“I shall hold their loyalty in fear.”

“I shall hold their faith in ignorance.”

“Together, we control.”

“Without a challenge to our sovereignty.”

“I go to burn a city.”

“And I to chain man to himself.”

The Black Knight tugged at his chin until his face slipped sideways from his head and he held his leering visage in his hand.

The Emperor, too, began to pull his cheek. His face split away before his ear and then slid free.

They stood in hideous blankness, and at length the World Hater lifted up his face, the masque smiling horror in his hand. Through its open lips and eyes the room behind was clearly visible. It leered and spoke: “We do agree in common hate.”

“With utter lies I pledge myself,” said the flattened face of Elan.

Then each man with his empty hand received the other’s face, and laid it on his vacant plane of flesh and smiled.

The faces were identical. So were the hearts.

XI

Prayer is most real when we refuse to say “Amen.” We most love heaven when we will not end our conversations quickly. Hell is filled with those who found their “amens” close at hand.

While Dreamer meditated on the perils of his flight, his aching thoughts gave birth to drowsiness that left him in between his two realities. Sound shattered his semiconscious state. The spectrum of his mind spun, twisted into colors swirling over gray. The brilliance left the caverns one full universe away.

Lifeland was thronged by a sea of men who waited in eager expectation. Down the Azure Plain, the Army of the Singer moved in silence. Dreamlike they marched in cadence to a muted drummer who called their steps precisely.

The Troops advanced between the stone-faced sentries. Ansond and the Singer led the legions. When they arrived at the Great Chair, they stood and reviewed the passing troops.

The Phoenix screamed:

“Move back Galactic nebulae.

Hide the shining sea.

Make ready for the War of Wars.

Terra dies.

Leave a black place for her tomb.

Earthmaker will not stay her doom.”

And then the Phoenix rose far above her flaming column and sang the battle hymn:

“Warfare comes to the Plains of Man.

Terra soon shall pass away.

Grandeur to the Troubadour!

Raise the praise in gilded flame

Till fiery letters etch the name

Of love across the waking universe.

Singer, Prince of Planets,

Troubadour of Life!”

The army raised their gleaming halberds in the air and cried an ancient phrase:

“Earthmaker, Singer and Invader be

The substance of infinity.”

In a moment there was thunder on the Azure Plain.

Dreamer strained to see the coming horseman. But when the steed was near enough to see, it rose into the air above the plain. It soared on graceful wings and then descended to the Crystal Shelf before the chair.

One of the knights exclaimed, “It is the winged Invictrix created in her splendor to slay the Vollkons of the Emperor.”

A warrior echoed, “Earthmaker’s Golden Knight shall fly and slay the seven dragons in the atmosphere of Terra.”