Bold War 2020 Page 8

  "Initially he wanted explanations before embarking on my treatments, until I pointed out he didn't need to understand the workings of his electronic watch to check the time, know how a compact disc worked before enjoying music, or how his aeroplane kept in the air before taking a journey, or indeed how his digestive system operated before eating a meal. When his mind relaxed and became confident and focused his body responded to treatment."

  Kent continued. "My mind came alive and my body slowly started to follow. I was introduced to and participated in a world that was totally new and rewarding. Far more stimulating and satisfying, even in my reduced physical state, than my previous life of affluence and influence."

  ~

  "Sounds like an advertisement for Eastern mysticism," comments Andrew, unable to restrain himself.

  "Cynicism 2020," is Christiana's only comment.

  ~

  Kent: "Finally, after weeks in the clinic, I was scheduled for the next report from my panel of experts. Xena had telephoned to touch base just before the meeting. They filed in and seated themselves importantly across the table from my wheelchair. Raj sat in a corner."

  "Gentlemen, I hope you have good news for me."

  "I'm afraid not," said the appointed spokesman. "Your progress has not proceeded beyond our original expectations. We can only confirm our previous views. Unfortunately, you will have to be on pain-killing drugs for the foreseeable future. It will be at least a year before you are able to get out of the wheelchair, and you should not expect ever to have full use of your legs again."

  "Is there no possible hope, are there no alternatives?" asked Kent.

  "Mr Buchanan, mining is your business, medicine is our profession. Here on the panel we have some eighty years of accumulated experience. We have utilised latest technology and very expensive equipment to arrive at our consensus decision. We regret that our report does not meet with your approval but would appreciate you're not doing us the disservice of questioning our prognosis."

  "Of course," said Kent. "How could I be so discourteous and boorish. Please accept my humble apologies - oh, and you may have use for these," scattering drug phials across the table in a flamboyant gesture with his better arm.

  Wheeling back, he proceeded to lever himself from the chair with determined difficulty. In stunned silence the doctors watched him steady himself and, accepting crutches and a helping arm from Raj, make his way awkwardly to the door.

  Turning, he said in his firmest voice: "Gentlemen, my car awaits. Thank you for your assistance, I mustn't keep you from your important work. Mr Krishna gives his notice and will be accompanying me."

  Xena opened the limousine door for Kent's awkward entry. He collapsed, gasping, beside her. "I'm glad my offer was enough to entice you," he said to Raj between breaths.

  "I can tell you that I needed no enticing and would have come for a fraction of your offer," said Raj. Pausing, "Why have I done all this?…… Cometh the time, cometh the man."

  Sweating and smiling, Kent puffed "Maybe that applies both ways."

  CHAPTER 9 The quest - genesis

  "Typical Kent," Andrew comments. "Never would take no for an answer. Some called it determination, but to me it was pig-headedness. Ever the showman with those specialists - he takes great delight in confounding experts. But the old KB would have flipped at miscalculating his offer to Raj."

  "What do you think might follow?" asks Christiana.

  "Well he's found an avenue of promise for his health. He's extricated himself from the medical system. He's gaining confidence, and has a confidant and sounding board. He has unlimited resources at his disposal. I guess he'll be rearing to go." He re-starts the film.

  ~

  The film revealed the opposite. Kent slumped in a chair, alone. Eyes closed, a frown creased his forehead. His voice-over said: "I had made progress, from a near-dead cripple with absolutely no idea where to start, to a semi-cripple with still no idea.

  "I had this great urge inside me, I had great assets, but I was exhausted, disabled, demoralised. Worse, I had no specific goals and little direction. I was inspired to move mountains but couldn't see where to start. Turned away from mining and commerce, my mind was blank. It was a crisis of health and confidence totally foreign to me. At times I wished I had stayed dead."

  "Many rupees for your thoughts," Raj said as he entered the room. It was large and expensively furnished, in his country mansion in upstate New York. Xena had arranged medical advisers to be on-call 'just in case'. She, Raj and two assistants occupied rooms. Communications between branches of Mogul Mining and Xena were further reduced to 'only in emergency' while he was 'recuperating'.

  "That's more than they're worth right now Raj. I need help, not only physically but in planning what to do. I used to make up my mind and then go out and do it. I was successful more often than not, which means I was a guaranteed success over time. But now although I have general goals I have no idea how to achieve them. I'm a physical directionless wreck with nothing but money."

  "Wrong!" said Raj with surprising emphasis. "You have assets far greater than money to take you where you want to go - if you really want to."

  "Of course I bloody well want to," snapped Kent, irritated. "What are you talking about?"

  "Far greater than material possessions is your strong positive attitude (which you are in the process of re-activating), your determination when you so will it, and your organisational abilities. There are also other latent qualities of which you are as yet unaware. You may not believe it, but I suggest that your whole life to date has been in preparation for this time. It is important for you to continue…you must."

  KBVO: "He was catching me at my weakest, most vulnerable and most impressionable point, and we both knew it. If he hadn't, none of what eventuated would have, so I don't complain. It's just that I wasn't used to being pressured in this way, no matter how worthwhile the cause.

