LordDunsanysPegana/OfHowImbaunmetZodrak
LordDunsanysPegana/OfHowImbaunbecameHighProphet -LordDunsanysPegana/Pegana
Of How Imbaun met Zodrak
The prophet of the gods lay resting by the river to watch
the stream run by.
And as he lay he pondered on the Scheme of Things and the
works of all the gods. And it seemed to the prophet of the
gods as he watched the stream run by that the Scheme was a
right scheme and the gods benignant gods; yet there was
sorrow in the Worlds. It seemed that Kib was bountiful,
that Mung calmed all who suffer, that Sish dealt not too
harshly with the hours, and that all the gods were good; yet
there was sorrow in the Worlds.
Then said the prophet of the gods as he watched the
stream run by: "There is some other god of whom naught is
writ." And suddenly the prophet was aware of an old man who
bemoaned beside the river, crying: "Alas! alas!"
His face was marked by the sign and seal of exceeding
many years, and there was yet vigour in his frame. These be
the words of the prophet that he wrote in his book: "I said:
`Who art thou that bemoans beside the river?' And he
answered: `I am the fool.' I said: `Upon thy brow are the
marks of wisdom such as is stored in books.' He said: `I am
Zodrak. Thousands of years ago I tended sheep upon a hill
that sloped towards the sea. The gods have many moods.
Thousands of years ago They were in mirthful mood. They
said: "Let Us call up a man before Us that We may laugh in
Pegana."
"`They took me from my sheep upon the hill that slopes
towards the sea. They carried me above the thunder. They
stood me, that was only a shepherd, before Them on Pegana,
and the gods laughed. They laughed not as men laugh,
but with solemn eyes."
"`And Their eyes that looked on me saw not me alone
but also the Beginning and THE END and all the Worlds
besides. Then said the gods, speaking as speak the gods:
"Go! Back to thy sheep."
"`But I, who am the fool, had heard it said on earth that
whoso seeth the gods upon Pegana becometh as the gods, if so
he demand to Their faces, who may not slay him who hath
looked Them in the eyes.
"`And I, the fool, said: "I have looked in the eyes of
the gods, and I demand what a man may demand of the gods
when he hath seen Them in Pegana." And the gods inclined
Their heads and Hoodrazai said: "It is the law of the gods."
"`And I, who was only a shepherd, how could I know?
"`I said: "I will make men rich." And the gods said:
"What is rich?"
"`And I said: "I will send them love." And the gods
said: "What is love?" And I sent gold into the Worlds, and,
alas! I sent with it poverty and strife. And I sent love
into the Worlds, and with it grief.
"`And now I have mixed gold and love most woefully
together, and I can never remedy what I have done, for the
deeds of the gods are done, and nothing may undo them.
"`Then I said: "I will give men wisdom that they may be
glad." And those who got my wisdom found that they knew
nothing, and from having been happy became glad no more.
"`And I, who would make men happy, have made them sad,
and I have spoiled the beautiful scheme of the gods.
"`And now my hand is for ever on the handle of Their
plough. I was only a shepherd, and how should I have known?
"`Now I come to thee as thou restest by the river to ask
of thee thy forgiveness, for I would fain have the
forgiveness of a man.'
"And I answered: `O Lord of seven skies, whose children
are the storms, shall a man forgive a god?'
"He answered: `Men have sinned not against the gods as
the gods have sinned against men since I came into Their
councils.'
"And I, the prophet, answered: `O Lord of seven skies,
whose plaything is the thunder, thou art amongst the gods,
what need hast thou for words from any man?'
"He said: `Indeed I am amongst the gods, who speak to me
as They speak to other gods, yet there is always a smile
about Their mouths, and a look in Their eyes that saith:
"Thou wert a man."'
"I said: `O lord of seven skies, about whose feet the
Worlds are as drifted sand, because thou biddest me, I, a
man, forgive thee.'
"And he answered: `I was but a shepherd, and I could not
know.' Then he was gone."