Originally published on June 18, 2018
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Introduction
Are you wondering what Barris is up to during his absence in The Devil In Music (another story from my A Lady's Prerogative series of books and stories)?
He's in Shepperton Off The Thames in London visiting his friend Mishima Sato of course. You see, Sato has a shop of curios and odd finds that he's accumulated over the course of his life. This is where he first met Barris, who'd come into the shop looking for old prints of anything by Edgar Alexander Poe and William Shakespeare. After seeing the shop first hand, Barris began to come as a regular and it wasn't before long that Sato hired him. They've been friends ever since.
He's in Shepperton Off The Thames in London visiting his friend Mishima Sato of course. You see, Sato has a shop of curios and odd finds that he's accumulated over the course of his life. This is where he first met Barris, who'd come into the shop looking for old prints of anything by Edgar Alexander Poe and William Shakespeare. After seeing the shop first hand, Barris began to come as a regular and it wasn't before long that Sato hired him. They've been friends ever since.
Mila, his Wytchcraft endowed lover lives in the small town of Alivale which is somewhere in North America. So Barris upon seeing that his lover needed a break and a little bit of her own space concocted the story that he'd been invited to stay with Sato for a few weeks to help him reorganize the shop. Mila accepted and appreciated the time she'd have alone to pursue her artistic projects and other matters related to the Sanctum. This story is the story of what happened to Barris during the events of The Devil In Music.
Please do enjoy.
Sato's Shop Of Shameful Lust (for Japan from Brian Joseph Johns)
It had been a quiet afternoon at the shop and Sato had been keeping busy despite. He stood by a locked glass cabinet which he'd opened while he polished each of a set of figurines. Each was crafted of a variety of different materials from brass to soap stone to sapphire and rubies. Each had over the years retained their sparkle after a quick polish much like the eyes of their owner and current keeper.
Business had been down and he'd kept quiet about it knowing that sometimes that he must weather the slow times and persevere. He'd had enough to keep the lease paid on the shop and still keep both himself and Barris fed and healthy though not much more beyond that. He was grateful for Barris' compact appetite attributing that at least in part to the Welsh in him. Barris had often wondered how Sato had held up against the stress of running the shop. Despite the onslaught of bills and people wanting money he somehow managed to keep going. When the money didn't come in as fast as it left he merely adjusted his budget to meet those needs and kept tending to the shop. The shop however remained much the same as it had been when he'd opened it and Sato had set it up to liking without further consideration. It was practical for his needs and for those of the efficient running of his shop.
Barris on the other hand had settled in and taken an interest in the variety of trinkets and curios Sato had accumulated over the years. His book collection was astounding and enough to keep Barris reading and pondering for weeks. There was so much in fact that presenting it had become a problem. The store itself was tiny compared to its storage space beneath, one of the reasons why Sato had picked the location. Presenting his treasures though had become the real challenge and it was one that Barris had finally take on himself. There were crates upon crates in the basement of the shop which Barris spent endless nights investigating and sorting.
He'd grown up in Shepperton his whole life and this side of the Thames had been his home. The thing that had really set it apart from the rest of London was the fact that it had a large antique market which had been going since shortly after the English civil war itself. Sparked into existence as the Royalty of the time liquidated enormous stockpiles of furniture and treasures in its possession to pay for the war effort. That time in history had fueled the Shepperton Markets until the current day and age and every once in a blue moon a lucky customer would find a valuable treasure directly sold at one time by one of the warring factions of Royalty versus the Parliamentarians.
The war had long since passed leaving many treasures in its wake. Ambitious merchants of the time hoping to capitalize on the eventual peace and the vast liquidation that had occurred had stockpiled these treasures since that time, keeping Shepperton the place to go for antiques and hidden treasures. In the last two decades the stockpiles had started to dry up and the market prices for such items had risen dramatically which had impacted the market itself. Treasure and bargain hunters were slowly diminishing and weren't quite ready to come out of hiding until there was more reason to do so.