  "We started a new treatment session. He guided me to the meditation state. By now I was getting used to and enjoying it. Being relaxed but alert, concentrating my thoughts on the appropriate muscles and organs while in different yoga poses. After each session I sensed definable progress in muscle control and suppleness.

  "After the main exercise, while still in meditation, he asked me to ask myself the questions: 'What do I need to know? What am I to do?' Later I told him I didn't find answers. 'Patience, try again,' was all he said.

  "I persisted, and knuckled down to it, and two days later met with Raj and Xena."

  "While I don't know details, I have sensed direction. My recent experiences with you Raj have demonstrated in one small area what might be done to improve the condition of mankind. If I can learn pain control and help make myself well again and be much better for it why can't others? Why hasn't it been done before? What is stopping it? There are enormous benefits available to the world through improved physical and mental health. What is needed to implement it? Importantly, what other areas of endeavour and ideas are out there waiting to be activated?

  "These are the sorts of questions that have been going through my mind. And with the benefit of meditation certain 'answers' have occurred to me. In the absence of anybody else seeming to do anything I am about to initiate action. Whereas I don't know the nature of the ideas there's nothing unusual about that. I haven't ever been the brilliant creative person like my brother - that's what teams are for. I'm confident the right ideas exist and can be unearthed. I mean to find them and act on them. I will draw on my world-wide resources to search, gather and evaluate ideas that I can help to implement. Any comments?"

  "Truly commendable," said Xena. "Questions. With all the world's philosophers and scientists and great minds available to work on such weighty matters for centuries and with no discernible positive results to date, what makes you feel you will be able to break the ice? What's in it for you at your stage of life? It will be a long haul with no guarantee of success. Does it warrant enormous time, effort and resources when we c
ould be having a good time for the rest of our lives? In short, why you, why now?"

  "Well articulated Xena, as usual. Sounds like me just a few weeks ago. Remember the time we were chasing that Brazilian billion dollar resource project and I told you it was the ultimate charge and could never be better?"

  "I remember it well," said Xena, with a smile that indicated there might have been more than one project in progress.

  "I was wrong! That pales into insignificance compared to my recent insights and flashes of what I can best call inspiration. I have never been so keen, so excited, so committed. Raj is right, everything up to now I take as being preparation for the real and important purpose of my life - my second life, you might say. I have nothing to lose; the world, potentially, has a lot to gain."

  Xena shrugged and sighed.

  "And lack of progress by others in the past is no reason not to try now. Not for me, anyway. Efforts to date have been isolated, feeble and uncoordinated, with little encouragement or support. Now we have the benefit of advanced technology and techniques not previously available. I don't see any money in it for me, which may sound strange to you, and I may not be successful in this, my biggest ever project, but I'm going to give it a damned good try.

  "And," looking pointedly at Xena, "don't you dare tell anybody, but I've come to agree belatedly with what I thought was that certain magnate's most stupid statement: 'A man who dies rich, dies disgraced.'"(2) Xena fumed and pouted.

  "How do you hope to find these areas of benefit?" asked Raj.

  "Hope is not a word I use. I will find them. By drawing on my best staff in each country, briefing them and giving them a deadline. These are the twelve people I have in mind," handing a list to Xena. "Lateral and independent thinkers with enterprise and energy. Have them here within the week so we can get the ball rolling."

  Xena scanned the names. "Prime people - can your regional CEO's do without them for three months?"

  "Maybe six months," snapped Kent. "If any CEO can't arrange his affairs to release a key staff member for that time then I need a better CEO."

  "Your conviction and determination are admirable," said Raj, "But all this takes time. Can it be forced? In the East we believe things will happen when the time is ready."

  "A belief I can't possibly share," said Kent. "I've never waited for things to happen. As far as I'm concerned, the time is now and I'm ready and that's all that matters."

  Five days later the twelve staff assembled, young in thought if not in age, and with a record as change-agents. "Thank you for coming at short notice," said Kent. "This is a special project for which, out of my eight thousand staff, I've chosen you people."

  KBVO: "I outlined the major problems of the world, the dire need for solutions and the seeming lack of ideas or effort or interest. Without mentioning my near-death experience I told them I was going to do something about it."

  Xena handed out papers.

  "Go back to your countries and search for new ideas, concepts, processes or programs that can contribute to ways of living that are better, more efficient, more harmonious. I don't mean minor changes, helping a few people here and there, with no long-term benefits. I want things which will help many, spread geometrically and be self-sustaining. Do I make myself clear?

  "The things I'm looking for will lead to major advances in the human condition. What I have heard referred to as quantum leaps and paradigm shifts. They will be capable of changing the way people think, their mind-sets, leading to a sea-change in attitudes. They may not be well formed or tested, being either too new or having come up against too much opposition. Or their originator lacks sufficient energy or willpower or resources.

  "As the papers tell you, I expect these ideas to be one or more of the following: creative, daring, dynamic, positive, proactive, constructive, generative, catalytic, bold, adventurous, unconventional (even radical), inspirational, symbiotic, seminal. They probably won't be viable in their present state. They will need assistance; that's where I and a team of helpers come in.

