And as he set this message down for me What were the themes that his soul dwelt upon? NURSE: At first the latest of his plans in life Lived in his thought; then Theodora came To join him in the spirit; feeling this His soul did gently leave its body's sheath. BENEDICTUS: My thanks to thee, thou faithful soul, for all Thy services to him whilst yet on earth. (Exit nurse. Benedictus reads Strader's last words.) BENEDICTUS: (reading) 'My friend, when I perceived my strength was spent And saw that opposition to my work Did not alone from outward sources rise, But that the inner flaws of my own thought Were obstacles to check my plan's success, Once more I saw that vision which I told Not long ago to thee. But yet this time The vision ended otherwise. No more Was Ahriman my foe; a spirit stood There, in his stead, whom I could clearly feel To represent my own erroneous thought. And then did I remember thine own words About the strengthening mine own soul's powers. But thereupon the spirit disappeared.'-- There are a few more words,--but I cannot Decipher them--a chaos covers them By weaving in a veil of active thought. (Ahriman appears; Benedictus sees him.) (There is no longer any illusion about Ahriman. His form is much more inhuman; his right arm is bone, his right hand a claw, and he has a cloven hoof.) BENEDICTUS: Who art thou, who dost take a shadowed life, From out my chaos, in the soul's domain? AHRIMAN (aside): He sees me, but as yet he knows me not. And so he will not cause me fearful pain If I should try to labour by his side. (To Benedictus.) I can declare to thee what Strader means To tell thee further for thy personal good. And also for thy pupil's mystic path. BENEDICTUS: My mystic group will always know itself To be in touch with Strader's soul, although The life of sense no longer forms a bridge. But when a spirit-messenger draws near And manifests to us from his own worlds, Then he must needs first win our confidence. This he can only do if he appears Without disguise unto our spirit-gaze. AHRIMAN: Thou art but striving for self-consciousness: So stranger spirit-beings, who might wish To render thee a service, are compelled To show themselves as parts of thine own self, If they may only help thee undisguised. BENEDICTUS: Whoe'er thou art 'tis sure thou only canst Serve Good when thou dost strive not for thyself, When thou dost lose thyself in human thought To rise newborn within the cosmic life. AHRIMAN: (aside) Now is it time for me to haste away From his environment, for whensoe'er His sight can think me as I really am, He will commence to fashion in his thought Part of the power which slowly killeth me. (Ahriman disappears.) BENEDICTUS: