PAGE   ON    SNAKE    HANDLING.    
             
                                          
    THE GOAL IS ANYWAY TO BECOME LUCID    
   INSIDE THE DREAM (IF THE DREAM IS A    
   CONTAINER) OR WHILE THE DREAM TAKES    
    PLACE (IF IT IS AN EVENT). THIS IS    
       SOMEHOW TO DO WITH SERPENTS.       
                                          
             
  I KNEW  THERE WOULD BE SNAKES, THEY   
   HAVE THIS PARTICULAR SHAPE TO THEM,  
    MAKES  THEM  FIT   INTO   CRACKS,   
          INTO         SEAMS.           
                             
  (SINCE REALM-TRAVELNESS IS INVERSELY  
  PROPORTIONAL TO SIZE; LARGER ANIMALS  
     HAVE     TO     STAY     PUT.      
   SNAKES  CAN  CHEAT  THIS  BY BEING   
      ALMOST     ONE-DIMENSIONAL.)      
             
                                          
  EITHERWAY. I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND   
  WHICH ROLE THEY WOULD PLAY, OR EXACTLY  
    WHICH SNAKES THEY WOULD BE - THE    
         NAGAS! THE SNAKE PEOPLE.         
                                          
  YOU WILL WANT THEM TO GUIDE YOU IF YOU  
  CAN. THEY ARE EXCELLENT NIDRA GUIDES,   
    AND MANY WILL TAKE YOU ON PRO BONO    
  (I SUSPECT THEY FIND AMUSEMENT IN OUR   
    ATTEMPTS TO TRAVEL WHERE WE ARE NOT   
 EASY TO BE.) THE PROBLEM IS FINDING ONE. 
                                          
             
  DON'T FRET IF YOUR MEETING  DOES NOT  
   GO  WELL  - TALKING TO A  SNAKE IS   
   OFTEN A RECURSIVE MATTER. YOU WILL   
  MEET MANY  TIMES AS YOU FALL DEEPER,  
   ONCE PER  STAGE,  THE  SNAKE TAKING  
  VARIOUS FORMS IN SUCCESSION (STREAM,  
   SNAKE, HALF-SNAKE,  QUEEN,  STREAM,  
   THUNDER).  YOU  MUST  REPEAT  ALL    
  PLEASANTRIES EACH  TIME AS IF YOU'VE  
  NEVER BEFORE MET (ALTHOUGH THE SNAKE  
  MAY CHOOSE TO ADDRESS YOU AS AN  OLD  
   FRIEND, FOLLOW  THEIR LEAD IF SO).   
             
                                          
   THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH WATER,  
  SOME CLOSE RELATION TO IT. I'VE YET TO  
   UNCOVER WHAT THIS IS. BUT YOU MIGHT    
    HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF FINDING ONE   
       CLOSE TO A RIVER OR LAKE...?       
                                          
 I'VE ALSO HEARD THEM MENTIONED TOGETHER  
   WITH CAVES OR "THE WORLD BENEATH THE   
   WORLD". COINCIDENCE? YOU FIND REGULAR  
    SNAKES IN REGULAR CAVES. OR - COULD   
   THIS BE A REFERENCE TO THE DARK LAKE?  
   THE HOLY WATER IN THE CENTER OF YOUR   
            CHEST. GUARDIANS?