PHANTASMAGORIA.

CHARACTERS:

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE BEAUTY AMBITION PITY LOVE HATE DESPAIR REASON HOPE FEAR GREED

FIRST—POWERS OF DARKNESS

SECOND

THIRD

FOURTH

FIFTH

SIXTH

SERAPHIM

CHERUBIM

Clouds upon clouds of birds, snakes, fish, animals, men, flowers, trees, planets, suns.

SCENE I—The House of Birth.

SCENE II—The House of Life.

SCENE III—The House of Death.

SCENE I. THE HOUSE OF BIRTH

SCENE: Darkness and illimitable space. Æons of time, as measured by the illusion of time, elapse. THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, as force, inert, yet all-in-all, rests quiescent. A faint pulsing begins. Without thought or reason, restless, chaotic, the idea of separateness and individuality generates—an insane dream. The cloudy length of a giant outlines itself, reclining in endless space. It appears and disappears, now a thigh, now an arm, only to fade again. The vague outlines of a brow and cheek appear, only to fade again. Æons of time elapse. The illusion reasserts itself. Cloudy fire-mists pour from his nostrils. Poles of light erect themselves from materialized temples. Blazing suns and meteors burst forth and swirl about his head. Strange and multitudinous forms manifest themselves—animals, birds, fishes, horned and winged things. They appear and disappear, as thoughts form and fade. He is blind, aged, insane. He erects imaginary titanic arms and rubs his changing, stupendous face with his changing hands.

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He sinks back wearily, all but the outlines of his head disappearing.)

BEAUTY (a thought)

(Leaping, pink-limbed and perfect, from his brain, a figure of delight.) Lord, thou hast created me! I am thy perfect thought, thy happiest illusion! I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped! (She springs sinuously among the spinning, changing spheres, a radiant smile upon her face, her arms tossed upward in delight.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Materializing himself fully, a paretic smile upon his lips. He rubs his face and imagines eyes, giving himself sight, and surveys her broodingly.) Have I created thee? Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He rubs his flaming hair.) I must not forget thee! I must not forget thee! Oh, ho, ho! Thou art Beauty! (His expression changes; an unimaginable weariness settles upon his face, aged, æonic. He frowns and leers and partly fades, re-establishing himself after a time. As he does so, AMBITION, a sinister thought, club in hand and darkling and scowling, a figure of terror, leaps from his eyes.)

AMBITION

(Brandishing his club.) I will be obeyed! I will be obeyed! Out of thy terror, Lord, thou hast created me! War and strife will I have! War! War! (He struts and stares.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(The darkling mood passing, a light of momentary peace settling on his face. He gazes at the figure tolerantly.) Have I created thee? Weary! Weary! I am weary! (He stretches his arms.) But stay! I am lonely. Be thou what thou art. (He draws himself to a sitting position, all the height and depth of space.)

BEAUTY

(Threading a necklace of suns.) I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped! (She croons joyously.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(His mood changing, a giant despair creeping into his eyes.) Forever and ever! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Forever and ever! It is a dream! (He staggers to his feet, the great shadowy arms flailing wildly. As he does so he imagines Space and Time, and begins to wander down their lengths, staggering as he goes. From his brow leap HATE, DESPAIR, PITY, HOPE, FEAR, thoughts all, the last two with great round eyes and open mouths. At the same time clouds upon clouds of unimaginable forms and characters, previously non-existent, come into being, the product of his fancy. Suns, worlds, fire-mists, swarms of birds, snakes, fishes, animals and men are born, strange wraiths that float in wreaths about him and traverse all immensity. They circle, murmur, mutter, cry. The avatars of men come forth, huge forms of gas. They are preceded and followed by vast clouds of thoughts of their own—ravening, embodied fancies that bicker and contest. These immense companies and semblances appear and disappear, as the primary figure thinks or loses memory of what he has thought. He alternately laughs and groans, maundering.)

BEAUTY

(Dancing on before.) I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped!

