The Worm Ouroboros by Eric Rücker Eddison (english readers txt) 📕

this is the empty guerdon, and this the period of thine ambition. But

come, take comfort for a season, since unto all dominions Fate hath

set their end, and there is no king on the road of death.”

So the Lord Juss, his heart dead within him for grief and despair,

suffered her take him by the hand and conduct him down a winding

stairway that led from that brazen floor to an inner chamber fragrant

and delicious, lighted with flickering lamps. Surely life and its

turmoils seemed faded to a distant and futile murmur, and the horror

of the void seemed there but a vain imagination, under the heavy

sweetness of that chamber. His senses swooned; he turned towards his

veiled conductress. She with a sudden motion cast off her mourning

cloak, and stood there, her whole fair body bared to his gaze, open-armed, a sight to ravish the soul with love and all delight.

Well nigh had he clasped to his bosom that vision of dazzling

loveliness. But fortune, or the high Gods, or his own soul’s might,

woke yet again in his drugged brain remembrance of his purpose, so

that he turned violently from that bait prepared for his destruction,

and strode from the chamber up to that roof where his dear brother sat

as in death. Juss caught him by the hand: “Speak to me, kinsman. It is

I, Juss. It is Juss, thy brother.”

But Goldry moved not, neither answered any word.

Juss looked at the hand resting in his, so like his own to the very

shape of the finger nails and the growth of the hairs on the back of

the hand and fingers. He let it go, and the arm dropped lifeless. “It

is very certain,” said he, “thou art in a manner frozen, and thy

spirits and understanding frozen and congealed within thee.”

So saying, he bent to gaze close in Goldry’s eyes, touching his arm

and shoulder. Not a limb stirred, not an eyelid flickered. He caught

him by the hand and sleeve as if to force him up from the bench,

calling him loudly by his name, shaking him roughly, crying, “Speak to

me, thy brother, that crossed the world to find thee;” but he abode a

dead weight in Juss’s grasp.

“If thou be dead,” said Juss, “then am I dead with thee. But till then

I’ll ne’er think thee dead.” And he sat down on the bench beside his

brother, taking his hand in his, and looked about him. Nought but

utter silence. Night had fallen, and the moon’s calm radiance and the

twinkling stars mingled with the pale fires that hedged that mountain

top in an uncertain light. Hell loosed no more her denizens in the

air, and since the moment when Juss had in that inner chamber shaken

himself free of that last illusion no presence had he seen nor

simulacrum of man or devil save only Goldry his brother; nor might

that horror any more master his high heart, but the memory of it was

but as the bitter chill of a winter sea that takes the swimmer’s

breath for an instant as he plunges first into the icy waters.

So with a calm and a steadfast mind the Lord Juss abode there, his

second night without sleep, for sleep he dared not in that accursed

place. But for joy of his found brother, albeit it seemed there was in

him neither speech nor sight nor hearing, Juss scarce wist of his

great weariness. And he nourished himself with that ambrosia given him

by the Queen, for well he thought the uttermost strength of his body

should now be tried in the task he now decreed him.

When it was day, he arose and taking his brother Goldry bodily on his

back set forth. Past the gates of brass Juss bore him, and past the

barriers of flame, and painfully and by slow degrees down the long

northern ridge which overhangs the Psarrion Glaciers. All that day,

and the night following, and all the next day after were they on the

mountain, and well nigh dead was Juss for weariness when on the second

day an hour or two before sundown they reached the moraine. Yet was

triumph in his heart, and gladness of a great deed done. They lay that

night in a grove of strawberry trees under the steep foot of a

mountain some ten miles beyond the western shore of Ravary, and met

Spitfire and Brandoch Daha who had waited with their boat two nights

at the appointed spot, about eventide of the following day.

Now as soon as Juss had brought him off the mountain, this frozen

condition of the Lord Goldry was so far thawed that he was able to

stand upon his feet and walk; but never a word might he speak, and

never a look they gat from him, but still his gaze was set and

unchanging, seeming when it rested on his companions to look through

and beyond them as at some far thing seen in a mist. So that each was

secretly troubled, fearing lest this condition of the Lord Goldry

Bluszco should prove remediless, and this that they now received back

from prison but the poor remain of him they had so much desired.

They came aland and brought him to Sophonisba the Queen where she made

haste to meet them on the fair lawn before her pavilion. The Queen, as

if knowing beforehand both their case and the remedy thereof, took by

the hand the Lord Juss and said, “O my lord, there yet remaineth a

thing for thee to do to free him throughly, that hast outfaced terrors

beyond the use of man to bring him back: a little stone indeed to

crown this building of thine, and yet without it all were in vain, as

itself were vain without the rest that was all thine: and mine is this

last, and with a pure heart I give it thee.”

