Page 17 - Tales Apocalyptic and Dystopian

The Mount of Darjeela

equipment for synthesizing a solution to this kind of conflict. The
babus, however, realized their own survival was tied to retaining the
extant social order. That meant re-integrating the rebels into the
hierarchy. A delegation of accountants and technical writers
undertook the delicate task of negotiating with the would-be casteless
anarchists. We may assume that reason prevailed in those discussions,
that the scientists, cut off from their roots, had already begun to
regret their secession, and were becoming disillusioned by the
inevitable distinctions arising in any group of persons of different
levels of spiritual evolution.”
Guru Bhastrika rocked slightly on his folded-under heels,
attempting to settle his bulk more equitably on the orange mattress.
The chelas seemed less restless now. He continued in a raspy
monotone.
“All these gods and goddesses we are worshipping here in India:
they are a permanent feature of the spiritual landscape. In the old
days, a conqueror would try to replace the deities of his new subjects
with his own pantheon. Of course, the inevitable syncretism would
result in the old gods persevering within the forms and attributes of
the new ones. The babus were well aware of this phenomenon, and
used it to their advantage. The scientists had a supreme goddess,
protector and generator of abstract theory and kinetic energy. They
were convinced by the bureaucrats to re-enter society at the top, as
technocrats holding the real authority behind figureheads of the old
royalty and nobility; to do this would require the absorption of
Sarasvati and Durga into the new supreme goddess, our beloved
Darjeela.”
Several puzzled frowns appeared in the audience. Most of its
members had never heard those two archaic names; few would go on
to study enough ancient history to hear them again.
“Many of the qualities of the earlier deities could be incorporated
into the multifaceted personality of Darjeela, and local sects could
still make puja to their old familiar goddess without fear of disrespect
to the new one. And so today the praises of Darjeela are sung around
the solar system and beyond. Under her guidance India integrated
dynamic technology back into static society, producing the dominant
world power. The Greeks and the Chinese presented the last serious
challenge to our empire, and those ill-matched confrontations, as you

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