AMBITION

(Gathering at his back vast clouds of restless, threatening figures like himself.) I am his thought of strength! I am his thought of power. I am his thought of rage! I am his thought of contest! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Follow me! Follow me! See, we will sow destruction! We will spread despair! We will slay! We will burn! Oh, ho, ho, ho!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Wildly, his fancy flaming furiously.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! I am God! I am that I am—all in all! I am my dream of myself! I will dream me dreams, visions. These are my creations, all! (He turns and surveys his endless fancies of horror and delight.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Come, Art! Come, Love! Come, Hope! Come, Death! Dream as I dream! Create destiny, suffer! I am God! I cannot die! Insane! Insane! Insane! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He shouts in agony, then joy, then sobs, staggering as he does so, ending in a gale of lunatic laughter.)

PITY

(To LOVE, hovering near.) We are his children; and we can do nothing?

LOVE

Nothing, save he think on us.

PITY

(To HOPE.) Canst thou do nothing?

HOPE

Nothing, save he think on me and thee.

HATE

(Clasping the hand of DESPAIR.) Come aside. Are not we his thought also? What have we in common with them?

DESPAIR

(Darkly.) Nothing! Nothing! Yet are we his thought also, but not of them! No, no, no! He should sleep again! He should sleep!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Staggering and writhing.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! I am God! I dream me dreams! I build me endless wonders, endless pleasures, endless horrors! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He staggers madly on.)

BEAUTY

Build thou me temples of beauty, Lord! I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped!

AMBITION

Make thou me worlds and legions! Worlds! Worlds! And legions! I would rule! I would slay! I would burn!

LOVE

Oh, but wilt thou make flowers and vast realms of quiet places, Lord? Or but little valleys, if thou wilt? Make streams and pretty shelters! Give not all to Ambition, Lord! Give not all to war!

HATE

(Springing before his face.) Make thou me implements of terror! Create thou me forms of horror, of evil! Spin thou me dark chains and darker places! Make thou tortures of failure and regret, Lord—tortures! Tortures! (He glowers about him.)

PITY

Nay, Lord, let not all be of horror and hate! Think thou on me, Lord, of sweet pity and tender things! Or, if thou canst not, think thou but of ways that I may heal what Hate will destroy, what Ambition would crush. Think thou thus, Lord! I am a thought of thine also!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Wearily.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He staggers on.)

FEAR

Lord, do thou protect me! Do thou conceal me! Forget me not, Lord! Forget me not! I fear! I fear!

DESPAIR

Why dost thou not sleep, Lord? Of what avail are we, thy fancies? Oh, why dost thou not sleep? Sleep! Sleep! Sleep!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Staggering on.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Space—Time—I have made me these! Suns—Planets—I have made me these! Love—Hate—I have made me these! Hope—Fear—I have made me these! Beauty—I have made me this! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He staggers on, gesticulating and laughing stupendously.)

BEAUTY

(Wildly.) I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped!

SCENE II: THE HOUSE OF LIFE.

SCENE: The cloudy realms of space. At a point, halls of illimitable and indescribable splendor, the colorings of the dawn. Beyond, a swirling belt of suns and satellites glittering thinly against the dark. Beyond this, in measureless nothingness, the suggestion of other clouds of suns and planets, spinning. At the center, the Presence, couched upon gold and porphyry, high-piled, cloud on cloud. Poles of outpouring thought, great flames, radiate from his brows; about him a nimbus of fire. He is now fully self-materialized and concentrated, but sits quiescent, weary, lonely, a compendium of vagrom, changeful, insane emotions and ideas. Immediately before him, BEAUTY, LOVE, PITY, HOPE, REASON—colorful shadows all—as well as beasts, birds, fishes, reptiles, flowers, trees; men and women in cloudy, wraith-like masses. Above him, immense legions of CHERUBIM and SERAPHIM, figures of translucent light, radiant, choral. In the background, AMBITION; about him swirl, darkling, HATE, FEAR, GREED, DESPAIR, and behind them, cloud upon cloud, sinister figures, emissaries, dreams, the darker products of the Lord’s fancy.

SERAPHIM AND CHERUBIM

(Fanning with glittering wings.) Hail, our Creator! Hail, Lord! Do thou remain forever in thought our Creator, our Thinker! Blessed be thy reality! Hail! Hail!

BEAUTY

(Surveying from a glistering footstool, nearest of all the swarming universe.) Am I not beautiful, Lord? Am I not thy thought of Beauty? Art thou not content to think on me, thy first thought? And shall I not be thy last? Thou hast but commanded, and they worship me! Thou but thinkest, and I am supernal in beauty! (She smiles.) They worship me! They worship me!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Broodingly.) Sweet thought—my dearest thought!

AMBITION

(Clanking ponderous armor, a cloudy giant in moody meditation.) We wait! We wait! He thinks not on us! He thinks not on us. Now are his thoughts of drooling pleasure—of Beauty, of Hope, Peace—pale nothings all—Seraphim and Cherubim, mere fluttering figures of light! Beauty reigns! Hope and Reason and Pity are at her feet! See how the universe peoples itself with these, his fancies! He dreams but fair dreams!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(To BEAUTY, turning slowly and viewing complacently the immensity and beauty of his fancy.) Art thou pleased, then, with what I have made for thee? See, see—dreams, dreams, sweet dreams all—mad fancies all—mad! Mad! That which I make is madness all—disordered dreams! I am mad, mad!

BEAUTY

Wondrous, Lord, of whom I am the first! Great Creator! Thou art wonder and beauty all. Sweet are thy dreams! Sweet thy madness! Sweet am I! But sleep no more, Lord! Dream on. It is sweet to be worshiped so! I would be worshiped! I would be worshiped!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Sayest thou so, perfect thought? It is sweet madness? Oh, ho, ho, ho! A thing of now, and then no longer! Thou art a fair dream, a dear one, but nothing—nothing! Is not that transcendant sorrow—madness?

BEAUTY

(Caressingly.) Oh, think not so, Lord! Think not so! A dear dream! A wondrous dream!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Darkly and broodingly.) What am I? What art thou? What are these? (He waves a vast hand.) What it all is I cannot think—or why—or whence—or where. I dream and sleep—I sleep and dream! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! A dream! A dream! Sayest thou a sweet dream? A sweet dream! Oh, ho, ho, ho! I have lost the key! I have lost the key! (He laughs loudly, sadly.)

AMBITION

(In the background, rumbling.) He has lost the key! He has lost the key!

BEAUTY

A sweet dream, Lord! A sweet dream! Sleep no more, Lord! Sleep no more! It is all too sweet! Sleep no more! (She smiles.)

AMBITION

(Restlessly.) He dreams but useless things! We grow to thin nothings! (He clanks his armor weakly.)

PITY

Think kindly, Lord! Kind and tender thoughts! It is best ever!

THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

(Rumbling.) Hail! Let Hope be forgotten! And Love! And Pity! Hail!

BEAUTY

(Rising and laying a hand upon his brow.) Lord, I am thy first-born. After me came these. (She motions to HOPE, PITY, REASON.) I am thy first thought, thy thought of Beauty! Say it! Remember me! Forget me not! All else avails so little! And think thou not on Ambition or Hate. They would destroy—even me! Even me! (She smiles.)

THE POWERS OF DARKNESS

(Thundering:) Yea, even Beauty, Lord! What is Beauty to thee?

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Gazing dully.) Beauty! Beauty! Can I remember thee always, even though I would? Thine eyes! What is it I meant by thine eyes? (He gazes into them.) Mad! Mad! Mad!

AMBITION

(Angrily, clanking his armor.) He drools and dreams! Me, his best thought—his greatest—he forgets! I am his horror, his strength, his despair, his power—yet he thinks not on me! Beauty! Beauty! And I wait in shadow! I, his rage—yet he sleeps in vagrom thoughts of beauty! Awake, Lord! Forget these pale shadows! Are not thy darker thoughts better? Think thou on me! On Power! Come, Hate! Come, Anger! Come, Despair! Come, Fear! Sit ye all with me!

FEAR

Only let me return unto thee, Lord! I fear! I fear!

