Konrad and Alexandra (PDF) - Rolf Gross

interest in Theosophy."Marti shrugged. "You know that this subject is as dangerous to discuss as any other ‘subversive’ activity, don’t you? Thatterrible henchman, Plehve, who runs the Internal Security, would like to arrest all Theosophists just as he would like toimprison all Socialists.""But how did those expensive English books of Blavatsky get there, which were for sale last night?" asked Alexandra."Smuggled by bribing, of course. Volkonsky is not a Theosophist, but he is a capitalist sympathizer who bribed theofficials. You know, nothing is impossible for someone who has money and the right connections. Only we poor devilswould get persecuted."Alexandra looked questioningly at Marti. He was understandably upset by the events of last night, but his voice had anaggressive edge, which sounded like the slogans of the extreme left, whom she detested as dangerous fools and withwhom she had found rational discussions of political matters strictly impossible.Alexandra shook her head. She was ready to attack Marti, to draw him out and expose the folly of his views, but toldherself to remain calm and resist this temptation.Fortunately, Izabel said. "It was I who was fascinated by Blavatsky. You would find her writings interesting too, she had asharp mind and exciting insights. The Theosophists are muddled and gullible. They are taken in by her ‘occult magic’ andforget the sharp visions she had."Alexandra tried to steer Marti to the question of the relationship between his pictures and Theosophy. "And you, Marti?Tell me, why are you as a painter interested in Theosophy? I searched your paintings unsuccessfully for an answer tothis question."They sat down and Alexandra put the supper on the table. She gave Marti a bottle of wine to uncork. They drank to theirreunion. Marti had calmed down. "We have been interested in Theosophy for the same reason that so many Russiansare. Aren’t we all searching for a new spirituality? The church no longer fills this void."He looked at Izabel for approval and continued. "Unfortunately our long journey has taught me that Blavatsky is acharlatan, and the Theosophists are gullible. You see, this trip was paid for by the Theosophical Society. We weresupposed to interview people who had known Mme. Blavatsky, take pictures, and paint the places she had visited on hermany travels."He turned to Alexandra. "We had an interesting interview with your cousin Graf Witte. He was the only person who hadsome concrete information on Blavatsky."Alexandra nodded. "I had never seen him in person until yesterday, but my mother knew him in Tiflis when she was achild."Marti made a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Witte laughed about the fantasies of Blavatsky. He maintained that shehad copied her mystical writings from the occult books in their common grandfather’s library in Tiflis. We cannot mentionthis story to the Theosophists, they believe H.P.B. got her wisdom from her Indian Masters by telepathy. We found thatH.P.B. had never been to Central Asia nor in Tibet as she claimed. And the secret letters from her Indian Masters werefabricated by herself."He poured down a glass of wine and asked for a refill. "Ah, we have to destroy all religious superstition in Russia and getrid of our mystics. They are a disgrace to our intelligence in the twentieth century!"His disturbing slogans again! Had Marti in his frustrated search for spirituality turned to the radical Socialists? "So, youcame back as disenchanted Theosophists!""I never was an enchanted Theosophist. Izabel was taken in by H.P.B. Call me an opportunist if you wish, the offer of thatjourney to Central Asia was too great a temptation to resist. We would never have been able to afford such a trip, andyou saw yourself what it did to my painting."Alexandra looked at the picture from Shakh-i-Zabz, which was leaning against the wall, and to her surprise the ruins ofthe ivan changed. They had appeared to her like teeth yesterday, and now they looked like two praying hands in thefaded green sky. The turquoise square with its Kufic writing appeared like an amulet on the wrist of one of the hands."When I look at your painting, I now see things which I had not seen yesterday. The ivan appears like two praying hands.Why is the sky green, and what is that strange square?"Marti smiled with satisfaction. "Shakh-i-Zabz is a place of pilgrimage for the Islamic Sufi, that is why the sky is green: thecolor of the Prophet. And the square is a Bustrahedron, a magical square in which one can read ‘Allah is Great’ in alldirections. Maybe the two stumps are two praying hands, maybe they are two dancing Sufi, or the melody of two neysexpressed in stone? You have to decide that for yourself."Alexandra listened intrigued. She had finally touched the deep feelings that lay hidden below his political slogans.Marti began to warm to his subject. "All that this has in common with Theosophy is that Blavatsky’s ideas have a certainSufi content, and the Sufi originated in Samarkand. But you can find similar ideas also among the Sufi in Georgia. In mypaintings I search for the hidden symbols, which lie behind the spiritual movements of our day. Long denied byChristianity, Sufism is one such source."A softer glow had come to Marti’s eyes. "Do you remember our visit to Becky’s house? Since that day Gauguin has beenmy teacher, he knows so much more about the symbolism of colors and forms than our Symbolists. Do you see the71