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In the reading rooms of the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal in Paris [the main library of the city], there is a little known work entitled 'The Argus Sinstara'. Hand-written in Latin and bound in fine purple silk, its peculiarity and outlandish revelations make it certainly one of the most extraordinary and flamboyant books ever written. It's author, the mysterious and apparently untraceable 'Marcoscarla of Venice' claims within its 2,000 plus pages to have been visited by three alien entities, who on a cold Autumn night in 1538 conferred to him nothing less than the 'Word of Unlimited Creation', which on careful utterance allowed him to fulfill every conceivable fantasy and ambition.
The story of the book was brought to my attention by occult and languages student Jacques Baudrillard who unearthed the manuscript on one of his many visits to the Library in Paris. Even though I have not seen the complete manuscript, I am assured by Monsieur Baudrillard that the facts relayed to me in his many emails are accurate. [Jacques is currently writing a book on Marcoscarla and the Word which he plans to publish under the name: 'The Supernovian Sunrider'.]
Dated 1599, The Argus Sinstara consists of 42 chapters and is written in the style of an autobiography/diary. The enigmatic Marcoscarla says that he was born of a prostitute and grew up living hand-to-mouth on the streets of Venice. He was 27 years old and in a pitiful state when his alleged supernatural encounter occurred, after which he is supposed to have amassed an enormous fortune which he used to fund his nomadic lifestyle. He claims to have travelled extensively throughout Europe existing in a unique yet ultimately clandestine manner, before finally settling in Paris in the year 1597.
The best place to begin this curious tale is in the first chapter of the book wherein Marcoscarla describes in detail the night of his incredible encounter with those 'not of this world'. On page 3 he writes:
"For what seemed like days I lay hungry and begraggled on the cold floor of my hovel begging God to release me from my suffering.... and eventually my prayers were answered, though by who or what exactly, I dare not say.
It all began with a great clatter which seemed to reverberate and ricochet around the very interior of my skull. I remember reeling backwards with the palms of my hands clasped firmly over my ears. Blood streamed from my nostrils, and my limbs trembled like those of a new-born deer.
Ashen with terror I scrambled into the space beneath my writing desk, yet the thunder within my soul would not desist. I felt as though my guts were being wrenched out of my body by unseen hands. In those becursed moments, I feared my end was near.... "
Further on in the text, Marcoscarla recounts the moment when the phantom visitants first appeared to him:
"A dazzling light materialized in one corner of the room, and with it came also a tremendous stench. I remember closing my eyes and calling out to Heaven to save me from such devilment.... and it was then, at the very instant I yelled the Almighty's name that the riot did cease.
In the silence that followed I sat huddled unable to open my eyes. I prayed to God to forgive my wretched soul, and as I mumbled the sobbed and struggled for breath, that is when the enchanting music began. An exquisite tintinnabulation filled my chamber. Never before had I heard such melody! I slowly opened my eyes and there before me stood three small figures bathed in a golded mist...."
Marcoscarla goes on to describe the entities [which he called the "Transhumans"] as being "dwarvish in statue" and "draped in scarlet attire". Their faces, he reports, were "shrouded by hoods", and not once during his encounter did the Transhumans move from their initial positions of appearance.
Marcoscarla goes on to tell how the Transhumans channelled information to him using "the language of divine harmony". He also asserts that the knowledge and wisdom they transfused into him gave him "more pleasure and satisfaction than any drug or lewd act could". He referred to his encounter with the Transhumans as "the Meeting", and it was how this meeting concluded that would prove to change his life forever.
"They taught me many things [he writes on page 26], but most important of all was the intelligence they unlocked within my soul which permitted me to pronounce the supreme WORD, and how with the exact saying of this Word, I would be able to impose my creative will on anyone or any thing for what ever purpose...."
Nowhere in the text of The Argus Sinstara does Marcoscarla disclose what the Word of Unlimited Creation is, but in the final chapter of the book he leaves a stream of riddles and clues and a profusion of cryptograms which he claims, if deciphered correctly, would result in the Word being revealed. Below is one of the many vague and lyrical conundrums from the final chapter:
"Phantom fair,
The Word, glinting shy, is hanging there,
In a thousand shadowy-pencilled valleys,
It reminds me of a maiden's golden hair."
