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eternity　might　they　and　theirs　pursue　knowledge　over　ways

illimitable。



〃They　conquered　lightlight　that　sprang　at　their　bidding

from　the　nothingness　that　gives　birth　to　all　things　and　in

which　lie　all　things　that　are；　have　been　and　shall　be；　light

that　streamed　through　their　bodies　cleansing　them　of　all

dross；　light　that　was　food　and　drink；　light　that　carried　their

vision　afar　or　bore　to　them　images　out　of　space　opening

many　windows　through　which　they　gazed　down　upon　life

on　thousands　upon　thousands　of　the　rushing　worlds；　light

that　was　the　flame　of　life　itself　and　in　which　they　bathed；

ever　renewing　their　own。　　They　set　radiant　lamps　within　the

stones；　and　of　black　light　they　wove　the　sheltering　shadows

and　the　shadows　that　slay。



〃Arose　from　this　people　those　Threethe　Silent　Ones。

They　led　them　all　in　wisdom　so　that　in　the　Three　grew

pride。　　And　the　Three　built　them　this　place　in　which　we　sit

and　set　the　Portal　in　its　place　and　withdrew　from　their　kind

to　go　alone　into　the　mysteries　and　to　map　alone　the　facets　of

Truth　Jewel。



〃Then　there　came　the　ancestors　of　the_Akka_；　not　as　they

are　now；　and　glowing　but　faintly　within　them　the　spark　of

self…realization。　　And　the　_Taithu_　seeing　this　spark　did　not

slay　them。　　But　they　took　the　ancient；　long　untrodden　paths

and　looked　forth　once　more　upon　earth　face。　　Now　on　the

land　were　vast　forests　and　a　chaos　of　green　life。　　On　the

shores　things　scaled　and　fanged；　fought　and　devoured　each

other；　and　in　the　green　life　moved　bodies　great　and　small

that　slew　and　ran　from　those　that　would　slay。



〃They　searched　for　the　passage　through　which　the　_Akka_

had　come　and　closed　it。　　Then　the　Three　took　them　and

brought　them　here；　and　taught　them　and　blew　upon　the

spark　until　it　burned　ever　stronger　and　in　time　they　became

much　as　they　are　nowmy　_Akka_。



〃The　Three　took　counsel　after　this　and　said'We　have

strengthened　life　in　these　until　it　has　become　articulate；　shall

we　not　CREATE　life？'〃　Again　she　hesitated；　her　eyes　rapt；

dreaming。　　〃The　Three　are　speaking；〃　she　murmured。　　〃They

have　my　tongue〃



And　certainly；　with　an　ease　and　rapidity　as　though　she

were　but　a　voice　through　which　minds　far　more　facile；　more

powerful　poured　their　thoughts；　she　spoke。



〃Yea；〃　the　golden　voice　was　vibrant。　　〃We　said　that　what

we　would　create　should　be　of　the　spirit　of　life　itself；　speak…

ing　to　us　with　the　tongues　of　the　far…flung　stars；　of　the　winds；

of　the　waters；　and　of　all　upon　and　within　these。　　Upon　that

universal　matrix　of　matter；　that　mother　of　all　things　that

you　name　the　ether；　we　laboured。　　Think　not　that　her　won…

drous　fertility　is　limited　by　what　ye　see　on　earth　or　what　has

been　on　earth　from　its　beginning。　　Infinite；　infinite　are　the

forms　the　mother　bears　and　countless　are　the　energies　that

are　part　of　her。



〃By　our　wisdom　we　had　fashioned　many　windows　out　of

our　abode　and　through　them　we　stared　into　the　faces　of

myriads　of　worlds；　and　upon　them　all　were　the　children　of

ether　even　as　the　worlds　themselves　were　her　children。



〃Watching　we　learned；　and　learning　we　formed　that　ye

term　the　Dweller；　which　those　without　namethe　Shining

One。　　Within　the　Universal　Mother　we　shaped　it；　to　be　a　voice

to　tell　us　her　secrets；　a　lamp　to　go　before　us　lighting　the

mysteries。　　Out　of　the　ether　we　fashioned　it；　giving　it　the

soul　of　light　that　still　ye　know　not　nor　perhaps　ever　may

know；　and　with　the　essence　of　life　that　ye　saw　blossoming

deep　in　the　abyss　and　that　is　the　pulse　of　earth　heart　we

filled　it。　　And　we　wrought　with　pain　and　with　love；　with

yearning　and　with　scorching　pride　and　from　our　travail　came

the　Shining　Oneour　child！



〃There　is　an　energy　beyond　and　above　ether；　a　purpose…

ful；　sentient　force　that　laps　like　an　ocean　the　furthest…flung

star；　that　transfuses　all　that　ether　bears；　that　sees　and　speaks

and　feels　in　us　and　in　you；　that　is　incorporate　in　beast　and

