BEYOND

And at the unending desert’s heart there stood a lone, oasis city with a tower at its centre. This dark spire provided the city with everything the people needed and their lives were content. But there were some who liked to stand atop the tower or at the city’s edge where the soft grass became coarse sand and stare out to the simmering horizon and ask, “Is this all there is?”

There were no plants or animals but for those inside the city. There were no other settlements but their little ring of green. As far back as anyone knew, they had always been alone.

So the curious started making plans to venture out beyond their home. They learned to survive on the sands, developed systems for cataloguing the flora and fauna they might find and practiced how to speak with the strange new people they might meet.

Generations passed with tireless work until at last the expedition was prepared. The final provision: a stone from their home tower. Then set off eastward into the wastes, a little village of explorers, scientists, cooks, hunters, bards, linguists, artisans and camel herders. The city cheered them farewell and watched the line of dust specks drift into the mirage.

The celebrations continued long after they had left and when the days ended, the people dreamt of what the travellers might find beyond the dunes. Day came again and they shared their dreams with one another, wondering when their pioneers might return. As the years passed these dreams turned into stories in which the explorers became adventurers fighting monsters, scaling mountains and sailing seas all on their long voyage home. The stories turned to myths until there were but a few still living who had witnessed the champions’ departure. Yet still, the people lived in hope that one day the travellers would return and at last tell them what lay beyond.

And so, the city waited, until one day a little boy spied from the tower top a distant westward dot approaching. Word travelled fast, excitement grew and celebrations commenced as the whole city gathered at the desert edge to see their heroes’ return. As the dot drew nearer, however, it became clear that this was not a band, but a single man.

The drums were stopped, the pan pipes faltered and the old man collapsed down to the sand. The people were too shocked to help and simply watched him drag his way toward them. As he came close, they could now make out his reddened, blistered skin beneath long, matted hair and ragged clothes. An older matriarch, pushed her way through the crowds, kneeling down to offer water. Though he was too weak to drink, she saw in his weary face the young boy she had watched leave so long ago, as a hand to tend the camels.

She leant in close and wide-eyed she asked, “What did you find? What lies beyond our little city?”

Fading, the old man exhaled his final breath and in it, a single-word reply... “Nothing.”

ANAX