In chapters 2 to 41, Marcoscarla leads the reader on an incredible tour of his daily life after his close encounter with the Transhumans. My limited knowledge of the work prevents me from going into too much detail concerning the astonishing adventures and achievements he attests to have experienced when using the all-powerful Word, but as a taster I have listed below just some of the weird and wonderful 'section headings' that can be found in the book:
How I flew across Europe and visited every Capital City without the assistance of a flying contraption.
How I became invisible and secretly influenced several world historic events.
How I seduced 333 beautiful maidens in a period of just 4 months.
How I bathed in the light of rainbows and prolonged my life.
How I conjured a vast array of visions in the skies above London and caused panic and hysteria amongst the populace thereof.
How I strode upon the ocean floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
How I saved the lives of countless drowning sailors after accidentally sinking a ship.
How I transmogrified a political hypocrite into a beast of the field.
How I led a horde of wraiths chanting slogans of doom through the bustling streets of Florence.
How I sent down from the clouds a shower of frogs & toads.
How I lumped off my left hand with an axe then sent it creeping and crawling into the sleeping quarters of a convent.
How I walked-on-water and convinced a crowd of clerics that I was the Messiah.
How I made appear on the face of the full moon a most disgraceful image.
How I relieved an arrogant aristocrat of his gold then in the form of an angel distributed his riches amongst the poor of Venice.
How I wrote 3 tomes of great philosophical import in just 48 hours.
How I duplicated myself thricefold in order to meet the demands of 3 simultaneous romantic liasons.
How I leapt from the tallest mountain in Europe and lived to tell the tale.
How I assumed the exact appearance of a murdered man then went forth to haunt his killer.
How I amassed untold riches in one afternoon whilst asleep & dreaming.
How I transformed myself into a fabulous beast and lived in the forests and mountains of Transylvania for 60 days.
How I killed myself, experienced the afterlife state, then commanded my own resurrection.
In the 42nd chapter of The Argus Sinstara, Marcoscarla states that the Word of Unlimited Creation has 16 letters and contains 4 syllables. He also claims that the Word must be spoken three times: firstly, "to unlock the portal through which the power can flow"; secondly, "to activate the power"; and thirdly, "to deactivate the power and close the portal". After the Word has been pronounced for the second time, this is when one apparently has the capability to manipulate any situation and circumstance to one's advantage.
On the whole, Marcoscarla seems to have used the power of the Word in a benevolent manner, such as helping those in danger and dealing out retribution to abusive and corrupt individuals. At times he become an almost Robin Hood figure, stealing the massive wealth of those who he deemed to be the idle rich and distributing it amongst the poor and the destitute - [this is not surprising when one considers his impoverished childhood]. On occasion, he would use the Word strictly in the name of self-indulgence: an example of this being his rather excessive amorous exploits. He also had a mischievous and daring side to his nature which manifested itself in a desire to shock and confound - sometimes he would even seek to shock himself, and this can be seen in his experiments with teleportation and shape-shifting, as well as in his wilful suicide and resurrection.
Whether Marcoscarla's swashbuckling claims are real or merely just a hotchpotch of elaborate fancies dreamed up by a playful fabulist does not detract from the fact that The Argus Sinstara remains one of the most bizarre and fantastic books ever written. Upon its 2,000 plus pages the ink of Marcoscarla's quill takes us on a journey beyond our wildest imaginings, and even though his extravagant tales are at times almost impossible to believe, the passion which drove his mind to 'go beyond' the ordinary in a quest to become 'transhuman' cannot fail to uplift and inspire.
The story of the book was brought to my attention by occult and languages student Jacques Baudrillard who unearthed the manuscript on one of his many visits to the Library in Paris. Even though I have not seen the complete manuscript, I am assured by Monsieur Baudrillard that the facts relayed to me in his many emails are accurate. [Jacques is currently writing a book on Marcoscarla and the Word which he plans to publish under the name: 'The Supernovian Sunrider'.]
Dated 1599, The Argus Sinstara consists of 42 chapters and is written in the style of an autobiography/diary. The enigmatic Marcoscarla says that he was born of a prostitute and grew up living hand-to-mouth on the streets of Venice. He was 27 years old and in a pitiful state when his alleged supernatural encounter occurred, after which he is supposed to have amassed an enormous fortune which he used to fund his nomadic lifestyle. He claims to have travelled extensively throughout Europe existing in a unique yet ultimately clandestine manner, before finally settling in Paris in the year 1597.
