an abridgement of
 

THE QUEEN'S SOULMATE

SETTING: A ship anchored five miles out from Queen Syona's capital. Her ascension to the crown had seen a flowering of peace, prosperity and technological advance for her nation. But the recent death of Solluv, her former tutor (and eventual lover), had sullied her demeanour and coloured the land with uncertainty as her enthusiasm for leadership declined into a pre-occupation with mourning. Realising that her vision was essential to restore the land's confidence the Prime Minister urged her to consider a personal advisor who could re-envigour her inspiration. The Queen agreed, but insisted on interviewing the candidates on a ship anchored five miles out from her capital. She sits upon a throne (in full state) surrounded by her retinue of servants and guards...
QUEEN: I have decided that the death of my dear friend Solluv has required me to employ a chief advisor in his place. There are four candidates - and I say to them I will ask them two questions. From their answers will come my decision.
HERALD: Will candidate number one... by name of Bereft... please step up and attend the Queen.
The candidate Bereft emerges from belowships and bows before the Queen.
QUEEN: Dear Bereft, go to the rail of the ship and look down."
Bereft did so.
QUEEN: What do you see?
BEREFT: I see water! I see the sea!!!
QUEEN: How do you know it is water and the sea?
BEREFT: Because it is before my eyes! If it wasn't water? Then we would not need this ship. If we were cast into what I can see - the sea - we would all drown eventually. We need air to breathe. We can not breathe in water. It is our knowledge and experience of water and the sea that makes us know what it is!
 

HERALD: Will candidate number two... by name of Fertile... please step up and attend the Queen.
The candidate Fertile emerges from belowships and bows before the Queen.
QUEEN: Dear Fertile, go to the rail of the ship and look down."
Fertile did so.
QUEEN: What do you see?
FERTILE: I see sand and rocks, ma'am!"
The Queen moves to look over the rail with Fertile.
QUEEN: I see only sea!!! How is it that you see sand and rock?
FERTILE: Because every shoreline of this sea is bounded by sand or rock. As I am aware this is so I can see beyong what I can see and arrive at a conclusion. What is witnessed is valid as evidence, but what has previously been observed can affect the validity of this evidence. Liquid can only maintain itself as liquid if it has a relatively solid entrapment. Therefore, this sea before me would be inconceivable without the previous evidence of sand and rock. Sea, sand and rock can be viewed as seek, compromise and defy.

HERALD: Will candidate number three... by name of Pashion... please step up and attend the Queen.
The candidate Pashion emerges from belowships and bows before the Queen.
QUEEN: Dear Pashion, go to the rail of the ship and look down."
Pashion did so.
QUEEN: What do you see?
PASHION: Fire, ma'am! Intense heat! Molten matter!
The Queen moves to look over the rail with Pashion.
QUEEN: I see the sea!!! How can you claim to see fire, intense heat and molten matter? I can see nothing resembling this! Quite the opposite!
PASHION: Because scientists like me have studied the nature of the stars, the best known of which is our sun. We have studied the nature of planets, the best known of which is this planet. We can conclude that what we know as earth, with its underlayer of bedrock, is merely a crust floating on a magma of molten material. We stand on a ship that floats on water which, itself, is a passenger on a crust that floats on magma. On one side of this crust flows the coolness of water. On the other side boils an inferno of fiery fury that can be hinted at only through the outspewing of a volcano or by the nature of suns.
QUEEN: Or by the study of our inner emotions, Pashion.
PASHION: Symbolism comes with understanding, ma'am. What can be seen in one direction has to be understood by discovering what happens in every direction.

