Book Description

‘We have to be prepared for everything, even for someone who destroys everything so that no one has it, not even him.’ They stood side by side again in silence on the terrace, high up on the mountain, watching the play of colours in the night sky. They heard the wind and the occasional cracking of ice floes piled on top of each other in the ocean in front of them. The waves that thundered recurrently against the rocks were a low murmur up on the mountain, accompanied by the fresh smell of the sea. ‘Will we win?’ asked Galbohei, without taking his eyes off the sky glow. ‘We have the advantage,’ replied Eremides. ‘We know the value of freedom and we don’t want to lose it. We know friendship and will not give it up. We know love and want to be able to continue to love.’ Antarctica, circa 1540. Two aging swashbucklers confer on how to defend or stand their ground against a hostile force they know. Things look tight. They live on an island, in a mountain rich in tradition and myths. It is called “The Mountain of Hope”. Actually, it is Dragomar, supposedly the ancient home of dragons and their successful “cultural successors”. A slightly pubescent youth is bored far away from Dragomar. Everything is trivial, transparent and repeats itself in a daily rhythm. He would like to travel the ocean but he is not allowed to yet. He dreams of adventures and battles that seem so real to him, as if he were having a déjà vu with a claim to historical truth. Fire seems to come out of his nose and he changes in other ways as well. He is drawn toward a distant island where there is a mountain with a crystal shining brightly and mysteriously at the top. He is told that he is a foster child and that his grandfather, his last relative, lives on the distant island. The budding hero sets out, meets various people, develops physical and mental abilities, is kidnapped. There is a sea battle for him, because he is supposed to be something like an heir to the throne. He learns about history, past forms of government and more about ancient myths. So much for the plot. That Italian emperor penguins completely deface and shred the “Band of Brothers” speech of Henry V; that a black dragon can spit black holes and is about to merge into the matrix; that really fascistic meanies are afraid of the crowd of penguins and are prone to vulgarity; that the topic of separation of powers is a real problem ... all this fills the pages in such a way that it is irrelevant whether there is a human, animal or dragon giving something to the best. A little excursion into humanity. A little unexplained philosophy; a little unexplained physics; a little unexplainable behaviour. Myths, legends, magic - and everyday life.