before me and caused them to keep watch over all my people wheresoever they might be.
And I raised up a mighty people and set them to labor that we might undo the evil that had beset the world and regain CTHRAG-YASKA that the malice of Aldur had made and thus hold and keep the world from the destruction which no man or God might forestall.
And behold, my brothers feared my wrath in that they had conspired against me and sent thieves to steal CTHRAG-YASKA. And they did flee from me – yea, and departed from the world and remained but in spirit each with his own people.
And for a thousand years and yet another thousand and three hundred more* did I send Nadraks and Murgos against the savage and barbarian Alorns with Thulls to bear their burdens and Grolims to guide them in my service. And it availed not, for the sons of the great thief Cherek, aided by the wicked sorcery of Belgarath, chief disciple of Aldur, did fall upon my people and destroy them.
In the west did the sons of Algar bestride strange beasts, swift and cruel, and harried my people back even unto the black mountains. And to the north did the sons of Dras the thick-witted, eldest son of Cherek, the thief, lie in wait and savagely ambush the brave Nadraks I had sent and foully destroyed them – yea, so utterly that a thousand years passed ere their numbers were restored. And call the Angaraks this battle the Battle of the Grief-Place, and each year upon the day of the Battle of the Grief-Place are a thousand Thullish maidens sacrificed and a thousand Thullish young men also. And also are sacrificed a hundred Murgo maidens and a hundred Murgo warriors and ten Nadrak maidens and ten Nadrak champions and a Grolim priestess and a new-born Grolim man-child, borne in her arms. And this is done that my people not forget the Battle of the Grief-Place and it will be so until CTHRAG-YASKA be returned unto me or until the end of days.
And it came to pass that my brother Issa slept, and I knew of this by reason of the counsel of Zedar, * a wise and just man who had abjured the malice of Aldur and the evil dominion of the wicked sorcerer Belgarath and had come unto me with offer of service and respect. Now Zedar had been a Disciple of Aldur and was well-taught in enchantments and sorceries, and after the fashion of sorcerers had his name been called Belzedar. But he had abjured this unseemly name upon the day when he had come into my service. And he brought forth a vision, and behold, my brother Issa, ever sluggish and indolent, had fallen into a deep slumber which had endured for a hundred years, and his priests could not rouse him nor the queen of his people either. And sent I Zedar unto the land of the snake people who worship my brother Issa, and he spake unto their queen and offered unto her wealth and power and Dominion over many lands if she would fall down and worship me and do my bidding. And behold, she consented to it, and in secret sent she her emissaries unto a certain place and did break the power of CTHRAG-YASKA which had by reason of the malice of Aldur and the sorceries of Belgarath raised a barrier against me. And once the sons of Riva, youngest son of Cherek, were no more, the enchantment was broken, and then might I come against the kingdoms of the west and demand the return of CTHRAG-YASKA that I might undo its evil sorceries.
And now are my people made ready, and will we now come against the kingdoms of the west which have hearkened unto the counsel and beguilements of wicked Gods and evil sorcerers and have sought to deny me that which is mine. And I will smite them with my wrath and harry them and multiply their sufferings enormously. And behold, I will cause them all to fall down and worship me, forasmuch as my brothers have all fled, I only remain, and I only am God in the world. And all men shall worship me and raise the sweet odor of sacrifice to me and I shall have Lordship and Dominion over all things, and the world shall be mine –
(The copy of the manuscript breaks off here.)
NOTE This strange fragment was discovered in the ruins of a Nyissan temple during an exploratory expedition by the twenty-third Imperial legion into northern Nyissa following the Alorn invasion of the land of the Snake People during the early forty-first century. The antiquity of the fragment and the general condition of the ruins of the temple in which it was found indicate that both more probably date back to the time of the invasion of the Marags rather than the more recent Alorn incursion.
1. Once
lived we in caves,
beside still brooks
and in mossy dells,
and ISSA
was with us,
(dull-eyed ISSA with cold skin)
– Praise the glory of ISSA’s name –
2. Content
were we to bask in sun
on warm rocks
and to slither at night
into dens cool and dry
beneath the rocks,
and ISSA
moved among us –
(Slow the movements,
sinuous and subtle)
and touched our faces
with dry cold hand,
and lapped
our scent from
out of air with
flickering tongue
– Praise the glory of ISSA’s name –
3. Solitary
watched we
the turn
of seasons,
years, light as dust
lay upon us,
and uncaring we watched
and ISSA
Instructed us
(sibilant the
voice
of beloved
ISSA and wise) –
Glory to the wisdom of ISSA –
4. Coiled
we with our
brothers,
the serpents,
and kissed
the
sweet
