have touched it. We started to dance. I can’t dance yet somehow I did and with total abandonment. We formed a huge round mass of concentric circles and then we all started to run towards the centre. We did not bump into each other. We ran and ran and ran and then... everything went the deepest of dark black. Nothing. Stillness. Then we were all swept up in a comforting silent tornado. Up and up and up. I looked down and saw the earth. Breath-taking.’ (long pause)

       Hannah sat down. Eleanor looked around at the gathering. The Peace had descended. No-one stood. (long pause)

       ‘Let us try something together.

       Just be... yourself.

       Just... be... yourself.

       ... Just... be yourself.’ (pause)

       ‘When I said these words did you start to think about them, about anything? Did any emotions accompany whatever thoughts you did or didn’t have? I invite you to become aware of yourself without thought or emotion. We already know the secret to the universe; “you are more than meets the eye.” You are more than your name, your roles and your history. Becoming aware of yourself without thinking may be our only real task as human beings. Don’t look for yourself in your mind. Let go of thought. Is there anything left of you without going into thought to find yourself? Don’t ask yourself that or another question; that would be a thought. Don’t say to yourself “Hmmm, let me think”; that would be a thought. What is left? Are you still here? Don’t think.’

       ‘I’m becoming aware of myself... now. (long pause) I’m still here. I sensed myself as a conscious presence – as consciousness. Without form. Stillness. I was simply aware. No thought activity at all. I can’t be aware of myself while I’m thinking. You still perceive everything as an awareness but without a mental commentary. Without judgement. Without interpreting what you perceive. Without labelling. Without that constant noise in the background – bugging you. You are still a person but you do not identify with yourself as the thinker. This is incredibly liberating.’ (pause)

       ‘What does the ego do when you become aware you are a conscious presence? It will not surprise you that it loathes any shifts towards consciousness because this means its throne in you has been usurped. Its power and influence over you are nullified without any force. Such is the profound power of love – the agapé of the Divine. Beware! Be aware! The ego has a tactic it deploys in such situations. The soft whisper in your ear sounds something like this... “Oh, how wonderful, you have entered that dimension of spaciousness, you have ‘entered through that narrow gate’ to transcendence. Only the very few dedicated ones get this far. Look at them, striving for peace but never finding it; but you, well... you are enlightened without trying. You simply discovered the secret. You are now a spiritual teacher. Go on share your experience with others. You have something they desperately need.” (pause)

       ‘Be prepared for these thoughts and feelings for they will surely come at some point to anyone who has woken up in varying degrees of intensity. The ego is very careful at this point because there is a high risk it could go too far and alert you to its real intention, to ease you back into unconsciousness yet convince you that you are living in the vastness of Divine presence. To be truly awakened, awake and alert all you need is not think until you need to think. The ego may acknowledge that the dimension of spaciousness requires no real effort on the one hand and, at the same time convince you that supreme effort is required to sustain it; after all, people are looking up to you now as their spiritual teacher. It can make you feel so good. It is a deadly trap that many fall into. Becoming aware of who you are does, of course, ignite a devastating explosion to the ego. The lure of the trap is to fool you that everything has changed, ego is dead and that, from now on, you will live your life at a higher level than the rest of humankind. Meanwhile it is busy putting everything in place to construct a new ego around your realisation of transcendence.” (short pause)

       ‘The clue to the ego’s tactic is in the phrase we hear often, “your life”. This implies duality. Your life? You don’t have a life. You exist in a form, for now, that will, at some point dissolve. You don’t own a life. Life is not ours. This is not spiritual semantics. It is neither a spiritual battle. No amount of willpower will prevent you from compulsive thinking, the kind of thinking that pulls you along; its tug on you is irresistible. There are a host of practices you can learn that help you to move away from thought into the present moment. This is one of the great things about a place like Castlethorpe because you can experiment with these practices with others in learning sessions. The purpose and intentionality of these learning contexts can be transformative and, with the support of other students and teachers the ego can be kept in check. Try this, imagine you have a sword that slashes through time severing past from present, future from present. Using the sword constantly keeps you on the narrow path of the now. (long pause)

       Lavinia stood.

       ‘There is a small silver coliseum. It is early evening. There are no spectators. In the centre of the square floor are four chairs spaced equidistant from each other facing inwards. Alan Turing enters, followed by Virginia Wolfe, Oliver Twist and Gandhi. They walk slowly to the centre and take their seats. They are attentive to their surroundings but do not speak. An orangutan lumbers in, rather awkwardly, walks around the four people then sits down on the floor in the middle of them. It stretches out and pokes Alan Turing’s shoe then unties a shoelace. Alan does not respond in any way. It then turns to Gandhi, stands, puts one hand on his shoulder and gently rubs his bald head. Gandhi’s eyes close. It turns to Oliver Twist and sits down. After a while it reaches into Oliver’s waistcoat pocket and lifts out a small leather pouch. It shakes the pouch and then tips some coins from it onto the floor. Looking into Oliver’s eyes in lifts its right arm, extends a finger at Oliver and then waves it several  times to the left and right. Oliver drops his head to avert the Orang’s gaze. Virginia stood up and sat down on the floor next to the orangutan. They held hands and then it opened its mouth, took out a golden pen and gave it to Virginia, she bowed in gratitude then took her seat. Oliver and Alan Turing then got up and each took one of the orang’s offered hands and walked out of the coliseum. Gandhi and Virginia Wolfe moved their chairs closer and spoke in whispers for a few moments. They then left the coliseum. I was then in the centre looking at the four empty chairs and gradually the coliseum began to rotate around me and its walls started to lower into the ground until it was gone. The chairs disappeared, one after another and then the floor shrunk towards me. I bent down and picked up an old silver three penny coin with Queen Victoria on it. I put it in my pocket and disappeared.’ (long pause)

