Eden regained

I have now established my Chair in an altogether more salubrious location than that nest of vipers from which I am now departed. Believe me, I shall publish the full depths of their depravity in due course. Oh yes.

They attempted to hold some ceremonial benediction to mark my departure; of it I had nought. Red faces all round from the hypocritical assassins and fawning hierophants. 'Tis all they deserve.

My support staff have worked tirelessly to restore my office and papers, and my new apartment is more than sufficient. I am now in a condition of robust preparedness to launch into a new phase of path-breaking exegesis and analysis. I may drop a few tantalising crumbs here first so by all means study these 'pages' with due diligence.

Transience; tempora placet

I find myself 'in transit', and unable to respond to serious queries that require me to bend my mind upon a singular object that may repay attention, however weighty. You must understand this. I am simply unable to reply to conference calls etc - no matter how worthy and how much I may raise the prestige of such gatherings - until such a time as I find myself 'resettled'. This is my consuming distraction and, as such, I shall be off-limits (as they say) until such a time as to notify you otherwise. Exercise patience.

Tribulation ceases; Justice prevails

Of course it was simply a matter of time. I knew that once I 'put the word around' to the effect that I may be tempted by pastures new that the offers would come in full flood. And so it has proved, and I am now extricated from that pit of barbarism into which I had descended.

Of course it would be most unbecoming for me to trumpet the name of my 'savior', but suffice it to say that it is an ancient and mighty seat of learning that fully appreciates the value of traditional heavyweight scholarship. I must add that they were in no small way attracted to the lengthy list of upcoming publications accruing from my sabbatical on such critical issues as tonalism in factionalised archaeo-Thai and Khao/Kao fetishism in the upper Mekong basin. These shall now bear the name of my new position and post, to the savage loss of that heathen horde that failed to recognise high-level academic excellence.

Perhaps I may be permitted to 'crow' a little by revealing a tantalising glimpse in that I shall in effect be returning to my beloved Sweden. That provides enough clues to the learned in deductive reasoning.

Needless to say the fawning hierophants and toadies at my current (and soon to be ex-) appointment have learned of my imminent exit and adopt gruesome postures of feigned regret at my liberation. Of this I shall have naught, naught. Let them gnash and cringe while covertly jostling and manoeuvring to move into my 'niche'. I bequeath them it all, in full knowledge that it will turn to dust in their indolent and grimy hands. As Goethe put it, "and so the untermensch did leap and wither, clasping with clawed hands at that which was there not, yet falling finally back with woe unto that pit whence they came." Almost prescient, I do feel. Let them rot awhiles then repent at length the staggering loss they have surely provoked.

I am now prepared to receive the plaudits and congratulations of those loyal few who never doubted me. They at least may continue to visit these pages.

Treachery

Now we learn who our friends are. Now we discern the difference between fawning toadyism and genuine scholarship. I will remember, and respond.

Gaudete

And yet perhaps there is a glimmering of hope. These unsupportable and intolerable days of bondage may be close to termination. Has anyone experience of the Baptist University of Louisiana? Are they adept in philology? Do they retain tenured heavyweights?

Vomitose recidivism

I simply cannot call upon myself to speak witness to this catastrophe. I must in a very real sense withdraw and recoup.

Staring into the abyss

I am beset if not besieged upon all sides. The ancien regime has been swept away in an eye blink and a hideous mutation triumphantly gorges upon its carcase. I must be cautious, there is no knowing what spies lurk in whatever recess. They are everywhere.

I have been informed that I must actually teach students next 'semester'. While perfectly aware of the Latin roots of this frightful term (sex menses - 6 months) I am appalled to learn that this period is unaccountably reduced to 13 weeks. But I digress. I have not endured the degradation and humiliation of 'teaching' for over a decade now, preferring instead to pursue my own high-level interests as I will. But no longer.

I am to be issued with something called a 'timetable' which, I am informed, will direct me to various rooms to conduct classes at certain brutal times. I will need to 'read up' on certain undisclosed 'modules' and 'assessment schemes'. Since when were these excrescences required for senior academics in a mighty seat of learning?

My wheel is turned full circle, for sackcloth and ashes shall be my garb. I must exercise full caution for informants and lackeys will not hesitate to claim their 3o pieces of silver and report me to the neo-Stasi apparatchiks now in charge. Mayhap I have spoken too much and must need conduct a judicious halt. My attempts to raise the banner of revolt come to naught. All is withered and rotten upon the bough.

As Dante put it: "For all around the third circle they did shriek and wail but none could escape the blight and retribution of their humilation. Yet respite came there none, only further and yet further." It is a very vision of hell, and cannot fall further.