A Voyage to Arcturus

on the couch of mosses, a

him, Maskull,” she said, i

still red, and still breathing hard. “It’s no jo

hy

e was your

t to show grief —

pretend

nner one would think you wer

hat, you live with filth — you live in the

she said, in a tone

m g

se, “and who gave you the right to rule my

but said nothing. There was a

said Oceaxe at last,

s it all t

this mean — wha

— absolutely nothi

e with your foreign preconceptions a

reconce

are strange to you, you murder him

at diabolic

ver that man? Life is life, all the world over, and one form is as good as another. He was o

is Ifdawn

hink them divine. But when it’s a question of taking on this divine, fresh, pure, enchanting loveliness yourself, in

eartless wild beast — nothing

“let us hear what would h

bit hi

not the difference of a hair between you and your boy-husband. Fo

s eyes slanted at him th

you off t

herever I go it must be a change for the

stay here till the afternoon. We can quickly put that body out of sight, and, as you seem

to breathe t

beautiful statue. “And what of your wonderful interview wit

d her meditatively — “while I’m still here you can tell me thi

ull? All dead people look li

t called ‘Cryst

and sons of Crystalman. It is d

that Surtur and Crystalm

and truthful

?” said Maskull, more to himself than to her.

and, sliding imperceptibly to

e, and ask me your questions. I’m not excessi

nce. She bent toward him, as if confidentially, and contrive

il to the good, Maskull? Then wh

ossibly know of

instructing

e quite right. I wish to do what I can — not b

“You’re a giant, both in body and s

nion, or are you flatter

you are making the conversation? Let’s ta

ls. While he was observing it, a peculiar wave of self-denial, of a disquieting nature, passed through him. He looked at Oceaxe, and

sked all of a sudden, q

nother thing, Oceaxe — if I’ve misjudged your chara

icious hearts. And you didn’t misjudge my character, as far as you wen

, and both looked around, startled. They saw a woman stepping

d, frightened voice. She immediately

there just was a glimpse of something strange and dangerous. It was curiously alluring, though not exactly beautiful. Her hair was clustering and boyish, reaching only to the neck. It was of a strange indigo colour

ed straight toward Crimtyphon’s corpse. When she arrived within

her wife, who lives under Disscourn. She’s a most dangerous woman. Be c

ul looks har

s quite capable of swallowing up Kra

attract Tydomin’s notice, for she n

d him?” sh

ble to catch the words. The sounds, however, lingered in his ears,

l to me.” Then she swung her body around to face

le to ignore them; he had to make an open confession of his act, whatever the consequences might be. Quietly taking Oceaxe b

ll says that so as to shield me, as he thinks. I

im. Not with your own strength, for you

consequence who killed him, for he’s better dead than alive, in

him at Oceaxe musingly. “When you murdered him, didn’

with an angry laugh. “Do you really imagine t

urder your lover here

ink it an excellent opportunity to make it good . . . now that Crimtyphon’s gone. . . . For we both know he woul

smile at Maskull. “Is it necessa

g it the right thing to do,

ecause my beauty fades and I’m no lon

e’s dead, and that’s the end of it. W

ically. “There’s nothing left to do, except mour

y here?” demanded O

dear, I wish

is to bec

u and your lover —

sku

wo would go to Disscourn, and

o Maskull, “Will you come

sh,” retur

tion your friend about Crimtyp

me, rather?” demanded Oc

w of a smile. “We know

said Oceaxe, and

Tydomin. “That’s the way — unless

. The direction which Tydomin proposed for her wa

ceaxe, with a laugh. And she obed

at she was doing. Tydomin remained standing with outstretched finger, watching her. Without hesitation, without slackeni

led over the edge. Her body disappeared,

out of his stupor, rushed to the edge of the cliff, threw himself o

ral minutes, and then began to sob. Tydom

efore he could speak at all. Then he brought out the words with difficulty.

he asked, standing

ure fiend

r Crimtyph

o do with that dea

to her, and I’m

’t my mistress. I killed Crimtyphon for quite an

r lover?” asked

kull. “I killed him because he was a wild beas

a hard look. “So you ar

a dreadf

e?” asked Maskull, who was

ht to kill him?” dema

nd perhaps did not

an to stir restlessly. “Since you mur

ne? This is a mo

Why did you come here, to do

tely you a

pause

said Tydomin. “Nothing can be

th you?

