The Equinox (Volume I, Number VI)

THE ELECTRIC SILENCE Him I greeted most gladly, and told him of the earthquake. Whereat he sighed heavily. Brother, quoth I, canst thou now tell me thy name? But he only answered me: " It is a pity! ” And with that I returned to my task, and he guided me therein with his counsel and example. Yet in the ark the gloom is fierce; the river without is but twilight, wherein shadows are free; within is darkness itself, and the essence and quintessence of darkness. In this terrific silence I abode for very long; then for an instant that seemed longer than many lives the sun of heaven broke in andsmotemineeye, so that I fellbackwardnighfainting. But he bade me be 01 good cheer and return to the task. I obeyed; andbeholdl againthe sun,and behind the sun aglimpse 01 one appointed equally to be hidden and to be seen, each as may be fitting. But the brightness of the sun and its heat dazzled me and scorched me. My members refused to obey; and I slid back- ward into the great stream that was here so icy cold, and it refreshed me and comforted me. Now then I was minded to enter again the ark when there flew unto me, I wot not whence, a dove, and perched upon my shoulder. And thus I swam fora while, and the waters ofthe stream were soft and warm, caressing me. Yet I felt that this aimless drifting was enervating my limbs; so I gathered some stray planks of my raft—for they still floated round the ark—and began half playfully to paddle, with what purpose I cannot tell. And so it was ordered that the dove flew to me with an oak-leaf in its beak. 61