By the time Sato had set up shop in the early nineteen seventies, this recession had started to recede (which coincidentally enough is part of their namesake). Shepperton was at first a little apprehensive of the presence of a foreigner on British soil, whose homes housed some of the greatest treasures from before the civil war. They'd slowly come in and checked out his store apprehensively at first. By the time Barris had been offered a place to live and job, the community had come to accept Sato and his shop though his business still struggled.
"Well my friend. The time has come to get this place organized." Barris said aloud as Sato dragged the broom gently across the hardwood flooring of the shop.
Barris looked down and surely enough his loose underwear shorts were drooping over the waist of his pants. He quickly stuffed them down the insides of his pants and then continue.
"No really, Sato. I'm going to do this. It's just what this place needs to spark some business! Imagine, this cabinet will house all of those little crystal and gem treasures you have in the crate marked with this: 雑多なもの1" Barris displayed a piece of paper to him with his notes.
"I haven't gone through that crate yet." Sato responded continuing his sweeping.
"Well what about this one: 他の雑多なもの1?" asked Barris stepping into Sato's path with the paper thrust into his face.
"I haven't gone through that crate either." Sato replied side stepping the paper as he furrowed his brow.
"Well what about this one: 他の雑多なものや書籍1?" Barris refused to give in showing Sato another rendition of the Japanese notes he'd lifted from the crates.
"Bahhh! That's one of my book collections. Haikus. Poetry. Hex books. Recipes. You might like that one." Sato replied stopping with his chin perched atop of the broom handle deep in thought.
"And this one 角質の静かな司書のセックス1?" asked Barris.
"Hmmm. Mila and yourself might like that one for later though I'm at liberty to say..." Sato dodged the question artfully.
"That really depends upon who's the librarian and who's horny doesn't it? Though I'm at liberty to say I'd willingly be both and she'd probably love it. Don't you see? This will be wonderful for the shop! I'll put the things that sell and draw attention right up front! I've been keeping a list you know." Barris explained folding his arms across his chest pressing Sato for an answer.
"That really depends upon who's the librarian and who's horny doesn't it? Though I'm at liberty to say I'd willingly be both and she'd probably love it. Don't you see? This will be wonderful for the shop! I'll put the things that sell and draw attention right up front! I've been keeping a list you know." Barris explained folding his arms across his chest pressing Sato for an answer.
"I don't know... A list? What have customers been asking for?" Sato said still pondering.
"Let's see here... Ahhh yes. Here. Right here. Look. We have Mrs. Wallace here for a box of thumb tacks. Oh and here's Harry Alibaster... he wanted... a small box of thumb tacks. Oh... Wait! Marion Wethers wanted a... directions. To the nearest convenience shop. Oh but here's Mrs. Alora Dabner. You know. The lady always in here admiring ahem... your bum... I mean the antique ornaments by the walnut case there. She was last asking about our book stock too. As a matter of fact she's been doing that every week for the past fifty weeks. You know her. She socializes with a lot of the community at the library where she spends her time with her book club. Suffice it to say she's interested in a lot of older goodies if you catch my drift. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink?" Barris' eye squinted in an over exaggerated wink for Sato.
"Are you trying to... sell me, perhaps? I thought we discussed that already! I am here to sell these treasures and to give a story or two about them. That's all." Sato said as he walked over the cash register stashing the broom behind the counter.
"Well my point being that is those books were out there, Mrs. Dabner might spend less time checking out your... ahem... hardware... and more time perusing your treasures." Barris said, a rictus stetched across his face.
"I'm not exactly sure how to take what you're saying." Sato replied still a little skeptical.
"...I mean Mrs. Dabner's word of mouth might result in a lot of business!" Barris said leaning on the counter.
"I thought you were still talking about her... ahem... admiration of my hardware and treasures..." Sato replied checking the till and finding a gold coin hidden under the cash tray.
