This is a most dangerous place. Why did you bring us here? Surely you know
that to touch the cone is certain death to us?"
Iliel understood. The human souls had long since made themselves perfect,
true images of the cosmos, by accepting the formula of Love and Death; they
had made the great sacrifice again and again; they were veterans of the
spiritual world-war, and asked nothing better than to go back to the trenches.
But these others were partial souls; they had not yet [230] attained humanity;
they had not understood that in order to grow one must assimilate oneself
with another being, the death of two to create the life of one, in whom the
two live once more, transmuted and glorified, the corruptible having put on
incorruption. To them incarnation was death; and they did not know that
death was life. They were not ready for the Great Adventure.
So they stood like tall lilies about the coruscating cone of Light,
wondering, doubting, drooping. But at the last came one taller than all the
rest, sadder of mien, and lovelier of features; her robes were stained and
soiled, as if by contact with other colours. Artemis drew back with quick
repulsion.
For the first time the maiden goddess spoke.
"What is thy name?" she cried.
"I am Malkah of the tribe of the Sickles."
"And thy crime?"
"I love a mortal."
Artemis drew back once more.
"Thou, too, hast loved," said Malkah.
"I drew my mortal lovers unto me; I did not sully my life with theirs; I am
virgin unto Pan!"
"I also am virgin; for whom I loved is dead. He[14] was a poet, and he
loved thee above women, `And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne
clustered around by all her starry fays` whereof I being one, loved him that he
loved Thee! But he died in the city of Mars and the Wolf, before I could
make him even aware of me. I am come hither to seek immolation; I am
weary of the pale beauty of Levanah; I will seek him, at the price of death. I
deny our life; I crucify myself unto the God we dare not name. I go. Hail and
farewell!"
She flung up her arm in a wild gesture of renunciation, and came closer to
the Cone. She would not [231] haste, lest her will prove but impulse; she
poised her breast deliberately over the Cone. Then, with fierce zest, so that