At first, the effect was subtle–more like a feeling. He felt a strong emotional attachment to everyone at the fire, although he didn’t know any of them very well. Jim could see by the look on Margold’s face that the peyote was starting to affect him.
“Keep looking into the fire,” Jim said.
Margold looked into the fire, which Jim kept blazing brightly. In the flames he saw a hawk flying, as though far away. The bird flew around in circles in the distance over a barren terrain, flapping its wings to gain altitude, then circling about without moving its wings,
making a screech now and then. Then the hawk turned and flew rapidly toward him and, when it seemed that the hawk would hit him, it disappeared. In the background Margold could still hear the drumming and singing, but it was as though the sound came from somewhere in the distance.
Margold continued to look into the fire and to eat peyote, now having consumed about twenty buttons. In place of the hawk appeared a large snake, floating in the flames, looking at him with its mouth closed, sticking out its tongue, as snakes are given to doing. It then opened its mouth, wherein Margold saw a great black void. At that moment the snake burst silently into thousands of tiny bits, the bits coming to float in the black void, looking like stars, planets and galaxies.
For a moment there were no other visions in the fire, but as Margold started into it he seemed to go into motion, moving first slowly, then more rapidly, down a tunnel to which there appeared no end. Up to this moment, in spite of seeing the visions, he knew in the back of his mind that he was sitting at a campfire eating peyote, and could hear the drum and the chanting. In the next instant, though, he found himself in a forest clearing bathed in warm afternoon sun, looking in the distance at a huge white-tailed buck standing at a stream drinking. The buck raised its head and looked at Margold, and then walked over to him, almost touching him. While all of the other visions had been the color of the flames, this place was real and three dimensional, and in clear, crisp color–color more vivid than he had ever seen before.
As the buck approached him, wearing a great rack of antlers as a crown, Margold heard words come into his mind, though the buck did not speak. When Margold had understood the words, the buck wavered and seemed to fold backward on itself, turning into a bear, which likewise folded into a man. The words Margold heard in his mind were: “Come here.” The man walked a few yards and sat on a big rock in the sun, looking at Margold.
The man wore jeans, a golf shirt and a ball cap. Shouldn’t he be wearing a toga, or something? Margold thought, as he walked over to the man. The man motioned for him to sit on the rock next to him, but didn’t say anything.
“Are you my spirit guide?” Margold asked. The man did not respond, but took his hat off, wiped his brow, then pointed off into the distance. Margold looked to where the man pointed, and at the other end of the clearing he saw shadowy figures moving about as on a stage. Margold squinted to try and see, but the was bright and the figures were in shadow.
“What’s that?” Margold asked. Again, the man didn’t say anything, but pointed to the shadowy stage, shaking his hand a bit to indicate that Margold should get closer to see what’s going on. It was a movie of sorts, showing all the bad things Margold had ever done. Beating up on his little brother, ripping things off from a store as a Boy Scout, smacking a helpless kid at school just because he didn’t like him, cheating on an exam, getting drunk and puking. Actually, Margold was relieved that the show of his bad acts was not that bad–just minor acts of cheating and lying, with a sprinkling of theft and debauchery, but nothing for which he thought the death penalty would be appropriate, or burning in hell.
Margold turned and walked back to where the man had been, but he was gone. “Hello? Anyone home?” he shouted, turning about to see if he could see anyone. There was no response. Where are you?” Margold shouted. Again no response. “Okay, I saw the little movie, so what?” he shouted into nothing. Still no response. Margold looked around, and realized that he was no longer in the woods, but was standing on a beach. Behind him was golden sand as far as he could see, and in front of him was a turquoise sea and a brilliant blue sky. Several hundred yards from shore was moored a large ship with sails. Immediately in front of him on the sand sat a small row boat. At least they could have put a motor boat here, he thought, also thinking that the idea was for him to get into the row boat and row to the ship. All right, I’ll play along, he thought, getting into the row boat.
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