In 1977, after three years into what would become a ten-year odyssey throughout much of the eastern
Pacific Ocean, far out at sea in a vessel of his own making, a young sailor had a revelation.

Ever since dawn the wind had been slackening and by nightfall a breathless calm had enveloped godot, his
sleek 35' ocean-racing trimaran. As often was the case he had been sailing alone for several days. He was tired
and the change in weather gave him a chance to catch-up on some much-needed sleep. Around midnight he
awakened to what he described as the "intense sound of absolute silence". Coming up from below deck his eyes
were treated to the most wonderful illusion.

There was no moon, not a breath of wind, nor even a trace of a cloud anywhere in the sky. And the surface
of the ocean was without the slightest ripple. The sea was as flat as the face of the finest crystal mirror. And the
stars. . . brilliant beyond belief, were doubled deep into the watery depths, making godot appear as the
centerpiece of the vast celestial sphere.

He told me he sat there in the cockpit for what seemed like an eternity, spellbound by the sensation of
drifting through space on his sailboat, when he sensed he was no longer alone. Attributing his feelings to the
uniqueness of those moments, he said he finally got up from where he was sitting and walked to the bow of the
boat, eventually easing himself into to the soft folds of the downed genoa-sail piled atop the bow pulpit. The
feeling of another presence eerily followed him and had become more intense.

I still get the chills when I recall him telling me this. . . he told me that suddenly, not actually expecting an
answer, he shouted out loud "Who are you?". And then to his terrified surprise, in a voice as clear and as loud as
his question, he swears to this day it replied "for now just think of me as The Big O. Fear me not! For you must
listen. I have some things I must teach you. In time I will show you the simple keys to the cosmos, the proportional
rhythms that guided even my hand. Your years in this watery wilderness have purged you of much of the
inculcation of your fellow humankind and have opened your eyes and mind to be receptive. Even so, there will be
much work on your part in the years to come. This noble vessel will be your study and the solitude of the sea your
safe sanctuary".

It was on that night when he says he was shown the "Numbers" and the uncanny relationships among their
forms. He was told it was a sign. In the beginning it was mostly for him, for strength and courage in the years
ahead. Later, they would become a sign for all to see. . . living proof of another force at work in the universe.

Copyright Imagio Savastano 1997