The best place to begin this curious tale is in the first chapter of the book wherein Marcoscarla describes in detail the night of his incredible encounter with those 'not of this world'. On page 3 he writes:
"For what seemed like days I lay hungry and begraggled on the cold floor of my hovel begging God to release me from my suffering.... and eventually my prayers were answered, though by who or what exactly, I dare not say.
It all began with a great clatter which seemed to reverberate and ricochet around the very interior of my skull. I remember reeling backwards with the palms of my hands clasped firmly over my ears. Blood streamed from my nostrils, and my limbs trembled like those of a new-born deer.
Ashen with terror I scrambled into the space beneath my writing desk, yet the thunder within my soul would not desist. I felt as though my guts were being wrenched out of my body by unseen hands. In those becursed moments, I feared my end was near.... "
Further on in the text, Marcoscarla recounts the moment when the phantom visitants first appeared to him:
"A dazzling light materialized in one corner of the room, and with it came also a tremendous stench. I remember closing my eyes and calling out to Heaven to save me from such devilment.... and it was then, at the very instant I yelled the Almighty's name that the riot did cease.
In the silence that followed I sat huddled unable to open my eyes. I prayed to God to forgive my wretched soul, and as I mumbled the sobbed and struggled for breath, that is when the enchanting music began. An exquisite tintinnabulation filled my chamber. Never before had I heard such melody! I slowly opened my eyes and there before me stood three small figures bathed in a golded mist...."
Marcoscarla goes on to describe the entities [which he called the "Transhumans"] as being "dwarvish in statue" and "draped in scarlet attire". Their faces, he reports, were "shrouded by hoods", and not once during his encounter did the Transhumans move from their initial positions of appearance.
Marcoscarla goes on to tell how the Transhumans channelled information to him using "the language of divine harmony". He also asserts that the knowledge and wisdom they transfused into him gave him "more pleasure and satisfaction than any drug or lewd act could". He referred to his encounter with the Transhumans as "the Meeting", and it was how this meeting concluded that would prove to change his life forever.
"They taught me many things [he writes on page 26], but most important of all was the intelligence they unlocked within my soul which permitted me to pronounce the supreme WORD, and how with the exact saying of this Word, I would be able to impose my creative will on anyone or any thing for what ever purpose...."
Nowhere in the text of The Argus Sinstara does Marcoscarla disclose what the Word of Unlimited Creation is, but in the final chapter of the book he leaves a stream of riddles and clues and a profusion of cryptograms which he claims, if deciphered correctly, would result in the Word being revealed. Below is one of the many vague and lyrical conundrums from the final chapter:
"Phantom fair,
The Word, glinting shy, is hanging there,
In a thousand shadowy-pencilled valleys,
It reminds me of a maiden's golden hair."
In chapters 2 to 41, Marcoscarla leads the reader on an incredible tour of his daily life after his close encounter with the Transhumans. My limited knowledge of the work prevents me from going into too much detail concerning the astonishing adventures and achievements he attests to have experienced when using the all-powerful Word, but as a taster I have listed below just some of the weird and wonderful 'section headings' that can be found in the book:
How I flew across Europe and visited every Capital City without the assistance of a flying contraption.
How I became invisible and secretly influenced several world historic events.
How I seduced 333 beautiful maidens in a period of just 4 months.
How I bathed in the light of rainbows and prolonged my life.
How I conjured a vast array of visions in the skies above London and caused panic and hysteria amongst the populace thereof.
How I strode upon the ocean floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
How I saved the lives of countless drowning sailors after accidentally sinking a ship.
How I transmogrified a political hypocrite into a beast of the field.
How I led a horde of wraiths chanting slogans of doom through the bustling streets of Florence.
How I sent down from the clouds a shower of frogs & toads.
How I lumped off my left hand with an axe then sent it creeping and crawling into the sleeping quarters of a convent.
How I walked-on-water and convinced a crowd of clerics that I was the Messiah.
How I made appear on the face of the full moon a most disgraceful image.
How I relieved an arrogant aristocrat of his gold then in the form of an angel distributed his riches amongst the poor of Venice.
How I wrote 3 tomes of great philosophical import in just 48 hours.
