Lotus Floats

For nine days we drifted upon tempestuous seas. Finally, we made it to land in desperate need to take on water.

The whole company set out the lunch things on a field near the shore and after we had all finished the last of the watermelon, I sent three of the crew inland to see who inhabited this fair country.We waited and waited wondering what became of our mates when they did not return. I determined to follow their path and see what had transpired.

Soon I came upon a friendly enough people. They wore bright raiments covered in all the most vivid colours of the rainbow. Their movements were languid and dreamy, in time to strange, lightning-powered, musical instruments. Those who did not cover their faces with dark glasses had a distant look in their eyes. They offered me honeyed flowers, lotus flowers, to eat with them. They obviously wished no one harm, but eating of the flowers induced a blissful forgetfulness which would keep my people from searching for home and family. The temptation to soldiers heading home from a senseless war would be just too much. They would be more than happy to find some way to obliterate those years.

Already the runners who I had sent to report on these people were sipping on lotus ice cream floats and were unwilling to do anything but trip on their glass beads and the scent of incense. I drove them all back to the ships and had them tied up under their rowing benches. I called the rest of the crew back to the ships ordering that no one taste of the lotus blossoms if they wanted to see their parents, spouses or children again. The three wailed in withdrawal as everyone took their places at the oarlocks and began rowing away from the Lotus Eaters' shore. Once more we were on our way.