So saying she made the Lord Juss bow down till she might kiss his

mouth, sweetly and soberly, one light kiss. And she said, “This give

unto the lord thy brother.” And Juss did so, kissing his dear brother

in like manner on the mouth; and she said, “Take him, dear my lords.

And I have utterly put out the remembrance of these things from his

heart. Take him, and give thanks unto the high Gods because of him.”

Therewith the Lord Goldry Bluszco looked upon them and upon that fair

Queen and the mountains and the woods and the cool lake’s loveliness,

as a man awakened out of a deep slumber.

Surely there was joy in all their hearts that day.

How the Lords of Demonland came again to

their ships at Muelva, and the tidings they

learned there.

FOR nine days’ space the lords of Demonland abode with Queen

Sophonisba in Koshtra Belorn and beside the Lake of Ravary tasting

such high and pure delights as belike none else hath tasted, if it

were not the spirits of the blest in Elysium. When they bade her

farewell, the Queen said, “My little martlets shall bring me tidings

of you. And when you shall have brought to mere perdition the wicked

regiment of Witchland and returned again to your dear native land,

then is my time for that, my Lord Juss, whereof I have often talked to

thee and often gladded my dreams with the thought thereof: to visit

earth again and the habitations of men, and be your guest in manymountained Demonland.”

Juss kissed her hand and said, “Fail not in this, dear Queen,

whatsoe’er betide.”

So the Queen let bring them by a secret way out upon the high snowfields that are betwixt Koshtra Belorn and Romshir, whence they came

down into the glen of the dark water that descends from the glacier of

Temarm, and so through many perilous scapes after many days back by

way of the Moruna to Muelva and the ships.

There Gaslark and La Fireez, when their greetings were done and their

rejoicings, said to the Lord Juss, “We abide too long time here. We

have entered the barrel and the bung-hole is stopped.” Therewithal

they brought him Hesper Golthring, who three days ago sailing to the

Straits for forage came back again but yesterday with a hot alarum

that he met certain ships of Witchland: and brought them to battle:

and gat one sunken ere they brake off the fight: and took up certain

prisoners. “By whose examination,” saith he, “as well as from mine own

perceiving and knowing, it appeareth Laxus holdeth the Straits with

eight score ships of war, the greatest ships that ever the sea bare

until this day, come hither of purpose to destroy us.”

“Eight score ships?” said Lord Brandoch Daha. “Witchland commandeth

not the half, nor the third part, of such a strength since we did them

down last harvest-tide in Aurwath haven. It is not leveable, Hesper.”

Hesper answered him, “Your highness shall find it truth; and more the

sorrow on’t and the wonder.”

“‘Tis the scourings of his subject-allies,” said Spitfire. “We shall

find them no such hard matter to dispatch after the others.”

Juss said to the Lord Gro, “What makest thou of these news, my lord?”

“I think no wonder in it,” answered he. “Witchland is of good memory

and mindeth him of your seamanship off Kartadza. He useth not to idle,

nor to set all on one hazard. Nor comfort not thyself, my Lord

Spitfire, that these be pleasure-galleys borrowed from the soft

Beshtrians or the simple Foliots. They be new ships builded for us, my

lords, and our undoing: it is by no conjecture I say it unto you, but

of mine own knowledge, albeit the number appeareth far greater than

ere I dreamed of. But or ever I sailed with Corinius to Demonland,

great buildings of an army naval was begun at Tenemos.”

“I do very well believe,” said King Gaslark, “that none knoweth all

this better than thou, because thyself didst counsel it.”

“O Gaslark,” said Lord Brandoch Daha, “must thou still itch to play at

chop-cherry when cherry-time is past? Let him alone. He is our friend

now.”

“Eight score ships i’ the Straits,” said Juss. “And ours an hundred.

‘Tis well seen what great difference and odds there is betwixt us.

Which we must needs encounter, or else ne’er sail home again, let

alone to Carcë. For out of this sea is no sea-way for ships, but only

by these Straits of Melikaphkhaz.”

“We shall do of Laxus,” said Lord Brandoch Daha, “that he troweth to

do of us.”

But Juss was fallen silent, his chin in his hand.

Goldry Bluszco said, “I would allow him odds and beat him.”

“It is a great shame in thee, O Juss,” said Brandoch Daha, “if thou

wilt be abashed at this. If that they be in number more than we, what

then? They are in hope, quarrel, and strength far inferior.”

But Juss, still in a study, reached out and caught him by the sleeve,

holding him so a moment or two, and then looked up at him and said,

“Thou art the greatest quarreller, of a friend, that ever I knew, and

if I were an angry man I could not abear thee. May I not three minutes

study the means, but thou shalt cry out upon me for a milksop?”

They laughed, and the Lord Juss rose up and said, “Call we a council

of war. And let Hesper Golthring be at it, and his skippers that were

with him o’ that voyage. And pack up