"Is that all that you have on your mind?" Barris asked him.
"Well not really but the money does pay for the lease and our food." Sato said equally confusing Barris.
"No. No! I meant her admiration of your... you! You know." Barris replied.
"I appreciate your enthusiasm my friend but that is a door that I wish to remain closed for the time being. However. Since you are so ambitious and creative about finding ways to improve my shop. Our shop. I'd like you to continue and take charge of the story display as you see fit. I give you permission to arrange it to the best of your ability. Surprise me if you will. Maybe the new sun rise will be accompanied by eager customers who love these treasures and a good story." Sato said patting his friend on the back.
And with that Barris began the monumental effort of cataloging and arranging Sato's treasures.
A Readers' Delight
Barris had spent the days going through Sato's enormous book collection and though he could not understand nor read Japanese he was making his best effort to grasp it. He new the basics like hello (Kon'nichiwa or こんにちは) and thank you (Arigatōgozaimashita or ありがとうございました). When it came to deciphering the titles of books and Sato's prior filing system he was almost at a complete loss. He persevered nonetheless and after three weeks he'd come up with a filing system and an arrangement between the six book cases which would house a wide selection of Sato's books.
The books were a variety of languages and many were English translations of Eastern classics and ancient texts which could not be found anywhere. Some of these books were even unique and this had caught Barris off guard as he did his research and set a price. Of course Sato would see Barris' price and mark it down by a hundred or so British pounds saying something like:
"I'm here to enlighten, not to lighten their purses and wallets. I want to be able to pay my lease and bills, not get rich on their backs." Sato said to Barris partly scolding him.
"But... some of these books are valuable. Very valuable. In fact they're unique." Barris explained.
"That's what treasures are. Unique. But you've done good here. I like how you've positioned everything. The shop has never looked better." Sato responded a joyous smile on his face.
Barris finished up placing the last of the trinkets and treasures filling the open spaces and cabinets.
"Well I am going to bed. Good night my friend." Sato said as he marched up the stairs.
"Let's see how this plan works tomorrow." Barris said as he locked the front of the shop.
Barris finished by fixing up a sign which he put in the front window of the shop which stated:
Sato's Curios And Treasures!
New And Improved!
Experience the world's history through the eyes of Mishima Sato. World traveler and adventurer extraordinaire. Approved by the Emperor and two of the Royal Crowns of Europe, good old United Kingdom being one of those Crowns! See the letters in the front cabinet which were signed by said historical figures in letters addressed to Sato himself!.
Ask Sato about the treasure that catches your eye and he'll give you the details of the adventure he underwent to find it!
ANTIQUES! ANTIQUES! ANTIQUES!
Trinkets, curios, books, tomes, tools, antiques and valuables galore!
If Benny Hill were around today, he most definitely would have come here just to slap the top of Sato's bare dome!
Kon'nichiwa and Tally Ho!
The next day there were a few people in wait as Sato opened the shop. He couldn't have been more surprised to find Mrs. Dabner with one of the members of her book club standing out front waiting eagerly for Sato to unlock the door and let them in. Behind them was a tall man dressed in a suit who bore a Cane in his left hand. Behind him was one of the antique hustlers from a shop down the road.
"Hey mate. I'm from Antiquatious down the road. I came here to check out your duds." he said as he drew a cellular phone from his pocket placing it next to his face.
Sato raised an eyebrow and returned to the counter.
"Good morning Mrs. Dabner and the same to your friend." Sato smiled greeting them as Barris crawled down the stairs still groggy from having just woken up.
"Morning." Barris nodded as he stopped on the landing.
"You've met Mrs. Dabner right? and..." Sato said beginning the introductions.
"...Mrs Farnsworth. Lydia Farnsworth." the other lady extended her hand.
"My pleasure. This is my floor manager Barris Windsor. I am Mishima Sato at your service." Sato said introducing them.
