The Telur Suci, tiny prehistoric eggs that harmonize with the human voice, were for thousands of years worn as amulets in Indonesia.

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Romeo, a Starbucks barista, discovers 99 of them in a shipment of coffee beans from Indonesia.    But being the only one close enough to the canister to hear their delicate sound, he is alone in their rescue from the coffee grinder. His kind act is misunderstood, and costs him his job.

 

His care for these enchanted creatures is somewhat like a Great Dane adopting a litter of ducklings. And all with unknown consequences for they have been followed. Galdifore, an Indonesian shaman, is their guardian who befriends Romeo. And close behind is the  Gru’kiba, an ancient Indonesian firebird whose immortality is fueled by the consumption of these defenseless entities.

 

Bewildered, Romeo seeks refuse in a family rendezvous. On his cross country bus trip he meets Juliet, a college flunkout whose ruin and salvation is through the words of Shakespeare. When she hears the magic eggs she too becomes enchanted, not just with the eggs but with Romeo.

 

With Romeo as their steward, the Beanos, their professional tag, swiftly rise to fame in the music industry. Juliet’s father had severed their budding relationship upon arrival in LA but she finds her feet in a Shakespearean troupe. They finally reunite at the Beanos huge outdoor concert in San Bernadino.

 

Early on Galdifore had successfully thwarted an attack by the Gru’kiba. And now, mounted on his giant hawk, he patrols the skies over the concert, knowing that she’s out there searching. But under heavy cloud cover she gets past him, and in the middle of the concert drops screeching to the stage. Romeo is knocked unconscious and the crowd is terrorized by the fire breathing creature as she closes in on her prey.

 

Running through the fleeing crowd comes Juliet who jumps breathless onto the stage and into the path of the bird. She is undaunted by the smoke and flames and the bird is paused by her commanding voice, “To be or not to be, that is the question … “ Evidently the creature has some intelligence for the duel of flames and words is won by Juliet. Romeo wakens to an awestruck crowd and a tamed bird being escorted from the stage. But the Beanos have been traumatized by the Gru’kiba’s presence and they lay dark and silent.

 

Romeo’s attempts to resuscitate them and revive the concert fail. Galdifore intervenes by gathering up the sacred eggs while instructing Romeo to lead the audience in a chant. The shaman then distributes the eggs, one to a person, restoring their initial contact with humanity as amulets worn across the vocal chords. It’s a slow recovery, the chanting, the music and the human contact. Their delicate sound is eventually heard, thrilling the audience. The tone of the concert is lifted to new heights.  

 

This tale began with Romeo relating these events to his grandchildren. At the end they are walking through a rural landscape, the children asking Romeo about the final fate of the Telur Suci.