The Om and The Crossbones

Henry Joseph

Dec 2016 · House of Stratus

About this ebook

Jack Lee puts ashore, under cover of darkness, in old Bombay. In a fit of renunciation, he leaves his clothes on the ground, and walks away wearing only the om and crossbones, a long black flag with white crossed bones and the Sanskrit symbol ‘om’ in place of the skull. He had been given this by his outraged spouse when he had agreed to come out of retirement as a ‘herb’ smuggler and help Bobby Joe and Dev run one last load into the USA, so as to raise money for Joa~o Silva’s campaign to help Brazilian street children. He then walks the forty miles to the abode of his guru, although strange events occur along the way and he moves forward as one in a dream. After reuniting with his guru, Sri Rudra Swami, his sadhana, or spiritual practice, explodes culminating with Rudra Swami’s bestowal upon Jack of shaktipat; the direct transmission of spiritual energy from guru to disciple, and whereupon Rudra Swami promptly leaves his body. Left also is a newly named, and very stunned, Nageshwar( Lord of Cobras) in the care of Merlyn D’Cruz, a Portuguese Goan lady, who is owner and captain of the sloop Durga. Merlyn tells Nageshwar that she has orders to drive him to the abode of Rajendra Maharaj, a realized being and close friend of Rudra Swami, and Nageshwar, in his blissfully altered state, agrees to go. There in Udaipur, on the edge of the Thar desert in Rajasthan, Nageshwar, at the highest point in his life, meets ‘Eightball’ Barnett, a former operative in a quasi-governmental dirty tricks outfit that worked in South America to further the interests of U.S. corporations. ‘Eightball’ is now named Shivanath, and along with him Nageshwar also encounters the great leela, or cosmic play, which comes to its denouement, and brings with it a dark night of the soul to Nageshwar that is beyond his comprehension, and almost beyond his capacity to bear. After the unfolding of the events in Udaipur, Merlyn D’Cruz sails Nageshwar to Portugal , to ‘O Fim Do Mundo’, where his sadhana (spiritual practice) catches fire and he hurtles forward towards his goal. And there we leave Nageshwar, but not before his connection to ‘Eightball’ is revealed, and the ultimate purpose of the leela is made clear.

About the author

Henry Joseph wrote six picaresque novels (pi.ca.resque—adj: relating to the adventures of rogues) between 1992 and 1999. The first, 'Bloodwork: The New Rugged Cross', was published in hard cover in the U.S.A. and was broadly acclaimed by critics and fellow writers alike. “. . . the most powerful first novel I’ve read in years. It’s wonderful,” said James Crumley, author of 'The Mexican Tree Duck and Border Snakes', to whom Henry has been favorably compared. “. . . sheer storytelling brio,” declared Frank Wilson in 'The New York Times Book Review'. “... riveting ...compelling... foreshadows a long, successful career,” said Bruce Southworth in 'The Drood Review of Mystery'. In France, Cedric Fabre, in 'L’Humanite' said of 'Dinosaur Heaven', the second book in the series, “startling and magnificent, beyond jubilation: we enter a part of ourselves we were unaware of: Joseph is a terrific smuggler of tears.” Yet, through the weirdness of modern publishing, 'Bloodwork' was the only book of Henry Joseph’s to be published in English. His next five novels were all published (like the first) in France, with excellent critical review. This strange aberration is now to be corrected, with publication by Astor + Blue Editions of all of the 'Dinosaur Heaven Quintet' series in English. In 2001, Henry Joseph decided to retire from worldly affairs, including writing, focusing instead on a spiritual life of yoga and Buddhism. But now, at least, his acid, moving, and witty storytelling can be enjoyed more widely than before. They are true page turners – a world of outlaws, by which is meant anyone who toys with the idea that they are an outlaw. There may not be as many around as there should be, but maybe reading Henry’s novels will change all that . . . [Taken, with apologies, from the Introduction to each work written by Peter Rubie, CEO, FinePrint Literary Management.]