Nostradamus Speaks - The Sorcerer's Apprentice

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

"Boss, thank you, thank you, thank you, for rescuing me from the curse of the Dragon Lady. Seriously, that woman scares the hell out of me."

Dr. Nostradamus' face briefly registered a hint of mirth and perhaps, a stifled snort. "Yes, Number One, a formidable presence indeed. Now let's get on with the purpose of this meeting -- your job."

"Absolutely -- the job. What is my job?"

Dr. N began. "I am starting a publication, Nostradamus Loquitur. Your job is to transmit my message on that platform."

"What's Loquitur?"

"It's Latin for 'speaks'."

"Nobody speaks Latin, Boss, nobody except Catholic priests. You do not want to be associated with that bunch. Just use English and call it Nostradamus Speaks."

"Good point, Number One. Nostradamus Speaks it is."

All right! I was proving my worth. "How can I be of service, Maestro?" 

"You are to memorialize every encounter, meeting, and conversation you have with me and publish that description in detail on Nostradamus Speaks."

"That's it? Piece of cake, Doc. I cometh prepared." I said, and spreadeth out before the Maestro my iPhone, pen, and note pad. 

"No," Dr. Nostradamus flatly said. "There will be no recordings. You will not take notes; you will not keep notes. You are to rely entirely on your memory."

I was expecting something along the lines of an attaboy. "That's going to be a stretch, Boss. If you want me to accurately record every meeting and conversation -- in detail -- I'm going to have to take notes. I have a good memory but not that good."

"Your apprenticeship begins today, Grasshopper," Dr. Nostradamus said. Train your memory."

"Apprenticeship?" I puzzled. 

Dr. Nostradamus ignored my question. "When you have a meeting or conversation with me you must be able to relive it -- The setting, the exchange in detail, word for word -- Facial expressions, body language, dress, mood. Everything."

"I don't have a photographic memory, Boss." 

He elaborated. "I did not say, 'remember it', Number One, I said, 'relive it'. You will develop the ability to revisit an encounter in your mind and relive the experience in detail as if you were there again.

"Along with your evolving skill in reliving and recalling the details of a meeting, you will have to exercise judgement in deciding what to include in the account you publish.

"For example, what I say and how I say it are of great significance, but what I was wearing at the time is probably insignificant and not needed in the narrative," said Dr. Nostradamus who was wearing a white shirt, no tie; a tweed jacket that looked right out of a 1930's detective movie, Levi's, and blue Nike tennis shoes. No socks.

"Then," he said, "You need to learn how to write -- to put everything together and present it in written English."

I defended myself. "I can write. I have a university degree."

"Grasshopper, language is far more complex than people realize, and written English is a separate language from spoken English. Written English can be understood world wide and easily translated into other languages. Spoken English can be highly parochial and an English speaker in one part of the world may find it difficult or impossible to understand an English speaker from another. Your task, to memorialize and effectively communicate our conversations, is even harder. 

"Do not underestimate the difficulty of the apprenticeship upon which you are embarking."

"Apprenticeship?" I asked again.

“Set up the office and we'll get started." With that Dr. Michel de Nostradamus bid me adieu.

Dixi.