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
The architecture of the supernal palace was of amazing proportions and
solid grandeur. Its aggregation of temples was sculptured out of one
mighty block of pale green marble. The vast quadrangle seemed a
tempest of imagination and art, whose temples, terraces and towers
were the expression of the infinite souls that formed them. The color
of the stone was beautifully relieved by broad bands of the vermilion
metal terrelium, that plated the walls with several parallel friezes,
which lent an amazing splendor to the scene, and made us feel as
though we were entering some palace of eternity, where magnificence
has no end.
We had no time to examine the marvels spread before our delighted
eyes, for, on the conclusion of our reception by the great officers of
the palace, we were conducted to chambers set apart for our use, to
rest and refresh ourselves to witness the exercises attending the
installation of a twin-soul on the following day.
The chief temple at Egyplosis was interiorly of semi-circular shape,
like a Greek theatre, five hundred feet in width. It was covered like
the pantheon with a sculptured roof and dome of many-colored glass.
The roof was one hundred and thirty feet above the lowest tier of
seats beneath or one hundred feet above the level of the highest seats
beneath. The walls were laboriously sculptured dado and field and
frieze, with bas-reliefs of the same character as the golden throne of
the gods that stood at the centre of the semi-circle.
The dado was thirty-two feet in height, on which were carved the
emblems of every possible machine, implement or invention that
conferred supremacy over nature in idealized grandeur. Battles of
flying wayleals and races of bockhockids were carved in grand
confusion. It was a splendid reunion of science and art.
Higher up the field space, which was fifty feet in height, was broken
by a gallery or cloister behind a tier of splendid pillars, themselves
carved with the emblems of art. The hidden wall, as well as those
portions above and below the cloister between dado and frieze, were
covered with endless representations of the creations of art. Heroic
eurythmic figures representing poetry, music, painting, architecture,
etc., formed a mighty symposium.
Highest of all, the enormous frieze, fully sixteen feet in width, was
one mighty band of solid terrelium. This had been cast in plates
having sculptured symbols in high relief of the sublime emblems of
Harikar, and portrayed scenes from the idealities and mysteries of
Egyplosis.
There were represented the fine and perfect figures of magicians in
the midst of their incantations, of sorcerers raising souls to life
again; there were visions of the sorcery of love in all its moods, and
of the rapt practices of twin-souls generating a creative force in
batteries of spirit power.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account