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?