"Looks like they want a double date..." Barris whispered to Sato who turned pink as he blushed.
The ladies upon seeing the book section immediately made haste and started perusing them one at a time meticulously.
The man from Antiquatious approached Barris and Sato.
"Do you do any business with furniture?" he asked.
"No. I'm afraid not. Only what you can carry out by yourself." Sato replied.
"...after you pay for it that is." Barris said half smiling unsure if that needed saying.
"Yeah. Right mate. Well if you get any requests for furniture you just send them down our way." the man tossed Sato a card and proceeded towards the door.
As he passed the book section he took notice of a book which was covered in a dust jacket.
"Tomlie's Adventure In The Sky. This book is a classic. My Nanny used to read it to me when I was a tot. I'll take it!" the man reached into his pocket producing a ten pound note.
"Keep the change." he said as he handed it to Barris and then continued towards the door.
"Don't you want to hear the story of how Sato acquired it..." Barris said as the man obliviously took off down the street.
"There are some people who'd much rather chase time than to live it." Sato said offering Barris a gem as he began polishing the display case.
"Well that's our first sale this early. I say that deserves a celebration. How about a tea?" Barris asked Sato.
"I'll have the Bamboo Green tea." Sato said continuing his cleaning.
"Well it seems that we've found a few treasures in your collection. The History Of The Dance, a classic to be sure. The Onerous Book Of Craft And Hex. I'll have to read that one in the wee hours. And Lydia will take this one, Tales Of The Nightly Visitor." Mrs. Dabner put books on the counter and Barris quickly tended to the cash payment.
"You know. Those particular books I came across during a long haul from the South East along the shores of India and through to what is now Turkey, across to Cypress and north into Central Europe. I found several of them along the way, two of which you'll notice are written in the author's own hand by ink and quill. Those books kept my company on the lonely nights of that trip and they certainly kept my mind fresh and full of vigor." Sato explained to the two members of the Shepperton Library Book Club.
"That must have been quite an adventure, when was this?" asked Mrs Dabner.
"Oh that was back in the early nineteen fifties if I recall correctly. There were some dangerous moments for sure but I managed to make it." Sato told them.
"I'll be sure to pass the word along to the other club members. You have yourself a wonderful day." Mrs. Dabner left with Lydia in tow and the shop remained silent for an hour before business began to pick up once again.
From that point the business remained steady until four o'clock past noon when Sato who had been tending to the extra work of keeping the place clean had stopped to talk with Barris.
"Well it looks like your plan is working out quite. This is the best I've done in business and it's only four o'clock. My friend, this is a big relief from the strain of bills for certain. Perhaps if this keeps up we'll celebrate by having an open house and gathering. Say next weekend." Sato offered to Barris seeing Barris spirits climb a bit.
"Now that would be fun. And good for business too. A great chance for you to get more acquainted with the community. I could prepare a presentation. Some poetry or something of that nature. The antiques crowd would love it!" Barris replied as his imagination got going.
"Then consider it done. We'll schedule that for next weekend. I'll put some signs up this time. You could advertise in the neighborhood. Maybe some notices on the lamp posts. We'll let Mrs Dabner know and we should be in for a real treat." Sato said enthusiastically.
"I'm on it. This is going to be what we need to get this place known. You'll see." Barris said getting back over to the inventory and replenishing it from the crates of books he'd brought up from the basement.
The Gathering
They'd spent the week preparing and advertising, spreading the news far and wide. The book club had also put out a notice of its own via a forum posting on the world wide web. News had made it all over London and on that day when Sato opened the doors, he could not see the street beyond the crowd gathered before his shop.
"Welcome to Sato's Curios And Treasures! I am Mishima Sato and I hope to get to know each and every one of you before the day is done!" Sato said with a modest smile and a bow to his audience as they filed in.
"Where's the books?" asked one of the crowd.
"Right over here." Barris said pointing to the books shelves.
