The Gaki of Kokoru! Ay, I know! I know! I fight a fear, Obaa-San. Hold Aoyagi fast--with all your love.--I shall find the Gaki of Kokoru! (_The Gaki smites the tree again and again, and at each stroke Aoyagi fails more and more until she finally crumples in a heap among the three old women_) All strength! All faith to me! Into my hands give the power to break the bitterest hell asunder! Into my eyes put light that I may see the cowardly fears that infest our way.--Gaki! Gaki! where are you?--I pass about you and in my heart I carry fearlessness and faith.--Upon your wickedness I hurl belief.--Ah, now, I see you. THE GAKI Let me go! Let me go! RIKI You shall bring misery into no more hearts! THE GAKI Ah, pity me! Let me go! I must feed or I shall die! RIKI You shall feed no more! THE GAKI Do not let me die in this sixth hell! Do not let me die! Once I was human--like you and you. I came into this hell because I was bitter in life.--I made misery for others.--I put mischief in their minds.-- RIKI (_leaping upon him_) You shall make no more misery. THE GAKI Let me feed! Let me live! I can not die thus. RIKI (_throttling him_) Dread demon, the end has come! THE GAKI Please--please--hear me. RIKI Nay, you have made your last horror in our lives. OBAA-SAN Riki! Hear him--hear him.--We know not what we do, perhaps. RIKI Then speak. THE GAKI Let me go! Do you think it did not punish me to see your misery, to bring misery upon you? That is what these hells are. In life we can not always see what wretchedness we make; in the hells we see and know and understand, but we can not escape our evil until we've sucked the bitterness, the horror to the blackest end. Oh--five hells lie between me and human life. In each I may perchance forget the lesson learned before. Let me live! Let me live!--I can not fight your faith!--Let me live! RIKI What further harm will you do? THE GAKI I cannot help myself. I must live on you.--You are young-- [_He tears himself from Riki and once more rushes to the tree. Aoyagi writhes a moment in agony. Riki leaps upon The Gaki, throttling him once more. The struggle is terrific._ RIKI Die! THE GAKI Let me go! Let me live!--I promise anything--I-- RIKI Too late!--You shall harm no more! [_With one supreme effort, The Gaki draws himself to his full height and seems about to crush Riki. He leaps upon the prostrate Aoyagi and flings her body high above his head. Riki starts for him._ THE GAKI I shall live! I shall live! RIKI Aoyagi! THE GAKI Come not near me, Riki, or I shall crush her at your feet. I _shall_ live! [_He laughs the hideous laugh of triumph which rang out on the mountain side yesterday._ OBAA-SAN Give her back to us! Feed on me! THE GAKI In your heart there is only hope and beautiful memory. Old fool, I can not feed on you.--But now in my arms I hold the precious gift by which I shall pass from hell to hell. O-KATSU-SAN Take me! THE GAKI