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?