on that, wisest of men as he was, he still did not see quite
straight on this occasion. Between me and my twin sister, enclosed in
one body, there never was any struggle, but instinctive reverence for
life withheld both of us from fighting for existence. Hers was
the stronger temperament, and she sacrificed herself--though not
consciously--for me.

"As soon as I comprehended this, I made a vow never to eat or destroy
anything that contained life--and I have kept it ever since.

"While I was still hardly a grown man, my father died. My mother's
death followed immediately, and I hated the associations of the land. I
therefore made up my mind to travel into my mother's country, where, as
she had often told me, nature was most sacred and solitary.

"One hot morning I came to Shaping's Causeway. It is so called either
because Shaping once crossed it, or because of its stupendous character.
It is a natural embankment, twenty miles long, which links the mountains
bordering my homeland with the Ifdawn Marest. The valley lies below at
a depth varying from eight to ten thousand feet--a terrible precipice
on either side. The knife edge of the ridge is generally not much over a
foot wide. The causeway goes due north and south. The valley on my right
hand was plunged in shadow--that on my left was sparkling with sunlight
and dew. I walked fearfully along this precarious path for some miles.
Far to the east the valley was closed by a lofty tableland, connecting
the two chains of mountains, but overtopping even the most towering
pinnacles. This is called the Sant Levels. I was never there, but I have
heard two curious facts concerning the inhabitants. The first is
that they have no women; the second, that though they are addicted to
travelling in other parts they never acquire habits of the peoples with
whom they reside.

"Presently I turned giddy, and lay at full length for a great while,
clutching the two edges of the path with both hands, and staring at the
ground I was lying on with wide-open eyes. When that passed I felt like
a different man and grew conceited and gay. About halfway across I
saw someone approaching me a long way off. This put fear into my heart
again, for I did not see how we could very well pass. However, I
went slowly on, and presently we drew near enough together for me to
recognise the walker. It was Slofork, the so-called sorcerer. I had
never met him before, but I knew him by his peculiarities of person.