Barris and Sato watched as the book shelves were quickly devoured by the crowd, each book selling before Barris could replace them with the others he'd prepared from Sato's crates in the basement.
Barris ran them up as quickly as he could before they were quickly taken by eager customers.
By the late afternoon they were both exhausted just from replenishing the stock as it sold but the stock had all be books. Every single last copy of one of the crates had been emptied and Barris had moved on to the other crate.
"Now these books are the same right? Like the other ones?" asked one of the ladies from the book club.
"Absolutely. They are works of literature. Here. Allow me..." Barris said as he placed the books on the counter fetching one from the pile and opening it to the middle for a reading to the audience.
"This is from the Wealer's classic tales. I'll read to you from the chapter: The Sultry Beckoning Of The Mistress. Hmmm. That must have been one of Wealer's later tales. I don't recall Wealer writing anything sultry." Barris said smiling with a little devilish grin as if to play on the title of the chapter.
Some of the ladies in the audience giggled aloud and he blushed slightly.
"The lamps filled the night air with a dim light which flickered in the wind. Alex Mairdon once again made his way along the cobblestones and up through the streets of in the night air and into the dwelling. After all she'd left the door unlocked and a candle with his name lay 'pon her window sill. He crept up the stairs in the darkness of her house moving only from the memory of his first night with her. The memory of her flesh between his fingers and her bre... uhhh, is it getting hot in here?" Barris' face turned a shade of red as he paused uncomfortably looking around.
"Well...?" asked the audience.
"Never keep an audience in wait my friend." Sato said easily.
"Uhhh right. Here goes. The memory of her flesh between his fingers and her... brea... breathing as he tenderly stroked her... spasms of... breath. Yeah, that's it. Breath. He opened the door and there she lay invitingly on the bed, her naughty whip in one hand and her... feather in the other. She'd not bothered to get dressed at all... and her... toes wiggled gently in the night under the light of her candle." Barris paused looking around nervously seeing Sato's expression take on a look of concern.
"You've been a very naughty boy, haven't you? She asked him as she stood from the bed and approached him a menacing look on her face. Yes, but not that bad he replied. So you're saying that you should get more of the feather than my other friend? And let me ask your friend Harald... uhhhh... Harald of course being the pet name she'd given his... wiener...dog. No, I meant bird! ...a pet budgie! Yeah. That's it. I can't wait to get my hands on Harald again but only if you've not been naughty she told him." Barris was fully red and drops of sweat were falling from his forehead.
"Bravo! I'll take that one!" one of the ladies clapped from the audience quickly grabbing it from his hand.
Barris quickly grabbed another from the pile and tried to cover the awkwardness of the situation though the audience was in sheer joy.
"Alright. Here's another one. This one is by William Ruttlidge. Oh thank you. Another classic. Here I'll read to you from this chapter called: It Only Grows When I'm Happy. Uhhhh... Upon seeing his mass of... flesh she quickly... and then she... and he... ummm. Let me try another." Barris said grabbing up another book just as one of the audience snatched the one he'd read just from.
"Ok. Here we have something by Ikari Otaka. Uhhh... it's in... Sato, would you do the honors of reading this for us...?" Barris handed the book to Sato who grabbed it from him quickly.
"Ahhh... a classic from Ikari Otaka. Now this should be a little more seasoned writing... She had kept her lust for him hidden for the ages. She'd written it upon a stone first by the shores of the ocean and then upon the rice paper wall of her room. A secret lust for him she'd kept for a long time deep inside of her. When he'd opened the door in nothing more than his kimono, which lay open gently moving side to side she took site of his enormous... katana. Yes. It was a katana. She took hold of it with both hands and then she..." Sato closed the book quickly just as one of his customers grabbed it from him.
"That one's mine. The perfect incentive to learn the language." another one of the book club members said unscathed by the presentation.
"Which crates did you get these from?" asked Sato.
