RISING FROM THE SEA,

A GREAT BEAST

HAVING TWO HEADS

AND EIGHTEEN HORNS,

PROFESSING ITSELF

TO BE CALLED

“DELUSION AND REALITY”.

AND FROM ONE MOUTH

A TARNISHED SWORD DID EXTEND,

TO PIERCE THE OTHER’S NECK.

AND A TERRIBLE SOUND

WAS PRODUCED FROM THIS

DEADLY WOUND,

ITS PITCH RISING UNTIL

IT REACHED THE FAMILIAR

WAIL OF A NEWBORN’S CRY.

AND THE BEAST DID CALL ME

BY MY GIVEN NAME,

AND FROM ITS WOUNDED HEAD

IT SPOKE IN THE VOICE OF A STORM:

“ALE, ALE… BEHOLD THE EMISSARY OF CHAOS… COME TO US NOW, THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE HER BLESSING.”

AND WHAT I TELL YOU IS TRUE,

THAT I DID SEE THE TARNISHED SWORD

RETREAT FROM THE NECK OF

THE WOUNDED BEAST,

AND FROM WHERE IT HAD BEEN BURIED,

A YOUNG WOMAN EMERGED,

DRESSED IN STRANGE BLACK FURS,

HAVING EYES THAT DID GLOW

AS LIKE A BRILLIANT YELLOW FLAME

SET BEHIND AN AMBERINE PANE OF GLASS.

AND HER MOUTH OPENED TO PRODUCE

THAT SAME VOICE BY WHICH THE BEAST

HAD FIRST ADDRESSED ME,

AND THEY SAID:

“ALE… MY SPEAR IS CALLED ATONEMENT,

AND YOUR BLOOD WILL BE ITS POLISH.”

THEN IT HAPPENED THAT THIS WOMAN

DESCENDED INTO THE SHALLOWS

BEFORE THE BEAST,

AND THAT WATER DID BOIL AS SHE TREAD…

SHE WAS AS LIKE A TORRENT IN HER APPROACH.

I TRIED TO SCREAM FOR MERCY,

SO FEROCIOUS WAS SHE,

BUT I FOUND MYSELF UNABLE TO PROTEST HER CHARGE.

THE SPLASHING OF HER FEET STOPPED AT ONCE,

AND SHE FLEW ACROSS THE SANDS

WITH A CRYSTALLINE SPEAR, WHOSE TIP WAS GLOWING AS BURNING COALS… THAT SHE DID BURY IN MY CHEST.

THE GREAT BEAST COLLAPSED NOW INTO THE SAME SEA,

CAUSING A GREAT WAVE OF FORTY CUBITS OR MORE.

THE ASSASSIN GAZED INTO MY OWN EYES

AS THE WAVE ROSE OVER US…

AND A CALMNESS OVERTOOK MY SPIRIT.

HER RAGE SWELLED, AS SHE EMBRACED ME

IN THE CRASHING DELUGE..

AND SHE DID SPEAK:

“BEHOLD, I AM CALLED CHAOS. REACH INTO MY CLOAK, AND CLAIM MY HEART.”

I DID FOLLOW THIS COMMAND, AND SLID MY HAND PAST HER BLACK FUR,

AND INTO SOMETHING WHICH FELT WET AND SOFT, LIKE A LIVING SPONGE…

THIS WOMAN, WITH HER SPEAR STILL

HOLDING ME UPRIGHT,

SMILED IN THE SHADOW OF THE FALLING WAVE…

I WAS ENCHANTED BY HER EYES.

I OPENED MY MOUTH, TO REASON

WITH THE WOMAN

WHO HAD EMERGED FROM THE GREAT BEAST…

TO ASK WHY I DESERVED THIS FATE…

BUT MY MOUTH WAS FLOODED,

MY VISION WAS BLURRED, WITHIN

THIS POCKET OF FALLEN SEA…

AND I DID WATCH, AS TWO BRILLIANT

BEAMS OF LIGHT DRIFTED AWAY FROM ME…

AS LIKE YELLOW FLAMES,

SET BEHIND AN AMBERINE PANE OF GLASS…