hunger　and　its　satisfaction；　THEY　had　attained　wisdom　that
  enabled　them　to　make　paths　such　as　we　have　just　travelled
  and　to　look　out　upon　those　waters！　　And　_laya_　upon　_laya_
  thereafter；　time　upon　time；　they　went　upon　the　paths　and
  watched　the　flood　recede；　saw　great　bare　flats　of　steaming
  ooze　appear　on　which　crawled　and　splashed　larger　things
  which　had　grown　from　the　tiny　hungry　ones；　watched　the
  flats　rise　higher　and　higher　and　green　life　begin　to　clothe
  them；　saw　mountains　uplift　and　vanish。
  〃Ever　the　green　life　waxed　and　the　things　which　crept
  and　crawled　grew　greater　and　took　ever　different　forms；
  until　at　last　came　a　time　when　the　steaming　mists　lightened
  and　the　things　which　had　begun　as　little　more　than　tiny
  hungry　mouths　were　huge　and　monstrous；　so　huge　that　the
  tallest　of　my　_Akka_　would　not　have　reached　the　knee　of　the
  smallest　of　them。
  〃But　in　none　of　these；　in　NONE；　was　thererealization
  of　themselves；　say　the　Three；　naught　but　hunger　driving；　al…
  ways　driving　them　to　still　its　crying。
  〃So　for　time　upon　time　the　race　of　the　Silent　Ones　took
  the　paths　no　more；　placing　aside　the　half…thought　that　they
  had　of　making　their　way　to　earth　face　even　as　they　had　made
  their　way　from　beside　earth　heart。　　They　turned　wholly　to　the
  seeking　of　wisdomand　after　other　time　on　time　they　at…
  tained　that　which　killed　even　the　faintest　shadow　of　the
  half…thought。　　For　they　crept　far　within　the　mysteries　of　life
  and　death；　they　mastered　the　illusion　of　space；　they　lifted
  the　veils　of　creation　and　of　its　twin　destruction；　and　they
  stripped　the　covering　from　the　flaming　jewel　of　truthbut
  when　they　had　crept　within　those　mysteries　they　bid　me　tell
  YOU；　Goodwin；　they　found　ever　other　mysteries　veiling　the
  way；　and　after　they　had　uncovered　the　jewel　of　truth　they
  found　it　to　be　a　gem　of　infinite　facets　and　therefore　not
  wholly　to　be　read　before　eternity's　unthinkable　end！
  〃And　for　this　they　were　gladbecause　now　throughout
  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　pa