THE GOD-EATER
137
CriospA. What of the power? I bid
these waves be calm
In Maurya’s name.
[The storm tucreases momently in vio-
lence. RUPHA muttters on. CRIOSDA
shows with a gesture that he knows
his words avail nothing.
Rupua. Ho! Ho!
Criospa. I wittingly and well resumed
the rite
Learnt at thy breast, old wolf !
RupHaA. Ho! Ho!
The might is mine
O’ the rune divine.
Silence, winds !
Peace, ye waves!
The spell binds
Their wrath
In the graves
Below ocean.
Clear the path !
Cease your motion?
Swift, be slow !
Ho! Ho!
[ The storm ceases.
CrIOSDA. 7y words avail then ?
RupHa. Ha! Ha!
They avail.
I avail.
Did Rupha fail,
All would be done.
Death to the sun !
I know.
Ho! Ho!
Criospa. All this I did for thee?
Rupua. Ha! Ha!
What didst thou do?
Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha!
Criospa. What did I not do?
RuPuHa. Tell! Tell!
Tis a spell.
CriosDa. I will tell all.
me up
With the last word !
RupuHa. It obeys?
No! No!
Ho! Ho!
All!
O sea, swallow
CriospA. Thou sinister one !
I duly did ;
That drugged (and dancing with delight
thereof
The maiden’s mind) the maiden’s body prone
Lay on her altar. Then she gave consent,
And I smote once.
RupHa. Ha! Ha!
What came then?
Criospa. I tore out her heart,
and held its flame aloft. The blackening
Thy rite
blood
Gushed on my arms—and then—
Rupua. Ho! Ho!
CriosDA. With red lips reeking from the
sweet foul feast,
I sang in tuneless agony the spell ;
Rolled athwart space the black words: then
some force
Tore me: I heard the tears drop in my
heart.
I heard the laughter of some utmost God
Hid in the middle of matter. That was I,
The hideous laugher of the maniac laugh
When loathing makes the bed to lust, and
twine
The limbs of agony about the trunk
Of torture—rapture stabbing through—
Maurya !
Ay, that was I; and I the weeping wolf
That howls about this hell that is my heart;
And I the icy and intangible
That beholds all, and is not.
RUPHA. Three in one !
One in three !
Death to the sun!
Glory to thee !
Thou wast there !
Enough !
It will grow.
Ho! Ho!
Criospa. In English, I was mad. But
no new portents
Confound the course of the sun. Ileft my
home
To seek thee out. When skill availed me
not,
I put to sea to try the Luck of Maurya.