grewsome charnel vault a part of Heaven--the graves there of
those murdered knaves made rests of roses for our heads; it made
him spring the bolt and lock us in. Where is the creed's
foundation? I've shrived a thousand souls--I cannot now absolve
my own. To quench this awful thirst, I cut an artery in my arm
and sucked its blood. The thirstness did not cease. They lied.
'Twas not the vultures at Prometeus' heart, 'twas hunger at his
vitals gnawed. The salt drops that I swallowed from that vein
have set my brain on fire. What's that? The ground's a-tremble
'neath my feet as touched with life. Earth, rend your breast and
let me in! For anything but this dire darkness, made alive with
vengeful eye-balls--his eyes! They glare with hate at me. I heard
him laugh but now. For anything but this most loving corpse whose
head caressing rests it on my feet. Ah, no, I did not mean it
thus; I would not get away alone. I loved that corpse. It was the
sweetest bit of human frailty that to man e'er brought a blessing
or a curse. I turned from Dias' holy grail to taste its nectar.
Hell, throw a-wide your sulphur-blazoned gates, I'll grasp it in
my arms and make the plunge! Hist! what was that? I heard him
laugh again. Laugh, fiend, you cannot hurt me more. Ah! Reyenita,
mine in life you were, in death you shall be mine. When this
clogged blood has stopped the wheels of life, I'll put my arms
around your neck, I'll lay my face against your frozen one, and
thus I'll die. When this foul place has crumbled to the sunlight,
some relic-hunting lunatic will stumble o'er our bones, and
pitiless will weave a tale for eyes more pitiless to read. Back,
Stygian ghoul! Death's on me now. I feel his rattle in my throat!
My limbs are blocks of ice! My heart has tuned it with the
muffled dead-march drum! A jar of crashing worlds is in my ears!
A drowsy faintness creeps upon--