The Goddess of Atvatabar: Being the history of the discovery of the interior world and conquest of AtvatabarBradshaw, William Richard
Science
The Goddess of Atvatabar: Being the history of the discovery of the interior world and conquest of Atvatabar
Bradshaw, William Richard
Science fiction
Our departure from Egyplosis was attended with impressive ceremonies,
our journey to Calnogor being made in the aerial ship of the goddess.
On our arrival at Tanje we discovered that the king and government had
held their council unknown to the people. We did not think it
expedient either, just then, to make public the determination of the
goddess. I ordered my officers and sailors to Kioram forthwith to take
command of the _Polar King_. My instructions to Captain Wallace were
to have the ship fully supplied with stores, and remove her from the
basin where she lay into the outer harbor of Kioram, and there await
further orders. After a considerable period of inactivity the ship's
company were nothing loath to get on board again with the prospect of
another voyage. I confided to the officers the possibility of our
being engaged in hostile operations, and ordered the ship to be put
in fighting trim without delay. The officers and men were tendered the
dignity of riding to Kioram in the sacred locomotive, and their
departure was made amid the enthusiasm of the populace.
As for myself, I remained at the palace of Tanje, the residence of the
goddess, to assist Lyone in preparing her manifesto to the people.
It was a painful crisis for her, who was the symbol of ideal love, to
be the first to renounce its delights for the sake of an every-day
union with a beloved soul.
For days her decision trembled in the balance. Her avowal of being led
captive by human love would be a national catastrophe. She trembled
for her ten thousand devotees in Egyplosis. It seemed a cruel and
heartless trampling under foot of throbbing hearts that were thrilling
with faith in their goddess. When I saw Lyone prepared to abandon
Egyplosis for my sake, when I knew she would forever resign that
splendid throne swept by whirlwinds of adoration, for the sake of
being clasped to my heart, when I saw her risk even life itself for
the simple love of one adoring heart, I then knew what love really
was. It was, as Dante says,
"Joy past compare, gladness unutterable,
Exhaustless riches and unmeasured bliss."
At last the decision was made. Lyone had decided that the ideal love
of Egyplosis was only suited to disembodied spirits, and not for those
breathing elements of matter that are unable to exist in the spiritual
state.
The following was the text of her manifesto to the king, Borodemy and
people:
"_The Avowal of_ LYONE, _Supreme Goddess of Atvatabar, Holy
Ruler of the palaces, Supernal and Infernal, of Egyplosis,
Queen of Magicians, Mother of Sorcerers, Princess of
Arjeels, etc., etc., to His Most Excellent Majesty_ KING
ALDEMEGRY BHOOLMAKAR _and the People of Atvatabar_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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