bird　and　reptile；　in　tree　and　grass　and　all　living　things；　that

sleeps　in　rock　and　stone；　that　finds　sparkling　tongue　in　jewel

and　star　and　in　all　dwellers　within　the　firmament。　　And　this

ye　call　consciousness！



〃We　crowned　the　Shining　One　with　the　seven　orbs　of　light

which　are　the　channels　between　it　and　the　sentience　we

sought　to　make　articulate；　the　portals　through　which　flow

its　currents　and　so　flowing；　become　choate；　vocal；　self…

realizant　within　our　child。



〃But　as　we　shaped；　there　passed　some　of　the　essence　of

our　pride；　in　giving　will　we　had　given　power；　perforce；　to

exercise　that　will　for　good　or　for　evil；　to　speak　or　to　be　si…

lent；　to　tell　us　what　we　wished　of　that　which　poured　into　it

through　the　seven　orbs　or　to　withhold　that　knowledge　itself；

and　in　forging　it　from　the　immortal　energies　we　had　en…

dowed　it　with　their　indifference；　open　to　all　consciousness　it

held　within　it　the　pole　of　utter　joy　and　the　pole　of　utter　woe

with　all　the　arc　that　lies　between；　all　the　ecstasies　of　the

countless　worlds　and　suns　and　all　their　sorrows；　all　that　ye

symbolize　as　gods　and　all　ye　symbolize　as　devilsnot　nega…

tiving　each　other；　for　there　is　no　such　thing　as　negation；　but

holding　them　together；　balancing　them；　encompassing　them；

pole　upon　pole！〃



So　THIS　was　the　explanation　of　the　entwined　emotions　of

joy　and　terror　that　had　changed　so　appallingly　Throckmar…

tin's　face　and　the　faces　of　all　the　Dweller's　slaves！



The　handmaiden's　eyes　grew　bright；　alert；　again；　the

brooding　passed　from　her　face；　the　golden　voice　that　had

been　so　deep　found　its　own　familiar　pitch。



〃I　listened　while　the　Three　spoke　to　you；〃　she　said。　　〃Now

the　shaping　of　the　Shining　One　had　been　a　long；　long　travail

and　time　had　flown　over　the　outer　world　_laya_　upon　_laya_。　　For

a　space　the　Shining　One　was　content　to　dwell　here；　to　be

fed　with　the　foods　of　light：　to　open　the　eyes　of　the　Three

to　mystery　upon　mystery　and　to　read　for　them　facet　after

facet　of　the　gem　of　truth。　　Yet　as　the　tides　of　consciousness

flowed　through　it　they　left　behind　shadowings　and　echoes　of

their　burdens；　and　the　Shining　One　grew　stronger；　always

stronger　of　ITSELF　WITHIN　ITSELF。　　Its　will　strengthened　and　now

not　always　was　it　the　will　of　the　Three；　and　the　pride　that

was　woven　in　the　making　of　it　waxed；　while　the　love　for　them

that　its　creators　had　set　within　it　waned。



〃Not　ignorant　were　the　_Taithu_　of　the　work　of　the　Three。

First　there　were　a　few；　then　more　and　more　who　coveted　the

Shining　One　and　who　would　have　had　the　Three　share　with

them　the　knowledge　it　drew　in　for　them。　　But　the　Silent　Ones

in　their　pride；　would　not。



〃There　came　a　time　when　its　will　was　now　ALL　its　own；　and

it　rebelled；　turning　its　gaze　to　the　wider　spaces　beyond　the

Portal；　offering　itself　to　the　many　there　who　would　serve　it；

tiring　of　the　Three；　their　control　and　their　abode。



〃Now　the　Shining　One　has　its　limitations；　even　as　we。　　Over

water　it　can　pass；　through　air　and　through　fire；　but　pass　it

cannot；　through　rock　or　metal。　　So　it　sent　a　messagehow　I

know　notto　the　_Taithu_　who　desired　it；　whispering　to　them

the　secret　of　the　Portal。　　And　when　the　time　was　ripe　they

opened　the　Portal　and　the　Shining　One　passed　through　it　to

them；　nor　would　it　return　to　the　Three　though　they　com…

manded；　and　when　they　would　have　forced　it　they　found

that　it　had　hived　and　hidden　a　knowledge　that　they　could　not

overcome。



〃Yet　by　their　arts　the　Three　could　have　shattered　the

seven　shining　orbs；　but　they　would　not　becausethey　loved；

it！



〃Those　to　whom　it　had　gone　built　for　it　that　place　I　have

shown　you；　and　they　bowed　to　it　and　drew　wisdom　from　it。

And　ever　they　turned　more　and　more　from　the　ways　in　which

the　_Taithu_　had　walkedfor　it　seemed　that　which　came　to

the　Shining　One　through　the　seven　orbs　had　less　and　less　of

good　and　more　and　more　of　the　power　you　call　evil。　　Knowl…

edge　it　gave　and　understanding；　yes；　but　not　that　which；　clear

and　serene；　lights　the　pat