"The ones from the far corner of the basement. I showed you the writing on the crate." Barris replied defensively.
"How dare you soil our ears with that filth!" one of the audience members spoke out in defiance of what he was seeing.
"I think they're great! Personally." one of the book club members spoke out in defense of Sato and Barris and their books.
"They are clearly filth and not meant for the public consumption. Definitely not for the likes of our community nor my Church! Obviously the work of sinners! The lures of vile sin within each binding!" the vocal member of the audience spoke out again.
"Which books were those books Sato?" Barris asked now sincerely concerned for the risks of their possible lynching.
"Those books...? Those books were books were in the basement of a Church that had confiscated them from the public during a round up in the 1600s. The authors and a good portion of the communities of Europe and Asia had disguised them with outer covers to conceal them. So that they could read them without being scrutinized by the clergy of the time. Probably in order to keep them from the eyes of youngsters as well. They were rounded up by the Church at the time who had powers that rivaled the authority of the throne. Of course one of the biggest fans of those books turned out to be one of the Ministers who was spearheading this round up of smut. He'd peruse them from the books he'd confiscated from others. That's the same Church that I'd taken them from while searching for a second generation copy of the Kamasutra, which was thought of as vile and disgusting by the western clergy of the time. There are similar books and treatise in Japan as well and Eastern attitudes are much different in that sense. It is refreshing to see that there are people who appreciate the art of sensuality, however there is a time and a place for everything. I must apologize for I did not know that those books were the ones that had made their way onto the shelves of my store here." Sato explained to the audience and to Barris.
"We'll take the whole lot off your hands if you'd like." said another one of Mrs. Dabner's friends from the book club.
Sato looked to Barris who looked back still a bit red.
"So long as you know what you're getting I suppose that its fine but I will no longer be keeping stock of such books for sale." Sato assured the members of the book club.
"I used to watch Benny Hill meself. Dave Allen. What happened to us since then that we've become so uptight about sex anyway? I shouldn't have to explain anything related to my private life to anyone. The Church. The community. Nobody." asked Lydia.
"I think that it is like our good friend Sato here said. It has a time and a place. What is meant to be enjoyed between a mature couple or in solitude is the business of those perusing it so long as they aren't violating someone's rights or those of children. I mean I never had to answer to anyone what my deceased husband and I did with our private time, and we had a lot of fun. I didn't mean while he was dead of course. How did it end up in the hands of the Church or any other similar organization to make those decisions for us? A loving couple? Or even me by myself as I live now? Not everyone in the Church feels the same way as you do about this topic. How dare you tell me what I can and can't do in my own bed with or without my husband!" Mrs Dabner said a smile crossing her face as she grew warmed by her memory.
"Are you taking any members for your book club? I'm thinking that Mila and I might enjoy this book club if not for the distance between us." Barris interjected and many of the audience in the shop began to laugh with amusement.
"I'm leaving! I can tell when the Lord is not wanted here but know this! The Lord is watching you every second of every day! You'll be punished for your sins and lustful nature. All of you!" the zealot said as he backed out of the store.
"It is not the Lord who isn't welcome, whomever that may or may not be to you. It is those who wish to take away our hard earned rights on the basis of their dogmatic ideologies who are not welcome past that door! Your belief is yours alone. Our rights belong to us each." Sato retorted.
With that the zealot left the store quickly. The book club and the audience purchased the remaining books and stock that Sato had received from the minister's basement.
"That should do us for a while." Barris said proudly.
"I think that we'll be washing our hands of that for a long time." Sato said to Barris as they closed the shop.
"That doesn't mean that I can't join the book club right?" Barris asked Sato.
"My friend, what you do with your time in that way is not my business nor is it anyone else's unless you want to invite them into it." Sato told Barris.
"I don't think that I'd like a whole community to know me in that way. I mean that would be like everyone trying to get in bed with you, wouldn't it? That would be a violation of Mila's space too, not just mine." Barris asked Sato.
