Latin

So there are two of these tag things zooming around the ever-lovin’ blog-o-sphere (which today looks remarkably like those Sea-Monkey ads you used to see in comic books … but I digress).

And, thanks to the vagaries (and vagrancy) of Google Alerts and my own insane schedule, I didn’t realize that my dear and witty pal Sophie Littlefield had tagged me with another one. So here goes … this one’s for Sophie, and the rules are as follows:

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

OK. Well, the nearest book from my laptop is a copy of … Nox Dormienda. I keep it around to remind me of why I’m getting a hunchback from sitting at the computer all day, emailing fellow eccentrics, plotting parties, blogging blatherings and swooning for signings. I’m attempting to send my child off to boarding school without it getting beat up too badly, so I slave away … but enough of me.

So here’s page 123:

“You will be called when it is time. And as always, find comfort in the redemption, the blood shed by our master and god. Ad astra in aeternum! Mors ianua vitae!”

Well, well, well. There’s actually not a lot of Latin in the book, but good ol’ 123 picked out a juicy bit. What that translates to is “To the stars for eternity! Death is the doorway to life!”

Just a bit of mithraism … a fascinating ancient religion that was neck and neck with Christianity for a quite a while. Very popular with soldiers. And spooky-cool underground temples, one of which features in Nox.

So, who am I gonna call? Coming right back at Bill … and Alexandra … and Robert … and Jason … and Julie. Gee, that felt just like the magic mirror in Romper Room! 🙂

Have fun, all!