Interlude
There was a woman who desired power. She took a boat and sailed alone to the Black Isle far offshore where, it was told, on moonless nights, the sea parted and from its depths rose a Being so terrible that to look upon it meant madness. If you risked it, the Being might grant you any wish you asked.
In the black of the moonless night the woman waited. At the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted with a great rush and roaring, and the Being rose from its depths. Its face was indescribable. The woman looked at it only out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power," said the woman. "I've been a daughter, a wife, and a mother. My parents died. My husband left me. My children are grown. My time has passed. Now I have nothing, but I want to have everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman sailed home. On the shore the peasants, the merchants, the lords and ladies met her and bowed down before her, calling her Queen. They took her to a palace and gave her riches and tributes. Peasants starved for her and soldiers gave their lives in her wars. But it was not enough.
One moonless night she ordered a boat and sailed alone to the Black Isle. In the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths. She looked at it out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power!" replied the woman. "I am a queen among queens, I hold riches and jewels and lives in my fingers, but they all pass through and I have nothing again. My subjects fear and despise me. I want their worship and their love; I want everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman sailed home. On the shore the kings and emperors of the earth met her and bowed down before her, calling her Reverent. They brought her to a cathedral, surrounded her with the blessed water and wine, washed and kissed her feet. At her command the holy armies spread to the far corners of the world, and blood soaked the earth for her. But it was not enough.
One moonless night she ordered a boat, and sailed again to the Black Isle. In the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths. She looked at it out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power!" said the woman. "I am the most Eminent priestess; all the kings of the world obey me. But that will all pass and I will have nothing again. The people despise me and whisper that I'm no more than the shadow of that which I serve. I want their worship and love; I want everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman returned home. The people who met her as she came to the shore had no name for her. They looked upon her and fell dead or into raving madness. Where she passed, the earth withered and died. Cities burned in her wake. Darkness spread from her and covered the world. The people who could not look at her fell down before her and offered her love, worship, everything, if only she would bring an end to this evil age. And it was not enough.
She swam to the Black Isle on the moonless night. At the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths.
WELL, WOMAN, it said. ARE YOU HAPPY?
NO. She began to weep. I'VE DESTROYED EVERYTHING I ONCE HAD. THE PEOPLE GIVE ME THEIR LOVE AND WORSHIP, AND I GIVE NOTHING BUT HORROR IN RETURN. PLEASE, MAKE ME LESS THAN WHAT I AM.
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being.
I DON'T WANT POWER ANYMORE, OR HAPPINESS, said the woman. I ONLY WANT TO END.
GO BACK, said the Being. TELL THE PEOPLE TO MAKE AN EFFIGY AND BURN YOU WITHIN IT.
The woman returned home to those who pressed their faces into the sand so as not to look at her, and told them how to end her. They built a tower of wood and wicker, sealed her within and set it ablaze. But the fire leapt from her to the people, to the cities, from shore to shore, across the ocean to the Black Isle and everywhere she had passed. The evil was consumed, and all else with it.
What remained was the Being, alone in the depths of the sea. Perhaps it smiled.
*
...Unsettling.
In the black of the moonless night the woman waited. At the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted with a great rush and roaring, and the Being rose from its depths. Its face was indescribable. The woman looked at it only out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power," said the woman. "I've been a daughter, a wife, and a mother. My parents died. My husband left me. My children are grown. My time has passed. Now I have nothing, but I want to have everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman sailed home. On the shore the peasants, the merchants, the lords and ladies met her and bowed down before her, calling her Queen. They took her to a palace and gave her riches and tributes. Peasants starved for her and soldiers gave their lives in her wars. But it was not enough.
One moonless night she ordered a boat and sailed alone to the Black Isle. In the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths. She looked at it out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power!" replied the woman. "I am a queen among queens, I hold riches and jewels and lives in my fingers, but they all pass through and I have nothing again. My subjects fear and despise me. I want their worship and their love; I want everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman sailed home. On the shore the kings and emperors of the earth met her and bowed down before her, calling her Reverent. They brought her to a cathedral, surrounded her with the blessed water and wine, washed and kissed her feet. At her command the holy armies spread to the far corners of the world, and blood soaked the earth for her. But it was not enough.
One moonless night she ordered a boat, and sailed again to the Black Isle. In the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths. She looked at it out of the corner of her eye, and so staved off madness.
WHAT DO YOU WANT? it asked her.
"Power!" said the woman. "I am the most Eminent priestess; all the kings of the world obey me. But that will all pass and I will have nothing again. The people despise me and whisper that I'm no more than the shadow of that which I serve. I want their worship and love; I want everything. Make me greater than I am!"
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being. But it granted her wish.
The woman returned home. The people who met her as she came to the shore had no name for her. They looked upon her and fell dead or into raving madness. Where she passed, the earth withered and died. Cities burned in her wake. Darkness spread from her and covered the world. The people who could not look at her fell down before her and offered her love, worship, everything, if only she would bring an end to this evil age. And it was not enough.
She swam to the Black Isle on the moonless night. At the bleak hour before dawn the sea parted and the Being rose from its depths.
WELL, WOMAN, it said. ARE YOU HAPPY?
NO. She began to weep. I'VE DESTROYED EVERYTHING I ONCE HAD. THE PEOPLE GIVE ME THEIR LOVE AND WORSHIP, AND I GIVE NOTHING BUT HORROR IN RETURN. PLEASE, MAKE ME LESS THAN WHAT I AM.
YOU WILL NOT BE HAPPY, said the Being.
I DON'T WANT POWER ANYMORE, OR HAPPINESS, said the woman. I ONLY WANT TO END.
GO BACK, said the Being. TELL THE PEOPLE TO MAKE AN EFFIGY AND BURN YOU WITHIN IT.
The woman returned home to those who pressed their faces into the sand so as not to look at her, and told them how to end her. They built a tower of wood and wicker, sealed her within and set it ablaze. But the fire leapt from her to the people, to the cities, from shore to shore, across the ocean to the Black Isle and everywhere she had passed. The evil was consumed, and all else with it.
What remained was the Being, alone in the depths of the sea. Perhaps it smiled.
*
...Unsettling.