"'_In consequence of this, the latter is carried off by him to his capital, Lanka. Rama sets out with his companions to her rescue. After numerous adventures they enter into an agreement with Sugriva, king of the monkeys, and with the monkey-general, 'Anuman_--'"[14] [Footnote 14: The persistent legend of a monkey-leader named 'Anuman (or Hanuman) is one of the oldest and best-loved tales of Asiatic peoples. His name and a record of his deeds may be found in the ancient records of practically all Oriental sects.--Ed.] "'Anuman!" repeated Ramey. "_A new man!_ So in the legend his fondest dream becomes his _name_? But what _is_ this legend, Sheila? An obscure folk-tale--?" "It goes on," half-laughed, half-sobbed the girl, "to tell of the attack on Lanka ... the bridge built by the monkeys ... Ravana's death at Rama's hands! Everything is in it, Ramey--everything we have known and lived! An obscure folk-tale! It is anything but that. It is a tale from the _Ramayana_--one of the Sacred Books of the Hindu religion! "You are--or were--the prototype of a hero worshipped by a quarter of a billion humans in our day ... the third greatest religion in the world. You, Ramey, are the god Rama!" * * * * * Ramey stared at her dazedly. "You mean," he said, "that the adventures through which we have just lived were not of our own making? That they happened before, ages ago in Man's history?"[15] [Footnote 15: The reader is recommended to a closer examination of the _Ramayana_, sacred book of the Hindus, procurable in an inexpensive edition at almost any well-stocked library. The portion here reduced to its essentials is but one of many amazingly fascinating sections. In connection with this, it is interesting to note that the god Rama is considered to be but one of the seven Avatars (or reincarnations) of the god Vishnu. Hindu theosophy admits of many things scoffed at by modern, practical science: reincarnation, demoniac possession and "invasion of other world creatures" being but a few.--Ed.] "Yes, Ramey. Don't you see--that adventure has _always_ happened! This solves the argument daddy and Syd had about the immutability of Time. What things are, _were_, and always will be. Centuries ago, into ancient Chitrakuta came seven strangers from a future world. Having found their way into a Time which was not theirs, it had to be that when their Time came they must return to fulfill adventures written in the book of used-to-be. "Your crashing here at Angkor Vat ... our escape in the time-machine ... these events had to take place in order that an ancient legend might be fulfilled. That was our predestined path, and there was never anything we could have done to change it. It was as stoppable as a glacier." "And--and the others? Sheng-ti? Tauthus?"