trees. Then even this shall end with the shapes of the gods in the
darkness gathering all lives but thine, when the hills shall fling up
earth's long stored heat back to the heavens again, when earth shall be
old and cold, with nothing alive upon it but one King."

Then said the King: "Pray to those hard gods still, for those that have
loved the earth with all its gardens and woods and singing streams will
love earth still when it is old and cold and with all its gardens gone
and all the purport of its being failed and nought but memories."


_IX_

Then spake Paharn, a prophet of the land of Hurn.

And Paharn said:

"There was one man that knew, but he stands not here."

And the King said:

"Is he further than my heralds might travel in the night if they went
upon fleet horses?"

And the prophet answered:

"He is no further than thy heralds may well travel in the night, but
further than they may return from in all the years. Out of this city
there goes a valley wandering through all the world and opens out at
last on the green land of Hurn. On the one side in the distance gleams