BEAUTY

(To AMBITION, angrily.) And if he thought on thee, what then? Storms, horrors, all blackness and rage! Thou art such! Is not Beauty better?—this light?—this song?—these Cherubim and Seraphim? Wilt thou have naught but shadow? Avaunt! To think on thee is death, destruction, the end of all! Oh, no, Lord! Oh, no, no, no! Put them all hence! Think thou on me! Are not all thy fair dreams, in which suns cluster and lovely forms bud forth, more to thee than these, thy darker? (She smiles winningly.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Heavily.) I am that I am!

AMBITION

(Fiercely glowering and sulking.) Yea; Terror, Might, Strength, Death thou art! Think thou on me!

BEAUTY

Nay—Love, Beauty, All Perfectness, Light, Joy, Song—so art thou, and so only! Think thou on me, Lord! Think thou on me! (She smooths his hands.)

HATE, FEAR, GREED, DESPAIR

(In chorus.) Think thou on us! Are not we of thee?

LOVE, PITY, HOPE, REASON

(In chorus.) Think thou on us! Are not we of thee?

CHERUBIM AND SERAPHIM

Thou everlasting glory—Hail! Hail!

AMBITION

(Angrily.) Vanish, vain things! Dream, Lord, no more! (He glowers and sulks.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(To BEAUTY sadly.) I know not whether thou art best or worst. But stay, stay! Stay thou with me but yet a while! Let me not forget this thing that thou art—wonder, light, a glorious dream! (He sighs.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Let me think no more of horrors! Of that I am aweary! Mad! Mad! Mad! Yet now I have thee—thou art a pleasant thought, thou joyous dream of fair things! Beauty! Beauty! Oh, Beauty! (He smooths her cheek.)

A CLOUD OF SERAPHIM

(Fluttering nigh.) He dreams of Beauty! We will not die! Hail! Hail!

A CLOUD OF SERAPHIM

He smiles on Beauty! We will not die! Hail! Hail!

AMBITION

(A hovering, terrible figure in the gloom.) He rests and drools! All is light and song! He thinks not on death!

(The shadows recede into the darkness, to all but nothingness; the endless legions of suns twinkle; the clouds of CHERUBIM and SERAPHIM swirl and turn.)

SCENE III: THE HOUSE OF DEATH

SCENE: A chamber of unimaginable horrors, vast, murky, involute, in which serpents twist and writhe; tortured figures crawl and groan; beasts of many heads and paws prowl to and fro, and all slimy odorous forms interlace in welters and sloughs and draperies and festoons. At the center, the Throne of the Lord, a mound of unclean beasts and serpents, hung over by clouds of evil spirits; his present embodied thoughts. At his side, huddled in despair, faint, pale shadows of their former selves, the thinnest of dreams—BEAUTY, REASON, PITY, HOPE, LOVE. Before him in glowering fullness, grown to vast proportions, AMBITION, and behind him the legions of his fancy, black and fulgurous, drawn close about. Insane, fevered, maundering, the LORD OF THE UNIVERSE bellows of destruction.

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Death! Death! Death! Thou dearest death! Bring thou me heaps of dead—the endless slain! Breed winged and forked things, horrors all! Bring thou me shames, despairs, disasters, with which to torture and slay! Go forth! Go forth! Sweep thou with Hate, with Rage, with Despair, with Fear! Breed me vast powers of evil, and still vaster! Rank thou me them rank on rank—file by file! (He thinks on tortured forms.) Make me armies of horrors, of woes, of immedicable griefs! (As he thinks, from his brain leap forth, many-headed, forked, winged, the first six Powers of Darkness, and after them, clawed and winged forces of ravening aspect and disaster.)

BEAUTY

(Sadly, in a thin voice.) Lord, am I forgotten? (He makes no answer.)

LOVE

(In a thin voice.) Lord, canst thou no longer think on me? (He makes no answer.)

HOPE

(Weakly.) Lord, am I no more to thee? (No answer.)

PITY

Canst thou not remember me, Lord? (No answer.)

REASON

Lord, am I as nothing to thee now? (No answer.)

AMBITION

(To the clouds of darkness behind him as the first of the six great Powers leap forth.) Join them thou! Forth!

FIRST POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, leaping from the brain of the Creator at illimitable speed.) Hail! I go to harry! To slay!

SECOND POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed.) Hail! I go to rack, to torture!

THIRD POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed.) Hail! I go to ravage! To gall! To flay!

FOURTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed.) Hail! Where Sorrow is not, I carry it!

FIFTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed.) Hail! Where Happiness is, I destroy it!

SIXTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Hundred-headed, seven-horned, winged and fanged, rushing forth at illimitable speed.) Hail! Hail! Where Peace is, and Love, I make them as not! (They speed to his right hand and to his left, above and beneath him, before and behind him.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Forth! Forth! Fury upon fury! Bring me masses of destruction! Undo! Undo! Undo! I would have change! Death! Woe! Tears—bring me tears, tears, tears! Wipe out all dreams! Make ashes of fancies! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy! Let all be of horror, of death, of sorrow, of pain! Make of life an ending in misery! Mad! Mad! I am mad! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He bellows in insane rage.)

AMBITION

(Raveningly, to the clouds of Darkness behind.) Join thou these! Forth! Forth! Out upon his glistering thoughts! Undo! Undo! He is sick of pity, of peace! Harry thou with these! Destroy! Make dust of suns! Breed distempers in all flesh! Reduce, level, macerate, decay! Make of everything nothing! Forth! Forth!

THE LEGIONS OF DARKNESS

(Rumbling in anticipation.) Hail! (They speed outward.)

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Rocking to and fro in insane pain.) To my right hand and to my left! Above me, and beneath! Before me, and behind! Out—on! Harry! Destroy! Cease, Time! Be nothing, Space! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! End thou me the weariness of this! (He weeps in frenetic misery.)

A CLOUD OF SERAPHIM

(Faded to but pale rays.) Oh, Measureless Wonder of all Wonders! Oh, Creator of all Things! Canst thou not think on us? We die! We die! (They begin to fade.)

A CLOUD OF SERAPHIM

(Shrunken to a thin line.) Nor on us—on us? We die! We die! (They slowly fade also.)

BEAUTY

(Rising and viewing all with weary eyes.) He dreams on me no more—on Beauty no more! Oh, mad, mad, Lord! Oh, fevered, useless dreams! Gone all the sweet Seraphim and Cherubim—the halls of light and wonder—his suns and jewel-stars! His dreams have changed. These his horrors are now his mood. And death—and nothingness—for all of us, his mood! (To DESPAIR.) Hail! Hail! thou unutterable one. (To AMBITION, glowering near.) And thou, great evil one, his torturous swelling thought! Now is thy dark hour! But sleep and nothingness is the end of this for thee and all! Thou wouldst destroy even me, oh evil thing! Yet if he but thought on me, how different! His singing world again! But wait, wait! If he think on thee for long comes death and the end of all this—of thee, as of me! By death, sleep! And by sleep, if he sleep—where then is his thought of thee or me? Pray that he change!

AMBITION

(Arrogantly.) Avaunt, thin thing! Now is my Lord awake—he thinks on me, not thee! To harry, burn, slay! To his right hand and to his left! Above him, and beneath! Before him, and behind! He is for strife, strength, conflict! To harry, slay, lay waste! It is as it is! He knows thee not! (The destroying legions rumble.)

PITY

(Drawing near to BEAUTY.) He thinks not on me again! I am grown so thin! Is there no change? Is peace worth nothing—the tender heart—the end of agonies and storms?

AMBITION

Avaunt! He knows thee not! (PITY shrinks exceeding small.)

LOVE

(Drawing near, a pale shadow.) Or all the lovely thoughts that fluttered into happiness—are they worth nothing?

AMBITION

Avaunt! He knows thee not, thin wraith! (She fades to a point.)

REASON

Nor me? Not even order?

AMBITION

Hence! (REASON steps aside.)

HOPE

Nor yet the thought he had in me? Can he not remember me?

AMBITION

Vanish! Thy Lord is for destruction! He thinks not on thee—but on me! Hence! (HOPE pales to a thin flame.)