HERALD: Will candidate number three... by name of Radar... please step up and attend the Queen.
The candidate Radar emerges from belowships and bows before the Queen.
QUEEN: Dear Radar, go to the rail of the ship and look down."
Radar did so.
QUEEN: What do you see?
RADAR: I see the back of myself on a ship looking down, trying to see what I see.
QUEEN: You have that wrong! What you are seeing is your reflection against the water - and that would mean you are seeing the front of yourself leaning over the ship.
Radar: No, I see the back of myself.
QUEEN: How can you see the back of yourself?
RADAR: Well, I figure that if my eyes could see instantly as far as is possible in the direction I am looking I would be able to see the back of my body leaning over this ship's rail... making an evident effort to see something.
QUEEN: What?!? How can you say that? How can you prove it?
RADAR: I'm sorry to point this out, ma'am, but you did say you were intent on asking us only two questions each. You have asked me five. Is that fair on the others?
QUEEN: What...erm, no... it isn't fair. But they answered both of their questions. You answered only one.
RADAR: I'm sorry, ma'am, but I answered two directly. The third question I refer to the second question's answer. 'How can I say that?' is answered by the very fact I did.
QUEEN: I hope you don't consider my good nature a weakness, Radar. I do not suffer insolence lightly.
RADAR: You asked me questions. If I was to be your advisor you would expect me to answer questions. The first two were valid questions... and I gave you valid answers. The third and fourth questions were not valid, because you heard what I said and observed how I said what I said.
QUEEN: Radar, you are walking on eggs.
RADAR: That is your perception, ma'am. From mine? I am standing, not walking. And there is solid footing, not eggs, beneath me. But you see me from your perspective, and in this... er, yes... I am effectively walking on eggs.
QUEEN: You are indeed! But there was a fifth question. I want you to answer that.... now!
RADAR: You want me to prove I could see the back of my myself looking over this rail?
QUEEN: Yes! And very quickly! How can you prove it?
RADAR: I can't.
QUEEN: Then why did you claim it?
RADAR: Because what I claimed to see would take humanity so long to prove that it never be possible. But to understand it may be possible is enough to stimulate people to make small jumps of knowledge toward proving, or disproving, my statement. It is a case of visualising beyond what we can see and seeking the questions that may unveil significant answers. It is not the proof of my statement that matters. Rather, it is the journey we undertake to seek such proof. We must see what we see and imagine what we can't see. Our assumptions may be right or wrong, but without visualisation there can be no human spirit.
QUEEN: You're swimming in the head, Radar.
RADAR: Perhaps. Or perhaps I'm flying in the mind through imaginary space?
QUEEN: It's a good thing I'm practical!
RADAR: A good thing indeed, ma'am.
QUEEN: I can afford to swim... or fly!
RADAR: It would be bad for the land if you did, but there are many of your subjects who can swim... or fly.
QUEEN: And many of my subjects who are practical!
RADAR: Exactly!
QUEEN: (pause)... Are you suggesting that the swimmers and flyers may be able to aid the practical focus on ever more promising directions.
RADAR: I am saying there should always be more questions arising than answers emerging for progress to accelerate.
QUEEN: Should you be chosen for the position, what would be your first advice?
RADAR: That Bereft, Fertile and Pashion be utilised as advisors.
QUEEN: Why??
RADAR: I represent the soul. The soul bases plausibility on a system that transcends the limitations of mind and body. Without Bereft, Fertile and Pashion? My advice would be of little use at best... and potentially ruinous at worst. I seek the questions, while they seek the balanced, practical conclusions. But all of us are unable to recognise the supremacy of each other's view. The ultimate judgement is dependent on you, ma'am. You are the mind. If you listen carefully to each of us? You will rule wisely.
QUEEN: But there will be times when you contradict each other fiercely! How can I pick out the right and wrong of it all?
RADAR: You can't! But still you must decide what is right from wrong. The welfare of your realm is reliant on your intuition. We can only feed your intuition in united or contradictory ways. A wise leader is permanently faced by confusion, but they must choose... with awareness that the choice may prove right or wrong.
QUEEN: A land without soul is a harsh land. I will employ you as chief advisor and implement your first advice.
RADAR: As is your pleasure, ma'am.
QUEEN: It is my pleasure. But I trust you will not antagonise me too much.
RADAR: I will not, because I will antagonise you only as much as you need antagonising.
QUEEN: I envy you. You can fly or swim where you choose. I am grounded by practicality.
RADAR: And I envy you, because I see see so many possibilities and I have not the power, nor time, to realise a fraction of them. I am restricted by this world and my grounding within it.
QUEEN: Solluv felt equally restricted. But now I suppose he can relish his disembodied freedom.
RADAR: It could be, but I doubt it.
QUEEN: Why
RADAR: Because you, me, and your subjects reside here in your land. A question indeed. Why?