He always wished to be cast there after death. We can do th

. Why should he be buried when tha

of the question,” rep

about agitatedly, appa

ontinued. “I shall go. You ca

nd why should I want to? You

ou murdered him. Perhaps it wi

said Maskull,

ief for remorse, and

rse?” he asked, fixin

Maskull,” she said in a

on to his shoulders. It weighed heavier than he had thought. T

ce, and the corpse seemed to grow heavier and heavier. Tydomin always walked in front of him. His eyes were fastened in an unseeing stare on her white, womanish calves; he looked neither to right no

kly look

d I be carrying this corpse — and why should I be following you a

ou’re tired, Maskull. Let us sit down. Per

ow of any reason why I should be acting as your porter?” He lau

o face the northern sky, where the Alppain light was still glowing. Maskull

u speak?” he

light suggest

eaking of t

suggest anyt

esn’t. What do

sacri

gain. “Sacrifice of w

f her, and speaking in her delicate, hard manner, “that this adventure of yo

s’ time Maskull got up of his own accord, and irreverently, and a

ve to go?” he ask

our’s

ad

ice I mean,” said Tydomin qui

ere the black, impenetrable abysses — on the surface were the glaring sunshine, the gay, painted rocks, the chaotic tangle of strange plants. There were countless reptiles and insects. The latter were thicker built than those of Earth — consequently still more disgusting, and some of them

suddenly broke out. “And what good is that? It

r utility. It’s a pe

now

can go on enjoying life,

Maskull to come

ough — you imagine that because I a

” said Tydomin, in a

urned Maskull, just as firmly. “I was not in l

e is not

what you want, or what

would be compliance on your part, but not sacrifice. You m

very mys

y stood. They looked up, startled, just in time to witness the final disappearance of a huge mass of forest land, not two hundred yards in front of them. Several acres of trees, plants, rocks, and soi

o make a detour,” sa

e world were really falling to pieces. Then, where the land was, we now have this empty, awful gulf — that’s to say, nothing — and it seems to me as if our life will come to the same condition, where there was something there will be nothing. But that terrible blue glare on the

eling is that your life is worthless, and you

so magnanimous that fate itself will be astonished at us. Understand me. It isn

offer you, Maskull. It’s a heavy on

present mood it c

your body to me. Now that Crimtypho

to com

being a woman. I mean to dedicate my own body to Crimtyphon. I shall tie his body and mine together, and gi

h how you can make use of my bo

you to die. You w

ossible with

s, apparitions, phantoms. They are in reality living wills, deprived of material bodies, always longing to

kull quietly. “Not in spite of its heaviness

ave no conception. Now let us wait till we get home. I don’t hold you to you

. If you can perform this miracle,

ike that for the prese

an expression of unusual sincerity, and in other respects he seemed a hardy, hardworking youth, of an intellectual type. His hair was thick, short, and flaxen. He possessed neither a sorb nor a third arm — so presumably he was not a native of Ifdawn. His forehead, however, was disfigured by what looked like a haphazard assortment of eyes, eight in number, of different sizes and shapes. They went in pairs, and whenever two were in use, it was ind

et down the corpse, and both

aid, rather carelessly, jerkin

his seat on the ground, “What’s you

ntion to Tydomin, who occupied him a still longer time. He replied at last, in a dry, manly, nervous voice. “I am Digrung. I have

Poolingdred, Digrung?”

— if I can find my way out

e acquainted wit

n my way to see her now

her yes

your na

sku

will be our first meeting for fo

I could judge.

re do you come from? I’ve s

world. Where i

try one comes to bey

you amuse yourselves? The same

lowing at her heels like a slave? She looks insane to me. What’s

f one sows an answer there, a rich crop of questions immediately spr

I see insanity. That wouldn’t matter, but I don’t like to see

ur opinion’s nothing to me, Digrung. You’d better answer his questions, Maskull. Not for his own sak

thing, Digrung. Don’t mention my name at all. I d

y n

h it — isn’t

looked i

correspond with the real events of the world

you to lie, only

ying. I can’t accede to your wish. I must t

and Tydomin foll

. “The dead man is my husband, and Maskull murdered him. N

said Digrung. “It doesn’t matter — I c

r her feelings?” said

icken and die on realities, aren’t worth con

without seeing her; your sister will get very little

tween you?” demanded Digrung, eying

ilderment. “Good God! You don’t doub

ver she’s like, I know this — she’s more fortunate in her friend than in her brother. Now,

ung, I shall sto

ond murder, no doubt

laughed. “I seem to be leaving a wake

There’s no ne

dryly. “All the same, some cri

do, then?”

I were in your place, Maskull, I would not hesitate long. Don’t you understand ho

orse crime,”

ll live, but he w

r. “I was right then. The monster

lder. “You have the choice, and

n a dream, and I can’t talk to you. As for you, woma

l and myself; but you are a passer-by,

frightened out of my plans, wh

oughts will hardly have corresponded with the real events of the

back!” exclaimed Digru

young man. Now you must come to a quick decision in your own mind as to which is of the greates

ide. Digrung, I gave you a la

shall go on, and warn my sister

r the first time he comprehended the triumphant joys of “absorbing.” It satisfied the hunger of the will, exactly as food satisfies the hunger of the body. Digrung proved feeble — he made little opposition. His personality passed slowly and evenly into Maskul

t she said nothing. Instead, she made a sign to him to pick up Crimtyphon’s corpse. As h

ltered?” he mutt

h her little foot. “He isn’t dead — that’s why. T

at my real

are carved yourself. Oh, there’s no doubt about it, Maskull. You needn’t stand the

have I belon

you first breathed the air of Torman

the copse, and strode on to the next island. Maskull f

ite clouds, which bathed the shores of the peaks like a mysterious sea. To pass from island to island was hard work, the intervening spaces were so wide — Tydomin, however, knew the way. The intense light, the violet-blue s

its mighty cliffs stood out with terrific brilliance. They were directly beneath the bulk of the mountain, which wa

otionless threads. The face of the mountain was rugged and bare. It was strewn with detached boulders, and great, jagged rocks proj

ve here

es

a woman — and you are

I am far older than that. Ten years ago it would have been I who l

n the mouth of the cave. It was ten feet hi

ntrance, out of the sun,” d

g glance at him. “Does your r

hold? My brains

w me,

ds, set Maskull’s weakened heart thumping violently. An avalanche of boulders, stones, and dust, swept past th

rature became as cold as ice. At the first bend the light from the outer world disappeared, leaving them in absolu

they had come to a larger chamber. Here Tydomin stopped, and then forced him down with quiet pressure. His groping hand encountered stone and, by feel

me come?” a

es

Without perceiving any gradation, he lost all consciousness of his body; he was no longer able to feel his

of his eyes was affected. He fancied that he heard music, but while he was listening for it, it st

e. He heard someone scream faintly, and then the

dressed in the garments of civilisation, with whose face he was certainly familiar, but under what circumstances he could not recall. Other peopl

arther end of the room, who paced restlessly backward and forward, his face transfigured by stern, holy grandeur; and that other big, bearded man — who was himself. Yes —

m; and after that came straight up to him — Maskull. He spoke some words, but they were incomprehensible. A terrible expression came over the newcomer’s face, and he grasped his neck with a pair of hairy hands. Maskull felt his bones bending

he ground, but Tydomin was still with him, holding his hand. He was in horrible bodi

e reproach. “Why are you back so soon?

s feet. She gave a low scream, as though in pain.

ffort to produce his words choked

ell me quickly what has

d her arm

seen Krag.

are awake

,” said Maskull,

at has happe

ause I am awake, and for no other reaso

le time. Then she seemed suddenl

violence, surely,

a murder. But rest assured that you must d

very curious. Well, then, Maskull, let us come outside. I am not afraid. But kill

ype="