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He intentionally avoided mentioning his fellow voyagers, in order that Krag's name should not come to light. "That's an honourable motive," said Panawe. "And what's more, it may be true, though you spoke it as a prevarication." "As far as it goes, it's quite true," said Maskull, staring at him with annoyance and surprise.
Maskull again sought the heavy, sombre star, gleaming in solitary might, in the south-eastern heavens, and, as he gazed, his heart swelled with grand and painful longings, for which, however, he was unable to account to his own intellect. He felt that his destiny was in some way bound up with this gigantic, far-distant sun. But still he did not dare to admit to himself Krag's seriousness.
The light resolved itself into a tiny oblong of mysterious brightness in a huge wall of night. Krag's grim and rocklike features were revealed. "I can't face rebirth," said Nightspore. "The horror of death is nothing to it." "You will choose." "I can do nothing. Crystalman is too powerful. I barely escaped with my own soul."
Maskull knew at once that the system of spheres at which he was gazing was what is known to astronomy as the star Arcturus.... He had seen the sight before, through Krag's glass, but then the scale had been smaller, the colors of the twin suns had not appeared in their naked reality.... These colors seemed to him most marvellous, as if, in seeing them through earth eyes, he was not seeing them correctly.... But it was at Tormance that he stared the longest and the most earnestly.
He pitched the pebbles over the edge of the chasm. Although hard and heavy in his hand, they sank more like feathers than stones, and left a long trail of vapour behind. While Maskull was still watching them disappear, Haunte came rushing out of the cavern, followed by Corpang. He gripped Maskull's arm excitedly. "What in Krag's name have you done?"
"Krag's chief," said Nightspore, turning his head away. "The riddle is too elaborate for me. I give up." "You are looking for mysteries," said Krag, "so naturally you are finding them. Try and simplify your ideas, my friend. The affair is plain and serious." Maskull stared hard at him and smoked rapidly. "Where have you come from now?" demanded Nightspore suddenly.
"Has Surtur gone to Tormance?" ejaculated Nightspore in a strangled voice, fixing his eyes on Krag's face. "Yes, and he requires that we follow him at once." Maskull's heart began to beat strangely. It all sounded to him like a dream conversation. "And since how long, Krag, have I been required to do things by a total stranger.... Besides, who is this individual?"
To love he joins death; to sex, shame; to intellect, madness; to virtue, cruelty; and to fair exteriors, bloody entrails. These are Krag's actions, so the lovers of the world call him 'devil. They don't understand, Maskull, that without him the world would lose its beauty." "Krag and beauty!" exclaimed he, with a cynical smile. "Even so.
We almost always had guests in our large, roomy house, especially at Christmas and Fair-time, when the house was full, and we kept open table from morning till night." The mind reverts to the majestic old wooden mansions which play so prominent a part in Thomas Krag's novels, or to the house of Mrs. Solness' parents, the burning down of which started the Master-Builder's fortunes.
Krag's features became suddenly grave and rigid. "Don't be a fool, and refuse a gift of luck. A gift declined is not offered a second time." "Krag," replied Maskull simply, returning his pipe to his pocket. "I ask you to put yourself in my place. Even if were a man sick for adventures, how could I listen seriously to such an insane proposition as this?
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