The ninth vibration and other stories — John Shaqi
The ninth vibration and other storiesBeck, L. Adams (Lily Adams)
Science
The ninth vibration and other stories
Beck, L. Adams (Lily Adams)
Fantasy fiction; Paranormal fiction; Short stories
(The man lying at the feet of the Dweller in the Heights, raised a heavy
arm and flung it above his head, despairing, and it fell again on the
cross of his torment. And the voice went on.)
And as he said this, her heart broke; and she went and her feet were
weary. So she took the wise book she loved and unrolled it until she
came to a certain passage, and this she read twice; “If the heart of
a slave be broken it may be mended with jewels and soft words, but the
heart of a Princess can be healed only by the King who broke it, or in
Yamapura, the City under the Sunset where they make all things new. Now,
Yama, the Lord of this City, is the Lord of Death.” And having thus read
the Princess rolled the book and put it from her.
And next day, the King said to his women; “Send for her,” for his heart
smote him and he desired to atone royally for the shame of his speech.
And they sought and came back saying;
“Maharaj, she is gone. We cannot find her.”
Fear grew in the heart of the King--a nameless dread, and he said,
“Search.” And again they sought and returned and the King was striding
up and down the great hall and none dared cross his path. But,
trembling, they told him, and he replied; “Search again. I will not lose
her, and, slave though be, she shall be my Queen.”
So they ran, dispersing to the Four Quarters, and King strode up and
down the hall, and Loneliness kept step with him and clasped his hand
and looked his eyes.
Then the youngest of the women entered with a tale to tell. “Majesty,
we have found her. She lies beside the lake. When the birds fled this
morning she fled with them, but upon a longer journey. Even to Yamapura,
the City under the Sunset.”
And the King said; “Let none follow.” And he strode forth swiftly, white
with thoughts he dared not think.
The Princess lay among the gold of the fallen leaves. All was gold,
for her bright hair was out-spread in shining waves and in it shone the
glory of the hidden crown. On her face was no smile--only at last was
revealed the patience she had covered with laughter so long that even
the voice of the King could not now break it into joy. The hands that
had clung, the swift feet that had run beside his, the tender body,
mighty to serve and to love, lay within touch but farther away than the
uttermost star was the Far Away Princess, known and loved too late.
And he said; “My Princess--O my Princess!” and laid his head on her cold
bosom.
“Too late!” a harsh Voice croaked beside him, and it was the voice of
the Jester who mocks at all things. “Too late! O madness, to despise
the blood royal because it humbled itself to service and so was doubly
royal. The Far Away Princess came laden with great gifts, and to her the
King’s gift was the wage of a slave and a broken heart. Cast your crown
and sceptre in the dust, O King--O King of Fools.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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