BEAUTY

(Proudly.) Yet am I Beauty, his first thought! Rage on, thou evil one! Of what avail, since thou wilt end also? Destroy as thou wilt, he will not forget me! I am that which he is—Beauty! His first thought! Think madly as he may, yet will his last thought, as his first, be of me. I am in him, and he in me. From him, when he wake, if ever, will I come! I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Writhing in a last insane agony.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Let me have done with Life! Let me have done with Thought—Pain—with Order, Beauty, Hope! Let me have done with all things! Oh, ho, ho, ho! Sick—sick! Death! Death! Burn! Harry! Slay! Oh, ho, ho, ho! I will have done with all! (He tears at his snaky locks.)

REASON

(Sadly.) Great Master of us all, so this then is the end? I, who was thy thought of order, am disordered! I, who was thy strength, am thy weakness! So sink I back to nothingness! (He re-enters the brow of the Lord.)

LOVE

And I, who was his thought of happiness! So come I to nothingness again! (She re-enters the forehead of the Lord.)

PITY

And I, who was his thought of tenderness! (She fades into his brain.)

HOPE

And I, who was his thought of love and peace! (She disappears also.)

BEAUTY

(Paling.) Yet is he not done with me! Mad though he be, even though he sleep, now I feel his thought! He is in me, as I in him! I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped! (She re-enters his brow undiminished.)

FIRST POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering in.) All that was to thy left hand is not!

THE LORD

’Tis well!

SECOND POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering in.) All that was to thy right hand is not.

THE LORD

’Tis well!

THIRD POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering in.) All that was before thee is not!

THE LORD

’Tis well!

FOURTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering in.) All that was behind thee is not!

THE LORD

’Tis well!

FIFTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering.) All that was above thee is not!

THE LORD

’Tis well!

SIXTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Returning and entering.) All that was beneath thee is not!

THE LORD

’Tis well!

AMBITION

’Tis well! Hail, Lord! As thou wouldst, I have ended thy dreams! Canst thou not rest?

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Writhing.) Oh, ho, ho, ho! Oh, ho, ho, ho! I dream! I dream! It is too much! Destroy! Destroy! I will have peace! I will have peace! (He turns and writhes, sinking in weariness as he does so, and partially disappearing. Æons elapse.)

FIRST POWER OF DARKNESS

(Beginning to fade in the brain of the Lord.) It is of me that he ceases to think! I fail! (He disappears.)

AMBITION

(Sadly.) It is the end!

SECOND POWER OF DARKNESS

(Beginning to fade in the brain of the Lord.) It is of me he ceases to think. Oh, ho, ho, ho! I fail! (He disappears.)

AMBITION

(Sadly.) It is the end!

THIRD POWER OF DARKNESS

(Writhing and fading in the brain of the Lord.) It is of me he ceases to think! I fail! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He disappears.)

AMBITION

It is the end!

FOURTH POWER OF DARKNESS

(Fading into the brain of the Lord.) It is of me he ceases to think! I fail! (He groans and disappears.)

AMBITION

It is the end!

FIFTH POWER OF DARKNESS

It is of me he ceases to think! I fail! (He disappears.)

AMBITION

It is the end!

SIXTH POWER OF DARKNESS

It is of me he ceases to think! I fail! (He disappears.)

AMBITION

It is the end!

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

(Stretching prone in space and all but vanishing. Only faint outlines are visible here and there, the brow and face intact.) Peace! Peace! It is enough! It is enough! I have done! Let it be as it ever was from everlasting to everlasting—a dream—a dream! Oh, ho, ho, ho! (He sighs heavily. The last writhing beasts thin and are gone. AMBITION, paling and thinning, stands wide-eyed, agape, before the fading brow of the Lord.)

AMBITION

At last! And I—it is of me he ceases to think—even me! I have done! I have done! (He vanishes.)

BEAUTY

(A thin star in the brow of the Lord, glistering and yet paling.) It is even of me he ceases to think! Lord, hast thou forgotten thy first-born?

THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE

Peace! Peace! Enter thou into me! (He sighs and begins to vanish completely.)

BEAUTY

(Fading into his sleep.) I will be worshiped! I will be worshiped! (She smiles.)

The illusion of reality ceases. Suns and planets are gone. Time and Space are not. That which was is as that which was not.