"We all have our fantasies and secrets in that way and they're not meant to be shared with everyone. They're for that person with whom you choose to share them. Most people who have such fantasies would never try to make someone else a part of them unwillingly. They know the difference between make believe and reality. In my home country there are many who love the idea of control in a very sensual way though there are few or none that would ever really try to take control of someone without their consent. Suffice it to say that its like the Minister I spoke of who took it to himself to round up those books as part of his clergy's effort to control others. So he was really trying to control others' minds by telling them what they were allowed and not allowed to think. What they were allowed to read and what they weren't allowed to read when the people he was trying to illicit that kind of control over would never try to control others themselves. His truth was revealed here. It took four hundred years and we have a saying in Japan: when the truth speaks, it has a very loud voice." Sato told Barris.
[Author's Note: Lady Chatterly's Lover]
Brian Joseph Johns
http://www.shhhhdigital.com
Additional Credits:
Sato's Goatee in accompanying image courtesy of rnb of ShareCG
Thanks to Trekkiegrrrl of ShareCG
As can be seen in this image, a scantily clad Lady plays upon the the hidden miring of her onlooking observer. I'd assume that this image actually depicts part of the story from the book Le Morte d'Arthur which is one of the earliest depictions of the Arthurian legend. In this piece we see either Merlin or perhaps even Arthur himself as he is seduced by Morgan Le Fay into conceiving the offspring who will attempt to lay claim to King Arthur's throne.
Morgana has been used interchangeably to refer to Morgan Le Fay from this tale for a great deal of time, culminating in many popular culture references to the character through the archetype she represents.
The overall tale (in my interpretation) is an allegory that underlines the responsibility of leadership in overcoming planned betrayal and corruption. It also entails doing away with love in the face of blood and that ultimate redemption can only be found in the line of Christ. Christ in this context represents a guiding set of traditions and principles carried on by those initiated unto those principles. So in seeking the Holy Grail, King Arthur was trying to reconnect to the original guiding principles. Blood in this sense is not a lineage or even a tradition. It is beyond the concept of any distinct religion and represents the motivations of the good and the just, without the fervor of zeal.
Le Morte d'Arthur was according to history penned by Sir Thomas Malory sometime in the early 1400s from a variety of French manuscripts from which his work is based. The manuscripts themselves originated from 13th century France during one of its greatest transitions. The cessation of the Capetian ruling line and the arrest and execution of the Knight's Templar along with the expulsion of Jews from France by King Philip The Fair (IV) in 1307 (which was just before the Templar arrests). Please remember that these historical events happened long ago and all of society and civilization around the world has progressed since that time.
It would seem to me that with all of this going on that the manuscripts from which the story of what becomes the Arthurian legend is based upon the downfall and betrayal of the Knight's Templar, for they had been described as a "state within a state", not to mention that King Philip IV was in great debt to them. This would also explain why the tale did not ultimately become manifest to become Le Morte d'Arthur until it was pieced together by Sir Thomas Malory Consequently Sir Thomas Malory had his share of trouble with the ruling class as well, not to mention that there were no less than six possible persons with the same identity as his which could possibly mean that others were trying to lay claim to his heritage or exploits, and perhaps to erase his true being from history. It was King Henry VI that finally pardoned Sir Thomas Malory leaving him to finish his beleaguered life in peace. That would be only 5 months after his pardon.
Keep in mind that I am not a member of Christianity but rather a Buddhist and Taoist. Nor am I trying to convert anyone to any belief or non-belief. It is one of our greatest freedoms, the right to believe or unbelieve as we choose. In fact belief and non-belief is one of our greatest diversities so long they do not overcome our rights as individuals or a society.
My personal opinions expressed here do not reflect those of any group or organization mentioned on this page or within this web site. They are my own and I take full responsibility for them.