How I duplicated myself thricefold in order to meet the demands of 3 simultaneous romantic liasons.
How I leapt from the tallest mountain in Europe and lived to tell the tale.
How I assumed the exact appearance of a murdered man then went forth to haunt his killer.
How I amassed untold riches in one afternoon whilst asleep & dreaming.
How I transformed myself into a fabulous beast and lived in the forests and mountains of Transylvania for 60 days.
How I killed myself, experienced the afterlife state, then commanded my own resurrection.
In the 42nd chapter of The Argus Sinstara, Marcoscarla states that the Word of Unlimited Creation has 16 letters and contains 4 syllables. He also claims that the Word must be spoken three times: firstly, "to unlock the portal through which the power can flow"; secondly, "to activate the power"; and thirdly, "to deactivate the power and close the portal". After the Word has been pronounced for the second time, this is when one apparently has the capability to manipulate any situation and circumstance to one's advantage.
On the whole, Marcoscarla seems to have used the power of the Word in a benevolent manner, such as helping those in danger and dealing out retribution to abusive and corrupt individuals. At times he become an almost Robin Hood figure, stealing the massive wealth of those who he deemed to be the idle rich and distributing it amongst the poor and the destitute - [this is not surprising when one considers his impoverished childhood]. On occasion, he would use the Word strictly in the name of self-indulgence: an example of this being his rather excessive amorous exploits. He also had a mischievous and daring side to his nature which manifested itself in a desire to shock and confound - sometimes he would even seek to shock himself, and this can be seen in his experiments with teleportation and shape-shifting, as well as in his wilful suicide and resurrection.
Whether Marcoscarla's swashbuckling claims are real or merely just a hotchpotch of elaborate fancies dreamed up by a playful fabulist does not detract from the fact that The Argus Sinstara remains one of the most bizarre and fantastic books ever written. Upon its 2,000 plus pages the ink of Marcoscarla's quill takes us on a journey beyond our wildest imaginings, and even though his extravagant tales are at times almost impossible to believe, the passion which drove his mind to 'go beyond' the ordinary in a quest to become 'transhuman' cannot fail to uplift and inspire.
Blimey.
i couldnt be bothered to read it cos it is too long
In the reading rooms of the Bibliotheque de l'Arsenal in Paris [the main library of the city], there is a little known work entitled 'The Argus Sinstara'. Hand-written in Latin and bound in fine purple silk, its peculiarity and outlandish revelations make it certainly one of the most extraordinary and flamboyant books ever written. It's author, the mysterious and apparently untraceable 'Marcoscarla of Venice' claims within its 2,000 plus pages to have been visited by three alien entities, who on a cold Autumn night in 1538 conferred to him nothing less than the 'Word of Unlimited Creation', which on careful utterance allowed him to fulfill every conceivable fantasy and ambition.
The story of the book was brought to my attention by occult and languages student Jacques Baudrillard who unearthed the manuscript on one of his many visits to the Library in Paris. Even though I have not seen the complete manuscript, I am assured by Monsieur Baudrillard that the facts relayed to me in his many emails are accurate. [Jacques is currently writing a book on Marcoscarla and the Word which he plans to publish under the name: 'The Supernovian Sunrider'.]
Dated 1599, The Argus Sinstara consists of 42 chapters and is written in the style of an autobiography/diary. The enigmatic Marcoscarla says that he was born of a prostitute and grew up living hand-to-mouth on the streets of Venice. He was 27 years old and in a pitiful state when his alleged supernatural encounter occurred, after which he is supposed to have amassed an enormous fortune which he used to fund his nomadic lifestyle. He claims to have travelled extensively throughout Europe existing in a unique yet ultimately clandestine manner, before finally settling in Paris in the year 1597.
The best place to begin this curious tale is in the first chapter of the book wherein Marcoscarla describes in detail the night of his incredible encounter with those 'not of this world'. On page 3 he writes:
"For what seemed like days I lay hungry and begraggled on the cold floor of my hovel begging God to release me from my suffering.... and eventually my prayers were answered, though by who or what exactly, I dare not say.
It all began with a great clatter which seemed to reverberate and ricochet around the very interior of my skull. I remember reeling backwards with the palms of my hands clasped firmly over my ears. Blood streamed from my nostrils, and my limbs trembled like those of a new-born deer.
