ught by the hand of
some jungle mason that loved the tall fern well. Over the River of
Myth, which is one with the Waters of Fable, go bridges, fashioned
like the wisteria tree and like the drooping laburnum, and a hundred
others of wonderful devices, the desire of the souls of masons a
long while dead. Oh! very beautiful is white Babbulkund, very
beautiful she is, but proud; and the Lord the God of my people hath
seen her in her pride, and looking towards her hath seen the prayers
of Nehemoth going up to the abomination Annolith and all the people
following after Voth. She is very beautiful, Babbulkund; alas that
I may not bless her. I could live always on one of her inner
terraces looking on the mysterious jungle in her midst and the
heavenward faces of the orchids that, clambering from the darkness,
behold the sun. I could love Babbulkund with a great love, yet am I
the servant of the Lord the God of my people, and the King hath
sinned unto the abomination Annolith, and the people lust
exceedingly for Voth. Alas for thee, Babbulkund, alas that I may not
even now turn back, for tomorrow I must prophesy against thee and
cry out against thee, Babbulkund. But ye travellers that have
entreated me hospitably, rise and pass on with your camels, for I
can tarry no longer, and I go to do the work on Babbulkund of the
Lord the God of my people. Go now and see the beauty of Babbulkund
before I cry out against her, and then flee swiftly northwards.'

A smouldering fragment fell in upon our camp fire and sent a strange
light into the eyes of the man in rags. He rose at once, and his
tattered cloak swirled up with him like a great wing; he said no
more, but turned round from us instantly southwards, and strode away
into the darkness towards Babbulkund. Then a hush fell upon our
encampment, and the smell of the tobacco of those lands arose. When
the last flame died down in our camp fire I fell asleep, but my rest
was troubled by shifting dreams of doom.

Morning came, and our guides told us that we should come to the city
ere nightfall. Again we passed southwards through the changeless
desert; sometimes we met travellers coming from Babbulkund, with the
beauty of its marvels still fresh in their eyes.

When we encamped near the middle of the day we saw a great number of
people on foot coming towards us running, from the southwards. These
we hailed when they were come near, saying, 'What of Babbulkund?'

They answe