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"Answer, Maskull!" said Spadevil. "Do you repudiate right action?" "Leave me alone. Go back! I am not thinking of you, and your ideas. I wish you no harm." The darkness came on fast. There was another prolonged silence. Catice threw away the flint, and picked up his staff. "The woman must return home," he said. "She was persuaded here, and did not come freely.
Your law commands that we must be stoned; and it will soon be dark." "Have you not even this amount of manhood?" exclaimed Tydomin. Maskull moved heavily. "Be my witness, Catice, that the thing was forced on me." "Hator is looking on, and approving," replied Catice. Maskull then went apart to the pile of boulders scattered by the side of the pool.
He will trample my truth underfoot, thinking me a demon sent by Shaping, to destroy the work of this land. But a seed will escape, and my blood and yours, Tydomin, will wash it. Then men will know that my destroying evil is their greatest good. But none here will live to see that." Maskull now went quite close to Catice, and offered his head.
He stood fast. "You have changed quickly, Maskull." Maskull, without answering him, turned to Catice. "Why do men go on living in this soft, shameful world, when they can kill themselves?" "Pain is the native air of Surtur's children. To what other air do you wish to escape?" "Surtur's children? Is not Surtur Shaping?" "It is the greatest of lies. It is Shaping's masterpiece."
During the whole of the previous day he seemed to have been labouring under a series of heavy enchantments. First Oceaxe had enslaved him, then Tydomin, then Spadevil, and lastly Catice. They had forced him to murder and violate; he had guessed nothing, but had imagined that he was travelling as a free and enlightened stranger.
You, Spadevil, must die backslider as you are!" Tydomin said quietly, "He has no power to enforce this. Are you going to allow the truth to fall to the ground, Spadevil?" "It will not perish by my death, but by my efforts to escape from death. Catice, I accept your judgment." Tydomin smiled. "For my part, I am too tired to walk farther today, so I shall die with him."
He could not guess its use. He still had his third arm, but it was nerveless. Now he puzzled his head for a long time, trying unsuccessfully to recall that name which had been the last word spoken by Catice. He got up, with the intention of resuming his journey. He had no toilet to make, and no meal to prepare. The forest was tremendous.
After that, he laid her down again, and rested heavily on his hands, while he peered into the dead face. The transition from its heroic, spiritual expression to the vulgar and grinning mask of Crystalman came like a flash; but he saw it. He stood up in the darkness, and pulled Catice toward him. "Is that the true likeness of Shaping?" "It is Shaping stripped of illusion."
"The truth is simple, even for the simplest man." "Do you destroy Hator, and all his generations, with a single word?" "I destroy nature, and set up law." A long silence followed. "My probe is double," said Spadevil. "Suffer me to double yours, and you will see as I see." "Come you here, you big man!" said Catice to Maskull. Maskull advanced a step closer.
The strange light had gone, the music had ceased, Dreamsinter had vanished. He fingered his beard, clotted with Tydomin's blood, and fell into a deep muse. "According to Panawe and Catice, this forest contains wise men. Perhaps Dreamsinter was one. Perhaps that vision I have just seen was a specimen of his wisdom.
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