Brian Joseph Johns
http://www.shhhhdigital.com
Sato's Shameful Shop Of Lust is Copyright © 2018 Brian Joseph Johns
PS: I am not Eugene Francois
Additional Credits:
Sato's Goatee in accompanying image courtesy of rnb of ShareCG
Thanks to Trekkiegrrrl of ShareCG
About This Image (and how it was created)
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Canterbury Tales by Geoffry Chaucer is not an erotic piece of fiction despite the impression that I may have given here. In fact, Canterbury Tales is a poetic work of ye Olde English delivered in several different tales, each its own collection of verses. As far as I know there is nobody by the name of Geoffry Chaucer Jr who capitalized on their father's work by writing a smut filled sequel to that classic.
I created the book cover 3D object in Lightwave 3D inspired by Trekkiegrrrl's work. The image with Barris (right side of image) and the ever wise and feisty Sato (left side of image) was rendered using Daz3D. The image on the cover was crafted in Photoshop with the help of two real public domain images and artwork from the around 16th century (which follow) depicting "naughty" fantasies of the time.
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George Frederic Watts' Fata Morgana
Morgana has been used interchangeably to refer to Morgan Le Fay from this tale for a great deal of time, culminating in many popular culture references to the character through the archetype she represents.
The overall tale (in my interpretation) is an allegory that underlines the responsibility of leadership in overcoming planned betrayal and corruption. It also entails doing away with love in the face of blood and that ultimate redemption can only be found in the line of Christ. Christ in this context represents a guiding set of traditions and principles carried on by those initiated unto those principles. So in seeking the Holy Grail, King Arthur was trying to reconnect to the original guiding principles. Blood in this sense is not a lineage or even a tradition. It is beyond the concept of any distinct religion and represents the motivations of the good and the just, without the fervor of zeal.
Le Morte d'Arthur was according to history penned by Sir Thomas Malory sometime in the early 1400s from a variety of French manuscripts from which his work is based. The manuscripts themselves originated from 13th century France during one of its greatest transitions. The cessation of the Capetian ruling line and the arrest and execution of the Knight's Templar along with the expulsion of Jews from France by King Philip The Fair (IV) in 1307 (which was just before the Templar arrests). Please remember that these historical events happened long ago and all of society and civilization around the world has progressed since that time.
It would seem to me that with all of this going on that the manuscripts from which the story of what becomes the Arthurian legend is based upon the downfall and betrayal of the Knight's Templar, for they had been described as a "state within a state", not to mention that King Philip IV was in great debt to them. This would also explain why the tale did not ultimately become manifest to become Le Morte d'Arthur until it was pieced together by Sir Thomas Malory Consequently Sir Thomas Malory had his share of trouble with the ruling class as well, not to mention that there were no less than six possible persons with the same identity as his which could possibly mean that others were trying to lay claim to his heritage or exploits, and perhaps to erase his true being from history. It was King Henry VI that finally pardoned Sir Thomas Malory leaving him to finish his beleaguered life in peace. That would be only 5 months after his pardon.
Keep in mind that I am not a member of Christianity but rather a Buddhist and Taoist. Nor am I trying to convert anyone to any belief or non-belief. It is one of our greatest freedoms, the right to believe or unbelieve as we choose. In fact belief and non-belief is one of our greatest diversities so long they do not overcome our rights as individuals or a society.
In the garden, such discipline is performed as you see
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| This painting may appear old and authentic but through my research it appears to be a print that is the result of a process developed in 1991 called the Gicleé process. As far as the image itself it appears to have no known origins though perhaps the German text on the bottom of the image which translates to: In the garden, such discipline is performed as you see. |
My personal opinions expressed here do not reflect those of any group or organization mentioned on this page or within this web site. They are my own and I take full responsibility for them.
Brian Joseph Johns
http://www.shhhhdigital.com
Sato's Shameful Shop Of Lust is Copyright © 2018 Brian Joseph Johns
PS: I am not Eugene Francois