“I am a merchant’s daughter
And heir to the family fortune
And more jewels than you’ll ever see.
Come with me to my mansion
For time is passing quickly
And soon runs out, you see.
Come with me to my mansion
And taste prosperity.”
And she was a merchant’s daughter
Eyes like star sapphires
Gilded scales like her father’s
And more jewels than I’d ever see.
I passed her glittering beauty by,
Knowing jewels are spent in time,
And bid her well, for courtesy:
But I would not to her mansion,
Would not go with her to her mansion,
For all prosperity.
While wandering through the forest
Senses keen for hunting
I met a lovely lady
And this she said to me:
“I am of the greenwood
And my heart is of the greenwood
And the Sana’ati tree.
Come with me to the greenwood
For time is passing quickly,
And soon runs out, you see.
Come with me to the greenwood
And dance, for charity.”
And she was of the greenwood
Leaf-green eyes of the greenwood
Mottled scales of the greenwood
And the bark of the Sana’ati tree.
I passed her greenwood beauty by,
Knowing all leaves fall in time,
And bid her well, for courtesy:
But I would not to the greenwood,
Would not go to the greenwood
For all of charity.
While bidding a friend fair journeys
Upon an ocean dock
I met a lovely lady
And this she said to me:
“I am of the ocean
And my heart is of the ocean
And the ever stretching sea.
Come with me to the ocean,
For time is passing quickly,
And soon runs out, you see.
Come with me to the ocean,
And know eternity.”
And she was of the ocean
Deep blue eyes of the ocean
Silver scales of the ocean
And a step that knew the sea.
I passed her ocean beauty by,
Though I knew the sea would roll and drift
In its patterned tides eternally:
But I would not go to the ocean,
Had no heart for the ocean,
Bid her well, for courtesy:
Would not go to the ocean
For all eternity.
Having turned from gold and greenwood,
Having turned from rolling sea,
I thought that I might drift forever
Alone through the world for eternity.
Then, in the shadows, I saw a child,
Emerald eyed, and pale as death,
Sent by another.
He spoke to me:
“I am of the shadows
I was sent here by the shadows
And the shadows beckon thee.
Venture into the shadows
For the Queen of Nightmares calls you:
The All-Seeing Goddess calls you.
Go to Her chosen city,
And kneel to Dergati.”
And I stepped into the shadows
At the child’s mocking summons:
I knelt to an altar I never saw,
And I called on Dergati.
And She was of the shadows
Bone-white skin of the shadows
Pure black eyes of the shadows.
Shrike-feathered hair of the shadows:
The Goddess looked at me.
I knelt in the terror-black shadows
And a nightmare beat at my temples
And her triple gaze tore through illusions,
And the sound of the shrike-wings beating
Dissected retreat into stillness.
Entranced by the voice of the Goddess,
I knelt at the unseen altar,
And made my vows in piety:
I followed into the darkness
And drank of the cup of the darkness,
The nightmare cup of Dergati.
On this day you have heard me,
Listen, and remember,
For you have heard my story,
And this I say to thee:
“I am born of nightmare
And my heart knows naught save nightmare
And the Goddess that I serve
And the shadows that I see.
Come with me to my nightmare,
For time is passing quickly,
And soon runs out, you see.
Come with me to my patron,
the dark Queen Dergati.
“For I am the Hound of Dergati
Pure white scales of Dergati
Star-grey eyes of Lord Phelim
Black silk shroud of Damaris:
I am the Hound of Dergati.
Come with me to the shadows.
Drink nightmare’s cup with me.”