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?