  "Keep your enquiries discreet; under no circumstances are you to disclose the source of your enquiry. You are on special leave from Mogul so don't mention that name or mine. I want progress reports from which we will narrow down the field to the most promising. There will be bonuses for best performers and a chance to work on the next phase. That will be to bring proponents of the best ideas, concepts or whatever to a central point where we will see what we can do to promulgate them - in the interests of a better world. My target is three months from now!"

  ~

  As the film ranges over the faces while Kent talks, Andrew decides to enquire further and test the film at the same time. As the camera focuses on a youthful face of intense concentration he dinks the 'T' corner. The main film pauses and the face speaks to the camera while identification appears at the bottom of the screen.

  ~

  T: [Trevor Urquhart. Age 29. Mining Engineer at London Division of Mogul Processing] "I can hardly believe my ears. The old bugger's gone mental. From mogul to Messiah, cripple to crusader. All this altruistic stuff. Great. Hope we get going before he changes his mind. There are a few possibilities I can think of right now."

  ~

  Hear, hear, thinks Andrew.

  ~

  The film re-starts with Kent inviting questions. Discussion helped clarify the intent and enlarge on details. Finally, Kent said: "Importantly, if anyone has doubts about their one hundred percent interest or capacity or commitment now is the time to air them and pull out."

  Receiving nothing but enthusiastic retorts, he rose to his feet and said loudly: "Well, what are you waiting for? Go forth, the world is your oyster. Do your work and come back with pearls."

  When they had departed he sank in a chair, exhausted. "Progress! The semi-cripple has now put a plan in motion."

  "But are you going to be able to handle the work when and if they come back loaded with ideas?" asked Xena.

  "That depends on you Raj, whether we can get enough Eastern intervention to bear. Can you do it in three months? We must use the time to advantage. Not only do I want you to get me fit, I want you to teach me as much as possible of what you know."

  "I can do part of it," said Raj, "I can guide and assist you, but as I said before, it depends mainly on what you can do for yourself. You have taken all before you in the material world, but this is very different. Perhaps a bigger challenge than you have ever faced."

  "Well I'm certainly going to need the best guide. So now is a good time to tell me about yourself."

  "I was born and spent my early life in Madras. Being the third son I was sent to holy orders and became a religious man. When I reached the age of forty-three the leader of the ashram saw that I had duties to perform in the Western world and sent me abroad. He did not tell me the nature of my mission, it would be revealed to me when the time was right. I found a job in the clinic a year ago, and here we are today."

  "So you think this is your mission?" queried Xena, her sceptical tone in tune with her arched eyebrows. "How do we know you're not just another opportunist trying to latch on to Kent's money?"

  "If stones are cast all I can do is put in my best effort and let others make that judgement," replied Raj, with a quiet look that embarrassed Xena. "Now Kent sahib, when do you wish to begin the next stage?"

  "Well, physically you have started me on the road to health; I want you to continue that process and resurrect me to pre-accident levels if that's possible. Perhaps even more significant is the mental side. My views are changing rapidly and in some cases are diametrically opposed to what they were. I have glimpsed a world totally different and much more important. How far can you take me in that direction?"

  "As far as you really want to. And there are other dimensions - in the spiritual world for instance."

  "One step at a time now," said Kent defensively. "The spiritual sounds like an area I will defer till later - when I am ready." Little did he know or suspect that in this case
'later' would be 'never'.

  "There is one aspect I should mention," said Raj. "Best results in the disciplines I will be teaching you have been obtained by those who have forsaken their earthly possessions. It permits them to progress further and faster because they are not distracted."

  "That may be so," said Kent, "Money may not be my greatest asset but I have uses for it which will be far better than giving it away. I'll be aiming for results which have not been achieved before and in doing so I expect some of my methods might be rather different from past practitioners, but undoubtedly they will need money."

  KBVO: "We worked out a program. Further yoga and meditation - in breadth and depth. Tai chi and acupuncture. Diet, taking me into gastronomic graveyards until my taste buds adjusted and I began to appreciate food like never before. Regular aerobic exercise. All in all, despite my limited movements, I observed a steady progress to an eventual quality of physical life higher than I could recall.

  "Whenever my enthusiasm flagged or doubt crept in Raj would make a demonstration to restore my faith. Biofeedback for example. He showed me how to control my breathing, adjust my heart rate and change my temperature at will, thereby demonstrating the power of my mind and reminding me how much I could learn. Gradually he brought back full function and strength to a battered and tired body, its muscles and organs. He taught me how to handle depression and despair until I found peace, calm and understanding.

  "Raj, I have to pinch myself occasionally to see if this is really happening. To think this fantastic (I was yearning to say 'unreal') world has always existed and been within reach."

  "To you and everyone else," said Raj. "All it needs is a trigger, or in your case (smiling) to be stung into action."

  "We had regular meetings to assess the scores of submissions from field staff. The biggest difficulty was to weigh with any degree of surety their merit and potential. By the time we had narrowed it to the four most important ideas I felt in good physical condition, apart from my eye-patch and a slight limp. What would the panel of specialists have thought?