Ashen with terror I scrambled into the space beneath my writing desk, yet the thunder within my soul would not desist. I felt as though my guts were being wrenched out of my body by unseen hands. In those becursed moments, I feared my end was near.... "
Further on in the text, Marcoscarla recounts the moment when the phantom visitants first appeared to him:
"A dazzling light materialized in one corner of the room, and with it came also a tremendous stench. I remember closing my eyes and calling out to Heaven to save me from such devilment.... and it was then, at the very instant I yelled the Almighty's name that the riot did cease.
In the silence that followed I sat huddled unable to open my eyes. I prayed to God to forgive my wretched soul, and as I mumbled the sobbed and struggled for breath, that is when the enchanting music began. An exquisite tintinnabulation filled my chamber. Never before had I heard such melody! I slowly opened my eyes and there before me stood three small figures bathed in a golded mist...."
Marcoscarla goes on to describe the entities [which he called the "Transhumans"] as being "dwarvish in statue" and "draped in scarlet attire". Their faces, he reports, were "shrouded by hoods", and not once during his encounter did the Transhumans move from their initial positions of appearance.
Marcoscarla goes on to tell how the Transhumans channelled information to him using "the language of divine harmony". He also asserts that the knowledge and wisdom they transfused into him gave him "more pleasure and satisfaction than any drug or lewd act could". He referred to his encounter with the Transhumans as "the Meeting", and it was how this meeting concluded that would prove to change his life forever.
"They taught me many things [he writes on page 26], but most important of all was the intelligence they unlocked within my soul which permitted me to pronounce the supreme WORD, and how with the exact saying of this Word, I would be able to impose my creative will on anyone or any thing for what ever purpose...."
Nowhere in the text of The Argus Sinstara does Marcoscarla disclose what the Word of Unlimited Creation is, but in the final chapter of the book he leaves a stream of riddles and clues and a profusion of cryptograms which he claims, if deciphered correctly, would result in the Word being revealed. Below is one of the many vague and lyrical conundrums from the final chapter:
"Phantom fair,
The Word, glinting shy, is hanging there,
In a thousand shadowy-pencilled valleys,
It reminds me of a maiden's golden hair."
In chapters 2 to 41, Marcoscarla leads the reader on an incredible tour of his daily life after his close encounter with the Transhumans. My limited knowledge of the work prevents me from going into too much detail concerning the astonishing adventures and achievements he attests to have experienced when using the all-powerful Word, but as a taster I have listed below just some of the weird and wonderful 'section headings' that can be found in the book:
How I flew across Europe and visited every Capital City without the assistance of a flying contraption.
How I became invisible and secretly influenced several world historic events.
How I seduced 333 beautiful maidens in a period of just 4 months.
How I bathed in the light of rainbows and prolonged my life.
How I conjured a vast array of visions in the skies above London and caused panic and hysteria amongst the populace thereof.
How I strode upon the ocean floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
How I saved the lives of countless drowning sailors after accidentally sinking a ship.
How I transmogrified a political hypocrite into a beast of the field.
How I led a horde of wraiths chanting slogans of doom through the bustling streets of Florence.
How I sent down from the clouds a shower of frogs & toads.
How I lumped off my left hand with an axe then sent it creeping and crawling into the sleeping quarters of a convent.
How I walked-on-water and convinced a crowd of clerics that I was the Messiah.
How I made appear on the face of the full moon a most disgraceful image.
How I relieved an arrogant aristocrat of his gold then in the form of an angel distributed his riches amongst the poor of Venice.
How I wrote 3 tomes of great philosophical import in just 48 hours.
How I duplicated myself thricefold in order to meet the demands of 3 simultaneous romantic liasons.
How I leapt from the tallest mountain in Europe and lived to tell the tale.
How I assumed the exact appearance of a murdered man then went forth to haunt his killer.
How I amassed untold riches in one afternoon whilst asleep & dreaming.
How I transformed myself into a fabulous beast and lived in the forests and mountains of Transylvania for 60 days.
How I killed myself, experienced the afterlife state, then commanded my own resurrection.
In the 42nd chapter of The Argus Sinstara, Marcoscarla states that the Word of Unlimited Creation has 16 letters and contains 4 syllables. He also claims that the Word must be spoken three times: firstly, "to unlock the portal through which the power can flow"; secondly, "to activate the power"; and thirdly, "to deactivate the power and close the portal". After the Word has been pronounced for the second time, this is when one apparently has the capability to manipulate any situation and circumstance to one's advantage.
