and one kiss, and a memory of one pool with rushes, and each one the
best, shall the gods take to whom the best belongs, when the gods go.

'Sing a lamentation, people of Khamazan, sing a lamentation for all the
children of earth at the feet of the departing gods. Sing a lamentation
for the children of earth who now must carry their prayers to empty
shrines and around empty shrines must rest at last.'

Then when our prayers were ended and our tears shed, we beheld the last
and smallest of the gods halted upon the hilltop. Twice he called to
Them with a cry somewhat like the cry wherewith our shepherds hail
their brethren, and long gazed after Them, and then deigned to look no
longer and to tarry upon earth and turn his eyes on men. Then a great
shout went up when we saw that our hopes were saved and that there was
still on earth a haven for our prayers. Smaller than men now seemed the
figures that had loomed so big, as one behind the other far over our
heads They still strode upwards. But the small god that had pitied the
world came with us down the hill, still deigning to tread the road,
though strangely, not as men tread, and into Khamazan. There we housed
him in the palace of the King, for that was before the building of the
temple of gold, and the King made sacrifice before him with his own
hands, and he that had pitied the world did eat the flesh of the
sacrifice.

And the Book of the Knowledge of the gods in Khamazan tells how the
small god that pitied the world told his prophets that his name was
Sarnidac and that he herded sheep, and that therefore he is called the
shepherd god, and sheep are sacrificed upon his altars thrice a day,
and the North, East, West and the South are the four hurdles of
Sarnidac and the white clouds are his sheep. And the Book of the