52 DATE WITH THE GODS
"We'll talk about that tomorrow. The important thing
is that I see you are taking it well. And, in spite of what
you are saying, you are starting to believe me. I'd like you
to be conscious. No mental or physical harm will come to
you. You'll revise a good deal of your thinking, in fact,
and physically feel better than you've ever felt before."
"Revise?"
"Yes. All those negative things you've been doing
since childhood must be readjusted. Then you'll learn
even more. I promise you the experience of your life."
"Will I get to meet your friends?"
"I guess so .... "
"Okay, then. I'll be back tomorrow. I won't have the
motorcycle-just look for an orange volkswagen."
"Don't worry, Charles. I'll know exactly when you
- II
arnve.
I didn't doubt it for a moment. "Let's go," I said.
"You go ahead. I'll stay here. Don't bother waiting for
me to come down, because I won't."
I started to argue, but she made it sound like a
command. Dutifully I started to go back down, looking
back and shouting, "If you say so, my dear friend from
the stars!"
Riding back to Huancayo on the bike, many thoughts
went through my mind. I consider myself to be a serious
person; it was difficult for me to believe I had been
actually talking to an extraterrestrial. I'd known many
girls in my life, from all corners of the world. And I'd met
a lot of nuts-people who would say or do the craziest
things to get attention. But she was the most unusual
person I'd ever met. She couldn't be for real. Or was she?
I knew I couldn't tell these things to anybody, much less
the world.
Confused, I continued driving through the mountains
until I reached an open valley. I could clearly see the
peaks that Rama had shown me just before sunset. By