THE GODS OF PEGANA LORD DUNSANY CONTENTS Preface Introduction Of Skarl the Drummer Of the Making of the Worlds Of the Game of the Gods The Chaunt of the Gods The Sayings of Kib Concerning Sish The Sayings of Slid The Deeds of Mung The Chaunt The Sayings of Limpang-Tung Of Yoharneth-Lahai Of Roon, the God of Going, and the Thousand Home Gods The Revolt of the Home Gods Of Dorozhand The Eye in the Waste Of the Thing That Is Neither God Nor Beast Yonath the Prophet Yug the Prophet Alhireth-Hotep The Prophet Kabok The Prophet Of the Calamity That Befel Yun-Hara by the Sea, and of the Building of the Tower of the Ending of Days Of How the Gods Whelmed Sidith Of How Imbaun Became High Prophet in Aradec of all the Gods Save One Of How Imbaun Met Zodrak Pegana The Sayings of Imbaun Of How Imbaun Spake of Death to the King Of Ood The River The Bird of Doom and THE END PREFACE In the mists before THE BEGINNING, Fate and Chance cast lots to decide whose the Game should be; and he that won strode through the mists to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI and said: “Now make gods for Me, for I have won the cast and the Game is to be Mine.” Who it was that won the cast, and whether it was Fate or whether Chance that went through the mists before THE BEGINNING to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI--_none knoweth._ INTRODUCTION Before there stood gods upon Olympus, or ever Allah was Allah, had wrought and rested MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI. There are in Pegana Mung and Sish and Kib, and the maker of all small gods, who is MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI. Moreover, we have a faith in Roon and Slid. And it has been said of old that all things that have been were wrought by the small gods, excepting only MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, who made the gods and hath thereafter rested. And none may pray to MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI but only the gods whom he hath made. But at the Last will MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI forget to rest, and will make again new gods and other worlds, and will destroy the gods whom he hath made. And the gods and the worlds shall depart, and there shall be only MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI. OF SKARL THE DRUMMER When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI had made the gods and Skarl, Skarl made a drum, and began to beat upon it that he might drum for ever. Then because he was weary after the making of the gods, and because of the drumming of Skarl, did MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI grow drowsy and fall asleep. And there fell a hush upon the gods when they saw that MANA rested, and there was silence on Pegana save for the drumming of Skarl. Skarl sitteth upon the mist before the feet of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, above the gods of Pegana, and there he beateth his drum. Some say that the Worlds and the Suns are but the echoes of the drumming of Skarl, and others say that they be dreams that arise in the mind of MANA because of the drumming of Skarl, as one may dream whose rest is troubled by sound of song, but none knoweth, for who hath heard the voice of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, or who hath seen his drummer?