Leo and Ayesha – Working on Their Relationship

This entry is about H. Rider Haggard’s two books about “She Who Must Be Obeyed” — She and Ayesha.

OK now we know all we ever wanted to know about the Caves of Kôr — the potsherd, the head of the African, the ancient canal — and we’re getting beyond that now.

As we mentioned earlier, Ayesha slew Leo, in an ancient incarnation, and waited around for 2,000 years until he was reincarnated and came back to her. Then after dancing in the pillar of fire one too many times she shriveled up into a mummy-like shape and appeared to die.

These things happen.

Now it’s 16 years later and we’re somewhere north of Tibet and Ayesha has resumed her supernaturally beautiful form and she and Leo are at last together again.

But there are some telltale signs that the relationship is not going to work out in the long term.

First, there’s religion. Leo is an Anglican and refuses to engage in any other form of idolatry.

Ayesha is worshipped by thousands of fearful followers whom she smites as she wills. She has 100 priests and a like number of priestesses and she is unaccustomed to addressing anyone whose forehead is not pressed to the floor.

Then there’s politics. Ayesha, a bright, inquisitive mind, has spent 2,000 years preparing for this great reunification, and she has learned a thing or two. She can smite entire armies with a wave of her hand. Her plan is to conquer China and use China’s enormous population to overwhelm “the little Western nations.”

But Leo is completely against this carefully drawn-out plan. Even when she shows him that she can transmute iron into gold, and has been doing so for the last 16 years, all he can say is that it would destroy the economic system that he’s used to. What kind of stupid negativity is that?

I think this guy is a certifiable nitwit.

Your girlfriend has just announced that she has enough gold to shape the destiny of the world… Okay let’s give him a moment to think about this… Nope. He just doesn’t get it. He’s a complete butthead.

And then he’s all over her because she saw in a vision him grappling with a leopard and almost had his hunting buddies executed for being careless, when really they were trying to save him…

Is she going to use her powers to watch him all the time? and even smite his buddies?

Leo and Ayesha have some serious issues to deal with.