       ‘What would a passer-by make of this afternoon at Castlethorpe?’ said the Principal. ‘You know that some local people think this is a secret SAS training base! Perhaps this is because several of you go for runs around the country lanes – who knows! There are no written rules at Castlethorpe. The Principal’s talk never follows the same format. There is no expectation that the talk will have a clear beginning, middle and end. It is not necessary that there be coherence of subject. Anyone can contribute, as several of you have. We do not necessarily seek an interpretation of these contributions and I do not necessarily explain or interpret everything that I say. The passer-by could be forgiven for thinking that our session was a lot of twaddle, a sequence of disconnected topics, explored neither with intellectual rigor nor communicated with eloquence.’ (pause)

       ‘None of that matters one jot or tittle! There will be time to reflect on it all shortly over tea and cakes and any learning units already planned or new ones that will now be created. My affection for the orangutan has deepened since the last time we encountered her and I look forward to your thoughts on her interactions with our four friends in addition to the vortex dance from the Wailing Wall, the Inner Pilot Light and, finally three moths who always keep us on our toes and asking questions.’ (pause)

        ‘Before tea and cake I would like to tell you about two people I met with recently, Helen Schucman and William Thetford, Professors of Medical Psychology at Columbia University’s College of Physcians and Surgeons in New York City. Their collaboration resulted in the writing and publishing of a large volume entitled A Course in Miracles in 1975. It is a most extraordinary piece of work and its origins have stimulated much helpful and not so helpful debate. It will appeal to many Christians with its frequent use of “God” and “Holy Spirit” though this can put people off in search of spiritual truth as does the dominant use of the male gender. Whatever a reader’s views are of such matters is of little consequence when one delves into the Text, the Workbook for Students and the Manual for Teachers, the three sections of this very large book. Helen and William have given and signed five copies of the first edition that you will find in The Library. Here are a few portions concerning the ego.’

       “The ego is the part of the mind that believes in division.” T-5.V.3¹        

       “Do not be afraid of the ego. ²It depends on your mind, and as you made it by believing in it, so you can dispel it by withdrawing belief from it. ³Do not project the responsibility for your belief in it onto anyone else, or you will preserve the belief. ⁴When you are willing to accept sole responsibility for the ego's existence you will have laid aside all anger and all attack, because they come from an attempt to project responsibility for your own errors. ⁵But having accepted the errors as yours, do not keep them. ⁶Give them over quickly to the Holy Spirit to be undone completely, so that all their effects will vanish from your mind and from the Sonship as a whole.” T-7.VIII.5¹

              “The distractions of the ego may seem to interfere with your learning, but the ego has no power to distract you unless you give it the power to do so. ²The ego's voice is an hallucination. ³You cannot expect it to say "I am not real." ⁴Yet you are not asked to dispel your hallucinations alone. ⁵You are merely asked to evaluate them in terms of their results to you. ⁶If you do not want them on the basis of loss of peace, they will be removed from your mind for you.” T-8.I.2¹

       The Principal bent her arms, palms upward and presented them forward slightly. She then moved from left to right, making eye contact with most people. (pause)

       ‘Ego cogito, ergo sum.’

       ‘Je pense, donc je suis.’

       ‘I think, therefore I am.’

       ‘Or perhaps it is a more accurate translation to say “I am thinking, therefore I am.”’

       ‘Descartes was on the right track, to a degree, but, at the same time, the destination of his thinking would lead only into unconsciousness. Thinking takes us out of the present moment and pulls into something else. It may be useful. Thinking purposefully is a great gift that all human beings have but it is also the ego’s chosen method to distract you from who you really are – consciousness. You are consciousness. You are the present moment. If Descartes had gone deeper he might have said “I am conscious, therefore I am.”’ (pause)

       ‘Just be... yourself.

       Just... be... yourself.

       ... Just... be yourself.’

 *

       She nodded and then left the building. The rain had stopped. Clouds were drifting away; rays of sunshine releasing a pleasing rich aroma. The Principal’s Lady Grey tea and almond cake drizzled with lemon juice awaited her. People gradually left The Meeting Place, nearly everyone choosing a doorway to the outside rather than the passage they had entered.

       About fifteen or so people remained in The Place of Gathering. Seven students found themselves in a group looking out at the sunshine: Hannah, Val, Callum, Sarah, Leonard, Folina and Patrick.

       ‘That was some talk!’ exclaimed Sarah.

       ‘I loved the piece she channelled.’ said Folina.

       ‘I want to find out more about A Course in Miracles.’ Leonard commented.

       ‘So do I.’ said Val.

       ‘Me too.’ Added Callum.

       ‘Is it on the list for next week?’ asked Hannah.

       ‘Don’t think so, I looked earlier. How about we set up a learning unit?’

       They all nodded in agreement and then made their way to partake in tea and cake. The noise of excited conversation was very loud as they entered The Place of Nourishment. The group got their refreshments and then sat down together to savour them. This was the coalescing of a group of students who would stay in touch with each other for many years to come. They did not, however, realise this at the time.

       By eight o’clock there were still more than forty or so people in small groups reflecting on Eleanor’s talk and the contributions of others. Some were puzzled about what it all meant. A few were unsure, wondering whether they were invented for affect, though did not express this.

       At eleven thirty the seven were still there and a few other people were eating and drinking. One of the chefs had stayed to make sure there was sufficient sustenance. It was the Castlethorpe way.

       That night Hannah and Leonard dreamed the same dream followed by the same experience that would change the course of their lives.