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Who are you, where do you come from, and what are you doing here?" "My name is Maskull. My home is on the other side of the universe. As for what I am doing here I accompanied Leehallfae, that phaen, from Matterplay." "But a man doesn't accompany a phaen out of friendship. What do you want in Threal?" "Then this is Threal?" "Yes." Maskull remained silent.
A smell of death is being wafted to me out of this hole." "You talk like a frightened man. I smell nothing." "I am not frightened," said Leehallfae quietly ae had been gradually recovering aer tranquillity "but when one has lived as long as I have, it is a serious matter to die. Every year one puts out new roots."
"Nowadays there are men and women, but in the olden times the world was peopled by 'phaens. I think I am the only survivor of all those beings who were then passing through Faceny's mind." "Faceny?" "Who is now miscalled Shaping or Crystalman. The superficial names invented by a race of superficial creatures." "What's your own name?" "Leehallfae." "What?" "Leehallfae. And yours is Maskull.
Its noise was musical, and altogether it looked most romantic and charming, but Leehallfae seemed to find something else in it aer features grew more and more set and tortured. About half an hour after all the other life forms had vanished, another plant-animal was precipitated out of space, in front of their eyes.
Maskull impatiently shook himself free. "Your sensations may be reliable in your own case, but how do you know I shall die?" "Life is flaming up inside you," replied Leehallfae, shaking aer head. "But after it has reached its climax perhaps tonight it will sink rapidly and you'll die tomorrow. As for me, if I enter Threal I shan't come out again.
Let me take you back to the daylight." "No, help me forward. I wish to see Faceny." "The sick must have their way," said Maskull. Lifting aer bodily in his arms, he walked quickly along for another hundred yards or so. They then emerged from the tunnel and faced a world the parallel of which he had never set eyes upon before. "Set me down!" directed Leehallfae feebly. "Here I'll die."
"Your luck is fast weakening, but it may still be strong enough to serve me. Together we will search for Threal." "Search for Threal why, is it so hard to find?" "I have told you that my whole life has been spent in the quest." "You said Faceny, Leehallfae." The phaen gazed at him with queer, ancient eyes, and smiled again.
His essence doesn't start creating shapes until it has become thoroughly weakened and watered.... But perhaps both of us are talking nonsense." Leehallfae shook aer head. "Everything hangs together. The stream is life, and it is throwing off sparks of life all the time. When these sparks are caught and imprisoned by matter, they become living shapes.
The roof was high above their heads, and six men could have walked side by side. Leehallfae was visibly weakening. Ae dragged aerself along slowly and painfully, with sunken head. Maskull caught hold of aer. "You can't go on like that. Better let me take you back." The phaen smiled, and staggered. "I'm dying." "Don't talk like that. It's only a passing indisposition.
He bent down, and, taking hold of the phaen's thin and ragged robe, tore off a broad strip, which he proceeded to swathe in folds around his forehead. "I'm not forgetting your advice, Leehallfae. I would not like to start the walk as Maskull and finish it as Digrung." The phaen gave a twisted grin, and they began to move upstream. The road was difficult.
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