The Gods of Pegana | Page 2

it be
morning among the worlds or whether it be night, Skarl still beateth his
drum, for the purposes of the gods are not yet fulfilled. Sometimes the
arm of Skarl grows weary; but still he beateth his drum, that the gods
may do the work of the gods, and the worlds go on, for if he cease for
an instant then MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI will start awake, and there
will be worlds nor gods no more.
But, when at the last the arm of Skarl shall cease to beat his drum,
silence shall startle Pegana like thunder in a cave, and
MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI shall cease to rest.
Then shall Skarl put his drum upon his back and walk forth into the
void beyond the worlds, because it is THE END, and the work of Skarl
is over.
There may arise some other god whom Skarl may serve, or it may be
that he shall perish; but to Skarl it shall matter not, for he shall have
done the work of Skarl.

OF THE MAKING OF THE WORLDS
When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI had made the gods there were only the
gods, and They sat in the middle of Time, for there was as much Time
before them as behind them, which having no end had neither a
beginning.
And Pegana was without heat or light or sound, save for the drumming
of Skarl; moreover Pegana was The Middle of All, for there was below
Pegana what there was above it, and there lay before it that which lay
beyond.
Then said the gods, making the signs of the gods and speaking with
Their hands lest the silence of Pegana should blush; then said the gods
to one another, speaking with Their hands; "Let Us make worlds to
amuse Ourselves while MANA rests. Let Us make worlds and Life and
Death, and colours in the sky; only let Us not break the silence upon
Pegana."
Then raising Their hands, each god according to his sign, They made
the worlds and the suns, and put a light in the houses of the sky.
Then said the gods: "Let Us make one to seek, to seek and never to find
out concerning the wherefore of the making of the gods."
And They made by the lifting of Their hands, each god according to his
sign, the Bright One with the flaring tail to seek from the end of the
Worlds to the end of them again, to return again after a hundred years.
Man, when thou seest the comet, know that another seeketh besides
thee nor ever findeth out.
Then said the gods, still speaking with Their hands: "Let there be now a
Watcher to regard."
And They made the Moon, with his face wrinkled with many
mountains and worn with a thousand valleys, to regard with pale eyes
the games of the small gods, and to watch throughout the resting time
of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI; to watch, to regard all things, and be
silent.
Then said the gods: "Let Us make one to rest. One not to move among
the moving. One not to seek like the comet, nor to go round like the
worlds; to rest while MANA rests."
And They made the Star of the Abiding and set it in the North.
Man, when thou seest the Star of the Abiding to the North, know that
one resteth as doth MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, and know that

somewhere among the Worlds is rest.
Lastly the gods said: "We have made worlds and suns, and one to seek
and another to regard, let Us now make one to wonder."
And They made Earth to wonder, each god by the uplifting of his hand
according to his sign.
And Earth was.

OF THE GAME OF THE GODS
A million years passed over the first game of the gods. And
MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI still rested, still in the middle of Time, and
the gods still played with Worlds. The Moon regarded, and the Bright
One sought, and returned again to his seeking.
Then Kib grew weary of the first game of the gods, and raised his hand
in Pegana, making the sign of Kib, and Earth became covered with
beasts for Kib to play with.
And Kib played with beasts.
But the other gods said one to another, speaking with their hands:
"What is it that Kib has done?"
And They said to Kib: "What are these things that move upon The
Earth yet move not in circles like the Worlds, that regard like the Moon
and yet they do not shine?"
And Kib said: "This is Life."
But the gods said one to another: "If Kib has thus made beasts he will
in time make Men, and will endanger the Secret of the gods."
And Mung was jealous of the work of Kib, and sent