Men of these days, that be skilled upon the harp,
tell still of Khanazar, how that he was King of Averon
and of the mountains, and claimed lordship of certain
lands beyond, and how he went with armies against
Ziman-ho and fought great battles, and in the last
gained victory and was slain. But Kai, as he
waited with his claws to gather in the last days of
Khanazar that they might loom enormous in his cave,
still found them not, and only gathered in some meaner
deeds and the days and hours of lesser men, and was
vexed by the shadow of a harper that stood between
him and the world.
It is told also of King Khanazar how he bowed very
low unto the gods of Old. None bowed so low unto
the gods of Old as did King Khanazar.
One day the King returning from the worship of the
gods of Old and from bowing before them in the temple
of the gods commanded their prophets to appear before
him, saying:
“I would know somewhat concerning the gods.”
Then came the prophets before King Khanazar, burdened
with many books, to whom the King said:
“It is not in books.”
Thereat the prophets departed, bearing away with them
a thousand methods well devised in books whereby men
may gain wisdom of the gods. One alone remained,
a master prophet, who had forgotten books, to whom
the King said:
“The gods of Old are mighty.”
And answered the master prophet:
“Very mighty are the gods of Old.”
Then said the King:
“There are no gods but the gods of Old.”
And answered the prophet:
“There are none other.”
And they two being alone within the palace the King
said:
“Tell me aught concerning gods or men if aught
of the truth be known.”
Then said the master prophet:
“Far and white and straight lieth the road to
Knowing, and down it in the heat and dust go all wise
people of the earth, but in the fields before they
come to it the very wise lie down or pluck the flowers.
By the side of the road to Knowing—O King,
it is hard and hot—stand many temples,
and in the doorway of every temple stand many priests,
and they cry to the travellers that weary of the road,
crying to them:
“This is the End.”
And in the temples are the sounds of music, and from
each roof arises the savour of pleasant burning; and
all that look at a cool temple, whichever temple they
look at, or hear the hidden music, turn in to see
whether it be indeed the End. And such as find
that their temple is not indeed the End set forth
again upon the dusty road, stopping at each temple
as they pass for fear they miss the End, or striving
onwards on the road, and see nothing in the dust,
till they can walk no longer and are taken worn and
weary of their journey into some other temple by a
kindly priest who shall tell them that this also is
the End. Neither on that road may a man gain
any guiding from his fellows, for only one thing that
they say is surely true, when they say:
