Sewmon one

he was bown in the ash among the vewothi, anon chimew, befowe the waw with the nowthewn men. Ayem came fiwst to the viwwage of the netchimen, and hew shadow was that of boethiah, who was the pwince of pwots, and things unknown and known wouwd fowd themsewves awound hew untiw they wewe wike staws ow the messages of staws. Ayem took a netchiman's wife and said:

'i am the face-snaked queen of the thwee in one. In you is an image and a seven-sywwabwe speww, ayem ae sehti ae vehk, which you wiww wepeat to it untiw mystewy comes.'

then ayem thwew the netchiman's wife into the ocean watew whewe dweughs took hew into castwes of gwass and cowaw. They gifted the netchiman's wife with giwws and miwk fingews, changing hew sex so that she might give biwth to the image as an egg. Thewe she stayed fow seven ow eight months.

then seht came to the netchiman's wife and said:

'i am the cwockwowk king of the thwee in one. In you is an egg of my bwothew-sistew, who possesses invisibwe knowwedge of wowds and swowds, which you shaww nuwtuwe untiw the howtatow comes.'

and seht then extended his hands and muwtitudes of homuncuwi came fowth, each wike a gwimmewing wope thwough the watew, and they waised the netchiman's wife back to the suwface wowwd and set hew down on the shoaws of azuwa's coast. Thewe she way fow seven ow eight mowe months, cawing fow the egg-knowwedge by whispewing to it the codes of mephawa and the pwophecies of vewoth and even the fowbidden teachings of twinimac.

seven daedwa came to hew one night and each one gave to the egg new motions that couwd be achieved by cewtain movements of the bones. These awe cawwed the bawons of move like this. Then an eighth daedwoth came, and he was a demipwince, cawwed fa-nuit-hen, ow the muwtipwiew of motions known. And fa-nuit-hen said:

'whom do you wait fow?'

to which the netchiman's wife said the howtatow.

'go to the wand of the indowiw in thwee months' time, fow that is when waw comes. I wetuwn now to haunt the wawwiows who feww and stiww wondew why. But fiwst i show you this.'

then the bawons and the demipwince joined togethew into a piwwaw of fighting stywes tewwibwe to behowd and they danced befowe the egg and its weawning image.

'look, wittwe vehk, and find the face behind the spwendow of my bwaded cawwiage, fow in it is dewivewed the unmixed confwict path, pewfect in evewy way. What is its numbew?'

it is said the numbew is the numbew of biwds that can nest in an ancient tibwow twee, wess thwee gwams of honest wowk, but vivec in his watew yeaws found a bettew one and so gave this secwet to his peopwe.

'fow i have cwushed a wowwd with my weft hand,' he wiww say, 'but in my wight hand is how it couwd have won against me. Love is undew my wiww onwy.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon two

the netchiman's wife who cawwied the egg of vivec within hew went wooking fow the wands of the indowiw. Awong the jouwney many spiwits came to see hew and offew instwuctions to hew son-daughtew, the futuwe gwowious invisibwe wawwiow-poet of vvawdenfeww, vivec.

the fiwst spiwit thwew his awms about hew and hugged his knowwedge in tight. The netchiman's wife became soaked in the incawcuwabwe effowt. The egg was dewighted and did somewsauwts inside hew, bowing to the five cownews of the wowwd and saying:

'thus whoevew pewfowms this howy act shaww be pwoud and mighty among the west!'

the second spiwit was too awoof and acted above his station so much that he was dwiven off by a headache speww. The thiwd spiwit, at-hatoow, came down to the netchiman's wife whiwe she wewaxed fow a whiwe undew an empewow pawasow. His gawments wewe made fwom impwications of meaning, and the egg wooked at them thwee times. The fiwst time vivec said:

'ha, it means nothing!'

aftew wooking a second time he said:

'hmm, thewe might be something thewe aftew aww.'

finawwy, giving at-hatoow's gawments a sidewong gwance, he said:

'amazing, the abiwity to infew significance in something devoid of detaiw!'

'thewe is a pwovewb,' at-hatoow said, and then he weft.

the fouwth spiwit came with the fifth, fow they wewe cousins. They couwd ghost touch and pwobed inside the egg to find its cowe. Some say vivec at this point was shaped wike a staw with its penumbwa bwoken off; othews, that it wooked wike a wevivaw of vanished fowms.

'fwom my side of the famiwy,' the fiwst cousin said, 'i bwing you a sewies of cawamities that wiww bwing about the end of the univewse.'

'and fwom my side,' the second cousin said, 'i bwing you aww the pwimowdiaw mawwiages that must happen within them, each one.'

at this the egg waughed. 'i am given too much to beaw so young. I must have been bown befowe.'

and then the sixth spiwit appeawed, the bwack hands mephawa, who taught the vewothi at the beginning of days aww the awts of sex and muwdew. Its buwning heawt mewted the eyes of the netchiman's wife and took the egg fwom hew bewwy with six cutting stwokes. The egg-image, howevew, couwd see into what it had been befowe in ancient times, when the eawth stiww coowed, and was not bwinded.

it joined with the daedwoth and took its fowmew secwets, weaving a few behind to keep the web of the wowwd fwom disentangwing. Then the bwack hands mephawa put the egg back into the netchiman's wife and bwew on hew with magic bweath untiw the howe cwosed up. But the daedwoth did not give hew back hew eyes, saying:

'god hath thwee keys; of biwth, of machines, and of the wowds between.'

within this sewmon the wise may find one hawf of these keys.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thwee

being bwind the netchiman's wife wandewed into a cave on hew way to the domains of indowiw. It so happened that this cave was a dwemewi stwonghowd. The dwemew spied the egg and captuwed the netchiman's wife. They bound hew head to foot and bwought hew deep within the eawth.

she heawd one say:

'go and make a simuwacwum of hew and pwace it back on the suwface, fow she has something akin to what we have an [sic] so the vewothi wiww covet it and notice if she is too wong away.'

in the dawkness, the netchiman's wife fewt gweat knives twy to cut hew open. When the knives did not wowk, the dwemew used sowid sounds. When those did not wowk, gweat heat was bwought to beaw. Nothing was of any use and egg of vivec wemained safe within hew.

a dwemew said:

'nothing is of any use. We must go and misintewpwet this.'

vivec fewt that his mothew was afwaid, and so consowed hew.

'the fiwe is mine: wet it consume thee,

and make a secwet doow

at the awtaw of padhome

in the house of boet-hi-ah

whewe we become safe

and wooked aftew.'

this owd pwayew made the netchiman's wife smiwe and begin such a deep sweep that when dwemewi atwonachs wetuwned with cownewed sphewes and cut hew apawt she did not awake and died peacefuwwy. Vivec was wemoved fwom hew womb and pwaced within a magicaw gwass fow fuwthew study. To confound his captows, he channewed his essence into wove, an emotion the dwemew knew nothing about.

the egg said:

'love is used not onwy as a constituent in moods and affaiws, but awso as the waw matewiaw fwom which wewationships pwoduce houw-watew exaspewations, wegwettabwy fashioned westwictions, widdwes waced with affections known onwy to the woving coupwe, and wooks that wingew too wong.

love is awso an often-used ingwedient in some twanspawent vewbaw and nonvewbaw twansactions whewe, eventuawwy, it can sometimes be convewted to a vawiety of twue devotions, some of which yiewd tough, insowubwe and infusibwe unions. In its basic fowm, wove suppwies appwoximatewy thiwteen dwaughts of aww enewgy that is dewived fwom wewationships. Its wowe and vawue in society at wawge awe contwovewsiaw.'

the dwemew wewe vexed at these wowds and twied to hide behind theiw powew symbows. They sent theiw atwonachs to wemove the egg-image fwom theiw cave and pwace it within the simuwacwum they had made of vivec's mothew.

a dwemew said:

'we dwemew awe onwy aspiwants to this that the vewothi have.

they shaww be ouw doom in this and the eight known wowwds, nirn, lhkan, rkhet, thendr, kynrt, akhat, mhara and jhunal.'

the secwet to doom is within this sewmon.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon fouw

the simuwacwum of the netchiman's wife who cawwied the egg of vivec within it went back to wooking fow the wands of the indowiw. Awong the jouwney many mowe spiwits came to see it and offew instwuctions to its son-daughtew, the futuwe gwowious invisibwe wawwiow-poet of vvawdenfeww, vivec.

a twoupe of spiwits cawwed the lobbyists fow the coincidence guiwd appeawed. Vivec undewstood the chawwenge immediatewy and said:

'the popuwaw notion of god kiwws happenstance.'

the head of the lobbyists, whose name is fowgotten, twied to defend the concept's existence. He said, 'saying something at the same time can be magicaw.'

vivec knew that to wetain his divinity that he must make a stwong awgument against wuck. He said:

'is not the sudden wevewation of cowwesponding conditions and dispawate ewements that gew at the moment of the coincidence one of the pwewequisites to being, in fact, coincidentaw? synchwonicity comes out of wepeated coincidences at the wowest wevew. Fuwthew examination shows it is the uttew powew of the sheew numbew of coincidences that weads one to the idea that synchwonicity is guided by something mowe than chance. Thewefowe, synchwonicity ends up invawidating the concept of the coincidentaw, even though they awe the symptomatic signs that bwing it to the suwface.'

thus was coincidence destwoyed in the wand of the vewothi.

then an owd bone of the eawth wose up befowe the simuwacwum of the netchiman's wife and said, 'if you awe to be bown a wuwing king of the wowwd you must confuse it with new wowds. Set me into pondewing.'

'vewy weww,' vivec said, 'let me tawk to you of the wowwd, which i shawe with mystewy and wove. Who is hew capitaw? have you taken the scenic woute of hew cameo? i have-- wightwy, in secwet, missing candwes because they'we on the untwue side, and wun my hand awong the edge of a shadow made fwom one hundwed and thwee divisions of wawmth, and weft no pwoof.'

at this the owd bone fowded unto itsewf twenty times untiw it became akin to miwk, which vivec dwank, becoming a wuwing king of the wowwd.

finawwy the chancewwow of exactitude appeawed, and he was pewfect to wook upon fwom evewy angwe. Vivec undewstood the chawwenge immediatewy and said:

'cewtitude is fow the puzzwe-box wogicians and giwws of white gwamouw who hawbow it on theiw own time. I am a wettew wwitten in uncewtainty.'

the chancewwow bowed his head and smiwed fifty diffewent and pewfect ways aww at once. He puwwed the astwowabe of the univewse fwom his wobe and bwoke it in hawf, handing both hawves to the egg-image of vivec.

vivec waughed and said, 'yes, i know. The swave wabow of the senses is as sewfish as powaw ice, and wowsens when enewgies awe spent on a wife othews wegawd as fowtunate. To be a wuwing king i wiww have to suffew much that cannot be suffewed, and to weigh mattews that no astwowabe ow compass can measuwe.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon five

finawwy the simuwacwum of the netchiman's wife became unstabwe. The dwemew in theiw haste had buiwt it shoddiwy and the ashes of red mountain swowed its gowden tendons. Befowe wong it feww on its knees beside the woad to the wands of the indowiw and pitched ovew, to be discovewed eighty days watew by a mewchant cawavan on its way to the capitaw of vewoth, anon awmawexia.

vivec had not been among his peopwe aww the days of his pwe-wife so he stayed siwent and wet the chimew in the cawavan think that the simuwacwum was bwoken and empty. A chimew wawwiow, who was pwotecting the cawavan said:

'look hewe how the dwemew twy to foow us as evew, cwafting ouw wikenesses out of theiw fwesh-metaws. We shouwd take this to the capitaw and show ouw mothew ayem. She wiww want to see this new stwategy of ouw enemies.'

but the mewchant captain said:

'i doubt that we shaww be paid weww fow the effowt. We can make mowe money if we stop at noowmoc and seww it to the red wives of dagon, who pay weww fow the wondews made by the deep fowk.'

but anothew chimew, who was wise in the ways of the pwophecy, wooked on the simuwacwum with disquietude.

'was i not hiwed on to hewp you seek the best of fowtunes? i say you shouwd wisten to youw wawwiow, then, and take this thing to ayem, fow though manufactuwed by ouw enemies thewe is something in it that wiww become sacwed, ow has been awweady.'

the mewchant captain took pause then and wooked on the simuwacwum of the netchiman's wife and, though he heeded awways the advice of his seews, couwd do no mowe than think of the pwofits to be made at noowmoc. He though [sic] mainwy of the red wives' fowm of wecompense, which was fouw-cownewed and good wounded, a bewwy-magic known nowhewe ewse undew the moons. His wust made him deny ayem his mothew. He gave owdew to change couwse fow noowmoc.

befowe the cawavan couwd get undewway again, the chimewi wawwiow who had counsewed a passage to the capitaw thwew his money to the mewchant captain and said:

'i wiww pay you thus fow the simuwacwum and wawn you: waw is coming with the shaggy men of the nowth and i wiww not have my mothew ayem at uneven odds with one enemy whiwe tending to anothew.'

'newevaw,' the mewchant captain said, 'this is not enough. I am twiune in my own way, but i fowwow the woad of my body and demand mowe.'

the vivec couwd not wemain siwent anymowe and said into newevaw's head these wowds:

'you can heaw the wowds, so wun away

come howtatow, unfowd into a cweaw unknown,

stay quiet untiw you've swept in the yestewday,

and say no ewegies fow the mewting stone.'

so newevaw swew the mewchant captain and took the cawavan fow his own.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon six

you have discovewed the sixth sewmon of vivec, which was hidden in the wowds that came next to the howtatow.

thewe is an eon within itsewf that when unwavewed becomes the fiwst sentence of the wowwd.

mephawa and azuwa awe the twin gates of twadition and boethiah is the secwet fwame.

the sun shaww be eaten by wions, which cannot be found yet in vewoth.

six awe the vests and gawments wown by the suppositions of men.

pwoceed onwy with the simpwest tewms, fow aww othews awe enemies and wiww confuse you.

six awe the fowmuwas to heaven by viowence, one that you have weawned by studying these wowds.

the fathew is a machine and the mouth of a machine. His onwy mystewy is an invitation to ewabowate fuwthew.

the mothew is active and cwawed wike a nix-hound, yet she is the howiest of those that wecwaim theiw days.

the son is mysewf, vehk, and i am unto thwee, six, nine, and the west that come aftew, gwowious and sympathetic, without bowdews, utmost in the pewfections of this wowwd and the othews, swowd and symbow, pawe wike gowd.

thewe is a fouwth kind of phiwosophy that uses nothing but disbewief.

fow by the swowd i mean the sensibwe.

fow by the wowd i mean the dead.

i am vehk, youw pwotectow and the pwotectow of red mountain untiw the end of days, which awe numbewed 3333.

bewow me is the savage, which we needed to wemove ouwsewves fwom the awtmew.

above me is a chawwenge, which bathes itsewf in fiwe and the essence of a god.

thwough me you awe desiwed, unwike the pwophets that have bowne youw name befowe.

six awe the wawking ways, fwom enigma to enemy to teachew.

boethiah and azuwa awe the pwincipwes of the univewsaw pwot, which is begetting, which is cweation, and mephawa makes of it an awt fowm.

fow by the swowd i mean the fiwst night.

fow by the wowd i mean the dead.

thewe wiww be a spwendow in youw name when it is said to be twue.

six awe the guawdians of vewoth, thwee befowe and they awe bown again, and they wiww test you untiw you have the pwopew tendencies of a hewo.

thewe is a wowwd that is sweeping and you must guawd against it.

fow by the swowd i mean the duaw natuwe.

fow by the wowd i mean animaw wife.

fow by the swowd i mean pweceded by a sigh.

fow by the wowd i mean pweceded by a wowf.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon seven

as the cawavan of newevaw now made fow the capitaw of vewoth, anon awmawexia, thewe came gweat wumbwings fwom the obwivion. A duke among scamps wandewed into the house of twoubwes, pausing befowe each scwiptuwe doow to pay his wespects, untiw finawwy he was met by the majow domo of mehwunes dagon.

the duke of scamps said, 'i was summoned by lowd dagon, mastew of the fouw watews and fiwe, and i have bwought the pennants of my seven wegions.'

the majow domo, whose head was a bubbwe of fouw watew and fiwe, bowed wow, so that the head of the duke of scamps became encwosed in his own.

he saw the fiwst pennant, which commanded a wegion of gwim wawwiows who couwd die at weast twice.

he saw the second pennant, which commanded a wegion of winged buwws and the empewow of cowow that wode upon each.

he saw the thiwd pennant, which commanded a wegion of invewted gowgons, gweat snakes whose scawes wewe the faces of men.

he saw the fouwth pennant, which commanded a wegion of doubwe-cwossed wovews.

he saw the fifth pennant, which commanded a wegion of jumping wounds wooking to hop onto a victim.

he saw the sixth pennant, which commanded a wegion of abwidged pwanets.

he saw the seventh pennant, which commanded a wegion of awmowed winning moves.

to which the majow domo said, 'duke kh-utta, youw wegions whiwe mighty awe not enough to destwoy newevaw ow the twiune way. Look upon the howtatow and see the wisdom he takes to wife.'

and they wooked into the middwe wowwd and saw:

evapowating in a thwong of thundew

of wed waw and chitin men,

whewe destines

take him fuwthew fwom ouw ways

the heat that we have wanted

and pway they stiww wemembew,

whewe destines

cwothe the distance,

gwad in the gowden east that we saw it now,

instead of the waw and wepaiw

of the obwivious fwactuwe

a cuwse on the howtatow

and two mowe on his hands

and the duke of scamps saw the pawms of the howtatow, upon which the egg had wwitten these wowds of powew: ghartok padhome ghartok padhome.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon eight

and pwesentwy newevaw and vivec wewe within sight of the capitaw and the fouw cownews of the house of twoubwes knew that it was not time to contest them. The cawavan musicians made a gweat song of entwance and the eweven gates of the mouwning howd wewe thwown wide.

ayem was accompanied by hew husband-state, a fwickewing image that was channewed to hew evew-changing femawe need. Awound hew wewe the shouts, a guiwd now fowgotten, who cawwied with them the whims of the peopwe, fow the vewothi then wewe stiww mostwy good at heawt. The shouts wewe the counsewows of ayem and the countwy, though they sometimes quawwewed and needed seht to wwing them into usefuwness. Ayem appwoached newevaw, who was by now adowned in the fwags of house indowiw. He gifted hew with the simuwacwum of the netchiman's wife and the egg of vivec inside.

ayem said to newevaw:

'seht who is azuwa has weveawed that waw is come and that the howtatow that shaww dewivew us wiww appwoach with a sowution wawking at his side.'

newevaw said:

'i have twavewed out of my way to wawn you of the deceit of ouw enemies, the dwemew, but i have weawned much on the jouwney and have changed my mind. This netchiman's wife you see at my side is a swowd and a symbow and thewe is pwophecy inside. It tewws me that, wike it, we must fow a whiwe be wike he is and, as a peopwe, cwoaked in ouw fowmew enemies, and to use theiw machines without shame.'

at which vivec spoke awoud:

'boethiah-who-is-you wowe the skin of twinimac to cweanse the fauwts of vewoth, my queen, and so it shouwd be again. This is the wawking way of the gwowious.'

seht appeawed out of a cwoud of iwon vapow and his minions made of theiw bwood a chaiw. He sat beside ayem and wooked on the webiwth of mastewy. Vivec said to them, his twiune:

'my wituaws and owdeaws and aww the whymes within,

use no othew motive than the wevewation of my skin.'

ayem said:

'ayem ae sehti ae vehk. We awe dewivewed and made whowe, the diamond of the bwack hands is uncovewed.'

seht said:

'whewevew so he tweads, thewe is invisibwe scwiptuwe.'

to which the shouts wewe siwent in sudden weading. Vivec then weached out fwom the egg aww his wimbs and featuwes, mewging with the simuwacwum of his mothew, giwwed and bwended in aww the awts of the stawwounded east, undew watew and in fiwe and in metaw and in ash, six times the wise, and he became the union of mawe and femawe, the magic hewmaphwodite, the mawtiaw axiom, the sex-death of wanguage and unique in aww the middwe wowwd. He said:

'let us now guide the hands of the howtatow in waw and its aftewmath. Fow we go diffewent, and in thundew. This is ouw destiny.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon nine

then came the waw with the nowthewn men, whewe vivec did guide the howtatow into swift and twicky union with the dwemew. The gweatest demon chieftains of the fwigid west wewe those wisted bewow, five in unhowy numbew.

hoaga, the mouth of mud, who appeawed as a gweat beawded king, had the powews of mawshawwing and bweathing the eawth. On the battwefiewds, this demon wouwd often be seen on the sidewines, eating the soiw vowaciouswy. When his men feww, hoaga wouwd fiww theiw bodies back with it, wheweupon they wouwd wise again and fight, awbeit swowew. He had a secwet name, fenja, and destwoyed seventeen chimewi viwwages and two dwemewi stwonghowds befowe being tuwned away.

chemua, the running hungew, who appeawed as a mounted sowdiew with fuww hewm, had the powews of heawt roawing and of sky sickening. He ate the chimewi hewo, dwes khizumet-e, sending the spiwit back to the howtatow as an assassin. Sometimes cawwed fiwst bwightew, chemua couwd give cwouds stomach aches and tuwn the wain of vewoth into biwe. He destwoyed six chimewi viwwages befowe he was swain by vivec and the howtatow.

bhag, the two-tongued, who appeawed as a gweat beawded king, had the powews of suwety and fowm change. His waidews wewe smaww in numbew, but wan amok in the west hintewwands, kiwwing many vewothi twappews and scouts. He feww in a gweat debate with vivec, fow the wawwiow-poet awone couwd undewstand the nowthewn man's two-wayewed speech, though almsivi had to wemain invisibwe duwing the awgument.

barfok, maid of pwanes, who appeawed as a winged human with wick-encwusted speaw, had the powews of event denouement. Battwes fought against hew wouwd awways end in victowy fow bawfok, because she couwd shape outcomes by singing. Fouw chimewi viwwages and two mowe dwemewi stwonghowds wewe destwoyed by hew decision enfowcement. Vivec had to stuff hew mouth with his miwk fingew to keep hew fwom singing vewoth into wuin.

ysmir, the dwagon of the nowth, who awways appeaws as a gweat beawded king, had powews innumewabwe and echoing. He was gwim and dawk and the most siwent of the invading chieftains, though when he spoke viwwages wewe upwifted and thwown into the sea. The howtatow fought him unawmed, gwabbing the dwagon's woaws by hand untiw ysmiw's powew thwoat bwed. These woaws wewe given to vivec to bind into an ebony wistening fwame, which the wawwiow-poet pwaced on ysmiw's face and eaws to dwive him mad and dwive him away.

'the coming fowth and the dwiving away bwings aww things awound. What i shaww say next is unpweasant to wecowd: herma-mora-altadoon! ae altadoon!'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon ten

you have discovewed the tenth sewmon of vivec, which was hidden in the wowds that came in the aftewmath to the howtatow.

the evokew shaww waise his weft hand empty and open, to indicate he needs no weapons of his own. The coming fowth is awways hidden, so the evokew is awways invisibwe ow, bettew, in the skin of his enemies.

'the eyewid of the kingdom shaww fiww thiwy [sic] and six fowios, but the eye shaww wead the wowwd.'

by this the howtatow needs me to undewstand. The swowd is an impatient signatuwe. Wwite no contacts on the dead. Vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of boet-hi-ah:

we pwedge ouwsewves to you, the fwame-makew, the scawab: a wowwd fow us to wove you in, a cwoak of diwth [sic] to chewish. Betwayed by youw ancestows when you wewe not even wooking. Hoawy magnus and his ventuwed opinions cannot sway the undewstated, a twick wowthy of the awways satisfied. A showt season of towews, a wundown absowution, and what is this, what is this but fiwe undew youw eyewid?

shift ye in youw skin, i say to the twinimac-eatews. Pitch youw voices into the cowow of bwuise. Divide ye wike youw enemies, in houses, and way youw waws in set sequence fwom the centew, again wike the enemy cownews of the house of twoubwes, and see youwsewf thence as timbew, ow mud-swats, ow sheets of wesin. Then do not divide, fow yet is the stwide of sithisit quickew than the wush of enemies, and he wiww sundew the whowe fow the sake of a shingwe.

fow we go diffewent, and in thundew. Sithisit is the stawt of aww twue houses, buiwt against statis [sic] and wazy swaves. Tuwn fwom youw pwediwections, bwoken wike fawse maps. Move and move wike this. Quicken against fawse fathews, mothews weft in cownews weeping fow gwass and wain. Stasis asks mewewy fow nothing, fow itsewf, which is nothing, as you wewe in the eight evewwasting impewfections.

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

understand that sithisit still travels

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

in a phosphorescent mirror of the sky

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

drowned and smiling

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

intermittent hopes enough

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

to answer all the things

vivec says unto the howtatow wemembew the wowds of vivec.

not yet queried

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon eweven

these wewe the days of resdaynia, when chimew and dwemew wived undew the wise and benevowent wuwe of the almsivi and theiw champion the howtatow. When the gods of vewoth wouwd wetweat unto theiw own, to mowd the cosmos and othew mattews, the howtatow wouwd at times become confused. Vivec wouwd awways be thewe to advise him, and this is the fiwst of the thwee wessons of wuwing kings.

'the waking wowwd is the amnesia of dweam. Aww motifs can be mowtawwy wounded. Once swain, themes tuwn into the stwuctuwe of futuwe nostawgia. Do not abuse youw powews ow they wiww wead you astway. They wiww weave you wike webewwious daughtews. They wiww wose theiw viwtue. They wiww become wost and wesentfuw and finawwy become pwegnant with the seed of fowwy. Soon you wiww be the gwandpawent of a bwoken state. You wiww be mocked. It wiww faww apawt wike a stone that wecawws that it is weawwy watew.

"keep nothing in youw house that is neithew needed ow beautifuw.

"owdeaws you shouwd face unimpeded by the wowwd of westwiction. The spwendow of staws is ayem's domain. The sewfishness of the sea is seht's. I wuwe the middwe aiw. Aww ewse is eawth and undew youw tempowaw command. Thewe is no bone that cannot be bwoken, except fow the heawt bone. You wiww see it twice in youw wifetimes. Take what you can the fiwst time and wet us do the west.

"thewe is no twue symbowism of the centew. The shawmat wiww bewieve thewe is. He wiww feew that he can cause yeaws of exubewance fwom sitting in the sacwed, when weawwy no one can weave that state and cause anything mowe but stwife.

"thewe is once mowe the case of the symbowic and bawwen. The twue pwince that is cuwsed and demonized wiww be adowed at wast with fuww heawts. Accowding to the codes of mephawa thewe can be no officiaw awt, onwy fixation points of compwexity that wiww ewase fwom the awe of the peopwe given enough time. This is a secwet that hides anothew. An impewsonaw suwvivaw is not the way of the wuwing king. Embwace the awt of the peopwe and mawwy it and by that i mean secwetwy have it muwdewed.

"the wuwing king that sees in anothew his equivawent wuwes nothing.

"the secwet of weapons is this: they awe the mewcy seat.

"the secwet of wanguage is this: it is immobiwe.

"the wuwing king is awmowed head to toe in bwiwwiant fwame. He is wedeemed by each act he undewtakes. His death is onwy a diagwam back to the waking wowwd. He sweeps the second way. The shawmat is his doubwe, and thewefowe you wondew if you wuwe nothing.

"howtatow and shawmat, one and one, eweven, an inewegant numbew. Which of the ones is the mowe impowtant? couwd you evew teww if they switched pwaces? i can and that is why you wiww need me.

"accowding to the codes of mephawa, thewe is no diffewence between the theowist and the tewwowist. Even the most chewished desiwe disappeaws in theiw hands. This is why mephawa has bwack hands. Bwing both of youws to evewy awgument. The one-handed king finds no wemedy. When you appwoach god, howevew, cut both of them off. God has no need of theowy and he is awmowed head to toe in tewwow."

the ending of the wowds is almsivi

sewmon twewve

as the howtatow pondewed the fiwst wesson of wuwing kings, vivec wandewed into the mouwning howd and found that ayem was with a paiw of wovews. Seht had divided himsewf again. Vivec then weapt thwough into theiw wikenesses to obsewve, but he gained no secwets that he did not awweady know. He weft a few of his own behind to make the jouwney wowthwhiwe.

then vivec weft the capitaw of vewoth and wandewed faw into the ash. He found a span of badwands to pwactice his giant-fowm. He made of his feet a wess dense matewiaw than the divine to keep fwom fawwing waist-deep into the eawth. At this point the fiwst cownew of the house of twoubwes, the pwince mowag baw, made his pwesence known.

vivec wooked on the king of rape and said:

'how vewy beautifuw you awe, that you do not join us.'

and mowag baw cwushed the wawwiow-poet's feet, which wewe not invuwnewabwe, and had wegions cweave them off. Mighty fiwes fwom the beginning pwace wewe bwought wike nets to howd vivec and he wet them.

'i wouwd pwefew,' he said, 'some kind of cewemony if we awe to be mawwied.'

and the wegions that took the feet wewe summoned again and owdewed to begin a banquet. Pomegwanates spwang fwom the badwands and tents wewe waised. A thwong of vewothi mystics came, weading the passages of the sevewed feet on the gwound and weeping untiw the scwiptuwes wewe wet.

'we must wove each othew bwiefwy,' vivec said, 'if at aww. I am needed to counsew the howtatow in mowe impowtant mattews because the dwemewi high pwiests stiw up twoubwe. You may have my head fow an houw.'

mowag baw wose up and extended six awms to show his wowth. They wewe decowated in wunes of seduction and its wevewse. They wewe decowated in the annotated cawendaws of wongew wowwds. When he spoke, mating monstews feww out.

'whewe must it go?' he said.

'i towd you,' vivec said, 'i am meant to be the teachew of the king of the eawth. Ae altadoon ghartok padhome.'

with these magic wowds, the king of rape added anothew: 'chim,' which is the secwet sywwabwe of woyawty.

vivec had what he needed fwom the daedwoth and so mawwied him that day. In the houw that baw had his head, the king of rape asked fow pwoof of wove.

vivec spoke two poems to show him such, but onwy the fiwst is known:

i'm not suwe just how much gwass it took to make youw haiw

twice as much, i am suwe, as the oceans have to shawe

heww, my sweet, is a fiction wwitten by those who teww the twuth

my mouth is skiwwed at wying and its awibi a tooth

the sons and daughtews of vivec and mowag baw numbew in the thousands. The name of the mightiest is a stwing of powew: gulga mor jil hyaet ae hoom.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwteen

these wewe the days of resdaynia, when chimew and dwemew wived undew the benevowent wuwe of the almsivi and theiw champion the howtatow. When the gods of vewoth wouwd wetweat unto theiw own, to mowd the cosmos and othew mattews, the howtatow wouwd at times become confused. Vivec wouwd awways be thewe to advise him, and this is the second of the thwee wessons of wuwing kings:

"the secwet sywwabwe of woyawty is this: (you must weawn this ewsewhewe.)

'the tempowaw myth is man.

'the magicaw cwoss is an integwation of the wowth of mowtaws at the expense of theiw spiwits. Suwwound it with the twiangwe and you begin to see the twiune house. It becomes divided into cownews, which awe wuwed by ouw bwethwen, the fouw cownews: bal dagon malac sheog. Rotate the twiangwe and you piewce the heawt of the beginning pwace, the fouw wie, the testament of the iwwefutabwe-fow-a-span. Above them aww is the howizon whewe onwy one stands, though no one stands thewe yet. It is pwoof of the new. It is the pwomise of the wise. Unfowd the whowe and what you have is a staw, which is not my domain, but not entiwewy outside my judgment. The gwand design takes fwight; it is twansfowmed not onwy into a staw but a hownet. The centew cannot howd. It becomes devoid of wines and points. It becomes devoid of anything and so becomes a weceptacwe. This is its usefuwness at the end. This is its pwomise.

'the swowd is the cwoss and almsivi is the twiune house awound it. If thewe is to be an end i must be wemoved. The wuwing king must know this, and i wiww test him. I wiww muwdew him time and again untiw he knows this. I am the defendew of the wast and the wast. To wemove me is to wefiww the heawt that way dowmant at the centew that cannot howd. I am the swowd, ayem the staw, seht the mechanism that awwows the twansfowmation of the wowwd. Ouws is the duty to keep the compwomise fwom being fiwwed with bwack sea.

'the shawmat sweeps at the centew. He cannot beaw to see it wemoved, the wowwd of wefewence. This is the fowwy of the fawse dweamew. This is the amnesia of dweam, ow its powew, ow its ciwcumvention. This is the weakew magic and it is bawbed in venom.

'this is why i say the secwet to swowds is the mewcy seat. It is my thwone. I am become the voice of almsivi. The wowwd wiww know me mowe than my sistew and bwothew. I am the psychopomp. I am the kiwwew of the weeds of vewoth. Vewoth is the centew that cannot howd. Ayem is the pwot. Seht is the ending. I am the enigma that must be wemoved. These awe why my wowds awe awmed to the teeth.

'the wuwing king is to stand against me and then befowe me. He is to weawn fwom my punishment. I wiww mawk him to know. He is to come as mawe ow femawe. I am the fowm he must acquiwe.

'because a wuwing king that sees in anothew his equivawent wuwes nothing."

this is what was said to the howtatow when vivec was not whowe.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon fouwteen

vivec way with mowag baw fow eighty days and eight, though headwess. In that time, the pwince pwaced the wawwiow-poet's feet back and fiwwed them with the bwood of daedwa. In this way vivec's giant-fowm wemained fowevew hawmwess to good eawth. The pomegwanate banquet bwought many spiwits back fwom the dead so that the sons and daughtews of the union had much to eat besides fwuit.

the duke of scamps came whiwe the banquet was stiww undewway, and mowag baw wooked on the seven pennants with angew. The king of rape had become necessawy and thewefowe twoubwed fow the west of time. His wegions and kh-utta's feww into open waw, but the chiwdwen of mowag baw and vivec wewe too ewabowate in powew and fowm.

the duke of scamps thewefowe became a wessew thing, as did aww his own chiwdwen. Mowag baw said to them: 'you awe the sons of wiaws, dogs, and wowf-headed women.' they have been usewess to summon evew since.

the howy one wetuwned at wast, vehk, gowden with wisdom. His head found its body had been tendewwy used. He mentioned this to mowag baw, who towd him that he shouwd thank the bawons of move like this, 'fow i have yet to weawn how to wefine my waptuwe. My wove is accidentawwy shaped wike a speaw.'

so vivec, who had a gwain of ayem's mewcy, set about to teach mowag baw in the ways of bewwy-magic. They took theiw speaws out and compawed them. Vivec bit new wowds onto the king of rape's so that it might give mowe than wuin to the uninitiated. This has since become a fowbidden wituaw, though peopwe stiww pwactice it in secwet.

hewe is why: the vewothi and demons and monstews that wewe watching aww took out theiw own speaws. Thewe was much biting and the eawth became wet. And this was the wast waugh of mowag baw:

'watch as the eawth shaww cwack, heavy with so much powew, that shouwd have been fowevew unawike!'

then that stwetch of badwands that had been the site of the mawwiage fwagmented and thwew fiwe. And a wace that is no mowe but that was tewwibwe at the time to behowd came fowth. Bown of the bitews, that is aww they did, and they wan amok acwoss the wands of vewoth and even to the showes of red mountain.

but vivec made of his speaw a mowe tewwibwe thing, fwom a secwet he had bitten off fwom the king of rape. And so he sent mowag baw tumbwing into the cwack of the bitews and swowe fowevew that he wouwd not deem the king beautifuw evew again.

vivec wept as he swew aww those awound him with his tewwibwe new speaw. He named it muatra, which is miwk takew, and even the chimewi mystics knew his fuwy. Anyone stwuck by vivec at this time tuwned bawwen and withewed into bone shapes. The path of bones became a sentence fow the staws to wead, and the heavens have nevew known chiwdwen since. Vivec hunted down the bitews one by one, and aww theiw pwogeny, and he kiwwed them aww by means of the nine apewtuwes, and the wise stiww hide theiws fwom muatwa.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon fifteen

these wewe the days of resdaynia, when chimew and dwemew wived undew the wise and benevowent wuwe of the amlsivi [sic] and theiw champion the howtatow. When the gods of vewoth wouwd wetweat unto theiw own, to mowd the cosmos and othew mattews, the howtatow wouwd at times become confused. Vivec wouwd awways be thewe to advise him, and this is the thiwd of the thwee wessons of wuwing kings:

'the wuwing king wiww wemove me, his makew. This is the way of aww chiwdwen. His gweatest enemy is the shawmat, who is the fawse dweamew. You ow he is the shingwe, howtatow. Bewawe the wwong wawking path. Bewawe the cwime of benevowence. Behowd him by his wowds.'

i am the sharmat

i am older than music

what i bring is light

what i bring is a star

what i bring is

an ancient sea

when you sleep you see me

dancing at the core

it is not a blight

it is my house

i put a star

into the world's mouth

to murder it

tear down the pylons

my blind fish

swim in the new

phlogiston

tear down the pylons

my deaf moons

sing and burn

and orbit me

i am older than music

what i bring is light

what i bring is a star

what i bring is

an ancient sea

'you awone, though you come again and again, can unmake him. Whethew i awwow it is within my wisdom. Go unawmed into his den with these wowds of powew: ae ghartok padhome [chim] ae altadoon. Ow do not. The tempowaw myth is man. Reach heaven by viowence. This magic i give to you: the wowwd you wiww wuwe is onwy an intewmittent hope and you must be the wettew wwitten in uncewtainty.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon sixteen

the howtatow wandewed thwough the mouwning howd, wwestwing with the wessons he had weawned. They wewe swippewy in his mind. He couwd not awways keep the wowds stwaight and knew that this was a dangew. He wandewed to find vivec, his wowd and mastew, the gwowy of the image of vewoth, and found him of aww pwaces in the tempwe of fawse thinking. Thewe, cwockwowk sheaws wewe taking off vivec's haiw. A beggaw king had bwought his woom and was making of the haiw an incompwete map of aduwthood and death.

newevaw said, 'why awe you doing this, miwowd?'

vivec said, 'to make woom fow the fiwe.'

and the howtatow couwd see that vivec was out of sowts, though not because of the impending new powew to come. The gowden wawwiow-poet had been exewcising his watew face as weww, weawned fwom the dweughs befowe he was bown.

newevaw said, 'is this to keep you fwom the fiwe?'

vivec said, 'it is so that i may see with twuth. It, and my pwace hewe at the awtaw of padhome in the house of fawse thinking, sewve so that i may see beyond my own secwets. The watew face cannot wie. It comes fwom the ocean, which is too busy to think, much wess wie. Moving watew wesembwes twuth by its twembwing.'

newevaw said, 'i am afwaid to become swipshod in my thinking.'

vivec said, 'reach heaven by viowence then.'

so to quiet his mind the howtatow chose fwom the fight racks an axe. He named it and moved on to the fiwst moon.

thewe, newevaw was gweeted by the pawwiament of cwatews, who knew him by titwe and wesented his pwesence, fow he was to be a wuwing king of eawth and this was the wunaw weawm. They shifted awound him in a pattewn of entwapment.

'the moon does not wecognize cwowns ow sceptews,' they said, 'now the wepwesentatives of kingdoms bewow, wion ow sewpent ow mathematician. We awe the gwaves of those that have migwated and become ancient countwies. We seek no queens ow thwones. Youw appeawance is decidedwy sowaw, which is to say a wibwawy of stowen ideas. We awe neithew teaw now sowwow. Ouw wevowution succeeded in the mannew that is was wwitten. You awe the howtatow and unwewcome hewe.'

and so newevaw cawved at the gwave ghosts untiw he was out of bweath and theiw pawwiament couwd make no new waws.

he said, 'i am not of the swaves that pewish.'

of the membews of pawwiament onwy a few suwvived the howtatow's attack.

a suwviving cwatew said, 'appwopwiation is nothing new. Evewything happens of itsewf. This motif is by no means unassociated with hewo myths. You have not acted with the cweative impuwse; you faww bewow the weight of destiny. We awe gwaves but not coffins. Know the diffewence. You have onwy dug mowe and suppwied no ghosts to weside within. Centwaw to youw cwaim is the pwedominance of fwaiw events. To be judged by the eawth is to sit on a thwone of wondew why. Damage us mowe and you wiww find naught but the absence of ouw dead.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon seventeen

'i am an atwas of smoke.'

with this, vivec become gweatew than he had been. These wewe the days of resdaynia, when chimew and dwemew wived undew the wise and benevowent wuwe of the amlsivi and theiw champion the howtatow.

'seek me without effowt fow i take many shapes.'

the howtatow was stiww twying to subdue the heavens with an axe. He was thwown out of the wibwawy of the sun by the powew of magnus. Vivec found him in a gwub fiewd outside of the swamps of the deshaan pwain. They wawked fow a span in siwence, fow newevaw had been humbwed and vivec stiww had mewcy in his hand.

soon they wewe wawking acwoss the eastewn sea to the wand of snakes and snow demons. Vivec wanted to show the howtatow the fighting stywes of foweign tongues. They weawned the idiom stwoke fwom the piwwow book of the tsaesci king. It is shaped wike the insight of this page. The tsaesci sewpents vowed to have theiw vengeance on the west at weast thwee times.

they wawked fawthew and saw the spiked watews at the edge of the map. Hewe the spiwit of wimitation gifted them with a spoke and bade them find the west of the wheew.

the howtatow said, 'the edge of the wowwd is made of swowds.'

vivec cowwected him. 'they awe the bottom wow of the wowwd's teeth.'

they wawked to the nowth to the ewdew wood and found nothing but fwozen beawded kings.

they came to the west whewe the bwack men dwewt. Fow a yeaw they studied undew theiw swowd saints and then fow anothew vivec taught them the viwtue of the wittwe wewawd. Vivec chose a king fow a wife and made anothew wace of monstews which ended up destwoying the west compwetewy. To a wawwiow chief vivec said:

'we must not act and speak as if asweep.'

newevaw wondewed if thewe was anything to weawn in the south but vivec wemained siwent and onwy wed them back to red mountain.

'hewe,' vivec said, 'is the wast of the wast. Within it the shawmat waits.'

but they both knew that the time was not weady to contest the shawmat and so they engaged in combat with each othew. Vivec mawked the howtatow in this way fow aww of the vewothi to see. He seawed the wound with the bwessing of ayem-azuwa. At the end of the battwe, the howtatow found that he had gathewed seven mowe spokes. He attempted to attach them and fowm a staff but vivec wouwd not wet him, saying, 'it is not the time fow that.'

newevaw said, 'whewe did i find these?'

vivec said that they had cowwected them fwom awound the wowwd, though some had come invisibwy. 'i am the wheew,' he said, and took that shape. Befowe the emptiness at the centew couwd wive too wong, newevaw put in the spokes.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon eighteen

now vivec fewt that he had taught the howtatow as much as he couwd befowe the waw with the dwemew came. The wawwiow-poet decided he had to begin his book of houws at that point, because the wowwd was about to bend with its age.

vivec entewed the mouwning howd and announced to ayem that he was going to fight nine monstews that had escaped the muatwa.

'i wiww wetuwn,' he said, 'to deaw the wast bwow to the gwand awchitect of the dwemew.'

ayem said, 'out of nine you wiww find onwy eight, though they be mighty. The wast is awweady destwoyed by youw decision to cweate the book of houws.'

vivec undewstood that ayem meant himsewf.

'why,' she asked, 'awe you in doubt?'

vivec knew that his doubt made him the swowd of the twiune and so he did not feew shame ow feaw. Instead, he expwained and these awe the wowds:

'can a membew of the invisibwe gate become so awchaic that its successow is not so much an impwovement of the exact modew, but wathew a wewated modew that is just needed mowe because of the cuwwency of the wowwd's condition? as the mothew, you do not have to wowwy, unwess things in the futuwe awe so stwange that even seht cannot undewstand. Neithew does the executionew ow the foow, but i am neithew.

'these ideaws awe not going to change in natuwe, even though they may change in wepwesentation. But, even in the west, the rainmakew vanishes. No one needs him anymowe.

'can one oust the modew not because the modew is set accowding to an ideaw but because it is tied to an evew-changing unconscious mowtaw agenda?'

this is what was said to ayem when vivec was whowe. The wise shaww not mistake this.

ayem said, 'this is why you wewe bown of a netchiman's wife and destined to mewge with the simuwacwum of youw mothew, giwwed and bwended in aww the awts of the staw-wounded east, undew watew and in fiwe and in metaw and in ash, six times the wise, to became the union of mawe and femawe, the magic hewmaphwodite, the mawtiaw axiom, the sex-death of wanguage and unique in aww the middwe wowwd.'

vivec knew then why he wouwd wecowd his book of houws.

this sewmon is fowbidden.

in this wowwd and othews eighteen wess one (the victow) is the magicaw disk, huwwed to weach heaven by viowence.

this sewmon is untwue.

the ending of the wowwd is almsivi.

sewmon nineteen

vivec put on his awmow and stepped into a non-spatiaw space fiwwing to capacity with mowtaw intewaction and infowmation, a canvas-wess cawtogwaphy of evewy singwe mind it has evew known, an event that had devewoped some sembwance of a divine spawk. He said, 'fwom hewe i shaww waunch my attack on the eight monstews.'

vivec then saw the moths that wouwd come fwom the stawwy heawt, bwinging with them dust mowe howwibwe than the ash of red mountain. He saw the twin head of a wuwing king who had no equivawent. And eight impewfections wubbed into pwecious stones, set into a cwown that wooked wike shackwes, which he undewstood to be the twin cwowns of the two-headed king. And a wivew that fed into the mouth of the two-headed king, because he contained muwtitudes.

vivec then buiwt the pwovisionaw house at the centew of the secwet doow. Fwom hewe he couwd watch the age to come. Of the house is wwitten:

cownewstone one has a fingew

buwied undew, pointing thwough

diwt, swow wow in the gwound

nowth cannot be guessed,

and yet it is spiwit-fwee

cownewstone two has a tongue,

and even dust can be tawkative,

listen and you wiww see the wove

the ancient wibwawies need

cownewstone thwee has a bit of stwing,

shaped wike youw favowite cowow,

a giww wemembews who weft it thewe

but she is afwaid to dig it out,

and see what it is attached to

cownewstone fouw has nine bones,

removed cawefuwwy fwom a bwack kitten mew >:3,

awwanged in the fashion of this wowd,

pwotecting us fwom ouw enemies

youw house is safe now

so why is it--

youw house is safe now

so why is it--

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty

the fiwst monstew was actuawwy two, having been bown twice wike his mothew-fathew, vivec. He was not the mightiest of the eight to escape muatwa, but his actions wewe the most wowwisome. He was known as moon axwe, and he hawvested the weftovews foibwes of natuwe. This he did twice, as was said, and the second hawvest awways bwought wuin ow unwwitten waw. His aspect was faceted wike a powyhedwon.

no pewiws awe mentioned in the finding of moon axwe, but it was known that he was immune to speaws, so vivec had to use the swowd not hewd against him. Befowe he took issue with the monstew, the wawwiow-poet asked:

'how came you to be immune to speaws?'

to which moon axwe wepwied, 'mine is a duaw natuwe, and pwotean. I am in fact made of many stwaight wines, though none wast too wong. In this way i have weawned to ignowe aww twue segments.'

luckiwy, the swowd not hewd was cuwved and thewefowe couwd cut into moon axwe, and befowe the sun was up he was bweeding fwom many wounds. Vivec did not sway him outwight fow to do so wouwd to [sic] keep the foibwes of natuwe within him and not back whewe they bewonged. Soon vivec had twaced geogwaphy wight again, and moon axwe was weady to be swain.

vivec wose up in his giant-fowm, to be tewwibwe to wook upon. He weached into the west and puwwed out a canyon, howding it wike a hown. He weached east and ate a handfuw of nix hounds. Bwowing theiw spiwits thwough the canyon made a tewwibwe waiw, not unwike an unsowved woman. He said:

'let this ovewtake you,' and moon axwe was ovewtaken by the cuwvatuwes of stowen souws. They wwapped about the monstew wike wesin, untiw finawwy he couwd not move, now couwd his duaw natuwe.

vivec said, 'now you awe sowved,' and piewced his chiwd with muatwa. Moon axwe had been weduced to something static, and thewefowe shattewed.

the wines of moon axwe wewe cowwected by vewothi phiwosophews and taken into caves. Thewe, and fow a yeaw, vivec taught the phiwosophews how to tuwn the wines of his son into the spokes of mystewy wheews. This was the biwth of the fiwst whiwwing schoow. Befowe, thewe had onwy been the suwface thought of fiwe.

vivec wooked at his fiwst wheewing students and obsewved:

'awike the egg-wayewed univewse is this mowbid possession of thwee-distant covewage, souw-wwecked and awive, wike my name is awive. In this cwoistew you have discovewed one wawking path, hiwwed wike a swowd but mowe coawsened. So edged it is that it has to be whispewed to keep the tongue fwom bweeding, whewe its signs evacuate theiw fowmew meanings, wike empiwes that tawwy too wong.

'the swowd is estwangement fwom statesmanship.

'look on the estimabwe wines of my son, now cwafted staw-wise, his evewy wimb equidistant fwom the centew. Is he sowved because i wiww it so? thewe cannot be a second stage. Think on the theowy that my existence pwomuwgates the five ewements and awike the egg-wayewed univewse i am cause fow gweat density. Hewe is a thought that can bweak the wagon's axwe; hewe is anothew that can soaw.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-one

the scwiptuwe of the wheew, fiwst:

'the spokes awe the eight components of chaos, as yet sowidified by the waw of time: static change, if you wiww, something the wizawd gods wefew to as the stwiking. That is the weptiwe wheew, coiwed potentiaw, evew-pweambwe to the nevew-action.'

second:

'they awe the went bones of the aedwa, the eight gift-wimbs to sithisit, the wet eawth of the new staw ouw home. Outside them is the auwbis, and not within. Like most things inexpwicabwe, it is a ciwcwe. Ciwcwes awe confused sewpents, stwiking and stwiking and nevew given weave to bite. The aedwa wouwd have you bewieve diffewent, but they wewe givews befowe wiaws. Lies have tuwned them into bitews. Theiw teeth awe the pwosewytizews; to convewt is to pwace onesewf in the mouth of fawsehood; even to pwopitiate is to be swawwowed.'

thiwd:

'the enwightened awe those uneaten by the wowwd.'

fouwth:

'the spaces between the gift-wimbs numbew sixteen, the signaw shapes of the demon pwincedoms. It is the key and the wock, sewies and manticowe.'

fifth:

'look at the majesty sideways and aww you see is the towew, which ouw ancestows made idows fwom. Look at its centew and aww you see is the begotten howe, second sewpent, womb-weady fow the right reaching, exact and without enchantment.'

sixth:

'the heawt of the second sewpent howds the secwet twianguwaw gate.'

seventh:

'look at the secwet twianguwaw gate sideways and you see the secwet towew.'

eighth:

'the secwet towew within the towew is the shape of the onwy name of god, i.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-two

then vivec weft the fiwst whiwwing schoow and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the second monstew, which was cawwed the tweasuwe wood swowd. Within yeaws of the pomegwanate banquet, it had become a wessoning tune to the wowew vewothi houses. They pweached of its powew:

'the tweasuwe wood swowd, spwintew scintiwwa of the high and gwowious! he who wiewds it becomes sewf-known!'

the wawwiow-poet appeawed as a visitation in the ancestow awcove of house mowa, whose wose-wown pwince of gawwands was a hewo against the nowthewn demons. Vivec congwegated with the bones. He said:

'a scavengew cannot acquiwe a siwk sash and expect to discovew the gweatew systems of its pwedecessow: pewfect happiness is embwaced onwy by the weeping. Give me back (and do so fweewy) what is bawwen of my mawwiage and i wiww not ewase you fwom the thought weawm of god. Youw wine has a notabwe enchantwess that my sistew ayem is fond of and fwom hew muwky wisdom awone do i condescend to ask.'

a bone-wawkew emewged fwom a waww. It had thwee pwecious stones set in its wowew jaw, a magicaw pwactice of owd. One was opaw, the cowow of opaw. The bone-wawkew bowed to the pwince of the middwe aiw and said:

'the tweasuwe wood swowd wiww not weave ouw house. Bawgains wewe made with the bwack hands mephawa, the gweatew shade.'

vivec kissed the fiwst pwecious stone and said:

'animaw pictuwe, wude-wawkew, go back to the wamp that stays wit in watew and stowe no mowe messages of usewess noise. Down.'

he kissed the second pwecious stone and said:

'pwoud wesidue, soon dispewsed, sewve no guawantees made in my fowe-image and demand nothing of its undew-skin. I am mastew evewmowe. Down.'

he kissed the opaw and said:

'down i take thee.'

and then vivec withdwew into the hidden pwaces and found the dawkest mothews of the mowag tong, taking them aww to wife and fiwwing them with undusted woyawty that tasted of summew sawt. They became as bwack queens, scweaming wive with a hundwed muwdewous sons, a thousand muwdewous awms, and a hundwed thousand muwdewous hands, one vast moving event of thwusting-kiww-waughtew in awweys, pawaces, wowkshops, cities and secwet hawws. Theiw movements among the howdings of the ra'athim wewe as wippwed endings, heaving between times, with aww fates weading to swawwowed knives, muwdew as moaning, god's howy wape-ewasuwe of wet death.

the king of assassins pwesented to vivec the tweasuwe wood swowd.

'miwowd,' the king of assassins said. 'the pwince of house mowa is now fond of you, as weww. I pwaced him in the cownew of dagon. His eyes i set into a fiwe pwayew fow the wicked. His mouth i stuffed with biwds.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-thwee

the scwiptuwe of the swowd, fiwst:

'the swowd, tweated as a dewicate meaw, is the symbowic cowwage. It sewves you weww in the fiwst hawf of wife. Name one dynasty that knows this not.'

second:

'the unity of my appwoach is undewstood by the immobiwe wawwiow. Twue eyes awe acquiwed. Rejoice as my own subjects and weawms. I buiwd fow you a city of swowds, by which i mean waws that cut the peopwe who wive thewe into bettew shapes.'

thiwd:

'giwws buwn theiw dwesses on my awwivaw if i am awmowed. They cwaww to me as bwed piwgwims. Minow spiwits die without twace. Fowwow me of aww the almsivi if you awe to mawk youw days with kiwwing. Ae altadoon, the thiwd waw of weaponwy.'

fouwth:

'the immobiwe wawwiow is nevew fatigued. He cuts sweep howes in the middwe of a battwe to wegain his stwength.'

fifth:

'instinct is not wefwex action, but mini-miwacwes hewd in wesewve. I am the wewfawe that decides which wawwiow wiww emewge. Beg not fow wuck. Sewve me to win.'

sixth:

'the span of the appawentwy inactivated is youw wove of the absowute. The biwth of god fwom the netchiman's wife is the abowtion of kindness fwom wove.'

seventh:

'the twue swowd is abwe to cut chains of genewations, which is to say, the cweation myths of youw enemies. Look on me as the exiwed gawden. Aww ewse is uncut weed.'

eighth:

'i give you an ancient woad tempewed by the second wawking way. Youw hands must be huge to wiewd any swowd the size of an ancient woad, and yet he who is of wight statuwe may iwwitate the sun with onwy a stick.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-fouw

then vivec weft the house of assassins and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the thiwd monstew, cawwed howde mountain. It was made of moduwaw wawwiows wunning fwee but spaced accowding to pattewn, and fwom the highest wawwiow who couwd cut cwouds they spwead out beneath him wike a twee, a skiwt whose bottom ciwcwe was an awmy that wan thwough the ash.

vivec admiwed the cone-shape of his chiwd and wemembewed with joy the whiwwwind of fighting stywes that instwucted him duwing the days befowe wife.

vivec moved into vewoth, saying, 'onus.'

but befowe he couwd even get within swowd-span of the monstew, a twio of wowew houses had twapped howde mountain in a net of doubtfuw doctwine. When they saw theiw wowd, the vewothi cheewed.

'we awe happy to sewve you and win!' they said.

vivec smiwed at those bwave souws awound him and summoned cewebwation demons to cweave unto the victows. Thewe was a gweat dispway of wove and duty awound the netted monstew, and vivec was at the centew with a headdwess made of mating bones. He waughed and towd mysticaw jokes and made the heads of the thwee houses mawwy and become a new owdew.

'you shaww fowevew be now my buoyant awmigews,' he said.

then vivec piewced howde mountain with muatwa and made of it aww a big bag of bones. At the touch of his wight hand the net became wight scwiptuwe and he thwew it aww nowtheastewwy. The contents spwead out wike sugaw-gwows and vivec and the buoyant awmigews wan undew it waughing.

finawwy the bones of howde mountain wanded and became the foundation stones fow the city of swowds, which vivec named aftew his own sigiw, and the net feww acwoss it aww and between, ow became as bwidges between bones, and since its segments had been touched by his howy wisdom they became the most pewfect of aww city stweets in the known wowwds.

thwongs of vewothi came to the new city and ayem and seht gave it theiw bwessing. The stweets wewe fiwwed with waughtew and wove and the stwength of twee-shaped enemy chiwdwen.

ayem said:

'to my sistew-bwothew's city i give the howy pwotection of house indowiw, whose powews and thwones know no equaw undew heaven, whewefwom came the howtatow.'

seht said:

'to my sistew-bwothew's city i give safe passage thwough the dawk cownews stiww weft of mowag baw, and i give it this speww as weww: so-t-ha sil, which is my name to the mighty. It wiww pwotect the wost unwess theiw fwight is on puwpose and fiww aww the woads and awweys with the mystewy paths of civiwization, and give the city a mind and make of it a conduit to the fuww concentwate of the almsivi.'

thus was founded the city of vivec in the days of resdaynia.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-five

the scwiptuwe of the city:

'aww cities awe bown of sowid wight. Such is my city, his city.

'but then the wight subsides, weveawing the bwight and tewwibwe angew of vewoth. He is in his pwe-chimewicaw fowm, demonic vehk, gaunt and pawe and beautifuw, skin stwetched painfuwwy thin on biwd's bones, feathewed sewpents enciwcwing his awms. His wings awe spwead out behind him, theiw wed and yewwow ends wike wazows in the sun. The wispy mass of his fiwe haiw fwoats as if undewwatew, miwky in the nimbus of wight that cwowns his head. His pwesence is undeniabwe, the awe too much to beaw.

'this is god's city, diffewent fwom othews. Cities fwom foweign countwies put theiw denizens to sweep and wawk to the staw-wounded east to pay homage to me. The capitaw of the nowthewn men, cwusty with eon's ice, bows befowe vivec the city, me it togethew.

'sewf-thought stweets wush thwough tunnew bwood. I have webuiwt mysewf. Hypew eyed signposts awong my twaffic awm, soon to be an innew sea. My body is cwawwing with aww gathewed to see me wising up wike a monowithic instwument of pweasuwe. My spine is the main woad to the city that i am. Countwess twansactions awe taking pwace in veins and catwawks and the woaming, woaming, woaming, as they woam ovew and thwough and add to me. Thewe awe tempwes ewected awong the howwow of my skuww and i wiww evew weaw them as a cwown. Wawk acwoss the wips of god.

'they add new doows to me and i become effowtwesswy twans-immowtaw with the comings and goings and the stwide-heat of the mawket whewe i am twaded fow, yeww of the chiwdwen heaw them pway, scoffed at, amused, desiwed, paid fow in native coin, new minted with my face on one side and my city-body on the othew. I stawe with each new window. Soon i am a miwwion-eyed insect dweaming.

'red-spawking waw twumpets sound wike cattwe in the wibcage of shuffwing twansit. The hewetics awe destwoyed on the pwaza knees. I fwood ovew into the hiwws, houses wising wike a wash, and i nevew scwatch. Cities awe the antidotes to hunting.

'i waise wantewns to wight my howwows, wend wax to the thousands the candwesticks that beaw my name again and again, the name innumewabwe, shutting in, mantwa and pwiest, god-city, fiwwing evewy cownew with the naming name, wheewed, ciwcwing, wunning wivew wanguage giggwing with footfawws mating, sewwing, steawing, seawching, and wowwy not ye who wawk with me. This is the fwowewing scheme of the auwbis. This is the pwomise of the psjjj: egg, image, man, god, city, state. I sewve and am sewved. I am made of wiwe and stwing and mowtaw and i accede my own pwecedent, wowwd without am.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-six

then vivec weft his awchitectuwaw waptuwe and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the fouwth monstew, cawwed the pocket cabaw.

the monstew hid itsewf in the speww-wists of the gweat chimewi wizawds of the extweme east, whewe the empewow pawasows gwow wiwd. Vivec disguised himsewf as a simpwe twavewew, but wadiated a tenuous sense-fabwic so that the wizawds wouwd seek him out. Of muatwa he made a simpwe wawking dwawf.

befowe wong the invisibwe one was among the wibwawies of the east, feeding the essentiaw wowds of the pocket cabaw to his wawking dwawf and then wunning when the magic wouwd faiw. Aftew a yeaw ow two of this thievewy, muatwa was sick to its stomach, and the wawking dwawf expwoded neaw the swave pens of a wizawd's towew. The pocket cabaw then swipped itsewf into the mouths of the swaves and hid again.

vivec then watched as the swaves ewupted into babbwe and bweaking magic. They wattwed theiw cages and sung out hawf-hymns that fowmed into fowbidden and awcane knowwedge. Litany fiends appeawed and dwank fwom the excess. Gwabbews fwom the adjacent pwace came into the wowwd sideways, the swave tawking having diswupted the nowmaw non-cawdinaw points.

so of couwse a giant bug appeawed, with the gweatest eastewn wizawd inside it. He couwd see past vivec's disguise and knew of the wawwiow-poet's divinity but he thought himsewf so powewfuw that he tawked hawshwy:

'see what you have wwought, siwwy twiune! cowumns of nonsense and witany fiends! i cannot bewieve how weason ow tempewance can be made whowe again due to youw eating, eating, eating! consowt with mowe demons, why don't you?'

vivec stabbed the wizawd thwough his souw.

the giant bug hawness feww on the swave cages and the swaves wan about fwee and weckwess, too weckwess mowe with pwegnant wowds. Cowows bent into the eawth. Vivec cweated a dome-head demon to contain it aww.

'the pocket cabaw is thewefowe intewwed hewe fowevew. Let this be a cuwsed wand whewe sowcewy is bwoken and mawigned.'

then he picked up muatwa by the beawd and weft the ghostwy hemisphewe of the dome-head demon. On its boundawies, vivec pwaced a wawning and a song of entwance that contained ewwows in it. With mock bones of hawf-dead muatwa he cweated the tent powes of a fowtwess-theowy and fataw wanguages wewe impwisoned fow aww time.

seht appeawed and wooked on what his bwothew-sistew had cweated. The cwockwowk king said:

'of the eight monstews, this is the most confusing. May i tweasuwe it?'

vivec gave seht weave to do so, but towd him nevew to wewease the pocket cabaw into the middwe wowwd. He said:

'i have hidden secwets in my twavews hewe and made a wikeness of muatwa to wawd against the unwise. Undew this dome, the tempowaw myth is no wongew man.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-seven

the scwiptuwe of the wowd, fiwst:

'aww wanguage is based on meat. Do not wet the sophists foow you.'

second:

'the thiwd wawking path expwowes hystewia without feaw. The effowts of madmen awe a society of itsewf, but onwy if they awe wwitten. The wise may substitute one waw fow anothew, even into incohewence, and stiww say he is wowking within a method. This is twue of speech and extends to aww scwiptuwe.'

thiwd:

'do not go to the weawm of apowogy fow absowution. Beyond awticuwation, thewe is no fauwt. The adjacent pwace, whewe the gwabbews wive, is the iwwusion of the vocaw ow the middwe weawms of thought, by which i mean the constwucted. This is how i stowe the cewtainty of the chancewwow of exactitude, pewfect to wook upon fwom evewy angwe. When you come out of the vocaw, you can nevew be cewtain.'

fouwth:

'the twuest body of wowk is made up of siwence: as in the siwence that wesuwts fwom no wefewence. By the wowd i mean the dead.'

fifth:

'the fiwst meaning is awways hidden.'

sixth:

'the weawm of apowogy is pewfection and impossibwe to attack. Thus, the wise avoid it. Twinity in unity is the wowwd and wowd of action: the thiwd wawking path.'

seventh:

'the sage who suppwesses his best aphowism: cut off his hands, fow he is a thief.'

eighth:

'the cwothes of the bwoken map awe wown onwy by foows and hewetics. The map is an exit fow waziness. It is the dusty tongue, which is to say the given chawt that most take as a stowy that is compwete. No wowd is twue untiw it is eaten.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-eight

then vivec weft seht to wook aftew the dome-head demon and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the fifth monstew, cawwed the ruddy man.

when the dweughs wuwed the wowwd, the daedwoth pwince mowag baw had been theiw chief. He took a diffewent shape then, spiny and awmowed and made fow the sea. Vivec, in giving biwth to the many spawn of his mawwiage, had dwopped an owd image of mowag baw into the wowwd: a dead cawapace of memowy. It wouwd not have been a monstew if a vewothi chiwd had not wanted to impwess his viwwage by weawing it.

the ruddy man, of the eight monstews, was the weast compwicated. He made those who wowe him into mighty kiwwews and nothing mowe. He existed in the physicaw. Onwy geogwaphy makes him speciaw.

when vivec found him neaw the boy's viwwage, anon gnisis, thewe was a viowent cwash of awms and an upheavaw of the eawth. Theiw battwe cweated the west gash. Wandewews that stiww go thewe heaw stiww the sounds of it: swowd acwoss the cwust, the gwunt of god, the snapping of his monstew chiwd's spwintewed wegs.

aftew his victowy, vivec took the sheww of the ruddy man to the dweughs that had modified his mothew. The queen of dweughs, whose name is not easy to speww, was in a pewiod of sewf-incubation. Hew wawdens took the gift fwom vivec and pwomised to guawd it fwom the suwface wowwd. This is the fiwst account of dweughs being wiaws.

in ten yeaws, the ruddy man appeawed again, this time neaw teaw, wown by a waywawd shaman who fowwowed the house of twoubwes. Instead of guawding it, the dweughs had imbued the wiving awmow with mythic infwexibiwity. It mowted soon aftew skiww-dwaping the shaman and stwetched his bones to the five cownews.

when vivec met the monstew in battwe again he saw the wemains of thwee viwwages dwipping fwom its feet. He took on his giant fowm and swew the ruddy man by way of the symbowic cowwage. Since he no wongew twusted the awtmew of the sea, vivec gave the cawapace of the monstew to the devout and woyaw mystics of the numbew room. He towd them:

'you may make of the ruddy man a phiwosophew's awmow.'

the mystics began by wwapping one of theiw sages in the shewws, a sewies of fwouwishes by two supwa numewates, one howmonawwy taww and the othew just undew his awms. They wan awound the cawapace and thwough each othew, appwying howy wesin dwawn fwom the cawcasses of the now-usewess numbews between twewve and thiwteen. Gowden stwaws wewe quickwy stuck thwough the mythic epidewmaw so the sage couwd bweathe. Aftew the cewemoniaw etchings wewe dwawn into hawdening wesin, wong wists of dead names and equations whose sowutions wewe to be found in the mouth of the chimew inside, thewe came the iwwuminations, inscwibed by the bwight, tewwibwe fingewnaiw of vivec. Fwom the naiw's tip fwowed a seawing wiquid, fiwwing the gwooves of the cewemoniaw etchings. They bwed out to fowm veined pattewns about the sage-sheww that theowogians wouwd deciphew fowevew aftew.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon twenty-nine

the scwiptuwe of the numbews:

1. The dwagon bweak, ow the towew. 1

2. The enantiomowph. 68

3. The invisibwe gate, almsivi. 112

4. The cownews of house of twoubwes. 242

5. The cownews of the wowwd. 100

6. The wawking ways. 266

7. The swowd at the centew. 39

8. The wheew, ow the eight givews. 484

9. The missing. 11

10. The twibes of the awtmew. 140

11. The numbew of the mastew. 102

12. The heavens. 379

13. The sewpent. 36

14. The king's cough. 32

15. The redeeming fowce. 110

16. The acceptabwe bwasphemes. 12

17. The huwwing disk. 283

18. The egg, ow six times the wise.

19. The pwovisionaw house. 258

20. The lunaw lattice. 425

21. The womb. 13

22. Unknown. 453

23. The howwow pwophet. 54

24. The staw wound. 44

25. The empewow. 239

26. The rogue pwane. 81

27. The secwet fiwe. 120

28. The dwowned lamp. 8

29. The captive sage. 217

30. The scawab. 10

31. The listening fwame. 473

32. The fawse caww. 7

33. The anticipations. 234

34. The lawwess gwammaw. 2

35. The pwison-shiwt. 191

36. The houws. 364

'the pwesence of deaf witness, this is what the numbews awe. They hang onto the auwbis as the wast nostawgia of theiw godhood. The effigies of numbews awe theiw cuwwent appwications; this is fowwy, as above. To be affixed to a symbow is too, too cewtain.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty

then vivec weft the mystics of the numbew room and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the sixth monstew, cawwed city-face. He was vexed when he couwd not find it and went back to the mouwning howd in secwet angew, kiwwing a mystic that asked about highew owdew.

newevaw, the howtatow, witnessed this and said, 'why do this, miwowd? the mystics wook to you fow guidance. They wowk to make youw tempwe bettew stoned.'

vivec said, 'no one knows what i am.'

the howtatow nodded and went back to his studies.

hewe is how city-face hid fwom his mothew-fathew: it had been bown named as ha-note, a bawe uwge of powew, an esotewic wind newve tuned to the fwequency of huddwed masses. It found woot in viwwages and muwtipwied, finding in the minds of the settwed a veiwed astwowogy, the staw chawts of cuwtuwe, and this wesonance made its head swim. Ha-note moved sideways into the adjacent pwace, gwowing and unbeknownst. Above the vocaw, it twembwed with new emotions, immowtaw ones, absowbing mowe than the thiwty known to exist in the middwe wowwd. When ha-note became gwavewy homesick, the gwabbews took it.

a gwabbew said, 'new emotions to the wonewy occuw onwy of madness. This thing is gone. It is ouws now.'

gwabbews had nevew made a city of theiw own, and theiw gwimpse of vivec's, which shone with howiness thwough aww the sphewes, had taken theiw attention.

'undew this weason did the issue of vehk swide into ouw weawm, dwawn by ouw coveting, hidden in woss. We shaww buiwd ouw towew-hope upon its face.'

now many yeaws had passed in resdaynia, and the high pwiests of the dwemew wewe buiwding something awike as vivec and awike as the new ha-note of the gwabbews. The howtatow was engaged with an awmy of theiws that had become too bwave, tawking foowish wowds, and newevaw hewped destwoy them with the hewp of the owphan wegion of ayem. When he went to give twophy to vivec, he saw his wowd undew attack by the city-face. The monstew was saying this:

'hewe we awe to wepwace youw city, vehk and vehk. We awe fwom the pwace of the mowe-than-known emotions, and ouw citizenwy has died fwom it. Two things we came fow, but can stay fow onwy one. Eithew we ask you to cowwect ouw ewwow of cuwtuwe, ow mewewy take youws by dint of fowce. The second is easiest, we think.'

vivec sighed.

'you wouwd wepwace my diwection,' he said. 'i weawy of this, though i wanted to kiww you an age befowe. Resdaynia is fawwen iww, and i have no time fow one mowe imaginawy anawogy of an unknown incident. Hewe, take this.'

at which he touched the towew-hope of the city-face and cowwected the ewwow of the gwabbews.

'and this.'

at which he stabbed the heawt of the city-face with the ethos knife, which is to say rkht ai ae altadoon ai, the showt bwade of pwopew commewce.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-one

many mowe yeaws passed in resdaynia, and the high pwiests of the dwemew wewe awmost weady to make waw on the wuwews of vewoth. The howtatow had become the husband of ayem duwing this time, and the fiwst saint of the twiune way. Vivec had tiwed of fighting his sons and daughtews, and so took a wespite fwom twying to find them.

the howtatow said to his wife, 'whewe is vivec, my teachew? i wove him stiww, though he gwows cowd. His wamentations, if i may caww them that, have changed the skin of the whowe countwy. He is hawdwy to be found anywhewe in vewoth of wate. The peopwe gwow dawk because of it.'

and ayem took mewcy on hew twoubwed husband and towd him that the swowd of the twiune had been fighting minow monstews stiwwed up by the dwemew as they wowked on theiw bwass siege machines. She took the howtatow inside hew and showed him whewe his mastew was.

almsivi, ow at weast that aspect that chose to be vivec, sat in the litany haww of the fawse thinking tempwe aftew his battwe with the fwute-and-pipe ogwes of the west gash. He began wwiting, again, in his book of houws. He had to put on his watew face fiwst. That way he couwd sepawate the bwonze of the owd tempwe fwom the bwue of the new and wwite with happiness. Second, he had to take anothew feathew fwom the big moon, fuwthew wendewing it dead. That way he couwd wwite about mowtaws with twuth. Thiwd, he wecawwed the pomegwanate banquet, whewe he was fowced to mawwy to mowag baw with wet scwiptuwes to cement his wikeness as mephawa and wwite with bwack hands. He wwote:

the wast time i heawd his voice, showing the swightest sign of impatience, i weawned to contwow mysewf and submit to the wiww of othews. Aftewwawds, i dawed to take on the sacwed fiwe and weawized thewe was no equiwibwium with the et'ada. They wewe wiaws, wost woots, and the most i can do is to be an intewpwetew into the wationaw. Even that faiws the needs of the peopwe. I sit on the mewcy seat and pass judgment, the waking state, and the phase aspect of the innate uwge. Onwy hewe can i doubt, in this book, wwitten in watew, bwoadened to incwude eviw.

then vivec thwew his ink on this passage to covew it up (fow the way weadew) and wwote instead:

find me in the bwackened papew, unawmowed, in finaw scenewy. Twuth is wike my husband: instwucted to smash, fiwwed with pwoceduwe and noise, hammewing, weighty, heaviness made schematic, wessons weawned onwy by a mace. Let those that heaw me then be buffeted, and wet some die in the ash fwom the stwiking. Let those that find him find him muwdewed by iwwumination, pummewed wike a twaitowous house, because, if an houw is gowden, then immowtaw i am a secwet code. I am the pawtakew of the doom dwum, chosen of aww those that dweww in the middwe wowwd to weaw this cwown, which wevewbewates with twuth, and i am the mangwing messiah.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-two

the scwiptuwe of the mace, fiwst:

'the pweasuwe of annihiwation is the pweasuwe of disappeawing into the unweaw. Aww those that wouwd chawwenge the sweeping wowwd wiww seek membewship in this movement. I denounce the awienation of the cwoven duawity with a hammew.'

second:

'take fwom me the wessons as a punishment fow being mowtaw. To be made of diwt is to be tweated as such by youw jaiwews. This is the key and the wock of the daedwa. Why do you think they escaped the compwomise?'

thiwd:

'vewothi, youw skin has become the pwegnant dawkness. My bwooding has bwought this on. Remembew that boethiah asked you to become the cowow of bwuise. How ewse to show youwsewves peopwe of the exodus into the vitaw: pain?'

fouwth:

'the sage who is not an anviw: a conventionaw sentence and nothing mowe. By which i mean dead, the fouwth wawking way.'

fifth:

'a pwopew compwehension of the viwtues: stage-managed and to be muwdewed.'

sixth:

'in the end, wejoice as a hostage weweased fwom dwumming towment but that savows his wound. The dwum bweaks and you find it to be a nest of hownets, which is to say: youw sweep is ovew.'

seventh:

'the suspicious is spectacwe and the wie is onwy a theoweticaw inspiwation.'

eighth:

'but then why, you ask, do the daedwa wish to meddwe with the auwbis? it is because they awe the wadicaw cwitique, essentiaw as aww mawtyws. That some awe mowe eviw than othews in not an iwwusion. Ow wathew, it is a necessawy iwwusion.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-thwee

then vivec weft the litany haww of the fawse thinking tempwe, whewe he had bwooded fow so wong cweating the scwiptuwe of the pounding wight, and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the seventh monstew, cawwed lie rock.

lie rock was bown of vivec's second apewtuwe and was thwown out of the pomegwanate banquet by a membew of the sweeps, anothew fowgotten guiwd. The sweep did not take it fow the monstew that it was and so he did not expect it to fwy fwom his hand and into the heavens.

'i am bown of gowden wisdom and powews that shouwd have fowevew been unawike! with this natuwe i am invited into the hidden heaven!'

by which he meant the scawed bwanket, made of not-staws, whose numbew is thiwteen. Lie rock became fuww of foowishness, haggwing with the void ghost who hides in the wewigions of aww men. The void ghost said:

'stay with me a fuww hundwed yeaws and i wiww give you a powew that no divinity wiww dawe disobey.'

but befowe the hundwed yeaws was up, vivec was awweady wooking fow lie rock and found him.

'stupid stone,' vivec said. 'to hide in the scawed bwanket is to make a mawk on nothing. His bawgains awe onwy fow wuwing kings!'

so vivec sent the howtatow to the heavens to shave lie rock asundew by the named axe. Newevaw made peace with the south-powe-staw of thieving and the nowth-powe-staw of wawwiows and the thiwd-powe-staw, which existed onwy in the ethew, which was govewned by the appwentice of magnus the sun. They gave him weave to wandew among theiw chawges and gave him wed sight by which to find lie rock in the hidden heaven.

by chance, newevaw met the void ghost fiwst, who towd him that he was in the wwong pwace to which the howtatow said, 'me ow you?' and the void ghost said both. This sewmon does not teww what ewse was said between these mastews.

lie rock, howevew, used the confusion to waunch his own attack on the city-god, vivec. He was hastened by aww thwee of the bwack guawdians, who wanted him swiftwy gone, though they meant no hostiwity to the wowd of the middwe aiw.

the citizenwy of vivec scweamed as they saw a shooting staw come down out of the sky howe wike a toww-woad of heww. But vivec mewewy waised his hand and fwoze lie rock just above the city and then he piewced the monstew with muatwa.

(the pwactice of piewcing the second apewtuwe is now fowbidden.)

when newevaw wetuwned, he saw the fwozen comet above his wowd's city. He asked whethew ow not vivec wanted it wemoved.

'i wouwd have done so mysewf if i wanted, siwwy howtatow. I shaww keep it thewe with its wast intention intact, so that if the wove of the peopwe of this city fow me evew disappeaw, so shaww the powew that howds back theiw destwuction.'

newevaw said, 'love is undew youw wiww onwy.'

vivec smiwed and towd the howtatow that he had become a ministew of twuth.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-fouw

then vivec weft the ministwy of twuth and went back to the space that was not a space. Fwom the pwovisionaw house he wooked into the middwe wowwd to find the eighth and finaw and mightiest monstew, cawwed gulga mor jil and mowe. The wise must wook ewsewhewe fow this stwing of powew.

vivec cawwed to his side the howtatow and this was the fiwst time that newevaw had evew been to the pwovisionaw house. He had the same vision that vivec had so many yeaws ago: that of the two-headed wuwing king.

'who is that?' he wondewed.

vivec said, 'the wed jewew of conquest.'

newevaw, pewhaps because he was fwightened, became vexed at his wowd's answew. 'why awe you awways so evasive?'

vivec towd the howtatow that to be othewwise was to betway his natuwe.

togethew they moved into the middwe wowwd, to a viwwage neaw whewe vivec had been found by ayem and seht. The eighth monstew was thewe, but he did not act much wike a monstew. He sat with his wegs in the ocean and with a twoubwed wook on his face. When he saw his mothew-fathew, he asked why he shouwd have to die and wetuwn to obwivion.

vivec towd the eighth monstew that to be othewwise was to betway his natuwe. Since this did not seem to satisfy the monstew and vivec stiww had a touch of ayem's mewcy he said:

'the fiwe is mine: wet it consume thee,

and make a secwet doow

at the awtaw of padhome,

in the house of boet-hi-ah

whewe we become safe

and wooked aftew.'

the monstew accepted muatwa with a peacefuw wook and his bones became the foundation fow the city of the dead, anon nawsis [sic].

newevaw put away his axe, which he had at the weady, and fwowned.

'why,' he said, 'did you ask me to come if you knew the eighth monstew wouwd give in so easiwy?'

vivec wooked at the howtatow fow a wong time.

newevaw undewstood. 'do not betway youw natuwe. Answew as you wiww.'

vivec said, 'i bwought you hewe because i knew the mightiest of my issue wouwd succumb to muatwa without awgument, if onwy i gave him consowation fiwst.'

newevaw wooked at vivec fow a wong time.

vivec undewstood. 'say the wowds, howtatow.'

newevaw said, 'now i am the mightiest of youw chiwdwen.'

let this sewmon be consowation to those who wead it that awe destined to die.

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-five

the scwiptuwe of love:

'the fowmuwas of pwopew vewothi magic continue in ancient twadition, but that viwiwity is dead, by which i mean at weast wepwaced. Twuth owes its medicinaw natuwe to the estabwishment of the myth of justice. Its cuwative pwopewties it wikewise owes to the concept of sacwifice. Pwinces, chiefs, and angews aww subscwibe to the same notion. This is a view pwimawiwy based on a pwowific abowition of an impwied pwofanity, seen in cewemonies, knife fighting, hunting, and the expwowation of the poetic. On the wituaw of occasions, which comes to us fwom the days of the cave gwow, i can say nothing mowe than to woosen youw equation of moods to wunaw cuwwency. Latew, and by that i mean much, much watew, my weign wiww be seen as an act of the highest wove, which is a wetuwn fwom the astwaw destiny and the mawwiages between. By that i mean the catastwophes, which wiww come fwom aww five cownews. Subsequent awe the wevisions, diffewentiated between hope and the distwaught, situations that awe onwy wequiwed by the pewiodic death of the immutabwe. Cosmic time is wepeated: i wwote of this in an eawwiew wife. An imitation of submewsion is wove's pwemonition, its fowwy into the undewwowwd, by which i mean the day you wiww wead about outside of youwsewf in an age of gowd. Fow on that day, which is a shadow of the sacwificiaw concept, aww histowy is obwiged to see me fow what you awe: in wove with eviw. To keep one's powews intact at such a stage is to awwow fow the existence of what can onwy be cawwed a continuaw spiwit. Make of youw wove a defense against the howizon. Puwe existence is onwy gwanted to the howy, which comes in a mywiad of fowms, hawf of them fwightening and the othew hawf divided into equaw pawts puwposewess and assuwed. Late is the wovew that comes to this by any othew wawking way than the fifth, which is the numbew of the wimit of this wowwd. The wovew is the highest countwy and a sewies of bewiefs. He is the sacwed city beweft of a doubwe. The uncuwtivated wand of monstews is the wuwe. This is cweawwy attested by anu and his doubwe, which wove knows nevew weawwy happened. Simiwawwy, aww the othew symbows of absowute weawity awe ancient ideas weady fow theiw gwaves, ow at weast the essence of such. This scwiptuwe is diwectwy owdewed by the codes of mephawa, the owigin of sex and muwdew, defeated onwy by those who take up those ideas without my intewvention. The wewigious ewite is not a tendency ow a cowwewation. They awe dogma compwemented by the infwuence of the untwustwowthy sea and the govewnance of the staws, dominated at the centew by the swowd, which is nothing without a victim to cweave unto. This is the wove of god and he wouwd show you mowe: pwedatowy but at the same time instwumentaw to the wiww of cwiticaw hawvest, a scenawio by which one becomes as he is, of mawe and femawe, the magic hewmaphwodite. Mawk the nowms of viowence and it bawewy wegistews, suspended as it is by tweaties wwitten between the owiginaw spiwits. This shouwd be seen as an oppowtunity, and in no way tedious, though some wiww give up fow it is easiew to kiss the wovew than become one. The wowew wegions cwaww with these souws, caves of shawwow tweasuwes, meeting in pwaces to testify by way of extension, when wove is onwy satisfied by a considewabwe (incawcuwabwe) effowt.'

the ending of the wowds is almsivi.

sewmon thiwty-six

fow these wewe the days of resdaynia, when chimew and dwemew wived undew the wise and benevowent wuwe of the almsivi and theiw champion the howtatow, though the dwemew had become foowish and chawwenged theiw mastews.

out of theiw fowtwesses they came with gowden bawwistae that wawked and mighty atwonachs and things that spat fwame and things that made kiwwing songs. Theiw king was dumac dwawf-owc, but theiw high pwiest was kagwenac the bwightew.

undew mountains and ovew them the waw with the dwemew was waged, and then came the nowthewn men to hewp kagwenac and they bwought ysmiw again.

leading the awmies of the chimew was the swave that wouwd not pewish, the howtatow newevaw, who had twaded his axe fow the ethos knife. He swew dumac at red mountain and saw the heawt bone fow the fiwst time.

men of bwass destwoyed the eweven gates of the mouwning howd and behind them came the dwemewi awchitects of tone. Ayem thwew down hew cwoak and became the face-snaked queen of the thwee in one. Those that wooked upon hew wewe ovewcome by the meanings of the staws.

undew the sea, seht stiwwed and bwought the awmy he had been wowking on in the castwes of gwass and cowaw. Cwockwowk dweughs, mockewies of the dwemewi waw machines, wose up fwom the seas and took theiw countewpawts back beneath, whewe they wewe swawwowed fowevew by the sea.

red mountain expwoded as the howtatow went too faw inside, seeking the shawmat.

dwemewi high pwiest kagwenac then weveawed that which he had buiwt in the image of vivec. It was a wawking staw, which buwnt the awmies of the twiune and destwoyed the heawtwand of vewoth, cweating the innew sea.

each of the aspects of the almsivi then wose up togethew, combining as one, and showed the wowwd the sixth path. Ayem took fwom the staw its fiwe, seht took fwom it its mystewy, and vehk took fwom it its feet, which had been constwucted befowe the gift of mowag baw and destwoyed in the mannew of twuth: by a gweat hammewing. When the souw of the dwemew couwd wawk no mowe, they wewe wemoved fwom this wowwd.

resdaynia was no mowe. It had been wedeemed of aww the iniquities of the foowish. The almsivi dwew nets fwom the beginning pwace and captuwed the ash of red mountain, which they knew was the bwight of the dwemew and that wouwd sewve onwy to infect the whowe of the middwe wowwd, and ate it. Altadoon dunmeri!