d wings, and preserved
me from breaking my head on the roof of the pyramid from which we had
ascended.

"I see," she said, "that your trials are in vain, not from the fault
of the wings and their appurtenances, nor from any imperfectness and
malformation of your own corpuscular system, but from irremediable,
because organic, defect in your power of volition. Learn that the
connection between the will and the agencies of that fluid which has
been subjected to the control of the Vril-ya was never established by
the first discoverers, never achieved by a single generation; it has
gone on increasing, like other properties of race, in proportion as it
has been uniformly transmitted from parent to child, so that, at last,
it has become an instinct; and an infant An of our race wills to fly
as intuitively and unconsciously as he wills to walk. He thus plies his
invented or artificial wings with as much safety as a bird plies those
with which it is born. I did not think sufficiently of this when I
allowed you to try an experiment which allured me, for I have longed to
have in you a companion. I shall abandon the experiment now. Your life
is becoming dear to me." Herewith the Gy's voice and face softened, and
I felt more seriously alarmed than I had been in my previous flights.

Now that I am on the subject of wings, I ought not to omit mention of a
custom among the Gy-ei which seems to me very pretty and tender in the
sentiment it implies. A Gy wears wings habitually when yet a virgin--she
joins the Ana in their aerial sports--she adventures alone and afar into
the wilder regions of the sunless world: in the boldness and height of
her soarings, not less than in the grace of her movements, she excels
the opposite sex. But, from the day of her marriage she wears wings
no more, she suspends them with her own willing hand over the nuptial
couch, never to be resumed unless the marriage tie be severed by divorce
or death.

Now when Zee's voice and eyes thus softened--and at that softening I
prophetically recoiled and shuddered--Taee, who had accompanied us in
our flights, but who, child-like, had been much more amused with my
awkwardness, than sympathising in my fears or aware of my danger,
hovered over us, poised amidst spread wings, and hearing the endearing
words of the young Gy, laughed aloud. Said he, "If the Tish cannot
learn the use of wings, you may still be his companion, Zee, for you can
suspend your own."

Chapter