On the whole, Marcoscarla seems to have used the power of the Word in a benevolent manner, such as helping those in danger and dealing out retribution to abusive and corrupt individuals. At times he become an almost Robin Hood figure, stealing the massive wealth of those who he deemed to be the idle rich and distributing it amongst the poor and the destitute - [this is not surprising when one considers his impoverished childhood]. On occasion, he would use the Word strictly in the name of self-indulgence: an example of this being his rather excessive amorous exploits. He also had a mischievous and daring side to his nature which manifested itself in a desire to shock and confound - sometimes he would even seek to shock himself, and this can be seen in his experiments with teleportation and shape-shifting, as well as in his wilful suicide and resurrection.
Whether Marcoscarla's swashbuckling claims are real or merely just a hotchpotch of elaborate fancies dreamed up by a playful fabulist does not detract from the fact that The Argus Sinstara remains one of the most bizarre and fantastic books ever written. Upon its 2,000 plus pages the ink of Marcoscarla's quill takes us on a journey beyond our wildest imaginings, and even though his extravagant tales are at times almost impossible to believe, the passion which drove his mind to 'go beyond' the ordinary in a quest to become 'transhuman' cannot fail to uplift and inspire.
The story of the book was brought to my attention by occult and languages student Jacques Baudrillard who unearthed the manuscript on one of his many visits to the Library in Paris. Even though I have not seen the complete manuscript, I am assured by Monsieur Baudrillard that the facts relayed to me in his many emails are accurate. [Jacques is currently writing a book on Marcoscarla and the Word which he plans to publish under the name: 'The Supernovian Sunrider'.]
Dated 1599, The Argus Sinstara consists of 42 chapters and is written in the style of an autobiography/diary. The enigmatic Marcoscarla says that he was born of a prostitute and grew up living hand-to-mouth on the streets of Venice. He was 27 years old and in a pitiful state when his alleged supernatural encounter occurred, after which he is supposed to have amassed an enormous fortune which he used to fund his nomadic lifestyle. He claims to have travelled extensively throughout Europe existing in a unique yet ultimately clandestine manner, before finally settling in Paris in the year 1597.
The best place to begin this curious tale is in the first chapter of the book wherein Marcoscarla describes in detail the night of his incredible encounter with those 'not of this world'. On page 3 he writes:
"For what seemed like days I lay hungry and begraggled on the cold floor of my hovel begging God to release me from my suffering.... and eventually my prayers were answered, though by who or what exactly, I dare not say.
It all began with a great clatter which seemed to reverberate and ricochet around the very interior of my skull. I remember reeling backwards with the palms of my hands clasped firmly over my ears. Blood streamed from my nostrils, and my limbs trembled like those of a new-born deer.
Ashen with terror I scrambled into the space beneath my writing desk, yet the thunder within my soul would not desist. I felt as though my guts were being wrenched out of my body by unseen hands. In those becursed moments, I feared my end was near.... "
Further on in the text, Marcoscarla recounts the moment when the phantom visitants first appeared to him:
"A dazzling light materialized in one corner of the room, and with it came also a tremendous stench. I remember closing my eyes and calling out to Heaven to save me from such devilment.... and it was then, at the very instant I yelled the Almighty's name that the riot did cease.
In the silence that followed I sat huddled unable to open my eyes. I prayed to God to forgive my wretched soul, and as I mumbled the sobbed and struggled for breath, that is when the enchanting music began. An exquisite tintinnabulation filled my chamber. Never before had I heard such melody! I slowly opened my eyes and there before me stood three small figures bathed in a golded mist...."
Marcoscarla goes on to describe the entities [which he called the "Transhumans"] as being "dwarvish in statue" and "draped in scarlet attire". Their faces, he reports, were "shrouded by hoods", and not once during his encounter did the Transhumans move from their initial positions of appearance.
Marcoscarla goes on to tell how the Transhumans channelled information to him using "the language of divine harmony". He also asserts that the knowledge and wisdom they transfused into him gave him "more pleasure and satisfaction than any drug or lewd act could". He referred to his encounter with the Transhumans as "the Meeting", and it was how this meeting concluded that would prove to change his life forever.
"They taught me many things [he writes on page 26], but most important of all was the intelligence they unlocked within my soul which permitted me to pronounce the supreme WORD, and how with the exact saying of this Word, I would be able to impose my creative will on anyone or any thing for what ever purpose...."
Nowhere in the text of The Argus Sinstara does Marcoscarla disclose what the Word of Unlimited Creation is, but in the final chapter of the book he leaves a stream of riddles and clues and a profusion of cryptograms which he claims, if deciphered correctly, would result in the Word being revealed. Below is one of the many vague and lyrical conundrums from the final chapter:
"Phantom fair,
The Word, glinting shy, is hanging there,
In a thousand shadowy-pencilled valleys,
It reminds me of a maiden's golden hair."
In chapters 2 to 41, Marcoscarla leads the reader on an incredible tour of his daily life after his close encounter with the Transhumans. My limited knowledge of the work prevents me from going into too much detail concerning the astonishing adventures and achievements he attests to have experienced when using the all-powerful Word, but as a taster I have listed below just some of the weird and wonderful 'section headings' that can be found in the book:
How I flew across Europe and visited every Capital City without the assistance of a flying contraption.
How I became invisible and secretly influenced several world historic events.
How I seduced 333 beautiful maidens in a period of just 4 months.
How I bathed in the light of rainbows and prolonged my life.
How I conjured a vast array of visions in the skies above London and caused panic and hysteria amongst the populace thereof.
How I strode upon the ocean floor of the Mediterranean Sea.
How I saved the lives of countless drowning sailors after accidentally sinking a ship.
How I transmogrified a political hypocrite into a beast of the field.
How I led a horde of wraiths chanting slogans of doom through the bustling streets of Florence.
How I sent down from the clouds a shower of frogs & toads.
How I lumped off my left hand with an axe then sent it creeping and crawling into the sleeping quarters of a convent.
How I walked-on-water and convinced a crowd of clerics that I was the Messiah.
How I made appear on the face of the full moon a most disgraceful image.
How I relieved an arrogant aristocrat of his gold then in the form of an angel distributed his riches amongst the poor of Venice.
How I wrote 3 tomes of great philosophical import in just 48 hours.
How I duplicated myself thricefold in order to meet the demands of 3 simultaneous romantic liasons.
How I leapt from the tallest mountain in Europe and lived to tell the tale.
How I assumed the exact appearance of a murdered man then went forth to haunt his killer.
How I amassed untold riches in one afternoon whilst asleep & dreaming.
How I transformed myself into a fabulous beast and lived in the forests and mountains of Transylvania for 60 days.
How I killed myself, experienced the afterlife state, then commanded my own resurrection.
In the 42nd chapter of The Argus Sinstara, Marcoscarla states that the Word of Unlimited Creation has 16 letters and contains 4 syllables. He also claims that the Word must be spoken three times: firstly, "to unlock the portal through which the power can flow"; secondly, "to activate the power"; and thirdly, "to deactivate the power and close the portal". After the Word has been pronounced for the second time, this is when one apparently has the capability to manipulate any situation and circumstance to one's advantage.
On the whole, Marcoscarla seems to have used the power of the Word in a benevolent manner, such as helping those in danger and dealing out retribution to abusive and corrupt individuals. At times he become an almost Robin Hood figure, stealing the massive wealth of those who he deemed to be the idle rich and distributing it amongst the poor and the destitute - [this is not surprising when one considers his impoverished childhood]. On occasion, he would use the Word strictly in the name of self-indulgence: an example of this being his rather excessive amorous exploits. He also had a mischievous and daring side to his nature which manifested itself in a desire to shock and confound - sometimes he would even seek to shock himself, and this can be seen in his experiments with teleportation and shape-shifting, as well as in his wilful suicide and resurrection.
Whether Marcoscarla's swashbuckling claims are real or merely just a hotchpotch of elaborate fancies dreamed up by a playful fabulist does not detract from the fact that The Argus Sinstara remains one of the most bizarre and fantastic books ever written. Upon its 2,000 plus pages the ink of Marcoscarla's quill takes us on a journey beyond our wildest imaginings, and even though his extravagant tales are at times almost impossible to believe, the passion which drove his mind to 'go beyond' the ordinary in a quest to become 'transhuman' cannot fail to uplift and inspire.