Trip To India. Renzo Samaritani

a sumptuous meal that largely repaid us from the gastronomic austerity of the flight.

      The food was served in serving dishes and the waiters that hung around started to give out individual plates, until Max and Josè stepped in explaining to them that we'd rather do it on our own.

      Fifteen types of vegetables stewed in spicy sauce were gobbled up in no time at all, with the help of many different varieties of local breads, some like thin wraps of whole-wheat flour, some like slightly risen baps, and some like fried teacakes.

      There also were three types of pureed pulses, various fried appetizers and pots of thick plain yogurt. To drink we choose huge yogurt shakes and we finished our meal with typical Indian tea, boiled with milk and aromatized with spices.

      After dinner we went to the hotel lounge to chatter.

      Everyone briefly told his story, and then Josè and Maximilian ordered a Mojito and a strawberry Caipiroska. Riccardo and Giuliano asked for two Blue Lagoons, Nirvanananda and I had a Cranberry Crush each, a soft drink with cranberry and orange juice, water, ginger, spices and sugar. We sat around a large short table, covered in black glaze, with a central basis in stainless steel and a column in wormwood.

      At midnight the lounge was already desert, but because of the time change no one of us seemed to be very tired.

      I found myself thinking more and more of the guy with the mysterious tattoo on the wrist from the plane and at Riccardo's weird behavior. During a moment of silence from the conversation, in which we were picking into the bowl of savories, I showed some guts and hazarded the question.

      â€œOn the plane I noticed a strange thing...”

      I looked around: Josè, Nirva and Max were surprised, the doctor and his friend seemed cautious and tense, as if they expected to face a dangerous or rough subject. Riccardo stared at me with an intense look, and then he got into the heart of the matter:

      â€œI think you noticed the tattoo on the wrist of a passenger... and asked to yourself if it had a deeper and important meaning of the single aesthetics.”

      â€œExactly!” I answered, relieved by the idea of not being forced to express such a vague suspect.

      Giuliano and Riccardo exchanged a knowing look. I could tell they already talked between them about both me and the little tattoo incident.

      â€œI knew you were watching, Stefania,” the doctor's friend said, “and that you're a discreet and intelligent chick.”

      Giuliano smiled. “Before that Hridaya left, I had a long talk with him and, thereafter, out of curiosity and habit, we followed from a distance you and your adventures... In our job a little paranoia is always good.”

      Josè, Nirvanananda and Maximilian seemed confused and I had the impression that I was on the edge of a revelation of huge importance, which would have implied serious risks. Could the doctor and Riccardo have been two secret agents that worked for the government? What about father Sandro?

      And why did they seem so willing to reveal their mystery to us now? What was the real catch?

      We kept silent for a while, letting the doctor's friend find the best way to tell us what he wanted to say.

      â€œHave you ever heard of the Reptilians?” he asked at point-blank range.

      I almost wanted to laugh. But no! ... What kind of story was that? Science-fiction?

      Neither Riccardo nor the doctor were laughing, Nirva looked thoughtful and frowned. Josè was uncertain and Max opened his blue eyes wide.

      Suddenly I remembered a joke I told Licia about one year earlier in a restaurant... the day I met Josè for the first time often came back to memory, in detail. During that period I was a fan of the TV show Visitors - transmitted in Italy in 1986 and replicated in many occasions. The plot was about a war between the human race and an alien reptile race, and to me it was just a good sci-fi show...

      While we were having lunch in the naturist restaurant, Licia opened up to me about the difficulties of her recent marriage and she declared she was contemplating the idea of going back to be single again: she wanted to mutate. So, to defuse the situation, I made fun of her, “in what? A Reptilian?”

      In front of Riccardo's serious expression, the best thing that came to mind was “Well, yeah... I've watched the show Visitors on TV...”

      Giuliano stepped in. “It was a good sci-fi show, but in many incredible stories sometimes there's a kernel of truth.”

      The idea seemed actually crazy, but those two were so serious and calm, reasonable and kind, which made me dismiss the assumption that they were crazy. And, after all, us four came to India to follow an idea that would have seemed at least strange to many people.

      â€œAlright,” I said with a sigh. “That passenger on the plane was a Reptilian in disguise?”

      Unexpectedly the doctor and his friend laughed. “No. The Reptilians on Earth are very few and they keep well hidden. There are many hybrids that exist, that have quite a human look if you look at them from a distance and generally they are in a position of great power in our society, so they don't need to mix with common people or travel in economy class.”

      Giuliano got up. “I think this discussion needs some more drinks. I will go and order them at the bar. I shall leave you in the capable hands of Riccardo, who for many years and full time takes care of these things. I'll be back soon.”

      He took mental note of our preferences and went quickly away. All eyes were turned to his friend. He smiled calmly and continued to talk.

      â€œThe passenger with the tattoo on his wrist was a 'familiar', that is a human enslaved to the Reptilians. The small differences in the points and lines of design identify the Reptilian or hybrid for which he works or, better still, of whom he belongs - the tattoo is a kind of tag for the livestock...”

      I was horrified. “Could you better explain what a 'familiar' means?”

      â€œIn European folklore tradition that was created around the belief of the existence of witches, the familiars were minor demons that act as the witches' servants and they could take the shape of an animal... from this idea came superstitious fear and contempt that some people have for black cats and owls, but also for crows and magpies and ferrets. They believed that those familiars were bought or inherited, or received as a gift. In the Middle Age there was real slaughter of cats, which brought to the uncontrolled multiplication of rats and, as a consequence, to the Black Plague.”

      Riccardo realized this information was both new and shocking to us and smiled before continuing. “The Christian superstition didn't take root everywhere in the same way and in some areas, especially in Germany where the Antic Religion was still respected, familiars where considered benevolent genies who protected villages, forests and listened to the requests of wiser and powerful humans, showing up when they were evoked and even accepting to live in everyday objects, like stones, rings, vases or things like them. They often answered questions, diagnosing illness, warning of dangers and enemies.”

      Giuliano arrived with a waiter; we suspended the discussion until the waiter finished putting down our glasses and went away.

      Nirvanananda came closer and held my hand, physically outstretched with interest toward our guests. He seemed hypnotized. Josè and Maximilian seemed skeptical, but were willing to listen.

      â€œThat man that you saw on the airplane... we've been observing for months. We were almost sure that he was the familiar of a powerful Reptilian that lived in Rome and we know that he was organizing a meeting in Nepal. In Rome we have a small team that keeps an eye on the ones we know, especially those who hang around the government.”

      Giuliano stepped in. Giuliano stepped in: “As you might know, in various areas they talk about the New Moral Order, an occult force that is manipulating and controlling more and more governments and human beings in general.